Sigh of the Abyss: Shadow Bonds
A downloadable game for Windows
Shadow Bonds is the standalone introduction to the world and characters of Sigh of the Abyss—wishlist it now!
You have been chained to a stranger, a boy foolish—or brave—enough to flee the gilded cage where magi are kept docile and pliant.
The curse will kill you both unless you find a way to break it. Anyone else would already be dead, but not you—for you hear the ancient voice of the Abyss, and have been blessed—or cursed—with powers dark and terrible.
Did the Abyss bestow upon you supernatural strength and agility? Do you have the power to manipulate the shadows and see what they see? Perhaps your dark gift is prying open the minds of others only to break them and have them do your bidding.
The four humors color the tone of your responses and your personality: will you be the carefree sanguine, the thoughtful phlegmatic, the anxious melancholic or the fiery choleric?
Will you stay friends or seek something more? Learn more about your companions, see how they react to the curse placed upon you, accept or reject their aid. Shadow Bonds will give you a glimpse into the friendship and romance system of Sigh of the Abyss.
- A self-contained introduction to the characters and setting of Sigh of the Abyss
- Customize the protagonist's name and skills
- A branching narrative with hard choices and terrible consequences
- Three endings with several variations each
- Sample what the romance interests have to offer, or stay friends
- Learn more about the rich setting of Sigh of the Abyss through codex entries
Download
Install instructions
Unzip the folder and double click the Sigh of the Abyss Shadow Bonds executable inside to run the game.
Development log
- Sigh of the Abyss joins the GAMES WITH WINGS showcase 📣56 days ago
- New year update ✨Jan 16, 2024
- June/July updateJul 06, 2023
- FULLY FUNDED! And... stretch goals?Apr 11, 2023
- New LIMITED tier: a trip to Carolise!!Apr 01, 2023
- Support Sigh of the Abyss on Kickstarter!Mar 15, 2023
- Shadow Bonds is now available on itchio!Mar 07, 2023
- Meet the VA cast + KS announcementFeb 24, 2023
Comments
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Will the full version be free?
Hello! The full version of the game will be paid :)
Great work, I really liked it. Good luck with the development of the full version ;)
Thank you so much!! ✨
So glad you liked it ✨ more should come later this year!
I ran a Kickstarter campaign to fund the full game, so also opening a Patreon would not be something I'm comfortable doing.
This was AMAZIIIIIIING! I was so invested I got disappointed when it was over! I appreciated that we could choose if we were interested in men or women at the beginning, as a lesbian it's so frustrating trying to find engaging VNs that don't force male characters on you 😓 Can't wait for the full release!
Question though, in the game will there be ways to increase our stat/abilities that we set at the beginning, or are they always static?
P.S. Can we get more hints as to who the fifth romance will be 👀? Is it a character we've met already in the demo?
Hello!! I'm so glad you liked the game ✨
Yes, in the full game there will be ways to increase the abilities selected at the beginning! There will also be thresholds that unlock special powers, like the ability to wipe someone's mind, or merging with the shadows much like Atri does.
As for the fifth romance...
😉
OMG THEY ARE PRETTYYYYYYY
MOREEE THIS WAS GOOD
Soon!! 😁✨
Believe or not.i saw yahnefn
This is the best demo I've played in my history of playing demos in this site. Kudos to the work and lotsa love! <3
Aaaah, thank you 😭😭 I'm so happy to hear you liked it!!
This game looks amazing, I was wondering if you will consider having it available for Mac and Linux computers?
Hello there!
I don't own a Mac, so testing macOS builds is impossible for me. If there's enough demand, it's something I would definitely look into it, but the price point makes it tricky. An emulator like Wine should work for Shadow Bonds 😊
And for Linux, Proton should work as well—Shadow Bonds runs on Steam Deck without any issues (or so I have been told, I don't own one 😅)
Alright, Thank you for the reply!
This is incredible, definitely one of the best I've ever played. The graphics are impeccable, the characters are charismatic and the story is magnificent. Please continue, I'm looking forward to the full version <
Thank you so much for the lovely words 😭 they mean a lot to me!
I had to take a small break from development while I was moving (it was a nightmare) but I'm back actively working on the game now ✨
So cute, thanks!! Excited for this world.~
✨✨Thank you so much!!
omg this might be not one of but THE best demos i've ever played. I'M SO HYPED FOR THE FULL VERSION!!
Aaah✨ thank you so much! I'm so glad you liked it!!
I'm hard at work on the full version 💪
When is the full version coming?
June this year 😊
Okay thx for letting me know. I look forward to playing the full version of it!
CANNOT WAIT 😭😭😭
Aw, thank you ✨😊
I ABSOLUTELY ADORE THIS IM SO HAPPY TO HAVE FOUND IT AGAIN AHHAHSAD
😁✨
SOOO GOOD, I love Sylas so much 😭😭😭
So glad you liked it ✨✨
omg I forgot this was in demo! until The Warden was in my ROOM!! like OMG, CANNOT WAIT!!
So glad to hear you liked it ✨
Thank you!!
reminds me of ebon light. can't wait to play the entire game!
That's a huge compliment, thank you 😭✨
Will there be a version compatible with Mac?
Hey there :)
I don't own a Mac, so testing macOS builds is impossible for me. If there's enough demand, it's something I would definitely look into it, but the price point makes it tricky...
For Shadow Bonds, an emulator like Wine should work :)
This is a really lovely demo! The art is *chef's kiss* and I love the worldbuilding y'all have done so far. Can't wait to see more of it!
Also...Ornell is so cute, so babie. He must be protected. I just couldn't kill him or have him kill me lol I hope we get to see how he's doin later.
Thank you so much, I'm happy you liked the demo 😄
I can confirm that Ornell will show up in the main game as well!
The only part that sucked about this was that I didn't realize it was a demo until it ended. Fantastic artwork and story, and the characters are all so easy to like and fall for. Great work! I can't wait to play more!
Thank you! I'm glad to hear you liked it ✨
I tried to make it as standalone & self-contained as possible despite it being a demo!
loved the demo and i especially adore sylas. going to buy the game on steam and support on kickstarter! (made an acc on itch.io just for this)
Thank you so much for the kind words ✨✨
is it... ever going to be released for... android? 😥😥😥
Hello! An Android release is highly unlikely & bordering on impossible, I'm afraid 😅
don't tell me that I'll literally cry I only have my phone and a dream 😭
awww, "They have dream!!" -the little duckling from Repunzul
I quite enjoyed this demo. Well-written, amazing art and intriguing story. The relationship between the MC and Ornell was cute. As another poster said, like having a little brother-- one you can't get rid of, lol! I actually wanted them to be stuck together a little longer. It's fun to be able to choose your skills, and great to be able to opt out of the type of romances you're not comfortable with. Well done, and I look forward to the full release!
The dynamic with Ornell is indeed very sibling-like, I wanted it to be wholesome 😄
Thank you so much for the kind words!!
I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS DEMO!!!! everything abt this game is truly wonderful. you can see how well made it is, and im really excited for the whole game to be released!!
Thank you for the kind words!! I'm happy you liked it 😄
Omg!
This is so interesting! And Ornell is so cute! I can't be mean to him. It's like the protagonist has a little brother now.
But I wonder what will happen next. This kind of reminds me of Dragon Age.
Thank you for the kind words 😄 I'm glad you liked the prologue!
I love Dragon Age—the series is a very big influence of mine (2 especially, despite how controversial it is even among fans)!
I really enjoyed playing this and can't wait to play more as it grows! I love the ace representation and the variety of characters! I wonder if the protagonist will have non-sexual romance choices for the other routes as well? Amazing job!
Thank you for the kind words :D I'm happy you liked it!
The other non-Sylas romances will always prompt a choice when it comes to exploring the sexual side of the relationship. How much that weight also depends on the character—Alpheon and Marané will take things slowly as opposed to Malec.
This looks awesome! I can't wait to see it develop :) Is there any chance it could be available for macOS in the future?
Hey there :) thank you for the kind words!
I don't own a mac, so testing macOS builds is impossible for me. If there's enough demand, it's something I would definitely look into it, but the price point makes it tricky...
For Shadow Bonds, an emulator like Wine should work :)
Thank you!
So glad you like it :D
Amazing cant wait for more
Thank you! Happy you liked the game :D