(It's been so long since I've been awake, I've forgotten what it was like not to be dreaming.)

It's winter, and one little bird doesn't like it. Shivering, awake when she wants to be asleep, above when she wants to be below - what troubles will befall our hero next? Where did her family go? And why does she keep seeing antlers out of the corner of her eye?

❄️ About the game ❄️

she who longs to return to the water is a short visual novel where the choices you make will change the fate of one girl forever. Replay to get all the endings and uncover the secrets of the deep, to reach the true ending. There are six endings in total!

This was made as part of the Winter Visual Novel Jam 2022.

❄️ Controls ❄️

Use the Left Mouse Button or Spacebar to advance the dialogue, holding down the skip button will fast forward until the next choice. The audio can be adjusted in the setting by hitting the Esc button or Right Mouse Button. We recommend playing in fullscreen mode for the best experience!

❄️ Credits ❄️

Starling - writing, music and sfx, narrative design Twitter

Tenkain - character art, background art, narrative design Twitter

pke1029 - programming Twitter

Sounds from freesound.org: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

❄️ Reviews ❄️

"It's just like Hatoful Boyfriend, without the Japanese names!" - Pigeon Chen

"This is... very nicely written" - Winged Souls

"Not everyone is a bird in this...or on this itch.io page..." - Starling

she who longs to return to the water screenshots