Catalyst: Blind Faith
A downloadable game for Windows and Linux
Not all hope is lost.
Catalyst: Blind Faith is a dark fantasy and horror visual novel, set in an apocalyptic world where humanity is on the brink of extinction. You shape the fate of a young and troubled priest who is obsessed with finding a cure for the strange phenomenon turning mankind into demons: the Catalyst.
While you dive deep into the ruins that cover the land, you can channel the power of any God in the pantheon through your weakened and fractured body. Every choice you make carries favor with different aspects of reality and influences the nature of your journey, for better or for worse.
Control unrivaled power— at a cost.
Be true to yourself.
Conquer your demons, inside and out.
Community
Discord | 
Patreon | 
Ko-Fi | 
Bluesky | 
Tumblr |
Press Kit
Click for press kit:
Disclaimer: All Catalyst: Blind Faith branding is property of Catalyst: Blind Faith dev and Just Write Studios and cannot be used for monetary gain.
Description: In an apocalyptic world where humanity is on the brink of extinction, not only do you determine how you explore the ruins that cover the land. You control and shape the fate of a young and troubled priest who can channel the power of any God in the pantheon through his weakened and fractured body.
While you seek a cure for the phenomenon turning mankind into demons— the Catalyst— you are encouraged to follow your heart.
Dive deep into a harrowing, action-packed, dark fantasy and horror visual novel, driven by a narrative that your choices create.
Control unrivaled power— at a cost.
Be true to yourself.
Conquer your demons, inside and out.
About: This visual novel is made by solo game developer Alaric, founder of Just Write Studios. A free, early development demo is publicly available on itch.io, and the full game is in the works for a commercial release.
Content Warning
Catalyst: Blind Faith contains mature themes that may be distressing to some readers. Reader discretion is advised.
Click for detailed content warnings:
With the extreme content filter disabled (in a select few routes) depictions of torture, suicide, and violence against animals are present. This extreme content is strictly optional and can be disabled immediately upon starting the game.
Addiction, self harm, eating disorders, the effects of prolonged confinement, abusive relationships, depictions of mental illness, and suicidal ideation are themes throughout Catalyst: Blind Faith. Reader discretion is advised.
Early Development
This demo for Catalyst: Blind Faith will undergo future updates. Many art and music assets are currently placeholders, using concept art or free use images. All changes and additions will be tracked in the Devlog.
Click for known bugs:
- In the "Journal" menu, if the tab is selected for the Goddess of Time after time travel, the game will crash due to a missing but named image. The fix for this will be included with the next demo update.
- Discord Rich Presence provided by Lezalith has been identified as containing multiple bugs. This code for Discord Rich Presence will be removed from all future builds.
Download
Click download now to get access to the following files:
Development log
- DEVLOG - Narrative Design and the Branching Structure of Catalyst: Blind Faith!8 days ago
- DEVLOG - DETERMINATION! How I stay on target with a long project, game dev with...41 days ago
- We're now on Bluesky!! Devlog update tooo!48 days ago
- TRAILER - Animations, WIP Sketches, and Camera Work!!!75 days ago
- DEVLOG - Character Design: Silhouettes, Shape Language, and Weird Fashion!Sep 01, 2024
- DEVLOG - JOURNAL MENU UI AND ART DESIGNJul 28, 2024
- DEVLOG - Flowchart insanity (and why it massively helped me with extensive edits...May 26, 2024
- DEVLOG - Concept Art is Complete!!!!Apr 03, 2024
Comments
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just played. The artwork and the music are scarce in quantity now, but this is a demo and the game is unfinished. The game is charming, the worldbuilding is interesting, and the atmosphere is great overall. The god-based magic system is great but sometimes I think it will be better to let the player choose between the prayers he could use, rewarding the good comprehension of boons and other staff granted by the gods. Can't wait to see the full game!
Thank you so much for taking the time to play and comment! I'm so excited to get this next update out for the demo--the current build is well over 9 months old, and I've been working tirelessly on the actual art assets for backgrounds, sprites, CGs, animations, and some extremely sexy unique UI. Can't wait to share!! I'm so glad you enjoyed the systems in place here for the fantasy elements and the abilities you can use too. In the full game there is IMMENSE breadth of choice, including with which deities you can invoke. Not only are many more options present in the common route in dire situations for how you would like to approach them, but also choosing your preferred relationship with whichever God or Goddess in the pantheon you like most is what dictates your hard branch in the full game! It's the crux of the full game's premise, so this is just the tip of the iceberg. You can look forward to seeing MUCH more content in the near future! c:
can't wait to see! good work so far!
Just played and I love the dark atmosphere and (in my playthrough), the ever increasing sense of dread as I racked up injuries as I went! Gotta also give the cursory Ray is the best boy.
Thank you so much!! The atmosphere is so important to me. I'm extremely curious what route you wound up taking. c: thank you for showing the Ray support too and for playing!
Since the reviews made aren't exactly public... I'm making a comment to reflect my review :D
The original review says: "Time of review is the early development demo. I thoroughly enjoyed my entire play through all around! I found that the pacing of the storyline was so lovely paired with the copious amount of choices i got to made as Richard. It was so easy to immerse myself and get into character, the general ambiance the game has now is so wonderful and I am so excited for any more to release."
While every word still rings true, I'd love to elaborate.
During my experience with the game, I got to feel firsthand how much love and care was clearly put into each completed facet. The writing is so captivating and each character feels real & compelling to learn more about!! I'm left so curious about and interested in learning more world lore.
My hands-down favourite part was how authentic each choice felt to me. The options were always incredibly real decisions on my end as the player, puppeteering Richard. A high contender for second favourite is how the deities are implemented/part of the story.
To summarize, I cannot get enough of Catalyst: Blind Faith and avidly look forward to updates!!
Proxy thank you so much for the extremely thoughtful review!!! I've contacted itch.io to inform them that the comments left in the "Review" section with ratings don't appear here (the star ratings absolutely do at least!), so hopefully they resolve that quickly!
;;w;; Bringing meaningful and weighty decisions to the player is so important to me. This game is meant to be the player's story, and so that authentic connection that your decisions with Richard's characterization, his relationships, and how you interact with the world around you is shaped by each decision is everything!
I can't wait to bring you more of these characters and this world that I love so much and have put so much into!!! Much more lore and content is on its way <33
I really love the prose and the characterization of all these characters! They're so amazing!!! I'm genuinely hyped when the real game comes out.
Some things as of now, like the music and some art, are placeholders until the official game comes out. So I won't comment on that.
BUT THE WRITING. HOOOOOLY SHIT the writing! It's phenomenal and immersive, and amazingly paints the world and the protagonist well. Even in the slow scenes, I'm still *hooked* in reading. It's like a visual novel written by a novelist, and that's a great thing. Definitely the author's writing style I believe is one of, if not THE best main selling point about Catalyst:Blind Faith. I hardly give comments like these often, but I know good writing when I see one.
Thank you so much!! I'm working so hard on the final art for the finished demo, absolutely cannot WAIT to share the full visuals and complete project with you all!!!
Also thank you so kindly for the high praise for my writing. It's absolutely my biggest passion as a game dev and it means the world that it resonated so much with you!! <3
I tried your game and it looks great, it has a nice interface and I loved the characters. I didn't understand much because I don't speak much English and I didn't have a Spanish translation, but I still enjoyed it.
PS: I recommend encrypting your code to protect yourself from code theft and stuff
It is so wonderful to hear that the visuals of the demo were so enjoyable for you! Thank you for your review and for giving my game a try! I also greatly appreciate the word of caution and will certainly keep that in mind.
Ah I only got on eof the endings in the demo so far, but this is a really interesting experience! It's very polished, the writing is super evocative, the UI looks nice and clean, and I can tell a lot of thought was put into the world-building. It's a very strong start: I'm interested in reading more of it!
Also, the demon designs look really good! They're very suitably creepy and they suit the writing well!
I will be keeping an eye on this!
ebi, your work is so stunning and this review is no exception oml ;w; Thank you for the kind and significant words! I've been crafting the world for Catalyst for over 4 years now and being able to share its depth with you all is a tremendous joy. Our concept artist for those monsters, Betto, also put his heart into those designs. I'm so glad they resonated with you and work to heighten the narrative! Thank you so much again for taking the time to play the demo, I look forward so much to bringing you more content soon!
This is so cool! I can tell from beginning to end how much passion has been invested in this. There's so much attention and love put into everything from the UI to the writing. The latter especially drips with catharsis and potent, raw emotion, just like the protagonist and his inner turmoil. It's a game that just begs you to feel. The writing and story are absolutely one of the strongest points of this game and I would definitely recommend it for anyone who likes a dark, introspective, emotionally driven visual novel!
It brings me so much joy to hear that the parallels between our protagonist's emotional journey and how much passion has been put into the script really can be felt and seen. This is such a well crafted and descriptive review, thank you so dearly for it!
This is a really cool horror-demo game with a tight, well-crafted story that oozes atmosphere and character. Seriously worth following and getting when it comes out!
c: I'm so happy to hear that the story shines for you. I love it so intensely and bringing this story to you in a powerful way means everything! Thank you for your support and interest, can't wait to bring you more soon!
This is indeed fascinating
Thank you so much for your review!
Great demo! The story is engaging, the UI is crisp and clean, and the game already feels very polished. There is a real commitment to player choice here as well. Excited to see this project develop further!
Thank you so much for your review! Player choice in particular is the driving force behind Catalyst: Blind Faith's design. I'm so excited to continue bringing more polish and updates!! Keep an eye out for the Kickstarter when we do launch it -- there's a lot more to come!
Ate me demons
Ate me creepie crawlies
Ate me happiness
Luv me dog
Luv me pain
Luv me Mercy
Simple As.
Inspiring words, thank you. Hearing what is loved is just as priceless as hearing what you guys hate! Big looking forward to unveiling the route for Mercy in the full game. ;)
Experienced this livestreamed on Discord and honestly blown away by the story. I love the concepts it explore and the nuanced choices it gives out that really affects the story. The amount of content in the game and the unlockable stuff are also fun. Some scenes are intense with the way it's written and the choices amplify that feeling. Loved the experience and can't wait for the full game. Also, if in doubt, C.
I can't wait to bring you the full game. So so glad that you enjoyed the quantity and quality of content!! I am delighted beyond all belief that the choices heightened your experience and that both the concepts and details really hit right for you. Thank you so so much for the amazing review!!
THIS IS AMAZING!!
MALIMOS IS MY LOVER I LOVE THEM EVEN IF THEY'RE UGLY WHEN I DRAW THEM.
THE LORE!! THE ART!! AND THE PENULTIMATE... THE WRITING IS LIKE GOLDEN HONEY TO MY DEHYDRATED BRAIN.
KEEP MAKING GAMES
I WILL KEEP MAKING GAMES
THANK YOU FOR THE AMAZING REVIEW
WISHING YOU AND MALIMOS A VERY HAPPY LIFE TOGETHER <3
I really enjoyed playing this!
I loved having a dog companion. It added lots of tension to the scenes as I was constantly worried he might get hurt. Also being able to befriend the orc was awesome.
The world building with the different gods is amazing. Also, the writing is absolutely top-notch. I really dig the second person point of view it is written in, as it makes the story feel more personal.
Also, the use of sound and music is amazing and added to the atmosphere.
Please keep working on this!
I'm so glad that you enjoyed the characters, world building, writing, and audio design so much! The second person perspective in particular is something that I am very fond of, so it is spectacular to hear that you enjoyed it for the same reasons too.
Comments like this are such amazing fuel for the fire. Thank you so much for the review, I can't wait to bring you guys more!
An absolutely wonderful experience. I'm not exactly a big visual novel player and I haven't play very many to begin with. But this was a truly wonderful experience. I played using a Steam Deck and was surprised how optimized it was for it. Although there was a few hiccups, I.E the fonts not working too well with the Steam Deck or the finicky controls., Overall the game was playable and I had a great time! I can't wait to see the full game when its finally ready!
Thanks so much for taking the time to play Olec, that is unbelievably cool that you got the game to work on the Steam Deck!! This version of the demo is not at all optimized for any platforms other than what they have been released for (Windows, Mac, and Linux while on a PC; either with a mouse and keyboard or gamepad), since the game has not been tested or designed for other platforms, so this is amazing news. On that note, thanks so much for sharing that you identified some areas for improvement with the Steam Deck controls. The demo will always be available here on itch.io for PC, but before the full game is released, I will absolutely look into the control schemes available, and will ensure that the game is thoroughly playtested so that it works seamlessly for players on the Steam Deck.
Given the different resolutions that mobile devices and the Steam Deck have, you can look forward to optimized visuals for those devices when versions are made for them in the final releases. They are not available at this time, so I'm sorry that you had some difficulty with the fonts, but I eagerly anticipate the later releases for mobile devices where the text will be larger and many more accessibility options will be available.
Stay tuned for more updates, I am super excited for bringing the completed demo and full game to you all too!
The story is getting better and better. I'm going to do my best to find all the endings. Amazing work so far.
Full Playlist
I just finished watching the entire playthrough, oh my goodness it was so awesome seeing you take the choices so seriously and intelligently. Loved the playthrough and reading!! Thank you so much for the review and all of the praise! I can't wait to see how you go through the rest of the routes, and I'll be immensely looking forward to you collecting all of the endings!
I just got ending 8, it's a really amazing game and I love how immersive it is.
It has been so awesome watching you play through the game, thank you so much for the feedback and for the great videos!
You're welcome. I'm glad you're enjoying the videos so far.
Had a riveting experience doing my first playthrough of the latest update. The writing is phenomenal; I made it a point to read slowly and reread each line several times to take in the depth. Each choice presented in the demo feels meaningful to the story.
Amazing work. Can't wait for more.
I'm so delighted that you enjoyed the writing and choices so much! The narrative and dialogue is packed with info and implications and it is just incredible to hear about people taking the time to read it more than once. I strove to make each choice as meaningful as possible, while still keeping a consistent portrayal of the characters with strong pacing. Thank you for the glowing review. I can't wait to bring you more content!
Absolutely howling for more, great stuff!
Thank you so much!
I finished chapter 1. This game is too good. I loved every minute of it.
Twenty eight solid minutes of quality review?! I am so hype, left a comment on your Youtube video and a like. Thank you so much for the stellar feedback and review! I'll have more content out with the next chapter very, very soon!
Thank you, I'm happy you liked the video. I've already followed so I'll be patiently waiting for the next chapter. :)
Wow, this is really well made~ I liked the sounds that went with the text. And the creepy spider demon, woah
Thank you so much! I've added in quite a few new sound effects with the update I'm currently working on, including to some earlier scenes! You can look forward to it (and more spider demon fun) sometime this week!
This visual novel is really good so far and very professional in the dialogue and design. 10/10
Thank you so much for the awesome, thorough review and comment! I'm so glad that you enjoyed the game. I loved seeing your video and left a like and subscribed.
One thing that I noticed during your video was how you were looking for a feature to access the save system. Catalyst: Blind Faith utilizes an auto-save feature! It works constantly during the game so that every choice really matters. That singular saved game file is accessible using the "Continue Your Journey" button on the main menu. "Start Anew" begins, well, a brand new journey! For game play reasons, this is not accessible through the menus, so it was incredibly valuable to see you looking for that option! I will definitely add a notice at the start of the game that mentions this, and a warning on the "Start Anew" button to prevent people from accidentally overwriting their save.
There's been some updates to the game since the version that was featured in your video, so I hope you get a chance to take a look as we continue development! There's a lot more action, horror, and dark fantasy adventure in store. :) Thank you again!
Edit: The notifications about the auto-save feature are now in full effect. The Devlog has more information and screenshots.
I'm glad you liked the video. I did notice the auto save feature once I went back to the main menu. I usually plays games where I have to manually save so it was different but a nice aspect. I will be playing more in the near future and most likely be making more videos as well.
I'm glad my video helped you with future updates as well.
All the best of luck and good fortune to you in the future with this game and others.