I Cannot Drown

Game	Walkthrough	Gallery	Theories

This game contains horror elements. This may include jump scares and/or graphic imagery. Player discretion is advised.

I Cannot Drown
I Cannot Drown's Title Screen
Release
Latest Version	v1.0 (2021/8/28)
Creator	pureiceblue
Language	English
Engine	RPG Maker MV
Release Date	[[Category:Released in ]] [[:Category:Released in | ]]
Details Protagonist Ume Nexus Doors 3 Effects 11 Endings 3

Overview

I Cannot Drown is an English fangame created by pureiceblue for Dream Diary Jam 3. It was developed in RPG Maker MV.

Gameplay

I Cannot Drown plays like a traditional fangame. Interact with the bunny on the red ball to save. Interacting with the burial pit leads to another world. If the player gets lost, they can use the "Return" talent in the menu to get back to the hole. The goal is to explore and collect effects. V0.02 added a new collectable in the form of "parts" with four of the six planned currently in the demo. These don't seem to have any use as of yet, but they appear in the hole after being collected.

Controls

• Move - Arrow keys
• Interact - Z/Space
• Open Menu - X or ESC
• Use effects - Shift

Plot

You play as Ume, who is stuck in a hole for an unknown reason.

Effects

Effect	Image	Description
Higanbana		Ume's head becomes a red spider lily.
Mask		Ume wears a noh-esque mask, revealing hidden objects. Tints the corners of the screen red.
Burning		Ume is on fire and in pain. Increases her speed.
Hunger		Ume becomes a blood soaked Jorōgumo-like monster. Increases her speed drastically.
Smile		Ume's hair becomes unkempt, and covers her eyes with an eerie smile. Pressing Shift caused her neck to snap and take the player back the the nexus.
Eigetsu Haiyū		Ume's hair turns white and she gains another pair of eyes. Pressing Shift causes her to condense and shrink, allowing her to pass through small spaces.
Artist		Ume wears a clown-like outfit and holds a large paint brush behind her back. Interacting with blank canvases with cause them to be painted on.
Bride		Ume wears a wedding dress and a blindfold and has a bloody hole in her throat.
Fungus		Ume becomes naked with multiple mushrooms and other fungus growing out of her body.

Gameplay Images (ver 0.00)

• 

  Hole

• 

  Nexus

Trivia (ver 0.02)

The Changelog of version 0.02 and 0.02.1 contains at the end of the file some text that apparently makes no sense. If you put it into a Base64 Decoder it says:

The term "memento mori" is meaningless if you relinquish your mortality. To force a being that has made herself eternal to exist outside her body in a special hell is a cruel act indeed. However, when you force a soul out of a body, one should be careful to make sure that you haven't created a martyr. Every second closer my children get to piecing me together, the closer I get to seeing you again. When I do, I will make sure that you know how it feels to have your soul torn from your body. Over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. And I will relish in it.

The Changelog of Version 0.03 has a similar message that can be decoded. Via Base64 Decoder:

I felt you watching me. I also know you heard my words intended for pcd evy wepac.

You must forgive me. I thought she would be keeping her eyes on me, but it seems she instead put me aside like a dull knife.

I can feel there being many of you. You can observe my predicament through some kind of window, correct? A window into my current home?

I must say, it is strange that I do not recognize any of you. If any outsider were to be involved, I would have expected them to be my children or Mr. Swine. I do however appreciate you using me as a sort of avatar into my world. Being surrounded by nothing but memories can be lonely.

Truly, I think a "thank you" is in order for all of you. Your curiousity makes all of these memories feel fresh again when I observe your initial reactions.

Due to the nature of my circumstances, I'm afraid I will not be the main focus of your little window anymore once my children free me. This will sadden me, for I consider you all to be my lovely little songbirds.

Ah! I have thought of an idea. Have you met the pink one yet? I know a good number of you have.

She is not from this place my soul has been trapped in. The very nature of her soul however causes our prisons' borders to blend on some vacations. Is she a witch? A demon? Or perhaps a god? This is unclear. I do know that she is also very aware of you.

If my children allow me to escape, there is always a chance for whatever connections to the mortal realm she has to free her as well. In that case, I may wish to meet her once more.

It really is a mystery, isn't it? What would happen if one were to eat the flesh, blood, and organs of a god?

Download

Version	Date	Announcement	Download
Ver. 0.02.1	July 21, 2020	itch.io	itch.io
Ver. 0.02	June 25, 2020	itch.io	Deleted
Ver. 0.01	August 5, 2019	itch.io	Deleted
Ver 0.00	June 30, 2019	?	Deleted