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	v1.01 (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, with the burial pit being a portal to another world. The bunny on the red ball is used to save as well. 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. There are additional collectables called "parts" that have no function outside of affecting endings.

There are three different endings with one ending having an extra variant depending on the events viewed prior to it.

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	Portrait
Higanbana		Ume's head becomes a red spider lily.
Mask		Ume wears a noh-esque mask, revealing hidden objects and tinting the corners of the screen red.
Burning		Ume is on fire and in pain, increasing her speed.
Hunger		Ume becomes a blood-soaked Jorōgumo-like monster, increasing her speed drastically.
Smile		Ume's hair becomes unkempt, and covers her eyes with an eerie smile. Pressing Shift causes her neck to snap, returning her to 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 will cause them to be painted on.
Bride		Ume wears a wedding dress and a blindfold. She also has a bloody hole in her throat.
Fungus		Ume becomes naked with multiple mushrooms and other fungus growing out of her body. Using the effect releases spores that record locations that can be directly returned to in the Nexus.
Ama		Ume wears a pair of diving goggles, and is shirtless with her hair worn down and a cloth covering her bottom. This effect allows Ume to enter most bodies of water.
Glass		Ume holds a large shard of glass that can be used to kill NPCs temporarily.
Color		Ume is no longer in black and white. Reward for getting the Coming Revival ending and doesn't affect any other endings.

Gameplay Images (ver 0.00)

• 

  Hole

• 

  Nexus

Gameplay Images (ver 1.01)

• 

  The Train

• 

  Neighborhood

• 

  The Sea

• 

  The Smiling Mermaid close up

Trivia (ver 0.02)

The Changelog of version 0.02 and 0.02.1 contains some text at the end of the file that is encoded with a Base64 encryption. Decoded, it reads:

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.

Trivia (ver 0.03)

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. 1.0.1	August 28, 2021	itch.io	Itch.io
Ver. 1.0.0	August 19, 2021	itch.io	Deleted
Ver. 0.03	June 26, 2021	itch.io	Deleted
Ver. 0.02.1	July 21, 2020	itch.io	Deleted
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