Coward's Dance is an upcoming fantasy/horror RPG Maker game, and the brainchild of the indie developer/artist Dr9com9ge (Draco). It was originally conceived on December 4, 2018. On that fateful Tuesday, Draco endured torturous, unspeakable horrors otherwise known as Mental Abuse To Humans (M.A.T.H.). However, all was not lost, as from the ashes of his sanity sprung the existence of the Axiethol, a creature with the head of an axolotl and the body of an unimaginably buff guy... and thus, this kickstarted an adventure down an increasingly strange rabbit hole.
Once upon a time, a group of thirteen people set out on a quest to rid the world of all cowardice, which they had deemed to be "the source of all inequity." Dubbing themselves "the Lionhearted", they went about their mission to capture any person who showed any sign of fear whatsoever. They would throw them onto the Isle of the Phobics, a secluded island which would magically manifest the worst fears of whoever would walk on its shores. Nothing would allow them to escape — not even death, for the island would only revive them — until they conquered a series of terrifying trials, thereby proving themselves brave, and therefore worthy, enough to continue life in freedom.
The game follows the misadventures of a group of thirteen of the Lionhearted's prisoners, otherwise known as the "Cowards", as they aspire to return to the mainland, deal with their respective backstories, and witness how their lives ultimately intertwine with each other.
Tropes present in this work include:
- Agent Mulder: Trilby holds many strange and unconventional beliefs; he is superstitious and paranoid, and quick to connect happenings to paranormal, occult, or alien activity. Despite not having concrete evidence, he is convinced that the government is definitely conspiring to harm him.
- And I Must Scream: In the Hello, Dolly Ending, Porter is stitched up and turned into a living doll by her monsters.
- Conspiracy Theorist: Trilby spends much of his time investigating conspiracies, as well as taking precautions to protect himself from them.
- Covered with Scars: Half of Pyre's face is completely burnt off, as a result of a tragic fire that happened prior to the events of the game.
- Flower Motifs: In their respective levels, the Cowards are each portrayed as being associated with a certain flower that symbolizes their individual fears, personalities, and character arcs. They also hint at their backstories, and foreshadow the specific trials they undergo on the island.
- You Are Number 6: The Lionhearted refuse to refer to the any of the Cowards by their actual names, and call them by their designated numbers instead. These were assigned chronologically, based on the order that Monitor cataloged them/the order that they arrived on the island.
- Heart Symbol: All of the Lionhearted wear a heart somewhere on their outfits.
- Holier Than Thou: The Lionhearted are generally condescending to the Cowards, since they believe themselves to be morally superior, courageous, and more deserving of freedom.
- Ironic Fear: Porter is afraid of mannequins, and her mother is a tailor.
- Living Clothes: Taylor is a sentient hat, or rather, an example of a hat parasite species whose members absorb the sentience of their wearers.
- Misanthrope Supreme: In the Lord of the Flies ending, Trilby comes to the conclusion all of what's happening is a simulation run by the government. This causes him to go berserk and attack everyone in sight, in an attempt to break free of the world that he perceives to be an illusion.
- Nice Girl: Theeny is very proper, well-mannered, formal, and polite.
- Obfuscating Stupidity: Trilby acts like a goofball to cover up both his instability and intelligence.
- Older Than They Look: Lucas looks and acts as if he's seventeen, despite actually being over ninety years old.
- Only Sane Man: Pyre is the only rational character on an island full of nutjobs.
- Shrinking Violet: Theeny is shy and skittish, and hides from strangers often.
- Sole Survivor: Hatlin is the only living member of his family after attackers killed his parents and siblings before the start of the story.
- SWAT Team: Back on the mainland, Pyre belonged to an organization known as the Knights, who essentially served as this universe's equivalent of a police force.
- Uncanny Valley Girl: Theeny is overly courteous, to the point where it comes across as unsettling.
- Witch Hunt: The Lionhearted have made it their mission to hunt down and imprison every person they deem to be cowardly.
