Snow Angel and Silver Devil is a Ren'Py-based Otome visual novel published by Atelier in Wonderland of Rosetta and the Well fame. It was released on December 29 2023 as part of the 2023 Winter VN Jam.
Set in Germany sometime during the holiday season, it follows a young woman named Catrin Rosenberg, who is on her way to her relatives' house for Heiligabendnote dinner. Along the way, she crosses paths with Claus, a large silver-furred beast known as the "Silver Devil".
Unfortunately, Catrin's former lover, Wulfgang von Brandt, also happens to be in the same area, and he's been obsessed with hunting down the Silver Devil for a long time.
The game can be downloaded for free from itch.io
.
Snow Angel and Silver Devil provides examples of the following:
- Abhorrent Admirer: Wulfgang von Brandt. His and Catrin's respective families have tried to set the two up several times in the past, but since Catrin is a healer and a Friend to All Living Things and Wulfgang is a bloodthirsty beast-hunter only concerned about fame and fortune, the two never hit it off. Even so, Wulfgang still tries to chase after Catrin, who tries to avoid him at all costs.
- And Now You Must Marry Me: In the "Gone Angel and Silver Devil" end, Wulfgang bribes Catrin into marrying him with the promise that he'll give Claus (who he'd shot with a poison-tipped arrow) the antidote if she complies. Catrin reluctantly accepts because her love for Claus is so strong.
- But Now I Must Go: In the Away Together end, Claus ends up having to leave with Wulfgang due to making a binding vow to tell the secret to killing him. Not wanting to be separate from Claus, and not wanting Wulfgang to hurt him again, Catrin ends up leaving alongside him.
- Christmas Carolers: A group of these show up outside of Hilda and Hans's cabin in Ending C.
- Gratuitous German: Since the game takes place in Germany, there are several bits of German sprinkled throughout, from the wanted poster that Wulfgang holds up for the Silberteufel (Silver Devil, aka Claus) to a chunk of the game taking place on "Heiligabend" (Christmas Eve).
- Interspecies Romance: The crux of the game is the budding romance between the human Catrin and the monstrous Claus.
- Magically-Binding Contract: The "guardian's vow" that Claus makes with Wulfgang in the Away Together end. Claus vows to tell Wulfgang how to properly kill him (as Claus's Resurrective Immortality means he'll come back every snowfall), and if he fails to comply, he loses his magic.
- Multiple Endings: In the game's crescendo, there is a set of choices that each lead to their own specific endings:
- Ending A - Away Together: Catrin blocks Wulfgang's path to try and prevent him from shooting Claus. Wulfgang fires anyway, and Catrin attempts to block the arrow, only for it to end up piercing her chest. A horrified Wulfgang runs away, while Claus stays behind to comfort Catrin. He takes Catrin to her relatives' cabin in search of an antidote. Eventually, Hans spots Wulfgang looking on from outside the cabin and angrily calls him inside. Wulfgang is willing to save Catrin, but in return Claus has to vow to reveal the secret behind slaying him. Catrin is saved, but because of the Magically-Binding Contract Claus made with Wulfgang, he ends up having to leave. Catrin decides to leave with him to ensure that Wulfgang could never hurt the two again.
- Ending B - Gone Angel and Silver Devil: Catrin pleads for Wulfgang to show mercy. Wulfgang thinks it over, but once Catrin tells Claus to run, Wulfgang shoots him with a poison arrow. As a distraught Catrin goes to comfort Claus, Wulfgang offers to save his life in exchange for Catrin's hand in marriage. Feeling desperate, Catrin is forced to accept. However, Wulfgang only gives Claus half the antidote, with the rest being given after the ceremony is complete. At some point, Catrin and Claus run away together, leaving Wulfgang completely alone.
- Ending C - Song of Saints: Catrin rushes towards Claus and takes the scythe Wulfgang threw at him, which ended up lodged in his fur. She uses it to threaten Wulfgang, but he simply mocks her before leaving. Catrin and Claus then craft a plan together to soothe the Wolkendorf people's superstitions towards magic and monsters, spinning a tale that paints Catrin as a heroine who'd healed the vicious Silver Devil of bloodthirst.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: Wulfgang has red eyes and is an incredibly dangerous man.
- Unlockable Content: Ending C, which can only be acquired after playing through Endings A and B.
