Our Life: Beginnings & Always
A downloadable game for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android
A nostalgic visual novel where you design your own character and grow from childhood to adulthood with the lonely boy next door. Create an experience that’s all your own in this near-fully customizable, choice-heavy story.
Our Life: Beginnings & Always is a feel-good simulation, as well as a “feel-better” one, where painful emotions such as sadness, anger, stress, and worry can all be expressed, then met with reassurance, understanding, and support.
It’s a wholesome experience that faces large steppingstones of life, while having a focus on familiar everyday moments. With notable amounts of customization for even tiny details, you can enjoy pleasures as simple as having a preferred type of drink and a neighbor who cares enough to remember what it is.
| Price: | Free-to-Play, with optional paid DLCs |
| DLCs: | The first batch of DLCs are $3.99USD each with three available, a fourth DLC that is $2.99USD released in 2022 |
| Rating: | 16+, for swearing, crude humor, and suggestive content during adult-aged portions of the game |
- 4 different periods of life to experience: childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, and fully grown
- Name, appearance, personality, and pronoun (he, she, or they) customization for your character
- Change your character's details however you like as you grow, including transitioning to new pronouns
- Shape your personality, feelings, and preferences, then see them reflected in the story as characters remember who you are
- 1 love interest, Cove Holden, whose personality, interests, and appearance will develop in a custom way over the years based on his experiences with you
- Decide for yourself how quickly or slowly the relationship with Cove develops by setting a unique dynamic; from love at first sight to last minute confessions to always being friends and more
- A welcoming, sentimental story that can easily be enjoyed over and over using new main character qualities or different connection types with Cove
- Font style and size customization. Hit the "A" key to open a screen that has text appearance options
- 397,000 words, 16-24 hours of content in total
Plus, an optional feature of having a preset name for the main character that the love interest says out loud through voice lines. Download the free DLC to add that to your game build!
The main story of Our Life from beginning to end will always be free, but if you'd like to support our group and get new scenes you can purchase optional DLCs!
And if you want even more Our Life content, you can consider joining our Patreon! There's sneak peeks for future game expansions, extra update posts, bonus art, a private backer-only Discord, and so on.
Jamie Last (changeable name) has spent the last couple weeks on a summertime high. At eight-years-old, nothing is better than what feels like endless days of school-less adventures, especially when you live walking distance from the beach. While coming home under a scorching sunset one fine evening, Jamie is approached by a stranger. The man is looking for a kid who can do him a favor, and he’s even offering to pay for it. He wants Jamie to please be friends with his only child. The person is Mr. Holden, Jamie’s new neighbor, as well as the father of the odd, and oddly named boy, Cove. Whether Jamie wants to play along or not, Cove isn’t going anywhere. He's present in Jamie's life for far longer than they ever would've guessed.
And then the long days of vacation finally come to an end. Summer may not be able to last forever, but Jamie can take comfort in knowing it will come back again someday…
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Development log
- Cove Step 1 Plushie Now Available for Limited Time!Nov 24, 2023
- Our Life: Beginnings & Always - The Last Major UpdateJun 23, 2023
- Our Life: 2023 GoalsJan 01, 2023
- Our Life 1.6.1Oct 06, 2022
- Our Life Version 1.5.4May 22, 2022
- Cove Plushie Now Available (Limited Time Only)!Apr 29, 2022
- Cove Plushie Coming Soon! + GiveawayApr 22, 2022
- Our Life Build 1.5.3Apr 01, 2022
Comments
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Playing this game isnt enough. I need it in my veins. To say this game is amazing wouldn't do it justice- truly. Before downloading, I wasnt happy about having only one love interest. I was all, "It's a dating game. I should have more than one guy!"
Man, was I wrong. So horribly wrong.
If you're having this mindset before downloading, let me tell you this: With Cove Holden, you don't need anyone else. While you can customize his appearance and personality, I personally didn't touch anything(aside from his hair.) Having to watch someone grow and change with you while you develop is a beautiful thing, and I can't believe I missed the point of that. The Cove I had on file grew to be a sweet and caring man, and I bawled like a damn baby because I loved him so much. I found myself screaming "THATS MY BOY" multiple times when I watched him and MC grow and navigate not only their feelings towards each other, but to their family and peers. They had big (and I mean BIG) feelings and issues to work out, but that's just part of growing up and maturing, and that's just beautiful.
Now another thing I want to yap about is MC, the fact you can customize them as a person is INSANE. No, seriously. It's detailed as hell. I was pleasantly surprised because no game ever has put that much thought into an MC. You can customize their height, weight, body type, religion, dietary needs, sexuality and gender, and much MUCH more.
I'm just being a little nitpicky, but I do wish you can see more of them in CGs, but I understand with all the options you have, that can be a coding/artistic nightmare, so I can't deduct any points for that. The options are still amazing and shows representation!
I originally just got it on a whim because Spotify recommended me the "Our Life" soundtrack and the game was free. I mean, who turns down free random games?
Now I'm buying all the dlc packs and whatever other expansion packs I can get my mitts on. The hold this game has on me is crazy. I mean, I stayed up late for 2 nights trying to speed thought
10/10 This game is on my list of visual novel recs. Kudos to the creator and everyone else who made this game possible! <3
I had to cut this review short because it was getting long but MY GOD theres so much to say. Play it. Everyone play it. Tell you parents and grandparents to play it. ❤️
Hi! I love this game so so so much, honestly one of the best gaming experiences I've ever had :')
I was wondering how to access the save file on mac to export it? Is there one single file I should be looking for or a folder? Thank you in advance! ^^
I LOVED IT, the characters, the vibes, the relationships, everything is amazing. I just wished that there was more drama like fights revolving around the main character.
plus mom remimd me of Toriel
I really like this game, I haven’t finished it yet, but I noticed that the background keeps flickering. I’m not sure if that’s just a problem on my end
Sorry about that! There should be a simple fix: while in the game, press Shift + G and change the renderer to ANGLE renderer. That usually does it. If not, then you can turn off animations in the settings menu instead. Hopefully that helps, and thanks so much for playing!
Alight ty! I'll try that.
My absolutely favorite game! A true masterpiece! Couldn't do anything with myself after playing the Patreon Beta of Our Life 2 , got so nostalgic that decided to come back to the first game. It's been a while since I've played it and since then I have updated my PC to a Mac and the Mac version is not available on Steam, where there are all the DLCs I have bought. My only option is itch.io now.
I wanted to inquire if it's possible to somehow download the game with all the bought DLCs still without repurchasing them for the second time again but on itch.io? Through the connection with the Steam account maybe?
(wouldn't be the biggest problem if it's impossible though, such a great game with such a skilled talented team deserves all the support in the world)
We can't do key swapping, but you can take the Steam DLC rpas out of the Steam Our Life game folder and add them to the Mac game folder of the Itch version. No need to buy them again! Thank you so much for playing the game, and we're glad you enjoyed it.
I saw this game and have been wanting to play it for so long, but when I download it on my android tablet, i wait for it to load and when I get to the home screen and actually be able to play it, it crashes out and I can never get past even a few seconds of the tutorial. I am not sure if it's just a android thing or if it happens with others. Im hoping to try this game out soon and amazing style designs as well!! >_< 🩷
Sorry about that! Are you getting some kind of error message when it crashes, or does it just close? Hopefully I can help you get it to work properly.
It just kicks me out of the app to my home screen, and when I open it again it does the same thing with having to reopen on the loading screen. I tried many times, anything with having to actually play the game such as ,new file, continue, or the tutorial button it crashes and just closes. It loads the preference settings and gallery but not for me to actually play the game.
Darn. There are a few things you can try that might help: You can try clearing some space on your tablet, in case it doesn't have enough space to run. You could try seeing if there's a virus scanner or security feature that thinks the game is suspicious. Or you could turn off animations in the game's options menu to see if that makes it easier to run.
I got it to somewhat work, thank you for your help!! ^_^ 🩷
OK! Glad to hear that. Hopefully it keeps running for you. Thanks so much for playing!
I DOWNLOADED THIS GAME YESTERDAY AND IVE PLAYED LIKE. 12 HOURS. I AM EXPLODING. I AM EXPLODING
since ol1 is summer and ol2 is fall...
olwinter could be in the midwest !!! northern wisconsin rep frfr.
AND HEAR ME OUT !! olspring in the dc area. the cherry blossoms. like northern virginia or capital area maryland. AURGH AURGH AURGH!!
i've played this game like. 5 times at LEAST and on my latest playthrough i have realised something.
lee's design (at least in step 2) is kind of giving masako natsume from penguindrum. i think its the hair
anyways 10/10 game i just had to tell the world my truth
那个蓝色头发的人简直是天使。。我爱他。。
I loved it... and i bought the step 2 dlc pack but it won't let me play it? it only says open and not launch and when i go into the file there is nothing in it because im playing it off of itch and i didnt download the game itself or something?/ idk i need help ;(
Sorry you're having trouble! Hopefully I can help. You'll need to download the base game from itch, and then move the DLC files into a folder within the base game. There are instructions on the DLC pages themselves. If you still have issues, just say so!
This game changed my life omg it was so well put together and that's just from the base game and no added dlcs. The team for this game did a wonderful job at the graphics, the storytelling, and the overall vibe of it all. I finished this game almost 15 mins ago and I'm still sitting here with a heavy heart cause it had to end </3. I've played plenty of vns in my life, yet this one has left a standing impact like no other. I'm even too scared to go back and try different routes because I'm so satisfied with how I originally played through it. Keep up the amazing work so we can keep getting graced with other phenomenal games!!!
I'm so confused, how do I download this game? I downloaded the file but I have no idea where to go from there (I'm using Windows)
After you downland the file, go to downlands-> right click on file then press "extract all", after that you should have two files of the game, in one of them you can open the game. (hope this was useful)
Just to reiterate the other reply, if you find where you downloaded the file, you can extract the game files from it. If you still need help, just say so!
Got it, thank you!
I FINALLY GOT MONEYYYY! So i can get the dlc's ACK so excited!
sup creator.....i am real into da game!! u put A LOT of effort in!!
which is crazy 4 me as i don't do stuff like that.....ANYWAY!! just wanted to tell u i love it!! keep going with the hard work!!! I AM PART OF DA FANDOM!!!
:)
i can't play the game whenever i press one of the buttons it just suddenly be black and im back at my home screen i try it many times but i really can't play it
I have a question, How do I get images 3 and 4 of the second step? (◕ᴗ◕✿)
BRO this game is sooooooo good
I love this game so much! This might be my favorite visual novel. My only complaint is the Noogie option should appear more often!
how to download
just press the download and pick what type of brand of phone or tablet you have
i love this game so much, my standards for other visual novels have increased, and if Cove Holden isn't in any of them, then i'm not buyin!
ヾ( ･`⌓´･)ﾉﾞ
This is why I love this website -- everyone on here is so sweet :)
It seems the game allows you to setup a name or last name in unicode (like “López”) but in the game dialog does not load it correctly (loaded it as “LÛpez”).
Could this be fixed?
Unfortunately, that seems to be an issue with the font we're using in game, and I don't know if there's a way to fix or change it right now. Sorry about that!
I have a doubt: if I buy the three DLCs, will I have to play them separately or are they added to the normal game or how? I just want to buy them
I bought the game on steam, they automatically get added to the game. Not 100% sure on here, but I'm sure they get auto added.
In itch.io you have to copy and paste them manually inside the
gamefolder of the game.The DLCs are added to the normal game, and happen at different times in the story, if that is what you mean. Sorry if I'm misunderstanding your question!
I'm having a problem on erasing the name and putting my own, it won't erase or anything
(On mac)
Sorry, I don't quite know what you mean. Could you explain a bit more? Hopefully I can help.
Well, I try to erase the name that's already on, but it doesn't let me erase it for some reason.
Do you mean your character name?
Yes
Are you starting a brand new file? In later Steps you're not able to change your last name. If that's not the issue, maybe you just need to click around a bit more on the name section to get the game to trigger the typing option.
Eu acabei de jogar hoje e não sei mais o que vou fazer da minha vida.
Sinceramente, quando eu comecei, não tinha lá grandes expectativas (até porque eu estava saindo de uma sequência de jogos yandere e jogos de terror, ou seja, um jogo saudável e fofinho não era exatamente o que eu estava procurando)
Independente de como eu acabei baixando e jogando, antes de terminar o ano eu estava apegado o bastante para comprar as dlcs (coisa que eu não tenho o hábito de fazer por que a conversão real/dólar não é brincadeira kkkkkk) mas minha obsessão foi mais forte que minha determinação. Eu queria ver mais aquele garoto chorão.
Passos se passaram e eu acabei comprando todos os dlcs. E não me arrependo. Vale muito a pena.
E a dlc do casamento então? Um primo. E um bálsamo pra minha alma triste e vazia com o final do jogo. Aquela placa de saindo de Sunset Bird junto com texto de que você poderia voltar quebrou meu coração em mil pedacinhos. Eu precisava de algo fofo e doce e do Cove pra superar... o Cove kkkkkk
Não superei, mas foi tão lindo que me senti melhor.
Só que eu estava jogando vagarosamente, curtindo, eu não queria que acabasse. Uma semana se passou e o acontecimento aconteceu: eu terminei. E agora não sei mais o que fazer. Eu perdi até a vontade de jogar outra coisa, de tão maravilhosa que foi essa experiência. Eu só consigo pensar no Cove kkkkkk
Meus parabéns e obrigado a todos os envolvidos nesse jogo. Foi uma experiência realmente incrível. Eu amei cada minuto. E recomendo muito.
Can we pay in another method then card and paypal?,I don't have PayPal nor do I have a bank account?.I do have an online balance though but there's no other choice but to pay those two ways
Hihi!! you can buy the dlcs on steam too, they have more options for the purchase & it's bit cheaper
I finished this game with about 10-11 hours (NO DLC!!!) during the summer vacation. I've written a review on steam already but thought I should also write one here and must say this is honestly one of the most touching games I have ever played. You can feel the love put into this game and everything involved in it. Def recommend
I've had this game for a while now but HOW do I get Step 2 2-3 gallery photo? I've been racking my brain, and I can't figure it out TT
you need to tell cove about how his dad paid you while you're in his room, i don't think it's available if you already told him in step 1.
OMO!!! THANK YOU!! <<<333 I'm gonna go back rn! I'm happy I saved, but yeah normally I wait till step 4 to tell Cove, but I'll do step 2 rn!
hi! i love this game so much and i have every dlc, and i was wondering if it was possible to get steam keys for the dlcs so i can have them there? if there is anywhere i need to email to provide proof of all of my purchases, please let me know!
Unfortunately, we can't do key sharing. We really appreciate how much you enjoy the game, though!
hi!! quick question, im trying to move my saves from one computer to another but I cant find the save folder or however you find it.. does anyone know where to find the save folder or whatever its called on mac?? thanks :))
I don't own a Mac, so can't really say for certain, but it looks like you should be able to find the save files this way:
Your Ren'py save files on Mac can be found at this path:
~/Library/RenPy/game_directory
To access the above path:
Open up a Finder window
Press COMMAND + SHIFT + G
Paste/enter the path (~/Library/RenPy/game_directory) into the text field and hit Go
Hopefully that helps!
I LOVE THIS GAME SO FREAKING MUCH I CANT EVEN EXPLAIN
I've been playing this game since nov 24th and haven't stopped playing since which means I have a 21 streak play. THIS GAME IS INCREDIBLE. I played the game 4 times without the dlc before my gf decided 'since this game makes you so happy I'll buy you all the dlc' which ended up making me so happy that I cried. after that I still haven't dated baxter or derek cove holden has got me in a chokehold. I keep doing this route everytime and I can't seem to do anyone elses (which might change soon. who knows?) and then I subbed to the patreon (change my whole life btw) amazing game. Please try it out!!
the way im genuienly so OBSESSED. with this game. LIKE. i've played it this summer. forgot about it. and then got a literal hyperfixation on it. i need more content i miss my husband. i've bought the dlc for step 3 and im planning on buying the wedding dlc too and then the dlcs for step 2 and 1 too because the chokehold this game has on me. i LOVE highschool sweethearts and slow burn this is literally perfect !!! this game is very very long and i fear i spent too much time just replaying the game.....over and over......... in my load files it says i played it from 6 pm to 6 am with no break....... i was really desprate during summer ok..... (i still am) ANYWAYS. is there any our life merch? id love to have a tiny keychain of cove because i love collecting keychains hehehe and cove would look so adorable on my keys.... hehe.... OH AND ALSO. i love the way the creators made it so everyone feels included and there's a bit of everything !! i havent seen any game do that this well...<3 gosh i love this game im sorry i keep gushing about it but its AHHHH<333 cove is the reason why i have high expectations in men/hj
Acabo de terminar el juego y no puedo expresar lo mucho que lo he amado. Se nota que se ha desarrollado con mucho amor, porque así he sentido a los personajes, con verdadero apego y cariño. No miento si digo que he llorado varias veces con los diálogos de Cove. La forma de vivir el paso del tiempo, las preocupaciones por el futuro o el ver a los familiares envejecer me hicieron apreciar lo afortunada que he sido por tener una vida tan buena rodeada de amor cada día aunque, eso sí, me falta un Cove en ella, ojalá pronto lo encuentre pero, mientras tanto, seguiré disfrutando de mi día a día, la mayor enseñanza que deja este juego: disfrutar del presente, de los que amas y el mirar el futuro con optimismo.
Muchas gracias por crearlo.
replaying this with DLCs now for the thousandth time and WAS THAT AN AVATAR REFERENCE IN STEP 3 WITH FLOPSY THE RABBIT?? LOL
The amounts of times I replayed this game ㅠㅠ everything about it was awesome. The characters? The plot? Artstyle? Just. Everything. I especially loved how you can customize almost EVERYTHING in the game. I could even chose the font of my past and the way my future would branch out and it was amazing. It was one of the biggest reasons why I'm so in love with this game :"( It had such amazing vibes and like, I think I really mentally needed a game with an ambience like that. Thank you so much for the game <3
AMAZING GAME AAAHHH this game was stuck on my mind for sooo longgg and replayed it so much to see all the differences depending on what interest level you chose etc, it got me back into VNs too, i love all the characters so much theyre my babies and cove holden the man you are!!! really loved all the dialogue and the way the game was formatted through the moments. one line in particular that lee said at step 4 ("To us. Today, tomorrow and forever!" or something along those lines lol) really stuck with me and i quote it in my head on like a daily basis now. really fantastic game about just growing up in general (even without the romance aspect with cove) that i think is really comforting and sweet :D
Lovely game of growing up. The DLCs shall be made into my wishlist, and so does all the series of your next installments. Thank you for such a heartwarming, wholesome journey. My favorite part would’ve been the ending card, really.
Just got the DLCs looking forward to playing them, really fun game!