Beware the Shadowcatcher

Beware the Shadowcatcher is the 3rd game released by Zed\_Technician. On Itch.io, its description reads, "Maude's old diner was struggling to stay open. But then one late night, three unexpected guests arrived. The last hope of saving the diner lies with these guests, yet there's still one problem...Something followed them." It is the first Zed\_Technician game to exceed previous play times, which would be anywhere from 5-10 minutes, first to have multiple difficulty settings, and first to feature multiple endings.

## The Plot

The Plot follows Maude, owner of Maude's Diner, and Sam, her co-worker. The two are struggling to keep up with bills, with the diner essentially standing on its last legs. late night they find themselves suddenly visited by a family of shadow people, consisting of a Mr and Mrs. Shadow, as well as their daughter referred to only as Little Shadow. They explain that they come from a faraway land of cold and shadows, of which they aren't meant to leave, in which Mr. Shadow states a saying often used by shadow folk, "Beware the Shadowcatcher." From there, it's up to Maude and Sam to serve the shadow folk over 3 separate nights, with the Shadowcatcher always being in hot pursuit.

## Mechanics

It is up to the player to interpret the orders of the Shadow Family, make, and deliver them correctly in order to obtain a two-hundred twenty-two dollar tip from each member, each night. The player is able to achieve this by being able to swap between controlling Maude or Sam, who each work differently. Maude is the only one who can cook, moving at a slow pace within the kitchen, while following the recipes on her cookbook, which are what meals the family may want. Sam on the other hand is faster than Maude, and is the only one able to take, and deliver orders. Depending on the difficulty, the Shadow Family will either tell you their order directly if Easy is selected, or explain their order ambiguously on Normal, of which they'll claim is part of a tradition. The only remaining task is to stay out of The Shadowcatcher's sight. The Shadowcatcher will either appear approaching the diner door, or on the final night, emerging through the darker area in the kitchen. To avoid being caught, Sam and Maude need to be obscured by either crouching, or hiding behind objects.

## Endings

Beware the Shadowcatcher features 4 unique endings which are achieved through different means.

### Maude is Taken

This ending is achieved when Maude is spotted and caught by The Shadowcatcher. Maude is never seen again, leaving Sam devastated after losing her, blaming herself for Maude being caught, as well as allowing Maude to let the Shadow Family dine to begin with. She attempts to run the diner herself, but is met with only failure. After losing both Maude, and Maude's Diner, she's forced to leave town to search for a new job, never looking back.

### Sam is Taken

This ending is achieved when Sam is spotted and caught by The Shadowcatcher. Sam is never seen again, leaving Maude heartbroken and inconsolable about her loss. She would blame herself for allowing the Shadow Family into her diner, which brought the Shadowcatcher to them. Without Sam's help, the diner was very quickly lost, leaving Maude with nothing.

### Barely Paid Off

This ending is achieved when few orders for the Shadow Family are made correctly. The Family leaves, and much to Maude and Sam's surprise, they don't return as they thought they would. Thanks to them, Maude and Sam were able to pay off their debts, but good things only last so long. The debts would soon return over time. They barely scrape by however managing to still keep the diner, and their jobs.

### Good Ending

This ending is achieved when most or all orders for the Shadow Family are made correctly. The Family leaves, and much to Maude and Sam's delight, the family returns the next night, having brought many, many more shadow people with them. Thankfully, the threat of The Shadowcatcher no longer remains, as he has a change of heart, and now works for Maude's Diner, waiting tables alongside Sam. With all their shadowy customers, Maude and Sam never need to worry about any debt or bills again.