Echo (Visual Novel)

The main menu, featuring the main cast.

## Credits

### Writer(s):

Howly (Carl, TJ, Leo, and pre-route split) McSkinny (Echo: Route 65, Flynn, and Jenna)

### Artists:

Hiccupby (Sprites and Backgrounds)
Scratch (Sprites)
StardustPup (Sprites)
SaintBullArt (Sprites)
Stranj (CGs)
Shtar (CGs)
Kardamon (CGs and Additional Artwork)
Telemon (CGS)
Avian (CGs and backgrounds)
Robin (Backgrounds)

### Composers:

Abyuse
Hop-Skip & The Chewtoys
Anthemics
Various Artists (royalty free)

## Related Work

Echo: Route 65
Echo: Benefits
The Smoke Room
Arches

— Excerpt from the novel's opening lines

**Echo** is a furry visual novel themed around psychological horror and the deconstruction of common dating simulator tropes. It was the first Visual Novel developed by Echo Project, with its initial demos being released in August of 2015, and the full game releasing in April 2021 via Itch.io. The game is primarily written by Howly and McSkinny, with sprite art provided by Hiccupby, Scratch, Stardustpup, and SaintBullArt, CG art provided by Stranj, Shtar, Kardamon, Telemon, and Avian, and music by Abyuse, Hop-Skip & the Chewtoys, and Anthemics.

Echo has three related Visual Novels: The Smoke Room, a prequel set in 1915; Route 65, a short prequel following the main cast on Day of the Dead 2008; and Arches, an indirect sequel that takes place 5 years after the events of Echo.

## Premise

The story centers around Chase Hunter, as he returns to his hometown of Echo to complete a school project surrounding the town's history. He is joined by five of his childhood friends, who take advantage of the opportunity to have a reunion.

Things are not like they were, however, as time and circumstance has driven a wedge between old friends.

Events soon spiral out of control, and Chase's reunion is plagued by rising tensions and disturbing occurrences as past tragedies loom large. Haunted by forces both internal and external, Chase and his friends are forced to confront both the deep secrets of the town and of their own shared and separate pasts.

## Characters

### **Chase Hunter**

A river otter majoring in journalism who returns to his troubled hometown after three years away at college.

### **Leo Alvarez**

Chase's ex-boyfriend, a wolf determined to recapture the love and kinship between Chase and his old friends.

### **Jenna Begay**

An assiduous fox with a history of familial abuse, currently pursuing a psychology degree.

### **Tobias "TJ" Hess**

A sensitive Canadian lynx with Christian values who acts as the moral center of the group.

### **Flynn Moore**

A blunt and promiscuous Gila lizard, overcome with guilt and rage from the death of a close childhood friend.

### **Carl Hendricks**

A ram from a wealthy family who smokes marijuana as a means to cope with his anxiety about both the past and his future.

## Side Stories

As supplements to the main story, Echo contains seven prequel vignettes that take place prior to the fateful reunion in 2015 and follow the characters at important moments in their lives. All are set between the events of Route 65 and Echo. They can be found by clicking on Lake Emma from the title screen, and then on the broken window in the bottom-right corner of the CG gallery. The seven stories are:

**Date** - TJ goes on a date. Set in January 2010.

**Runaway** - Chase helps Jenna leave Echo. Set in May 2010. Written by Redd/Gausk.

**Lights** - TJ has a strange encounter. Set in November 2010. Written by Scratchel.

**Phone** - Jenna and Chase play a prank on Leo. Set in May 2012. Written by Howly

**Party** - Chase has a bad drug experience at college. Set in October 2012. Written by Redd/Gausk.

**Metaphor** - Flynn and Leo have a talk. Set in September 2014. Written by Zeke.

**Trip** - Carl tries LSD for the first time. Set in October 2014. Written by Howly.

In addition, the short side game **Benefits**, a separate download, explores the dynamic between Carl and Flynn. Benefits was written by Redd, then known as Gausk.

## Trivia

* Echo was originally Blackgate Project 'C.'
* The order in which the routes were completed throughout Echo's 6-year development is: Carl > Leo > TJ > Flynn > Jenna
* The suggested playthrough according to the creators is largely congruent with the release date of the routes, albeit with Flynn's or TJ's route as the final one, due to specific revelations in their endings.

## External Links

* Download links on itch.io
* Benefits download link on itch.io
* Echo Project Official Patreon
* Echo Project Official Twitter