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…
Download
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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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!
One day I'm sure this game will be as famous as the others that many already know like obey me and sweet love. The art is beautiful, the story is deep and addictive,And the various customization options
HOW THIS IS NOT FAMOUS, THIS GAME IS THE REASON OF MY HAPPINESS.
I BAWLED MY EYES OUT AFTER FINISHING BRO BUYING THE WEDDING DLC IMMEDIATLY AFTER I GET PAID
Hello! I think android ver has a bug no matter which button I press the game crashes! My phone's thingie said it had a bug
Android always says it's a bug if something crashes, but usually it's not. The phone either can't run it, or you can try turning off animations. If you can't reach the settings screen, you could try clearing more space, or closing other things that might be running at the same time. Hopefully something in there helps!
So far I like it but I will continue it tomorrow ( ˘ ³˘)♥
Hellooo! ( ╹▽╹ ) I'm planning on buying all the DLCs next month as a Christmas gift for myself, but I don't know if I should buy it on Steam or here on Itch. I prefer Itch cuz I can download it using android (I prefer playing games like these on my phone more than my PC 😓)
Will there be a Steam Key when I purchase on Itch? I would also love to leave reviews both here and on Steam!
And after purchasing the DLCs, do I have to manually put the files or something into a folder or will it be automatically linked to the base game after downloading? (Android and PC?) (Especially Android) I'm sorry I don't really get it ༼;´༎ຶ ༎ຶ༽
Also uhm, will the Cove plushie be back? Or will there be any merch in the future? I'm so sad I missed it!
I'm really sorry if the questions are too dumb or ignorant or cause harm in any way, I'm shaking from nervousness just asking. 😓 but thank you for making this wonderful masterpiece! This is my #1 Favorite Game ever.
I can help with some of these questions!
First, I don't believe you get a steam key for the dlc if you download here on itch.io. So, if you prefer playing on android I'd buy them here since you can't download the android files on Steam.
Second, on the dlc download page, there is instructions for how to download the dlc for android (and other devices). From what i've seen for android, it is automatically updated once you install the .apk file to your device. So, you don't have to put it in any folders, but make sure you install it to your device.
For PC, you do have to manually put the rpa files (the files you download) into the 'game' folder for Our Life. It's really simple, I promise! And once you open the game, you'll have a little icon on the top that you can click and make sure your dlc was installed!
but also, you can just buy the dlc here on itch.io, so you have access to android and PC file versions, and apply it to your Steam base game version for Our Life, since the files are the same! I think it's a bit different to locate the 'game' folder to put the dlc inside on Steam but it still should be pretty simple.
can't answer about the plushie, but let me know if you have any questions :))
AHHHHHH thankyouu so much!<3 appreciate the help very much! Have a nice day/night (*＾3＾)/～♡
We're glad you love the game so much! As far as the DLCs go, you do not get Steam keys from itch. Instructions for how to add the DLCs to the base game are on the pages themselves, so hopefully that helps!
For the plushie, unfortunately, that design won't be returning. Makeship, the company we worked with, rarely re-releases the same plushie. But one day we might have a different plushie design.
Hope you have a great day! And thanks so much for enjoying the game.
THANKYOU so much 4 answering! I'll be waiting eagerly for the possible plushies in the future hehe (in OLNF too)
Have a great day/night as well everyone in the team~ thank YOU for making the game!!! (*＾3＾)/～♡
I'm so excited ＼(≧▽≦)／
I'm downloadiny it now
Hopefully this is a good game😁
As soon as I open the game and click on new game, my game shuts down and immediately closes I don't know what to do
That is sad
i love thanks
Okay Usually i am More Punny Or Light-hearted in my Comments but i will Talk Seriously here.....not the bad type tho
GB from the Depths of my Soul..i wanna say how thankful i am that i found you ..i'll be honest i avoided downloading your games before (i am just that lazy) I started by downloading Your Second Our Life Game and I fell in love ...the mood ,the words, the aesthetic, the Dress up i felt like a kid entering a candy store for the first time ...but honestly i shrugged it off as a nice dream (naturally it wasn't complete) ...then after a bit of push and pull i decided to download this game because it only felt right......now normally i am not a person to cry or tear up over games unless it was really sad or i had to make a horrible choice...but i cried playing this because it gave me some flashes from my childhood ...i changed over the years i got colder even .... Just remembering my Dad And our Old Car and My Old Life really did a toll on me so i neglected most of my Memories...GB i am Honored...no i am Joyful i got to find you Out of millions and Billions of Internet users and me and My younger self really hope you Have A great Night wherever you are....now if you don't mind me i got your Other post sections to Joke Around...have a nice day
I just finished it and I loved it sm!!!!
Aww I finally finished step 3 after deciding to put it on hold for a while (⸝⸝ᵕᴗᵕ⸝⸝) Can't wait to have mine and coves wedding~ Thank you for Our Life GBPatch!! I hold this game close to my heart hehe <3
Great work , Keep it up!
i love this game so much
i love this game with passion, ever so often i come back to it and fall in love all over again. i cant recommend it enough!<33
oh actually-- now that I realize it... Baxter seems to be the type to work at chick-fill-a for some reason.
thats my head cannon LMAO
It may sound a bit cheesy or dramatic but this game kinda changed my life. I had been real down in my thoughts before i played this because I'm not even 18 yet but am approaching it and i still didn't understand a lot about my life as a whole or life in general for that matter so when I got to see what some life can be it made me think for a while back on my entire life and it's helped me realize a lot of things in my life and build on them now though I'm still learning about life stuff, but anyways thanks... it's kinda weird to be this open in a comment section on a visual novel but I just felt I needed to say this somewhere cause I don't really have any friends. also sorry for my absolute awful punctuation I'm reeeally dumb.