MindMindMind
"I’ll love you no matter how messed up you are..."
A man has stalked you ever since you were a child. You call him Geist. You're not sure who...or what he is. When you befriend a new boy at college, Geist will do anything to keep you in his grasp.
Features
- Customizable name and pronouns
- ~20k words (about 1.5-2 hours of playtime) with 2 endings
- Almost full voice acting
- Available in English and Spanish
- Unlockable achievements and CG/ending gallery
- Spill your spaghetti in front of a sunshine boy while a sassy British man insults you for breathing!
Note: There is an old version of the game that contains Live2D-style animations. You can still find it here, labeled "Legacy" (but it lacks a number of other features, including the translation, achievements, rollback, and so on, since it was made in a different game engine).
Warnings
This game deals heavily with the topic of mental health. Player discretion is advised. For a more detailed warning, see here.
Credits
Project Lead, Writer, Character Artist, Background Artist, Programmer, Audio Engineer: Chattercap
VA of Geist: Shaun Mendum
VA of Kalei: Noah Keawekane
GUI Artist: Elduator
Spanish Translator: Gabriela Colmenares
Spanish Translation Editor: Mysterious Jellyfish
Beta Testers: Butter Blanc, chimeriquement
Similar Games
If you liked MindMindMind, consider trying out Karamu/My Husband is a Stranger, my other yandere/"dark" romance projects!
I also have quite a few other games in development! If you'd like to be notified whenever I release a major update without keeping track of my socials, join my mailing list! I'll only send emails with major updates and releases, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
I have some questions!
Thank you for checking out the game! If you run into any bugs or issues or have a question, please leave a comment! And if you'd like to leave me more detailed feedback or an inquiry, feel free to email me at chattercap@chattercap.com. For a list of common FAQs, links, and general information about my games, check out my Carrd.
If you'd like to play it on Steam, the game is also available there! You can find it below:
Download
Click download now to get access to the following files:
Development log
- Android/Web Builds and Spanish Translation Available!6 days ago
- Steam Release!Jun 06, 2024
- Update 1.0.3Jun 06, 2024
- Update 1.0.2May 22, 2024
- MindMindMind Postmortem!May 07, 2024
- Update 1.0.1Mar 30, 2024
- Walkthrough!Mar 29, 2024
- MINDMINDMIND is out!Mar 29, 2024
Comments
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I love geist ❤️
This was such an amazing game and it gave me all the feels as someone also suffering from an anxiety disorder. Thanks for making me feel represented and hopeful 🥹
We dated Kalei 💞
I don't usually comment that much, but GREAT GAME! My friend and I were invested from start to finish.
We STAN Kalei, he's a CUTIE PATOOOOOOOOOOTIE.
(Can Geist shut up)
Fun fact, I relate to Geist a lot, he really match what's going on in my mind. ^^
HONESTLY, this VN is really well written and visually impressive. We didn't expect to get so hooked for so long.
Can't wait for the continuation!!11!!!1
Great game bro!
originally this comment was going to be MUCH much longer, but as an exorcise I thought hey, why not try to sum it up while still keeping the same sentiment?
I stumbled upon this game today and got to say, it really surprised me. It really hit close to home, in more ways than one. The story was phenomenal and- okay time to be less formal i'm not a professional. this game and its story and themes are absolutely DELIGHTFUL and the way things are handled are so well done!
it was wonderful seeing the mc slowly yet surely find their footing and coming out of their shell in kalei's route. cheered every time they figured that, while the world can be really really scary and things incredibly overwhelming, things CAN be okay and will be okay. sometimes you just gotta do something that makes you uncomfortable (talk with other folks for example) and see that despite everything, the results werent catastrophic. hell you may even find folks who, as kalei said, are on the same wavelength as you!
speaking of kalei, he literally appeared as sunshine peeking through the clouds on a dark day. while the mc reminded me of my much younger self, kalei surprisingly kind of reminds me of myself now. of course i'm not as extroverted as him and still can get incredibly anxious in unfamiliar situations without a script, but, he does remind me of the good things. and his enthusiasm for films!!! a!!! it's so wonderful!! and the frustration and not knowing how to solve something that seems simple to others but suddenly after external help it clicking into place and getting better at it!!! yes!!! joy!!! i could go on and on, he's a wonderful character who feels really grounded. big thumbs up :]
and now for the suspiciously white british man shaped elephant in the room. time to address the suspiciously white british man shaped elephant in the middle of the room. I would like to start off by saying that i have yet to play through his route, but will prolly have to do it at another time since every time he opens his mouth i may or may not cuss him out. he's INCREDIBLY well written, it was like dissasecting the textbook case of manipulation in real time. i need him to shut up, i need him to grow and become better. i want to throw him into the wood chipper. i've got no idea what his deal is in-universe but i can clearly see the big bold letters above his head reading PERSONIFICATION OF ANXIETY AND INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS AND METAPHOR FOR ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS. which leads me to the next point, looks around nervously.
he really reminded me of system members that tend to be labeled as prosecutors (which can kind of trap them into the label box which leads to whole other can of worms and problems since despite sharing a body they still are a person of varying degree of separation but this aint about that this is about the wretched british man /silly), lashing out and trying to help in their own way at the same time while also doing HORRIFIC AMOUNT OF DAMAGE IN THE PROCESS. looking at him through the lens of him and the mc being part of the same system makes his whole deal make more sense to me, common ground and all that. giving more insight into why he behaves like this and how he works in-universe. despite all that i am still throwing him into the wood chipper and sending him into Hey Dude That Was Fucked Up Lets Chill Out And Grow. its okay we are allowed to do this we have personal hands on experience with sharing a life and body with multiple lovely folks (literally) /silly
all in all, hope you have a wonderful week! thank you for sharing this story here!! :]nah bro cause I can relate to MC so much and Geist is exactly how my subconscious works
Great game!!! I love Kalei so much. I wanted to strangle Geist as soon as he started talking though lol. I like how stuff with Geist was wrapped up in Kalei's ending. I'm going to go for Geist's ending after this.
Just finished Geist's route! I absolutely love this game. You've done such an excellent job with everything.
It's got me thinking about some stuff. I think I'm going to make plans with friends soon.
KALEI IS SUCH A CUTIE!!! and then there's Geist too ig... (/j)
I LOVE KALEI
Thank you for adding Steam Achievements!
Can I ask if your other games are gonna get them when they release on steam?
Oh I'm glad that you liked them! 😊 Yes, I plan to add Steam achievements to all of the games I release there 🫡
Yess ofc. I couldn't be happier to hear that.
My entire itch profile is begging developers to add achievements to their steam releases, it's a problem! 😭
I'm looking for a woman version of this
My question is how Kalei isn't bothered by the fact that you constantly have Geist with you, unless Geist is a hallucination, but I don' think so
No sabes cuánto me alegro que estuviera en español ♥️♥️
I can tolerate anything in a dark romance / yandere game so this time I didn't read warnings before launching the game.
Holy shit, Gheist is written well but my stomach was wrenching from his lines. Awesome game though, Kalei was a sweetie.
You really do understand mental illness well. I truly did feel as if I was the protagonist, because we are so similar:
anxious, prone to panic attacks, inclined to avoid people, constantly hearing negative thoughts.
You are a really good writer, too! I could feel and understand the mc's emotions towards the things that Geist said.
I believe that I would be susceptible to Geists' words, as well. He is good at manipulating, and gaslighting the protagonist, which, I suppose, is why he was created.
...
SPOILERS!!!
Geist is obviously a manifestation of the protagonists insecurities, and I can understand that voice of derision and doubt. Thank you for the kind words at the end of the game. You are really sweet to say that.
Kalei is a sweetheart, and someone that I wish I knew in real life. If Geist is doubt and negativity, Kalei is support, and encouragement. Thank you for creating him, and making him romanceable. I really enjoyed his route!
If YOU ever experienced anxiety, or depression, then I hope you were able to feel better, and get support and love from friends, and loved ones. You deserve it for helping people with this game! <3
And, thank you so much for porting this to android. I know it probably wasn't easy, so, really, thank you!
is this like a prequel for my husband is a stranger? because the two of them look like twins haha forgive me if I sound idiotic I have yet to play this masterpiece
Oh it's not, they're different characters 😂 (their personalities couldn't be more different too 😂)
is that Harvey Harvington?!?
thank youuu for the web-android version aaa really appreciate that i dont have to wait longer to save enough for a better device since my pc has ancient openGL TT i couldn’t believe it.. I’ve been so excited for a chance to be able to play this one while waiting for the complete series of Karamu. Also will be marathon playing your future works along with MHIAS, Actala, and the Deepwater Witch because playing them so far has been really satisfying and inspiring!XD
First impression: lol Geist? Seriously like poltergeist so a ghost, word of some language prob German and it was. lame name which he’s deserving of it when that’s the least you could do when he intruded and haunted outta nowhere. my man lived rent free in your head but made himself home and would scare other visitors scarce.
early thoughts into starting: wheew what a fine man to go with belittling my existence 🥴 i did love an additional flavour to my suffering.
Main thoughts: Geist’s self-projecting commentary to mock the little embarrassing options, to doubt the MC’s autonomy and choices, how he diminished them to existential crisis was really familiar in that intimate who better knows you than your own anxiety represented. At least, he was manageable and funny at times. Progressing the story had this clearer, visible state of how Geist treated you; his presence can be comforting at the certain, right moments, but also since we’re just outsider here would make us start to think “that doesn’t sound right” from his catastrophic spiral, like he might be got a point or two, but the rest might be off. one bad time/possibility doesn’t define the rest of your life or your value set in stone, or something. im hoping to instill that kind of thought stronger in real life. Kalei, too, you could see yourself in him, and he in return helped you see better in other people’s shoes, he was mostly like that thin beam of sun that came past clouds post rain/storm. even his circle of friends, the way they acted around him and how he felt being among them, reminded me of my own friend group. i envied his extroverted energy, still.
spoilers!
thankfully, we weren't as insane as to conjure a (good on the eye-looking) personified mental worries, in canon. How Geist latched onto MC was understandable plus he was just a kid who died too early. I was glad (and def a peaceful fact to sleep with at night) to see him still staying and hanging around after the happy and better end, maybe growing together and working on healing. Like, he did care in his own way, though his perception of trauma got in the way, he still allowed mc to be happy with somebody else.okay enough psychological rambling, now artistically considering, i liked how the shifting hue, that dark effect engulfing the corners to capture that trapped feel, and how these box dialogue and switch to that group according to the scene set up the atmosphere, the terms escape me but your works always had that cinematic quality that was really enjoyable and to combine with the smooth, neat GUI fitting the overall classy modern monotone (idk) of Geist’s aesthetic, absolutely perfect. That aside, there was just one tiny typo and doubled paragraph in the dev notes.
Last note: Geist was an effective ghost, I mean i was literally shaking, buy him brown contacts PLEASE. an d i wonder if that tutor and the woman that just came by were cameos from another game of yours, or im tweaking..??
Oh gosh, thank you so much for the thoughtful comment 😭 Your analysis was so interesting to read and completely on point, and I really appreciate your comments on the "artistic" aspects as well - I really love VNs and playing around with the way that they're presented, so it's such an honor to hear that they have a cinematic quality 😭 And I'm very happy that the Web/Android build was worth it to make! One of the reasons I like making visual novels is that they're very lightweight games that can be played by just about anyone with a device, and I always want to make my games as accessible as possible! 🤭
(And exactly right about Geist's name! Fun fact, but in addition to meaning "ghost," the word "Geist" can also refer to "spirit" or "mind/intellect." I thought that the double meaning would be pretty fitting for his character 🤭)
(Gosh thank you for the comment about the dev notes, I can't believe I playtested this dang build 10 times and NEVER caught that... I'll make sure to update it the next time I update the game!)
(and regarding the last question 🤭 the tutor and his gf are indeed Karamu cameos... they're actually the sprites from the last installment, I thought it would make a fun Easter egg 😂)
THE MEME IT FITS SO MUCH DFGDF
Thank you again for playing!!! (And gosh I'm so touched that you're interested in so many of my games? I really hope that you enjoy them!!)
I'm crying why does that haole ass music play everytime Kalei speaks T-T awesome game tho besides the strange racism-esque feel lol but at least you didn't white wash him.
LOL that's fair, thanks for the input! I wanted it to be very clear where Kalei is from since you rarely see Pacific Islander rep in this genre of game, and I previously released a game with POC where their cultural heritage wasn't that pronounced beyond names/some lingo and people didn't really notice that they were supposed to be SEA 😅 I think a lot of people who played MMM didn't recognize Kalei's accent or the pidgin used (some people thought it was like, Californian??? or thought he was from Brazil based off of looks/fashion), so I thought that a musical motif would be more clear. Though I understand how it probably comes off as strong to someone who's actually familiar with Hawai'i. I apologize if it came off as stereotypical/racist 😭
(If it's any consolation, the music used is from Japanese artists, not haoles - well not white haoles at least😂 since I get most of the music for my games from that site!)
Haha thanks for replying! I'm so so sorry if I was too harsh! T-T And I want to make it clear that I'm super grateful for the Hawaiian rep! :)
This was a very interesting and well-written game! Geist reminded me of how I was when my social anxiety was much, much worse - it was pretty awful. With that said, Kalei reminded me of the progress I've made and how much better I've become, which was such a cathartic thing.
I sometimes fear that I'll slip back into listening to my own Geist, but the ending of Kalei's route accepting that anxiety sometimes never really goes away but that you can have a happy life regardless really, really meant a lot to me. It was very comforting.
Wonderful game, very emotional but also heartwarming (during Kalei's route at least, haha) :) <3
Pongalo en android por favor quiero jugarlo todavía no tengo pc
¡Estoy creando una versión para Android! Debería estar disponible pronto, solo estoy dedicando un poco de tiempo a corregir errores 🙏
There are three ending, none of them are bad:
1. dating (?) with Geist (accepting Geist)
2. friends with Kalei (if you think of him as a good friend)
3. dating with Kalei (if you think of him as cute)
Ya jugué 2 de 4 porque están para android me siento identificado con "mi marido es un extraño" la ley ayer y me puse a llorar muy hermoso la verdad
can kalei not see geist wtf is happening
yea ill stop
is giest even real?
WHY IS HE CASUALLY GOING INTO MY HOME LIKES ITS NOTHING?? WHAT IS MC DOING!!
geist really pmo can we slime him?
Tienes pensado ponerlo para Android?? Por qué sería genial ♥️
Sí, de hecho, ¡estoy trabajando en una versión para Android ahora mismo! Espero tenerla lista para finales de mes!
Your game is a masterpiece, I like it very much!! The descriptions of the psychological aspects are very realistic.I really want someone like kalei，But the reality is that I only have Geist.
I'm not one to usually comment around here, but I have to say this game was incredibly cathartic for me, and I loved every second of it. I had to take my time to read every line and truly pay attention, not just skim through them like I would in more superficial novels.
As someone with social anxiety, I appreciate it when characters like the ones you created come to light. Even with Geist, I really liked his character because he's quite literally a reflection of the MC's intrusive thoughts/negative self-talk, but he's not meant to be mean just for the sake of it. To me, he acts like a defense mechanism to preserve the MC because social situations bring uncertainty and discomfort.
To be honest, sometimes I've gone down Geist's path and chosen to avoid social settings and keep myself 'safe', but at other times I've gone down Kalei's path and accepted that social interactions can't be prepared for or controlled, and that tends to be for the better.
What I want to say with all of this is that this VN is a gentle reminder that nobody is born with anxiety, and since we learn it, we can unlearn it as well. Kalei and his interactions with the MC are lovely examples of how not everyone is out there to get us, even though it feels like they are. True, we might not be able to get rid of Geist for our entire lifespan, but his voice can be dimmed down.
I loved the game. It got me thinking, and I was happy to be able to choose the 'risky' options and see everything turn out alright. Thank you for creating it, and I'll definitely be checking out your other projects <3.
Omg, I didn't expect it to hit too close to home. I was literally crying at the end. Thank you so much for making this game!! ♡ And kudos to the voice actors for their amazing work.
OHMAIGOSH I LOVE ALL OF UR GAMES SO MUCHH!! You always somehow nail the characters, storyline, practically everything. I'm so looking forward to more of your work in the future. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK! 😻😸
AHHHHHHH 😭😭😭😭 Thank you so much for playing multiple games of mine, I'm so touched?!?! 😭😭😭 Your praise is TOO KIND, it really brings a smile to my face, truly 🥹 I'll work hard on my future projects as well!!!
You absolutely nailed the story for an abusive relationship.
I don't know if it's intentional; but Geist comes across as a metaphor for the long-term effects and damage abuse can have on survivors. Sure, you can be out of that relationship, but the memories, the things they said/did still haunt you, control your life.
This was amazing and Geist did a wonderful job of making me want to throw him through a wall for acting exactly like my past relationship. srs frick this guy!
Your story is a game about hope and healing. You don't have to live in fear and thank you for showing this. <3
OH gosh thank you so much 😭 That's extremely high praise!!! (I'll put my comments under a spoiler tag in case anyone comes down here without playing the game first):
=======SPOILERS========
That's a very interesting interpretation, and I don't think that I've seen anyone really focus on that facet of it (I'm really glad you did)! 🤔 I purposefully left Geist's existence a bit vague so that players could interpret him freely - however, I did base his behavior off of some "friendships" that I've had in the past (the term used very loosely 🤣) and how abusive partners seek to break down and isolate you to make you dependent on them. Your interpretation is very true also - after going through these experiences, their words can haunt you for a long time, shattering your self-confidence long after they're gone 🤔
I'm so glad that you enjoyed it and that you saw your own experience in it too 🥹🥹🥹 I'm so touched!!! (And I'm glad you're out of that toxicity now 😭) Thank you for taking the time to leave your thoughts too, I loved reading them!
I played this around few months ago and came to play again!! I love Geist so much !! heheee ( I love ur other work my husband is a stranger!!)
A Geist fan!!! 😆 Aww I'm so honored that you came back to play again, and you played my other game too 😭 thank you!!!
I honestly don't think I have a favourite, I love both Geist and Kalei equally =D ... I lied. I favour Kalei over Geist. I mean... He's just a big puppy! I adore him. I'd love for the universe to give me a Kalei in my life. Besides that, I love Geist too, because even in solitude you'd need someone and he's there for that
OHH it's surprising to find someone who likes both love interests 😂 Honestly I think you have a point, Kalei is definitely the more lovable love interest but sometimes you just want someone who will chill with you in your darker/quiet moments and Geist is definitely there for that (for better or worse 😂) Thank you so much for playing!!! 🥰
Oh? Well, I guess it just shows I believe variety is the spice of life, though of course! I'm soo gonna play the other games I can get my hands on. I loved this one soo much as is!
oh how i love geist, i personally am not a social butterfly, staying inside all day away from everyone and rewatching comfort shows sounds like a dream to me. 1# geist lover 4ever
LMAOOO HONESTLY GEIST IS AN INTROVERT'S DREAM, a guy who will always be there to just hang out with you alone 😂😂😂 people give the man too much flak for no reason, smh!! (Thank you for playing!)
I am in love with Kalei, wish the universe would give me a guy like that
FGHFG THANK YOU, I'm glad you liked him 🥰 (manifesting the universe to give you your own Kalei!!!)
Kalie is the type of boyfriend I'd want
HONESTLY same... 🤝🤝🤝
Okay so I finally sat my butt down and played through this and I have to say it was really immersive, mainly because of how good the writing is! I have to say, MC is the most MC as they managed to even make their own self-doubt fall in "love" with them which I find absolutely hilarious. But I do have to say how interesting it is that each of Geist's words were so carefully picked out and targeted that even me, as a relatively less-overthinking kind of person, began to think about all the things Geist's says.
I like the use of the VAs, I know that there are realistically only two VAs because of the relevancy of Geist and Kalei but I like to think MC can only "hear" these two characters because of the amount of impact they have. Like, Geist's voice being all smooth and his tendency to enunciate words really makes you focus on him and his slow cadence, like he drowns out everything that you don't put in any audio in the background signifying the outside world because MC has gotten used to desperately trying to block out Geist's words that, by consequence, they've blocked and isolated themselves from hearing the outside world as well.
So, having Kalei able to speak helps ground MC, especially when it actually stops Geist from speaking because now MC's thinking isn't clouded over negative thoughts but focusing on Kalei. I also like the duality of their voices, Kalei noticeably has an accent but his voice is bright, fun, expressive, and he talks in a pretty chill manner compared to Geist's more formal way of speaking. He's the direct opposite to Geist which is another way to visually set them apart, and I think it helps ground MC because MC doesn't really notice anyone, nobody has any art or even a name attached to them aside from Kalei and Geist so having them visual different makes it so that MC can starkly recognize them (and also the Hawaii somewhat music playing every time Kalei is on scene is so funny, I wonder if MC's mind is just playing that as Kalei's theme).
I didn't think Geist is much of a yandere, he only really shows it somewhat at the ending where you have to push or accept him. I know that yanderes aren't ALWAYS violent, they manipulate and hurt you so you can stay by their side, and their love is both painful and suffocating. Looking back, I do think Geist was showing his love in a backhanded way by isolating MC and making them dependent by beating their self-esteem and identity all while spinning a nice story of accepting the version of MC he managed to create by ruining the MC that would have never created him (an MC with no self-loathing thoughts).
The yandere-ness is subtle but no less toxic and I find it very interesting how Geist mellowed out, he'll never fully be away from MC and even if Kalei is in the picture. But Kalei will never live inside of MC's mind like Geist is and I think that could be Geist's ultimate petty victory over Kalei. That in the end, he'll always will be by MC even if they don't want to acknowledge it, they'll accept it.
OHH gosh, this was a very interesting read! Thank you for leaving such a long and insightful review~ (I'm sorry that it took me so long to reply!) I'm really glad you enjoyed the writing, and still felt immersed even if these aren't problems you usually struggle with 🤔
I agree, the VAs did an absolutely fantastic job 🤔 I really wanted this game to be voiced in particular, just because I knew that Geist's lines would be so much more impactful if read aloud. Regarding his lines, it was actually the VA's interpretation! I initially was envisioning him to sound a lot more cruel (almost bully-like), but Shaun's ended up reading the lines a lot more gentle and slow and close to the mic, which gave a much more "intimate" feeling, like you mentioned - and ended up fitting the character much better. I'm really grateful for his diligence in reading the script 😊
And ohh you noticed Kalei's accent!! Since he's Hawaiian, I did really want a Hawaiian VA (he uses Hawaiian pidgin sometimes too), and working with Noah was such a treat! I really concepted Kalei to be Geist's antithesis in basically every way 😂 (and I'm glad you enjoyed the ukelele tracks 😂😂😂 I couldn't help myself, when will I ever have the chance to use them again?? And they ended up fitting Kalei really well too)
And LOLLL yes, I wanted to experiment with kind of a different kind of yan with Geist! I actually did (half-jokingly) consider an ending or two where he somehow killed Kalei but it just felt so out of place LMAOOO and I thought that having a yan who exclusively plays on the MC's insecurities would be an interesting writing challenge. (And well, I do like soft yans myself in general, I describe most of mine as having the energy of sad wet dogs 🤣) Your interpretation of his character is spot-on, though - he does genuinely love the MC, and that's why he does what he does - he thinks that he's protecting their fragile self from a world that will shatter them (even though he's the reason they're so fragile in the first place.) And that "protectiveness" is no less toxic than pure "possessiveness."
🤣 Honestly I never thought of Geist having the ultimate victory of Kalei but honestly you're right 🤣 (the thought of Geist constantly third-wheeling the two of them makes me chuckle...) I mean, he did say he would never leave the MC... and he didn't lie 🤣
Thank you again for playing and taking the time to write up your thoughts, I really enjoyed looking through them! 🥰
So I wasn't being crazy whenever I heard the ukelele tracks, I kept replaying the scene where Kalei is and I'm thinking "The music is changing, this must be a significant character detail" lmao. And also I'm really amazed by the VAs dilligence! They really brightened up the experience and I have a new found appreciation for all the scenes now that I know, especially Geist's VA, I love his creative take because it really does speak to me from a narrative standpoint!
You did such an amazing job with the story, and also the thought of Geist being a consistent third wheeler in all of MC and Kalei's relationship is so funny to me. He'll have the last laugh but I know he's occupying those third wheel couple places and glaring pettily at Kalei like a disgruntled cat.