Belisario Fosca W.
Writer · Narrative Design · Voice Recording Direction · Game Design
Belisario Fosca W.
Writer · Narrative Design · Voice Recording Direction · Game Design
A Black & White
Mystery Driving Experience
Narrative Overview
Two best friends – Hermo, a florist with a poetic soul, and Jasper, a pragmatic financial advisor – embark on a road trip across Newfoundland to deliver a mysterious package. As they drive, they listen to a true-crime podcast hosted by Zach Dunn, a former rockstar turned investigative journalist.
But what begins as a scenic drive turns into a haunting descent into the origins of a cult, secret messages hidden in newspapers, and the malevolent disappearance of 33 people over 33 years – each on April 1st.
With each mile, the line between past and present blurs, until time, trust, and reality begin to collapse.
Writing Highlights
Writing for two best friends with radically different worldviews - Hermo, poetic and curious, and Jasper, skeptical and practical - was an exercise in contrast. Their dialogue needed to feel effortless yet emotionally layered, revealing tension and affection in equal measure.
Developing the in-universe podcast Serial Rockstars was like writing a novel within the game. I had to balance the podcast host’s charisma and storytelling flair with the forensic guest’s chilling data-driven delivery. Writing Ian and Zach’s interactions was an opportunity to mix satire, social commentary, and horror without losing authenticity.
Creating the lore behind the NEWFOUNDSONS cult and HOW TO KILL A FLOWER allowed me to explore how grief, media, and ideology intertwine. Every hidden letter, every encrypted newspaper message was a puzzle meant to reward attentive players. Connecting it all to NEWFOUNDSONS created a rich, persistent universe.
The ending - when Hermo’s true role is revealed - relied entirely on careful emotional buildup. It’s a slow-burn betrayal. My goal was to make players feel unsettled, but also reflective. The story asks: what does peace really mean, and how far would someone go to reclaim it?
I drew narrative inspiration from True Detective, and The Hateful Eight. Tonally, I channeled Tarantino’s sharp dialogue and Sam Lake’s sense of dread through mundane settings. This game is about flowers, peace, and death - and making all three feel heartbreakingly human.
Personal Reflections
1. Here’s what I was trying to do
Craft a story-driven experience where the gameplay, dialogue, and audio design converge to emotionally entangle the player. I wanted to build a narrative where driving through Newfoundland with a best friend slowly becomes a descent into paranoia, grief, and hidden horrors—both personal and societal.
2. Here’s why
I was interested in exploring how trauma lingers beneath beauty—how memories, media, and time can reshape friendships and our sense of reality. By blending road trip intimacy with podcast-driven horror, I aimed to create a game where storytelling isn’t something the player watches—but something they feel unfold around them.
3. Here’s what I was interested in achieving
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A seamless fusion of ambient storytelling with deeply immersive dialogue systems.
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A believable friendship that evolves in real-time as truth and trust unravel.
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A podcast narrative that acts as a second layer of horror—mirroring and corrupting the main journey.
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To explore themes of cults, peace, media manipulation, and emotional suppression through mystery.
4. These are choices I made
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Developed an original dialogue system that dynamically integrates player actions and environment.
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Designed and implemented a subtitles system that responds to environmental triggers and dialogue pacing.
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Directed and produced the original soundtrack, in collaboration with the composer Atamone.
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Used environmental storytelling (roadside signs, ambient sounds, billboards) to deepen the narrative subtly.
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Wrote and directed voice recordings to emphasize realism and emotional nuance.
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Built the game’s core mystery lore through podcast writing, interconnected with the NEWFOUNDSONS universe.
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Created in-depth character profiles that ground each actor’s voice and actions in psychological realism.
Story Structure
SAVE THE CAT
For HOW TO KILL A FLOWER, I used the Save the Cat story structure to shape a tightly paced, emotionally escalating experience. Below is how each major beat aligned with the narrative progression:
1. INTRO CINEMATIC
Opening Image
March 31, 2024 – Hermo calls Jasper. Their friendship is natural, funny, and grounded. The tone is light but laced with mystery. The idea of a “weird time to leave” and a vintage car hints at something deeper.
Theme Stated
In the same call, Hermo insists they arrive at night. He mentions bringing a podcast to listen to—framing the theme: time, memory, and trust.
2. INTRO SCENE
Catalyst
April 1, 2024 – They begin the road trip. The old-school Porsche, the Trans Canada Highway, the strange local radio warning. The atmosphere shifts.
Debate
Jasper hears the warning to avoid a stretch of highway at sunset. He’s skeptical. Hermo offers to delay the trip, but Jasper, ever rational, pushes forward. Tension begins to crackle under their friendship.
3. TALK ONE - act 1 | BLUE PEACE LIQUID
4. TALK TWO - act 2 | IS HE LAZARUS?
4. TALK THREE - act 3 | TIME
Bad Guys Close In
The lore gets darker. Newspaper manipulation. Mafia money. Missing search parties. Real-time tension mounts—Hermo and Jasper realize they’ve unknowingly passed through one of the cult’s opium fields.
All Is Lost
Jasper panics. Ian reveals a terrifying encrypted message: human bodies will be used as fertilizer for opium. It’s revealed that 32 people have gone missing, one each April 1st. And today is April 1st.
Dark Night of the Soul
“Why doesn’t anyone do anything?” Jasper asks. Hermo gives no answers. Fog covers the highway. Signal is lost. The fear is visceral.
Break into Three
They realize they’re driving into Arnold’s Grove—the epicenter of the mystery. The story and reality collide. Jasper begs Hermo to drive faster.
Finale
Hermo answers Jasper’s earlier joke: “You kill a flower with time.”
And then, Hermo kills Jasper. The road trip, the podcast, the lore—they all lead to this one action. The player realizes: Hermo was following instructions all along.
Final Image
Fade to black. Hermo’s voice calmly says, “It’s your TIME for PEACE.”
The same best friend we loved at the start is now the executioner. Time, peace, and betrayal become one.
Characters
Hermo Gioia
A reflective florist drawn to mysteries and meaning.
Jasper Baker
A logic-driven advisor battling internal doubts.
Zach Dunn
A charismatic host with a dark past.
Ian Parks
A digital forensics analyst uncovering dangerous truths.
Setting & Environment
Spring 2024, Newfoundland, Canada. The story unfolds through eerie forests, foggy roads, and forgotten newspaper headlines.
Original Score
Music. When emotions become a state of mind.
The emotional spine of HOW TO KILL A FLOWER lies in its original soundtrack—composed by Atamone and produced under my direction. The music moves between lo-fi nostalgia, melancholic punk, and atmospheric dread, amplifying the game’s shifting emotional layers.
Voice Recording Direction
It's in the TONE. It's in the SMILE.
Directed performances for four major characters, ensuring tonal consistency across narrative beats and maintaining an immersive blend of realism and theatricality.
Connected Universe
The game is narratively linked to NEWFOUNDSONS, building a shared mythos across titles. Letters, references, and encoded messages cross between both games, forming a hidden narrative layer for returning players.
“Time is death. Time is the ticking bomb.”
