$11.99Pesterquest
A grimsical visual novel in the darkly funny Homestuck universe. Zap between Earth and Alternia across 14 short volumes, pester up to 20 familiar faces, and build a bond with each one. Witty, irreverent and weird in the way only this world can be, made by returning Friendsim writers, artists and musicians.
Is Pesterquest worth it?
Pesterquest is worth it if…
- you already know Homestuck and want to spend more time with its cast
- you like visual novels where the dialogue and jokes do the heavy lifting
- you enjoy stories that are darkly funny, weird and completely unbothered by dignity
- you want short, self-contained routes you can read one at a time
- you liked Hiveswap Friendsim and want to see where the friend-finding goes next
Screenshots
A visual novel built for reading
This is a game where the story does the work. Each of the 14 volumes is a short, self-contained visual novel: you read dialogue and narration over illustrated scenes and sprites, make choices, and let one new character per volume carry the plot. The writing is shrewd and unapologetically irreverent, with a darkly comedic tone throughout, and it leans into the format: characters ramble, tease, type in all caps or none, and the jokes live in the dialogue itself. You play to find out what happens next, and what a character says to you matters more than anything you could click.
Zapping between two worlds
You play as MSPA Reader, continuing the friend-finding escapades from Hiveswap Friendsim, and your way around is time travel: you zap between Earth and Alternia, meeting up to 20 friends both extra and terrestrial along the way. Each volume drops you somewhere new with someone new, a kid who looks nice, a troll who definitely does not, and the question the game opens on hangs over all of it: who are you again, and what the hell are you doing here? Timelines collide, familiar faces return, and the answers come one volume at a time.
Art and music worth the trip
The presentation is a big part of the appeal. The art is hand-drawn, with expressive character sprites, backgrounds and end-card illustrations in a colorful, comic-like style that shifts from volume to volume, since different artists worked on different routes. The soundtrack draws on returning musicians from Hiveswap Friendsim alongside new talent, and it is a genuine highlight: the music carries the mood from silly to sincere without missing a beat. Writers, artists and composers from Friendsim all came back for this one, joined by new collaborators.
Do you need to know Homestuck first?
Do you need to know Homestuck before playing?
Honestly, yes. The game assumes you know the comic's cast and world, and much of the humor and meaning only lands if you do. If Homestuck is new to you, this is not the place to start. Having played Hiveswap itself is less important: you would only miss a few references, and Friendsim is the direct predecessor, not a requirement.
How long is each volume, and can you play them out of order?
Each volume is a short visual novel focused on one character, so a route is a sit-down-and-read session rather than a long campaign. The volumes stand alone well enough to enjoy one at a time, though some routes are stronger than others, and which ones shine tends to depend on which characters you already love.
Is there romance, and can you date anyone?
The game carries the LGBTQ+ tag and its relationships run from friendship to something warmer, but the heart of each volume is the bond you build with one character, whatever shape it takes. Expect affection, flirting and feelings rather than a dating-sim structure, and note the game is rated for nudity and sexual content.
What about the route quality people argue about?
Worth knowing before you buy: the routes are written by different writers, and quality varies. Some are widely loved, others leave fans cold, and the art style shifts between them for the same reason. If your favorite character is the reason you are here, temper your hopes a little, then enjoy the volumes that land. For Homestuck fans, enough of them do.
