Welcome to Spell Candle, Bottle Monster Ink.’s upcoming LGBTQ+ friendly romance visual novel!

The demo for Spell Candle was released on May 18th on Steam, giving us the first taste of the four, gorgeous love interests Bottle Monster Ink. has been teasing on their TikTok since August of 2024. The demo contains about 90 minutes of gameplay (or more if you choose to go back and explore what spending the night of the banquet with each potential love interest looks like), an introduction into the characters, world, and the mystery you must solve in order to save the tenuous peace struck between the humans and elves.

You play as a human, a magic-less but intelligent writer sent with the Aresian Empire’s political delegation to record the events of this year’s Dread Festival. What was meant to be a simple job of lingering on the sidelines and recording everything you observed has turned into a seven-day race to solve a mystery and prevent a war. And if your job wasn’t already hard enough, it just so happens that the four prime suspects of the disappearance of the sleeping God are none other than the four beautiful men who have done nothing but plague your thoughts since the moment you met them.

Latimor. Terra. Mors Mortis. And Aqua.

Latimor/the General: the Shadowmaster

“His eyes were the color of the flags of our empire. The color of blood and dangerous, forbidden things.”

A voice interrupts you as the elven dignitary alerts you of the missing Shadowmaster and his empty carriage, the voice of a stranger. But as you lift your eyes to its source, you realize that it isn’t a stranger, not quite. Lounging on the roof of your carriage is the man in question, the Shadowmaster, one of the nine generals of the Ares Empire and the appointed leader of your delegation. He Who Brings Death. Or, as some people may whisper behind closed doors, the Emperor’s pet.

He is human, like you, but that is where your similarities start and end. He is the man without a heart, an assassin turned politician, though a reluctant one at that. The Emperor’s dagger. And like a dagger, his words are sharp and often cruel, calculated and to the point. Although he may be one of the most beautiful men you have ever seen, there is nothing soft about his beauty. He is dangerous and full of secrets and it would be within your best interest to keep a safe distance.

Any attempt to get close to him is like playing with fire. Most often, you end up burnt. But there is a thrill that comes from playing with something so dangerous and the reward of seeing the man Latimor is beneath all his armor may just be worth the risk.

Meet Latimor, the Shadowmaster of the Ares Empire! He is the only human love interest, which might make him appear weak when standing beside the three elven Aspects, but he holds a certain kind of power that can only be won through blood and death. Through fear and the ruthlessness of an assassin. He has been nothing but insulting, brash, and rude to you since your encounter with him on the roof of your carriage, but there are moments when you hesitate to agree with what people say about him, that he’s a man without a heart.

The man is full of secrets. Perhaps his heart is his best kept one.

Latimor is the love interest to choose for anyone who loves the enemies to lovers trope. According to the Bottled Monster Ink.’s TikTok page, a romance path with Latimor is perfect for fans of Shadowheart (Baldur’s Gate 3), Jumin Han (Mystic Messenger), and Sylus (Love and Deepspace).

Terra: the Archbishop of the Old Gods, Aspect of Earth

“His voice was like a low purr and I find my cheeks heating as he made a show of admiring my outfit choice.”

A deep growl resonates from behind the gauzy curtains of the luxurious clothing shop you find yourself standing in, a growl that can only come from something not entirely human. And as the lumbering form steps out from behind the curtains, you realize that you’re right. He is half man, half monster. A towering being that must be at least seven feet tall, judging by the way your head only meets his chest, his bare chest, putting you at eye level with his large, perfectly sculpted–

Luckily, he speaks before you find yourself too distracted. “Stunning,” he calls you, in the expensive outfit the shop’s attendants have dressed you in.

It is a surprise that he offers to pay for you and an even bigger surprise to learn that this man is Terra, the Elven Aspect of Earth. He is the epitome of perfection, in both mind and body. You never imagined that a Demi-God, one of such massive form and fortune, could be so kind and generous, especially to a lowly human like you. But still, everything about him seems sincere, and behind that warm smile is a gentleness that you could certainly get used to.

Meet Terra, the Demi-God and Aspect of Earth! As the leader of the Original Faith, Terra carries himself with a gentle grace that seems at odds with his massive figure. Like a big, cuddly teddy bear (or a big, cuddly androsphinx, to be exact). He is nothing but warmth and compassion, with benevolence radiating from him like the sun.

But don’t let his kindness blind you. While it feels as if he would never hurt you, you must remember that he is the Commander of the Elven Armies. You know he can be dangerous when pushed to fight. When pushed to protect his city. Or the ones he holds dear.

Terra is the love interest for anyone who loves characters with golden retriever energy. According to the Bottled Monster Ink.’s TikTok page, a romance path with Terra is perfect for fans of Karlach (Baldur’s Gate 3), 707 (Mystic Messenger), and Xavier (Love and Deepspace).

Mors Mortis: the Apothecary of the End, Aspect of Death

“What stands before me instead is a tall man dressed from head to toe in black. His four eyes are a startling green. Greener than the purest jadeite.”

A drop of water hits your check. And then another. The turn of the weather was sudden, the rain falling from the sky coming seemingly from out of nowhere. Like the flicker of emotions. Calm and composed one second, harsh and stormy the next. Thunder rumbles in the sky and you seek refuge under the stairs nearby.

“Woof!”

You turn your head and wonder if you’re imagining things because when you blink, the dog is gone. Instead, there’s a man standing before you, a man who radiates a deep and ancient magic. Dark and melancholic, but gentle. Perhaps even peaceful. It is evident that this man isn’t human, but you strangely feel safe with him. The feeling is only intensified when he reaches out, silently offering the shelter of his rich, black cloak to you.

You look at the cloak, then back at him, watching as his two sets of vibrant green eyes roam over you. The weight of his eyes feels different from Terra’s, who left only heat in the wake of his burning, golden gaze. You cannot read the emotions hidden in your quiet savior’s eyes and perhaps you should be unnerved by his attention on you. Instead, you are compelled to lean in and accept the kindness he has offered.

He offers no name, only safety and guidance as he walks you back to the embassy. And when he is gone, you cannot help but hope to see him again.

Meet Mors Mortis, the Demi-God and Aspect of Death! As the oldest of the Aspects (by hundreds of years), Mors Mortis is different from the others. He distances himself from the loud, bustling life around him, tucking himself into dark corners or forgotten alleyways, where the noise of the living is dim and tolerable. Whether it is by choice or a result of people’s fear of him, you don’t know. But you do know what people say about him. That he is dangerous and cruel, a thing to be feared, as things touched by death often are.

You aren’t sure if you believe them.

Mors Mortis is the love interest for anyone who loves the strong, silent type. According to the Bottled Monster Ink.’s TikTok page, a romance path with Mors Mortis is perfect for fans of Halsin (Baldur’s Gate 3), Jaehee Kang (Mystic Messenger), and Zayne (Love and Deepspace).

Aqua: the Leviathan of Stolen Hearts, Aspect of Water

“His heterochromic eyes slide over my form. ‘You’re just my type.’”

You hear a voice cut through the ambience of the banquet, a voice that demands attention. Not in the manner of harsh authority, but in the way a planet pulls everything towards it. Like a magnet. Completely inescapable. And when you see the elf from which the voice resonates, you understand why he has such power over the space around him.

Lounging against the plush pillows of a large chaise is the most beautiful elf you’ve ever seen. His long, white hair falls in perfect waves over his shoulder–his bare shoulder–dressed in an outfit far too scandalous for such a formal environment. But no one seems scandalized. In fact, it is quite the opposite. There is nothing but hunger in the gazes of everyone around you, solely focused on the elf as he continues speaking.

“Everyone knows that marrying for love is far superior to marrying for money.”

When his eyes, heterochromic and gleaming with pretty, pink makeup, land on you, the whole world fades into the background.

“Wouldn’t you agree?”

The focus of his attention has pulled you into the spotlight and, although your first instinct is to panic, there is something about the way his eyes look, staring at you, that makes your heart beat faster. He is addictive, positively magnetic, and that is a dangerous thing for someone who ought to be sticking to the shadows, observing but never consorting.

Meet Aqua, the Demi-God and Aspect of Water! Aqua is the youngest of the three Aspects and shines the brightest and most brilliantly of them all. He is the most beautiful man you’ve ever seen and he knows it, wielding his beauty like a weapon to ensnare the attention of everyone around him. But he is not all pretty looks. He is cunning and clever and knows how to play the game of power better than anyone.

It is easy to get caught in his snare, like the feeling of being pulled underwater. Like drowning. But there is one thing he seems to value above all else, above the pretty things and power that come from always being the center of attention. Love.

Aqua is the love interest for anyone who loves beautiful, bratty twinks. According to the Bottled Monster Ink.’s TikTok page, a romance path with Aqua is perfect for fans of Astarion (Baldur’s Gate 3), Zen (Mystic Messenger), and Rafayel (Love and Deepspace).

To play, or not to play?

If you enjoy visual novels or romance simulators, then I would definitely recommend you check out Spell Candle! Based on my experience with the demo, Spell Candle feels like a well rounded game. I’m drawn to the characters, the art is gorgeous, and the brief glimpse into the story has left me curious and excited to learn more.

I’m not sure who I will pick to romance first when the game comes out, and that means that Bottle Monster Ink. has done their job well! I, personally, am leaning towards Latimor or Mors Mortis, but I also know that I am predictable and the more I interact with Aqua, the more he is going to distract me from whoever I set my sights on (sorry Terra, you’re not for me, but I know my best friend would love you). I am really excited about exploring the rest of the story and getting closer to each of the characters. Who knows who I will end up picking when we see who they really are when they let their guards down.

But romance is only one side of the story. Spell Candle is self-labeled as “your grief coping mechanism in a 2D romance visual novel” (according to its Steam page). There is a moroseness to the game that lingers between curious encounters and electrifying conversations, a quiet grief that is waiting to be explored. There are memories that haunt us, memories of heartache and sorrow. Perhaps the main character has their own secrets, too.

Whether you are looking forward to the romance or seeing the way grief weaves its way through the narrative and impacts your relationship with its characters, or maybe you just love visual novels with beautifully drawn men (I don’t judge, there’s a reason I clicked on the game to begin with), Spell Candle has something to offer everyone.

Spell Candle does not yet have a release date, but you can follow Bottle Monster Ink. on TikTok for updates and more information about the characters and the world. As always, please remember to wishlist Spell Candle on Steam if you are interested to support the developer.