Visit my horror/forest town Borei!

[dizzy bone]

Borei
4F00-0148-7A73​

I started this town in 2017 and I've been playing it on and off over the years finally finishing it yesterday! It's my second town I've completed, the first being my town Tinytree. It's my first time doing a horror/story based town. It's not actually a full blown horror town but it has a section of town dedicated to the horror aspect and there are a few hints here and there that ties the town together. Here's a brief write up explaining it a little!

Spoiler

Borei is the remnants of an ancient city that is now tucked away across the river and surrounded by thick natural forests, guarding it from the outside world. While the town looks like a peaceful community of birds, there is a more sinister story behind their rise to prosperity. Deep in the haunted woods lies a terrible secret of gluttony and obsession! Only a few unsuspecting visitors make it out of Borei alive. However, there is a trick to surviving in Borei. It is simply to blend in.

The name Borei comes from a Khmer word meaning "ancient civilisation", although nowadays it is more loosely used to describe an enclosed or gated community ("borey"). There are 3 sections to Borei: The Haunted Woods, The Blue Springs Forest, and the "borey" itself. It is predominately a bird-themed town with 3 human residents who are also seemingly birds, as well as a peaceful benevolent ghost! For the most part, I wanted to create a town that was a regular peaceful community where everyone can enjoy the lush forests and a cup of coffee at the local cafe. However, I also wanted to finally complete my dreams of making a horror themed town. I attempted this once before when I tried a 1-year town challenge that was horror themed, although I couldn't keep up with it or dedicate a whole game to being purely horror-based. So my compromise was to make a "regular town" but add an element of horror in it by dividing the town into sections. If the Haunted Woods is not visited, this town is basically your average happy village! But you can explore deeper into the woods if you want to uncover Borei's secret

If you don't have the game anymore but still want to experience the town, I wrote a lengthy walkthrough of it here! It also has my personal explanation of the story, so if you visit please let me know if you came to similar conclusions! (Don't mind my writing, I suck at it). Please do let me know what you think :>

Thanks and I hope you enjoy your time in Borei!

Content warning: The house in the black flower forest has graphic imagery. Don't go in there if you can't take blood!​

 

[cicely]

I really love visiting foresty horror towns, so I'm totally down. Writing my impressions in a bit:

Okay so the town is beautiful, it's set on such a lovely summer night with plenty of purple, my fave! My fave house was the cafe/spa/egg daycare, that was a super cute detail! The town's layout was amazing and you're great at home design.

Spoiler

I understood the one human villager had a murderous lust for peaches, including even Peaches the horse. The ghost's house with the villager's pictures made me think the villagers were all killed, too, with their clothes and possessions on display, but reading your description I'm guessing it's actually showing their victims? I guess my impression was just that it was this one evil human doing all these murders, and not that the whole town was in on it. I wasn't sure why the birds and dogs had to murder people to get peaches.
Is there something more to the peaches or is it just that you can sell them? I wondered if it was a reference to the peaches of immortality in Chinese myth.
Anyway, of course there's only so much story one can tell with an AC town as a medium, so I'm not trying to nitpick or anything because the killing for peaches theme was very clear!

This is an idea you may not like, but since it's a bird filled town it might be cute (?) to put feather items around the town, it could also imply some kind of scuffle or visitors can just wear them.

 

[dizzy bone]

I really love visiting foresty horror towns, so I'm totally down. Writing my impressions in a bit:

Okay so the town is beautiful, it's set on such a lovely summer night with plenty of purple, my fave! My fave house was the cafe/spa/egg daycare, that was a super cute detail! The town's layout was amazing and you're great at home design.

Spoiler

I understood the one human villager had a murderous lust for peaches, including even Peaches the horse. The ghost's house with the villager's pictures made me think the villagers were all killed, too, with their clothes and possessions on display, but reading your description I'm guessing it's actually showing their victims? I guess my impression was just that it was this one evil human doing all these murders, and not that the whole town was in on it. I wasn't sure why the birds and dogs had to murder people to get peaches.
Is there something more to the peaches or is it just that you can sell them? I wondered if it was a reference to the peaches of immortality in Chinese myth.
Anyway, of course there's only so much story one can tell with an AC town as a medium, so I'm not trying to nitpick or anything because the killing for peaches theme was very clear!

This is an idea you may not like, but since it's a bird filled town it might be cute (?) to put feather items around the town, it could also imply some kind of scuffle or visitors can just wear them.

Yeah I actually thought about putting feathers out for headgear to wear and I totally forgot!

Thanks for visiting and for the comments!

Spoiler

Yeah I figured some people might think the villagers in the room were the ones that were being killed because their involvement isn't as obvious as Nary's character! That part is just my personal canon but it definitely isn't as obvious as the other more straight forward ones. I guess in that aspect it's right that it's pretty open ended. Sann's character saying "they did it for the peaches..." could really mean anything and anyone in town. It's definitely super farfetched to expect anyone to get my interpretation for why the villagers follow Nary, so I'm glad you got the general feel of it other than that! It could just be that they want to please her because they want to live peacefully in that villager area with her? So they'd do whatever it takes. Or that they wouldn't want "human villagers" trying to steal the peaches so they harm them. I could also probably find a way to tie the cultish behaviour to Nary's doing by leaving clues in her house somehow. It's really hard to do because I don't know what house order they'll visit and if they'll ever go back to an older house to put the pieces together hehe. But I'm happy with the interpretations!

I also didn't have the chinese myth in mind but that's a really good one! Yeah the peaches are really just for personal gain and them wanting to eat it :'P Thank you again for visiting <3

 

[Roobi]

Oh my gosh that's such a lovely well themed town! The patterns, the colour schemes, the decorations inside and outside <3 Even the hourly music fits.
I can tell you put a lot of thought into making this town and the items used. Complete with the little outfit it really felt like emerging into a story. It's a very nice mix of forest and horror without being too much of either. I've seen nice horror themed towns, but they're usually rather predictable.

I don't think I've ever stayed in a dream town this long. Definitely one of the nicest DA's I've ever visited

 

[dizzy bone]

Oh my gosh that's such a lovely well themed town! The patterns, the colour schemes, the decorations inside and outside <3 Even the hourly music fits.
I can tell you put a lot of thought into making this town and the items used. Complete with the little outfit it really felt like emerging into a story. It's a very nice mix of forest and horror without being too much of either. I've seen nice horror themed towns, but they're usually rather predictable.

I don't think I've ever stayed in a dream town this long. Definitely one of the nicest DA's I've ever visited

Thank you so much ahh that makes me really happy to hear! Oh man, I time traveled so much during that month to find the perfect time during 4am and 5am to upload! I figured if people spent a long enough time in the dream town (at least 20 mins), they would experience the music changing to 5am which is a much lighter mood to fit the other houses and scenery :> I'm glad you enjoyed your visit!

 

[Corndoggy]

omg dizzy, your town is awesome. It was so creepy but liek so well done in all the houses, it felt so real, which made the creepiness even better. Im concerned about all the villager portraits, are they okay??? But fr, youve done a great job!!

 

[LadyDestani]

I'm so excited to visit your dream address. I checked it out a while back before you finished everything and it was lovely then. I can't wait to see what you've done and try to figure out the story. I may not have time tonight but I'll definitely visit by this weekend.

 

[Bluebellie]

I really like your whole town. Beautiful!

 

[dizzy bone]

omg dizzy, your town is awesome. It was so creepy but liek so well done in all the houses, it felt so real, which made the creepiness even better. Im concerned about all the villager portraits, are they okay??? But fr, youve done a great job!!

Thanks corndoggy! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Yep the villagers are totally fine! Maybe not in the head but... :'D
I think in my next update I'll try and edit the horror house and Nary's house to make it more obvious that there's a connecting that Nary is manipulating them.

I'm so excited to visit your dream address. I checked it out a while back before you finished everything and it was lovely then. I can't wait to see what you've done and try to figure out the story. I may not have time tonight but I'll definitely visit by this weekend.

Oh yeah, I remember that update had no complete houses yet :'D I'm excited for your visit and to hear your thoughts!

I really like your whole town. Beautiful!

Thank you so much! :>

 

[LadyDestani]

I visited your town last night and I love it!

First of all, it's just a beautiful town even without the story and mystery. I love the color choices, your patterns are gorgeous, the houses are wonderfully decorated, and your villagers are fun and not the run-of-the-mill villagers you see in most towns. Oh, and the layout is particularly nice too. There were so many nice places to sit and just enjoy the view, which I absolutely took advantage of.

On to what I thought about the story...

Spoiler

So when I arrived in town, it is clearly a summer night and the cicadas could be heard right away from the event plaza where I woke up. This is worth mentioning because I'm currently watching Higurashi When They Cry, so it immediately set a creepy vibe for me. I picked up my outfit from the plaza, which I later learned was a necessary disguise to keep me safe, so I'm very glad I did that. Then I began wandering through the haunted forest. The sound of the cicadas followed me all the way through this part of town. I explored the run-down shack where the villagers apparently make their sacrifices for the sake of perfect peaches. I felt bad for Bora, who only wants to protect the last surviving perfect peach tree, so I left it alone, but not without falling in a pitfall or two on my there.

Making my way back to event plaza, I then proceeded towards the train station, Malis' house, and the more vibrant part of town. I loved the color scheme in this area with the blues and purples and pinks and the natural feel with bamboo and hot springs and geyser. But, I wasn't without concern.

First, there was Malis' warning about the disguise, but I also had a stalker. From this point on, Mallory followed me wherever I went. I would turn a corner and she'd be there. I would stop to look at something and here a footstep only to find her lurking just out of view.

The villagers themselves all seemed to be brainwashed, with most of them chanting "peaches" at the end of every sentence.

Skipping ahead, I got to Nary's house last and found her outside. I instantly knew there was something off about her. The ominous red lighting coming from her house, the crown, and then her statement that she would get the last tree, all gave me an immediate dislike of her. Then, seeing how she kept all the perfect peaches to herself, hoarding them in cases and not sharing with the other villagers, was unpleasant. But the most unpleasant surprise of all was found in the basement. Poor, poor Peaches!

After that discovery, when I exited the house I found Nary again at tossed beans at her to drive away the evil spirits. I feel lucky to have gotten out with my life.

 

[dizzy bone]

I visited your town last night and I love it!

First of all, it's just a beautiful town even without the story and mystery. I love the color choices, your patterns are gorgeous, the houses are wonderfully decorated, and your villagers are fun and not the run-of-the-mill villagers you see in most towns. Oh, and the layout is particularly nice too. There were so many nice places to sit and just enjoy the view, which I absolutely took advantage of.

On to what I thought about the story...

Spoiler

So when I arrived in town, it is clearly a summer night and the cicadas could be heard right away from the event plaza where I woke up. This is worth mentioning because I'm currently watching Higurashi When They Cry, so it immediately set a creepy vibe for me. I picked up my outfit from the plaza, which I later learned was a necessary disguise to keep me safe, so I'm very glad I did that. Then I began wandering through the haunted forest. The sound of the cicadas followed me all the way through this part of town. I explored the run-down shack where the villagers apparently make their sacrifices for the sake of perfect peaches. I felt bad for Bora, who only wants to protect the last surviving perfect peach tree, so I left it alone, but not without falling in a pitfall or two on my there.

Making my way back to event plaza, I then proceeded towards the train station, Malis' house, and the more vibrant part of town. I loved the color scheme in this area with the blues and purples and pinks and the natural feel with bamboo and hot springs and geyser. But, I wasn't without concern.

First, there was Malis' warning about the disguise, but I also had a stalker. From this point on, Mallory followed me wherever I went. I would turn a corner and she'd be there. I would stop to look at something and here a footstep only to find her lurking just out of view.

The villagers themselves all seemed to be brainwashed, with most of them chanting "peaches" at the end of every sentence.

Skipping ahead, I got to Nary's house last and found her outside. I instantly knew there was something off about her. The ominous red lighting coming from her house, the crown, and then her statement that she would get the last tree, all gave me an immediate dislike of her. Then, seeing how she kept all the perfect peaches to herself, hoarding them in cases and not sharing with the other villagers, was unpleasant. But the most unpleasant surprise of all was found in the basement. Poor, poor Peaches!

After that discovery, when I exited the house I found Nary again at tossed beans at her to drive away the evil spirits. I feel lucky to have gotten out with my life.

Ahhh I love the description of your visit so much! Thank you so much for the visit and the kind words. I totally forgot I made my villagers say "peaches". I think I gave up on a few because they kept sharing older/bad catchphrases :') Thanks again for visiting and I'm glad you enjoyed your time in Borei!

 

[Aniko]

I just noted the address and will visit later today. I love the photos, it may be horror but it looks pretty.