Amalgammas: A Psychological Adventure Inspired Pet Sim (under construction)

[Slaynoir]

A Hybrid Virtual Pet Site Sim × Interactive Choice-Based Visual Novel suddenly appears!
--

Amalgammas is an early-stage psychological adventure project combining a virtual pet site sim with an interactive, choice-driven visual novel.
The project focuses on identity, manifestation, and human–creature liminality, with strong inspiration from Lovecraftian and psychological horror themes.


I am currently:

• Building a Ren’Py prototype VN
• Setting up a Discord Hub for artists, writers, coders, moderators, and collaborators and affiliates to other Pet Sims
  (with the long-term possibility of paid positions should the project gain enough traction)

Content Warning!!!​

This project includes:

• Mature psychological themes
• Violence and gore (not sexual / not NSFW)
• Discussions of mental health as it relates to narrative and mechanics

Please only inquire if you’re comfortable with this.

Core Mechanic​

Ergo Sanity — a unique system that influences:

• A user’s psychological profile
• Their Amalgammas (pet) development
• Narrative tone, choices, and long-term outcomes
• More to come!

This mechanic will shape how both the player and their creature evolve over time.
--

Who I’m Looking For​

High Priority

• ✍️ Writers who enjoy psychological, introspective, slow-burn storytelling
• 🎨 Artists interested in non-human, non-animal creature design (hybrid / liminal forms)
• And much more!

Also Welcome

• 💻 Coders or learners interested in:
  • Ren’Py
  • Discord infrastructure
  • Virtual pet site systems
• 🧪 Playtesters who enjoy uneasy, unsettling, atmospheric experiences
• 🛠️ Long-term collaborators interested in helping develop the virtual pet site itself

You do not need to be an expert — learning together is welcome!

Project Values​

• Contributions are optional, flexible, and credited
• Low-pressure involvement — no crunch culture
• Clear creative direction with room for expression
• Respect for boundaries, burnout, and mental health
• A non-judgmental space, including ethical AI use
• Open, healthy discussion of mental health as it relates to mechanics and narrative

Compensation​

This is not officially paid work at this stage,
but paid positions are strongly considered if enough interest and progress is reached.

Requirements​

• Must be 13+
• Comfortable with mature themes and mental health discussions
• Respectful, communicative, and collaborative

Contact​

• Discord DM: .sphinxx
• My main Discord username: Korosu
• Alias on the server: Slaynoir

Discord Hub Invite:
👉 Join the Amalgammas Discord Server!
(Currently under heavy construction)

 

[Milly Money]

Excited to see this happen, will be watching along friend !!

 

[cpvr]

I'm excited to see this come into fruition, can't wait to see what you develop! ^.^

 

[Slaynoir]

Update Log
-- December 29th

+Website went alive
+Adoption page created
+Login and Register is a GO
+Pets can now be adopted
+Pets can be adopted as a user
+Ego Seed Prototype Established
+Working on placeholder images
+?

Now recruiting testers going forward :3

https://amalgammas.infinityfree.me/adoption_center.php

(Current landing page)

Please feel free to ask me anything about the process, suggesting certian features, or even recommended features!

Discord Server is still under work, but i would greatly appreciate even one or two people willing to help right now as I code. Thanks!

Join the Amalgammas Vr. 0.1 Discord Server!

Check out the Amalgammas Vr. 0.1 community on Discord - hang out with 6 other members and enjoy free voice and text chat.

discord.gg

 

[Slaynoir]

December 30th Update Log
+Pet place holder image now viewable
+Public profiles added
+Fixed ownership pet mismatch
+Fixed id mismatch
+Now have a total of 4 users
+3 Variations of one pet has placeholders
+Nicknaming fixed
+Now have prototype Hub https://amalgammas.infinityfree.me/index.php

 

[Slaynoir]

Staff Applications are now open

Join the Amalgammas Vr. 0.1 Discord Server!

Check out the Amalgammas Vr. 0.1 community on Discord - hang out with 4 other members and enjoy free voice and text chat.

discord.gg

 

[Slaynoir]

December 30th
+Created Universal Searchbar for usernames, user ids, and petnames, and pet ids
+Created General Settings (Basic) for User Control Panel
+Defaul Avatars Set
+Users can now upload custom avatars 100x100

 

[Slaynoir]

Amalgammas — Today’s Progress Summary December 31st

1. Core systems confirmed working
User accounts
Registration works
Login works
Admin and regular users separated
Sessions
Logged-in state persists correctly
Header reflects login/logout state

2. Adoption system
Adoption Center page works
Pets can be adopted from adopts
Adopted pets correctly move into user_adopts
available flag works
Multiple pets can exist per user

3. User–pet relationship
user_adopts is the authoritative table for owned pets
Each pet instance has:
its own ID (user_adopts.id)
an owner (user_id)
a base species (adopt_id)
Pet instance IDs are now correct and consistent (no manual renumbering needed)

4. Clickable navigation
User profiles are viewable (user.php?id=X)
Pets are clickable from user profiles
Pet profile page (pet.php?pet_id=X) loads correctly
Search results now correctly link to:
pet owners’ profiles
pet profiles (not redirecting to your own profile)

5. Header & navigation
Global header works across pages
Home, Adoption Center, Search, Profile links function
Header duplication issues resolved
Avatar display in header works

6. User profiles
User profile page displays:
username
avatar
list of owned pets
Pet images on profiles resized and aligned properly
Pets display above metadata (visual hierarchy fixed)

7. Pet profiles
Dedicated pet profile page exists
Shows:
pet image
owner info
pet metadata
Pet profiles do not overwrite or destroy user profile data

8. Nickname system (partially complete)
Pet nickname storage works
Nicknames are stored in user_adopts.name
Nicknames display correctly on My Pets page
Issue identified:
user.php and pet.php queries were not selecting the correct nickname column
Solution identified (not applied yet):
Use user_adopts.name consistently in SELECT queries
Database itself is not broken

9. Ego / Ergo system groundwork
Decided design:
Ego = currency
Ego Seed / Ego Flux / Ergo Drift established concepts
Trait list defined:
Apathy
Innocence
Fear
Glee
Incompetence
Crude
Traits added to database
Plan set:
Traits hidden until thresholds
Drift events later

10. What is intentionally paused (not broken)
Nickname display fix on:
user profile page
pet profile page
Pet rename UI
Ego/Ergo visual display
Pet profile polish

Phew I'm fried fried for today lmao xDD

Please visit my discord (updating) and if youd like to apply for positions to help or be a tester lmk

Discord

Join the Amalgammas Vr. 0.1 Discord Server!

Check out the Amalgammas Vr. 0.1 community on Discord - hang out with 6 other members and enjoy free voice and text chat.

discord.gg

Website

https://amalgammas.infinityfree.me/index.php

 

[Slaynoir]

January 1st

Now have bases of all 6 Vvhisper in flat color

 

[Slaynoir]

January 1st 2026 Website Recap Build

Fully stabilized sessions + authentication
Login now works reliably
Supports hashed + legacy passwords
Prevented lockouts from older accounts
Built a secure Registration flow
Email + username validation
Birthday handling
Password confirmation
Implemented a Recovery Code system
One-time visible recovery code
Stored securely as a hash
Required for future password resets (no email dependency)

Site Structure & UX
Finalized a shared header and footer across all pages
Added Settings to the header navigation
Visible but locked for guests
Renamed a home base word from Amalgammas → ErgoFlux

Ensured nav consistency across:
Index
Login
Register
Settings

General Settings Page
Rebuilt Settings to match site style (panels, updates, buttons)

Profile management:
Change username
Update email
Birthday parsing (mm/dd/yy support)
Password management:
Change password with verification
Legacy-safe upgrade to hashed passwords

Recovery system:
Regenerate Recovery Code (invalidates old one)
Redirects to one-time display page
Avatar upload system:
PNG/JPG/WEBP only
2MB limit
100×100 display, no crop, no distortion
Safe uploads + DB updates

Technical Polish
Removed inline CSS and duplicated <head> issues
Eliminated conflicting helper functions
Made pages column-safe (won’t crash if DB columns differ)
Kept everything InfinityFree-compatible
Reduced “magic assumptions” in favor of defensive code

It actually has visible progress now lol!!!

https://amalgammas.infinityfree.me/index.php

Discord - Group Chat That’s All Fun & Games

Discord is great for playing games and chilling with friends, or even building a worldwide community. Customize your own space to talk, play, and hang out.

discord.gg

 

[Slaynoir]

Ego Drift Mechanic Concept

1. Ego Drift System — Wandering Amalgamma Guide

Ego Drift is the core psychological system governing how all Wandering Amalgamma develop, behave, and visually express themselves over time.
It represents the natural, unmanaged evolution of Ego before cultivation, stabilization, or intervention.

1. Wandering Amalgamma Definition

A Wandering Amalgamma is an individual generated without artificial guidance or Ego stabilization.
All Wandering Amalgamma are created with:
A randomized set of Ego Traits
A permanently biased Ego Drift profile
An unstable Ego Graph at initialization
This applies to all current and future species unless explicitly stated otherwise.

2. Ego Trait Capacity

A Wandering Amalgamma may spawn with 1 to 6 Ego Traits.
Trait count is determined at creation and cannot be rerolled.
Higher trait counts indicate greater Ego complexity, not strength.
Increased trait count results in higher drift pressure and instability.

3. Ego Trait Assignment Rules

For each Ego Trait slot:
One of the six core Egos is selected at random:
Apathy
Innocence
Fear
Glee
Incompetence
Crude
One Ego Trait belonging to that Ego is selected at random.
Duplicate traits are not permitted.
Multiple traits from the same Ego are allowed.

This process may result in:
Heavy Ego bias
Fragmented or contradictory Ego states
Unstable developmental paths

4. Ego Drift (Permanent Lean System)

Each Wandering Amalgamma is assigned permanent Ego Drift leans based on its initial Ego Trait distribution.

4.1 Drift Lean Assignment

After trait generation:
All Ego representations are counted.
Egos are ranked by presence.
Drift leans are assigned as follows:
Primary Drift Lean
Most represented Ego
Primary color and behavior anchor
Secondary Drift Lean (if applicable)
Second most represented Ego
Modifies saturation, tone, and drift behavior
Tertiary Drift Lean (rare)
Assigned only in near-equal distributions
Typically visible during instability or stress states

4.2 Drift Permanence

Ego Drift leans are permanent.
They cannot be removed, even if associated traits are later changed.
Later systems may:
Suppress drift influence
Counterbalance drift pressure
Temporarily override visual expression
The original drift profile will always reassert itself over time.

5. Ego Graph Initialization

All Wandering Amalgamma begin with:
Uneven Ego values
No stabilization modifiers
Increased sensitivity to environmental stimuli

This results in:
Faster Ego Drift
More visible emotional fluctuation
Strong early visual expression

6. Trait Modification After Creation

Ego Traits may be modified via:
Items
Events
Manual adjustments (where permitted)
Ego Drift leans:
Remain unchanged
Continue influencing long-term behavior
Define the Amalgamma’s baseline tendencies
Events

7. Design Intent

The Ego Drift system exists to:
Preserve the influence of origin permanently
Prevent perfect optimization at creation
Encourage long-term care and interaction
Support multiple species under a unified framework
Ego Drift reflects what an Amal was before it was 'shaped'

 

[Slaynoir]

EXAMPLE Ego Drift Ego Traits

APATHY — The Still Ego
--
Visual Theme: muted tones, slowed motion, emotional quiet

Color Drift: pale gray → fog white → washed silver
--
Traits (physical appearance/vibe)

Dullfade Trait
Colors lose saturation
Eyes soften, glow dims
Fur/skin appears powdered or matte

WeightlessDrag Trait
Movements trail slightly behind intent
Limbs feel floaty or delayedIdle animations slow unnaturally

Hollow Calm Trait
Expression rarely changes
Breathing almost imperceptible
Ambient particles drift downward like ash

At High Drift: Amal appears half-present, like it’s already leaving the world.

 

[Slaynoir]

Amal Are Not Biological Organisms Explained

Amal do not have:
DNA
Hormones
Lifespans tied to decay
Survival instincts tied to population growth
They are conceptual entities formed from Ego condensation.

Their existence is sustained by:
Ego-Seed integrity
Ongoing Ego Drift
Environmental interaction
Not by reproduction.
An Amal does not exist to continue a species.
It exists to express unresolved identity.

Why This Matters (Design-Level)

1. No Breeding = No Optimization Loops
In most virtual pet games:
Pets are bred for better stats
Lineage becomes a min-max ladder
Older pets are discarded or replaced

In Amalgamma:
There is no “next generation”
No stat inheritance exploitation
No disposable pets

Every Amal:
Is finite
Has irreplaceable Drift history
Matters as an individual
You don’t reset progress by starting over —
you live with the consequences of development.

2. Growth Replaces Reproduction

Progression comes from:
Ego Drift shifts
Trait maturation
Seed resonance
Environmental exposure
Not from producing offspring.

This means:
Players invest in long-term care
Development is slow, contextual, and reactive
There is no “breeding shortcut” to power

Mechanically:
Power is earned through interaction
Not generated through multiplication

3. Population Is World-Driven, Not Player-Driven
Amal appear when:
Ego pressure builds in the world
Systems destabilize
Events trigger condensation
Not because players choose to breed them.

This allows:
Controlled rarity
Event-based Amal appearances
Narrative-driven creation
The world creates Amal when it needs to respond to imbalance.

4. Emotional Attachment Becomes Central

Because Amal do not reproduce:
There is no “legacy replacement”
Loss is permanent
Neglect has lasting consequences

This creates:
Stronger attachment
Moral weight to decisions
A bond that feels closer to mentorship than ownership
Players don’t raise pets to use them.
They walk alongside them.

How This Deviates from Normal Virtual Pet Games?

Amalgamma differs as...

Bred for stats?
No breeding exists

Replace weak pets?
No replacements

Mass production?
Scarcity

Genetic min-maxing?
Drift-based growth

Lineage systems?
Origin & Ego-Seeds

Short lifecycles?
Persistent identity

This isn’t a farm.
It’s a 'relationship' sim with consequences.

Mechanical Payoff

Removing reproduction allows:
Cleaner balance
No runaway stat inflation
No forced population resets
Deeper individual systems

And most importantly:
Every Amal can be handcrafted by experience just like a unique human individual