Somewhere I Belong

Explore the zombie apocalypse adventure with branching storylines and character relationships

Somewhere I Belong is an adult visual novel set in a post-apocalyptic South American landscape where a zombie outbreak has devastated civilization. Developed by Mr Baker using the Ren’Py engine, this game combines immersive storytelling with player choice mechanics that significantly impact your journey. Whether you’re interested in survival strategies, character development, or understanding the game’s branching narrative paths, this comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about this evolving title. The game challenges you to navigate moral decisions, build relationships, and determine your role in a fractured world where every choice matters.

Game Overview and Setting: Understanding the Somewhere I Belong Universe

The Post-Apocalyptic World and Zombie Outbreak

Picture this: you finally save up for that dream vacation to South America. 🌴 The plan is sun, culture, and a break from the daily grind. Then, during your first week, the news reports start getting weird. Then they stop altogether. That’s exactly where your story in “Somewhere I Belong” begins. This isn’t your typical zombie game starting in a familiar hometown; it throws you into the deep end in a foreign land where you don’t speak the language well and don’t know a soul. The panic is immediate and profoundly personal.

The zombie apocalypse visual novel crafted by Mr. Baker game developer excels at making you feel that terrifying isolation. The initial outbreak was swift and brutal, collapsing governments and communication networks within weeks. You weren’t a soldier or a prepper; you were a tourist with a camera and a guidebook. Your first month is a desperate scramble of hiding in abandoned hotel rooms, rationing mini-bar snacks, and learning the harsh new rules of a world gone mad. The sound of groans outside your barricaded door isn’t a game trope—it’s the soundtrack to your potential end.

Evacuation to a rumored safe zone becomes your only goal. This journey, fraught with peril, forms the crucial backstory that defines your character. By the time you reach potential safety, you’ve already been hardened. You’ve seen things. You’ve done what was necessary. This foundational experience is what makes the Somewhere I Belong story so gripping from the very first click. You’re not just playing a survivor; you’re reliving the traumatic origin of one.

My Tip: When you start the game, really sit with those early memories the narrative provides. They’re not just flavor text—they’re the key to understanding your character’s motivations, fears, and why trust is such a rare commodity in this post-apocalyptic South America game.

San Fernando: The Last Safe Zone

After that nerve-wracking evacuation, stumbling upon San Fernando feels like a miracle. 😮‍💨 Walls. Guards. The murmur of a crowd. But as you’ll quickly learn, safety here is a relative term. San Fernando isn’t a utopia; it’s the last functioning relic of the old world, a pressurized bottle about to burst. This city is the brilliant, beating heart of the Somewhere I Belong game setting.

San Fernando operates on a brutal, simple economy: scrap, supplies, and favors. The old world currencies are worthless. Now, everything trades on practical value. A bottle of clean water, a box of ammunition, a working battery—these are your real money. The city’s economy is a fascinating ecosystem of desperation and opportunity:

• The Black Market: This is where you’ll likely spend a lot of time. Need better weapons, rare medicine, or information? Look here, but watch your back.
• The Gambling Dens & Bars: These are the social hubs and pressure valves. People blow off steam betting on pit fights or drinking homemade hooch. Information flows as freely as the bad liquor, and alliances can be forged over a card game.
• Essential Services: From crowded communal kitchens selling dubious stew to makeshift clinics and assigned housing barracks, every basic need requires trade. You don’t pay rent; you provide something of value to your block boss.

The San Fernando safe zone is a character in itself. By day, there’s a tense order as people trade, work menial jobs for the ruling council, and try to pretend things are normal. By night, the veneer cracks. Hunger and violence simmer just below the surface. Gangs control districts, and the difference between a merchant and a thief is often just opportunity. This constant contrast between stable community and desperate chaos is where the game’s role-playing truly shines. Do you help a starving neighbor, or take their last can of food to trade for a better knife?

Your Journey from Tourist to Survivor

This brings us to you. The core magic of “Somewhere I Belong” is the two-year gap. When the game proper begins, you’re no longer that scared tourist. You’re a hardened resident of San Fernando. How you survived those two years is up to the backstory you choose, but the outcome is the same: you’ve built a reputation. Maybe you’re a known scavenger who brings back high-value tech. Maybe you’re a quiet enforcer who handles problems for the right price. Perhaps you’re a feared mercenary whose name causes nervous glances.

This transformation is central to the Somewhere I Belong story. You’re now an active agent in this broken world, and every choice matters. The survival game mechanics aren’t just about health bars and inventory slots; they’re about social capital, reputation, and risk assessment.

• Scavenging: Venturing outside the walls is the fastest way to get rich or dead. The world beyond is overrun with more than just standard zombies. You’ll encounter fast, screeching variants that hunt in packs, hulking brutes that can tear through barriers, and environmental hazards that are just as lethal. Every expedition requires planning: what tools to bring, which area to risk, and who, if anyone, to trust as a partner.
• Trading & Politics: Staying inside is safer but requires a different cunning. You can play merchants against each other, take on jobs from different factions, and build a network of contacts. Your relationships with other characters—built through dialogue choices and shared missions—directly unlock new opportunities, resources, and story branches.
• The Ultimate Choice: The game constantly forces you to weigh short-term survival against long-term goals. Do you sell the antibiotics you found to buy a better gun, or do you use them to save a contact’s child, earning unwavering loyalty? These decisions ripple out, changing who trusts you, who hates you, and what paths in the narrative open or close forever.

Here’s a visual breakdown of that incredible journey from Day 1 to the start of your active adventure:

The genius of this design by Mr. Baker game developer is that you start the game already feeling like a veteran. You’re not clumsy; you’re competent. The struggle shifts from “how do I stay alive?” to “what kind of life, and what kind of world, am I fighting to create?” This depth is what sets this zombie apocalypse visual novel apart. It’s a raw, personal, and endlessly engaging exploration of finding your place—somewhere you belong—in a world that has forgotten what belonging means. 🧟♂️➡️🛡️

Somewhere I Belong represents an ambitious entry into the visual novel genre, combining a compelling post-apocalyptic setting with meaningful player choice and impressive visual presentation. The game successfully creates an immersive world where your decisions genuinely impact your journey, from determining your moral alignment to shaping your relationships with diverse characters. While still in active development with Episode 2 currently available, the foundation is strong with high-quality character rendering, smooth animations, and engaging storytelling that keeps players invested in their survival story. Whether you’re drawn to the zombie apocalypse setting, the branching narrative mechanics, or the character-driven experience, Somewhere I Belong offers a unique blend of survival narrative and interactive storytelling. As the game continues to evolve with regular updates, it promises to expand its gameplay depth and story complexity. If you’re interested in experiencing a fresh take on post-apocalyptic fiction with meaningful choices and character development, Somewhere I Belong deserves a place on your gaming list.