By Justice or Mercy

About By Justice or Mercy

Four years after being portrayed as a murderer and fleeing home, the protagonist returns with an ambition to reclaim what he lost. Quiet but quick-tempered, he brings serious flaws to a story that asks how far his pursuit of justice should go and what methods he will use against those who wronged him.

Player choice is central to both the main character's development and his relationships. The official description identifies a broad cast, with most characters optional, and two branching paths for most love interests. This makes relationship direction part of the story's stated decision-making focus.

A built-in guide, gallery and relationship menu accompany the narrative. Update notes document gallery filters, character biographies, phone interface improvements and a relationship menu that remembers its position. Text size, text outlines and textbox opacity also have documented adjustment options.

Developed with Ren'Py, the game remains in development, with version 26 identified in the supplied build record. Windows, macOS, Linux and Android are listed platforms. Its update history includes new story days, revised early artwork, replacement animations and additions to the original soundtrack.

What to expect

• Choice-focused adult visual novel about a return home and the pursuit of justice.
• A broad character cast, with most characters described as optional.
• Two branching relationship paths for most love interests.
• Built-in guide, gallery and relationship menu.
• Documented text size, outline and textbox opacity adjustments.

A closer look

The premise of By Justice or Mercy begins with a return rather than an escape: its protagonist is heading home after four years away, carrying the consequences of having been portrayed as a murderer. His ambition is not simply to resume his old life, but to reclaim what others took from him. That gives the story a personal conflict from the outset, with justice framed through the perspective of someone who is both determined and quick-tempered. TowerBoy Games describes a deliberately flawed central character whose development responds to player choices. The title's contrast between justice and mercy therefore connects to the stated narrative question of methods: what the protagonist is prepared to do, and how far he will take his response to the people who wronged him.

Relationships provide another area in which the game's emphasis on choice takes shape. The official description specifies two branching paths for most love interests, rather than presenting every relationship as a single fixed progression. It also describes a wide cast with most characters optional, giving the relationship structure a selective quality rather than requiring equal involvement with everyone. The stated focus extends beyond the protagonist, with other characters also developing over the course of the story. Supporting that cast are simple biographies for most characters, added through updates, and a dedicated relationship menu. Later interface work lets that menu retain its last position, while persistent relationship defaults are also recorded in the change history.

The documented interface additions cover reading, reference and browsing. A built-in guide sits alongside the gallery and relationship menu, giving the visual novel several supporting screens beyond its dialogue presentation. Gallery filtering was added in an update, and the phone interface has received revisions of its own. Reading controls include a text size adjuster and a text outline setting, while changes to textbox opacity also extend to the quick buttons. Save descriptions can be toggled, and the update record lists a save creator and a redesigned main menu. These are recorded additions rather than proposed features. An interactive roadmap is also listed as implemented, although its presence describes a development-information tool, not completion of the work it may display.

The development history combines story expansion with revisions to existing presentation. Entries add numbered days and nights, including Days 23 and 24, while other updates revisit the introduction and early days with replacement renders and animations. This shows that the recorded work is not confined to extending the narrative: earlier visual material has also been reworked. Original music tracks appear across several updates, alongside new scenes involving Chloe and Sophia. The project uses Ren'Py and is identified as the creator's first solo project. English is confirmed in the build record, with a broader language selection documented for the official edition. Platform listings cover Windows, macOS, Linux and Android, while the separate forthcoming Season 1 edition lists desktop platforms only.

Installation & requirements

The supplied platform record lists Windows, macOS, Linux and Android. No package-specific installation procedure is documented.

Windows, macOS, Linux and Android.

Requirements vary by edition. The separately listed desktop edition specifies Windows 10 or higher, a 2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo, 2 GB RAM, and 5 GB of storage; OpenGL 2.0-compatible graphics are a listed graphics option. These specifications are not confirmed for the external version 26 packages; reliable Android hardware requirements are not supplied.

Before updating, back up your saves and read the developer’s release notes. Save compatibility is not guaranteed unless the developer confirms it for your version.