thread the needle.

be just the right amount of approachable and afflicted.

honor the gifts He gave you.

get them to believe you.

about

lydia's closing out her new year's weekend when she suffers a fatal heart attack. unluckily for her,  the whims of an overeager god have rewound time, forcing her to repeatedly rush to the ER in an endless 16-hour time loop.

she'll start each loop with a new medical condition, and must identify it based on her symptoms. but will just identifying be enough, when her care is in so many other people's hands? will becoming the perfect patient help her escape?

featuring

• 20k+ words
• 25 different conditions to get diagnosed with
• Over 70 different symptoms to experience
• A haunting original soundtrack
• 1 ending

accessibility

• controller and keyboard support (+ remapping)
• adjustable color settings
• autoplay

more features will be added following release.

credits

writing, music, art and programming by teaisfortoby!
playtesting by janee, taezuli
sound effects sourced from pixabay
landline phone photos by victoria mccormack
additional photos sourced from pexels, edited using dither it!
input by alynne keith, juju adams
scribble deluxe by juju adams
chatterbox by juju adams

made in a month for Spooktober VN Jam 2026

content warnings

caduceus depicts the development of many medical conditions, including many that are critically understudied, life-threatening, and stigmatized. the possible medical conditions the protagonist can have during the game are listed separately, and contain some spoilers for the game's story.

click for general content warnings

medical death, medical trauma, misogyny, health anxiety, panic attacks, suicidal ideation, violence, internalized homophobia, transphobia, acephobia, strangulation, emetophobia, eating disorders, religious trauma, and homelessness

click for details on possible medical conditions

players can be diagnosed with: 
heart attacks, appendicitis, hEDS, cEDS, vEDS, strokes, pneumonia, GERD, PMOS, ME/CFS, asthma, sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, aFib, esophagitis, sepsis, ulcers, ulcerative colitis, cystic fibrosis, multiple sclerosis, ovarian cysts, IBS, lupus, pneumothorax, parkinson's disease, grave's disease, hashimoto's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, coronary artery disease, endometriosis, SIBO, and perforated bowels

all loops depict management of neuropathic POTS symptoms
some loops depict management of HSD
some loops depict management of an anorexia relapse

this game is a work of fiction, not a substitute for medical advice. you should always consult a healthcare professional if you are concerned about your health.