No need to rush! Family matters are important, I hope everything is okay and that you're all well and fine.
Let's All Get Along~
721
Posts
75
Followers
130
Following
A member registered Oct 24, 2021 · View creator page →
Recent community posts
Checking in and plans going forward comments · Posted in Checking in and plans going forward comments
I just wanted to hop in and say I hope you're doing good, honestly when I saw "Sleeping Sister" one I was so hyped up cause it was my secret little kinks all wrapped up into one and I remember playing it really often but was too embarrassed to comment or do anything aside from having fun with it. But now I just wanted to hop off anonymity and hope that things have gotten better for you (even though it's just been a day). Take care of yourself and take as much time as you need to recover the loss of your job! But also I hope you're doing something fun and motivating (it doesn't have to be productive but just something to boost your energy and happiness up!) I'm sincerely looking forward to your next game whatever premise it may be, and it really sucks that the current game climate is really taking a toll on other creators and succeeding in censoring them but I have hope that things will change soon!
Again, take care of yourself and take all the time you need to recover!
So I wasn't being crazy whenever I heard the ukelele tracks, I kept replaying the scene where Kalei is and I'm thinking "The music is changing, this must be a significant character detail" lmao. And also I'm really amazed by the VAs dilligence! They really brightened up the experience and I have a new found appreciation for all the scenes now that I know, especially Geist's VA, I love his creative take because it really does speak to me from a narrative standpoint!
You did such an amazing job with the story, and also the thought of Geist being a consistent third wheeler in all of MC and Kalei's relationship is so funny to me. He'll have the last laugh but I know he's occupying those third wheel couple places and glaring pettily at Kalei like a disgruntled cat.
That was beyond incredible, so much was packed into this VN that I'm astounded that this is all for free! The story took so many twists and turns, and even the amount of work put in to place art for ALL notable characters is insane. This deserves way more appreciation and love because holy hell did this blow my expectations!
Not only was the LI for this story absolutely wonderful (I absolutely adored Zu and love how proactive MC is both in expressing their love but also in their involvment with the story) but that each of the characters in the story held a lot of impact and weight aside from the main two characters. It was undeniably a great experience especially seeing how utterly in love Zu is with us (which I gladly will take) as well as the amount of endings that unlock more lore about the world.
It was honestly such a treat that I had to take a break because of just how much I was absorbing both from the lore but also the tense scary moments, those content warnings did not lie. I hope your cat comes home and that you all get to cuddle and snuggle with one another like how Zu snuggles with MC (I'm devouring all those CGs).
Again, amazing work! You deserve all the praises in accomplishing this feat of a VN all by yourself with the help of your friend!!
Well that was pretty interesting, I do agree that it felt really short and felt difficult to connect with the characters but I do see the potential with Ryan as a yandere. I would love to see more of Ryan and MC's relationship, especially why MC continues to have a relationship with Ryan when they claimed that seeing how cold and emotionless he is makes them uncomfortable. I also think the kidnapping scene has a lot of potential to be terrifying, especially when we're not sure what's going on in Ryan's head.
Looking forward to see if there will be any more updates to this!
I have to say this was pretty interesting! I think the yandere vibes were more apparent with Cain but it was pretty interesting to see how these two contrast with one another. Cain really does feel like some sort of devil because of how he acts in the bad endings and the contract (also the reference to Hell's Kitchen being Hades' Canteen is super funny to me).
Okay whoever did the art AND the sound effects need a raise because what the hell seeing Mr. Hemlock's monster form actually scared the heck out of me! Especially when he smiles and you hear this creaking noise- my god I got so spooked my back hit my chair. I have to say the art is so good and the dialogue all felt natural, especially to Lucy who really shone through with her edgy and slightly rude teenager.
I have to say, I was curious what you meant by "non-romantic" yandere, I know there are platonic yanderes so I was curious how Mr. Hemlock would exhibit this but from what I can see, there's no "real" affection from him. So that made me wonder, if you take away any form of affection from a yandere, what makes it different from just a psychopath.
Then I remembered that no matter WHAT ending you get, Mr. Hemlock will continuously stalk Lucy. He's pretty much obsessed with Lucy but not in a lovey kind of way but I feel like he's ACTUALLY committed to making Lucy experience or work through her fear like some sort of twisted psychologist/teacher. So he's obsessed with Lucy in the way that a yandere will be obsess over their object of affection, but for Mr. Hemlock it isn't out of love but a desire to make Lucy face her "fears". I think he targeted Lucy because she's a prime target to hold fear: she's isolated, alone, nobody takes her seriously (as evidence to that godawful school counselor, like seriously LET THE GIRL TALK), she has a reputation of being weird and freaky, and she's a teenager who's experiencing all of these emotions in a very intense way.
Also, I looked up what Hemlock symbolized and from what I can tell, it symbolizes death, poison, betrayal, danger, toxicity, sacrifice, interconnectedness, endurance and longevity. I can honestly tell that betrayal is a very key part here, because no matter what ending you get Lucy feels betrayed that Mr. Hemlock, no matter what she does whether it's accepting, moving on, or killing him, he'll always return to haunt Lucy. Also ties in line with endurance and longevity, either from Lucy's side of enduring Mr. Hemlock's continuous dangerous presence or Mr. Hemlock for going after Lucy.
I also think he poison's Lucy's mind, especially in Ending 1. People who are driven by fear often act impulsively and uncharacteristically of themselves which happened to Lucy. She might be an edgy teenager but she wouldn't resort to killing given her environment. It was only after Mr. Hemlock came that he began to change her.
I just have to say that I love this, I love how Mr. Hemlock feels so suffocating and eerie and would love to see how Lucy can still hold on to her sanity with how her "homeroom teacher" keeps scaring the heck out of her. Amazing job to everyone that created such a cool experience!
A Place to Grow (Demo) comments · Replied to ILikeEarth:)JosephSimp8 in A Place to Grow (Demo) comments
I'm thinking there might be some mystical stone, a gateway to hell, or something mystical that allowed demons (or Dixie specifically) to slip into the reality and influence the town, because we have nothing to go about how desolate the town is! Also, Lorie (I'm going with Lorie for now) might have just been desensitized to killing because of how necessary it is to hunt prey to survive, I don't imagine Joseph's farm can spare for the rest of the "townsfolk" when most seem to go to production factories and stuff. So maybe to her, she might just view the world in a more of "survival of the fittest" or that "every man for himself" kind of mindset.
Also, real on Joseph. I love how tragic and unhinged he is as a result of all the trauma he endured. I need more of him being pathetic.
I was really so immersed with the story and just HAD to learn more about Jody and the town because oh my gosh it's so well-written. There will be spoilers down below as I theorize what the ever loving heck happened to Jody and Dixie, especially with how decript the entire looks.
But I also encountered what I think is a bug, it's in the route where Jody's wearing his white sleeveless shirt at Day 6 (when he's about to go confront Doris about some business thing), the asset of the alcohol bottles scattered around appears in the scene in front of his house and in MC's bungalow. But aside from that it's not all that bad.
Anyway, I have to say that I really enjoy the visuals and art of the game! Especially the music, it works so well here and I absolutely adore it! Not just that but the story is executed quite well, leaving behind enough clues and mysteries that make us question what sort of plot we've stumbled in. I think the lack of sprite for other characters also works since it emphasizes Joseph more and gives more mystery about the other cast of characters.
Also, I find myself adoring pathetic old men. Like, I liked Joseph's look when he had his hair down and looked like a pathetic wet puppy instead of when he had his hair up and slicked back. I just cannot, I adore whenever Joseph cries (I have to say I love how you illustrate it, ugly crying all the way!).
Now, times for a lil theory~!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I'm calling it, Doris is the demon that for some reason terrorized or struck a deal with Joseph or someone else and Dixie was either used as a sort of collatoral or had been unfortunately caught up in the mix. It's evident in one of the endings where you get killed that Joseph/Jody says that everything will be alright, that he saw someone bring back the dead and that he just has to talk to someone named Do-, we already know Doris can be considered that because in the ending where we killed Joseph, she's the one who gets called by the main character and subtly pushes for MC to take Joseph's place since it's the least they can do.
So, Doris is either protecting the town (alongside her brother who might act like some sort of sentinel protecting the town but I'm not sure) or she's doing something to trap the residents. She may have also killed the majority of the townsfolk? Not too much to say to that but the best we can assume is that Doris may have been directly involved with Dixie's death and is holding Joseph here with some sort of reasoning (I'm unsure how committed he is to his family's farm since he makes it clear that he doesn't really share the same passion but something IS making him stay).
I'm also unsure if Doris may have been getting people to come to the farm hoping one of them would trick Jospeh into thinking they're Dixie. I say this because Doris is the one who seems to have posted that job ad and there's also Finn's presence. I'm unsure what Lucy's presence here means aside from her being a hunter and involving her with bad endings.
Now, for Dixie and Joseph's relationship. From what we can see from the ending where Joseph turns us into "Dixie" --
(but from what I can tell, he isn't calling us Dixie and from what we know about the woman she doesn't seem to be the type to be turned into a housewife as what Joseph mentions how it's the least "Dixie" could do for him. In that vein, the MC might just be what Joseph wanted, an idealized housewife for him to love and be cared for so woohoo for us for breaking out of Dixie's shadow I guess??)
--Dixie has parents that argue a lot, and that Joseph wants to help her out of it. And we also know from other dialogue that Dixie has been by Joseph's side after his parents passed away. So from that, we should think that Dixie is a sweet gal who loves Jospeh so much that when he lost her cause he couldn't protect, he was gutted.
But that doesn't seem to be the case. In the endings where we either abuse or comfort Joseph, he says that we aren't Dixie purely because we don't mistreat him. It's very evident in the abuse ending where Joseph derives a lot of pleasure from MC abusing Joseph and "punishing" him. He doesn't even hide the bruises MC made. And in the comfort ending, Joseph says (while under the delusion that MC is Dixie) is that they won't give him what he always wanted. Was that real love and that Joseph was so abused that he didn't understand it?? That Dixie messed him up so much that to him, love is abuse??
That would be real messed up, if that were true then Joseph is beating himself up cause he lost his toxic lover and was so deep for 30-40 years of denial, and I don't think he has any support system because Dixie is gone. So when Joseph tells us in the comfort ending that we're a monster like him, I wonder if he thinks it's a sin that we didn't punish a monster like him and that we failed. Probably so deep in denial and self-hatred to think that he deserves any kind of salvation.
But who knows?? Personally I'm looking forward to whatever will come next~! Amazing job on this!
Wow, that was something. Honestly I didn't know what on earth was the direction of the VN but I had an idea based on the images but the entire character of Louhi is quite interesting. Kudos to his voice actor for conveying Louhi's friendly but unsettling dialogue, especially when you first meet him and his way of speaking is odd and like he's so bad at acting that it tips you off. I have to say that in some way I find Louhi interesting because of how funadmentally disconnected he is to people's emotions. You can see it reflected in the way he talks about his "patients" rebelling and getting angry at him, and especially towards MC whom he kept violating by crossing her boundaries, didn't care about her choices, and so on.
I guess you wouldn't really try and emphasize with your food in a way, Louhi's entire character was really unsettling, how he really tried to say that he cares about his patients yet doesn't realize how horrifying his actions are, that he lacks no remorse for what he's doing and in some ways lacks self-awareness because of how twisted and cruel he can be even if he disguises it as love, care, and affection.
I'm curious about the little red riding hood themes, I'm not sure you meant it but well, it can't be helped because of the setting like the dark dreary forest, the wolves, an ill grandmother, and even a man with an axe at the very end. I'm unsure if the direction of a plague monster was because of some people interpreting the story of red riding hood being sent to the forest to die or because her mother had to have her evacuated because the town had an illness around them. Aside from that, this was a rather interesting experience. I'm floored that this is a demo, like it truly felt like it was a complete VN! I'm curious what'll happen next in the direction of this story.
That was honestly a ride, the amount of content was insane, especially the tidbits we get from MC's past and also their friends (also I love the amoount of customization, it was so fun to look through the options and seeing my customized MC pop up with the dialogue). Also, the cast of characters were all so interesting, especially the friend group, Alvin, and even the cowboy angel (VA did great with the accent, had to fan my face for that).
Also the scenes with Z?? I'm melting into my seat, I'm so down bad for this dang demon I'm so embarrassed by how I kept replaying certain parts because wow did the VA certainly deliver on their parts! It was so fun and engaging that I'm so glad I returned back here to replay the first episode so I can catch myself up and fully enjoy the latest episode.
Looking forward to the third episode! Super curious about MC's past (an amnesiac arsonist perchance??) and the curiosity of how Z became entangled with MC, especially when they say that they've been having many conversations with MC but MC themselves don't remember that.
I'm curious if the building incident Alvin mentioned is in line with how Z came to find out about MC's existence, and if MC acted differently before like being more reckless and outgoing which is how they were able to form bonds with Kenny, Mia, and Xander but then they "lost" their memories and had a change of personality... I'm so curious, the mystery behind everything is making me look forward to everything!
Amazing work, looking forward to whatever comes next~!
Okay so I finally sat my butt down and played through this and I have to say it was really immersive, mainly because of how good the writing is! I have to say, MC is the most MC as they managed to even make their own self-doubt fall in "love" with them which I find absolutely hilarious. But I do have to say how interesting it is that each of Geist's words were so carefully picked out and targeted that even me, as a relatively less-overthinking kind of person, began to think about all the things Geist's says.
I like the use of the VAs, I know that there are realistically only two VAs because of the relevancy of Geist and Kalei but I like to think MC can only "hear" these two characters because of the amount of impact they have. Like, Geist's voice being all smooth and his tendency to enunciate words really makes you focus on him and his slow cadence, like he drowns out everything that you don't put in any audio in the background signifying the outside world because MC has gotten used to desperately trying to block out Geist's words that, by consequence, they've blocked and isolated themselves from hearing the outside world as well.
So, having Kalei able to speak helps ground MC, especially when it actually stops Geist from speaking because now MC's thinking isn't clouded over negative thoughts but focusing on Kalei. I also like the duality of their voices, Kalei noticeably has an accent but his voice is bright, fun, expressive, and he talks in a pretty chill manner compared to Geist's more formal way of speaking. He's the direct opposite to Geist which is another way to visually set them apart, and I think it helps ground MC because MC doesn't really notice anyone, nobody has any art or even a name attached to them aside from Kalei and Geist so having them visual different makes it so that MC can starkly recognize them (and also the Hawaii somewhat music playing every time Kalei is on scene is so funny, I wonder if MC's mind is just playing that as Kalei's theme).
I didn't think Geist is much of a yandere, he only really shows it somewhat at the ending where you have to push or accept him. I know that yanderes aren't ALWAYS violent, they manipulate and hurt you so you can stay by their side, and their love is both painful and suffocating. Looking back, I do think Geist was showing his love in a backhanded way by isolating MC and making them dependent by beating their self-esteem and identity all while spinning a nice story of accepting the version of MC he managed to create by ruining the MC that would have never created him (an MC with no self-loathing thoughts).
The yandere-ness is subtle but no less toxic and I find it very interesting how Geist mellowed out, he'll never fully be away from MC and even if Kalei is in the picture. But Kalei will never live inside of MC's mind like Geist is and I think that could be Geist's ultimate petty victory over Kalei. That in the end, he'll always will be by MC even if they don't want to acknowledge it, they'll accept it.
Mannn that was fun as hell! I really do sympathize with Zorlok because imagine waking up with no memory of yourself and seeing bits and pieces of who you used to be. I had a lot of options to be rude to Tommy, which is fair, but then I remembered this is a kid who's like 15 years old, of course he didn't think that far and this is also his first time experiencing magic. Naturally he'd be mistaken or didn't understand the severity. So I'm glad there were at least some where we could be civil with Tommy.
Also, he's such a nice kid who's genuinely trying to help and correct his very severe mistakes. I'm not sure if it was because of my choices but I really did enjoy communicating with Tommy, I sure hope we can communicate with our Hellhound soon because man I want to re-experience that bond again.
Aaa I'm so looking forward to whatever the hell is going to happen next! Looking forward to all of them and once again, amazing job!!
I just wanted to say thank you for providing links that could help voice out our own support. I had been away from itchio for some time because of academics and was so looking forward to the many VNs I had waiting only to find this very unpleasant news.
I'm very much hoping this situation resolves with the creators in favor and hope that not just this community but everyone else can help fight back :'D
I have to say that was creepy, I'm ngl I thought we were supposed to romance the coworker but as soon as I saw Leo I was like "there he is". I actually felt a little unnerved everytime some scary scenes were about to pop out, especially for Leo as I was thinking he was some sort of snake monster until I realized he had way too many sharp teeth to be possible. I'm pretty interested how it'll all turn out and I have to say, you did not skimp out on the horrific details with that last scene. I'm curious when our choices begin to matter but so far I'm enjoying myself immensely with this one! Keep up the great work.
This was quite cute, even though the grammar is a bit stiff I do like how you were able to convey Peter's toxic behavior and how he doesn't feel even the hint of remorse for what he did to Y/N's friend. Your Boyfriend has a soft place in my heart since it was the first popular yandere VN I came across and discovered the entire yandere VN subgenre, so it was nice to play this especially since it's been so long since I last heard news about the VN.
Woah that was actually terrifying. I don't know if it was the music/sounds that really sold off all the scary moments but it also has to be the subtle sprite art as well as those dang eyes, god that was terrifying. I will not lie, I was equal parts terrified, amazed, and hungry (seriously the way you draw the meals were so appetizing as well as the description, man I had to snack on some sandwiches to tide me over). I have to say that I thought I knew the direction of the game, that the pills were seriously just a way to keep MC in control. But the bad ending made me second guess everything. Just how bad was MC's condition that they immediately cracked? (In more ways than one)
Another thing i have to commend is how Anselm really fills up the empty space. A commenter pointed it out but I'm curious the reason why MC doesn't seem to question the lack of staff around, were they too enamored by Anselm to realize why he's the only one attending them? And why he's so very close to them? Like seriously, personally cooking meals for them is way too intimate, wouldn't that violate some sort of doctor-patient relationshsip? I like how empty the background looks under the one tone color, it just lends itself to how empty everything feels like and it also really helps make Anselm really pop out and making him the center of attention.
He's also really pretty I just can't I wanna bite and chomp him!!!
Also, you really know how to play with the scare factors. The pacing of the opening was just right, setting the tone of MC's situation without going too over exposition on it. Not just that, but there's always that subtlelty of something amiss like everytime MC tries to uncover why everything is so gosh darm weird, Anselm conveniently has an excuse to cover it up and can use his looks and sincerity to throw MC off and make them feel guilty for ever doubting him.
I am so curious what happens next but I'm really looking forward to everything! I'm curious if the twist is that there are actually two yanderes or if Anselm really is the person he presents himself to be. If so, it really would be a thriller.
I decided to play through this again when I remembered that the demo was rereleased with some changes and WOW did it not disappoint. I actually really feel bad for the demon (before Zorlok) because from the beginning they were really chill and just talking to Tommy, especially the questioning scene. It was like they were really bonding and it genuinely made me distressed seeing the demon's whole identity and memories being erased. And the betrayal they felt when Tommy unknowingly made those changes!
In the original demo, there wasn't any sort of that bonding moment (from what I remember), it was just a contract gone wrong and the demon being a stereotypical demon who would take advantage of Tommy. But this demon actually really made me feel a connection and man, it must have gutted Tommy to realize that Zorlok isn't just a random name, it's a name that holds an identity in Tommy's head that the contract clung to and changed the demon.
I'm hoping that the demon isn't too pissed off at Tommy but then again, their entire identity was erased for that moment. I'm hoping they went into hibernation or is watching everything from inside their body watching over the entire fiasco because then it would soothe my heart. Aaaa I'm so looking forward to July 13th! I hope we get to have more scenes of Zorlok and Tommy navigating this confusing part because without the knowledgable and experienced demon, they're literally newborn babies.
SPOILERS BELOW~!!!
OH MY GOD! I finally sat my butt down after a hectic week and decided to treat myself into playing VNs. The first VN on my mind was Pulsatio Cordis (or PuCo as I see it shortened) and I decided, to heck why not?? It's already been a year since the full game was released and my comment was about 2-3 years maybe?
It felt so surreal to come back and actually finish the game, I still have that load file with the old art and it was like really nostalgic seeing it and remembering how much fun I had in the demo with Liev and how unstable he was in just those few moments of gameplay. I genuinely do love MC, like they're so realistic and brave to be in that scenario and I also love Liev's background on why he is a yandere and just how those factors influenced his life. It's a bit cliche what happened to him on a story level but the way you wrote it felt a lot more natural and not just character exposition dumped.
I will not lie, I had a hard time keeping the affection level at a certain range because I either scored a too low or I scored way too high (I did the latter WAY too often lmao, I can't help it, I wanna suffocate Liev with all the hugs he deserves!) but it was so worth it to get the true ending and seeing actual honest to gods hope in living a "normal" life with your yandere!
I legitimately couldn't put myself through Ending 4 so I had to just leave it be. Maybe one day I could handle breaking Liev's heart but sadly today is not the day. But seriously, you made Liev's backstory HELLA sad like my gosh. I love how you sprinkle in new information throughout the dialogues in different choices, it made skipping parts difficult but you know what, I'm inhaling those scraps.
Another thing is that I love how Liev's backstory was actually depressing as hell. So not only was he a product of an affair his father (Pierre I think) but that he had to be raised by Vera (was that his mom or sister?) and the fact that he had to be drugged up through questionable medicine to appear "normal" when nobody was talking or loving him, had been abused by his "mother" and was treated even more severely after his sister ran away and cut off all contact all while his father just ignored the problem HE caused was sinister and awful. No wonder Liev is who he is today, practically a psychopath with violent tendencies and latched on to the only person who stubbornly reached out to him.
I have to say, I love how even with there being minimal blood or gore, the real horror comes from how Liev could somehow be normal in one scene and practically go psychotic in the next. How easy he can sneak in subtle threats of how he could overpower MC and the extents he would go for them without it sounding corny or overused. His psyche is like, goddamn.
I appreciate how MC came with the mindset to "fix" Liev and ended up going with a "let's help one another" mindset since they recognize that they have to be by Liev's side to assure him someone cares about him, I genuinely believe only MC could do this as Liev doesn't even consider other people human or even real. It was so surreal to even see that and fascinating in a way.
I love the story, endings, creepy yandere, and everything in between! It was so worth the wait and I'm intensely glad I was there from the beginning and able to see this come to fruition! Amazing job and I would love to see what comes next in the works whether it be a sequel or a new project, hope things go well in the real life and take care!!
Oh my god this was such a treat to read! I love reading through your thought process of how the vn was created and how Styx is interpreted (also love how my ideas about Styx overall was well received)! I hope that the thoughts get better to deal with or isn't as intrusive as it was but it really gave a new way of looking through Styx's dialogues with how you had to prioritize which ones would better suit their character with the limitations in place.
I'm honestly feeling really spoiled :DD Usually I'm the one who leaves a pretty long comment and am very happy when creators reply to me to show what they think of my ramblings but I was given a full on buffet! I'm really looking forward to more of your creations and hope your health is well :DD
I've played 10:16 a few days when it came out so my memory is blotchy but wow did this reignite the memory of the trailer you made about 10:16. I truly adore the way you write the dialogue of these characters, they're so specifically mad and unhinged but in such a controlled confident way that makes people believe them. I love how atmospheric everything was and how with just a few lines the story's mood was set up so quickly.
It's curious how the MC in 10:16 seemed to have been the only "pure" one in the entire Church and with their death came the destruction of the Church. I wonder what qualifications MC has that the MC in this VN didn't have. I'm for sure replaying 10:16 to refresh myself. Amazing job with this piece and the worldview this has!
That was creepy my gosh, I was so focued on the half open closet that I totally didn't expect that panning to the left. The VA did such a great job making it sounds like an everyday conversation with that funny youthful accent. I do think that at the ending it would be nice to hear more strangling noises as the camera panned to poor Roach but aside from that I found it really captivating!
I like how the MC subtly kept fishing for information, I wonder if that information was taken from Roach and as Rosario kept talking to MC the transferance of information from his soul just came to MC. I wonder if it'll extend as some sort of telephone game with each victim because that would be terrifying and more psychological horror than the usual thriller slasher horror you can see decorating Roach's room.
Amazing job with this one!
My god, I am completely blown away by the quality of the VN! The act of going through it again and again translating to the MC who keeps on going through their suicide was a really genius move especially with the 1000 word limit!
Honestly, it wasn't just the beautiful art both for Styx and the background, the VA did a phenomenal job. I adore how she was able to convey such emotions with the lines given, sounding both menacing, playful, pouty, angry, and especially at Ending 6, girl she had BILLS to pay for that!
I really adore how Styx was characterized. They're not really a character to begin with, just the river itself but I love how they're the inevitability many will have to go through. So in this instance there's no ferryman to guide the souls to the underworld? That'll be jarring just to be dragged down there lmao, no wonder people are afraid.
I also am curious if Styx likes people who are suicidal since it means they come to them, but based on Ending 5 if they don't stay with them and the flock, Styx is ready to drown them to go to Hades (wait, so does that mean Styx is the transition between near-death and full on death? I had the thought that Styx was just the journey to go to death and that the more MC visited Styx the closer to death they already were since they were "floating" in water, the current must have pushed MC near the gates of the underworld itself). Still, I am curious if the difference between Ending 2 and 3 was how willing MC was to stay with Styx despite being bitter about the whole thing, and why Ending 6 where you choose to stay with them different than Ending 2.
Regardless, I really enjoyed the beautiful art with the face changes for Styx, the atmospheric feeling it all had, the amazing voice work which really brought Styx to life (lmao), mysterious story, and the amazing OST (very calming ngl).
Waaa I love seeing Arson like this, seriously the cg art of him holding that saw is still chilling. I also love his jellyfish hair (since that's what the hairstyle is called). And you don't need to apologize about the vn! It's understandable that at times there can be situations that make it hard to continue on the development of a VN. Whether it be personal or something that can't be controlled, as long as you can continue on that's all that matters. The VN itself was super interesting to me so I thank you for putting all that effort to it~ Take care of yourself and looking forward to whatever else you create!
Woah I can't believe I just saw this now but I just wanna say it's completely ok if you need time to focus on not just academic work but also on your own journey as an artist. I really did enjoy the story I was able to get from the demo (and also Arson is a cutie <3) and am looking forward to whatever comes next~! Hopefully things are okay on your end and to take care of yourself always!
My god (lmao) this was amazing. I couldn't help but notice all the little details I'm not sure I'm reaching for straws here but seriously, that was such a great VN!
The one thing I want to hilariously note is that the stranger is a carpenter but he has seriously great style. I would have taken him for a hairstylist or someone working in the beauty industry because he looks THAT good. But I think him being a carpenter has some ties to the religious aspect.
As someone born and raised as a Roman Catholic, I noticed interesting things about the Stranger. The first being that he is a carpenter like Jesus is. Not just that but he makes allusions of wanting to be saved through prayer, and yet his actions contradict what he wants which is common among people, religious hypocrisy. He feels entitled of wanting to be saved and thus doesn't care about the feelings of Songbird (MC) to the point that even if you input your name or change your choices, his actions and reactions don't even change as if he doesn't acknowledge the difference in which you interact with him.
I like how you used the game jam's limitation (especially the word limit of 1k) to envoke this sense of helplessness and feeling of not being in control. As a player, despite whatever situation your MC is in, you have the power/control/option to save and reload. However here, the SAVE option was scratched out forcing us to continue on. I also find it thematic in a sense that because the Stranger wants to be saved, and because it wants that therefore Songbird's desire to be saved isn't equivalent to its desire. Like the Stranger's wants are more important than that of its captive.
Another thing I like to note is again, that helplessness. Even if we input the name (like I put in the name Robin because hello, it's on bird theme) as soon as we press enter the Stranger speaks up instantly to call us Songbird, almost as if he's too deluded to accept his captive has a name of their own. Because names are powerful, they hold not just culture and historical importance that the character exists but that it's integral to their identity as a unique individual, the Stranger calling us what HE thinks of us, a songbird, erases who we are as a person and gives it the foundation to create the person the Stranger believes we are.
This loss of control is especially important to the Stranger and to us, no matter what option we pick, he continues on with his lines as if any choices yield the same answer. Your choices and actions don't matter. And as a VN player, picking choices is pretty much important to see who the character and your own MC is. By not reacting it shows that the Stranger is genuine in who he is (a delusional religious entitled person) and that MC's personality (which we already know is blank to allow self-inserts) doesn't matter, which is honestly great if you want to explain why a blank slate like MC can exist.
I also like how in the title screen, when you choose to adjust the settings the Stranger's eyes stare straight at you. I think it's neat because this is the only instance where the player has control of something, but the Stranger will always be looking at you, making sure you know your "decision" will still be monitored.
I'M NOT EVEN STARTING ON THE CANARY AND SONGBIRD SYMBOLISM!!
So canaries, especially those in cages, were used by coal mineries to ensure that if there were toxic gases it would alert or kill the bird first leading the miners to realize there were toxic gases and flee to safety. They were also pretty small to allow the miners to bring them in. Songbirds, on the other hand, come from the same family as canaries but are domesticated, but they seem to be different birds (probably due to domestication like wolves and dogs). Songbirds symbolize innocence, naivety, freedom, and joy.
To me, we view ourselves as a Canary. A small bird (especially when compared to how tall the Stranger is) that is being kept at a cage that will eventually die because of the toxic gas that will eventually warn of danger (the Stranger). But to the Stranger, we are its Songbird, to him we are domesticated by him but just don't know it. For someone who desperately seeks to be accepted for his demons and to be saved, the symbolism of the songbirds seem to give him this comfort that someone so innocent that can accept his ugly and terrifying self seems to soothe him. Even though, in reality, the Canary will end up dying.
To Eat A Canary may have come from the saying "like the cat that ate the canary" which means extreme happiness, smugness, or satisfaction. It describes someone who is so pleased with themselves, perhaps about a success, that they are behaving in a conceited or over-confident manner. So by that point, it would be how the Stranger feels pleased that its plan of taking MC and making them his works, would be the only ending it wants.
There are so much I want to talk about but my comment is already getting longgg. I just want to say how much I enjoyed the experience and am looking forward if there are more to come! Amazing job to everyone involved!!
Oh my god that was so off-putting. The story was so odd and had left me with a lot of questions. Namely, why were the three kidnapped to be lab experiments as we can see. Not just that, but it's interesting how the three characters -- owl, goat, and wolf -- are two predators and one prey, especially with the ending implications.
The short length helped further the mystery, especially when we aren't so sure what happened. We have less information than August but with the 1000 word limitation it helped cut off any information that could have possibly help us in understanding the circumstances these friends find themselves in.
The ending had me having thoughts, either both Noah and August had to attack Caleb leaving to August being attacked by Noah or was it that Noah was ready to have all three of them die together as per what his final words in the story claimed, that they would all be together. And with the doors opening, did it mean that they were going to retrieve Noah or were they going to eliminate all of them.
It's such a curious thought! I really enjoy the mystery and wonder if there will be more to this story than what we see here!
My gosh that was something. First meeting with Riven was really something. The way the artist drew him was so, look he was hot okay. Silver haired men go batshit insane in the most chill way possible and I am HERE for that. I enjoyed the way the story panned out and how we get hints of what MC is dealing through. The secret CG tripped me up (that and the 2 normal CGs because I was wondering what the hell was the other normal CG) but thankfully I saw your comment explaining how to get it and MAN, it just asked more questions! Particularly about the origin of that scar...
But also like, mafia men? Whoo boy I was down bad for MafiaTale Sans back in highschool and that shit has NOT left me at all. Anyway, love how Riven feels like this in control and composed character despite the violence he can easily cause. And the way he forced MC to stab the creepy VIP? Absolutely phenomenal that scene was way too intimate for what it should be, way more intimate than that kiss scene AHAHA
Looking forward to the full game! Especially looking forward to how MC can even hope to escape the city they're in. And learning more about who exactly Riven is, is really exciting and I feel like it's gonna be tragic. Job well done here~!
Woah, I was caught off guard by the 3rd ending. I and like all the others thought it was just another fantasy story but apparently it isn't all that it seems to be. I feel so bad for the poor Angel, I'm also worried what will come to the MC now that they know the secret and let the Angel go. Will they replace him??
But aside from that, in my mind MC equally runs away and they live on the run together :')) But this was such a great short VN, I liked the sense of futility at the start when you could only get the 2 endings until the 3rd ending was found.
Cupid's Kiss: a short, romance comedy comments · Posted in Cupid's Kiss: a short, romance comedy comments
Aaaa this was such a cute VN! I absolutely adore the visuals and voice acting, it was done so good and just the way Virgil's personality played off was such an endearing and fun experience! I absolutely adore his design, I would for real be lost staring at him because he is SUCH a pretty boy.
Also all the tropey things? Absolutely hilarious, I love the small banter and conversations we can see, and not just that but Ending 2 is by far my favorite (Ending 3 is also funny imo). Love the somewhat shift in atmosphere but now I so badly want to see a sequel where MC and Virgil employ all the tropes and banter over which is better or which person suits their assigned human-- Aaa the idea is so good and just well-done!
The scenario will live long in my head, but again, to everyone involved they did SUCH a great job bringing this VN to life. It really is the best and I absolutely loved it!
This was so curious, I have to say I love the character design of Shavil, looks appropriately undead to me. I also love how we get to see glimpses of the character history between MC and their master. Throughout it, I like that there was a stark difference between the two endings. How MC was resigned and that Shavil realized he couldn't force MC to continue living (also probably due to his own feelings) or how MC was their playful determined self that inspired Shavil to continue on despite the curse MC found themselves in. I like how he's still protective over his apprentice mage. Great work done here!
That was so interesting, especially with the strange woman and the consequences of said actions. But I do like how in End 3 was the good ending, as it did show that since the main character was being polite and nice, the stranger seemed willing to let him go. Especially with Thea being exasperated over it lmao.
When I saw the name "Zachariah Crowley" my first words were "This pretentious bitch" no wonder he's so cocky lmfao. But honestly, the pretty boy has a pretty voice, I do think the set up is pretty intriguing, especially how Nightingale can't really get over him because the hurt was fresh. I'm so curious about the event that happened with the Sarada Clan and how Nightingale actually survived that.
Despite that, I don't really think Zach was shown to be cocky, he was more annoying and soft lmao. Dude even braved the kick to the balls for his love, also that seduction tactic? Bro I was telling both Nightingale and I this bitch is just gonna lure and leave us (bec of that honey trap). But honestly, it was more wholesome than I anticipated, I thought it'd be lovers to exes to enemies but it was quite sweet at the end.
Very noicee
Woah, that was an experience. I haven't played the main game where Sheol comes from but I remember playing The Painting and being fully blown away by the emotional storytelling and narrative quality. And even in this VN it didn't disappoint!
I found the voice actor's delivery of each line to be so impactful, it was so intriguing reading through the dialogue and trying to choose words that weren't hurtful but I guess it's just premade it into the script ahaha. Despite that, it was so interesting reading through the story and trying to understand what is happening despite not having the full story.
From what I understand, the character, Sheol, is talking to her mother who is stricken by an illness, possibly a plague if she's from the past. Her mother seemed to be the complete opposite of Sheol being more lively, bright, and energetic that made Sheol adore her mother despite being the opposite. I get the sense that Sheol deeply cherishes her mother who didn't seem to think Sheol differently despite her clothes and gloomy self, and instead encouraged her writing hobbies and interests.
Then, the illness begins to get worse as her mother's mental and physical state fully deteriorates. I'm thinking something debilitating as Alzheimer's but maybe not so? Anyway, I like how Sheol really tried to save her mother by putting in words and writing them down, most likely because her mother adored Sheol's poetry and her creativity. But as it progresses on, her mother's mental state becomes exhausted from trying to think up on words to appease the girl and she begins to think of darker thoughts.
Probably because Sheol is wearing dark clothes and pale skin, her mother thought she was a monster. And afraid for her life, either she killed herself or Sheol but seeing as the main game where Sheol comes from is a purgatory, then it must mean her mother killed Sheol in a delusional state.
If so, god I can't imagine how it must feel. Sheol very obviously loves her mother and thought the whole world of her, and then an illness comes and takes away her mother's brightness leaving a hollow husk behind that she doesn't want to leave even if it's dangerous. It just really speaks to me and I find this awesome both narrative wise but also from the simple effects of the distorted voice, features, and lights. It was all so immersive, amazing job with this!