Sincerely, witch deserves love too.
Colorful background with words, and delightful bgm while you spend time choosing between options. The three routes all had certain charms, but their purpose was more than simply enjoying dates and paying our debt. They played a part in leading our lady towards the true ending, in other words, the witch's true desire. You could feel genuine kindness and sincerity from the witch instead of the stereotypical cold and condescending nature. There was already a special connection between the two during each route, the end only helped strengthen this soulmate bond.
The witch looked for a child, but truthfully it was you that she needed all along. All the men could be great options, but you were meant to be with the witch. Dear, if it's alright with you, will you take this witch's hand?
In short, nevertheless a cozy tavern.
Without the need of bgm, realistic SFX were enough to keep you company, perfectly portrayed the cozy atmosphere in the tavern, away from the downpour outside. The seemingly intimidating yet attractive mercenary grabbed all your attention, and you couldn't help but make conversation with him. No matter the compatibility between the two, all the endings were left satisfied: he at least wished you well, and you had a good sleep (though honestly speaking, animation of his blinking golden eyes made me get the romantic ending first). An ending didn't take up much time to achieve, and you can always rewind the choices.
A nice tavern, a nice stranger, and a nice conversation. These are all anyone can ask for on a rainy night, especially when you just had a bad day. Hey stranger, did you need anything? Let's play some cards while keeping ourselves warm.
Simply speaking, adorable cats supremacy.
Ghostly interaction has been theorized to be boundless, yet when ghost granny was given a limited set of abilities due to her frail physique, the game leaned closer towards realism. The short gameplay felt like a heartwarming journey of a loving grandma who couldn't pass on because of her trapped cats. So many cats, so different personalities, which made us not only fall in love with their quirks but also with granny's deep understanding of her cats. Though tagged "puzzle", the game left a bigger impression with its warm atmosphere and its simple, wholesome plot.
Life will have to end one day, granny knew that, and so she took care of the cats one last time right after she died. Upon fufilling her wish, she can pass on, and the cats can find a new life. Thank you for spending a lifetime with me, my dear cats.
To sum it up: emotionally powerful storytelling.
Everything about this game feels otherworldly, as the concept of red string of fate isn't meant to be visible to mortals' eyes. Nevertheless, the emotion between the characters, the OSTs and Van's VA add to the surrealism. They make us believe, not solely in the idea of a red string, but more in the beauty of love, the hopeful feeling that somewhere in the world, there is a person waiting to fall in love with you, and for you to inevitably do the same. The written stories of every encounter ended differently even though we never really changed.
Alas, in this lifetime, i shall look forward to meeting you again in another lifetime. When that happens, whether either of us remember isn't necessarily important. Our hearts will always beat for each other, and i promise to sweep you off your feet once again.
