Post by Chris in Mage Recall comments

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I loved this game.

The flow of exploring, talking to NPCs, trading items around, and learning little spells to do even more of all of that, was just really pleasant and smooth. I had already finished the game before realizing there was a 1.01 update, but personally I had no troubles figuring out where to go. For me, everything was just the right scope to be easy to follow but exciting to be like "Oh! I know where I can use this!"

The writing wasted no words, and did a great job of giving a richness to the town and characters. It's very gentle in every way, but no less affecting for it. I found it funny, intriguing, and the whole segment with the old lady brought me from "cute and silly old lady xD" to "i'm actually crying a little..." to "holy shit this lady rules!" I hope you don't mind the comparison, but that character in particular broadly reminded me of the many witch characters in a book I love called The Sapling Cage, like she could have been a character in that world. That may be partly due to the political revolution stuff in your story. Speaking of which...

I found the political revolution stuff to be a fascinating touch. To me, it remained in the background, but served dual purpose in that it gave weight and depth to some characters and the larger world, while also serving as a backdrop to highlight the more important message you wanted to get across (a message that resonated with me quite a bit).

It's a smooth, gentle, breezy, and flat out lovely game. Thanks so much for making it and sharing it!

I streamed it too, so if you wanna see that, here ya go. I give some additional off-the-cuff thoughts at the end, around 1:41:37.

nion25 days ago (1 edit) (+2)

Thankyou <3
The political side was something that came out pretty late in the 3-month development of the game. Initially the protag was just supposed to have a little post-traumatic stress from fighting demons and monsters in the Queen's army and leave it there.

But the idea slowly grew to the point where it runs alongside Vrin's rehabilitation. I was a little nervous about gesturing to such a big idea without delivering on it (especially with the implications at the ending). Maybe one day I'll be brave enough to come back to it and elaborate on it.

I'm so glad to hear that it resonated with you <3. The purpose of this game was to rehabilitate myself a bit in making games - which is why the protagonist is perhaps a little jaded.

I'll be sure to checkout your playthrough and thanks for the recommendation of that book!

Chris25 days ago (1 edit) (+2)

Aw, I very much relate to writing a character that parallels or is sort of aspirational to a recovery of my own. I hope now that you've released the game you feel better or have clarity or whatever it is you needed.

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SPOILERS BELOW IF ANYONE ELSE IS READING THIS
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Regarding the ending, here's my personal take:

I was surprised by the note it ended on, but, after thinking on it, while it does feel a little "cliffhangery" it's good that it doesn't expand on, show, or even briefly mention how the big stuff shook out. Doing so would have gone against what the real story was and what the master wanted Vrin to experience. It would have cheapened the stories of and little connections made with the characters of the town. The final note would have put all focus on the grand ambitions of nations, rather than the joys and struggles and mysteries immediately around you, where you and everyone else actually exist. This isn't to say we shouldn't be conscious of and maybe sometimes even take part in the moving of mountains, but we shouldn't get so swept up in it that we stop living in the real space and lives surrounding us.

...aha, the more I think on this story, the more I realize how much it impacted me :p But yeah. I'm a big appreciator of unconventional endings, and all that stuff above is something I've already been wrestling with in my own life, so... maybe I was just especially primed to enjoy it lol. Regardless, I think you did great work c:

itch.io

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