"Nepenthes" is a horror story. This one is interesting one to review/comment on, because while I can acknowledge the artistry that went into the craft of this visual novel and the aesthetic and vibes that this creates are what I'm sure the author was going for, I'm left... disappointed. There was an mystery element, the unveiling of details, a goal that is set out and a main character who's inner thoughts are explored, plus all the obvious art choices that hint at what's really going on, and it all should've come together into some kind of... point?
My assumption is the point is the fascination and voyeuristic nature of this work to watch the unraveling of a character and their ultimate succumbing to powers greater than themselves. The main character is rather bland, so it makes sense that it's okay he's just another numbered victim to be ritualistically consumed by the antagonist/reader, but the antagonist is also fairly bland as well, unable to decide if it wants to be a force of nature or a mustache twirling mastermind villain. There's not much wit or cleverness in the plot mechanics, just a straight forward "you inhaled the mind altering spores". From a philosophical standpoint, there's hardly any back and forth about the nature of hunger as it relates to love and connection, and it's more that the main character just gets manipulated and coerced into being consumed. As pointed out in the text, there's only an illusion of agency for the protagonist, so this reads like it was always just a slow walk over the edge of the cliff. So, I can only assume that this type of story is for the type of reader who would take pleasure in a particular type of snuff fetishism.
I can at least say that this accomplishes what it set out to make. The scene transitions and the art reveals were really cool. This is a well made niche story, but it's not doing anything beyond that, nor do I see it bringing in any new fans to this particular fetish.