That was… beautiful. I can already tell you are also a fan of Yoko Taro, loved the Nier Automata inspired [E]ndings (and especially the way you incorporate those letters as the truth crystals), and the whole premise also reminded me of the start of Nier Replicant, snow in summer. Extremely well done!
I can really tell the amount of effort that went into creating a looping narrative like this, and all the pain that goes behind integrating it into a complete story. And moreover, providing an in-world justification for the design choice with the TGA condition just makes it feel even so more thoughtful. Absolutely love the game design here! One of my big wishes for the future is creating a “roguelite” interactive fiction game where the world and narrative changes everytime the player dies or ends a run, so I’m also taking notes from your work and learning ha ha!
Great work on the art, UI visuals and music from the team! Everything binds the whole essence into a thematic congruency , especially loved the way the big ice crystal provides a visual cue for the completion status to the player. The music is tense and foreboding, which greatly enhances the atmosphere. Very mature character artstyle as well, while being anime-inspired, it has its own individuality to it, so it feels unique.
Also surprise new world order reference here? 👀
Jokes aside, this was a wholesome moment after all the rejections and creep allegations the protagonist received. Leveling up stats surely does wonders, innit?
Great work from everyone in the team on delivering such a wonderful experience in such a short time, you have my best wishes! Perhaps the real bus is all those moments in which we discover ourselves and find new meaning through such experiences?