I played ALLBG about a month ago or so, never loved a game so much that I find myself going back to its homepage just to read comments and hope that both the VN and its author get the recognition they deserve!! I'm really proud of you and of my luck that brought me here to be a fan of your work. I really appreciate the experience your VN provided.
Never have I ever felt any resemblance or relatability to my own life experience in any character in any form of consumable literature before this VN. Usually, I just read whatever and enjoy the perspective provided by the author, see life from another creative lens--voyeuristic escapism much? I might've read too much between the lines, or maybe I played it at the right time of my life, but it unintentionally helped me work through things I've shelved in the back of my mind for the longest time.
I lived abroad for the best part of my life. I wanted to be independent and experience life without the safety net of family support. Honestly, I just wanted to be free of the responsibility that comes with being an older sibling. I love them, and I'm loved by them, but I had to love myself, and leaving felt like the right decision for 18 y/o me. Anyway, fast-forward to the current day, and I realized that all those years abroad, I've only lived as an "international" student: went to classes, did my part-time, went back home for 4 years, then got a job, and did the same thing for 4 more years. In those 8 years, despite the positive recommendation letters that fill my portfolio, I can't really say I've made any memorable human interactions, which I regret.
When the VN started giving us readers a glimpse into Lorenns' life, seeing his palpable regret of not reaching out, or weaseling out of social gatherings, and huddling in the comfort of solitude, disguised as peace of mind, I was appalled, horrified, and drained. Probably cuz my hormones were all over the place that week, but it felt like I was given a glimpse into who I might've been if I didn't change my ways and get out of my shell (thanks to my super extroverted social butterfly friend who adopted me against my will). I'm still upset about wasting 8 years living as a stranger, no matter how comforting it was at the time, I guess I never worked through those feelings till I saw how upsetting it looks from an outsider POV looking at Lorenn's backstory.
Long story short, thank you!!! I healed a little.
P.S: I bought the full game through Itchio. Is the update in Steam different than the one here? Then will the Itchio version get updated in a later notice?