I was a bit unsure whether I would like this, because I'm not a huge fan of stat raising, but the demo is really cute and makes me want more! I really love that we also get so many sweet moments with our roommates. Getting to choose top or bottom in the sex scenes is a neat plus, as well. (Though tbh I'll probably go with the LI's preferences. At least the first time, heh.) Pre-order, here I come!
Hi Ertal! I know you were saying that all the art, writing, etc. was finished, and the only thing left was the coding. But on Patreon you post about how you're working on writing the character routes and making CGs. Is there an updated status?
I'll make a Kickstarter update post within this week, and will share it here!
In short, I commissioned another set of CGs for the game to make the most of the delay, but they are already done. As for the script, the main scenes of each route were finished months ago, around September, but all the in-between scenes with the side characters or linking major scenes weren't finished yet, and that's what I'm working on now. Besides making sure everything works as it should, of course.
^_^ Sorry, I keep posting on our social media and once a month on Kickstarter, and then forget about updating here...
Still working on coding the whole thing. Right now I can only dedicate time to VN work on the weekends, so progress is slow but steady. You can see screenshots of the new scenes coded on Twitter, facebook or Instagram, for #screenshotsaturday, if you want to check the progress.
Ah... Those new games are just game jam VNs: very short, with a small scope, 30 minutes to one hour long. They are just a way to keep myself motivated.
okay. I think the reason why a lot of developers don't include downloads for Android phones is that the size of the game needs to be small enough to run. As far as I know, unless you're got a really good job and can afford a phone that can run vn games with a bigger file size people aren't going to have a phone that can run a vn with a bigger size.
On top of that, it requires more resources/programming/time/money etc. It's not as simple as just resizing the resources, because going from the size for a PC or laptop to the size for a phone screen, can affect the quality of them unless you know how to do it without it affecting the quality.
So art resources would have to be redone in a smaller size.
Don't quote me 100% but as far as I know, it would be basically making two games instead of one even though it's the same game.
So a lot of developers don't do phone versions of their vn games because it would be double the cost and what they have planned for their game might not work or be too large for most Android phones.
However, you have given me something to think about for my own projects to consider.
as soon as you make it that we do not have to give you our full address when purchasing, i would gladly buy some of your games. but personal info should not be required to buy a digital commodity
Aaah, it's because of VAT... But you only need to add your country, right? Anyway, that information is only for Paypal use, they only share the buyers' email with the person who receives the payment (which is useful in case someone needs a refund). Nothing else: name, address, etc. remain private.
From what I read in his description (I didn't play the demo yet), it seems he's kinda like Dazai Osamu (the personality and such) from the anime Bungou Strays Dogs and he is my crush! He gives me those vibes Idk.
Hii! I can't wait for the release! I hope evertything is going well! :3
I'm sorry if you already answer this, maybe is a bother with the work you have to do, but I just wanted to know if we have the option in the game to change the name of Paul?
I really don't mind if it's not possible, I just wanted to ask because in other games I played before, the developers didn't annouce the option and it was something you discover as a player. It's mostly my curiosity!
Hi, I'm sure this has been asked multiple times😅, so sorry if I missed those replies and if I'm bothering. But, wanted to ask if the game will be out soon, since it's up for pre order. If so, when do you think it'll likely be finished?
😂 I already bought it, and just can't wait to play it. This game looks fantastic 👏! Any little guesstimate would be nice, if possible. Like perhaps sometimes this summer👀? Or is it more probable that it comes out in the fall of 2021?
Anyways, if you can't give an answer that's understandable🤣, just thought I'd try and ask anyways.
Hello :D ! I'd like to preorder the game and I saw that itchi.io support CA so I was delighted. Though unlike other games I don't have the option to pay with a CA for your game. Do I have a graphic bug or is it an option that you have to activated yourself ?
This one so far is my fav game of yours for both visual and story, and plus it have a little stats-raising~ You did a good job to the characters, especially Paul, you well written him!
I really love Marimo art style so it such a nice surprise to see her art in a visual novel. Her sprite so gorgerous, I love them all.
I played this creator's other game Chasing the stars and I will say their writing was really good. I felt attached to the main character. The story was decent and the love interests all felt different and unique, like you really wanted to see how it works with each of them.
yea, chasing the stars is good and all, I know this looks good too, its just, the romanceables are not my type xD the 3 of them looked a middle-aged men so Im really dilemma wether buy it for playing 1 route or not, guess I need to see how much is it when its come to steam first
here if it helps to give some advice~ try to remember the main character is not you and you are watching a story go down. so if you think about it like that it may not matter what the lovers are like xD for example the lovers in Chasing the Stars weren't my type but I still played because I wanted to see the story. However if I played an otome type game where the main character is meant to be mostly blank without their own story then I am very picky on the type of lovers I have to pick on.
haha, of course this is just how I feel about things but I wanted to share since could help you make a decision~
Actually, none of the character's are middle aged. People that are significantly younger than someone's age (for instance prob in your case, younger than these character's, or older in fact) may feel that way however. Middle aged is actually aged....well in the middle of one's life. Between the ages of 45-65. This depends of course, on one's familial life expectancy genetics. But ya, middle aged doesn't even start until 40-45 for most individuals.
Now side note: these are VNs. They come in all sorts of perspectives, and usually not your own. If your looking to play more BL games in your perspective, try searching for dating sims. Some great examples are: "Signed and Sealed with a Kiss", "Seiyuu Danshi", "Dead Dating", "Banana Ranch(same creator as Seiyuu Danshi, but this game is WIP. Won't be out until Dec 2022)", "Uncle Neighbor *on steam*", "Dream Daddy", or even "Coming Out on Top." These are some great stories and art content you might miss out on, if all you worry about is whether the character's are between 18-20yrs old😓😭😭. I urge you to def try them out tho and see how you feel! I've gotten past that myself as I've gotten older and realized most of VNs or Otome games I love tend to favor the younger adults.
But I do get what you mean about it being nice to have character's near your age🙌😆. I'm in the middle of my 20s, so I'm actually quite excited to finally play a game that doesn't revolve around 18yr Olds😂(cough, cough, ignoring the fact that the Protagonist is 18 👀 , "every otome game in existence" 🤣) Also, VNs come in multiple perspectives as well as with their own subgenres (like playing a VN with rpg like features) ex: Winter Wolves games tends to be like this.
So, if u are looking for more of blank slate character's, try the game's I listed up above (*If you can get past most of the character's being older than 20yrs old tho😅, or even translations for Eng being a bit off due to some still WIPs* You might actually really come to love those games. Or if not, just continue searching specifically for VNs that are mostly Dating Sims. Just keep in mind, you can find games with character's your age, but that will severely limit the amount of great-ness you can enjoy😍.
thx for the suggestion, the only ones I havent known is dead dating and uncle neighbor, guess Ill check it out
p.s : I agree that middle age is on the age of about 50, but lately in the surges of manga they make a 30 something as middle age already so I'm kinda influenced xD
To each their own😂! It's totally fine if you just don't prefer older people in games. Tbh, there's really only one 36yr old RO in this game anyways🤷♀️, so you could always skip that route if you really can't stand it. But ya, for sure look into dating sims cause those types of characters tend to be more of the blank slate character's.
Oh! The former game "Dead Dating" is currently a horror thriller dating sim on Patreon for a new campaign this month that ends on April 30th. The campaign will be anyone's only chance to pick up the 18+ NSFW content as the dev plans to release on Apple & Google Playstore .
Which have very strict rules about 18+ content. So if you do get it, just know the game isn't far along in development yet and the ENGL translation is pretty bad. But it's only in Early Access right now (only for certain Patreon supporters) so that makes sense. And the other game is on the Steam platform and not itchio.
It's not really a setting I like, so expectedly I have less affinity for this game than your other titles, not to mention I hate stat raising (I won't be skipping that, obviously, since I want the most out of my endings haha!). But it was still a nice experience - I was really worried, to be honest, but I still liked it.
Same goes for the art - not my jam, but still nice enough. Well, that's not entirely true - I love the art for the CGs, but the sprites are not my jam. From an objective point of view it's gorgeous though.
I'm not gonna lie, it'll probably remain my least favorite of your games, and I'm way more excited for "Deep in the Forest", as stated on that game's page, but still!
Paul is nice enough as a protagonist, though I feel his exact personality will depend of the stats, so he's more of a blank canvas (how appropriate!) than your other MCs. I like Gilles a lot though, and Émile is interesting too. Ferdinand and Bertrand didn't attract me, but I'll see in the full game.
All in all, I'm still eager to play the full version (or future demos, if you're planning on uploading more).
I did notice a small bug... I think? When Ophelia was on the scene, and moving around, her sprite wasn't moving smoothly all the time, but jerking around a couple of times.
Also, not really a bug, but more often than not, when the music track changes, it seems very loud at the beginning, which is a bit weird. I think it's because most of the tracks begin in an abrupt way or something? It actually made me jump once or twice.
Thank you very much for the detailed review, as always!
Let's see! First of all, Paul has a set personality, so it doesn't change no matter what route or decisions you make. I'll take a look at Ophelia's sprite; I know I made some changes, but I can't recall if those changes are implemented in the demo or not. Same goes for the music, so thank you for the feedback!
The stats raising part, as you can see, it's not very important in the game (although I still want to make a full dating sim one day because I love that kind of games, haha!), so I hope you enjoy the finished VN when it's ready! And feel free to suggest settings that you'd like to see in a BL game, I'm always open to ideas!
Oh well, haha, you actually already covered or are covering three of my favorite settings, which are Jack the Ripper related stories, medieval fantasy/adventure, and arabian nights. That's why I'm so hyped about Deep in the Forest!
I think the one setting that always belonged to my favorites and that you didn't cover at this point is the Prohibition, in US history. Some of my favorite games are set in that period, like Scheherazade at the Library of Pergamum and The Blind Griffin, and I would LOVE to see a BL game in that setting, for once.
I also teeend to enjoy wartime love stories. You brushed it in the after stories of A Hand in the Darkness, but that was so short!
I think you'd do great with a "proper" sci-fi story set in space, though. The snippet we got in Biel's "after story" for Chasing the Stars was great.
Back to Paul now! I think I got the feeling his personality depends on the stats because of how different he reacts to some things depending on the confidence he has. I still think he's more or less of a blank canvas with a lot of room to evolve though!
As I said, even if Night and Day isn't my jam, I'm still sure I'll like it in the end. It being my least favorite doesn't have to mean I won't like it, so well, I'll obviously be getting it.
And well... I say I hate stat-raisers and I stand by it - I'm glad that type of game isn't as trending as it was in the past, and most romance games don't include stats, BUT I still play these if I like the story, and well, I genuinely love some of them. I mean. I just mentionned Scheherazade, and that one is one of the most difficult stat raisers ever made, it's insane.
Haha, you're welcome! These are cool games, and I think Scheherazade is a good example about how to make a stat raiser that is both great and very challenging! I never felt it was unfair, but at the same time you have to manage your time very well. Even in easy mode.
I am so excited for this game i cant wait. Just placed my pre order for it. I dont normally trust pre orders but I know you guys and I am also in your discord so I know its worth the wait. Been replaying My Burning Heart lately :3.
Is it normal to keep losing stats? In demo, I kept choosing confidence +1 choices, but I continued to lose stats. In the end, my confidence stats was too low to introduce Paul to Bernard.
Yes, sorry: at the beginning of the story, Paul is quite the disaster! But you start getting points really quickly, so don't worry about that. You can get enough points to meet Bernard, though, if you choose every single option that shows confidence. However, although that's up to the player, of course, it's a rather unrealistic option: Paul is very optimistic, but he also drags an "smalltown boy" complex and often feels out of place.
Anyway, Paul doesn't make a great impression on Bernard, so you aren't missing anything. There will be more chances of meeting him properly!
I'm not sure if the demo has been updated since the last time I played it, but I pre-ordered it. I'm seriously such a huge fan of every game you've put out! I own all of them, except the Jack one (which I will!) and I'm really looking forward to this one! Can I just say, that adding the choice to top or bottom is just *chef's kiss*. I usually prefer the bottom POV in games I play so I love being able to choose for maximum experience!
i'm in love with the demo, and i'll most DEFINITELY be playing the full version when it's finally released. ferdinand is my favorite, and i need more of him in my life :)
I'm a huge fan of your games, but I wasn't expecting to like this one, mainly because I've been around quite a few places in Europe and Paris was the only one I can really say I didn't like; however, I LOVE this demo. I'm so glad to have the chance to Patreon you to keep you making wonderful games like this... and I know that Denis won't be a possible love interest (based on the count of four, I'm guessing) but I'll keep my fingers crossed. Those red haired men... =swoon=
That would be a dream come true! I'd even up my patreon specifically (perhaps another $100) if you did. I want to do anything to support your games. I'd kickstart this one now as well but I have CC fraud and need to wait a couple weeks for a new card.
You are amongst my top BL games in the world. Thank you for making these games!
I quite enjoyed the demo! All characters seem interesting and the story got me hooked. I can't wait to play the full game! The only route I will be ignoring is Emile and only because I am super uncomfortable with huge age differences, especially when one person is still in their teens.
Just finished the game. I must say, the demo was quite amazing. I'll start with the writing and say that's it's very well done. The characters, even though we only see them for a short time, feel real and interesting. I didn't see any spelling errors either. I really like how this game is in first person as well. For some reason I just prefer that in visual novels. I also like Paul's voice, which is important when reading in first person. I'll say it's hard for me to decide who I like most, but I do enjoy Paul, Emile, and Ferdinand..
Next the art. The art is something that's quite special for with this game, though I'm not sure why. First off, I love the scenery. It looks like 1950's France and feels calming. During the stressful times everyone's going through, it's nice to have things that have calming scenery. The background are also very detailed and colorful. I love the flower shop and river bank the most. I'm excited to see more of the backgrounds. Also, the touch of painted parts is cool too. The character sprites are also nice. I admit it took me a bit to get use to them, but I realized how more real the look and the guys are quite handsome. Also many of the expressions on them look good, a bit simple but done well. One gripe I do have is the sprites seemed to be a bit a blurry? I'm not sure if it's because I had it in full screen or not, but the resolution may need to be fixed on them. Also, maybe make them a bit bigger. It could just be me though.
Also, I noticed a small bug in the game. The brush icon that ends after a sentence sometimes goes right in the middle of a word. I'm not sure if this is fixed yet, but just wanted to let you know in case.
Anyway, this game looks really amazing. I'm really interested in seeing where it goes and what stories you're gonna tell. During these times, I honestly need a game like this and with the big emphasis on creative hobbies, the story really intrigues me. Should you do a KS, I will back it.
Thank you so much for the detailed review! I had a Kickstarter planned, to run from May 15th to June 15th, but given the current global situation it might be delayed some weeks; we'll have to wait and see.
I'm glad you like the demo so far! And thank you for your feedback about the sprites size and resolution, I'll look into it.
The GUI (textbox and game menus) are being redone by a professional, haha! I'll fix the brush icon once that it's done. I hope you like the updated demo even more, with the new GUI, more characters sprites and some new scenes!
Np! With what's going on, it's best not to do one right now honestly. But when you do, I'll back it. And cool, I thought it would likely get fixed. On thing, will you have sub sprites for characters Nat?
Sorry, I don't understand the last question... If you are asking if Nathalie will have a sprite, then yes! All the characters will have a sprite for the final version, and at least Denis, Nathalie and Ophelia for the updated demo.
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I was a bit unsure whether I would like this, because I'm not a huge fan of stat raising, but the demo is really cute and makes me want more! I really love that we also get so many sweet moments with our roommates. Getting to choose top or bottom in the sex scenes is a neat plus, as well. (Though tbh I'll probably go with the LI's preferences. At least the first time, heh.) Pre-order, here I come!
Hi Ertal! I know you were saying that all the art, writing, etc. was finished, and the only thing left was the coding. But on Patreon you post about how you're working on writing the character routes and making CGs. Is there an updated status?
I'll make a Kickstarter update post within this week, and will share it here!
In short, I commissioned another set of CGs for the game to make the most of the delay, but they are already done. As for the script, the main scenes of each route were finished months ago, around September, but all the in-between scenes with the side characters or linking major scenes weren't finished yet, and that's what I'm working on now. Besides making sure everything works as it should, of course.
Hey Hey, any updates?
^_^ Sorry, I keep posting on our social media and once a month on Kickstarter, and then forget about updating here...
Still working on coding the whole thing. Right now I can only dedicate time to VN work on the weekends, so progress is slow but steady. You can see screenshots of the new scenes coded on Twitter, facebook or Instagram, for #screenshotsaturday, if you want to check the progress.
Pre-ordered and eagerly awaiting for the day it is available. I loved the demo and can't wait to play the full version.
Sorry for the trouble... But any news?
Sorry, I always forget to post devlogs here... Let me share my KS update!
Np and thanks !
Any release date ?
Down below they said
"As soon as it's finished :/ I'm afraid the coding part is taking way more than anticipated."
Just gotta be a lil bit patient
Thank you for the response:) I just found it a bit weird how their making new games already ((2 new ones )) but this one still isn't finished
Ah... Those new games are just game jam VNs: very short, with a small scope, 30 minutes to one hour long. They are just a way to keep myself motivated.
Will there be a Android download I'm so sick of games looking amazing and me not being able to play them because no one has Android downloads
Sorry, but no, there's no Android version planned so far.
Are you talking about Android phone or android computer/Laptop/notebook?
Android phone
okay. I think the reason why a lot of developers don't include downloads for Android phones is that the size of the game needs to be small enough to run. As far as I know, unless you're got a really good job and can afford a phone that can run vn games with a bigger file size people aren't going to have a phone that can run a vn with a bigger size.
On top of that, it requires more resources/programming/time/money etc. It's not as simple as just resizing the resources, because going from the size for a PC or laptop to the size for a phone screen, can affect the quality of them unless you know how to do it without it affecting the quality.
So art resources would have to be redone in a smaller size.
Don't quote me 100% but as far as I know, it would be basically making two games instead of one even though it's the same game.
So a lot of developers don't do phone versions of their vn games because it would be double the cost and what they have planned for their game might not work or be too large for most Android phones.
However, you have given me something to think about for my own projects to consider.
that's awesome have you made anything so far love the screen name btw
not for android no.
any updates? new release date mb?
Not yet, sorry 😞
Hello, will you add steam keys to itch ?
Yes, I do that with all my games <3
Yay! Thanks for answering <3
wait when does it release?
As soon as it's finished :/ I'm afraid the coding part is taking way more than anticipated.
ahh, i see take your timee we'll be here <3!!
as soon as you make it that we do not have to give you our full address when purchasing, i would gladly buy some of your games. but personal info should not be required to buy a digital commodity
Does itchio really ask for that??
Aaah, it's because of VAT... But you only need to add your country, right? Anyway, that information is only for Paypal use, they only share the buyers' email with the person who receives the payment (which is useful in case someone needs a refund). Nothing else: name, address, etc. remain private.
I love this game sm!! Please add a romance for Denis haha <3
I don't think he'll get a route, unless its a three-way relationship with Denis and Nathalie lol.
To be honest, that was the plan when I first started to outline the routes... but was quickly discarded, sorry XDD
I'm REALLY interested in Gilles!
From what I read in his description (I didn't play the demo yet), it seems he's kinda like Dazai Osamu (the personality and such) from the anime Bungou Strays Dogs and he is my crush! He gives me those vibes Idk.
I hope anybody knows what I'm talking about lol.
Hii! I can't wait for the release! I hope evertything is going well! :3
I'm sorry if you already answer this, maybe is a bother with the work you have to do, but I just wanted to know if we have the option in the game to change the name of Paul?
I really don't mind if it's not possible, I just wanted to ask because in other games I played before, the developers didn't annouce the option and it was something you discover as a player. It's mostly my curiosity!
Someone asked me the same a few weeks ago, so I'll surely implement the option of renaming the MC.
Oh, that's cool! Thanks for answering! Sorry again for asking the same question.
The characters are so cute I can't wait for more this is gonna be so amazing, my best wishes :D
Thank you so much!
Hi, I'm sure this has been asked multiple times😅, so sorry if I missed those replies and if I'm bothering. But, wanted to ask if the game will be out soon, since it's up for pre order. If so, when do you think it'll likely be finished?
😂 I already bought it, and just can't wait to play it. This game looks fantastic 👏! Any little guesstimate would be nice, if possible. Like perhaps sometimes this summer👀? Or is it more probable that it comes out in the fall of 2021?
Anyways, if you can't give an answer that's understandable🤣, just thought I'd try and ask anyways.
I hoped it would be mostly finished by now, but we are all trying our hardest to finish the game within this summer.
No prob! Take the time you guys need. And thanks so much for your reply! Can't wait to play it!
Hello :D !
I'd like to preorder the game and I saw that itchi.io support CA so I was delighted.
Though unlike other games I don't have the option to pay with a CA for your game. Do I have a graphic bug or is it an option that you have to activated yourself ?
Oh! Someone told me the other day that they had indeed used a CA card to buy one of my games, so it should work.
Hello!
I want to preorder your game but the only option for payment is with PayPal.
Is it possible to pay with a credit card instead?
Thanks xx
You can buy it with a card on Steam once it's released. It seems you can use a CA card here on itchio, in case you don't want to use Paypal.
Can you choose to top or bottom with any characters or only certain characters ?
With all of them!
hi! I really like your demo! if I buy the game I will have the full game to play, or it is still a work in progress? thanks;)
Still a work in progress for a couple of months!
Show post...
This one so far is my fav game of yours for both visual and story, and plus it have a little stats-raising~ You did a good job to the characters, especially Paul, you well written him!
I really love Marimo art style so it such a nice surprise to see her art in a visual novel. Her sprite so gorgerous, I love them all.
Im so dilemma between buy this or not, aside from gilles all the other love interest are not interesting, hm maybe ill try the demo first
I played this creator's other game Chasing the stars and I will say their writing was really good. I felt attached to the main character. The story was decent and the love interests all felt different and unique, like you really wanted to see how it works with each of them.
yea, chasing the stars is good and all, I know this looks good too, its just, the romanceables are not my type xD the 3 of them looked a middle-aged men so Im really dilemma wether buy it for playing 1 route or not, guess I need to see how much is it when its come to steam first
here if it helps to give some advice~ try to remember the main character is not you and you are watching a story go down. so if you think about it like that it may not matter what the lovers are like xD for example the lovers in Chasing the Stars weren't my type but I still played because I wanted to see the story. However if I played an otome type game where the main character is meant to be mostly blank without their own story then I am very picky on the type of lovers I have to pick on.
haha, of course this is just how I feel about things but I wanted to share since could help you make a decision~
Actually, none of the character's are middle aged. People that are significantly younger than someone's age (for instance prob in your case, younger than these character's, or older in fact) may feel that way however. Middle aged is actually aged....well in the middle of one's life. Between the ages of 45-65. This depends of course, on one's familial life expectancy genetics. But ya, middle aged doesn't even start until 40-45 for most individuals.
Now side note: these are VNs. They come in all sorts of perspectives, and usually not your own. If your looking to play more BL games in your perspective, try searching for dating sims. Some great examples are: "Signed and Sealed with a Kiss", "Seiyuu Danshi", "Dead Dating", "Banana Ranch(same creator as Seiyuu Danshi, but this game is WIP. Won't be out until Dec 2022)", "Uncle Neighbor *on steam*", "Dream Daddy", or even "Coming Out on Top." These are some great stories and art content you might miss out on, if all you worry about is whether the character's are between 18-20yrs old😓😭😭. I urge you to def try them out tho and see how you feel! I've gotten past that myself as I've gotten older and realized most of VNs or Otome games I love tend to favor the younger adults.
But I do get what you mean about it being nice to have character's near your age🙌😆. I'm in the middle of my 20s, so I'm actually quite excited to finally play a game that doesn't revolve around 18yr Olds😂(cough, cough, ignoring the fact that the Protagonist is 18 👀 , "every otome game in existence" 🤣) Also, VNs come in multiple perspectives as well as with their own subgenres (like playing a VN with rpg like features) ex: Winter Wolves games tends to be like this.
So, if u are looking for more of blank slate character's, try the game's I listed up above (*If you can get past most of the character's being older than 20yrs old tho😅, or even translations for Eng being a bit off due to some still WIPs* You might actually really come to love those games. Or if not, just continue searching specifically for VNs that are mostly Dating Sims. Just keep in mind, you can find games with character's your age, but that will severely limit the amount of great-ness you can enjoy😍.
thx for the suggestion, the only ones I havent known is dead dating and uncle neighbor, guess Ill check it out
p.s : I agree that middle age is on the age of about 50, but lately in the surges of manga they make a 30 something as middle age already so I'm kinda influenced xD
To each their own😂! It's totally fine if you just don't prefer older people in games. Tbh, there's really only one 36yr old RO in this game anyways🤷♀️, so you could always skip that route if you really can't stand it. But ya, for sure look into dating sims cause those types of characters tend to be more of the blank slate character's.
Oh! The former game "Dead Dating" is currently a horror thriller dating sim on Patreon for a new campaign this month that ends on April 30th. The campaign will be anyone's only chance to pick up the 18+ NSFW content as the dev plans to release on Apple & Google Playstore .
Which have very strict rules about 18+ content. So if you do get it, just know the game isn't far along in development yet and the ENGL translation is pretty bad. But it's only in Early Access right now (only for certain Patreon supporters) so that makes sense. And the other game is on the Steam platform and not itchio.
The release will be most likely postponed to June, but I'll make an official announcement as soon as we are 100% sure!
Okay, I did it! Played this one too!
It's not really a setting I like, so expectedly I have less affinity for this game than your other titles, not to mention I hate stat raising (I won't be skipping that, obviously, since I want the most out of my endings haha!). But it was still a nice experience - I was really worried, to be honest, but I still liked it.
Same goes for the art - not my jam, but still nice enough. Well, that's not entirely true - I love the art for the CGs, but the sprites are not my jam. From an objective point of view it's gorgeous though.
I'm not gonna lie, it'll probably remain my least favorite of your games, and I'm way more excited for "Deep in the Forest", as stated on that game's page, but still!
Paul is nice enough as a protagonist, though I feel his exact personality will depend of the stats, so he's more of a blank canvas (how appropriate!) than your other MCs. I like Gilles a lot though, and Émile is interesting too. Ferdinand and Bertrand didn't attract me, but I'll see in the full game.
All in all, I'm still eager to play the full version (or future demos, if you're planning on uploading more).
I did notice a small bug... I think? When Ophelia was on the scene, and moving around, her sprite wasn't moving smoothly all the time, but jerking around a couple of times.
Also, not really a bug, but more often than not, when the music track changes, it seems very loud at the beginning, which is a bit weird. I think it's because most of the tracks begin in an abrupt way or something? It actually made me jump once or twice.
Thank you very much for the detailed review, as always!
Let's see! First of all, Paul has a set personality, so it doesn't change no matter what route or decisions you make. I'll take a look at Ophelia's sprite; I know I made some changes, but I can't recall if those changes are implemented in the demo or not. Same goes for the music, so thank you for the feedback!
The stats raising part, as you can see, it's not very important in the game (although I still want to make a full dating sim one day because I love that kind of games, haha!), so I hope you enjoy the finished VN when it's ready! And feel free to suggest settings that you'd like to see in a BL game, I'm always open to ideas!
Oh well, haha, you actually already covered or are covering three of my favorite settings, which are Jack the Ripper related stories, medieval fantasy/adventure, and arabian nights. That's why I'm so hyped about Deep in the Forest!
I think the one setting that always belonged to my favorites and that you didn't cover at this point is the Prohibition, in US history. Some of my favorite games are set in that period, like Scheherazade at the Library of Pergamum and The Blind Griffin, and I would LOVE to see a BL game in that setting, for once.
I also teeend to enjoy wartime love stories. You brushed it in the after stories of A Hand in the Darkness, but that was so short!
I think you'd do great with a "proper" sci-fi story set in space, though. The snippet we got in Biel's "after story" for Chasing the Stars was great.
Back to Paul now! I think I got the feeling his personality depends on the stats because of how different he reacts to some things depending on the confidence he has. I still think he's more or less of a blank canvas with a lot of room to evolve though!
As I said, even if Night and Day isn't my jam, I'm still sure I'll like it in the end. It being my least favorite doesn't have to mean I won't like it, so well, I'll obviously be getting it.
And well... I say I hate stat-raisers and I stand by it - I'm glad that type of game isn't as trending as it was in the past, and most romance games don't include stats, BUT I still play these if I like the story, and well, I genuinely love some of them. I mean. I just mentionned Scheherazade, and that one is one of the most difficult stat raisers ever made, it's insane.
I just added those two to my playing list, thank you!
Haha, you're welcome! These are cool games, and I think Scheherazade is a good example about how to make a stat raiser that is both great and very challenging! I never felt it was unfair, but at the same time you have to manage your time very well. Even in easy mode.
I am so excited for this game i cant wait. Just placed my pre order for it. I dont normally trust pre orders but I know you guys and I am also in your discord so I know its worth the wait. Been replaying My Burning Heart lately :3.
Is it normal to keep losing stats? In demo, I kept choosing confidence +1 choices, but I continued to lose stats. In the end, my confidence stats was too low to introduce Paul to Bernard.
Yes, sorry: at the beginning of the story, Paul is quite the disaster! But you start getting points really quickly, so don't worry about that. You can get enough points to meet Bernard, though, if you choose every single option that shows confidence. However, although that's up to the player, of course, it's a rather unrealistic option: Paul is very optimistic, but he also drags an "smalltown boy" complex and often feels out of place.
Anyway, Paul doesn't make a great impression on Bernard, so you aren't missing anything. There will be more chances of meeting him properly!
Oh, that's good to hear. Thanks! I really love the art style and face expressions. I will pre-order it and wait eagerly for the full game!
I'm not sure if the demo has been updated since the last time I played it, but I pre-ordered it. I'm seriously such a huge fan of every game you've put out! I own all of them, except the Jack one (which I will!) and I'm really looking forward to this one! Can I just say, that adding the choice to top or bottom is just *chef's kiss*. I usually prefer the bottom POV in games I play so I love being able to choose for maximum experience!
Are you planning to add the game pre-order feature to steam? Or will it only be available here?
Mmmn, I don't think Steam supports pre-orders, just "early access", which would feel weird for a visual novel...
Anyway, all purchases on itchio can claim a Steam key once the game is released!
Will this be on Steam too? :3
Yes, of course! The demo is already there.
Oh? I must have missed it. Sweet, thanks :D
Is there romance scenes in the demo or did I just miss them?
There aren't :(
Sadly, the demo is just the introduction of the characters.
Im looking forward to it! I really appreciate that your doing both top/bottom
when will the game be released?
Between December 2020 and May 2021. Sorry, I can't be more specific yet.
hopefully that day is when corona is over
Just got done with the demo, amazing work! I can't wait to see the full release <3
i'm in love with the demo, and i'll most DEFINITELY be playing the full version when it's finally released. ferdinand is my favorite, and i need more of him in my life :)
I'm a huge fan of your games, but I wasn't expecting to like this one, mainly because I've been around quite a few places in Europe and Paris was the only one I can really say I didn't like; however, I LOVE this demo. I'm so glad to have the chance to Patreon you to keep you making wonderful games like this... and I know that Denis won't be a possible love interest (based on the count of four, I'm guessing) but I'll keep my fingers crossed. Those red haired men... =swoon=
Haha! Thank you so much! I'll be sure to include a redhead as a love interest in the next project!
That would be a dream come true! I'd even up my patreon specifically (perhaps another $100) if you did. I want to do anything to support your games. I'd kickstart this one now as well but I have CC fraud and need to wait a couple weeks for a new card.
You are amongst my top BL games in the world. Thank you for making these games!
I like it! The art is really good!
Good luck with your kickstarter <3
I quite enjoyed the demo! All characters seem interesting and the story got me hooked. I can't wait to play the full game! The only route I will be ignoring is Emile and only because I am super uncomfortable with huge age differences, especially when one person is still in their teens.
Wish you luck on the Kickstarter campaign! :)
I think the release price will be around $20, but it's not set on stone yet.
I know he's not a part of the four planned love interests, but having something develop between Denis & Paul would be so juicy! Please consider it!
O.o Denis is already taken, sorry!
;_;
Just finished the game. I must say, the demo was quite amazing. I'll start with the writing and say that's it's very well done. The characters, even though we only see them for a short time, feel real and interesting. I didn't see any spelling errors either. I really like how this game is in first person as well. For some reason I just prefer that in visual novels. I also like Paul's voice, which is important when reading in first person. I'll say it's hard for me to decide who I like most, but I do enjoy Paul, Emile, and Ferdinand..
Next the art. The art is something that's quite special for with this game, though I'm not sure why. First off, I love the scenery. It looks like 1950's France and feels calming. During the stressful times everyone's going through, it's nice to have things that have calming scenery. The background are also very detailed and colorful. I love the flower shop and river bank the most. I'm excited to see more of the backgrounds. Also, the touch of painted parts is cool too. The character sprites are also nice. I admit it took me a bit to get use to them, but I realized how more real the look and the guys are quite handsome. Also many of the expressions on them look good, a bit simple but done well. One gripe I do have is the sprites seemed to be a bit a blurry? I'm not sure if it's because I had it in full screen or not, but the resolution may need to be fixed on them. Also, maybe make them a bit bigger. It could just be me though.
Also, I noticed a small bug in the game. The brush icon that ends after a sentence sometimes goes right in the middle of a word. I'm not sure if this is fixed yet, but just wanted to let you know in case.
Anyway, this game looks really amazing. I'm really interested in seeing where it goes and what stories you're gonna tell. During these times, I honestly need a game like this and with the big emphasis on creative hobbies, the story really intrigues me. Should you do a KS, I will back it.
Thank you so much for the detailed review! I had a Kickstarter planned, to run from May 15th to June 15th, but given the current global situation it might be delayed some weeks; we'll have to wait and see.
I'm glad you like the demo so far! And thank you for your feedback about the sprites size and resolution, I'll look into it.
The GUI (textbox and game menus) are being redone by a professional, haha! I'll fix the brush icon once that it's done. I hope you like the updated demo even more, with the new GUI, more characters sprites and some new scenes!
Np! With what's going on, it's best not to do one right now honestly. But when you do, I'll back it. And cool, I thought it would likely get fixed. On thing, will you have sub sprites for characters Nat?
Sorry, I don't understand the last question... If you are asking if Nathalie will have a sprite, then yes! All the characters will have a sprite for the final version, and at least Denis, Nathalie and Ophelia for the updated demo.
Ah sorry, yeah, that's what I meant lol. I'm really glad they will =D