What a spectacular demo it was!
As a beta-reader, I already knew what to expect from the story and can't really comment on it without spoiling parts that aren't implemented in the demo. However, what is shown here perfectly depicts the nuances of Ramil's character. He is indeed rough, and as rough as the world he lives in; and yet, there is something in him, that the player may choose to channel more often or not. It is efficient narrative design to shape Ramil's views on the world (and Tala) and I enjoy the agency it gives the player over the flow of the story.
We also get to meet Tala, who is a very inspiring character: if she appears withdrawn at first, we actually get to see her kind and sweet personality, and how can one but not admire her ability to find beauty, even in a world as wretched and dirty as the one the characters evolve in? The mysteries surrounding her also help the players to perceive things from Ramil's perspective: she's a stranger, and there are things we don't know about her.
The dynamic between the two leads is so far very interesting: Ramil, despite being suspicious of Tala, still tries to help her, touched by her vulnerability. Their discussions are interesting, and help characterise both characters: so far, it especially shows that Ramil is actually cynical, and less positive about the state of the world than most people are (cf. people still taking time to cook tasty meals when he doesn't, only seeing nutrition as something "functional"). I also enjoyed how the romance slowly sinks in, depending on the player's choice.
Of course, the game is a OUAT submission: I really appreciated the fairy tales references, the subversions of the tales, and how even the "real-life" story mimics a fairy tale (the references to The Little Mermaid are obviously present, but the ironic characterisation as Ramil as a prince is, beyond amusing, actually very touching, as through Tala's kind eyes, he really is one: showing her being genuine about something most would see as ironic is, once again, an amazing way to charactersie her character.)
The game is drop-dead gorgeous: the sprites are beautifully drawn and rendered, the backgrounds are so magnificent they make me want to cry, and the CGs manage to bring various moods, even playing with textures sometimes. And the most impressive? It's all animated!! Once again, a veritable tour de force, and a treat for the eyes.
I also have to salute the switch to Godot, as the gameplay experience feels extremely similar to the dev's other games, Actala and Karamu. Switching engines isn't easy, and I appreciate how skillfully done it was.
Side note, but I also appreciated to see a mute character using sign language, magically able to talk in dreams. A character's disability being fixed in dream-like worlds without any justification beyond "it's magic" is something we see quite often, and as someone who was mute for five years, I appreciated the treatment of it.
Long story short, a spectacular demo, making players look forward to the full game, the full story and the full implementation! Thanks for sharing it with the world!