The art style of the game drew me in and I thought I'd give it a try. The art is amazing! The manic expressions were well done and they definitely conveyed the horror theme well. For a first game, it's nicely executed! I especially love the monochrome. As a renpy user myself who's trying to get the hang of things, I thought I'd give a few tips for your future projects. First off, I noticed that the sprites change sizes between expressions. I found that an easy way to keep this from happening is to keep your canvas size consistent when drawing. I found about 720 pixels high seems to work best. Also, if you go into the game files and select the one titled 'GUI' you can change all sorts of things about the game, like the textbox and the choice buttons by replacing the preset images with your own. First projects are hard, (Believe me I know, I'm still working on mine) so it's such an amazing accomplishment to complete one! Keep up the good work! :)
quackncheese
Recent community posts
I have to say, the moment I came across Project Kat I've been heavily invested in the story. This game definitely did not disappoint! Both forms of art, pixel art and drawings, were incredible. (I couldn't help but smile watching the small animation of Hiro ruffling Lacie's hair) I love the subtle ties back to Project Kat, and hints at the stories further mixing in the future. However, since this game is a demo, I'd like to give the most detailed feedback I can so the end game can be as polished as possible.
**Spoilers from this point onwards**
Firstly: Minor bugs. The first thing I noticed is in Miss Knives' house. When you complete various tasks for the plants, one of the plants requests water. I brought back the water for the plant, but Lacie watered the plant that had requested alcohol instead. Very minor, but I thought it was worth mentioning. Another bug I found was when you remove the golden eye from the painting of the girl. When she chased me, she froze in place and began glitching, allowing me to escape without a chase. (Before this, she had chased me several times without issue, so I'm not really sure what the problem was)
Second: Critiques and ideas. The only major thing I want to address is the shadowy figures in the abandoned facility. They were nearly impossible to avoid. I understand their purpose in attempting to shepherd the player to the unguarded elevator, but I feel that if the creatures were made more abundant and slower, it would be more of a challenge while not seeming impossible. Because they moved so quickly, my original impression was that I didn't have all the fuses I needed, and it was meant to be impossible because I was doing it wrong, forcing me to look up a video and discover I was right initially. This was very frustrating, and I hope it will be done differently in the final game.
I'm definitely not the first one to point out the difficulty of the spikes minigame and the Miss Knives minigame. It definitely caught me off guard a bit, since there was no battle mechanic in Project Kat, but I found that I really enjoyed it! It really added an extra layer to the gameplay and an element of challenge. Admittedly though, I do wish the battling had been used more often to truly build-up to the fight with Miss Knives. Though clicking to dodge is fairly self-explanatory, a progression of difficulty would have definitely made completing the Miss Knives battle that much more satisfying. As I mentioned before, though, it is very difficult. I can imagine there being a large portion of fans who prefer the puzzle aspects and story of the game to the combat. This could be fixed with the option of a story mode, which skips over the battles to focus more on the puzzles. Of course, I'm not much of a game developer, so I have no idea how difficult that would be to execute, I just thought I would propose the suggestion.
To summarize: The art was beautiful. The unique aspect of branching paths remained as interesting in this game as in its predecessor. The new addition of battles was interesting, and I hope they continue in future chapters. The story still continues to draw me in, and I look forward to seeing how it grows.
If you're reading this creators: I'll make sure to fill out the Google Form as well for your convenience :) Great work!
This game gave me a sense of nostalgia for classic 'whodunnit' type detective stories. I loved the use of pink and blue in the backgrounds, making a nice contrast compared to the characters themselves. However, I do have some things of note:
**Spoilers**
As some others have noted, the puzzles were slightly tedious. Especially the one where you have to piece together the artifact. Some of the lines are ever so slightly off, making it difficult to tell whether a piece is in the right position or not.
The plot of the game starts out well enough, drawing inspiration from standard detective stories. Where I found myself lost is toward the end of the game. It felt very rushed, like the questions placed earlier in the game needed answers, but there wasn't enough storyline left to put them in. Why are Albert's parents involved with a cult? Why was Albert's neighbor killed? How was the cult involved with the police? There were quite a few questions that were crucial to the plot left unanswered, unfortunately leaving me more confused than satisfied with the end of the game.
Great art, good concept, just a few things that could have been changed with the overall execution.
This game was beautiful! To interested players: I can't recommend trying to get all of the endings enough. (For the beautiful art, and the extra story)
**Spoilers below*
Wow. I can't believe how hard the solo route hit me. In the beginning, with the silhouette saying "You don't belong here" I went straight to assuming Astrid's death was going to be abuse related. Of course, those stories can be pulled off very well and emotionally, but I have seen quite a few. Seeing Astrid and Vol's argument felt so real. You could genuinely see they loved each other and wanted things to work out for the best. When Astrid discovered the reason for her death and that Vol's last words were 'I love you'...I can't describe the feeling. Her learning to move on from her guilt was a moving story, and very well written at that. I loved every part of it! Great job.
That being said, I hate to criticize such a lovely game, but I have to remark on the epilogue. I thought the idea of getting a glimpse into Vol's afterlife was great, and the little "date" between him and Astrid was sweet. However, I felt Remmy's character was very unnecessary. It seemed to ruin the tone of the game a bit, and boil it down to a simple "To be continued?" ending.
Overall, a stunning game with a moving story and beautiful art. I hope to see more games from you in the future :)
I liked this game! The art style was very nice to look at, and the animation in the introduction blew me away. I only wish some of the game mechanics themselves were more developed, though the issues are understandable given this is only a demo. Here are some of the problems I experienced:
-The background seems to waver a bit at times. It is almost like a glitching TV, with stripes that move down the screen horizontally. It wasn't too annoying, but I can see how this has the potential to cause nausea in players because of the frequent motion.
-The question marks when interacting with something had a bad tendency to phase out in the later half of the game. It took me walking past an object 4-5 times for it to finally register and appear so I could interact with things. I personally was able to find everything and finish chapter 1, but it is easy to see players missing a question mark because it disappears and being unable to complete the game.
I also noticed a few capitalization errors that could easily be fixed with a quick lookover of the story.
Overall, a game with beautiful art and an intriguing story that I am excited to see expanded upon. Well done, and best of luck in your future game endeavors! :)
Wow! Even as a demo, this is one of those games that makes you want to play it over and over again to get every detail. I love this unique game type with so many different branches to play. It's almost overwhelming the sheer amount of choices you seem to get constantly. The world-building is also very well done, making it effectively addictive and interesting to play. Great work! I loved it.
This game was quite interesting to play! I loved the originality of being able to move the hand icon to solve puzzles inside the creature's minds. The art style was unique and perfect for a game of this type. I was so invested I spent several hours trying to get as many dialogue options as possible and was not disappointed! A Monster's Insight is very successful at giving you seemingly infinite choices, which boil down to unique dialogue and different endings. Overall, very impressive mechanically and aesthetically.
I'm absolutely speechless. I found this game after spotting its game-jam counterpart, 'It's Not Me', and reading that it was part of this game's universe. The world-building is fantastic. It's very rare I find a game that is completely unique, and this one made the list! The art and cutscenes were wonderfully made, and the system of the journal was such a fascinating bonus! I'm overwhelmingly invested in the story so far, and I can't wait for future updates. Keep up the fantastic work.
Congratulations! Even though it's saddening to hear the game won't be updating anytime soon, I completely understand your decision. Game development is definitely tough and time-consuming, and with your new career path, this seems like the most responsible choice. I wish you the best in your future endeavors!
This was such a strikingly stunning visual novel! First off, the color palette with the monochrome and red accents was my favorite. Though I've seen it in other games before, the execution in this one was really well done. The art style was also lovely, and I couldn't stop obsessing over the sprites for certain characters. (Mercredi and Noir in particular, haha.) If you enjoy psychological horror, this one is a must-play.
**Major Spoilers***
Getting to know Mercredi and her life story only to eventually discover the people she's killed was shocking. It wasn't as if her fate was completely undeserved, but you find yourself wondering how things could have been different. The shock factor of having to choose to kill one of the characters you've grown so attached to definitely threw me for a loop. Overall, I loved the storyline. Great work to the creator :)
This visual novel was quite unexpected for me. To be honest, I clicked on it out of boredom for what I assumed would be a quick laugh. Wow, was I mistaken! I can relate to a lot of the struggles Momo goes through in my own life, and the ending almost felt personal in its encouragement to keep going. Sweet, encouraging, and has very well-written dialogue and cute art. I'd definitely recommend giving this game a try :)
This game was really something special. The message about change and forgiveness was really sweet. I wasn't expecting to find such a sweet game based around a hitman, that's for sure. The graphics and the flowers were beautifully designed, and the dialogue was well put together. The only complaint I would have (if you could call it that) is that the words 'no' and 'one' are stuck together fairly frequently, presumably to say 'no one'. It tripped me up a couple of times, though it is a fairly quick fix and doesn't have much of an impact on gameplay. Overall, a very beautiful peaceful game.
I enjoyed this game! It's an interesting concept how the beginning sort of tricks you into thinking it will be straightforward as it progressively gets more nonsensical. The combination of the senior officer losing her grip on reality and the arcade plot really leaves it up to the interpretation of the player on whether or not the events are actually happening. Great job!
The pixel art for this game was really beautiful! I liked the animation and color scheme a lot. The plot was difficult to decipher, which makes sense given how many routes the story can take. I got the 'Johan' ending, which was saddening to read, but executed well. Overall, I feel like there were some things left unanswered that could have been better explained, (The meaning behind 11:45, for example) but it still made for a well-designed game that makes you want to try all of the routes. Nicely done :)
**Spoiler Warning**
This game was really unique! It was an interesting approach that different endings led to different imposters, creating a sort of game paradox. I was also very impressed with how you could achieve so many different endings! It takes time to do something like that, so I respect the work put in. The character sprites were also very well done, and the detail with the light source shading on them was stunning! Overall, a well-executed concept and pleasing artwork.
This game is cute! The art style was very unique and pleasing to look at. The interface with dreams was also impressively constructed. I loved the custom buttons with the pictures of how each scenario could go! The way each and every choice affected the end outcome reminds me of Bad End Theater. I very much enjoyed it, well done :)
This game was pretty cute! I liked the art and the color palette. However, I felt the storyline was a bit lacking. There was potential in Maia's sorrow and her want to escape to another world, but I felt it wasn't executed to its full potential. The story would be a lot more heartwrenching if more details about Maia's living conditions were given, or a possible 'bad ending' where the underwater world is an escapism fantasy of hers, and not truly reality. A cute fantasy game for leisure, but potentially needs some work in the execution department.
This is fantastic! I'm astonished more people haven't seen this, to be honest. I haven't played a text-based game in a while, and this might just be the thing to get me back into the genre. The unnerving lack of choice when it matters, the mysterious voice asking you questions, and the hard-hitting repetition of lines that seem trivial, but grow considerably darker in context, it's all executed impressively. I played it over a lot to get all of the routes, and I have to say it was satisfying to see my stubbornness have results when I kept denying the voice consent to change me toward the end. Keep up the great work!
This was a really cute little story! I enjoyed the mythological aspect, and the monochromatic art was very aesthetically pleasing. My only thing of note is that the ending was slightly abrupt, though this could easily be fixed with a 'The end' screen or a fade to black with some additional dialogue. Great job :)
The art was really pleasant to look at and gave off such a peaceful vibe (In stark contrast with the plot, ironically). The plot twist was a little obvious to me, but overall enjoyed the villain perspective and the adorable dynamic between Magnolia and Mint. Overall, very cute characters and art style with a semi-engaging plotline.
I enjoyed this game overall! I'm a big fan of dark humor and plot twists and this game had both. I guess the only thing I have to note is the ending, which was a bit underwhelming. Not exactly surprising with this being for a game jam and all, just as a note to interested players: Yes, the black screen is the end of the game. Don't make the same mistake I did and wait there for 10 minutes for it to continue on. To conclude; Cute character design and well-done dialogue, definitely worth a play.
An interesting play! The plot was surprisingly well put together, with just enough blanks to allow you to make your own assumptions about what's happening. I thought the tie-in was clever with the written portion and how your answers affect the ending. I've never seen pixel art used in a visual novel before, so this is a very interesting first for me. Well done, I hope more people discover your game :)
I absolutely loved this game! I've seen it a few times in my recommended, and today I finally decided to give it a try. All I can say is I wish I would have played it sooner! Crowven and Mary's relationship had to be my favorite, I can't lie when I say I felt myself tearing up a little (more than a few times). The art is so pleasant to look at, and the world-building was done really well! Great job, I'm looking forward to any and all future projects :)
A cute, slightly saddening game. I got so attached to Huxley's character, it was sad to realize no ending really went well for him. The art was really pleasant to look at, and the characters felt lifelike. The perspective of the 'Creator' was one I've never seen before and was very unique to see unfold. Overall, very creative and well done.
This game was quite interesting, to say the least. I have to say, after completely finishing all of the routes, I'm left slightly confused, though this game (being a demo as it is) does have its high points. Since it isn't complete, I thought I would take the time to make some critiques:
**Spoilers from this point**
First off, I did notice some minor grammar mistakes such as words repeated in sentences and a few misspellings. Not so much as to render the text annoying to read, but I thought I'd point it out nonetheless.
My biggest criticism would be the storyline itself. I felt there were a lot of things going on at once and it made it difficult to follow. Ishida's death was very abrupt with little foreshadowing (Though, this may be intentional), and up until this point, I felt his character and his personality weren't very touched on, leading me to feel a bit apathetic over what I assume was supposed to be a sad moment.
I also felt like the creepy moments in the game Chiharu borrows, Otome Legends, were a bit of an afterthought and could have been more integrated to truly give it an unnerving feel since I assume it is going to be a large plot point later on.
All in all, I believe it could be vastly improved by cutting down on some of the unnecessary character information and instead focusing on more foreshadowing for the dark twists that occur later on.
Some of the more positive things I enjoyed about the game:
The Otome Legends game Chiharu plays was unexpected and humorous to read through. The notes from the developer (though surprising to find, in a game of this genre) were also enjoyable.
I will definitely be sticking around for the full version to see how the story progresses, and to see if any changes end up being made.
This game was truly beautiful! The metaphor of roses being feelings, the true end, all of it was wonderful from start to finish. The artwork was stunning, and I was overall hooked throughout. A great game to play if you're looking for a game that addresses real issues with a heartwarming conclusion.
This game was a journey from start to finish! I wasn't really sure what the description meant by heavy symbolism until I played it myself, and wow, that definitely wasn't an exaggeration. I love metaphorical games where the plot isn't straightforward, and you almost have to interpret it yourself. In that genre, this one takes the cake. The little animated cutscenes and various different art styles blew me away, this game was insanely well made and the intricate details never failed to surprise me.
My sole complaint would be that this game does have a bad tendency to crash. I have seen a few other people mention similar issues where the game will say "Failed to create bitmap" and close out. After reopening the game the problem immediately fixes itself. The only problem with this is that if you haven't hit a save point in a while, the impact in your progress can be a little disappointing. So note to interested players: If you do end up trying this game, save frequently (even on the same save point) just in case the game encounters an issue.
Conclusion: If you like 'Interpret the story for yourself' games, dark intriguing plots, and some pretty disturbing endings, I would recommend giving this game a try!