I quite liked this one. The art's great; I really like the watercolor style. The prose is nice, being to the point while avoiding being beige. I do have a few nitpicks with the writing, in that some of the dialogue can be a bit modern for what's supposed to be a seemingly medieval setting, but it's not a big deal. The scene after you talk to Birdie for the first time is very slow, but I think it's intentionally supposed to be boring to show what Mitch is going through. This one actually made me think a lot about the ideas it presented. It does show the effects war can have on a society, how traditions are selectively being passed down to fit the needs of a society's superstitions, and how small towns can be suffocating to someone who doesn't feel like they fit in for one reason or another. There's an allegory with the werewolf, but it isn't necessarily about being queer, but more generally about being othered by the rest of society. I've seen some people say it could be a metaphor for having AIDS, but I also interpreted it as a metaphor for having a drug addiction, weirdly enough. But it could be many things. It could be about having a different faith, being in a taboo subculture (like being goth or a furry), or being gender non-conforming, and I like that you could interpret the allegory in many different ways. It does do a good job showing what it feels like being othered, trying to escape that, and choosing to accept it instead of trying to hide it. I like the overall message in general. Birdie is great; she reminds me of Yuki from Wolf Children, and she's just a cool character. The werewolf is also pretty great, with a chill personality, a tragic backstory, and can take responsibility. Mitch is a little annoying, and he did come across as acting immature for his age, but he does get better by the end of the VN. Overall, would recommend it if you like werewolves or want a bittersweet low-fantasy story to enjoy.
ChellayTiger
Creator of
Recent community posts
It's kinda nuts how much of an antithesis this is to A Werewolf in Charleston.
Anyway, I liked this VN. One thing this jam made me realize is that I like slow-paced fantasy stories with intricate prose. I'm a bit weird like that. The setting is a little interesting, being set in a post-schism (fun fact: I learned what that means from other people reading this VN) Italy. It's more unique compared to the usual medieval fantasy setting you'd see. Though I use the word "fantasy" lightly, as the story is extremely low-fantasy. The only thing that's fantastical is the wolfman, of course. I will say, for some reason, the game avoids referencing the cross in any way, even though it's based on a Christian story and makes Christian references anyway. That's certainly a questionable writing decision. The beginning is kinda slow and boring, but it does pick up once the wolf appears. I like the style of prose being used. It's very Biblical, which makes it feel a lot more like a folklore story. Something about seeing fancy words like "verily" makes the neurons in my head light up. It's a delight to read. That being said, I'm not a fan of how dialogue tags are used. I like NVL mode, I'm a big fan of Umineko after all, but when a VN is written exactly the same as a paper novel, you start to wonder why you aren't reading a regular novel. It is a minor gripe overall, though. I also think the pacing at the end drags on for just a little bit, but nothing too major. This is definitely a unique VN that I enjoyed quite a bit. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a well-written folklore tale.
Oh no.
So I want to start by saying that I haven't finished the VN. I read until around the third or fourth day, and I stopped because, and I'm just being honest here, it was very painful to continue. I really wanted to like this one, but I just couldn't. I have read another person's summary of the game's general story, so I will be touching on plot points that happen after the point I have stopped, though I will admit that some of the details I mention might be wrong. As such, this won't be a review in a traditional sense, but rather more of a discussion on why I dropped the VN and various aspects of the VN that don't work. I wrote all of this out, and I was like, "Fuck, I can't post this. It's way too harsh for a VN I haven't read all the way through." However, I decided to post this for two reasons. One is that even though I only read part of it, I had so many thoughts about the VN that it would feel weird not to put it out somewhere. The other is that Rhettoe is a cool guy. I quite liked The Curious Case of Route 19, and I do think he is quite skilled in a lot of areas, such as creative visuals, body horror, and writing horror in general. However, this VN is a major cause of concern in ways I can't really describe in just a few sentences. I'd feel bad for not giving my feedback for Rhettoe to use for future projects. So I want to make it clear that every criticism I make isn't supposed to come from a place of contempt. Rather, I want Rhettoe to improve his craft and make stories that don't run into a lot of the fundamental issues this story has.
Oh, I almost forgot. Most of my reviews have avoided spoilers, but not this one. The following will contain spoilers for the entire VN. If you're interested in reading this VN, I'd suggest that you read the VN before you read this review. I will say, though, that if you don't like the first hour or so of the VN, then it's fine if you don't finish it.
Before we get ahead of ourselves, I want to talk about some things I liked. The visuals and sound effects work to make a pretty striking and cinematic experience. The CGs, the intro, and a few other effects are really cool and immerse you into the experience quite effectively. The characters, for the most part, talk naturally, and the prose is good. Okay, let's get into the main gripes I have with the VN. From the beginning, the game makes it clear that being a werewolf is an allegory for being queer. I'd say it's closer to being trans, but there are also elements about being gay as well. From the fear of werewolves in the conservative Christian town, to the way the government and society oppress werewolves, to having to hide from the rest of society, to having to fight for your rights, to the whole body transformation horror, to the secret werewolf gay club, to the second name, there are a lot of parallels to being either gay or trans. Now, I should mention right off the bat that I don't intend to speak for all queer people. I'm just one gay guy talking about my own subjective opinions about this and how I feel about the story. Let me make this clear: I don't have an issue with a work of art being blatantly and shamelessly about queerness and the experience of being queer. I've quite enjoyed the work of JamieP, and her songs that are explicitly about being trans. But the thing about those works was that they are actually about being queer, whereas this VN focuses on an allegory for being queer. Now, it's not a one-to-one allegory, but that only highlights the problem.
Being queer, being gay, being trans, being attracted to people who are the same gender as you, having gender dysphoria, those aren't the same as being a werewolf, both in terms of lived experience and ontologically. It's hard to explain why the way this VN uses its trans allegory is so uncomfortable, but I think the videos, "Trope Talk: Robots" by Overly Sarcastic Productions and "Bright: The Apotheosis of Lazy Worldbuilding" by Lindsay Ellis (For the record, I don't like her, but the video's still good), do help explain my point here. When you use a fantastical race of people to treat them essentially as real-life minorities, well, at best it's lazy writing, and at worst, it makes it look like you want to write a story about the bigotry of a specific group of people without actually having to write that group of people. Obviously, it's bad when a person completely disengaged with the culture of marginalised groups writes stories like that. But to have a story like this written by someone who engages with queer people and the queer community daily, it feels less like reclamation and more like confusion. Like, I like werewolves, they're cool, but if someone told me that being gay is like being a werewolf, I'd want to punch them in the face. It doesn't help that there are some things about the allegory that have unfortunate implications. Namely, the whole turning into a violent monster if you reject being a werewolf. I think this is an allegory about how people who reject that they're gay or that they're trans take out their anguish on the world and are miserable. If it were just that, I personally wouldn't have gone with something so harsh. I like my fictional internalized homophobes after all. But the message of accepting a part of yourself that you've been told is sinful isn't bad. The real problem is the way you become a werewolf permanently. You have to eat part of another werewolf during a full moon to complete the transformation, such as hair or genital fluids. This means that a werewolf can become a monster just because they missed the ritual or didn't have another part of a werewolf they could eat. Both the werewolves and the humans agree that these monsters are too dangerous to be kept alive, so there's precedent for the humans to at least be suspicious of the werewolves when they could turn into monsters at any moment. Or not. Maybe they don't turn violent if you don't reject being a werewolf and just miss the rituals. I'm not sure. The VN does have both gay and trans characters in it, but the fact that the main focus is on the struggles of being a werewolf makes the queer struggles feel a lot less important. Like the queer werewolves are living in a conservative, religious town, and they barely talk about the struggle of being queer. What?
This brings me to another point. Most people, including myself, are fine with direct allegories to marginalised people in fiction, if either the group itself or the marginalisation doesn't make sense to exist within the setting. For example, it doesn't make sense to talk about the racism towards Black people in a setting composed of only furry characters, so people are fine if writers use species-based racism as an allegory for that, as long as the allegory isn't too on the nose. But the existence of queer people makes you wonder why the story isn't about queer people directly. Allegories work because they allow people who aren't part of the marginalized group to better understand what oppressed groups of people go through and empathize with them. If the allegory is extremely obvious about what it's an allegory towards, then it doesn't work. Like, if you wanted to write a story about the oppression of queer people, write a story about the oppression of queer people. Don't try to complicate things with a direct allegory to a group of people, in a story where they already exist! And if you wanted to write a story about werewolves, well, don't put in so many elements that make it hard for the average reader to distinguish between the group you're writing about and real-life groups. Unfortunately, the VN tries to do both, and it doesn't really work, no matter how you view it. If you view it strictly as a queer allegory, then the stuff about the rituals and the turning into a monster falls flat. If you ignore the allegory entirely, then it becomes hard to understand what the werewolves are going through.
This is frustrating because there's a long history of books, shows, games, and movies about secret societies of groups of supernatural people, sometimes a group of werewolves, and the oppression they face from normal people, and these stories (usually) don't run into the same issues. They work because, while a queer person can easily relate to some of the struggles they have, they're focusing on the specific struggles that the supernatural group would have in their setting, rather than trying to connect it with the struggles of real-life marginalised groups of people. You can have an allegory to queerness with fictional races, even direct ones, but the story still has to work without the allegory, and that's not the case here.
Moving on from the issues I have with the allegory, the werewolves aren't that sympathetic. I didn't really care about Zizi; the character just seemed to dump exposition about everything. Luis is a better character, but I still didn't care much about him. Like, why was Zizi the one to tell the MC Luis's backstory? First of all, it goes against the established rule that personal information shouldn't be disclosed in the den. Second of all, it just removes any potential intimacy revealing that info could have had. Even so, there wasn't really any reason for me to care about Luis as a character or what happened to him. This might sound heartless, but saying "bad thing happening to character" doesn't mean I'll suddenly care about him. You have to put in more effort to make the audience care about a character. That's kinda the point of stories, they can make you sympathetic with pretty much any character that you might have ignored or hated in real life. This VN doesn't do that. It suffers heavily from Eight Deadly Words syndrome (I don't care what happens to these characters). Going back to Luis, though, there's kind of a creepy power imbalance between the two. This might sound weird coming from the guy who includes a lot of age gap relationships in my VNs, but for me, I usually make sure that the younger guy isn't like a vulnerable person that can easily be taken advantage of. The MC just turned 21, doesn't know he's into men, and basically knows nothing outside of his small town when the story starts. When he first joins the den, he just accepts everything that's being introduced to him with only a little resistance. So, Luis's insistence that the MC has sex for the ritual, when just a hair would have been enough, and pushing the idea that he has to be hostile towards humans as the two quickly get into a romantic and sexual relationship, is a bit creepy and doesn't really paint werewolves or gay people in a particularly good light. Now look, I don't want to police what should or should not be in a VN, you can have whatever you want in your work. That doesn't mean I'm going to like it, though. This would be a lot less creepy if the MC had more agency, which brings me to his character.
I already mentioned that the MC basically accepts everything going on to him. That's not quite true; he does push back against a lot of what the wolves tell him, but it doesn't take long for him to just be okay with it anyway. He's a guy raised in a small, conservative town who doesn't hate his parents (well, parent, but you know what I mean). He'd resist the werewolves a lot harder than in the actual VN. I'm pretty sure he'd at least throw a slur at them, he'd call them demons, and he'd blame them for his transformation into a werewolf. A person in the MC's situation likely wouldn't trust the werewolves, considering how they act towards him. There's a scene where MC is talking to one of the werewolves, where they're talking about gay sex or something, and MC is like "but that's against the Bible", and the wolf goes "if anyone knew who you really are, those people following that book would kill you." That rubs me the wrong way, because it only works as a rebuttal if you assume that the MC's faith isn't genuine, when the wolf could have just been like "Um, we've literally seen moon spirits right in front of our eyes. I'm pretty sure that goes against the Bible, so...". The only way I could see a person like this reacting like this is if the only reason why he was a Christian in the first place was that he was only following orders from his family, not actually believing the actual faith. But the VN doesn't really show that. Even if it did, the VN would have been a lot more interesting if the MC had put in a lot more effort in trying to resist the werewolves, at least initially. I'm not saying this because I want to see more homophobia in my VNs; I'm saying this because I want my MCs to pack more of a punch to them. My impression of him is that he's a very weak-minded individual who's easily swayed by any adult in his room.
Originally, I wrote a section about the protest that happened near the end of the game that involved burning the Confederate flag. I decided to cut a lot of it because I think the discussion got into some controversial opinions that were way beyond the scope of this VN, which was probably a bit much for a scene I didn't even read myself. But from what I can gather, the scene was written with a very mixed message, and it could have definitely been improved in a lot of ways. Going back on topic, the riot ends up causing the humans to start killing the wolves, which causes a large massacre. First of all, Luis apparently blames the MC for starting the riot, when it was the werewolves' choice whether they should participate or not, and as far as I can tell, it's hard to just plainly put the blame solely on him when there were several factors influencing him. But also, it's saying that protests or rioting don't work, but the VN doesn't suggest a better solution. Protesting and rioting are the solution; it's just that Charleston is too hateful, which is why the riot didn't work. I can't put into words how cynical that message is. Like, the town's just going to be like that no matter what you do? Were the werewolves just going to die in Charleston no matter what? What kinda message are people supposed to take from that? Small towns aren't hiveminds, they are groups of a large number of people. You're always going to get a diverse group of people. Certainly, there have to be at least a couple of people who are against the oppression from the rest of the town.
Which brings me to the fact that not a single human in the game is sympathetic towards the werewolves. Part of this is because you'll get killed if you support the werewolves, but even then, there should be some dissenters. I get the whole The Smoke Room style "it's 1915, and everyone might as well be openly gay" attitude can be annoying when it requires you to have a suspension of disbelief the size of the Atlantic Ocean, but the extreme other end of the spectrum isn't realistic either. In any environment that was oppressive to a group of people, there were always people who weren't being oppressed who still called out the unfairness of their respective governments. There were people in Nazi Germany who were anti-Nazis. If white people who weren't against slavery didn't exist, we'd still have slavery today. Sure, the vast majority of people were bigoted, but there were always people who went against the grain even when they didn't have to. Which makes the VN's message even more unnecessarily cynical. I also don't like how black and white the characters are depicted. Discrimination and oppression in the real world, especially in modern times, isn't always violence. When literally every single depiction of discrimination in the VN is either violence or threats of violence, then it downplays a lot of actual discrimination and how insidious and subtle non-violent discrimination can be. Calling a minority a slur is still very hurtful, yet I could see someone reading this VN and going "well, at least he's not trying to kill you." Obviously, the VN isn't condoning such behavior, but this is a case where being blunt backfired.
Somewhat related is that non-violent methods don't make sense from the werewolves' point of view. Why doesn't any werewolf have a gun in a town that's likely to be drowning in assault weapons? If it's mandated by the government to have every werewolf be exterminated, and every human you meet either wants you dead or has tried to kill you, why would you avoid doing violence yourself? If you were in that situation, you'd arm yourself to protect the people close to you, because otherwise you'd be vulnerable. It's not initiating violence; it's self-defense. The game does have the wolves performing self-defense at a few points in the game, yet, weirdly, there's an unspoken insistence that they're unarmed. I guess we need to show the importance of non-violent riots, which fail anyway, so what was the point?
There are some other issues I had. Some of the characters, especially the werewolves, talk like modern characters. I asked Rhetto about this, and he said that the setting was not supposed to take place in a specific time period, instead being timeless. Well, it's hard for it to be timeless when characters talk like someone I could meet in an American city today. Also, I couldn't find a better place to mention this, but the game mentions that the government denies science and then talks about the wolf spirit. Fair enough, the wolf spirit actually exists, but you'd think the wolves would be more concerned with the humans denying the existence of a wolf spirit than with science. That is just a minor nitpick, though. I'm just mentioning it because it stood out to me.
Hopefully, all this rambling was somewhat comprehensible. It's kinda hard to collect all your thoughts into one post. Again, I really wanted to like this VN because there's an engaging story hiding underneath all the gripes I had with the VN. But all of its problems just weigh down the experience too much for me to enjoy it. I think a lot of the issues I had with the VN come from the fact that it really doesn't want to be a game jam entry. The 25k word limit severely limited how nuanced the VN could be and made scenes that needed a slower pace extremely s. That doesn't change the fact that I didn't enjoy this VN at all. I'm sorry, but I can't recommend this one in good conscience. For the last time, I want to make it clear that I have no contempt for the author or any of the ideas expressed in this VN. I just want to air out my grievances with this story so that Rhett can make better works in the future.
I quite liked this one. The first half is just a chill road trip with some cryptid elements. The second half focuses more on drama and personal issues. Both sides are good, but I prefer the second half; it's quite sweet and relatable. There are also some funny moments. There's not really much to say; it does what it sets out to do, and it's quite enjoyable. Would recommend if you want some lesbian sweetness. Also, Trent is cute.
This VN is severely held back by the fact that it's a prologue to a larger story; it's hard to make a fair assessment of its characters or story. That said, the setup is decent. It's basically a mystery VN similar to the Ghost Stories anime or Scooby Doo, where a bunch of friends fuck around in a school doing spooky shit, and then they find out. The scene with Seiji and Marcus kinda throws off the pacing of the entire VN, as a VN that's otherwise about a ritual. Maybe it would stick out less in the full game, but I feel like its placement is a bit awkward. Marcus is still a cool character, and I do like him quite a bit. Seiji and Marcus are likable as well, albeit a bit forgettable. Jane, on the other hand, was a bit irritating. She reminds me of Saya from Tennis Ace, where she's basically the sole female friend of the friend group whose personality is supposed to be endearing, but ends up being annoying and rude. The difference between the two is that Saya is from a much longer VN where she has a few moments where she's sweeter and kinder, whereas Jane doesn't have any such moments. Some of the dialogue referencing modern slang can be grating at points. I don't know what about it annoys me, but I just didn't like it. The main twist is interesting, and I'm curious where it heads to, but right now it's just alright. Would recommend if you find the premise interesting.
I quite liked this VN. It's in my top three of this year. It gives me major Frieren vibes, which is fitting, because the author said Frieren was an inspiration for the VN. First off, the art's incredible. The sprites are clean and colorful, while the CGs are jaw-dropping. I like the slower pace of the VN. It feels less like an epic journey and more like a personal journey for Manfrey. Both he and Chris are great characters and have a great foil to each other. I like that the protagonist is primarily a healer; that's pretty interesting, and I haven't seen that in fantasy stories a lot. I like the themes they talk about and how there's a constant struggle between reliability and freedom. Both sides have a point, and while one side will probably win out in the end, it's not black and white. I do think the fight scene drags on for a little too long for my personal tastes, but it's not a huge detriment to the VN. For the theme, it is kinda annoying when, unless the VN spells out what the folklore is, people will just assume the game doesn't fit the theme at all, which is unfortunate because I don't think people should compromise on what VN to make for a game jam just to fit exactly with the theme, since there's a lot of ways to interpret folklore as a theme. I think the folklore in this VN here is quite subtle. My interpretation is that the folklore is about Manfrey and his story will eventually be considered to be a legend in the kingdom in the future: a former prince who ran away from living in a monastery so that he can travel the world and heal whoever needs his help while fighting seemingly unkillable monsters. There are also the traditions that Chris tries to push onto Manfrey, which could be considered folklore, somewhat. Overall, I'm definitely looking forward to how this story develops in the future. Would recommend it to anyone who likes slower-paced fantasy.
I'm not into transformation, but I respect people making VNs just to indulge in their kinks. I enjoyed the campy B-movie horror of the first half; it was both fun and funny. I don't have much to say about it other than I enjoyed it for what it is. Would recommend if you like campy horror or are into transformation.
A pretty nice ghost story! It's very simple and short, but that's not a bad thing at all. I do like how going through the options from top to bottom gives you basically the five stages of grief, which is my personal favorite way of reading this story, but you can just read the happiest ending if you so please. It really does put you into the perspective of a ghost whose lover is still alive and what they'd be going through. There's not much to say about it, but I liked it. Would recommend reading this VN if the premise sounds interesting.
This is a visual novel that's okay for what it is, but there's a lot of room for improvement. The art is really good, there's several animations, and even some UI animations, which are cute. Unfortunately they aren't used very efficiently. One of the CGs is reused for different wolves and another animation is reused four times. This isn't inherently bad, but the problem is that they are the only visuals for the sex scene, making it kinda boring. The wolves themselves are also basically the same sprite but with different colors and sizes, which, combined with the lack of personalities of them, make them pretty forgettable. This leads me to a big problem with the VN, which is that the prose and the dialogue are very stilted. I don't mind beige prose, I use beige prose a lot on my writing, but the writing here just doesn't have a lot of personality or creativity to it. After being spoiled by the prose quality of other VNs, it can be hard to read this. The plot's also kinda stupid and contrived. You get invited by a bunch of wolves to a tourist island and then after you arrive, one of the wolves gets the idea to go on the cliff side, and then you guys get lost somehow before you find out you got abandoned by the rest of the tourist group. So the part before the horny parts isn't good, but the horny parts are also only kinda entertaining at best and boring for the most part. There's also the lack of features, but that was already mentioned by other comments, so I won't harp on it. Overall, this VN is mostly harmless. I'm not really attracted by top wolf hunks, so the sex didn't do anything to me. This VN isn't for me in the first place, but even then, I feel like there are a lot of things that could be improved so that someone who is of the target audience could enjoy it better. I may not have particularly liked it, but it's not offensively bad like some other pieces of fiction. It's unfortunate because the artist clearly has a lot of talent, but the sum of its parts doesn't add up to much. If you like the art style and find the wolves hot, consider giving it a go, but temper your expectations. I don't like giving negative reviews because I know there's a human who's creating all of this, but I do want creators to make better pieces of fiction and I hope my feedback contributes in that.
A pretty atmospheric ghost story. The first two-thirds of the story are a comfy mix between mystery and just two boyfriends hanging out. All of the characters are pretty likeable. Obviously, the two main leads have an adorable dynamic with each other, but Mac and Abigail were also pretty cool. Shane's one of the few Wet Blanket characters that works, because he actually has a good point about how what Terry wants to do is dangerous, and Terry isn't a badass hero kicking ass, but just a regular guy. The art's pretty clean, and the gameplay aspects are quite neat. [Insert if I had two nickels meme about how there are two May Wof 2026 entries with Ace Attorney-inspired mechanics]. The music was also a vibe. There is some horror, particularly near the end, but it's not as intense as, say, Echo or Arches. Without spoiling anything, the VN didn't end the way I expected. I will say the ending was a bit rushed, but I think the other comments already mentioned that, so I won't harp on it. Overall, just a chill ghost story that wouldn't be out of place as a Gravity Falls episode. If what I said sounds interesting to you, I definitely recommend reading this.
You know how they say, "Don't judge a book by its cover"? Well, here, it's "Don't judge a FVN by its aggressive wolf sprite". I'll admit, I was a bit skeptical about the VN when I saw the sprite and the choice of music. The music was distracting and didn't fit the tone this VN was going for. Same with the sprite. Once you've looked past those things, however, you've got a pretty solid folklore tale. I've been noticing a pattern with the May Wolf entries this year where there are a lot of entries with surreal or abstract narratives, and this one's no exception. It's nearly as abstract as some other entries, but there is a lot of symbolism within its narrative that you can interpret in many ways. At first, it seems like a bunch of unrelated events happening one after another. As you read, however, you eventually start to realize what's happening. The story flows quite naturally, helped by its competent prose, at a good pace. I do like the themes it explores throughout the story, and it does give me a lot to think about. It's ultimately about a VN about letting go and accepting the harsh reality, which is always a good message. It's unfortunate that the presentation is the way it is because I quite liked this one. I hope I don't come across as overly harsh. I understand that good art and music are hard to make. However, I think my issue with the presentation isn't that they're of low quality or that they're amateurish. You can have beginner-level art in a VN and still be great, just look at Umineko. The problem I have is that the presentation is at odds with the story and writing, which detracts from the experience. The right kind of music and visuals can really elevate a VN from good to excellent. Again, I really like this VN, but I'm just providing my critique so that the author is able to make better VNs in the future. I recommend this VN if you like
This was a sweet prologue. I'm quite a big fan of romance mixed in with mystery, and this hits the spot for me quite nicely. The introduction had a nice story-tale-like quality to it, reminiscent of Wind Waker's intro. I also like seeing the two main characters grow up near the beginning, it really sells that they're childhood friends. Both the romance and the mystery parts were developed nicely. The chemistry between the two is quite cute. I like the art, although it's unfortunate that there are no alternative expressions for the sprites. Roberto's feet also don't appear when he flies, which is a little awkward. Not much to say, I enjoyed reading this one, and I'm looking forward to the continuation.
This is simultaneously a lovingly-made and beautiful piece of art and a very intense, disturbing, and deeply uncomfortable experience. I'll start with the presentation because it's definitely the most visually distinct May Wolf entry this year. The art style is done with pen and pencil and has a very sketchy feel to it. While some of the CGs are a bit too sketchy for my taste, it more than makes up for it due to the dreamy vibe it gives throughout the entire VN, and with some of the most gorgeous ink drawings I've seen. The amount of CGs gives it a unique feel compared to other VNs. The UI and even the font also help with the tone of the story. Music's also nice and fits the VN. For the story itself, it's hard to describe beyond what I've already said. This is a story about a man who's deeply mentally ill and can't get better even if he gets help. The story starts out slow, focusing on the mundane and the introspective, before things start to really hit. Some might find the slower moments to be boring, but I think the good prose and dialogue do enough to make the scenes engaging. The prose in general is just really pleasant to read, even in the more uncomfortable scenes. I think what really makes it have such a lasting effect on me was due to the few scenes in the VN where it makes you think that things are going to get better for the protagonist, when that doesn't happen. Makes you think of what could have been if only things were different. Honestly, I think I've said enough without getting too deep into spoiler territory. I just think this is a well-made piece of art that sticks with you and makes you feel uneasy, in a good way. I'd definitely recommend reading this if you are fine with getting disturbed. Also, are the furries okay? So far, half of the VNs I've read are really dark and depressing. Do you guys need help? Says the guy whose half of his portfolio deals with mental illness. Oh, I can still be concerned.
I really liked this one. The prose is superb. It's intricate and so pleasing to read. Prose this good is rare among FVNs, let alone jam FVNs. This VN does a good job exploring dementia and the trauma of both the victim and the people close to the victim. There are a lot of interesting topics that are touched upon, especially in the stories Cael tells. I like that there are a lot of ways you can interpret the story. You'll likely have a different experience from someone else who read the story. I think how it presents the stories works well, as folklore works very well. That being said, the presentation is unfortunately a little lacking. Most of the game has one song looping throughout it, and while it's ambient enough not to get grating, a bit more audio variety could have helped. The same goes for the visuals, as it's just a black silhouette on top of a background for most of the game. This works for the themes of the game, but it doesn't really use much of the medium. I think NVL mode would be more appropriate for this VN. Don't get it twisted, though, this is a very wonderful VN that I can't recommend enough.
Bittersweet is the best word to describe this VN. There's a lot of melancholy and loneliness in this VN, but there's also a lot of hope and sweetness mixed in as well. I won't spoil it, but the VN really is about accepting the circumstances you've been given, and it does it pretty well. El is a pretty likeable and sweet character(s) while Kali is complex and deep. They work well together. The themes of the VN are also incorporated quite nicely, with the idea of stories and how they shape your understanding of the world, also incorporating the theme of the jam well. One small complaint is that the second half of the story kinda drags a bit. Not too much, but I feel like some areas could have been tightened up. But overall, it's a pretty enjoyable VN. I'd recommend it if you like bittersweet stories.
This one was pretty fun! The main premise of this VN is that you have an old person retell old folktale stories, but then the protagonist questions how accurate they are, using the power of primary sources, adaptations, and logic and reasoning. It plays like a courtroom case in the Ace Attorney games, so if you ever played those games, you'll be very familiar with this type of gameplay. The folktale stories themselves are very reminiscent of classic mythological folk tales, and the different interpretations the player can go through add some uniqueness to each playthrough of the VN, while also being a commentary on how there are usually many different versions of ancient myths, which is pretty neat! Art's nice, and the animations are quite quirky and fun. I do have one minor gripe in that Chayon can get annoying at times. Sure, the character overall is charming and quirky, but the wolf can be pretty sensitive if you question the old animal too much. And while sometimes it's understandable, it is annoying that you can't get a retelling of any of the folktales that's completely divergent from the telling the senior citizen gives you. And while the oddities can be endearing at times, like with the insistence that the robot wanted a cock (it makes sense in context), it does feel like the canine is projecting personal identity, nostalgia, and biases towards these tales and being hesitant to admit that they're being twisted, which can be frustrating. The set-ups are also kinda abrupt in hindsight. Homeka gets invited to a cool person's house and then is like, "Cool story oldie, but everything you knew was a lie". Overall, I enjoyed this VN, and I think I liked this one a lot more than your previous May Wolf. Good job!
A tight, realistic horror experience. A lot of the eeriness and discomfort comes from how uncanny it feels. Mary's a girl who's just living her regular life, but then has to deal with the ever-present trauma of having to do everything her brother says, even if it means that some unspeakable things will happen. The music does an effective job of hammering this in. The lie ending hits a lot harder, especially that last line, but the truth ending isn't bad. I don't feel like Lucy's that interesting compared to Mary, but she does have her moments. I like how the VN gives you just enough information so you can interpret what's going on as bad as you think it is. I also like that the theme of folklore comes through with how Mary's actions are known among the student body, that people have been spreading rumors about her (rumors that turn out to be true). My main complaint is that I feel like there's too little of the story. I wanted there to be more meat for me to sink my teeth into. But I think what we have here is good.
A pretty short and sweet VN, albeit a bit too short for my taste. It's really a VN about nothing in particular, which is interesting in its own way. The dialogue is pretty charming and humorous, and the characters are pretty unique. Overall it feels like it ended before it got going, which is unfortunate, but sometimes it's nice to have something that's short and to the point. Also cute foot easter egg. Unfortunately there isn't much folklore in this game jam about folklore. The music's nice, though.
So this is an interesting story. Ren is a very interesting character, acting very particular in a way that sparks attention, while also being very mysterious and charismatic. Lucan is very much the opposite, being forced into a life he didn't want and desperate for any type of affection at all. The twist about Ren works pretty well, and you do feel pretty bad for Lucan by the end. The main problem I have with this VN is that it feels very unfinished. I have read other jam VNs that did end up only part of a greater story, but a lot of them still worked because they still worked on their own. This one, however, felt like it was setting up something that didn't happen, and so it really needs a continuation for it to feel complete. To be fair, the author did say that this is Part 1, so there's likely going to be a continuation soon. As an introduction, it does its job well, but on its own, it's a bit lacking. Some other issues were that it used the {nw} tag a lot, without a wait tag beforehand, which means you have to use the history screen a lot, which doesn't lead to a very intuitive reading experience. The music's good though. The art is also pretty expressive and sets the mood for the story pretty well. For the theme, I have an idea of what part of the story counts as folklore, but I think it's something that the story's leading up to, rather than anything within the story itself, which is unfortunate. I'll definitely be interested in seeing how the story unfolds.
This one was a really cute story, which is really refreshing after all the depression from the other entries I've read. The characters are all endearing due to their positivity and energy. I will say, the pacing is a bit uneven. The section before the wolf appears is quite slow, and it kinda meanders near the end. Not much happens, but I think that's fine for the VN. The prose is simplistic, but it works well with the game. The art also has that early 2010s Deviantart feel, and I say that in a good way. It's also neat to have a game that focuses on Hindu mythology. That's pretty cool, as I have a friend who's very interested in those myths. Overall, it's just chill and fun vibes the whole way through. If you want something short and sweet, I'd give this a try.
If there were one word to describe this VN, it would be "chill". This is a very cozy and chill game. It feels like hanging out with your co-workers and just having fun with the cute, new guy you just met. All of the character designs are a vibe. Especially the protagonist, I love faded goats. The protagonist's crush on the wolf is very cute and relatable, and the wolf himself feels like someone you can hang out with and not have to worry about a thing. I don't really know how this VN is folklore-y, so unfortunately, I do have to dock points for that. But no, this is very chill, and there's not much for me to say. Would recommend if you want something lowkey and chill.
This is one of those FVNs that makes you want to cry if you're not a creative and makes you want to kill yourself if you are one. Not because it's bad or depressing, but because the pain of knowing you don't have the skills to make a game that can affect someone so deeply is too much of a burden to bear. Also, I'm being hyperbolic. Don't kill yourself, kids. I'm serious. Anyways, it's really hard to describe the game without spoiling it, as it's really short and really hard to describe in general, so I'll just say that it makes you think about a lot of things and about what you're doing in life. It's really good with its theming, in a way that I can't describe without spoiling everything. While the actual events of the story are easy to understand, there are a lot of ways you can interpret what the VN is trying to say. It's not as abstract as something like Clam Story, but what you get from the VN still depends heavily on the type of person you are, which is pretty cool since linear VNs like this are rarely able to achieve that. Some people might take away that this was a sad story, but for me personally, I really liked how hopeful Lucas was despite his whole standing; that's something that's really inspiring to me. The prose is cathartic, being intricate without being overbearing. It actually makes you feel the weight of how somber the situation is. The presentation, while not as impressive as some other entries, fits perfectly with the VN. The only complaint I have with the VN is that the sound effect that plays near the end of the VN is quite loud, in an obnoxious way. I understand why it's loud, considering what the SFX is supposed to be, but it didn't have to be that loud. Still, that's just a tiny nitpick compared to everything else. Just play it. It's short, it sticks with you for a long time, and it's really good.
I'll be honest, I really thought I wasn't going to like it at first. I didn't care for the characters, and it seemed to be trying to be a game that's about mundane depression. Not that there's anything wrong with VNs that have realistic depictions of depression, but it's just not my thing. However, the second half of the story actually managed to hook me in. It's quite good. I don't want to spoil what happens, but it basically shifts genre as the VN goes on. This VN makes me realize that I really like both surreal stories and suspense. I like being given puzzles and figuring out how to solve them. The art style is also very misleading. Don't let the simplicity fool you; there is a lot of great animation in this, making it feel more like a movie than anything. I will say, I do think the genre shift could have been foreshadowed better, but it's not bad. I liked the more surreal parts a lot more than the mundane parts, and I wish there were less mundane stuff. That's just a personal thing, though. I'm sure other people like the mundane stuff, and I'm just weird. Overall, I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. Would recommend it if you like surreal stories.
A pretty tight supernatural horror experience. The setting of Brazil under the dictatorship is pretty interesting, as I took a Latin American Art History class in college, and the professor for that class was Brazilian. She was old enough to have lived through the dictatorship when she was very young. So it's cool to see a VN take place in that period of time. For the VN itself, I liked how the first half was very low-key and casual, as if it was just a glimpse of someone's normal life. Then the second half is very atmospheric with its horror. I was very hooked and wanted to see what direction the VN was taking. I do agree with others that the ending was a bit rushed and it could have savoured in the atmosphere just a bit, but what we have is still very excellent. It also incorporates the folklore very smoothly. I also think there could have been more audio, like more sound effects and more ambience, it would have added to the VN while also making it feel less empty. Definitely want to see more horror stories from you. I especially want to see longer horror VNs from you. The direction of the story was also a little predictable with some of the conversations in the early parts basically spelling out what will happen, but the journey was still enjoyable, and I'd rather have a predictable story than a mundane contemporary presenting VN going all supernatural on me halfway through (not trying to @ anyone, I'm just saying). Definitely recommend if you enjoy a good ghost story.
This one's a pretty wholesome and sweet story. It kinda starts out a little slow, but as it went on I became invested in the characters. Their relationship is pretty sweet, because on the surface, it looks cold and distant, but they actually do care about each other. The folklore is actually pretty interesting, what with the implications of the Wasgo being married off to other families to bring good luck and fortune. It's heartbreaking, but it's also sweet how William still loves Brock despite it all. I thought it was going to end up in a sad direction, but that wasn't the case. The ending was pretty sweet and even has a neat little book end. Overall a sweet and short story, and pretty solid all around. Very few complaints from me other than me wanting more.
This one is half fascinating world-building and half hot wolf sex. The homophobia plotline, while not the most original, is well done and leads to a satisfying conclusion. Both Solus and Lucius are likeable and endearing characters, and their chemistry is quite lovely. The art's also well done, looking both polished and expressive. I'd say this is definitely Ventkazemaru's best work so far. There are even blinking and talking animations, as well as talking sound effects, which help make the experience more interactive. I will say, having the sex scene happen right after Lucius gives an emotional and tearful speech to Solus was definitely a choice. It is apparent that the point of the VN is hot wolf sex, but honestly, the folklore and worldbuilding were a lot more interesting to me, though this is a personal thing, as I'm not a fan of twink-y or twunk-y guys (INB4 someone gets mad at me for calling Lucius a twunk lol). I'm going to try to avoid spoilers, but I think the situation that Lucius and Solus are in is quite fascinating and lets the reader give a lot of interpretations on what's going on, which I fuck with. The people I was reading had a lot of questions, but in a good way. I would love to learn more about the setting. Overall, I would recommend reading this, with the caveat that you can skim through the sex scene if you don't find either of the main leads attractive.
Definitely my favorite entry so far. The art is gorgeous and evocative. The writing is superb. The story is very strongly symbolic for many things, namely depression and suicide. You can really feel the anguish that Collin is going through. It's really sad, but also cathartic in a way. I also think the way the theme of folklore is implemented is pretty impressive. Words aren't good enough to describe how great this VN is. I definitely recommend reading this.
This VN makes me realize that I really love Shonen Anime, I just don't have the time to watch over 100 Anime episodes of a show (Also, please, don't recommend me shorter Shonen Anime, I think I'm good lol). This was a really fun journey. I didn't think I'd like it this much at the beginning with the isekai elements and the conlang, but this VN did some interesting stuff, ngl. There was a surprising amount of art in this one, which is pretty badass considering it's a game jam entry. I also really liked the music in this one. Yes, I'm a weeb, but traditional Japanese and anime music sound really good. I'm actually listening to Senbonzakura while writing this out lol. Anyways, I think the pacing was good. It being a longer jam entry makes you worried that it's going to rush through its plot points, and while there are a few things that go a bit quickly, as well as at least one plot point that seems to be forgotten about, the game goes at a pretty healthy pace for most of it. The characters are also really likable, with a few of them ending up subverting your expectations pretty nicely. I will say that it doesn't feel as folklore-y as I'd like it to be, but that's just a me thing. Overall, I had a lot of fun with this VN! I'd definitely recommend reading this if you like shonen anime, especially ones centered around tournaments.
This is an alright introduction to a larger story. Apparently this was done in 7 days, which is impressive. The premise of the story is pretty neat. I did find the whole "OMG a talking dog!" And "What's a hue-min?" Back and forth pretty cliche and annoying, but that's about it in terms of gripes, other than the grammatical issues mentioned by other people. There's not much to say since it's only an introduction. I'll be interested in seeing how it develops in the future, but right now, it's just a fine VN.
Some Isekai Furry Wattpad Shit IDK:
Really funny! That's all I can say. Okay, I'll say more. The framing device is pretty neat, a bunch of friends doing a book/film/visual novel and shooting the shit while making it. They definitely feel like chill college friends who are just doing something fun before they go to school again. Their banter really adds to the experience. Also has some meta-narrative about it being a jam game and their experience mirroring the experience of a jam game dev team. The story itself is very funny as I already mentioned. Plot-wise, it is a basic isekai story that unintentionally ends up being like an Adastra parody if it took place in a college setting. What really makes the VN enjoyable is the dialogue and narration. It's hard to describe it other than being very funny. I do think this is a VN that will vary wildly in enjoyment depending on your tastes and preferences. It's got that "ironic" tone to it, and I understand if people are tired of the whole Joss Whedon style of writing where it doesn't take itself too seriously. But I think it works here because it's not trying too hard and it feels like there's more heart than insecurity behind the writing. Unfortunately, this is another VN that doesn't really utilize the folklore theme that well as I can't really think of anything that's folklore related in this VN. Also the CGs don't work properly in any of the endings that aren't the "cool clothes" ending, so you might want to look into the files of the game to view them. Some people also might find discomfort over the VN (unintentionally) throwing shade at other FVNs, but I personally didn't mind. Definitely would recommend giving it a read if this sounds good to you.
Theme: 1/5
Presentation: 3/5
Story: 4/5
Originality: 4/5
This is quite the lovely VN. Great art, energetic music, and even some excellent voice acting. All of these elements combine to make for an impressively good presentation. The prose is also a joy to read by itself, with words naturally flowing into each other. The mythology this story is based on is one I'm not particularly familiar with, so that gives it a few points in the originality department. The story really hits that mythological tale sweet spot. The characters are quite fascinating, with each one feeling like they have depth beyond the VN itself. Also, cute tiger and scalie, so bonus points for that. I will say that Libulan kinda got on my nerves with how entitled he acted, though the available route does punish him properly. Unfortunately, the route where you side with Libulan isn't implemented into the game yet, so that sucks. I really wanted to read that route since, from that's closer to the actual myth, considering we don't have stars in the morning sky. Highly recommend reading this, especially when all the routes are implemented.
So it's kinda awkward that this will be the first May Wolf I'll be reviewing, I do want to preface that I quite enjoyed this VN. With that said, what the fuck. Like what the fuck. What the fuck just happened? I think I have a good idea on what's going on, but still, what the fuck?
Okay, with that done, this is a very abstract VN that's very bizarre unlike any other VN I've ever read. From the visuals, to the dialogue, to the overall setting, it's very surreal. It reminds me of one of those animated surrealist shorts like Umbra by Malcolm Sutherland where nothing makes sense at the start and by the end nothing still makes sense, but you kinda get what's going on. This is why, even though folklore isn't really mentioned, it does feel like a folklore story, the sort that's very cryptic and would have scholars debating its meaning for years to come. The last thing I'll say is that there are some weirdly sweet moments near the end of the story. I still can't comprehend it, but I'd say it's heartwarming. If you like surrealist works of art, you should definitely at least take a look at this VN.
Everything's fine. I was working on the revised build of Farewell, Wanderlust, and I'm almost done. I just need to get some finishing touches from the rest of the team, and then I'll release it. EDHIPAC is in a similar boat, except there is just a little more effort needed from my part before I can release the revised build. I will say that I will need about three more months or so before I can release the new build with the epilogue, so give it time. As for BYH, I want to get my unfinished projects done first, so that's why it's taking a while to see more of it. Please be patient!
So I've been reading through the game and I'll write a review for it once I'm done with the build, but so far I've been enjoying it so far. I've read the most recent devlog, and first, I want to say I'm sorry to hear about what you had to go through while developing the last build. Second, I think it would be incredibly fitting if the next build was released on July the 4th. I don't want to include any spoilers but I just think that would be perfect. Either way, looking forward to the final build!
Oh sorry! Didn't see your reply. Here's the game: https://chellaytiger.itch.io/every-date-has-its-progs-and-cons