Gorgeous VN. Everything about it was really well done, from the descriptive writing to the CGs and visuals. There's a lot packed in this VN's short playtime. At first, we aren't given a reason why the main character has seemingly run away from home, but it's not important, as the story is only about his survival. The use of the well drawn backgrounds and lovely prose works together to paint a strong setting here. The moral is clear: to respect life in all forms. As he reflects on the advice he was given by his family, he becomes accustomed to life in the forest. Later, it becomes clear that the MC is a war refugee, likely persecuted due to his religion, and his village was burned down in the war. His rage is very much understandable, but the values he was taught allows him to do what others could not and honor life. Even in violence, he respects the sacrifice he made. Later, he is able to help another refugee in the same way. It's a simple story but a powerful one all the same. Really strong showing, and not a typical subject matter for a FVN either. Good job.
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Love the idea of a whole-ass Game Boy game. As someone who actually had a Game Boy (yes I'm old), this really hit close to home (heh). The visuals were serviceable, likely better than a lot of devs would have been able to make on the Game Boy back then honestly. The horror was slightly undercut by how gosh darn adorable the monster sprite was, though. The story was short but sweet, nothing special to it, but I especially liked the meta line at the end, implying that the player is now haunted. Very creepypasta-like vibes. I suppose I would have liked if the text scrolled by a bit quicker, especially on the chatroom. The roommate's dialogue could also have used a tag to make it clear she was talking. And the MC acts a bit oblivious at times, which makes this a very tropey horror, but I suppose that's the point. I'm aware that the time limit probably played a big role, but I'd have loved to see more gameplay from a Game Boy game, since the only thing that's actually there is mash Z to continue. Even just moving from room to room with left and right would have been nice. Well done, regardless, since this can't have been easy to make from scratch.
So. Really beautiful VN, loved the artworks, and the usage of NVL mode was awesome too. The setting was unique and clever as well. There's something eerie about the way these characters talk about choosing their faces, and the setting was especially solemn and desolate, given how they're all trapped in a bleak monochrome hell. Thing is? Honestly, I had no clue what was going on pretty much the whole time. Maybe it's a skill issue on my part, but it's not just that the English is kind of shaky, it's that the story is abstract as all hell. It's one thing to leave a lot unexplained, but there's practically no context to explain what they're doing in each scene, where they're going, why they're doing all the little things they're doing. Like, what are they looking for in the storeroom? What is the monster doing here? Who got their names in the end, and how? I get the general gist though, they're going on an adventure to get their names and things go wrong. The characters are explained well enough at least, if a bit straightforward. They have great sprites too! Very expressive. It was just a very difficult read overall, so it's hard to get invested into the story. I apologize because I feel like there was likely a lot that got lost in translation here. I also feel like I made all the incorrect decisions and got all the bad endings first so that bit's entirely on me, but it also feels like the VN cuts off abruptly in each of the endings, and in general it does tend to jump from scene to scene pretty quickly. Sorry, it probably reads better to a French speaker. Again, I really liked the art, so well done on that front.
Another brilliant work of art from you. Much like your past VNs, there's a beautifully written story hidden underneath a layer of slightly obtuse writing and ESOLisms. I do think I had a better time following what was happening this time though, and honestly I wouldn't trade the symbolisms in this one for anything else. It's clear that this is an imaginative universe, one where biological life is running dangerously low, becoming a precious commodity. In this world, life means something different to everybody. This is personified by all the different ways they experience love, and all the different upgrades they've experienced, or the different ways they've sacrificed themselves. Even though Milosz cannot explain why he ran away from the love he received at the Resort, he understood he was meant to metaphorically give his love away, by surgically removing his heart and using it as a source of oil... I think? It got a little lost in metaphor toward the end, but I liked how open to interpretation it was. Lamashtu is also a great character, full of humor but also sorrow. The environmental worldbuilding was also impeccable in this one, with brilliant usage of NPCs that we don't even get to see for very long to establish a setting and tone that feels very realistic and lived in despite being so different from our own. I actually really wanted to see more from this setting. So, very well done.
An odd VN with an interesting premise. An ordinary job offer turns out to be extraordinary, but also quite involuntary. It's pretty horrifying, even if the only horror exists in the form of claustrophobia. That being said, I didn't get much of a handle on the story otherwise. The characters don't seem to have much of a consistent personality, either. Naro seems a bit too flip-floppy between fear, excitement, nonchalance, boredom, etc. None of his emotions seem to really fit the situation so I was just left confused by what I was supposed to feel. The situation seemed to develop too quickly, and left me just as confused. Ultimately, even though his employment was made very much involuntary, it's still just a game dev company? Where they're turned into furries for some reason? Not much explanation here so this just seems whimsical for the sake of it. A pity it was cut off before any of it started to make sense. Also, as much as I liked the sprites, they don't stay on screen for very long before disappearing entirely for some reason. There's definitely potential for a unique and creative story here, but I think this one needs a little more time to cook. Keep at it, though.
First, loved everything about the presentation and worldbuilding of this one. The art was really good, sprites and background alike. I liked the captcha minigames as well. And then it's a really original premise to actually put some thought into each species in a furry visual novel, but what was even more original was how all that exposition was presented, via a classroom quiz answer session. It had a lot of charm and presented the setting as if it was commonplace to the citizens, which is an important part of the worldbuilding. As for the rest of the story, while I really enjoyed the snarkiness of the writing at times, I have to admit that the whole plot around the bunker felt very... side-questy. Neat stuff for lore development maybe but not particularly interesting stuff to read a whole VN about. Kinda ended up glazing over a bit of that stuff (but I admit it was because I wanted to see more hot robot deer). In general, though the VN presented an incredible setting in a beautiful and creative way, and the characters had a lot of personality, the plot was pretty tame and low-stakes. Would have loved to see more exciting stuff in this universe, but still, well done.
A somber and yet enriching VN. If there's one thing I feel the need to comment on during the start of the story, it's the fact that there's a very slight tendency to "tell not show". There are times when the characters communicate their feelings to each other bluntly, when that could have been communicated through actions or dramatic events instead. That being said, the story being told through flashbacks is still an effective method for sharing their relationship, particularly since we know from the very beginning that Cygnus will die. It does take away a lot of the suspense, but it's still hard to watch Erin being as self-sabotaging as he is. The VN's shift midway from being focused on Erin's emotions to Cygnus' emotions was also cleverly executed, as was the method of portraying Cygnus' emotions. The asynchronous nature helps to understand what happened better. The emotions flow more naturally from here on out, and it's not all sad, even. There's joy, anger, love, heartbreak. Cygnus' life is a roller coaster of emotions that is beautifully written as well. I really appreciate that it wasn't a depression conga that ended with like, suicide or whatever. I was actually expecting a traumatic ending and full-on tears. I know that would have been so easy to write, but I prefer it this way for sure. It was an unfortunate accident, but life is about so much more than just depression and loss. This is a celebration of life, and both Erin and Kosta know that. Beautiful VN, thanks for writing it.
A haunting VN for sure. I liked the sprites with the moving lines, and there's even a nice moment where they stop when Henry is shocked. There are some issues with the writing. Not just the typos and missing ending punctuations, but some moments here and there that strike me as a touch melodramatic. For example, the repeated step/knock choices at the start, which strike me as unnecessary and ill-timed, as opposed to being placed at the climax of the story for instance. I also wish the dialogue had character tags, because I couldn't really tell who was talking from just the color alone. All that aside, this is a creepy and unnerving story about people who are damaged in many ways. There's a constantly ramping sense of tension throughout, and Henry's unraveling is difficult to watch but gripping all the same. There were some moments that felt out of place, like Nick's personality during the interview and especially when he saw the hunting trophy, but I guess all that later made sense in context. The Pathetic route was haunting, but the visuals were great. The Human route was more touching than I expected it to be, though I still have to question how Henry couldn't recognize Nick. Either way, the story was emotionally heavy, but again melodramatic in a lot of aspects ("I notice the floor getting wet from my tears?" That's a lot of tears!) It could have used some more nuance for sure, but either way I enjoyed it. Good job.
Pretty fun VN. First thing that sticks out to me though is that it's quite meandering. There's not much transition between scenes. One minute, René is a forest ranger, then suddenly he's on vacation, then suddenly he's man-hunting. Dialogue is a bit all over the place as well, talking about random things that probably don't matter to the story. Martin also shows up by chance quite often. Plot conveniences! It's pretty hot though, all that aside. Backgrounds are great and so are the sprites. It's pretty clearly a horny story with a lot of building sexual tension, which is always a nice read. Not a lot of stakes since everything goes just a bit too perfectly, but for this kind of story, I didn't mind. I'd have liked a bit more of a denouement to their story though. The VN ending right when they cum is a bit... self-evident. Still some good production values in this one though, so keep it up.
...Okay. Let's break this down. The volume minigame is boring, pretty much requires brute forcing, and there's no skip button. So, right at the start, there's an irritating experience that pretty much soured the rest of the game. The setup to the story was confusing, with the perspective jumping between characters and scenes without rhyme or reason. That being said, once the story got going, there was something good to it. A nice and heartwarming story of a wolf working up the courage to meet an old friend via radio. It was a bit weird to make it so public and I'd be completely embarrassed if that happened to me, but the buck took it in stride so that was cool. The date was nice, though the dialogue was slightly corny. Then they get sucked into a video game for some reason? Gotta be honest, this strikes me as an excuse to show off the game within a game. It's a good attempt at making a game but, well... Like you said, the game was janky. That's not the problem, though. You explained the controls well enough, I think. The real problem is, you never explained any of the objectives or objects within the game. What are the green blobs? What am I supposed to do to win? I got frustrated enough of waffling around aimlessly so I just gave up on playing the VN altogether. Sorry. I would have liked to see the rest of the story, though, so maybe next time add a skip button to the gameplay segments. The artwork was nice to look at, at least. I liked the sprite, both in the VN and in the game, and I do wish the game had worked.
Pretty fun VN. Reminiscent of a comic book. Like, I want to say... Spawn? Sorry, I don't know my comic books. Either way, there's a lot of thought put into the details of Myles' job and what happened to Mike following his death, which is nice to see. This is a well thought out and intriguing work of, I guess you could call it science fiction because of how much science is involved. There's a lot of neat worldbuilding and scifi lore details. Some cool action scenes as well. I liked the edited default sprites used for the wraiths. Thing is, as is standard for comic-book-like writing, it's all action and event oriented and not so much character driven. While it's tragic that Myles' lifespan is so short and also that people seem to hate his existence, I don't get a sense of what drives him. Not yet, at least. There's a bit of his personality in the scene with Billy, which is cool to see and I hope we get to see more of Billy later. I also hope there's some more drama in the future, possibly in the form of Myles bumping into one of Mike's old friends (knowing what will happen to them). Unfortunately, the story does cut off at some point. And, full disclosure, I stopped reading when the visuals cut off. Honestly, I'd rather read the completed version of the story when it's released in the future. From what I've seen already though, I'm looking forward to it! Keep it up.
Amazing story, even if I had no fucking clue what was going on pretty much the whole time. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the ride the whole time, but yeah. Bit too abstract for my tiny reptile brain. I even read the devlog and, while it was enjoyable, I think the only connection I actually ended up gleaning was the real meaning of the "STICK TO THE SCRIPT" scene (and the subsequent retcon). I'm sure there are a ton of other connections that would take a lot more replays and a madman-like level of wiki trawling or whatever, but I'm just vibing. These characters are good, if a bit unhinged. Jenn actually pissed me off with what she did (and she claimed to be a friend?), Ashley was so stoned she had legit no clue what was going on, Boris was such a stereotypical Russian that I had to wonder how they even met him, etc etc. Of course, that should have been the first clue that this was all a construct, but still. Fun stuff to read. It just got crazier from there, but the horror vibes were impeccable and kept the whole thing entertaining throughout. Visuals were great, and Trent's later sprite legit spooked me. Funnily enough, I didn't read the hide ending until later, and I feel like that changed the experience a lot. Anyways, a truly sublime experience, so great job.
A nice and cute story, if a little cheesy at times. Appreciated the handmade art, though it's a bit simplistic at times. Things seemed to move a bit quickly, from a bland pre-party hangout to a blowout with a cartoonishly homophobic father, to a sudden injury that comes out of literally nowhere, then a confession that is then reciprocated by the MC despite no inclinations of the sort on the MC's side. It's a domino series of events that could have used a bit more smoothing over, but the plot works well for what it is. I was invested by the time the injury struck, especially when Emily's cool and confident personality came in and took over. This part was also when everyone's personalities shone the most. However, the confession felt really awkward to me, not so much on Charlie's part, but because Daniel kissing Charlie took me completely aback despite us playing as Daniel for most of the VN. It was sweet, yeah, but I was sure he was straight. Not a single hint of attraction in his narration, and Daniel was even utterly oblivious to the obvious signs during the confession, and then that kiss? Just felt too sudden. Enjoyed the VN despite the issues though, keep it up.
A fun and sexy monsterfucker VN. I feel like, despite the plot being safe and low-stakes, the characters were well-written and likable enough. They have enough charm and charisma to make the spontaneous hookup after meeting at a grocery store of all places a somewhat believable thing to happen. I liked their nonchalance when it comes to the supernatural, especially when it came to transformation. The casual acceptance of Barry's monstrous form was nice to see, especially when it resulted in some banging. Said banging was decent enough, but made even better by bringing a third party into the mix. Dorian's hypnosis shenanigans invited a new and exciting dynamic into the monsterfucking that was really fun to read. Just a cute story all around, though I do think it could have used some polish, in the visuals (more rectangular backgrounds) and the text (fix character tags).
A really creative VN for sure. The presentation is impeccable as well. Big fan of the 3D mirror flip, though I did think it was a bit overused for how slow it is. It's also neat that the entire VN takes place in these two bedrooms, yet I feel I didn't lose much for it. There's some deliberate parallels being made as well, I think. Darin being a cheetah like Murad's old flame has to be intentional, as does him being a Kurd. In a way, he does act as Murad's metaphorical guardian djinni, though he is his own person of course. Enjoyed all the cultural stuff too, of course. If I had to comment on something, though, it would be that the story was just a tad predictable. The characters are locked in their respective archetypes (prince betrothed to another, freshly uncloseted divorced man) so there really isn't any other way for the story to go. The prince must stay betrothed, the divorcee must stay depressed. Their backstories were also told in a bit of matter-of-fact dumpy way, which is a bit necessiated by the limited setting, but still. Their interactions were great, and so was the divorcee trying to impart a life lesson. I feel like Murad did learn something, but Murad is right, he literally has no other choice. His country relies on him, and so his story ends there. Bit of a fizzle, honestly. Darin's ending was much sadder though, showing that he was the architect of his own despair. He had no reason to drag Kaja along for as long as he did. Loved the triple mirror crack as well, as that was a deliberate callback to the story structure. All in all, a good and solemn story. I wish it could have been more epic, especially given the wonderful presentation, but it was still a very nice read.
Good VN. It presents a social scenario that, while nothing spectacular, is still contradictory enough to tell an interesting enough story. Why would two exes who seem to have gone through a bitter breakup suddenly decide to give each other one last chance? Part of me wanted to tell them to just move on already. The way both Bernard and Felipe were acting, the way they were clearly so broken by each other on the inside. But of course, the VN wasn't giving me the full story. Still doesn't, really. There's some ambiguity to this one, but I think it's enough. Bernard clearly regrets what he's done, and Felipe is hurt enough where it's affected how he thinks about himself. They really can never recover fully from this, and I think they made the right decision to still leave each other in the end, albeit temporarily. Short and yet still an emotionally troubling story. Visuals were well done as well, complementing the solemnity with dark and snowy backdrops. Good job.
What a strange VN. Truthfully, I'm not sure I understand what it actually means, but what I can say is it actually got me to reread it to try to understand it, so there's something intriguing enough about the concept to get me to do that. There's plenty that's left unexplained until the end, but from what I can gather, BF is a TV program that makes viewers artificially happy? The MC and his father seem like addicts, the father especially, but then the other characters, who seem more well-adjusted, also mention using BF to adjust their own emotions. I can only assume they're on some newer model, while for whatever reason the MC is stuck on the older one, hence the pity. So, lots of questions here. Still, the story is told in an intriguing way, with some dramatic reveals and good art being used to reveal some key moments. I especially liked the contrast with the realistic way the father is drawn toward the end. The scene after the dropped groceries is also well written, eliciting some strong emotions and imagery, especially given the shadow against the door revealing Chappy's tall silhouette. All in all, a confusing but powerfully emotional VN. I liked it a lot.
I'm a retro Nintendo fan myself, but honestly, I'm not really sure what to make of this VN. I like the idea of friends bantering over old games, and I thought it was handled well here. The characters are fun and play off each other well. The inclusion of Super Mario Bros is... bleh. Same old. A Boy and His Blob is a deep cut that I appreciate, and the mixed responses were funny. And Castlevania 3 is just a great game all around (though I prefer Grant myself). I do wish we had gotten more games though, making this more of a montage of a bigger game library. The main reason I say this is because everything outside the "game review" segment is... kinda bland honestly. We have a guy in a boring job, pining for a better job, and the solution is for his friend to suggest looking for a better job instead? That just doesn't make for a good story, I'm sorry. That's just ordinary life stuff. The VN also makes it very clear they're platonic buddies, which is fine, but that means there's no romantic tension to carry the story either. So, no conflict or drama, no real problems to solve. Basically no story, honestly. But like I said the game review segment was fun so if it was just that then I wouldn't mind.
A really sweet VN, one with a very unique visual style I haven't really seen replicated in any other VN, maybe ever. It's already impressive enough, the amount of work it must have taken to not just implement a fully 3D environment, but also animate the 2D elements and have it all move at once between each line. There's also a nice visual flair with Partridge's abstract paintings, also seen in the main menu, as well as the faux Windows dialog boxes. Just gorgeous. The story was really wholesome too, somehow making robosexuality engaging and believable, which is impressive considering it honestly isn't my favorite genre of romance. I suppose there's something relatable about both Cal and Partridge being discarded scraps of society, in a way. Anyways, a brilliant and original implementation of the retro tech theme, and just generally a well made VN. Good work.
Really good VN, impeccable even. The presentation is outstanding in every aspect, from the background art to the sprite art to the UI to the... steamier bits. This is obviously quite a mushy and horny story, but there's still an intriguing hook to the plot, thanks to the scenes set in the future where Javi is set to kill Nate. There's a big lingering mystery to what happens to them that makes the relatively simple romantic tale in the past an interesting one. Even in the past, the romantic plot and setup is interesting due to the worldbuilding of the Old West. But mostly it's the old/young relationship I'm always a sucker for that got me this time, hehe. The plot in the future is much darker, obviously, but no less gripping. Even if the resolution to the conflict was a little predictable, I was still surprised by just how dark the torture scene had gotten, and frankly would not have been surprised if Javi had killed Nate. But that wasn't even the first death fakeout! I genuinely thought the next one would be the end for them. So to see both of them come out of it alive was a genuine relief in so many ways, bringing the story to an emotional close, complete with some of the best CG-only storytelling I'd ever seen in any VN. A job very well done to everyone on this team.
Pretty good VN! It perfectly captures the Saturday morning cartoon aesthetic, down to the cheesy dialogue peppered with music puns and the cocky protagonist who needs to be taken down a peg or two. There's even an all-too-predictable plotline of the band breaking up over a petty argument. Will they get back together and make up?? (Yes.) There's even some clever quips here and there. My favorite part is the villain (no surprise there) who just likes his drones and their goo a little too much. So, the thing is, while I loved the comic book style at the beginning, I have to admit I was slightly let down by the visual style of the rest of the VN, with the sprites lacking some expressions and the UI being stuck in the default Renpy style. The predictableness of the plot also comes at a slight detriment here, as I found myself wishing for more of a plot twist here and there to make it not so... straightforward. A great concept for a VN for sure, one that hasn't even really been explored in FVNs, but it could have used some polish. Funny and charming, though.
A fun and well-written VN. Ty is a great choice for a protagonist, as someone who is a shy stone wall in person, but thoughtful and eloquent only on paper. This way, we get to see his two sides, the side everyone sees and the way he sees himself. The other characters are also well characterized, even if their introductions were a bit on-the-nose. They're highly expressive, almost like a sitcom, but this works very well for a slice-of-life as it's never boring this way. The introduction of a crisis partway through also keeps it consistently interesting, showing how the characters react in different ways. The story is simple and the moral is straightforward, but this is still a good and heartwarming VN, great for light reading. The sprites are cartoonish, fitting for a story like this, and the bounciness of the animations works very well too. It almost feels like a pilot episode, so I'd love to see more episodes set in this zany workplace.
A short VN, but there's a lot to love in this small package. This VN is wild, bizarre, even terrifying. It throws the reader immediately in a scary situation (a kidnapping), but then the situation morphs into another scary situation (psychotic break in an institution), and it doesn't even end there, as the ending reveals the truth which is even worse. From one bad situation to another worse one, which is a great premise for a horror VN. The writing is jarring, jumping back and forth from the past to the present, which is a clear sign of the eventual mental breakdown. One thing I did have to comment on though was the mixed metaphors at the start, ie, why are bloody claws involved in a drowning? But the rest of the VN is nice, and the characters are wonderfully expressive. There's just one hand-drawn background, but it's great. The best part is how subtly it changes over the course of the story, until it isn't subtle anymore of course, complete with some trippy horror CGs. Once again, a great bite-sized burst of emotions, and a good experience for a jam VN.
Before starting, I just wanted to say that the censoring options aren't effective at all, because if I turn an option on, I'm not told whether I'm choosing to *see* the content or *censor* the content, rendering the whole thing a gamble. Anyways, the writing in this one is... really awkward. Difficult to read, honestly. Conceptually though, I like it! I'm always a sucker for these unashamedly kinky RPGlikes where you just fuck as many guys as possible and make a game out of it. I don't think there was that much gameplay though. All the choices led to either a failure and the demon resetting your timeline, or that date with Paulo. Prob would have liked more of a layer of gameplay, like being able to do multiple actions per route, and needing to optimize them or something like that. Anyways, the kinky scenes were fine, I suppose. My favorite is the one with Tim bc he's hot (the vanilla scene specifically bc I'm basic like that). Not a fan of the Eiffel Tower/Tower of Pisa references to be honest, they were funny the first time but the joke's being run into the ground now. There's not much of a plot to analyze, either. Any drama that could have existed with Paulo is swiftly handwaved away by him being just sort of okay with everything you're doing. I liked the beast made of cocks though. We should have been able to fuck it. All in all, just an alright game, wish it had more time to cook.
Aussie as fuck, I enjoyed it. This was an adorable little tale about a sitcom situation unfolding in a comedically predictable way. It's cozy and relatable though. Like, yeah I knew all that would happen, but it's a good thing I did. This is very much a homage to all those cheesy 90's sitcom episodes where anything that can go wrong does, but then they go out to an alternative dinner and they still love each other in the end and it's a Christmas miracle. If I had to comment on something though, it would be the fact that the writing could use some improvements overall, but particularly in the ending punctuations. When they're missing, it makes the lines more flat and less punchy, which you don't want in a sitcom. The plot's enjoyable enough for what it is, though, so this VN was a nice read regardless.
This VN hits the ground running and never really lets up. A wild ride from start to finish, it's an absolute maelstrom of action scenes and character introductions. Reminds me of a primetime TV show honestly, especially how the characters there never really tell their entire story. Always hiding secrets and stuff. Sep is a wonderful character to follow, given how unhinged he is. He also has a complex range of emotions despite being obviously a psychopath. Quite well written. Vincent is good too, a more relatable and grounded protagonist, one we can empathize with better given how much he's down and out. So, good characters. However, the thing about these sorts of wild rides is they're often quite difficult to follow or make sense of in the moment, and that is also true here. There's a lot that's left unexplained, mostly for the sake of cliffhangers or keeping the viewer hooked. For example, why is Sep a bad omen? And the ending is disappointingly abrupt. It'll probably be concluded in a future update, but damn, way to leave a reader hanging. Still, even if the big picture is chaotic and messy, it's always kept me entertained in the moment. I was getting into it, at least. So, well done, and I'm looking forward to the conclusion.
Wow, what a game! The level of polish is actually of a considerably high quality for a jam game, and I can even see it being sold for a decent price on Steam. Granted, there wasn't a lot put into its visual development, being a mostly text-based adventure game, but the game had a ton of depth regardless. The environment had plenty of landmarks, but was easy enough to navigate where I didn't feel lost despite the lack of a map. The puzzles were all challenging and engaging, but not so difficult I couldn't solve them on my own (except the safe combination, which was mostly due to my own overthinking). The writing was also good, giving an interesting backstory to the location and the previous occupants of the cabin. The game was also full of humor, having some funny quips and meta jokes thrown into there, and thank god we can actually date the Deer God. I'm pretty sure every single one of us ended up picking that option. All in all, the construction of this text adventure game feels like it was made by a professional, so very well done indeed. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Love the artistic flair and the usage of the obtuse vocabulary of today's youth. Shit's like reading The Clockwork Orange at times for an unc like me, but I wouldn't have it any other way. That being said, aesthetics aside, I'm not sure what this VN is like, about? I guess there's nothing wrong with people just being people as a story, if it's told in an interesting enough way, and I think it sort of is this time. Just probably would have liked to see, well, more. More character interactions, more drama, more romance, etc etc. Nice stuff so far otherwise though. Oh and *please* kill off all those no-waits. Legit had me pulling up history tab after every other line.
A great and effective horror story. The thing I liked the most was how realistic and cohesive the friend group felt. The VN wastes no time getting them introduced and getting the plot rolling, but we can already see each of their personalities shine through the ritual. That's a good thing, since we do get to see each of their perspectives later on. The decision to use bright migraine-inducing backgrounds is... an interesting one. Normally I wouldn't say brightness and horror works together, but I think it works this time to give the apartments a backrooms kinda vibe. There's plenty of clever tricks here and there to make this stand out from an average slasher flick, such as Taylor being able to loop back to Avery for a moment of hope, the usage of being trans as a plot point to reveal a disguise, and the ghost actually having a backstory and motivation. The story ending in tragedy actually did affect me, because I really did think there was a chance of Avery getting out safely. Overall, a clean and well-written VN that I really don't have anything bad to say about. Well done.
I actually ended up liking this VN a lot. I really enjoyed the artsy short-film vibes, where you can tell the director put careful consideration in the cinematography. Which is definitely a thing in visual novels too. There's also something about their dialogue that feels a bit... deliberately meandering as well. Uniquely foreign (if that's okay for me to say as an English speaker reading this in English). It's good. I think there were several artistic concepts I actually understood too, like the idea of intensely examining the ceiling panels and losing oneself in them after committing a perhaps shameful act of infidelity, or the liminality of a mall being used as a transition between scenes. I think the story that was actually being told here was Markus being gradually eroded out of the story for various reasons, mainly his own faults. First, it seemed like the start of a promising relationship, but then he cheated on his wife. Second, the three of them had an ordinary hangout where Markus' contributions (the berries) were simply discarded. Finally, Markus' role was simply rejected. A time loop, yet a clear sense of progression. I think there's a lot to analyze in this one, but generally I think it's practically made for overthinking reviews like this one so I'll attempt to stop myself here and say that I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. Thanks for making it.
When I first heard about this, I was totally hyped to read a VN about nudism, which is hot of course but also a fun and casual way to live. This VN is... not exactly what I expected but not necessarily in a bad way. I think it was a strange decision to have a widespread clothing allergy, since that does recontextualize what nudism means for them and changes a lot of the commentary on the subject. Devon not having the allergy and still being a nudist for the hell of it also makes that decision feel a little pointless. That being said, it's still nice to imagine this sort of alternate society and how things would change (such as Devon not knowing what shoes are, don't think I didn't catch that coming from you of all people). The dialogue does feel a bit hammy and mood-swingy, particularly Devon's. He seems prone to abrupt emotional outbursts that feel more awkward than anything. The paw fetish stuff also comes out of nowhere a little, in terms of how abrupt of a subject change it is, but I can respect the indulgence. Thematically, I think the VN ended in a satisfying way at least, with everyone embracing their newfound love of clothing except Cliff, who chooses to stay with Devon instead. All in all, a strange VN with an original premise I won't be forgetting anytime soon, even if it falters a little in the execution.
An interesting one for sure. The art is really good, and there's a lot of poetic quality to this one. However, and call it a personal preference if you must, I feel I didn't get a whole lot out of this VN. When a VN gets excessively poetic, sometimes the message gets lost for me. In particular, a lot of the buildup in this one was cryptic, and I feel like I spent most of it scratching my head and trying to figure out what exactly is going on. I didn't feel all that attached to any of the characters, possibly because the MC spends the whole VN thinking in a clinically detached way from most of them. There's an intriguing mystery throughout the whole thing, that being why his boyfriend would possibly want to kill him, that I feel wasn't answered all that well. Something about the company taking over his body? Did he always plan this? I don't know, and the VN doesn't seem interested in giving me that answer either. The plot also felt just a little bit rushed as well. I don't think I was given enough time to say, bond with Mal before the reveal that he's trying to kill Arron, or get to know Paul before he died. So like, sure, it has an ambiguous ending and a somewhat abstract plot. The art is gorgeous. The words are pretty. I just feel kinda... unsatisfied by the whole thing. Sorry, I guess it's not for me.
A short and cute little tale, one that's relatable to many of us I think. Ultimately, it's about a social outcast discovering a friend and an online community for the first time, which is always a nice feel-good tale. Truthfully though, I didn't think it's anything too special, partly thanks to the art which is very unpolished to say the least. Nothing more than an ordinary modern coming-of-age tale on the internet really. But that final scene, as short as it was, is surprisingly significant. Drawn a bit better than the other backgrounds, and a clever use of imagery at that. One that actually utilizes Farewell's species to deliver a strong social commentary, comparing her to the last in a long line of reindeer crossing an unstable ice sheet. I really liked this bit, and it stood out from the rest of the VN. I'd have liked to see more of this style of metaphorical writing, but generally this VN is just fine. A great start for sure.
I'm... honestly not sure how to analyze this one. If I'm being blunt, it's not well written in any way. Most of the lines are delivered with a robotic intonation, the sex happens too fast and too often to be taken seriously, and the conflict is just not very interesting since it goes by too quickly. Sure, it's a bit silly at times, but I'm not sure if it's *intentionally* silly, like one big shitpost. And frankly, if it's actually a parody VN, I'd have liked it to be funnier. The lines are too flat for it to work as a parody, for the most part. At least it does something new with the aspect ratio? And I do kinda like the rough pixel art. I think if you leaned into the absurdity a bit more and really had fun with it then there could have been something more here.
A short but poignant VN that can only end in tragedy. It pulled off several unique techniques that aren't common in many other VNs, such as the use of the TV as the solitary background, with everything else happening only as comic-style cut-ins. That really helped with the claustrophobic feeling of being trapped in a stranger's apartment with no way out. The existence of a corpse in the room also functions as an early sign of Kiel's eventual fate. As panic sets in, and Kiel realizes there's no way out, the tragedy finally strikes as Davey appears and even seems to recognize Kiel a little, before all hope is brutally dashed in the end. It's a continuous slide toward despair with not even a minute to catch our breaths, and as a result it's a great read for such a short runtime. Well done.
A fun little read. There were lots of eccentric little turns of phrases, such as the puddle of vomit smiling flirtatiously (???) but I wouldn't have it any other way. It gave this VN a ton of flavor, and made it so the ESOLisms didn't stick out too badly. I also enjoyed the NVL tricks, especially the gradual closing of the blackboxes for dramatic effect. Art is good too, and generally I'd say this VN stands out on artistic direction alone. As for the story... I dunno. It's a bit too simple, really. The "moral" is that making too much of an effort to be seen goes nowhere, and it's better to be a stoic "mountain" and let people come to you, I think? Not sure it's an effective moral, since it seems a bit obvious. The story is also a bit too short and aimless to let that moral sink in, though I did enjoy Daniel's blustering and eventual comeuppance. Generally, though I wasn't attached to the story, I enjoyed reading this VN as a work of art mainly for all the quirks present.
An unusual and complicated work of fiction, for sure. Oddly, it's not quite the mindfuck I expected it to be, as a lot of the events throughout were fairly mundane. A couple visits parents in a quiet religious town, and they hang out with some other people for a bit. Some slice of life things happen, yknow? But it's clear from the very beginning that something is very wrong, and that pervades every aspect of this VN, from the slightly unsettling visuals at times (such as those photobashed CGs at the concert) to the realistic and yet slightly unhinged ways the characters act. Even though the events are mundane, there's somehow something very disturbing about all this. And I think thats because of how real all of it is. These characters feel like real people in a real place, and it makes what's about to happen all the more horrifying. Now... unfortunately the story isn't quite finished, but I think I can kinda tell where it's heading? And I can't wait to see the ending for sure. Loved this VN in every way, it's a stroke of genius in many ways. Great job.
A lovely little tale about gender identity. I appreciate how nuanced it is, with the eventual buildup to the MC's identity through context clues that the reader isn't given at first. Aside from that, it's a fairly standard hangout at a mall and arcade, which is a bit of a cliché for FVNs, but I guess it works here. I do have to admit that it's a bit on-the-nose about approaching some of its themes though. Like, Emile just comes right out and shares her identity with Alex without any preamble, and just explains it all straight away, like reading a script. I suppose coming out is like that sometimes, but I feel like there could have been a better situation or catalyst to come out like this. Or just more of a buildup to establish the relationship with Alex first? Jose's attraction toward Emile is about as subtle as a baseball bat too, and the situation resolves itself very cleanly. I liked the branching paths though, since there's something interesting in each one. It's good for a cute slice of life, I just prefer stories with a bit more conflict is all. It's well written at least.
Really nice thriller VN. Nothing too complex about the setup, but I appreciate that the beginning is framed like an SCP, and consequentially the nature of the "ice" is never really explained in full. The visuals are impeccable for this sort of work, the monochromatic green giving the feel of an isolated subnautical research base. The VN is kept quick-paced throughout the entire thing, with enough intensity to keep me at the edge of my seat. It was also a great decision to put the difficult choice in the MC's hands, as the captain. Tragic consequences abound on both sides, in a truly haunting and gripping read that spans a complex range of emotions in a relatively short span of time. Well done. Though I do feel like it's a bit of a shame that the moose had very little to do in either outcome. Perhaps a third ending centered on him would have been fitting.




