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That's fair. It'll probably get under the skin of some people by actively exacerbating FOMO, myself admittedly included, but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing, lol. The game is crazy unique, just one more angle to be so. Maybe way down the track I'll play again and just see where the wind takes me rather than trying to prod my way through every 'route'! Tricky thing there is not feeling like you're missing out on every character's story by not dedicating to any one of them... hmmmm. Tough stuff, truly wishing you well with nailing the vibe you want!

First off, amazing work on the game. Amazing job of how complex the possibilities are. It was really shocking just how much freedom there is with choices (especially with some really terrifically bad ideas for poor James lmao) and seeing some of the really tucked-away scenes that have really specific requirements. It's a cool throwback to an older style of VN making, but even they didn't really compare with how much dialogue and information changes. I can only imagine how much of an endeavour this is behind the scenes, so I wish you the best with wrangling it all as you continue forwards. 

It does present something of a unique problem with how players can actually ensure they've seen everything, though. Do you think it'd be possible to make either a route map or even just a list of major scenes that players could hunt for? Like, I had no idea the bathhouse scene existed until I was just playing around with options for Raj. And stumbling on the Jules + Nomax scene felt like a total fluke I absolutely could have never found, too. I know you can have the CG gallery arranged with blank spots for what hasn't been found, that'd help, but there's plenty of really cool scenes with no CGs to it, too. Something to think about I suppose?

Either way amazing job and wishin' you the best for the future!

Oh I definitely didn't mean to say 'tragedy for the sake of tragedy' is how 'It's Not Me, It's My Basement' came off, it's just something I tend to note a lot on the topic given it's a really frequent misunderstanding of the appeal of tragic works (imo anyway). Will be keeping an eye out for other stuff from you. c:

Saw this on Manlybadasshero's channel, was gonna just leave a comment on his video but felt compelled to track you down to give some direct feedback.

This game was really cool and you have a ton of potential but I think you're in the wrong genre. More than anything, the direction was too stern and sold Embry's trauma too well to be anything other than tragic. Their totally blank face when Dr. D "slips," the first genuine show of emotion afterwards, the 'overworld' sprite of them covering their face and that really bitter crying expression afterwards along with the big pause followed by something as absolutely defeated and resigned as 'Look at that, it's time for bed already'? Honestly a really powerful sequence but it's not scary it's just... Heartbreaking. Incredibly good work to have it be as moving as it is for how short a game it is.

A lot of little touches add up to it. Dr. D's dialogue was really charmingly cute even though their role in the story was transparent from the first second. Showing all the dirt building up in the house and people commenting on Embry's failing hygiene added some really quick but powerful and pretty believable setup to sell Embry's emotional state better. It probably helps that a lot of it called back to the actual effects of kids who grow up in poverty or otherwise have to take over adult roles before they're ready. Embry just having no hobbies whatsoever and losing all semblance of whoever they were beforehand is definitely a familiar picture to me. Same with the daily scramble for food and to just... Get to the next day.

I genuinely recommend genre-switching. I think with the environmental storytelling, charming writing and character art skills demonstrated here you could probably make a really really good tragic, emotional story in the vein of Undertale or Nier or something (obvs not in terms of gameplay style or presentation but just the general mood and tone of it). If you do, just gotta remember that the core of tragedy isn't just sadness for sadness' sake, but to use the tragedy to highlight the beautiful and hopeful things in between. Though I'd guess you already get that given how it ended.

Either way I really enjoyed it and I think you've got a ton of talent. c: