itch.io

The aesthetic in this game is wonderful--so dark but so evocative. The character art was lovely and expressive, but I really loved the background art, environment. The heart-cage that Nayla is imprisoned in is so cool to look at. 

The premise was horrible, disgusting, so morally awful (I mean this in the best way!)--it really put my guts in a twist. I was hooked, trying to get Nayla a happy ending or at least not a terrible, terrible ending where she lives a subhuman life as a human incubator or something. I just really, really wish the game was longer and we could explore the setting some more...and maybe get an epilogue where Nayla gets to enjoy some happiness away from her terrible fate

I admit given the premise I disliked all of the three suitors, but each of them grew on me by each of their ends. Bradly has a special place in my heart for having good intentions and being a cuddly creature. Rhymond I love because he's so smarmy and smug. I loved when Nayla verbally sparred with him. Xandr was so precious. And I kind of wish the Auctioneer had a route ahaha it would be terrible and maybe even toxic but his doofy self kind of grew on me

SPOILERS BELOW

After reading and re-reading the story, I realized that the pieces of the puzzle were there in the story but I don't have the critical thinking skills to fully put the pieces together...but this is what I think happened!

The King wanted a gazillion kids, and chose the Queen for that express purpose. For some reason, none of their kiddos could bear children, so the King's bloodline would have stopped right there.

Maybe they were related or modified humans, so their genes couldn't pass on to the next generation intact (like with Robertsonian translocations, you can pass the gene on for one generation but the next gets messed up). But anyways. 

The King decided to do something??? to Nayla, with the golden apple. Somehow, Nayla's parts (face, voice box, heart, organs, etc,etc) were split from her and a clone of Nayla, Clone Nayla was created. Clone Nayla is now fertile. The Queen was mad because Mutilated Nayla was her "true daughter", and is now living a terrible life. The King killed the Queen to shut her up and imprisoned Clone Nayla. Eventually, the King decided to put on a dog and pony show where Nayla had a shot at getting away, but he'd destroy her for good--by letting everyone know she wasn't the "real" Nayla, forcing her to be his captive incubator, and thus prolonging his bloodline..............that was what I was getting from the story. Not sure whether I'm even close tho (*^.^*)

It was a crazy wild ride, but I'm glad Clone Nayla had even the chance to get away. I hope she lives happily from now on. 

PS if you need beta readers for the updated version, I volunteer as tribute (˘˘ ♡)

I felt very uncomfortable, like the jerk on the other side would break the door down lol

all in all great well written experience 

That was a WILD ride 

SPOILERish

I felt something was off about the heroes but jeez

I really, really hope there's an ending where the poor MC can beat the stuffing out of the so called heroes

Holy cow, I remember this game! I thought it had been abandoned for a hot sec, but I'm so excited to try it out, the demo looked soooo cool!!!

The road might have been rough, but it'll be worth it in the end

I'll happily wait 

Holy crap I'm excited!!!!

This was a really cool game. The aesthetics were en pointe. One of my personal favorite designs was 1717. I loved the summery trees and moon; they almost form a halo around 1717's head. Of course, 2222's design was sick, with all her teeth. I love that her angel number is two; I personally think it's a very feminine number, and can be found in mundane things, which speaks to her physicality and willingness to interact with the "mundane". The tree also gives her the impression of being grounded; roots deep in the ground and all that. 

On the other hand, we have 333, who is more "up in the clouds", kinda. 333 feels more airy, more ethereal. The glass shards on either side of the mirror almost appear like wings. 333 forces the other angels to justify themselves and become closer to their true self, just by gazing upon the others; once they "look into the mirror" the mirror changes them. It's like the superposition principle; a particle cannot be observed without changing it. 

All in all the vibes were immaculate, I enjoyed the story. If you ever revisit the world, I can't wait to see what happens next!! Good job!!!

Welcome back!!!

The voice fits Jasper sooo well! 

this is very interesting, and I haven't even read the whole thing yet. It takes me back to the days when I used to read ancient works and wonder about the mindset of the authors, and marvel at the fact that I could actually read words written by someone who lived hundreds or thousands of years ago. I was especially intrigued by the fact that the Ousentan people seem to gravitate towards this book, and have an opinion on it, almost as if there's a supernatural element, like Lovecraftian forbidden knowledge you can't look away from.

Oh, wow!!! Congrats on finishing, I can't wait to play it for myself >-< I can't believe how much ADW has changed over the years

This was such a lovely little experience. I've had quite a few big matters on my mind, and many small things running around in there too. It felt good to try to remove some of those nagging little thoughts. Thank you.

I question my reason for being here.

What would you do if you were the last of your kind on Earth? Would you live a life of unfettered freedom, go on a power trip, live a life of solitude, or hide from the world? 

This is a question that permeates through this game so far. It's a story of discovery, and rediscovering why one wants to live...that includes getting thrown into a prison cell in the process.

I can't wait to play the whole game, but let me just say I'm enjoying the ride so far!

Heck yes, new demo!! Running to play it like 🏃‍♀️🏃

An update was just the thing to cheer me up on this dreary morning eee

Can't wait for all the new voices >u<

I'm lovin the pixel art!! Reminds me of Abscission :>

Omg, congrats!! That's a big achievement. Be proud of yourself >^<

Yay! I think this was one of your first games I ever played, and the mechanic of half-truths and the atmosphere made a great impression on me.

Hell yeah!

Oooh! That sounds really cool, I'm looking forward to it!

"Lucid dreams made real" is a very good way to describe this game. As a vivid dreamer myself, this game reminded me of a dream quite a bit. The strange cut-aways, the sudden shifts, the "movements" of the characters, all of that is like a dream--very cool. In a more conventional work, this might be a drawback, but in this context, it works very well. 

The art design is fantastic. I loved to look at the characters, and let my eye soak up all the different details. Rubadex resembles a Rubik's cube in color, or a TV screen almost. I liked Ludikris' colors shifting with his expressions. The textures seemed very true to real life (the plaid, the houndstooth) almost as if his body was a cut-out superimposed over something else. The Meddlers' clothes and colors were extremely bright and clashing, which fit them as characters.

Lookin good!

Short but sweet. As someone who likes to walk while thinking, I can definitely relate to the feeling of wanderlust. Reminds me of the thrill of exploring abandoned buildings. I enjoyed the music, and thought it went well with the real photos.

Of course!! And oof her name is Roel not Rouen lol

ooooh! I just love manhwas with this plot, so I know I'll love this game!!! I just hope that the villainess has some female friends or female compatriots in villainy, haha.

Oh, yay! This is wonderful. I really enjoyed the game as it is, and an expansion would just make it all the better. I really look forward to what you have coming out.

Finally, I can write my review of this game! I first purchased this game a year ago, then decided to play it later due to its unexpected length (I forgot oof), but now I have rediscovered it and I am glad that I did.

I have a fondness for "weird" visual novels, and this game scratched the "weird" itch extremely well. Each character was an oddball in their own way, and I found it very endearing to watch their antics as they navigated their own ways through the detective competition, whether they be detective, criminal or gamemaster. The art itself is distinctive, with a lot of angular lines, corners, shapes and vivid colors, which made them very interesting to look at. Not a single one looked similar to another, and even the detectives/criminals with lesser screen time made an impact through their neon pink hair, or what had they. And of course, I liked the many poses the characters contorted their bodies into, and all the CGs. It helped the world feel more alive. The soundtrack complemented the story and characters perfectly. I especially enjoyed "Office Games" and "Moving On".

I enjoyed the story as well, and one of the highest compliments I can give it is that I was hooked until the end, and I never felt the urge to just skip the "boring parts". Especially the ending and last few chapters/sections. In my experience, many visual novels sort of drag out towards the end (which I usually accept as a given) but this game is one of the exceptions. The detective competition itself kept the story on a nice pace, I felt. I felt sorry to leave the perspective of one character, but it kept things moving. 

All in all, it was an enjoyable experience, and I certainly felt I got my money's worth.

==SPOILERS ABOUND==

My favorite part was definitely when Roel faced off with Catscratcher. I was really, really surprised when Roel actually won. I really expected Red July to win, but Roel definitely made sense--you do need people skills, after all. I also liked this decision because it made me feel suddenly uncertain as to how the story might end. I fell for all the Red July hype, lol, so I thought it would be a given that she would win. So I said to myself, "Well, now I definitely need to know what happens."

I thought the mystery Roel solved was a gripping one, and the setting in which she solved it really heightened the stakes. I became really anxious when Catscratcher made his appearance, and when he was trying to fool her into accepting his testimony as the witnesses', I almost couldn't watch it all play out because I was so invested, lol.

When Roel "lost" and signed the contract with Catscratcher, I was sad, and when she turned it around, it was the best feeling. I was really happy for her!! I know I really did Roel dirty in my mind, thinking she'd never be able to hack it, but she pulled through, and became best girl imo. Also her outfits are slay.

This part was really well written too. I liked all the philosophical discussion about who is deserving, etc. Overall this was this bit that pushed the game from "really good" to "one of the best titles I've seen in a while".

As I got closer to the end of the game, I began to worry that the ending would be unsatisfying. After spending so much time playing the game, and being extremely invested in Roel, I got anxious. I realized few chapters remained until the end, and with every chapter finished, it seemed less likely that the story would come to a satisfying end. My biggest worry would be--and I felt that this reason had been alluded to--that the competition was being held as amusement for rich people, or that it was done at just the whims of a billionaire with too much money. Primarily because such a reason would have been really, really depressing and maybe a little bit too realistic.

I thought there would definitely be an element of this, given how much Conver loved puzzles, but I was really hoping there would be a deeper meaning behind it all. And there was! I don't even mind it ended on a cliffhanger, lol. Even if Conver is lying, I’m still happy the competition has a deeper meaning, no matter what it is. 

So, very good job with this game! I can't wait to see what you have in store next!

If one has never seen color, would one miss it when it is gone?

In this game, I witnessed a person who "forgot" color remember, then regain their "color". The main character is an artist adrift in Rome, trying to pull herself from the quagmire that is her life. She meets two mysterious creatures--a light owlbeast and a dark owlbeast. Her interactions with them and her surroundings determine the course her life will take. I found the plot to be novel but still familiar, and the writing was a joy to read. I especially loved all the bits of Italian culture, such as the masks and the lovely locations.

==Spoilers==

This game revolves around color. The owls are stark contrasts, and the protagonist can regain her color. I was reminded of how people sometime describe depression as a fog, a dark mire of greyness and dullness. The main character can indeed sink into the abyss of greyness or ascend into the blinding light (none of which are truly good) depending on choices she makes--whether to feed one or the other owl, or both. I interpreted the dark owl as gloom, depression, and cool darkness, and the light owl as dazzle, mania and searing light, and the two endings that one can get by feeding solely one or the other correspond to this.

I was glad, however, that an ending existed where the colors (metaphorically and literally) come back into the character's life. I love it when someone gets knocked down, but finds the strength to come back up, and she deserves it.

This was a really cute demo. I love the character designs of everyone, especially ??? she seems like a cool older sister type, although time will tell lol

Oh lawd he comin

I can't wait!

"Vibrant" is how I would describe this game in a nutshell. The art is really beautiful and distinct--the colors are vivid, the design of the characters are unique, and the faces they make are adorable, especially the alien's! I love him so much, he's such a sweetheart, and it was wonderful to read about how he adjusts to life on Earth. The relationships between the main characters were so sweet. I'm glad Adrianne has at least one true friend. 

The world in which the characters live in--both on Earth and alien's homeworld--were depicted very evocative. I especially liked the forest scenes--the backgrounds are masses of long shapes and colors suggestive of a forest, but at the same time, looks to be an almost alien landscape. It really gave that extra edge of unsettling to drive the bad end home. 

Happy birthday!!!🥳🥳 Can't wait for all you've got planned

Yasss Lor!! He's such a soft boi, love him.

Lor is love, lor is life!! Vote for Lor today!

This is a very lovely game so far. The art style is a wonderful painted style that approaches realism, and I especially love all the different poses of the NPCs and their vivid facial expressions. The many, many CGs are a treat as well, like a picture book. The backgrounds are well done and are in the same art style as everything else (points given for that). The love interests are charming, each in their own way.

The writing is engaging and crisp. It does a good job of establishing the world that these characters live in. As for the story, consider me hooked! I love the mythology that you've established, and I can't wait to find out how it develops. 

[SPOILERS AHEAD]

And now I will theorize and share my thoughts on the story!!

As far as I can tell, there are two factions. The Royal Council of Wizards and the sorcerers, and then the other "secular" factions--the Kingdom of Cirelon, etc.

Lindinis was perhaps a town of sorcerers, and was burned down/destroyed by the Council or the Council's followers. Silvana either had her memories removed by the Council or lost them and the Council decided to take advantage of this fact to observe a sorcerer in their natural habitat or use Silvana as a weapon against the other sorcerers. That year Silvana spent in the house was meant as a trial period almost, to see if Silvana was "safe" or if she would regain her memories. Personally, I think that a war is coming between the sorcerers and the Council (and Council-adjacent allies), and the Council is hoping to use Silvana in this war, which is why they let her attend the school. (Matthias also said them letting her go was an "investment")

History is written by the winners of course, and there were a few allusions to this in Silvana's conversations with Chloe. It is possible that the sorcerers are "innocent" and are being unjustly persecuted by the Council for whatever reason. Alternatively, the sorcerers may be just as terrible as described, and the Council is justified in outlawing them. Of course, the truth may be somewhere in the middle, too!

And those are the thoughts I have so far, my little theories on how the story will develop.

There are games that I hope to come across when I trawl through itch.io's long long list of visual novels, and this is a great example of it. A game that is a representation of one person's vision. I find these kinds of games to be great reads.

But at any rate, keep up the good work, at your own pace of course. I'll be eagerly awaiting whatever you have next. :)

Great work here! The best bit about this game is by far the worldbuilding, which left me wishing for a deeper exploration or sequels. The concept of "cultivating one's [magical] garden" (to steal a phrase from Candide) especially piqued my interest. 

The art was quirky and cute, and the game was well written. Good job.