I'd totally watch tiff's dark academia inspired outfit of the day videos, fr.
Amazing work as always, naarel! I love getting a few glimpses of Tiffany's content and knowing what the outside world knows about her and passerine hills! it's such a cool bit of world building
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take me to the lakes where all the poets went to die comments · Posted in take me to the lakes where all the poets went to die comments
(spoilers ahead)
"Now I'm 22, stressed about work, and upset that he's ignoring me."
In my friend circles, I’m infamous for being able to connect almost anything to a Taylor Swift lyric. It’s both my gift, my curse and undeniably annoying to everyone else. While I was playing this game, one lyric kept looping in my head: "How can a person know everything at 18 but nothing at 22?"
I feel like, in a lot of ways, "Left on read" perfectly encapsulates that feeling: 22 is such a weird, in-between age. It's right at the cusp of your adulthood, typically right when you're finishing college and getting a new job, and the whole world simultaneously feels so unimaginably vast and crushingly small. You feel lost, you feel some measure of hopelessness, and sometimes small problems feel ten times worse just because they're coupled with that intense uncertainty of adapting to the world when you're just becoming an adult. That, coupled with the complexities, pains and joy of the queer experience, can undoubtedly make everything feel so much more difficult.
Everything is changing, and you're expected to keep up while figuring out who you are.
Yearning for the simplicity of childhood. Longing for the freedom of your teenage years. Fearing change even while craving it, those are all experiences I found myself deeply relating throughout the game. I was very taken by the descriptiveness of the scenes and those little glimpses at the main character's struggles, even in such a short game.
I understood why they were left on read for so long. Even if Eiran’s reasoning felt a little silly at first, by the end of his explanation, my heart ached for him— for all the things he didn't know how to say and his fears of, not only being rejected but being rejected for the one thing that makes him Eiran.
It was such a vulnerable scene, and I was so happy we got to see such sweet and hopeful conclusion, where this one change was a vehicle for good.
Maybe they're both a little lost, but they can find their way together.
Wonderous work. I loved it, and I loved the art, character designs and the character maker a lot. Hope to see more soon!
"Each night I read and dreamt that I could be swept away from here, but not in the same way the wind sweeps me away."
⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4.5/5)
Thank you booktok for recommending me another banger! This work consumed me in the best way possible. The world-building was absolutely breathtaking-- rich, immersive, and full of lore so complex I felt like I was being transported into Tagliatella's universe, and by all its danger and treachery. I was impressed, particularly, by the incredible subtlety of the story-telling, both in how the intricacies of her universe were explored and relayed and Tagliatella's psyche, as a woman scorned by her gods, and suffering at the hand of
her own, deep insecurities as a delicate, innocent human in the cruel world of fae. I was often left breathless by the sheer suspense-- Was she gooing to be discovered? After all, without the hsalhaerot, she would be branded and banished to fomo!
Oh, and Aeddgeloard has my whole heart. The incredible artwork really brings the character to life, with his bulging muscles, cold and cruel demeanour but an absolutely unmatched determination to keep his baby girl safe in a world that had only ever shown her cruelty! Their animosity towards each other, the push and pull of the enemies to lovers romance-- which has absolutely never been done before-- and how he saw, within her, not only someone worthy of competing with but a queen to rule by his side! Oh, and how wonderful it was to see his and Tagliatella's struggles to connect and move forward from his past missteps (killing her parents) and finding forgiveness in each other.
The protagonist's journey was raw and emotional, and I felt every ounce of their struggle, their triumphs, their heartbreak. And don’t even get me started on the plot twist! Oh, the love triangle, the complex villain with such a compelling motivation, Tagliatella's struggle to pick between her duty and her heart. I was moved to tears, and instantly pre-ordered the special edition. I will only be able to drink water and eat my own toenails for dinner for a few weeks, but it will totally be worth the extra scenes.
The only reason this didn't earn my full, five stars is the lack of spice! The tension was THERE, the longing was THERE, but I felt like the spice scenes should've been about eight chapters longer and contained more positions. Weak.
Still, I’ll be thinking about this game for a long time, and you bet I’ll be picking up the sequel the very moment it drops.
"Do you really want to miss out on a storytime?"
It's been an honour and a privilege to have witnessed Passarine Hills grow from an AU of an AU to a multi-game series with multiple love interests.
I still remember the conversation that led to you sharing the first instalment of an old fanfic you wrote for a dead fandom, and how in subsequent days you'd surprise me with new chapters because you just couldn't get those characters out of your head.
What's even more fascinating is seeing how they've grown and changed over time, until the story stood on its own and the characters were brand new entities.
The world of passerine hills is vast, intricate and deeply immersive.
Through JAB and the other games in the series, we get glimpses of its rich lore, its slang and lingo, and character relationships that feel lived-in, grounded in a way that’s rare in romance games.
These character's lives don't seem to hinge on the player's existence. They all have lives, conflicts, and histories that unfold with out without Tiffany. And they're all different and varied. I really appreciate the effort that went into crafting such distinct characters.
And while I don’t typically play games with set protagonists, Tiffany is exactly the kind of rich bitch with a layered, complex inner world that I love dissecting.
She’s like a little bug under a microscope, and I just have to analyze her.
I adore the writing style and how it comes across as Tiffany trying to remain detached as she recounts all the details in her little tale while we can read the little moments of vulnerability that slip through.
It reads like an exclusive slumber party thrown by someone you barely know, where you’re not entirely sure why you were invited-- but the other girls are spilling the absolute juiciest details in an ever-expanding gossip session. And it’s glorious.
On top of that, it’s especially fun to pick up on all the tiny inconsistencies and hints at a bigger mystery lurking beneath the surface.
There’s a real sense of care woven into every little detail. It’s a delight to see this level of thought and craftsmanship go into a wlw game, when so few exist, and I couldn’t be more excited to see where the story goes next!
Fantastic work as always! I had so much fun poking around in the document, clickling the links and seeing all the little edits the characters made. I loved reading the e-mails too-- i'm in absolute awe of your ability to write distinct character voices. Even without the different fonts, it's easy to tell when Izzy, Vi or Emme are talking!
I can't wait to see more from this universe <3
Oh my god I was so incredibly hyped for this entry. I'm so glad to have played it finally! (and that it delivered)
I think there's something compelling about having a glimpse at these people's inner lives. Kaja and Tara are co-dependent on each other and fully aware of it, but what choice do they really have? Kaja traded the cage she was born in for a different, slightly more sinister cage. The only respite she has is Tara. Their relationship is as much of an addiction as the alcohol.
THEIR DYNAMIC IS SO COMPLEX AND LOVING AND CO-DEPENDENT I LOVE IT I CAN'T WAIT FOR PASSERINE HILLS!!
"dating sims are for losers i'm not a sloresr"
In the current year, it's incredibly rare to find thoughtful, well-written games that truly resonate with the lived experiences of actual, real-life people. In a landscape where every protagonist seems to attain an impossible level of perfection and purity, it's a marvel to encounter "not an anime girl like in those other vns", a witty, intelligent young woman that rises above all the challenges her wicked stepmother imposes onto her. Her sadness and trauma were portrayed in such a hyper-realistic way, much like the blood on the screen.
It's especially important that she needs no man and fist-fights god all on her own. 100000/10 the title is no exaggeration.