I just finished the game 100% and I loved it so much! I remember years ago seeing it at Lemmasoft but could never get it to run for some reason haha. Oh well, better late than never!

I absolutely LOVED IT. The game is charming, full of lots of laughs, a touch of angst, and even sweet, tender moments. I really loved seeing Hao and Sona clash, but overtime, come to understand each other. It was also brilliant having Hao's dialogue literally in Chinese so we feel just like Sona, not knowing what he is saying! Being able to enable English translation after getting all 3 endings is a worth-while reward too! I do wish we could have a pinyin translator too so I could properly imagine Hao speaking in Chinese mode though lol.

I also just really loved the message of doing things you love, not losing your love for them. It just really hit.

I have managed to finally get all the endings, achievements, CGs, and looked at the extra scenes! So finally, I can post a review of my final thoughts.

This game was generally very enjoyable. I loved the art and the mystery, and the horror scenes put me on the edge of my seat! 

The opening video was a real treat! It seriously looks like a professional otome opening, and I love the song! I also love how the soundtrack is entirely original, which is rare for free indie games. I really love the sentimental and sad piano tracks the most. 

Artwork... it's really gorgeous! There's 60 CGs you can unlock in the gallery, but some other sketchy looking art and I recall a couple other CGs that do not appear in the gallery. There were some sprites that felt out of place though, as they didn't look as polished as the rest, but generally everything is eye-pleasing!

Unlockables... I really love the achievement system as it encourages players to make a variety of different choices. Also keeping the extra scenes and sketchbook locked behind getting all of the endings is a genius way to get players to desire a 100% completion. 

Prologue... the opening scene at the mansion really drew me in, which I feel is the prologue's strength. Some felt the prologue as a whole dragged, but I didn't think it was that bad. Some character introductions were more interesting than others, sure. Even so, the opening scene was enough to keep me going because I feel it really helps set the supernatural mystery tone! And I am sure at least one of the character introductions will pique your interest!

Routes.... I ended up playing in this order: Kurato > Junoru > Sachiro > Zeikun. Getting on routes is very straight forward, you literally choose who you want to investigate from the four suspicious individuals you meet in the prologue, and walla. I picked Kurato first simply 'cause he was weird and I wanted to know what was up with him. He's a pretty fun character, and his route has a lot of action and horror. Junoru's route ended up being my favorite of them all. He is so sweet, and whilst the romantic ending was lovely, I also equally enjoyed the tragic ending. It held a well written emotional weight to it that showed how much the MC cared about him. I also loved the MC's portrayal the most on Ju's route, especially how she'd always refer to him as "my friend". Sachiro's route was very interesting, and I must say the "Normal" ending actually was my favorite opposed to the romantic route. I feel it felt more natural and that ending felt so warm and sweet. Lastly, Zeikun... whilst interesting, it was sadly my least favorite route. Whilst I enjoyed many scenes in it, I didn't really feel much chemistry between the two (romantically or friendship wise). The highlight on this route for me was actually the moments with Ikuya and Lioji on the "Normal" path.

The story itself.... whilst there's many well written horror moments, emotional moments, heart pumping action, and an intriguing supernatural mystery, there's a lot about the story that feels very rough around the edges. Not everything adds up and rather than the routes complimenting each other, they almost seem like different versions of the story. One character in particular seemed to change to suit what was going on in a particular route. Even the MC herself feels a little different per route. So depending on what route you're on (even what version of said route you're on), some paths are written better than others. As I mentioned earlier, I enjoyed Junoru's route the most as I loved the entire route as a whole. Kurato's route would probably be my second favorite, whilst Sachiro's I liked the normal path most, and Zeikun's felt a little bit more messy to me. I also wish we could see some of the other main characters make more than just a short cameo appearance in the other routes, I think that may also be why it felt a bit disjointed at times. 

Even so, the dev's hard work and passion shows in this novel and despite these flaws, this is a very memorable game I know will become a beloved classic in the OELVN community! It's obvious a lot of love went into this project, and it shows, and I think the dev should be proud of it! I look forward to whatever you come up with next, Pinlin!

I have replayed this game and it still holds up today! It's thrilling, it's chilling, will make you laugh, will make you cry, and keep you at the edge of your seat! The first 3 routes raises more questions than it gives answers. the last 3 routes are like answer arcs--the first two unlock when you get 1 ending on the first 3, which also unlocks a few new scenes in the common path, and getting an ending on each of those unlocks the finale (which unlocks a few more scenes in the common route). I just love all these characters (including the heroine herself!) and how everything unfolds! I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good supernatural mystery! This is well worth your time if you're looking for a full length visual novel that is long, intricate, has lots of CGs, a good soundtrack, and many meaningful choices that will ultimately decide if you survive this ordeal. So what are you waiting for? It's free! I promise once you get sucked in, you'll be hunting down every single ending until you completely unlock the entire list! (I know I did hahahaha). 

Yes, I use Windows 7!

Hello! I downloaded this game, but when I launched the .exe an error window popped up saying that it's not a valid Win32 application. I tried both .exe files, they do the same thing. Do you have any idea what may be wrong?

Yay!!

I really love those bonus illustrations (especially the Lynn one). Do you ever plan to update the trivia book to talk about more info on Lynn's route, and include the new bonus illustrations? (I really love that trivia book hahaha)

Also excited to have you on the time this NaNo~

Haha it's fine, I love delving into a series' world from the oldest to the latest to see how far a dev has come, so I think I will be enjoying these two older games too!

I would like to congratulate you on releasing this!! I still need to finish playing the first game, and then move onto the second. But I am keeping my eye on this, as I hope to buy it here in the future!

They're absolutely adorable! ^^

These look fantastic!!! The festival background is actually something I really need for one of my WiPs!

She is so adorable!! I definitely love that fluffy coat. Do you ever plan to give her a CG scene? (Perhaps with the fluffy coat?)

So beautiful~

I have finally completed my playthrough of this and.... wow.... just wow... this left me with so many feelings. It was beautifully written and brought tears to my eyes. I feel like the difficulty with any Kinetic novel is to write in a way that will hold the player captive and keep them intrigued, and you guys managed to do so! I got invested in the two characters and only wished them happiness that seemed impossible. I also really liked the choice of music, they all seemed properly placed. My only complaints would be minor... I noticed a few mistakes in the name being used when the passenger spoke and a couple lines showed as speaking but it was obviously narration.. this didn't really hinder the enjoyment too much nor did it totally eject me from immersion. I also feel a few sound effects would have been nice, but again, it didn't affect my immersion too much.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the game and you managed to make me a crying mess. It was beautiful and I will probably give it another playthrough soon because I loved the story that much!

This game is pretty amusing! A thief stole from me twice, I lost my coins, but I gained many new skills and I eventually finished my quest. It's a simple but fun random adventure, I would love to see a more fleshed out version of this concept!

This was a short, simple, adorable game where you complete simple tasks for your fellow cacti! The only custom graphics are the cactus sprites whilst the rest is default RTP, but it works fairly well for what it is.  My only major complaint was after you've finished all the quests, the game doesn't end. There seems to be no place you can go to properly end the game after you've accomplished everything. That aside, it was a relaxing experience and very cute ^^

This is a fun little game, albeit it a little hard at times. I love how you can smack the bombs with your hammer, sending them flying at targets! The visuals are nice, the obstacles challenging, and pretty good sound design (except the gems  and hearts lack a collection noise, which was a little disappointing). Overall, I highly recommend!

This was a neat little concept! I really liked seeing a mock OS system for GameBoy. However, in its current state, it is pretty limited, and there was no sound (unless for some reason it didn't play for me?) I wish there was at least 1 document you could read, or maybe try to type your own. It was neat how you had one game to play, even though it was super simple. The collection of photos was nice to look at as well. And it even has a working calculator! Overall, I love this concept and would like to see it expanded some more, but otherwise it is pretty bare bones as is. 

Maze For You

A fully voice acted, one-map RPG where you take on the role of Ron, who ventures into the dangerous hedge maze to find ingredients to save his beloved childhood friend!

You are very welcome! It was a joy to create and the voice overs had a lot of fun as well! Happy that this game has made you happy~

Have you heard of that far off country So grand and green With flourishing crops, And abundance of seeds?

Perhaps you have, but...

...have you heard of its demise?

The region of Niwa was once the bread basket of the world, a hub of farmers whose crops never failed. That is, until the Harbinger came and burned the land, leaving it desolate, and the drinking water poisoned.

Only one farmer's crops have not suffered the blight of the Harbinger's curse, but for how much longer? For his beloved daughter, Clover, has now fallen ill from the tainted water.

Enter Ron - a childhood friend of Clover whom has recently come to terms that he has fallen in love with her. To receive her hand in marriage, her father requires Ron to undergo a vigorous test... venture in and out of The Maze.

There, he must find 5 ingredients key to curing Clover's illness as he survives the dangers within the brush and meets other daring individuals with their own goals.

Will he emerge alive Make his friend his bride And live happily ever after?

FEATURES: - A one map adventure through a maze - Random encounters triggered by brush - Quest log accessible anytime in the game menu - Response consequences - 3 possible endings - Fully voice acted!

Created for my assigned giftee NekotoArts in the Secret Santa Jam! Made under the restrictions of the RPG Maker forum's One Map Challenge.

Download here! https://tofu-sheets-visual.itch.io/maze-for-you

I have just completed all the endings! This game was short and very ridiculous, but also extremely charming! Despite it's super short length, I enjoyed every minute of it! The characters were fun and the villain over the top (and his goal kinda terrifying lol), and the dialogue made me smile and laugh multiple times. Good work!

I'm really enjoying this game! It's cute, fun, and simple, but also can be a little challenging sometimes. It's by no means as easy as it looks. Really motivates you to earn those coins to see what new pastries you unlock!

This is a very heavy visual novel, much more serious than anything El is known to put out! And it has a personal feeling to it, as the dev has pointed out. Whilst some scenes may seem a bit extreme, they oddly feel real, and as it all culminates to the ending in your first kinetic playthrough, you are relieved when choices are unlocked to attempt a happier outcome. I really love once you play the second time how a little communication goes a long way. I highly recommend this VN if you can handle its angst. Whilst your first playthrough will be extremely heavy, your second one will be a lot brighter, making the whole experience worth it!

Hello participants!

Since we had a small turn out, no rankings were given, so there are sadly no results. I will be sure next year though to start the jam earlier to get more traction. 

Anyway, I do hope those of you who finished feel proud of the game you were able to release to end 2020! May you have a fantastic New Yerar!

Thank you for playing the full version! I am happy you enjoyed it, despite its flaws. Haha, you find it in a weird place of not being bad enough but more like a game that doesn't quite reach? I do admit, I tend to go for that flavor, and I won't lie that I have come to love this little world I created and may make another game based in Terrene, exploring the other regions and having characters of the other races briefly mentioned with some cameos from our heroes, haha. But yes, I do agree it can seem odd and not all coming quite together, but that is sort of done on purpose. 

Anyway, thank you for the very thoughtful review! It helps me strive to do better next time in some areas, although for SBIG perhaps I have to actually dial it back... lol. 

Hello! Just letting you know after a few months, I released RE/COUNT RE:VERSE full version last night!

2020 is ending! It was a wild ride, to say the least. But as we approach close to New Year's, why not use the final 72 hours to release just one more game? Whether that be finishing an ongoing project, creating a demo or prototype, or perhaps you want to actually dev for the last 72 hours of the year a brand new game. It's up to you!

Platformers, visual novels, RPGs, shooters, anything else that fits under "video game" is all welcomed.  And yes, so long as you have permission/license, pre-made assets are also welcomed! Just be sure to credit where credit is due~

The jam is simple with 3 simple rules and a voting period to encourage jammers to play the fruits of everyone's labor! Please read all about the rules and voting on the jam's front page! You also do not need to wait for the jam to start, feel free to continue dev'ing right now!

Let's send off 2020 with a bang! Hope to see you there!

Jam Link: https://itch.io/jam/last-game-of-the-year

If you have any questions about the jam, feel free to ask it here!

Awesome, thanks!

Quick question!

Is doing a big update to a game acceptable for this jam? Recently, I released a short RPG for Secret Santa Jam, but due to life happening, I didn't have time to include voice acting. So the game is completed, but is missing voice acting, which I will be adding at the start of the year and feel this jam is a great way to start the year to motivate me to get this update out as soon as possible so the game is truly completed. Is such a release acceptable to the jam, as it will move from Version 1 to Version 2? (This is the final big update to the game and it will have no further updates aside from bug fixes if any since adding voice over will deem it properly completed).

Alrighty, I sent you a friend request on Discord! My display name is Kokoro-Hane

I find the Toni Maroni voice a perfect fit! Would you prefer contact via Discord or e-mail?

Hello sir! Is this offer still open? Next week, I'm going to work on a post-jam update for my entry "Maze for You" which adds voice acting! I originally wanted to have voicing in it, but I just didn't have the time to incorporate it. I think your voice would fit for Clover's father. He's the one that sends the protagonist through a dangerous maze to find ingredients to save his ill daughter and to prove himself worthy of marrying his daughter (since Clover and the protagonist are childhood friends). 

I'm so pleased you enjoyed it!!! I had fun making it! 

How the heck did I miss this update??? Definitely gonna be re-downloading this soon and enjoy this adventure all over again!

AHHHH EXCITING!!! I'll download this soon~

The hype train is coming!!!

Also I think it is so neat to add an other image gallery. I really love bonus art created for games, so it'll be nice to view them in a handy gallery in one place ^^

Wow, this game is just getting more fabulous and intriguing by the minute! I am so excited for the final part! Keep doing your best ^^

Thank you for your comment! We are pleased you enjoyed the game overall!

The extras menu is planned to be added post-jam, so most likely sometime in early November.