(Review originally written for MAY WOLF 2024)

It's nice to see something this formally ambitious in the jam. The result feels slightly clunky and underplaytested, however; how vague the feedback is and how easy it is to misinterpret as the game misleading you means that it's too easy to lose track of what you're doing and what you already tried. How much new text there is across iterations, tricking you into thinking you discovered something new or are on the right track, doesn't help. Simple as the underlying mechanism may be, the game doesn't communicate it well enough to provide compelling puzzle gameplay – I spent more time wondering how exactly this thing works (do you need to exhaust all options & see all text? do you need to make whatever the correct choices are just once, across multiple iterations, or during a single one?) than "solving" it. (as in, looking at the script because it was really just not fun anymore and i was afraid i had somehow misunderstood the point)

The prose gets points for style, even if the dialog in particular feels overwrought and rhythmically weak at times. Between that and the image choices and the audio design, there's definitely a mood successfully established. I don't mind the character portraits remaining quite thin – it feels purposeful. Those two guys who show up sometimes not amounting to a lot or not leaving much of an impression maybe feels like a slight misstep; there was room to exaggerate them a little just to juice up the character interactions.

As for the ending, I feel like it lacks the proper buildup to land as an anticlimax. The tension dissipates away in the "gameplay" portion, at least if you're spending a lot of time stuck in it, but it doesn't feel like this is taken into account – the story essentially goes from 0% to 100% and the abruptly ends. There's nothing too surprising or incongruent about the general nature of the climax, but it just doesn't feel like it follows from what comes before tonally.

Apathesis deserves praise for taking a big swing and its strong sense of style, but the final product is often too frustrating for its own good.

(Review originally written for MAY WOLF 2024)

The art is charming and has all kinds of nice extra touches that help the game establish its style & mood – there's a sense of steady directorial touch. Similarly, the comedy is hilarious, even if the whole doesn't feel perfectly balanced between humor and drama. Despite being overall pretty light in tone, low in conflict, and transparently horny, Burning Woof isn't really structured around its excellent gags or sex per se; the slightly less compelling character drama and slice-of-lifey exploration of the setting are what pushes it forward.

In that way, it kind of feels like a game not playing to its strengths. I was interested in the premise, but while the comparison between Burning Man and furcons is a fascinating idea, it was conveyed almost entirely via the author's note at the end – the way the work itself talks about the event feels plainly documentaristic, with not much deeper insight or satiric edge to it. The whole thing is basically taken at face value, and I guess I was just expecting some kind of novel angle, since the setting is such a narrative centerpiece even the interpersonal conflict can be seen as an extension of it?

Also, when it comes to the prose: grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary are often rough in a way that feels hard to ignore. There's a strong voice, but in my opinion, being more thoroughly edited would only help bring it out. Most of all, the linguistic quirks bleed into each character's dialog in a way I think doesn't feel entirely purposeful and makes them not as distinct as they could be. The VN is not unreadable or anything, and there are plenty of neat descriptions and fun lines, but the writing could be sharper.

Honestly, I'm not trying to be a hater here; Burning Woof was a breezy, engaging read with a clear vision. There's just a lot about the execution and what the story ultimately accomplishes that gives me a slight pause.

I can't believe I forgot to rate peak..... anyways love you vantaa. I too am just happy to be included in things

Burning Woof is wacky and weird, but finds in idiosyncrasies an endearing quality that grips readers through a cute and personal story.

Primarily a comedy, this work presents with a level of silliness that's hard to dislike. Meta jokes, comical mishaps and slapstick are presented alongside interpersonal conflicts without ever losing sight of the game's brand of levity. This makes for an experience that's upbeat but neither overbearing or inconsistent.

The artstyle comes with its share of oddities, but it becomes easily to abstract those when progressing through the game. Exaggeration is used to enhance comedy and is a good match to the wackiness on display here.

All in all, this is a light experience that knows its identity well and makes good use of limited  scope and resources. Burning Woof is funny while still reaching more personal and even touching notes.

Definitely recommending ChoPro fans to read this one! Very cute story with a few references you may recognize 😌