This is definitely one of the standout games from this game jam. It's cute and sweet, nicely written for the most part, the art is quite lovely (granted, there is seldom reason to complain with Marrazan's work), and there is just enough choice to keep it from being JUST a visual novel. That said, it definitely skews closer to VN than full gaming experience. I did manage two different results with two playthroughs, getting a nice ending the first time and a better one the second. From what I've been reading, it appears there are already plans to implement much of what I'd like to see done in this game, so perhaps my input is not needed. Just for shits and giggles, though, I'm definitely hoping for more. More choices that affect the results of the VN. More playable characters. More belly (though in fairness Dina does get pretty massive in at least one ending). More progression; some have indicated that there should be moments in the story where the writing indicates belly growth that we should be able to see said growth, and I agree. More opportunity for earnings; I believe the idea has been mentioned of incorporating Dina's surrogacy earnings into the picture, perhaps for subsequent pregnancies, and this seems a solid idea. I know the idea has been discussed of unlocking a Rory route, and potentially having another Dina route to follow. I know the more routes there are, the more complicated it gets, but I see tremendous potential if the devs choose to pursue it. Overall, though, I do like what we have already, and I look forward to any future updates!
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Bumps & Brews's itch.io pageResults
Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
Pregnancy Content | #1 | 4.667 | 4.667 |
Creativity | #1 | 4.333 | 4.333 |
Overall | #1 | 4.000 | 4.000 |
Gameplay | #5 | 3.000 | 3.000 |
Ranked from 3 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
Judge feedback
Judge feedback is anonymous and shown in a random order.
- Overall was a cute and enjoyable game. I glad to see some hyperpregnancy represented and the art was beautiful too. Visual novels are not my go to game as there isn't much in the sense of gameplay but the story was pretty good.
- Pregnancy content: Quite a lot here! Varied sizes, different routes and even a sort of secret ending, a veritable feast for the eyes, this. I don't have anything to add, I enjoyed what was presented here. Gameplay: It's a VN, but one with choices and even a minigame, which is leagues above what most VNs have. I would have liked a bit more of a difficulty curve, maybe something inspired by Vallhalla (I am not listing out that mess of a name, you know what game I mean). Creativity: Combining a surrogacy story with barkeep gameplay is a good way to allow characters to appear with relatively little introduction while also giving the MC a comparably easy job she can do while growing. Personal thoughts: What a tease, making all these character designs and then just NOT giving them preg content. I'd like this expanded in the future for sure, with some more difficulty too. Maybe that could be tied into unlocking additional content as well?
Comments
The art and characters are very charming. but I'm going to be honest, the yuri aspect was a real turn off for what would otherwise be great writing. You really should properly tag it as yuri. I realize this is a very big ask since it would require additional art assets, but with it getting harder and harder to find non-gay content could you have an option to make Rory a guy?
Thank you for the feedback! I apologise if the content between Rory and Dina was uncomfortable or disappointing. I hope you enjoyed the rest of the writing unrelated to those interactions.
As these are significant characters I've had for numerous years, I don't want to change any of their sexes. However, I will add content tags so the players know what content they'll see when making choices. I could also probably add the option to skip those sections for individual preference and comfort. I'll also add the appropriate tags so nobody to the game so nobody else is caught unaware.
That said, in future updates, there will be more characters with whom to build friendships/relationships, so I'm sure you'll be able to find an interaction that suits you better!
Like a lot of others before me, I'm not one for visual novels, but the characters are exceptionally cute and fun leading to a lot of great moments in the game! The biggest complement I can give is the drink making game being included, although simple, VNs that include games like that in between all the text can really help break up some of the reading in a fun way! I highly encourage looking for more ways to include such games and look forward to what you add next!
Thank you so much! The characters are my pride and joy, considering I've had them since I was in high school. Successfully creating the drink-mixing game was also a point of pride. I plan to expand upon what's already there and (hopefully) add in a few extra systems to keep people entertained between stretches of the VN. I'm so happy you enjoyed the game and its characters!
Thank you so much for the kind words! I knew VNs were hit or miss for many people, so hearing that people who aren't ordinarily fond of them enjoy the game makes me really happy. I feel like that's a huge compliment to my writing and Marrazan's incredible art, so thank you again for giving our entry a try!
Great game. I love how affectionate Rory is. All the big bellies were cute. The entire game is just so cute.
Currently, players can mix the wrong drinks and receive a lower tip because of it (except for Rory, she's coded to be a "tutorial" and will always give the maximum tip as a result). I could consider adding an optional system like that in the future, though! I'd have to see how easy it would be to code into the options.
That's great! I never mixed a drink wrong since all you have to do is hit back one frame and the recipe is right there. If you decide to "expand" onto the story, all you'd have to do to present the challenge is have a patron request a drink by name and not show the player the recipe, if they've already seen it a couple of times previously. If they can't remember the recipe, the patron may leave a low tip or no tip, or change their order in the next frame. I'm just suggesting that it would add to the already very compelling immersion, since one of a bartender's main skills is to remember drink recipes and the preferences of their patrons. Such a rich story and pair of MCs, you can really feel their personalities. I hope you enjoy the project enough to continue developing it with Marrazan, and with the same level of passion! I've been following him since he started posting his work online well over a decade ago, and his skills have come so far. His style is one of the better ones when it comes to hyper. Some others don't look as... believable lol
Sorry for the wall of text, TLDR your game kicks ass! I'm begging for more.
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