I want to address both the game itself and the situation regarding the 14-year-old girl and the developer's "friends". Full disclosure - I haven't actually played the game myself, as I had already watched a detailed review of it on YouTube before all this drama unfolded.
Let me start with the game itself - I absolutely loved the aesthetics and style they went for, everything has this genuinely creepy and unusual vibe to it. Many characters and animations are quite frightening and unsettling in the best possible way - they really nailed that aspect. However, when it comes to the dialogues, they feel a bit too simplistic, one-dimensional, and short for my taste. While the core idea is solid, I think both the script and dialogues could have used more development and polish. The game is also quite brief, taking only about half an hour to complete.
Speaking of the psychological impact - I didn't feel as emotionally affected as I expected to be. Even though the ending is quite sad, it somehow feels a bit underwhelming in its execution. And I should mention - I'm usually very emotionally receptive, often finding myself crying over real true-crime stories and touching films or animations. But this just didn't hit those same emotional notes for me. That said, for a debut project, it's actually quite impressive, and judging by the downloads and reviews, it's been quite successful commercially.
Oh, and I absolutely lost it at Mr. Red Face character xD - instantly reminded me of Yakubovich (he's this iconic Russian TV host from "Field of Wonders" - think Russian Wheel of Fortune but way more chaotic). The dude's face is literally just as red in real life XD! And speaking of Yakubovich - there's this hilarious story from 2027 wedding where his face got even redder after some pepper spray incident, but that's a story from the future lmao! Some say his face became the reddest thing in the known universe that day 😂
Now, regarding the situation itself. Let me be absolutely clear - I don't believe that at 22 years old, anyone should be building relationships or any kind of emotional/physical attachment with a 13-14 year old child. However, I also don't think the developer is a pedophile, groomer, or whatever else people are calling him, and I don't think he deserves all this hate. Here's why: according to the document that the developer himself shared (not his "friends"), there was no sexual context or subtext whatsoever. Yes, there might have been romantic feelings involved, but this speaks more to potential issues with socialization and communication, or perhaps a tendency to form strong attachments to people, rather than any predatory intentions.
And here's the kicker - I went through almost the exact same thing. I also communicated with a girl who was significantly younger than me (though she was older than 14), also got emotionally attached, and I too had these so-called "friends" (now ex-friends) who repeatedly set me up, turned others against me, manipulated and gaslighted me. By the end of last year, I learned two important things: first - you need to cut off toxic friendships and learn to maintain your boundaries. Second - when you're an adult, you shouldn't pursue relationships with anyone under 18. People under 17 are generally emotionally unstable and their personalities aren't fully formed yet.
The girl and I eventually decided to remain friends, which I consider a very wise decision. I think you, developer, should have done the same with that 14-year-old girl - just stayed friends, not hoped for anything more, and instead looked for someone older, at least 17. As for the whole "vore" thing, it was probably just some local meme, and the developer's "friends" just cherry-picked the most "compromising" screenshots for their document to paint him in a bad light and set him up.
And let's be real here - being 22 doesn't automatically make you some fully-grown mature adult or a groomer. People develop differently; I mean, at 22 I was still basically acting like a teenager, and only now at 25 am I starting to feel somewhat mature. I really don't understand people who are aggressively condemning the author and painting him as some kind of monster - the guy was just talking to a girl, without any sexual undertones. Yes, he was wrong to want a romantic relationship, but it wasn't because he had any ill intentions - it was more about his own immaturity and desperate need for love.
It's actually wild how some people on TikTok are claiming that even 18 and 23 is pedophilia. That's complete nonsense in my opinion (16 and 23 is not okay, but 18 is legal adulthood), everyone matures differently. I'm 25, for example, but people often think I'm 18-19 based on both my looks and behavior (and personally, my ideal age range for dating right now is 19-24). Though of course, there are some genuinely bad people out there who love manipulating others and might actually be groomers. But that's more about character than age, which is why it's crucial to maintain critical thinking and consider all factors.
To the developer, I want to wish that you cleanse yourself of toxic surroundings, reassess your values, work through your traumas with a therapist, and don't lose motivation or get discouraged because of haters and backstabbers. Keep creating awesome projects. I think you've made decent money from the game, so you can afford to take care of yourself now. Take this as a learning experience and focus on personal growth. Remember, at the end of the day, it's not about what others say about you, but about becoming a better person and making better choices moving forward.