This reply is way too sweet!! Oh my goodness! I'm so happy that you loved the characters so much and especially that the game inspired you. That's a fantastic goal! Please let me know if you ever end up making a game - I would love to see it. <3 I had so much fun making Four Eyes that I'm definitely going to keep it up and make more games!
I just split open a cracked bit of my bottom lip from smiling so hard lol.......
Hehe, It was fun to see little baby me's response from 6 years ago on an itchio account I didn't even remember I had made. I was doing some coding for my own visual novel that I'm currently working on when I decided to take a little break and play some other games on itchio when I bumped into an old VN I hadn't thought of in years. That nostalgia trip lead me to think about this game, the first ever VN I had ever played. I don't think I could fully articulate back then what I can now, so I think I'll voice my thoughts once again :)
When I first played this game, I was a tiny little 12 year old 6th grader, I had just come out of the closet as a trans gay man and without getting into specifics, it wasn't an easy time in my life. 12 years old is already a nightmare age I'd imagine for any new teenager, but doubled with me realizing new facets of my identity that completed shifted the way I saw the world and how people saw me? It was hard. Really hard. Then I stumbled upon your game. I wasn't raised around queer media, and my little mind couldn't process that I wasn't the only queer person in the world, but your game? Finding it? It meant so much to me. Seeing these characters that made me laugh, that were so endearing and showed strength, compassion, loyalty, and love, and for them to be just normal people? (as normal as Toa could be as an alien I suppose) while also being queer? I felt comfort and validation that I hadn't known was possible. I felt truly accepted and seen for who I was.
I remember sitting at my desk in class, drawing little images in my sketch book, drawing Jett and Toa on my worksheets, writing little fanfics in my journals, infodumping on my friends about your game and being filled with so much joy about what you had created. Your game opened up avenues to me I hadn't thought existed, and I think I have you to thank for where I am now today.
I'm a 19 year old highschool graduate, who has found security in his trans identity and homosexuality, who has a passion and deep love for creating characters, and writing stories, and making worlds that hopefully other people can find comfort and love within, just like the comfort and love I found within yours.
I hope that whatever you're doing, whether it be working on more games, or searching for new ventures in the world, that your days are filled with nothing but wonder.
Truly, thank you.
I don't think I can describe how touched I feel by your words. I'm crying irl as I type this (in a good way!). It makes me so, so happy that somebody could be affected by a story I made in such a way. I remember that seeing bi characters in video games and other media helped me acknowledge my own sexuality back when I was a teenager, so the fact that somebody else was able to find comfort in my own work in the same way is so cool. Hooray for you being your best gay trans self!!!
You've made my whole day, week, month, etc. so thank you for coming back to leave this lovely update! And when you finish that VN, send me a link!! I want to play it. <3 Lately I have been writing and drawing my Final Fantasy XIV character a bunch, which is fun, but I really ought to get back to writing my original stories. The fact that people still come back to leave comments on this old project warms my heart like nothing else.
This seriously might be the nicest thing I've ever read and affirmed a lot of the reasons why I create and just, aaaaaaaaa!!!
I wasn't sure if you still wanted to or not but!! I did finally finish the demo of my game! https://apriapriapri.itch.io/watching-the-watcher Thank you for inspiring me to create what I never thought I could!
