THIS IS SO BEAUTIFULLLL, I HAVE NO WORDS! It's simply gorgeous! Tender, sweet, dreamlike, melancholic...everything that I was expecting from a Butter-game and MORE.
First of all, the WRITING. The writing is SO GOOD. The style is beautifully poetic, but the emotions that are contained in it are also so sweet and poignant! Brielle's love towards Lukas is conveyed with such heart and genuine feeling, and the use of metaphor and alliteration is stunning.
The visuals are GORGEOUS, and the soft, painterly style also perfectly suits the tone of the story, lending it a soft, dreamy feel! The sprite and background are both beautifully rendered with so much detail. Brielle's hair is SO PRETTY! The pink in Brielle's hair stands out so well against the general blue color palette, and the soft blue outlines and lights added to the different elements in the scene really emphasized the feeling of melancholy. The musicbox BGM is both sweet and sad, acting as the perfect backdrop for the game. The little animations (the snow, the glowing, etc.) added so much atmosphere as well!
I LOVE the continual use of symbolic motifs. The snow both symbolizes Lukas/the LI while also evoking images of winter - the "end" of Brielle's love. The threads simultaneously represent the different "timelines" that Brielle travels to while also symbolizing the connection between her and Lukas (almost like a red string of fate). The snow and threads imagery are both incorporated beautifully into the logo and UI, and a soft dusting of snow is also included on Brielle and Lukas' hair. Brielle even has snowflake earrings! The flower imagery is also so beautiful and meaningful, as well, from the forget-me-nots behind the windows (symbolizing true love and devotion) to the daisies and baby's breath in the vase (symbolizing purity/new beginnings/hope). At the end, as Brielle and Lukas both disappear, blue roses appear in their place - perhaps representing "the unattainable/longing," or "true but unrequited love" - as Brielle gives up on her love in this timeline. There's so much thought and meaning packed into every single artistic choice, I'm simply flabbergasted at the attention to detail!
SPOILERS But I legitimately teared up when I chose to "time travel" at the end of the story, and Lukas finds Brielle again! It really leaves this bittersweet tale on such an unexpectedly happy note, and I love how you finally see Lukas' face on the start screen after that happens - as he reunites with Brielle in the future.
I loved this so much, butter!! I can't wait to see what you'll make in the future! (Thank you for giving me the honor of beta-reading!)