itch.io

I have very mixed feelings about this VN.  On the one hand, it was very emotionally impactful and also, frankly, very weird (in a good way!), which are both traits that I absolutely love in a VN!  Also, there is a great deal of artistry present throughout; in addition to the amazing art, the author took full advantage of techniques that are only available in this medium, such as careful choices of the speed at which words and images are presented, and repeating loops of words and images at particularly charged moments.

On the other hand, I was incredibly disappointed by the way that it set up a lot of compelling intrigue and world-building that implied the existence of a great mystery that would eventually be revealed, only to seemingly throw it all away with a bizarre change of direction in the style and setting.  It felt a lot like at some point the author got stuck as to how to proceed, so instead they started anew with a different story that technically followed directly from the proceeding story yet was very distinct from it.  As a result, the ending left me more than a little unsatisfied.

Having said that, the VN was clearly about emotions and character development, with the world existing as a frame for the story rather than a primary focus.  Viewed this way, it was very successful because I could not help feeling what the main character was feeling throughout the whole story, which made it incredibly compelling.  In fact, it was so compelling that I played for several hours straight because I could not put it down until I reached the end!

So again, I have very mixed feelings about this VN, because it was really good at what it was really good at, but on the other hand it also felt like a tease, so I wish that it had either fully resolved the mystery about the true nature of the setting, or that it had not gone out of its way to set up the existence of a mystery since this was clearly not a major focus of the story anyway.  However, having read my review, the reader will now know that this VN does this going in, so if this will not bother you, and all of the positives in my review make this VN sounds great, then you should definitely check it out!  (However, DO TAKE THE CONTENT WARNINGS VERY SERIOUSLY!!!)

Very pretty!

Oh, cool, I loved The Life We've Chosen!  When are you planning on releasing the full game?

Wow!  That was a really good twist on the medium, and a really creative way to stay within the small word and asset count while still creating an interesting experience.

What a beautifully written and illustrated story! I purchased the Queer Games Bundle in part because I wanted this particular game as it looked like it would be a good one, and my expectations were exceeded!  Thank you for creating this.

Much better!  I was able to get the turtle all the way to the party this time, which was as cute as I'd been hoping.  :-)

Actually, it took me a couple of tries to do this.  The first time I missed that I had all the planks that I needed to create a bridge over the rocks so I went all the way to the right, dropped off the presents, and the game told me I'd won while my turtle was still waiting to cross the rocks.  I'd suggest having the game win condition trigger when the turtle arrives at the end, not when the player arrives.  (Also, my wife suggests that when your turtle arrives he should get a birthday hat, but that is optional. :-) )

Tahis games looks adorable, but sadly it seems like you can't even get past the second "puzzle" because, whenever you use a pebble to activate the turtle elevator to get it on the hill, the elevator tosses the turtle onto the ground, and there's no way to bring the elevator back.  I've tried quitting and re-attempting the puzzle several times with the same result.

I'm very sorry, but for the benefit of people considering whether to buy this game I have to say that it is really boring.  I spent most of my time wandering around aimlessly in a world filled with fog where you can't see where you are or where you are supposed to go.  I also have no idea how you are supposed to defeat enemies because it is nearly impossible to hit them without coming in so close that they can take swipes at you.

My favorite part was the background music; it really brought the story to life!