itch.io

I tried the game, but i feel like 
[SPOILERS]


The fact that we can't actually walk beyhond and have the cat irl is very frustrating. Not because i don't understand the message, but because i'd like to see for myself if - whatever the thing that gave me this opportunity is - would take into account the pain the cat is in, or if the cat would be fine as if they were never hurt to begin with.

I felt like my choice didn't really matter, since eitherway, i would have looked back. I'd like to have had even just a nod to this, maybe having the cat come back, and then immediately collapse. Or let the cat be okay, or hell, even have the cat suffer through the same pain she went through before. It'd be cruel, and that'd be the point of why you'd want to look back.

I also struggled to empathize with the idea of "what would she think?" because i personally see animals in a more cynical light. i tend to not anthropomorphise them as much in everyday settings. So for me, a human, (or an anthropomorphic cat) would have worked better with the whole "do they really want this?"

Like, if my cat was purring, i'd assume they'd be happy to see me. And if they were getting further, i'd assume it'd be either a test from -whatever the thing that gave me this opportunity is- or just her being a cat and having brain space for 1 thought at a time (aka, either walking, or looking around)

/////////////

from a technical standpoint, i really liked the music, it's very soothing. And the SFX choice was also really good!

The visual aesthetic is pleasant, and cozy. And i think that, for people that empathized more with the choice of looking back than i did, it only adds to the feeling of helplessness. There's no sound nor visual of the protagonist. We only read their words, and through them, we think more about how the cat would feel.

[END OF SPOILERS]

Okay, so, here's a review of the game so far, i'd also suggest putting a "WIP" somewhere in the Bio cause i was so sad when i got prompted with the "to be continued screen"!

The Art

I like the style a whole lot, you meet the perfect balance between realistic anatomy and stylized, and you also have a lot of character in your coloring and lineart, i defo hope you'll do more of those mugshots cause they're super cute!
one thing that i realized in the park scenes
buy those stock photos my guy x3
of course, with the game still being a wip, i'm kidding, for now you should focus more on...

The Story

I do like the intriguing aspects of it! it has a unique spin and feel on the college student narrative i've never actually seen, (not that i play many games anyways, but it felt very very fresh.

SPOILERS over here vvv
I'm so loving the bunker scene, it gave me chills! which, is to say, i had to turn on the lights. It's such a shame the game ended so abrouptly, i'll have the mistery you laid out corrode me from the inside for a lot! x3
Defo looking forward to more, i'm not a story writer, but i'm most confident this story is worth at least... 1 cookie out of a jar!
SPOILERS over there ^^^

Next, we got The Characters

The characters are realistic, i do like Ian a lot and hope we'll be able to eventually fuck kiss him! Andrew's cool too, but i didn't exactly get why Spencer hates him so much, it'd be nice to have a little more backstory to their whole relationship. 
This neatly ties into my main issue:

The MC.

SPOILER territory! vvv
Spencer as a character's... kinda... not that great, and not in the sense that he's written poorly, just that, in my playthrough i felt more connected to Ian than him. The fact that you can add where you come from and stuff, further makes me feel even more disconnected from him because of how radically different we are. I did like the Anxiety scenes, those did a good job at making you feel like Spencer, but that quickly fades away when he talks rudely about others and overall is a prick to everyone around him. I'd overall just like more choice from the MC, if that's something you're thinking about implementing.
SPOILER territory! ^^^

In all seriousness, it's a game i'll definitely reccomend to my friends, it has got good writing, good story, good characters, and a nice, kind of spooky kind of chill Atmosphere.

Personally an 8/10.

Aaaahhh  Worf's such a cutie, and wholesome too, definitely husbando material!

As for the game itself, it's super super nice and i really enjoyed it, solid characters, cute designs, nice pixelart style and it's the perfect lengh for a late game night, and it made tonight incredibly peaceful and sweet. 

If i'm going to sleep with a smile on my face is especially thanks to this game. ^^

I wish to see more in the future. <3

Dude... This game is... ugh i love every single aspect of it. Seriously, i will never be able to describe how good it felt to cry as i watched the characters (mainly on Sissel's route, although i still have a huge crush for Phillip hahaha) develop and reveal more of themselves. Not sure at which point of Sissel's route i am, but dude.

The writing, the exploration of the characters, the funny moments (although sometimes i wish the scene would just stay serious but i feel like that only added to the overall experience). Everything's just so.. perfect it's almost incredible you're still calling this a WIP (even though i might understand why that is >v>;)

although i'm SO INCREDIBLY  HAPPY you left it free to download so far (cause really, it's like, super amazing and you definitely deserve some money out of it), don't be afraid to put a price tag on it, really, it'll be worth the price.

Shame it ended on the first day, it was getting kinda interesting!

the world and the character(s) are developed enough to leave you questioning what else you might not know about the society, especially with that fish section.

a few notes: 

I couldn't see the character that well. 

Please do add more contrast to the characters sketches when overlapping them with the bg, for example: paint the sketch in with grey, even a sloppy fill is better than no fill at all!

The intro

(This is just a small thing which didn't ruin the experience at all) i didn't honestly enjoy the intro. I can't pin point exactly what it is but it just feels  boring, and a bit cahotic too. maybe adding a small sequence of pictures to show what happens and then immediately dropping the player on the beach instead of a black void with text would have made me more invested.

Overall it's a good prototype and i'll be definitely looking forward for updates UvU and next time i'll be sure to keep my hands off of Ritch's stuff ;v;