I read through this a few months after it came out, but this is possibly the best Team Anpim story so far. From the slightly longer length, to the hefty number of backgrounds and CGs. The interactions between these two are the star of the show. I personally didn't mind that most of the story was a "slow burn". I'll keep my thoughts short as to not spoil too much. I hope that they continue to make the cheesy yuri stories that we all love.
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When I read the description for the game and saw that it was inspired by many big titles that I recognized and enjoyed, my expectations were immediately set high.
From the moment you click start, the transition is subtle and sets the tone for the dark and gritty world you're soon introduced to after. The world building and environments compliment the tone perfectly. I'm glad that those who worked on the game really fleshed out everything before releasing the Prologue. It really paid off in waves as I'm sold on the idea of it now.I unfortunately didn't realize there was an extended version, and went through the original release.
Reflection was a short but definitely not sweet game.
In my video, I talk a lot about the psychological aspects of what was going on. Had there been more to the story, I would've loved to dive deeper into what was going on in Ivy's life. If y'all ever decide to make a version of the game that's longer like Graveyard Girls (which I also enjoyed) I will definitely revisit this!
Otome's aren't my usual genre of visual novels, but I decided to give Diffraction a try today. I was initially drawn in by the professionally designed characters, and stayed for the gloomy backgrounds that manage to have incredible depth in them.
You might think Faine and Hendric are the stars of the show, but truly it is Hat Boy and Purse Girl. These wonderful side characters shine in comparison to Guy Who Runs Away and Broken Phone Dude. In all seriousness though, I did enjoy the two main boys.Going down one branch of options, Hendric was a fiend for candy and in another, he was confident and teasing April. Clearly the popular guy who has no trouble with money or women. I of course selected the option to suggest grabbing both gummies, like any normal person would. Hen agreed, and suggested he might regret it during the middle of the night if he didn't. A wise choice if you ask me.
Faine hiding under the table was peak comedy for me. He REALLY wanted to avoid running into us, perhaps something happened in the past that he's embarrassed about. Seems like the talented, but silent type. Doesn't want too much recognition for his achievements, but would rather do what he enjoys in peace. I could be totally off, but that was my impression of him. I think I needed to make some different dialogue choices, because we didn't get to chat as much as I'd like to.
My overall impression was quite positive. April is a great protagonist, who is given an extensive list of dialogue options to choose from. I don't likely belong to the intended audience for this, but I appreciate the love and quality put into this project. Great job on this, hope to see it finished in the future!
Can’t go wrong with a healthy lunch of artificial blood and cup of noodles!
Coming in at just over an hour of play time, Secret Satiation is a great way to spend your time on a strangely relatable at times Yuri novel. Whether it’s having a hard time getting up in the morning, or wanting to suck the life out of a co-worker!
Ada’s sprite is top tier with her small fang appearing in her smirk. The included CGs were both wonderful and up to par with what I expect from Team Anpim. When it came to the writing, it was passable. From my understanding, they finished this in a couple of weeks which makes the lack of polish at times forgivable. Having a Vampire protagonist was certainly an exciting idea which they haven’t had anything like in their other novels as far as I’m aware. The puns that resulted were subtle and entertaining :)
Secret Satiation isn’t Team Anpim’s greatest masterpiece, but it’s a worthy novel that perhaps lead to some of the wonderful titles we have from them today. They’ve continued to refine their formula over the years, and even their early works show a love for the genre. I would very much like to see them form their own studio one day where they can work on these full time. If only I wasn’t poor I’d fund it myself!
Thanks again for the game. Will be playing the last two I’ve yet to try here soon!
Erin and Ori's story isn't a complicated one, but is beautiful for a few reasons I'd like to talk about.
Collaborating with Pempille who made Nothing Special (I really should play that sometime) was a decision that made this novel go from good to spectacular. Dark and muted painted backgrounds lent themselves well to creating an almost nostalgic feeling winters night. My only small gripe would be with Ori. I feel like her default face almost makes her look like a deer in headlights. That aside, the art is truly the highlight of this visual novel for me. Both CG's are perfect.
The story to me was average, but hear me out. I think it was perfectly acceptable, and at times felt natural to read. The awkwardness that comes from going out on a date for the first time reminded me of when I was younger. I can attest that finding the right things to say when you're nervous is a real thing, and that this was conveyed well. I just feel that the trope of keeping a big secret (not remembering Ori intially) and the themes of bullying discussed are rather common for Yuri novels. This can be taken as more of a criticism of the genre itself. There's really only so many ways you can add drama and depth to a story. I don't want this to be taken as a harsh criticism, as the characters themselves were great and had believable personalities.
Through and through, It's A Promise is worthy of the mere hour that it asks of you to finish. I would recommend cozying up in bed, and sipping on a warm drink as you play. Use the opportunity to recall a few fond memories you have of past winters as you're immersed in the lovely atmosphere this can create for you.
Thanks to Foxpancakes and the rest of the team who helped to bring this game to us, even if they weren't able to make the Winter VN Jam deadline.
Slowly making my way back through Team Anpim's entire catalog of wonderful Yuri games, I arrive at One's Lonesome, Two's Company. The entire pacing of the game feels quite different from their newer titles. Immediately you're thrown into Kotone getting beaten up, with Hibiki being introduced soon after. It's not apparent that either are lesbians, instead focusing on getting to know one another and becoming friends first.
Our two main girls are both great in their own ways, I'd like to briefly touch on what I liked and disliked about them. Starting off with Kotone... She's actually a very responsible person, despite some of her quirkiness that can make her appear as a delinquent at times. In contrast, Hibiki who has a more uniform appearance is actually in need of help when it comes to school work which I thought was entertaining. When it comes to things I would've changed, I have two things that come to mind. Hibiki is the daughter of a yakuza which I think could've been utilized more in the plot to make some interesting encounters. In regards to music, I thought the tracks chosen could've been better. My final nitpick is actually with Kotone's sprite believe it or not. It didn't match my expectations of a Team Anpim design. While in the CG's she looked great, having her always staring off into the distance made it hard to picture her talking to other people. This is only my opinion, but I wanted to include a few thoughts.Taking just slightly over two hours to complete the game, I was thoroughly happy with it. Each of these games I've played has managed to feel comfortably familiar, while being distinctive as its own story. It's nice to go back through and see a team who is incredibly consistent on releasing high quality games. Team Anpim has a wonderful artist and writer, who I only wish was able to dedicate themselves full time to creating wholesome Yuri novels.
I can fully recommend playing One's Lonesome, Two's Company in addition to their many other titles that I'm sure you will enjoy too!
Beautiful game to look at. I don't think I even got to see all of the different dialogue options that are available after multiple playthroughs. It definitely speaks to people who overthink things and tend to blame themselves when things go wrong.
"Please let us know what you think and if you come across any kinds of bugs/issues!!"
I will say that there are a few points where the grammar could be improved, or fix a word that was accidentally misspelled. "You reach the river, its walking distance from where you live" Could be changed to "You reach the river, it's in walking distance from where you live." or "You pass a flower shop" could be "You pass by a flower shop" little things like that. When you're by the river and you dig your nails into your palm, thinking is misspelled as thinknig.
Hopefully that helps! There was definitely more, but that's what I remembered off the top of my head.
Focus on the Light. Nothing but the Light Matters.
It was a strange experience playing this game. The choices you have to make are off-putting to say the least. You didn't have any happy endings or options to choose. Either you accept your fate, or try to run away from it. You cannot hide from your sins.
I would love to see an After Story for her and Juri. Maybe explore how her family reacts to Romi being engaged to another woman. You can also show their wedding day, and them opening up a coffee shop together at the end. It would be cute.
Thanks for watching my video and listening to my feedback. I appreciate y'all making such awesome games.
After playing My Dream is to be a Model, not a Maid! I knew I had to come back and play some of Team Anpims previous works. If you can forgive some of my horrible mispronunciations in the video, I'd like to write a few words about my experience.
With in the first ten minutes of the game, Juri was established as a character that many can relate to. Being in your early twenties, not having been in a relationship for awhile after feeling burnt out with the last one, asking if you could lay in bed forever and then you end up being late to work. These are all things I have felt in my life, perhaps you have too.
Our two main characters meet through Romi, a tall, beautiful, and handsome lady saving Juri who is rushing to get to her job and neglects to check both ways before crossing the street. While a bit of a cliché opening to our story, it leads to these two girls meeting and building a connection together through their shared experience; with many to follow. I quite enjoyed the interactions they have that are only possible because of their jobs. Their backstories and motivation behind their line of work are humble and down to earth. It's refreshing to hear about two everyday people finding something they are passionate about that isn't some crazy far off dream.
I would like to once again, compliment Team Anpim on making a novel that a twenty something year old can respect and appreciate. There will always be certain elements stretched out for story purposes, (i.e Juri being so DENSE sometimes) but many of the small interactions feel like they could actually happen. Overall, it took me just under two and a half hours to complete the entirety of the story. The pacing is great, it never feels like a scene goes on for far too long. With the humor being a big positive for me, I'm able to genuinely laugh many times through out. Moving onto the art of the game, I would comment that it's consistent. If anything, maybe on the safer side. One theme I've noticed, at least in the two newest games, is that Anpim doesn't draw male characters in at all. Not that this is a negative, but I'm curious to see how their style would translate. My favorite moments are often whenever there's a CG being displayed. It never manages to not capture the magic of the moment.
Managing to write more than I intended, I'll share my closing thoughts. This was another high quality wholesome Yuri story. It never leans too heavily on private intimate encounters to show love between to characters, instead opting for the small moments in life that build a long lasting connection. Thank you again for another wonderful reading experience, I'm eagerly looking forward to whatever your next project will be. Even if it's a year away.
You find yourself in a small town, with the goal of finding and eliminating "The Serpent". The leader of a rebellious group who doesn't want to conform to the countries rule.
I want to lead with the fact that I enjoyed the game, there are many aspects which are big positives. The general premise works, and the ending is satisfying. Where my problems come into play, is the engine chosen, and the length of the game. I hope to share a bit of constructive criticism.Starting with the base of the game, I honestly couldn't tell you what the game is running on. I greatly believe that it could've benefited from running on something simple and recognizable like Renpy. There are a few moments where the camera pans, and effects are used for snow, which may have required something more powerful or different. In regards to the story, it being as short as it was, lead to the characters not being properly fleshed out. What was there, is excellent, but I put too much thought into who the leader was, even though I didn't need to. This could entirely be a flaw of the time limit imposed for the Winter VN Jam, or a personal decision to keep it straight forward and quick but I stand by my thoughts that there was potential left on the table.
Ending off some of my thoughts, for twenty minutes this was absolutely worth the time to play. The artwork was surprisingly nice to look at, with there being an acceptable level of polish overall. I hope to see more creative ideas like this in the future.
The Last Matches tries to give The Little Match Girl a happier ending, and in some ways succeeded, but her journey is still full of hardships and sorrow. Our story starts off simple, with Poppy trying to sell some bundles of matches before the holidays. With it getting late, she slips into a nearby alcove and lights a few to keep her warm, and with them, memories of the past flood her mind.
Poppy's tale features more tragedy to me, than it ever did happy moments. From losing a loved one, to having an absent Dad. Both situations that I can relate to personally. I became stuck on the many bad things that happen to her before she ever has a glimmer of true happiness later in life. The CG's are comforting, and I included what many would consider a spoiler for the thumbnail of my video to remind anyone who watches that there are moments of joy in it. I felt often that her situation was hopeless while playing, and most of the game is that way. My playtime came in just above the hour, and fifteen minute mark. Plenty of time to give you two endings, one of which is faithful to the original work, and the other which gives much needed relief from the many heart wrenching scenes you'll have to watch.This is a well designed Visual Novel, I had mixed emotions after playing it which made it one of my harder reviews to write. Perhaps that is just a testament to the quality of the game, because I had to really think and digest it after playing.
It's a slow day living the life of a traveling fortune teller, until the second prince of the kingdom bursts into your tent looking for Lady Madaline. Whom he recently called off his engagement with, as he has reason to suspect that she stole their families Royal Jewels.
You go through out the story with dialogue choices to help both the Prince and the Countess as many of the options lead to you sympathizing with both. They have valid reasons for their actions, and you as the reader can decide if they're justified. I personally feel that Lady Madaline had other options, but is a bit of a trouble maker and thus chose the path that she did. All of the characters were engaging to talk to, with some sentences having poor grammar which took away from the otherwise great conversations. With some polish, I really do think sentence structure and spelling could be fixed rather easily. The one element of the game that did confuse me, was choosing a card. I had to select multiple to get the right one, which I assume had to do with my dialogue options up until that point. I feel as if this system could be improved in some way, but I don't have any particular suggestions.The artwork was easily one of my favorite things about the game. From the characters and backgrounds which are incredibly detailed, to the couple of CG's that are viewable. My playtime took over 40 minutes, obtaining both endings. I didn't read through all of the available dialogue. There are many options you can choose, but I was most interested in seeing what each ending looked like. Both of which are satisfying, even if I would've liked them fleshed out more with accompanying visuals. This was Yaryankune's first Visual Novel, and I would like to say that they did a wonderful job. There were many elements I liked, and most of my complaints are things that could be easily fixed. I hope that this is the beginning of many immersive stories to come. There is great potential here.
It's a cold Winters night, and an unfamiliar voice asks if you're awake. To your surprise, it seems you're trapped in the storm together.
Another brilliant game from LazyTiger, who seems to be always able to execute great ideas in a visual novel format. The introduction to the game is immediate, and threw me off quite a bit. I didn't quite realize what was going on at first, but quickly things started to take shape. Once you get into the story of the game, it's not exactly unpredictable per say. I knew where it was going, but still found myself anxious and that to me makes it stand out when you're talking about a horror game. Anticipation of something happening can be more impactful than actual scary events. Winters does a fantastic job of unnerving you as the reader. With a length of roughly fifteen minutes, you can't go wrong with a quick playthrough late at night.
Have you ever wanted to give Sayori a Christmas present because she's precious, and must be protected? Well... Now you can! Ask one of your favorite girls for advice on what to get your best friend, and go shopping for the perfect gift. A short Christmas DDLC Visual Novel, that can be completed in under 15 minutes.
Being an adult comes with many responsibilities, and for many, it can be absolutely overwhelming. Sometimes you just need to float around in a giant pot of boiling water and contemplate if your life has meaning.
Froggy is doing just that, while avoiding all of the worries of the world. Talking to her was like talking to myself at times. I'm an adult, I have many things on my mind all through out the day. I too need a break every once in awhile.This was a cute game with simple artwork and dialogue. Nothing overly complex, just a relaxing experience that helps you think about the bigger picture. It took me less than twenty minutes to complete both endings. Yes, apparently there is "secret" ending that I may have stumbled upon as a joke. You can complete it just fine without getting it, but it was an unexpected surprise that made me laugh quite a bit.
If you need some you time, play it for yourself. You can't go wrong with a cute frog girl.
I wouldn't feel too bad about Stevens being more popular, it's really short and playable in the browser which makes it easy to get into. Waterborne getting more attention in the future I think is just a matter of getting your name out there. Once people associate your work with quality games, you'll build up a following. I'm definitely looking forward to whatever projects you release in the future.
How I managed to not know about this game for almost three months is a crime that I have set out to make up for by finally playing it.
Waterborne starts off as an unsuspecting night out in the woods as you awake in a dimly lit cabin with the sound of rain and Beethoven. After a myriad of puns and looking through the area, you're able to meet Jordan, a lovely young woman who tests your knowledge of video game music by playing snippets on the guitar. You soon learn through your conversations that the night was more eventful than you first thought, and the real story begins from there. I'll leave my brief description at that. It's worth finding out what happens for yourself.I found out about LazyTiger's work through their short game "Stevens", and that game was unable to prepare me for the level of quality that Waterborne has to offer. From the artwork that is incredibly stylistic and makes everything pop to life, to the dialogue that is crafted to feel natural for the most part. My playtime came to just over an hour, and I was able to complete both endings with some help from the game's creator on Twitter. I didn't realize you could keep going with some dialogue options at the end to change the outcome.
What you end up with is a great short story that has more room to be expanded on in the future. The narrative and characters are intriguing and leave you wanting to know more. Different parts of the game reminded me of some of my favorite media such as Gravity Falls, and Life is Strange or perhaps an Escape Room. I hope to see a continuation, or at least more games like this in the future!
My Dream Is To Be A Model, Not a Maid! comments · Posted in My Dream Is To Be A Model, Not a Maid! comments
I'm late to writing a review of the game due to being sick, but I'd have to be truly dying to not write a few words about one of my favorite games of the year.
My Dream is to be a Model, not a Maid! has a strong focus on our two main characters. Aoi and Akane. Two girls who appear to be almost incompatible in every way. Our story starts off with an accident leading to Akane becoming a maid for Ms. Mikawa, and through time, we begin to see them grow beyond that of just an "employer and employee" relationship. I won't go further into the details than that. It's a journey worth experiencing for yourself to thee end. My emotional attachment to the characters grew through each encounter, and while I was happy by the end of the game, I was left wanting more.Akane who goes from ""I'm hot, I'm cute, I'm pretty. What more could they ask for?"" to being humbled as a maid and friend to Aoi is a great story and one worth listening to. The character art and backgrounds made me feel immersed in each scene, with my only gripe being that I would like to see more CG's! (I know there's already a fair amount for such a short game, but I loved all of them so much.) Each piece of music was relaxed, and managed to fit the atmosphere of each environment. The dialogue is written well enough to have you laughing, and then later focusing on every word in anticipation of what happens next. My total play time came to two and half hours, which exceeds many short games that I play. I had no problems with the pacing, it was very rare that I had wanted to get through a conversation quicker.
Team Anpim gets a 5/5 from me, for writing a fantastic love story that isn't between high schoolers. They're even my same age!（‐＾ ▽ ＾‐）I also wanted to say thank you for the "Afterwords". I loved getting more context about your decisions with the game, and your thoughts about it.
Amelie is a beautiful game that will appeal to any fans of the Haunting of Hill House series.
I'm quite the wimp when it comes to horror, but I became deeply engrossed in the story that slowly unravels itself to be more than it first appeared. (I love when games do that!) The entirety of the game took me over 2 hours, completing every route. Every CG and background made the experience great, and the sound changed at the appropriate times to amplify the suspense of it all. I was worried that for two hours, spending $4 would be a hard ask, but I'm happy to say that it was money well spent. A great entry to the Yuri Game Jam.Trying to tell an entire story in under 10 minutes is an impressive feat, and Maia manages to accomplish this. A simple video chat between girlfriends that ends up being more than it seems.
My overall play time was around 5-7 minutes, and the game was quite polished for being made in two days. The ending was conclusive, (or was it?) and the characters, well written. Cleary this isn't Foxpancakes first game, as most people wouldn't be able to make something of this quality in such a short time.
She Already Has Someone She Likes?! comments · Posted in She Already Has Someone She Likes?! comments
Understanding if someone likes you can be hard. We've all seen the "Is she into you?" video by Casually Explained. It's not always straight forward. In the case of our main character, Shizuka, she's desperate to know who exactly Mai is interested in.
With well written dialogue, and back and forth's that will have you laughing, give the game a try for yourself. The pacing was in my opinion, right where it should be. I didn't feel like I was stuck on one scene for too long. My overall play time was just over an hour, which is on par with what the description says is expected. Looking at Studio Chuunibyou's profile, I can only see this game, and I find it hard to believe this is their first work. The level of detail and quality I would put on par with someone who has already made a few novels before. I wholeheartedly recommend this game, and hope to see more like it from Chuunibyou in the future.An interesting idea, held back by the one month development time. It was clear to me through playing, that thought had been put into what the story would be, but the writing and grammar fell flat. Majority of my time reading, or speaking out loud for my video, was spent having to decode how sentences were supposed to be read. It took me out of the moment almost constantly, which is a big disappointment for a game that's supposed to be psychological. I want to be immersed, but it will take more development time to get the game there.
My other criticism would be with the characters. No one stood out to me. Our MC being named Moon felt out of place, considering the game is called Half Moon. I understand you could interpret this as a literal Half Moon, or of the killer being half of him, but it was stated that there are other cases like this. I would've gone with another name, but perhaps it works.
I have more points, but I will leave it at this. Can I really complain too much about a Visual Novel that was only made in a month? I want this game to be truly great. It might be in the future. For now it is not, and I want my critique to serve as fuel to continue improving upon the idea of the "Half Moon Phenomenon" and making changes that will benefit the game going forward.
My Dear Delirium was a different experience than I expected. It started off with very little explanation, and left me with more questions as the game went on. Then the flip happens... You see the story from one view as you select the first choice. Going back and selecting the second choice, your whole perception of events changes as you see from Elliot's eyes. Hopefully that isn't too big of a spoiler, I would definitely recommend experiencing the game for yourself if that description interests you. Overall a well written short story for people who like something that isn't what it first appears to be. Playing through both endings took me around 40 minutes, listening to all voice acted dialogue, and reading aloud the rest.
A story told through small interactions at an outdoor market. There was a good balance of wholesome everyday conversation, and more deeper, personal topics. Overall, I really liked how relatable the characters could be even if I don't personally identify with their situation or struggles in exactly the same way. It ended up taking me closer to 50 minutes of play time, going through all the available options. Give it a try if you're in the mood to play a short conversation heavy, holiday yuri visual novel.
I've only done one ending so far, but this has managed to stress me out so much lol. I'm too used to playing Visual Novels with all the time in the world. My only immediate criticism would be to make the important objects stand out more. There was times when I was just randomly clicking to find things because the glow around them was too hard to see. Maybe that was just me not being observant enough. Overall well done for making this in only two weeks.