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Congrats on beating the demo!
I desperately hope your interest doesn't completely fade by the time the full game is released =3

Thank you so much for your kind words, happy you enjoyed the demo. It really means a lot to me and boosts the determination to finish the full game even more!

It's hard to say exactly how long the whole story will end up being. Consider the demo to be approximately 30% of the entire game.

It's great you've been noticing easter eggs. There are also little refferences to, e.g., Undertale and Skyrim, and many others (perhaps not so obvious though).

Amazing that you finally found the treasure! It is pretty crucial to the old guy's arc, storywise. Also you can try to solve the puzzle with the small birds in the city if you want.

As for the Carnival points - consider this to be a special attack meter (like in fighting games or TPs in RPGs) and not your typical MPs (nevertheless, you can still fill up you Carival gauge and use Carnival-based abilities outside of the battle but you can't keep them for a combat - and vice versa). I wanted Carnival points to be that way to compliment the lore, that chaotic, under-researched nature of Carnival energy. On the other hand, Feint (purple) gauge works as a regular MP gauge.

And my special gratitude to you acknowledging the language, that means a lot!

Thank you,
working hard on the update now.
As for the rats, if I were you, I'd look closer at the strange cabinet with vials in the room on the top right from the rat swarm ;)

Hey,
thanks for playing!

Yes, of course you can open it, just try to find some clues during your mirror conversations!

Thank you, Nolan,
I'm really grateful for your time and critique!
I commented on some points under your video there, just wanted to hightlight one thing again: the entire text was translated manually (no machine translation at all), and the main creative goal was to reproduce the stylistic features of classical authors from the Renaissance, modernity, and the Victorian era. There are nearly verbatim quotes from Leo Perutz, Charles Dickens, E.T.A. Hoffmann, and François Rabelais - both the sublime Gothic style and the carnival humor. Anyway, thanks for pointing out the inaccuracies; there’s always room for improvement.

Thank you, Ryder, for this high appreciation of my work. 
I prepare some improvements for the demo right now (and play your beautiful piece too).

Thank you, would be glad to cooperate in the future development.

Thank you, I'll do my best to deliver!

Pitch Black Secrets of Epiotica is a Renaissance fantasy turn-based RPG in development inspired by SNES and PS1 classics with some detective twists and tons of sophisticated narrative. You can play a five-hour demo right now:

Premise

Grotesque murders are happening in the Neuctian Republic, lit by the moonlight. The task of solving the mystery falls upon a swift and slightly arrogant warrior named Triché, who flies through the night skies on a giant bat and belongs to the Order of the Sisters of the Glaive. As she delves deeper into a world of dark streets, carnival masks, and strange creatures, Triché begins to understand that every secret leads to another, each one more terrifying than the last.

Conceptual landmarks   

Sources of inspiration included vintage masterpieces such as Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI, Persona 2, Lufia II, as well as European texts imbued with the spirit of carnival and adventure, primarily Nocturnes and Fantasy Pieces in Callot's Manner by E. T. A. Hoffmann and Gargantua and Pantagruel by F. Rabelais.

Key Features

⚜ Detective Story. Unravel intricate plots and events behind gruesome murders. Talk to people, notice inconsistencies. Pulling one thread can reveal something unimaginable.

⚜ Recursion. Listen to the stories of random strangers and play as them inside their memories. Everything is interconnected.

⚜ Captivating Lore. Immerse yourself in the nocturnal world of the Neuctian Republic, with its masquerade deceptions, political intrigues, and complex human destinies. Everyone has something to hide. Nothing is as it seems.

⚜ Tactical turn-based battles. Engage in clashes with whimsical creatures in the valleys of Epiotica and the marginalized denizens in the dark streets of Parletto City. Challenge the archaic darkness lurking in the corners! Your weapons are knowledge: medicine, music, science of bestiaries, astrophysics, and the mysterious energy of the Carnival.

⚜ Sophisticated Arsenal. Inspire the blacksmith with old tales to create masterpieces of weaponry, invent cutting-edge medicines and poisons, fill bottles with new liquids, exchange empty ones for money with the Glassblower, or simply throw those glass at them who fear it!

⚜ Rich Cuisine of Epiotica. No more potions, ethers or elixirs! Savor the most exquisite delicacies and drink the finest wines to restore your strength and abilities.

⚜ The Ultimate Selling Point. You can pet all the cats and dogs in the game.

Gallery

I will greatly appreciate feedback, please enjoy!