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Oh most definitely haha I didn't think anyone else would know the manga. I love Kurokawa and the original manga a lot and AtW follows its general plot (some lines are even word for word the same). I'm not sure if you know but the original writer passed away. Originally I made this story as a little homage so the characters can "live on" in a way. AtW does end up diverging halfway through so at least it can stand alone. Even though it's similar, I hope you liked Aelfric the Wondrous!

Posting a comment here because Walt and I played your game (I forced him) and we almost cried. 

The world-building is phenomenal...the puzzling together of perfectly laid out evidence, the slow realization that everything may not be as surface-level and innocent as it seems. I wish I could show this game to a million people. I played it a long time ago when it came out and thought it was fantastic! It's cool to replay it and experience everything again. 

Thank you Bri! I'm happy you enjoyed my boys so much, they were very interesting to write! 

It's nice being able to write atypical characters like that, so Leo has a soft spot in my heart even if he is the way he is. There is method to the madness lol I can't say it gets much better from here on out but thanks for being part of the ride!

Thank you for playing Milo! And for the in-depth review omg

What I wouldn't give to see you and Bri's playthrough haha, this game was hard to write because I'm used to writing silly comedic stories so I'm glad the mood felt correct. I also love forcing people to make questionable decisions. 

Wolf is the cutest! He's just a sweet, little guy <3 

I'm glad you enjoy the story thus far! :^)

I happened across this game on twitter and it's beautiful! I love the painterly art style and pacing of the story. All of the characters have interesting dilemmas and I'm totally in love with Rue!!  She has bewitched my body and soul...I appreciate the trans representation as well. I'm always happy to see characters with explicitly queer narratives and I'm excited to see Poppy's growth as a character. I'm looking forward to future development!

I finally got around to reading this! Makai and Rhett are so so sweet, I really liked their distinct personalities even if sometimes I wanted to grab Makai by the shoulders and shake him because he is such a dumb himbo. Their respective problems were interesting and I'm glad they talked it out and communicated! Rhett and Lola were prob my faves and you really nailed the mature forty something southern voice for Rhett, he was such a refreshing character. The pacing feels more cohesive to me compared to Tattoos and Tulips but I tend to like shorter and punchier stories so maybe that's why... As always the art, music, and GUI is so lovely like Joy your games are underrated fr, everyone who worked on this vn did such an amazing job! 

On an unrelated note I was so distracted every time Lola was on screen I wanted to date her so bad. Not as Makai (obviously) but as me, I want her hand in marriage LMAO

The game is still in development! Progress is slow going since I'm prioritizing other things but occasionally I post updates on twitter

For sure! I thought I'd leave a comment because this really was a great project! Haha, I did really take to Chrys's friend dynamic with Bea where he's a bit more honest. Definitely makes clear that he's just concerned and overthinks on top of his cynicism. I can tell a lot of work was put into this story, and excited for the future projects :^)

Ok so I finished this game a few days ago and wanted to organize my thoughts. First of all this game is incredibly high quality (and underrated!!) and everything from the GUI to the voice acting elevated the experience for me. I loved all of the characters, specifically Bea because she is such a homie and of course Shay and Chrys were very sweet throughout the game.

I love vns with drama and it was executed very well and relatably in this story. I was very much invested all the way to the end knowing both characters had baggage and it ended up working out in the end. I also think it's cute how Shay looks like he'd be dark and moody but it's the other way around and actually he's the ray of sunshine LOL. Grandma is also an unspoken MVP of this story and I very much enjoyed her relationship with Chrys, it's some of the most genuine stuff I've read in a vn.

Honestly I really enjoyed it, and it did not feel like 60,000 words because of how well the story was structured. Like it didn't feel like unnecessary filler or anything. As others have said I really look forward to the next project y'all decide to work on!!

Omg sorry for the late reply, I meant to respond sooner but lost track of things!

Yeah, I was definitely thinking about how Conrad had yet to prove his love, because while it was shown he had liked Aelfric the whole time he didn't act on his feelings. You really summed up what I was trying to achieve! As for Aelfric, there is definitely a lot more to his backstory and the whole Bloodbane thing was just the tip of the iceberg. I'm glad by the end of the story people could see him for who he really is!

Honestly I have such brainworms about them it's not even funny, but yeah Conrad refusing to reciprocate really was because he didn't want to end up hurting him :'^) Like in a way that was how he showed his love however much it hurt. Another thing that is unspoken but true is that Conrad genuinely likes Aelfric for who he is, as opposed to viewing him as a hero, or him being handsome or charming the way most people are smitten with Aelfric :_; 

But yeah I will send you the oneshot! Itch.io is a little less intuitive for me because I sometimes forget to check it but honestly I love talking about this stuff because I like dissecting my own characters and work so do not worry about that. I love talking about my ocs like who doesn't lmao

Hehehe i had a hunch it was you! Thank you for your thoughts Bri I'm glad both of you enjoyed the game. It's quite fortunate Aelfric happened to be Conrad's type as well LOL I had a lot of fun writing their dynamic :^)

Sure! I can message you on twitter about the oneshot :) After your comment I had to look up what Phaedra was about lol

Aaa I was hoping someone would notice that the first and second half mirrored their lifestyles! It's so insane that anyone other than myself would think so much about my characters so I really enjoyed reading your analysis and how you interpreted them :')

I agree, Aelfric is very devoted--I've always thought of it as ambition. He never does anything halfway and has a tendency of overworking himself. I think the difference between him and other heroic/ambitious characters is he struggles every step of the way. A major conflict he has is he cannot read social cues. That's why the barn scene is quite sad because Aelfric assumes he didn't communicate himself correctly which is why he restates his feelings. He's desperately trying to get a direct answer from Conrad because he doesn't know how to interpret an ambiguous one. I think readers can generally pick this up, but know Conrad can't give him the answer he needs. When the scene ends, Aelfric believes he's once again misread a situation even though it's not the case. He did everything right and still failed.

I don't know if that at all explains anything or simply restates what you already know LOL. Tbh I imagine Aelfric is probably on the spectrum even if I didn't intentionally write him that way. This is just the way he is--as much as I describe him as a himbo that would imply ignorance but he's aware and acknowledges his own faults but can't really do anything about it. Even if it causes problems sometimes, he accepts himself for who he is.

Anyways I could probably pick apart my characters all day, so thanks for giving me the opportunity to talk about them! I'll keep writing them and I'd love to hear how your thoughts develop over time :^)

I may or may not have already started reading it haha and thank you! Hopefully I'll be able to release a few more games within this next year :')

Hehehe thank you Milo :^)

The game would be so different if Aelfric was a smartass, but he is in fact a himbo. Maybe he and Edmund would've gotten along lol I'm glad yall got a laugh out of it and yesss I also enjoy Conrad!! Good taste. 

I will say Edmund doesn't necessarily deny that he is jealous of Aelfric XD

Aw thank you for the lovely review! I'm glad you enjoyed the game and characters, they are very dear to my heart <3 I'll have to play your game sometime! Sometimes a good kinetic novel is better than a dating sim hehe

My future stories will definitely not be this happy, but I definitely want to get around to making a sequel haha

I had to think about how to respond to this comment because it's also astounding to me haha. First, thank you for the review, this is quite the endorsement! If you ever find out what it is that made this a transcendental experience for you I'd love to know! 

Some backstory: This story is heavily influenced by a oneshot manga I read some time ago. I was similarly obsessed with this oneshot because it had something I couldn't find anywhere else but the author has since passed away. I think it affected me pretty badly knowing there quite literally would not be anything like it again. I read it in 2015 and to this day I still think about it and needed a continuation of the story in some form so I made Aelfric the Wondrous. The humor and overall vibe is the same but the setting and development is wildly different. Conrad and Aelfric's dynamic, however, is near identical to the couple in the source material. I was extremely obsessed with the oneshot that inspired this game, so even though I made it...I kind of know what you mean! I also feel silly about my thoughts on the matter so I didn't include it in the artbook but this is between you, me, and the people who happen to read this comment.

I tried my best to retain the spirit of the original oneshot, so maybe that's what it is? AtW is different enough to where it can stand alone, but it otherwise would not have existed without the source material. And the source material is very very close to my heart. I'm glad it can live on when people play my game.

Thank you for playing my game!! 😢

Hehe im glad you liked it <3

Hey Bri!! I finally got around to finishing your game and I could really see the love and care you guys put into it.

Although somewhat bittersweet, I loved to see Nova and MARC's plan come into fruition. Their relationship was so cute and I was kinda shocked they'd been dating for 5 years!! I wish I could see more glimpses into their relationship and also the world of Ikarus. It's clear Nova is an introvert but the bond they share with the rest of the mining group really gives the world a sense of community. I'm always a big fan of VN's that utilize an established setting with a history, and sense of the people who live there. Oddly enough I was kinda invested in what seemed like the development of a big corporation/gentrification happening on this planet, and what Nova would be doing underground but I'm sure that wouldn't be as wholesome of story haha.

My favorite parts of this VN was the worldbuilding and Rosco, I'm not even going to lie. The banter between him and Nova and his friendship with Marc added some context to their existing relationship (past mechanics etc.) which unexpectedly made me really appreciate his character! Although Nova and Marc's story is sweet, I think because their relationship is already stable I was more interested in Nova's relationships with the other characters. Overall, I had a fun time playing your game and learning about Ikarus, nice job making such a complete game in time!!

*Spoilers below*

I finally finished arc 4 and I have so many thoughts and feelings about this game...I love the character exploration and interactions, how horrifying the bad ends are and the way Iggy progressively remembers more and more with each arc. There's never a dull moment and I keep telling people about this game because it's so crazy. Genzou and Iggy's relationship breaks my heart in every arc but I also love Gidget and Orlam because of the moments where they're true selves come through. It just builds up really well but at the same time I want to shake my screen because I need these characters to have an honest conversation with each other. Anyways, I could say more but these characters are already living in my head rent free and they don't need more real estate. I love your game and seeing your progress, best of luck with act 5 Carrot!!!

Hey thanks for letting me know! Do you have a screenshot of where it happened? 

This game is such a visual treat Milo!! I love all the effects you've added, everything from the backgrounds and UI must've taken quite a lot of work! 

*theorizing* I'd like to think the traveler is an ancient ancestor of Fletcher which is probably why he's so handsome. Even if this demo is very short, I'm so curious about the details between Gale and Zephyr and whether a major conflict occurred! I was also surprised that the magpie stuff descends from royalty? The use of "we" and all that stuff Fletcher did made me think it was like a pagan cult lmao.

 I can't wait for the rest, I think the most interesting thing is definitely the lore and I'd love to learn more!! 

Your English is fine, thank you for leaving a comment and understanding. I definitely want to improve on the social media front of things and communicating with followers despite the anxiety so I'm very grateful for your kind words and will continue doing my best! 

I don't even know how to respond to this, but thank you. I definitely fall under that category for anxiety haha but more than anything I want to see this game finished. Your words are extremely encouraging and all I can say is that it's definitely one I'll come back to on a rainy day. I'll keep working through it!

Hi! Can I ask if you're using the itch.io app or web browser?

Hey Shiba! I love your work and I hope you're doing well! As for feedback for Otome Jam I personally would like to see additional 3 chapters of the common route just because I don't want to spoil myself for the romance routes haha. I imagine the extra interaction in the common route would give an idea of what the routes are like as well! 

Yup! I'm gonna be updating hopefully soon with a new estimated release date

Maybe once the game is finished! I'll need to find translators for sure 

Heyy Ari! I just had to play Fleeting right as it came out, and this was such a lovely break from homework. This was such an amazing demo so I'll just dump my thoughts into the feedback questions <3

1. What do you think about the main character, Masa?
   1. It's unusual to see a protagonist who seems more introverted/serious but also clearly has a violent streak. It makes him very interesting! It's refreshing for the story to be from his perspective
2. Who's your favorite character so far and why? 
   1. Masa himself, haha. I just think he's the most compelling character and I relate to him the most.
3. How's the pacing and writing?
   1. Soooo good!! I've played your other games and the mood and storytelling is so much more present in this game. I like how the scenes are broken up with the dream sequences, and makes the story easy to follow.
4. How's the story and plot? What do you think will happen?
   1. I think the captain and Kai will be constantly fighting for the alien guy. Maybe the crew gets torn apart and Masa joins Kai's excaliber? Idk Masa and the LI's just seem like they're meant to be in a separate crew together.
5. What aspects of the game do you like?
   1. The LI's are super flawed. Kai is a prickly dude through and through which was great lol. I think some games fall into the trap of trying to have every character be likable and sometimes do a 180 on a character's mean attitude because the players have to romance them. Even Jeri who's supposed to be the nice guy can be a push over sometimes...I like that!
6. How is the UI?  What did you like about it? What did you not like about it? 
   1. Love it, the UI is really nice. The change in portraits and everything fits well with the game's aesthetic. The font is readable, animations are just right, and the side portraits for audio only conversations are cool. 
7. What other improvements can I make to enhance your experience?
   1. This is nitpicky, but when the affection point goes up maybe there's like words that indicate who it's for? Like "Kai affection/friendship up" or something like that because I'm dumb and didn't realize if I made the right choice hahaha

omg this is insane!! I checked out the page and it's so detailed, you didn't miss a thing! Thank you for taking the time to create a wiki page, and it makes me happy that you enjoyed the game so much!

Sorry for the late reply, but thank you for the kind words! it makes me really happy that you were able to relate to nim! Thanks for playing :^)

Thank you for leaving such a thoughtful and kind review! I'm glad you liked the demo so far and I hope the full game delivers ♡

Thanks so much! I appreciate your support and sent you a little message on patreon as well <3 

Thank you so much, and I'm glad you enjoyed the game! The full script will definitely be getting a few more editing passes so hopefully the typos will be weeded out ^^

Thanks so much for playing! I'm glad it captured the cottage core vibes :^)

I'm glad you liked the game and thanks for bringing those issues to my attention!

I'm amazed by how much was accomplished just with the sprite animation and dialogue pacing! Honestly I love how you always experiment and change up the typical VN formula, Mel. I'm really curious to see how this romance plays out between Seren and Dex since it seems Seren is still trapped in a digital space!

This game is just dripping in style, I loved every bit of the Mucha aesthetic but I was also pleasantly surprised by how fleshed out the lore and setting was. The story had so many twists and turns I couldn't stop reading! The font is a bit hard to read at first but I got used to it after a while.