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I'm here because of BlerdyOtome! She featured Juniper in one of her Thrifty Gamin' posts, and the beautiful art and escapist premise drew me in.

Playing Juniper reminded me of a creative writing professor's adage: we learn more in the restriction of chains than in the comfort of loose sweaters. He was talking about writing, but the saying seems to apply very well here. As a participant in Only One Of Any Asset Visual Novel Jam, Juniper navigates an intimidating list of restrictions to create a truly gorgeous game. Every storytelling element pulls its weight to immerse the player. The background, Juniper's sprite, and the voice acting drip intrigue and grotesque anguish. Unrestricted elements like the UI and animation bring the dreamy, dank mood home to roost. The endings made me audibly gasp. I wish the titular Juniper the best, and I look forward to more of WickedWhite's work.

It gets so lonely here was so good that it got me into ebi-hime’s games in general, fast making her one of my favorite indie solo-developers. When The end of obsession was announced, I eagerly added it to my To Play list. While I didn’t enjoy this sequel as much as the original, ebi-hime’s second foray into yandere witches and princesses is worth playing.

The end of obsession has a much more straightforward take of the yandere archetype, and is a lot more dismal and depressing for it. Chains, cages, torture, mental deterioration, knives: it runs the gamut. The music matches perfectly with the mechanics and themes of the game. The art is cutesy and fantastical—the witch’s outfit is an especially remarkable work. Between the music and the vivid narration, the atmosphere tenses the stomach, despite the lack of plot. I think The end of obsession achieves the minimum of what it set out to do, but my frustration with the POV character and lack of catharsis caused me to enjoy it less than its predecessor.

(I shortened my review here to avoid as many spoilers as possible. If you want the whole thing, you must follow me, sorry! DX)

When Moonlight Bomber announced he’d made a short kinetic novel over the course of forty-eight hours, I knew I had to play The Peregrination of Criselda de la Vega. With a thirty minute run time, the game is quite short, but it captures a coming-of-middle-age flashpoint between two lost adults. At times hilarious, at times sweet, at times bitter, Bomber nails the floundering feeling of doing one’s best in a confusing world, grasping for reassurances amid changing societal norms, and wondering at the limits of life. The music and blurry photo backgrounds perfectly fit the vacillating moods. If I had one quibble, I wish Cris’ sprite had some wrinkles. In a game about turning forty, the characters should look forty, even in the anime style. Still, The Peregrination of Criselda is a remarkable achievement in such a short time span. If you’re looking for a game with that special fortieth birthday feeling, I do recommend.

As soon as the credits rolled on my first run of Dragon Age 2, I downloaded Bittersweet after match. Fenris' romance spun my head and overwhelmed my heart, and Bittersweet perfectly matched that energy. The game finds Fenris, Hawke, and Dog camping out, still wanted by the Chantry but not in an immediate way. The future is uncertain, but the love isn't. The devs absolutely nail the characters, all their earnest charm and quiet strength in tact. 

At about thirty minutes, the game has more choices than I expected. I was surprised and pleased when choices followed the blue/purple/red personality-type model from the original game. Being able to choose Hawke's body type separate from pronouns (he/him, she/her, they/them) was also a treat. Dog's name is inputable! As is their gender! Nice. Choosing Hawke's class offers unique animation and dialogue. I applaud the devs for taking up the challenge to offer such customization. It's difficult to do. I stumbled upon some hiccups in text, but nothing too jarring.

The art is mwah! The dusky, minimal coloring made the linework pop, especially the sprite expressions and armor. When we do see color, the moment feels all the more potent. Like the narrative text, the art wonderfully balances warm, soothing comfort and angsty hurt, with round lines that beg for a hug.

Overall, Bittersweet after match feels like a natural extension of Dragon Age 2 and a bridge to Dragon Age: Inquisition. Worthy of a canon world state! If you love Fenris, you must download and play!

Gray's books are auto-buys for me, and I dropped everything to buy and devour The Scales of Seduction. What a mouthwatering meal. While I was expecting to be wow-ed by Gray's third take on Medusa, Petra's journey slithered into my heart, making me wonder, "Am I into all types of snake lesbians now?" Yes. The theme of reclaiming and shaping the body made my heart thud, and of course, the intimate scenes re-wired my brain chemistry. The more Greek-based diction felt like little tasty morsels and enriched an already lively setting. I'd also like to give a shout-out to the gorgeous, sensual cover art! Hot damn. Why are you still reading this review? Go read The Scales of Seduction!

Seure the Tempered took me longer to read than Martis or Valerin because after every reading session I felt like I had a hangover. The prose's vivid lushness is cranked up to a level I think only fully perceivable by shrimp. I was left intoxicated and dizzy. On the plot end of things, Gray flickers tantalizing flashes of future intrigue that I hope will be explored more in the series. Seure is just the kind of knight a younger me wanted to be when I grew up, and their journey with Ganeida is brilliant. Long live Out of True!

Gray does it again! By "it" I mean they pen another phantasmagorical Arthurian romance. This time Martis is the star, after we saw a tantalizing peek of her in Valerin the Fair. I ate up the rich prose. The beauty at once assuages and gives voice to deep grief. The romance takes a back seat to Martis and her parents' relationship, but Martis' future is much brighter for the discovery she doesn't have to bear her emotions alone. This novella is as delicate, intricate, and beautiful as stained glass.

As a huge medieval and Arthurian nerd, this series scratches an itch that long needed attending. Every sentence lit up my brain. I adored the twist, and the dichotomy of woodsy & fire imagery had me swooning. Gray can write whatever they want forever.

A fantastic, bloody streak of desire. Gray brings their signature intoxicating lushness to this winter-themed erotica, where horror and romance are one and the same (as they should be!).

After riding the high of What Happened the Night Before and Play Choices' The Haunting of Braidwood Manor, I wasn't sure what to expect from The Sad Story of Emmeline Burns. What I found was a thoughtful, beautifully wrought story about the intertwining of familial legacy and growing up. The sprite, CG, and background art are the high quality I've come to expect from ebi-hime's games. The music stood out as particularly wonderful. After playing the game proper, the main menu offers a cute bonus scene of Emmeline and Nellie as well as access to a music box of the game's soundtrack. Do check those out! Emmeline Burns is a sparkling gift of a game. I can hardly believe it's free.

I played What Happened the Night Before after It gets so lonely here and wow, what a difference! While not without its complications, Mikage and Noah's love story is blessed, darling cuteness. Ebi-hime balances realistic family struggles and besties-to-lovers schmoop. The signature touch of angst and uncertainty makes the happy ending that much sweeter and hopeful. The art, UI (I did love the cute basketball!), and CGs make the love story pop in a way I think it wouldn't if What Happened the Night Before was a novella.  The integration of art & story are essential to capturing Noah and Mikage. I'm very much looking forward to more of ebi-hime's games.

Wow! What an amazing game! This is my first game by ebi-hime, and I'm absolutely enthralled. Scuttling away from the more bloody aspects of the yandere archetype, It gets so lonely here buries itself alive in the trope's psychological horror. The love interests are deeply traumatized by grief, guilt, death, and, yes, the loneliness of survival at all costs. The heroine isn't immune either, as her insecurities and jealousies stick to her like barnacles, making me think she would lock these women up, if given the power. Murder isn't the most healthy of love languages, but the twilit dreamy atmosphere, artful melancholy, and eerie soundtrack can lull you into thinking about it. I definitely recommend playing twice so you can sink your teeth into the True Ending!

Red Spring Studio KNOCKED this demo out of the PARK. Already this game feels like treasured art. The soundtrack is pitch perfect. The backgrounds are evocative. The character sprites are mouth-watering. The writing is gorgeous and visceral with a thought-provoking mystery. This piece is incredibly polished and I keep upping my Kickstarter backing for more.

I won a copy of Dual Chroma: Far Shore in a giveaway. Many thank for the free game! Aradal is a big fantasy world we get a little tropical slice of in Far Shore. The art and music are soothing and immersive, and Kassian's VA does fantastic work adding depth to his dialogue. I wasn't expecting his mouth to be animated! Cool! The bittersweet romance with Kassian felt a little forced, but I enjoyed his and MC's conversations about traveling, getting older, and figuring out what one wants out of life. The game really nailed what it's like to have an older person listen, advise, and converse with you during a long beach walk. I was left with some questions, but overall, Far Shore is an a hour well-spent among the sand and sea.