itch.io

I am not well-acquainted with visual novels (I've only played three others, one of them being a FVN), but Lyre was a very nice experience. The characters are well-written, the visuals are pretty, but above all is the music; it really sells the atmosphere, and I've found myself coming back to it several times since finishing.

My biggest gripe is that Lyre is not a self-contained story. While it doesn't end on a cliffhanger, it doesn't conclude at a solid stopping point and there are several story threads that remain largely unanswered. I don't say this as a criticism, just as an FYI to people scrolling the comments (and there is a sequel planned!). Unlike other media with this attribute (such as 2021's Dune), I'd still recommend Lyre if it interests you. Even if it's not the whole story, it does still tell a whole arc.

Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed Lyre. It was a nice romance in a fantastical setting, which was exactly what I was looking for. I'll certainly be keeping an eye out for Dryz and other future works!

Be aware, the game crashes when using a save file from an older version at some kitsune manor scenes in 1.9. I assume this is from Citrine updating the art to use new images, as the error mentioned a dizzy fox image not being found.

This also all happened during the pollen takeover, and it feels like a glitch to be able to visit the manor while the event is active.

After I put Julian in the shed, the rogue is no longer activating at the end of the day despite having him equipped. Locke, Felicity, and the barbarian all function properly. Things went back to normal once I let Julian out, and hasn't come back after I sent the barbarian in. I am on 1.7 using save files transferred from older versions.