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Maaaaaan(gender neutral).... it would been nice if they grew up with a more accepting church/temple, I think in a same religion there can be so much variety of interpretation but if by their already solid believes their love is "bad", there is no "actually the original text says..." or "in this place we don't consider it sin" that would get them out of there mentally, at least not in little time.

I think it's really cool how the idyllic scene contrasts with the internal sense of guilt (nice particle leaves by the way!), even if everything is dreamy and rose colored it can't feel perfect because something that brings so much meaning to their lives forbids the love that should make them happy and that reciprocal love becomes a sweet, sweet course destined to hurt if they stay together or they part ways.

I do get some free speeches of how I'm going to hell from time to time under my window some Sundays (not directed specifically to me, we just have some very passionate "street preachers" in the area)... No church habit needed to hear about eternal damnation!! So even if a little I get the "your mere existence as you're is a sin" existential dread, not nice at all.

Don't worry chatter, warm is normal this time of the year -says somebody living in the southern hemisphere where is spring going to summer-

It really does convey it; the horror being  trapped in family dinner listening to comments that make you want to sink so much into your chair that you magically teleport back into your room.

-spoilers, kinda-

I think it also conveys very well how expressing your own opinion in some situations and to certain people can be just plain dangerous.

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In my first play I was like don't worry girl, just smile and nod and when you have your body we run away and was so happy that was in fact an option adlnseflnslfees, with a little more murder on the side.

I think honesty is really nice and preferable but sometimes to lie is to survive.

lalala lalala lalala LALALALALAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!

I don't know why my pc decided to flag it, probably it's small processor wasn't strong enough to get it (or decided to protect my eyes) but, it gave me the opportunity to be be subversive too! I escaped the bounds of a normal player and I opened the script.rpy file letting me take a look at many wonderful hidden messages (like being called nosy, and experiencing a magnificent spooky Easter egg, a truly sublime experience)

Made me sad all day 10/10

I remember when the thing that I used to get the idea as far away as possible was "don't even think about it, funerals are too expensive" in retrospective I don't think it was the best logic haha, but it helped me at the time, and hey, whatever works to keep us going!

I'm glad we survived.

Best wishes for you and your cats!!

*Alois is Calling* *Hangs up* Oh! what a short game!

In all seriousness, even with the subject matter and how awful Alois was it was a really cute, gentle and comforting experience, like a little hug accompanied by a whisper; "It's gonna be ok".

And I can see how it can be really cathartic! As you mentioned It can be difficult to put a clear end to an awful situation.

I Hope your works brings solace to lots of people! and well, hope that things can be better.

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I knew that I would kinda want to punch him (for need of personal space) but not that it would be so soon!

Somehow, it was so relatable that it hurts (but in a good "I feel seen" way!)

Thank you for playing and leaving a comment!!

Haha, well 2/3 it's a good sample size! And I would say that Melancholic Star also has a strong surreal touch! –LOVE- was partially a test for a scene that will be in Act II!

(Fun fact; it's the same demon!)

When I made "I wanna be her" I knew it wouldn't be for everyone, I just wanted to make something that made the player feel lost and trapped in a weird place like the protagonist!

I really like to make stuff that it's kind of in-between a fairy-tale and a weird dream/nightmare and it makes me so happy to hear that there is people that enjoy to see/read it!

Thanks for the comment!!

(Haha, kinda curious about the spoiler-full review!)

Again thank you so much!! Happy to hear that the hours of text tagging and playing with the colormatrix paid off :'D

AHHHHHHH!!!

Thank you so much butter!! I'm happy that it leaved a strong impression! And that you liked it!!!

Oh noooo, the Demon went personal for you!!!

I hope that things go well for your character that can't hate! (or not if you want it that way!)

Thank you so much!!

I loved the vibe!

With the music and the timer it really feels like you are against the clock.

The sprite looks so cool and charming!

I love villain-adjacent characters so Eliot stole my heart in seconds!

I understand where he is coming from even if his actions were too extreme.

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{SPOLIERS}

A confession: After my first playthrough; I played again, made myself a coffee and listened to the cell block tango from the musical Chicago while the timer drained and the bad end came cuz "they had it coming"

Now I feel kinda evil but… the poor birds T--T and pets/animal friends may as well be family sometimes

Thank you so much!!

Sorry if the grammar was distracting sometimes, English isn't my first language.

(I think we talked a little about something similar in spooktober last year! I made a game about someone trapped in a well… with some typo and grammar problems, someday I will be brave enough to ask for help with that!!)

This is so cute!!

Re-defining oneself, how we can grow to be almost a different person, that kind of stuff really resonates with me and it made me really happy to see those kind of themes in this game!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhh!!

Thank you carrot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For playing and the lovely comment!

Now I kinda want to add a Carrot-approved stamp like those "this game/movie won this awards" things hehe~

That part where things just keep changing and the "grey-why" Are some of my favs!! The constantly changing specially, so disorienting and chaotic! Makes me so uncomfortable but so weirdly euphoric at the same time!! (all the game it's kind of like that for me)

I'm always happy to hear that I managed to make my games feel dream like!!! And also so happy that it gave the "fairy tale" vibe I was going for!!!

I wanted the bg to be; kaleidoscopic + church/temple (stained glass) + fairy tale (kinda like fairy/butterfly wings).

Also those weird undefined feelings, I love it so much! (and make me kinda scared at the same time) Glad to hear that I was able to evoke them!!!

Thank you so much!! Yes, yes! when you put it like that... it's really something isn't it? when you really want to love something or someone but the feeling just fades away or never  truly comes even if it feels like it should :')

I wanted to depict that! with the twist of the search for love turn to "hate", -hate as a way to reach love-, because what it truly maters (for them) it's escaping the void –the grey- I'm not sure if in English people say [del amor al odio hay un solo paso] {from love to hate there is only one step} (and the other way around) or something equivalent, even if it became twisted, they are seeking the same thing, and I also think that's weirdly wholesome.

Seeing the promo I felt dread, playing I also felt dread!!!

Gosh this two are REALLY bad for each other aren't they?

It was so immersive!

But, I'm having trouble with the other endings because I just can't bring myself to indulge him too much (lol)  I'm bad at completing vns, chosing the things that don't come naturally feels so wrong, specially here! I would guess that. feeling wrong to say what he wants to hear it's kinda the point.

The dance effect it's so well done!!! and. did I mention the DREAD?!! (yes Taumi, like a billilion times already)

Also, also, I agree, kinetic text tags are Cool™ what a good way to insinuate intonation/tone!!! 

Oh! the game mechanic it's so cool!!!

Seeing different sides of the character (as how he acts and what "you" think of him) depending of "who you are" it's great even if it's a short game it really feels like you get to know him, it shows  how someone can feel like totally different people depending of who it's looking!

Also the sprite it's so expressive and charming!!

All the play testing also made my head spin!! Haha, thank you Chatter! Happy to hear that you liked the experience (and my weird approach to storytelling).  

I wanted it to be a little bit like "oh, they are telling me a little Story" -> "oh, they are talking about someone… themselves? Anyway this is personal" -> "You know that makes sense" -> "Wait… are they manipulating me?" -> "Ok, they are twisting things but I don't know if I can say that they are lying AHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhh"

The song got ingrained in my mind, the "bugged" version!! Like I'm humming it and then it gets stuck in a 1s loop like in the little ""jump scares""

Thank you so much Naarel!

I really like media that leaves you with those weird undefined feelings! So I'm happy to hear that I could evoke that!!

I think it kind of makes me feel the same, empty but full, like someone just told me something that it's -a comforting lie- and -a cruel truth- at the same time.

In general, I wanted to play with dichotomies/binaries, because with so much in life, things aren't "one or the other".

Thank you Chim!!

Yeah, it's better with little breaks! I made it to not be sooooo eye strainy (exept in the really chaotic parts) but with the constant movement it can be tiring to the eyes.

This was me telling to myself how much can I convey without sprites? And also I wanted to try to use the kinetic text tags for so long! ( some lines are more tag that in-game text LOL)

It was great!

The change of color, the different expressions, attitude and the voice acting made them so distinctive from one another!!

I also really like the background!!

Those poor women in myths, it's feels like a man can do something bad and a random woman passing by will be punish instead of him (well it's kinda worst because in so many cases they are the victim AND get punished)

Loved it! 

Surreal and sad, really feels like a nigthmare

The realisation scene was really cool!! the ominous ending too! And the tittle screen is so cute!!!!!

Katekyo made think of myself a little with the "pfffff, I'm not ace I just never found someone sexy in my life..." lucky for me I never felt "broken" for it but, being seen as a woman in my day to day (even if I don't fully identify as one) makes my disinterest a """""virtue""""" and not a """""flaw""""" (always found that difference so weird and dumb) like "wuo! You are so great and pure for not caring" it's so "ok?????????????????"

It was really interestig to see that dichotomy in a way and how it can be really unconfortable in diffent but similar ways in the end people asuming and expecting stuff from you because it's "the normal" and then being treated like some sort of spectacle for deviating from de norm is... well it can really suck

In that, the whole date made me think of a visit to a doctor that I had, he spend half of the appointment congratulating me for "not being like those other girls" and the other half telling me that I NEDED  a boyfriend and to have a child "before is too late" I found it so absurd and out of touch that it ended up being kinda funny.

But sorry, I liked Lara, she made me laugh so much with her bad takes and intrusive questions (would hate to spend time with her in real life but maybe in retrospective would remember our encounter as something kind of funny like that doctors appointment)

Hey!! Thank you so much!! I'm always happy to hear that I succeeded in making the game feel Dreamy/Ephemeral, and that the "hiding in fantasy land" felt authentic.

And well Gender sure is a thing… isn't it? I'm living my own "gender quest" and I think that it shows but also, I always liked gender non conformity and I remember having some characters from when I was little and didn't know much(if anything) about LGBTI+ stuff that I look back now and I'm like  "oh, I made a trans MC to that story… oh, that other one was NB" also everyone was really gay.

I'm kinda proud of little me love for queerness (੭ˊ꒳ˋ)੭✧

And… typos! My archenemy!!!

-English isn't my first language (and the spelling can feel so inconsistent, I know some words only by ear and trying to guess how to write them is a nightmare)

-I have bad eyesight

-I Think I'm Dyslexic

-Sometimes I write half asleep because after bed is the only time I have

-I'm really bad at looking for help so thanks!! Maybe we can make an exchange someday, typo hunting for… sprite art for a small project… or a logo? I can do BG but they make me suffer and I have enough pain with my day job _(꒪ཀ꒪」∠)_

https://taumilicorice.itch.io/melancholic-star-to-sleep

Thank you so much!!!

I think that at this point of the story she/they is fine, but they/them better descrives... well them (gosh I felt so bad having to write other characters missgendering them, specially the guards in the begining like duuuuuuuude shut up!!! let the child be!!!!!!!! and kinda in that note... the scene before the "that day nothing happend" makes me so unconfortable).

I wanted the game to feel very dreamy/ambigous/surreal and I'm happy to hear that I acomplish that, something like "it doesn't matter if this is reality or dream, the feelings are real"

I wanted to feel somewhat conclusive, part of me wanted to be evil and ending after the fade to pink of the window/little star falling/the story about Icarus but It felt too hopeless and I didn't like that.

Hey! Thank you so much!! watching your made me so happy!! (and sad but that is because the story makes me emotional).

I hope that when the time comes you keep reading/playing!

I wanted to make the Demo feel kinda conclusive but in a way is just the beginning, like an extended prologue?

Heyy!! Thank you so much!

Thank you!

Thanks!!

Thanks Carrot!!

As you can see I have a thing for surreal/oniric stories.

I always liked stuff that let you like "I am not sure what I saw but I feel like I now understanded something... just not what"

Don't know, Yume Nikki or a movie like angel's egg come to mind.

Someday I want to make something like Yume nikki but VN, explore weird landscapes with weird descriptions, no story, just things happening but... one project at a time.

Hi! thank you so much!!

I'm glad to hear that you liked the visuals and the story (little at it is right now) intriged you!

PS: I love Q's eyebags

Desu ne?

Hi, Thanks!!

¡Gracias!

I'm really happy to hear that you liked it and played  it more than one time, yes some things change a little if you play again.