"I believe there is another world out there, a better word, and I'll be waiting for you there."
Source: Screen Capture from Game
Ciiko’s Bridge is a visual novel, adventure rpg created by
Skyharborr. You may remember Skyharborr from one of my demo blogs (this one
*here*) where I talked about a demo for their new game “A Fox in the
Hollyhocks”—which I loved. Ciiko’s Bridge is a story about an adventurous boy
named Taku, and his protective older brother, Jinsuke.
On this day, Taku is preparing to go on another adventure
into the forest to see what he can find. Before we go adventuring though, we
need to eat some breakfast! Jinsuke sends Taku off to Kamiya general store to
get some milk. Taku sets off and gets to the store. Once there, he talks with
Shinji a bit. Shinji tells Taku that old man Eden is coming by and telling his
famous stories today. Excited to hear old man Eden’s story, Taku takes the milk
and hurries home. Sadly, it seems Taku missed his story, but Jinsuke fills Taku
in:
When the fog is thick, if you take 2 and a half silver
coins, hold them tightly in your hand and walk under the bridge, you’ll be
transported to another dimension.
Taku is fascinated by this story, and he can’t wait to try
it himself! The next day when the fog rolls in, Taku sees his chance. Jinsuke
firmly protests, but after arguing, pleading and crying, Jinsuke relents,
telling him to be careful. Taku agrees and off he goes to the bridge. Holding
the 2 and a half silver coins in his hand, Taku prepares himself, then walks
under the bridge through the fog…
Source: Screen Capture from Game
Once Taku passes under the bridge he finds himself in an
unknown place. This new place is a stunning forest. As Taku tries to gain his
bearings in this unknown place, he is greeted by a figure that greatly
resembles Shinji. The figure tells Taku that he is the Passagekeeper, and
explains a little bit about how the multiverse works. Such as, you can only
travel to a world where “you” do not already exist. So Taku was able to come to
this world, the forest of Caligo, because no other Taku exists here. Caligo is also ruled by the Forest Lord.
Taku also learns that
to return home he will need another 2 and a half silver coins, since the coins
are taken as fare. Silver does not appear common in Caligo, however, so Taku
will have to try to work for it. So, Taku travels into the forest to find some
of the locals to see what he can do to earn some money.
There are five others to meet in Caligo Forest. Prince
Ratsu, who is a faun, Tanukawa, the racoon dog, Riku and Hare, the conjoined
pair, and the Forest Lord. Using a bartering system, you’ll have to find ways
to make everyone happy so that they will pay you.
I really appreciated the bartering system. I love a good
bartering system, and Ciikos does a good job, for the most part. You CAN barter
yourself into a corner, and only a certain number of items will provide the
needed reactions from Ratsu. I created different saves to help protect myself,
and it look me about 3 tries to get the combinations and reactions down.
The artwork in this game is super adorable, skyharborr is
quite a talented artist. The music and sound effects are also fitting and well
done. The colors are soft, but vibrant, and the characters are unique and
interesting.
Overall, I greatly enjoyed this game, despite the trouble I
had a few times with the bartering system. There are a total of 5 endings, I
believe, and I got two of them. Both of the endings I received were sweet and
very heartwarming, so a heartwarming ending to a cute little game. The game is
a bit longer, it took me about 45 minutes to an hour to complete the game the
first time. If you would like to give this game a try for yourself, please
download the game from its Itch.io page
*here*.
As always, be sure to leave your words of encouragement or
helpful criticism for the creator as well, to help them improve future
creations.
Happy Gaming, Friends!
Bell
See the Gaming in Pajamas Compendium
*HERE*
