A Sinister Plot is Afoot! || A Hand in the Darkness 18+ yaoi/BL (PC)

Anyoung everyone! We're going to continue with some of the LGBTQ+ games for pride month, and my birthday. Today we're looking at an 18+ BL/Yaoi game that has a bit more of a serious feel. So let's get right to it!

Source: Screen Capture in Game

A Hand in the Darkness is an 18+ BL visual novel mystery created by Ertal Games. You play as Alex White, the baby from a large family, as he begins a new chapter in his life at St. Michaels, an exclusive boarding school. The story is set in the Edwardian Era, which is considered from about 1901 to about 1910. 

Alex shares a dorm with three other young men, Monty, Damian and Rick, who he becomes friends with and grows close to (some more than others). Each of Alex’s friends has their own personality and motivations, but I would have to say that Rick is more my type (I’m a sucker for the academic type like myself). There are choices throughout the game that will allow you to become closer to them, and even romance them if you so choose… but be careful. 

Source: Screen Capture in Game

As Alex spends more time at the boarding school, something starts to feel off. It almost feels like he’s being watched, and things keep happening to him, like being pushed down stairs, being attacked in the woods… it can’t be mere coincidence, can it? Alex and his friends decide to start doing some investigation of their own. Can they find out what’s going on?

Of course they can, but I don’t want to spoil it for you, so I won’t say anything else about it. 😉

The art and sprites are well done, I like the style of it, and the music and sound effects are fitting. There aren’t any NSFW CGs but a lot of very descriptive text, which is fine. Exercise your imagination, people. I liked the characters and their development also, I feel they were written well. 

Source: Screen Capture in Game

My only real issue with the game is the amount of grammatical errors. I'm going to see about perhaps helping to fix some of the issues to help the developers. Seeing as I had paid for this game, it was a little disheartening. None of the errors make it impossible to understand what is trying to be said, it just sort of breaks the flow.

The game does cost $10, but if you’re a fan of BL visual novels and games, then I would say it’s worth it. You can purchase the game from Itch.io *here*.

Thanks for sharing some time with me today! Be sure to try the game for yourself, leave feedback for the developers, and let me know what you thought too! Happy Gaming!

Bell

Free Itch.io Games #15

Hello once again, everyone! It's time to dig around on Itch.io to find some free games to share with everyone. So, I've gathered up and played 4 different games from Itch.io to see if they were any good. Now I want to share them with you!

 1. ICOSIA

 Source: Screen Capture in Game

ICOSIA is a relaxing puzzle game created by George Prosser. In ICOSIA, you get to untangle constellations, and trace paths through them, from star to star. You cannot pass over the same star twice, so you have to strategize a path to get though all of the stars in one fell swoop. 

The music for this game is amazing, so relaxing and delightful to listen to. The graphics are also pleasing, I felt like I was really gazing at a night sky. I also enjoy these sorts of puzzle games, and this game is simple, but satisfying. 

There seem to be quite a few levels as it goes on, though I haven’t reached the end. The difficulty gradually increases over time as well. Overall, this game is a very enjoyable experience. You can try this relaxing game for yourself for free, just download *here*.

2. I Feel the World

Source: Itch.io page

I Fell the World is a simplistic Legend of Zelda like game created by jagames. You play as a traveler in a strange floating world, inhabited by floating eyeball creatures in cloaks. You aren’t really given any kind of goal, so it’s more of a matter of exploration. You can collect hearts to increase your health, and go through a maze to get a crossbow weapon. 

The graphics are simple, but not bad. I wish we had some sort of background for the main character, even just a name, but the appearance looks like a woman. The controls are eh. Aiming the crossbow can be difficult, and hitting enemies can be frustrating. A sound effect of some sort to know that we actually hit the monster would be helpful in this case. 

The simplistic and silly dialogue of this game also was enjoyable. Though, the game ended abruptly, and I was left a little lost, I still enjoyed the experience to get there. I believe the creator has plans to expand upon this game, and I think that it could be something worth playing again if they do. You can try it for yourself free from Itch.io *here*.

 

3. The Story of The Revolutionary Watermelon That Wanted to Live Free As A Bird and Learned How to Escape

Source: Itch.io Page

 

What a title to type out…. Anyhow, Revolutionary Watermelon is a quirky one button game created by SpaceBackyard. You play as a watermelon on the escape from the watermelon patch. Can you make it all the way to the water so you can be washed away to freedom? You’ll have to jump over tree branched and roots, avoid being run over by a car, or falling to a gruesome death. 

As simple as this game is, I really enjoyed it. You only used one button, the space button, which makes the watermelon jump. You can control the jump to some extend but either tapping the space or holding it. The watermelon has health, which you can see as the glow around the watermelon changes from white to yellow and then red. Jump and land the wrong way, or fall too far and your poor melon will break open. 

You can try this game for yourself for free by downloading from Itch.io *here*. I hope you’ll enjoy the short experience as much as I did.

 

4. Try Harder

Source: Screen Capture in Game

Try Harder is an endless runner game where “You cannot win, only try harder!” created by Noodlecake and Glitchnap. You play as a ninja looking character and you endless run through interesting and aesthetically pleasing landscapes. This game is also a one button game, where you use the space to jump, glide, and use your powerup. 

I really found this game fun. I’ve never been a fan of endless runners, but I would play this game again to try to get farther. I did have some issues with using powerups when I wanted to glide, or double jump and such. It was frustrating at times, but it didn’t cause me to not enjoy the game overall.

You can try the game for free by downloading from Itch.io *here*. But remember to try hard!

Thanks for sharing some time with me, and happy gaming!

Bell