The gift of Myrrh...dur! Murder! || 1st Degree [DEMO] (PC)

“When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained.” –Mark Twain

I love the intensity

1^st Degree is a murder-mystery 18+ BL visual novel in the works by Parival. You play as Rei, a detective / copycat murderer, who is trying to catch / understand the methods of a killer that has been dubbed “The Doctor”. Outside of the whole murder thing, Rei is a typical smart ass, sarcastic protagonist that we all know and love. The game is still in demo mode, but it has me excited to see a full version.

You meet a large cast of characters in the demo, each with a unique personality. I love that this demo is fully voiced, since it really helps to bring something a bit more personal to the characters. All of the voices seem to fit the characters, but man… Aiden’s voice gives me shivers (in a good way). But in terms of looks, I think it’s a tie between Leo and Minami.

Good ol Rei

I like the story of the game. I’m always a fan of murder-mystery, and I think the twist of having the killer (or one of them) as the main character is interesting. I also wonder how his… extra-curricular activities will cause conflict later in the game. 

The artwork is very nice, and the designs for the characters are all lovely. I love the variety of expressions, as well as the well detailed backgrounds. The sound and music are well done as well.

One thing that I really appreciated with this demo was the use of a glossary. 1^st Degree uses a lot of different medical terms which can be confusing some someone who doesn’t have a lot of medical background. While I didn’t need to use the glossary, I think it’s a wonderful thing to include for players.

Everyone has to relax somehow

Overall, I’m very excited to see how this game develops. Rest assured I’ll be buying the full copy when it releases! If you’re interested, you can download the demo free from Itch.io *here*, and there are also links on the page to follow the game as it progresses. Let me know what you think down below!

Thank you, as always. Until next time!

Bellannmae

Stargazing || Chasing the Stars DEMO (PC)

“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” –Oscar Wilde

That beautiful style :3

Source: Screen Capture in Game

Chasing the Stars in a BL/Yaoi Visual Novel created by ErtalGames, the makers of A Hand in the Darkness, which I also talked about *here*. In Chasing the Stars you play as Tirs, a young man finishing his last year of Environmental Engineering in college. Tirs has always dreamed of working on Alaya, terraforming it for colonization. 

Tirs set his dream aside in favor of romance, but it weighed on him heavily, and may have been the downfall of his relationship anyway. Without a boyfriend, Tirs can now refocus on his dream. He has his friends at his side, but can he really achieve his dream in the end? 

Follow that dream, Tirs!

Source: Screen Capture in Game

I really enjoyed this demo. I enjoyed A Hand in the Darkness also, but Chasing the Stars has a steampunk aesthetic about it that I love, and it’s about outer freaking space. It doesn’t get much cooler. The art is lovely, I love the artist’s style. The characters all have a unique style about them. 

I’m excited about the story and options too! There are three different love interests, top/bottom options (as well as a skip if you’re not into all that), two threesomes (ooo la la), and multiple endings of course. 

 Everyone needs a friend like Pol

Source: Screen Capture in Game

The game is currently running a Kickstarted campaign as well! I’ve already backed, and they’ve been fully funded, but there are stretch goals, as well as some cool rewards you can pick up, so be sure to take a look *here* And be sure to check out the demo, which you can download free from Itch.io *here*

Thanks for sharing some of your precious time with me today. I hope you’ll give this demo a try, and be sure to leave your feedback for the developers. Happy gaming!

Bell

Boys Boys Boys || GRAND!! (demo)

Grand!! is an 18+ Bl/Yaoi visual novel in the works from JKUStudio. You play as Elijah (or Lili as he is called by friends), and you’re starting your life in college! Your friends Lucien and Sebastian are going to help you get your life together and show you the world you’ve been missing. Elijah, however, is a bit socially awkward, so he’s struggling to be “that guy”.

The demo is very short, just long enough to introduce you to the main characters and to see how they interact with one another. Each of the characters has a trope. Julien is flamboyant and exudes energy. Sebastian is the quiet and protective. Elijah is shy and sheltered. It’s a good trio to have. 

Elijah, the MC

Source: Kickstarter Page

The art is very nice, I like the style and the colors. Each character’s look fits their personality so far. I also really like the music that was used. There isn’t much of an actual story for me to talk about. You can find the plot for the game on the Itch.io page, but the demo doesn’t get much into it. 

Overall, there are some small issues, but for a game in early development, it’s looking fairly promising. I’ve added it to my list of games to keep an eye on. 

If you’re interested, there is a kickstarter currently open *here* with low donation tiers, so be sure to take a look! There are only a few days left, so help out if you can.

You can download the demo to try for yourself free from Itch.io *here*

Thanks for sharing some of your time with me today. Be sure to leave some feedback and encouragement for the developers, and happy gaming!

Bell