Believe Your Dreams! || Arcade Spirits [PC]

 

“Success doesn’t mean something was or wasn’t worth the effort.” - Ari Cader, Arcade Spirits

Chapter title Screen

Arcade Spirits is a coin operated, filled with neon lights visual novel style game about romance and arcades by Fiction Factory Games. You play as Ari Cader (or whatever you choose to change the default name to), a down on their luck friend who has just lost another job and is struggling to get back into it. Their friend Juniper recommends a digital life coach to help them get back into the scene, and it sounds pretty sketchy… but what have we got to lose? We end up at an arcade, which is full of nostalgia and gum stuck in weird places (thanks little kids), but it feels inviting and… maybe we belong here after all?

I really likes the ideas in Arcade Spirits, both in the arcade setting and with IRIS(the digital life coach). The games presents choices as any other visual novel style game, but each choice has a personality type attached to it. Your responses can be Quirky, Logical, Caring, Bold or Neutral and those personality traits can effect your relationships with other characters. I found myself really enjoying all of the characters available for romance as well. You have the cold-on-the-outside-but-maybe-warm-inside Gavin, the loavable teddy bear Percy, fun tech guru Naomi, cosplay aficionado Ashley, smooth talking dancer Teo, and tough as nails gamer Queen Bee.

I mean, what would you do when faced with a gigantic flamingo?

I was immediately drawn to Percy, who’s affable personality and sad story tugged at my heartstrings in a relatable way. Gavin was a close second, followed by Naomi and Teo. They all have great points, and as much as I wanted to date them all, that’s not really a possibility in this particular game. I played through the game twice, once I romanced Percy, and then Gavin the 2^nd time. Honestly, I’m curious about all of them, but I don’t have that kind of time, unfortunately. Aside for the characters themselves, I was impressed with the choices and branches of the story overall. Do you want to build the next chuck-e-cheese? A Barcade? A retro gamer paradise? Do you focus on experience or profits? The arcade is yours to manage!

We actually have a Barcade that I’ve been to, the 16-Bit in Cleveland, Ohio. A group of friends all went and my friend Robyn and I marathoned Golden Axe while we were there. It was a fun time. If you ever get the opportunity to visit, I suggest you do.

That is one way to go...

Back to the game, while it is a romance game in a way, the focus of the game is much more on the arcade itself then it is about the romance. It feels like the romancing itself is a very small part of the game—which is fine! I might even enjoy it more that way. I both love, and am terrified of the idea of IRIS, a sentient AI program helping me sort out my life and even find my soulmate, but I still love the idea. As technologically advanced as we have become, it didn’t feel like it was a too far out possibility. There were a few customization options for Ari in the beginning, such as hair and eye color, clothing colors, and skin tone, although I especially appreciated the inclusivity of having the option of they/them pronouns. It feels like this is becoming more popular in these types of games and I love it.

The only real trouble I had with the game was the music level. I had to turn the music down to almost nothing to be able to hear the voice acting when it was present, which was a shame because I like ths music and I thought the voice active was wonderful and fitting for each character. You can, of course, alter the sound levels in the preferences, but I wish I could have been able to hear both. Even at 100% the voice acting was still quiet.

Gavin and Ari, looking dapper.

Overall, the game follows a rather classical formula for visual novels, with enough twists and additions that it feels fresh and interesting. The characters are well developed and have unique personalities and back stories, so there is something relatable for everyone. I really enjoyed playing through the game. The story was engaging, I love the characters, and it left me wanting to find an old arcade to play at. Unfortunately, little country towns don’t have arcades. I wonder if they could really make a comeback someday—outside of malls and movie theaters.

Thank you, as always, for stopping in and sharing some of your time with me today. If you’re interested in Arcade Spirits, you can find it on Itch.io HERE for $20 or on Steam HERE, for $19.99. I wonder why the difference in price, even if it is just a penny. If you’ve played the game, let me know what you think about it. Do you remember visiting any arcades when you were a kid? What was your favorite game? Let me know in the comments below!

Until then, take a deep breath, drink your water, have a snack, and remember that bad times will pass, and we’re all in this together. Hang in there my friends, and I will see you all next week!

Bell

Taking Artistic Liberties || Shapeless (PC)

"Art is an experience, not a formulation of a problem." --Lindsay Anderson

Title Screen

Shapeless is short artistic puzzle game about a creature fixing paintings that have somehow been altered in a nefarious way. Created by ISART DIGITAL ,you play as a creature composed of what looked like a painters palette and copious amounts of paint. The creature is rather cute in their own way. This creature has the ability to enter paintings like a magical portal.

During the game you solve short puzzles involving objects that belong in the paintings, then you return the objects to the paintings to restore them to the full beauty. The puzzles are not too difficult. They involve rotating different parts of the object in order to line them up properly. My spatial reasoning isn’t top notch, but I was able to get them together. The light bulb was the hardest for me, but it still only took about a minute or 2.

This light bulb....

There isn’t really a story given about the gallery you are in or what is happening, you’re just sort of thrown in and you see a rather nefarious looking vortex form over the exit. I wasn’t sure what was happening at first, but figured it out pretty quickly. You can make up your own narrative about why this happened. I’m going with evil wizard, that seems like a good bet.

The visuals in the game are just astounding. I love the multitude of paintings around the gallery, even if some of them are a bit unsettling. The colors are vibrant in the paintings and the gallery itself is somewhat dark an ominous—this may be in part due to all the rather off putting paintings of creepy eyes. Stylistically the game does a great job. When our creature enters the paintings, they become is sort of blue haze with eyes. I think that a small touch that would have really make this game shine would have been if our little creature took on the style of whatever painting they jumped into. The body colorful style of Van Gogh? The quiet realism of Edward Hopper? It would have been phenomenal.

Feel like you're being watched?

In terms of game design, everything worked as it was supposed to. The controls were smooth and I didn’t have any issues. I was really just sad that the game was so short. Before I knew it I was at the end and I wanted it to just keep going. I was hoping this was just a demo, but I don’t see any indication on the Itch.io page that this game is being developed any further, so we will just have to enjoy what we have.

Something small that I also appreciated in this game is the gallery, where the developers provided information on the paintings that you help to fix in the game. It seems like such a small thing, but being able to read a little of the history on each painting made the art nerd in me really happy.

Restoring my favorite painting. 

Overall, I felt like this game was really something special and could most certainly be expanded into a full length game. Everything about this game felt enjoyable and I can’t really think of any negative experiences I had while playing. Definitely grab the game for yourself, you can download free from Itch.io HERE.

Do you have a favorite painting, or a painting that you would have liked to see in this game? Let me know in the comments below and I will see you all next time. Until then, happy gaming, friends!

What the heck is happening?! || Ode to a Moon [DEMO] (PC)

“Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man’s desire to understand.” --Neil Armstrong

Title Screen

Ode to a Moon is a first person psychotropic horror game in the works from Colorfiction. You play as a tabloid writer who is tasked with investigating a historic fall festival in the rural town of Ashfield, CT. Things start going awry pretty quickly, and I started to feel like I was on a bad acid trip.

The graphics and the aesthetic used are well suited for this genre of game. The colors feel over saturated and even mystical at times, and with an otherwise rather dark backdrop, the colors really stand out. When the landscape starts to shift and alter around you, it can be very disorienting. As I neared the end of the demo, I spent a good while going in circles because the mixture of the shifting landscape and the over saturated colors made it difficult for me to navigate.

Field trip!

There is also a VHS quality on the screen as you play, which gave some part of the game, particularly the wooded area, a Blair Witch Project feel---which I did not like. I started having flash backs to when I was a kid, watching the movie with my older brother and my younger brother and pretending to not be afraid. Then of course my older brother took delight in jumping out of anywhere he could to scare me... but I digress.

The music and the sound design are well done. I wasn’t sure what I was hearing sometimes because I didn’t have my headphones on. Was that a breath? A ringing in the ears? Are we descending into madness ourselves? The sounds worked together with the aesthetic to create a good sense of unease as you wandered about your way.

Are we slipping into another dimension?

The end of the demo was a bit jarring, and I wasn’t sure what to make of it. I don’t want to spoil anything so I won’t talk about it. Obviously this is a demo so we aren’t going to solve the whole mystery today. I am not much for horror games, but something about this demo really drew me in. It wasn’t cheap jump scares, it was an overall feeling of, “Something is going to happen but I don’t know what.”

Overall the aesthetic feels unique and interesting, the music and sound design are well done and I want to solve the mystery. I look forward to seeing where the development with this game goes in the future. I definitely recommend you pick up the demo and give it a play for yourself, this is a game that really has little justice done for it in a written review and you need to experience it for yourself. You can grab the demo free from Itch.io here.

What do you think the mystery is behind the fall festival that went wrong? It almost feels like a bad dream, so maybe it is? Let me know what you think down in the comments, and I will see you all next time. Until then, friends, happy gaming!

Is this the stairway to heaven....?

Reliving a Memory || When the Past Was Around [DEMO] (PC)

"Past is a nice place to visit, but certainly not a good place to stay." --Unknown

Title screen

When the Past was Around is a unique point and click, puzzle solving tale created by Mojiken Studio.  I played and wrote about another game by Mojiken Studio a while back called A Raven Monologue. Mojiken Studios branches out into these experimental types of story telling that are charming and wonderful to behold. If you haven't played A Raven Monologue, I suggest you do so because it too is quite a tale. 

In When the Past was Around, you unfold the tale of a young woman and a beast in a surreal world where the woman’s memories play out in vignettes. This game is still just a demo, so the game will be build up and things might change in terms of how the game plays, but for now we’re going to talk about the demo.

The art style used in this game is absolutely stunning. The colors are soft and gentle, the characters and the environments are crafted lovingly with great care. Everything flows together nicely from scene to scene, lead along by the beast. I have to say, it feels wrong to call him a beast. This game feels so gentle and loving that using a harsh sounding word like beast feels wrong.

Photos of Memories

The music and sound design are also delightful and add to the overall gentle and relaxing flow of the game. The puzzles are rather simple, and you can manage your way around simple by clicking on everything if you get stuck. Good old trial and error. Nothing was too difficult, and the game focused more on the journey than creating a struggle with the puzzles or mechanics.

There is no spoken dialogue in this demo, all of the story telling is told through the imagery and puzzle solving. This game manages to do that very well, particularly towards the ending of the demo when we get a small idea that perhaps not everything is sunshine any rainbows(and also a small assault on my ears). It reminded me that this was a demo and that there was something more to come.

Where will they lead us to next?

Overall, I think I fell in love with this demo. The art style was enchanting, the music was relaxing and the story was told in a beautiful way. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what more comes from this game in the future.  I definitely recommend that you pick up the demo and experience it for yourself. You can grab the demo free from Itch.io HERE.

How do you feel about a game that uses the art to tell a story as opposed to words? Have you played a game that plays in a similar way before? Comment down below and let me know what you think. Until next time, happy gaming, friends!

Feeling Human || Synthetic Lover [DEMO] (PC)

“The real question is not whether machines think, but whether men do. The mystery which surrounds a thinking machine already surrounds a thinking man.” - B.F. Skinner

Title Screen

Synthetic Lover is an 18+ Sci-Fi Bl Visual Novel style game in the works from King ofHearts. The story takes place in a futuristic world where a large population of biots (biologically engineered humanoids) exist, with the sole purpose of fulfilling their pre-programmed vocation. Our story centers on Unit 532, a biot that resides and works in the Dollhouse, an adult entertainment building, as a companion. After an encounter with an unknown client and a strange device, 532 begins to feel strange, and it’s clear that the line between biot and what it means to be a human is becoming blurred.

As I headed into this demo, I immediately felt “Detroit Become Human” vibes, and I got excited to see where it would go. Once Riko, a lovely person who does the maintenance on biots it seems, understands what is going on with 532, they help him escape to go find the person that started this whole mess to begin with, Bastian. 532 heads to the Black Orchid where we find Bastian is a bartender. After some convincing, Bastian says that he can get the device back that caused this, and get the money he is rightfully owed for it in the process.

I'm feeling... something.

As they are talking, another character named Terrance comes on the scene. He works for GL in the research department, and says that he has no interest in turning 532 in, but wants to help him none-the-less. Bastian tells 532 not to trust him, and Riko DID say to avoid anyone from GL. But Terrance seems to know what he is talking about, so maybe he would be the better choice for assistance?

The demo ends where 532 has to make a decision between having Bastian help him, or Terrance. I clicked Terrance just because look at him. Those eyes, though. And I’m a sucker for silver hair, I admit it.

Although this was a rather short demo, I really like what this team has put together so far. The art is fantastic, the music is great, it’s FULLY voiced and the voice actors do a great job as well. I like the story they are putting together, as I’ve always had a fascination with “how real is too real for a robot” and “where is the line that separates man from machine” in these futuristic games.

I love the colors at play here. 

I really encourage you to give the demo a play, you can download it from itch.io here. Play it, see what you think, and if you like it, then you can help their kicktstarter which you can find here. Check it out for more information on the game and characters, and back them if you can. I was really impressed with the quality of the writing, the art and the production of the game overall, so I’m considering backing myself.

Thank you all so much for being here with me today. Happy Fourth of July. How do you feel about the idea of biots? Would you be able to separate them from humans in a significant way? If they looked liked humans, I don’t think that I could. Let me know what you think in the comments, and I’ll see you all next time.

We must Bebuild || Bastion (PC)

I love the art style

Bastion is an action role-playing experience created by Supergiant Games and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Media. You play as a young man right after a calamity that shattered the world into pieces. He seeks the Bastion, which seems to be a safe haven in this game where you can rebuild and hopefully find other survivors.

There is a narrator that follows your every move and basically give you a commentary over your actions. It’s interesting, and it gives me the feeling of being told a story that you’re leading. The world feels big, if disconnected, and it’s beautifully crafted. The hand painted quality and aesthetic make me think of older games like Legend of Mana which had a similar quality.

The Islands are floating!

In terms of gameplay, you’re tasked with collecting cores in order to expand the bastion, and perhaps finding others who have survived the calamity. So far, I’ve found one other survivor (minus the narrator) and found 5 cores. You have a multitude of weapons and skills to use, which is nice since it allows you to find what works for you, and also helps keep the battle from getting stale. The battle does get repetitive, and also really difficult. When you get swarmed, you really get swarmed. Knowing which weapons will help you the most against particular enemies helps a lot.

After you find the other survivor, he brings with him an ancient pipe. If you use it, you get some information about our MC (main character) and how he came to end up as he is. I wasn’t anble to complete the whole “pipe dream” as of writing this, but I know he lost his mother and all of the money he was sending home to her, so he returned to “The Wall” (I keep thinking Game of Thrones when I hear that, perhaps they are similar?) and was there when the calamity occurred.

I'm the map, I'm the map

The story is interesting, and despite the repetitive battle, I think the game is overall well made. The music is beautiful and charming, which goes along with the world perfectly. This game may appeal more to completionist types who seek to collect all items, complete the challenges and don’t mind the grind. For me, while the game is beautiful, and the score is enjoyable, it’s not worth sinking hours upon hours into (and it may be my lack of skill in these sorts of games that contributes to this).

However, even if you’re like me, I think the 2-3 hours you can comfortably sink into the game worth it, if you buy it on sale. You can read more about it, or buy it on Steam *here*. Let me know what you think of it down below!

Thank you, as always. Until next time!

Bellannmae

Step Back into Another Time... || I Am Here[DEMO]

"It hurts to know you'll never remember the things I'll never forget." --Tiffany William

I am Here.

I am Here is a narrative driven story in the works by Lavalamp Games. You play as Karen, a woman who was once a successful writer, and is looking for her partner, Lisa. You’ll get to explore your surroundings, and memories, as you unfold the story and struggles of Karen and her partner as a gay couple in the 1960s.

The graphics are beautiful, and the style and aesthetic of the house makes it feel like a 60’s styled house (my great grandma’s house STILL looks like this…). The voice acting is nice, although it seems a little flat. If there was just a little bit more emotion in some parts, I think it would be spectacular.

Hard decisions need to be made in life.

Second to the story of a gay couple in the 60’s, I also get the feeling of there being a memory disorder effecting Karen. Perhaps Alzheimer’s? Before the job I have now, I worked in a nursing home where I saw many residents in many stages of Alzheimer’s and memory loss. It’s truly heartbreaking, so I can imagine the stress and pain that Lisa speaks of in the game.

This demo is very touching, and I wonder where the developers plan to take the game in the future. The game, despite the sentimental nature, does have some spooky sequences, that did me quite a frighten. I walked through the dark sequences wholly expecting something to jump out and scare me.

Seriously looks almost exactly like my Great Grandmother's...

I hope you’ll all give this lovely demo a try, it’s free and you can download it from Itch.io *here*. Be sure to leave your feedback and encouragement for the developers. I can’t wait to see where it goes! Be sure to stop in every Tuesday and Saturday at 11 AM to see what we play next! Until next time, happy gaming!

Bell 

Romance is Magical || Floret Bond[DEMO]

"Take a lover who looks at you like maybe you are magic." --Frida Khalo

The art is so beautiful!

Floret Bond is a super sweet otome in development from GBPatch, the makers of XOXO Droplets, A Foretold Affair, and My Magical DivorceBureau.  Floret Bond is all about developing a polyamorous relationship between the main character, Peony, and the male leads, Gata and Krishin. Peony studies the art of neutralization, meaning she is able to negate the effects of some spells and curses. Krishin and Gata come to her, because it seems that Gata has cast a spell to keep the two of them bound together. While Gata doesn’t seem to mind, Krishin wants the spell removed.

Krishin and Gata are both interesting characters, though the mysterious Gata quickly became my favorite (I may have a type). Peony herself is a sweetheart as well, and I like her as a character. The art style for the game is soft and beautiful. I love the watercolor look of the whole game. The characters also seem diverse and unique, which makes them more interesting. I want to learn more about them.

Krishin and the mysterious Gata.

This game is still a demo, so it’s missing some parts, such as the crafting system. Peony will have to manage her time, forage for items, craft, trade, and even make gifts to give to the guys to earn their affections.  This will be a great addition to the final build of the game and I can’t wait to try it out.

Overall, I’m excited for the game, and I hope that you’ll give the demo a try for yourselves. You can download and play free from Itch.io *here*. Also, be sure to leave your feedback and encouragement for GB Patch as well.

Thank you, as always, for sharing some of your time with me today. Let me know what you thought below, and be sure to check back every Tuesday and Saturday at 11 AM to see what we’re going to play next! Until then, happy gaming, Jammers!

Bell

Gaming in Cat Pajamas? || Kirigami (PC)

Kirigami!

Kirigami is an adorable, paper style adventure and puzzle solving game project by Sophie Cook for Studio 694, WCG's in-house game studio. You play as an adorable creature in cat pajamas, and you traverse an intriguing doll style house to solve puzzles and interact with the characters.

The art style of the game is where I think it really shines. I love hand drawn games, and the pieces almost looks like stickers placed in a story book at times. I am not sure what all there is to do, since all 3 times I played I ended up getting stuck on the roof after I got the black feather for the potion. I’m clearly missing something, but I’m not sure what. I wish I knew, because for what it is, I did enjoy what I played.

What a witch!

The walking animation is odd, as it would play often while I was standing still, but rarely when I was actually moving. I also had an issue with items not appearing in my bag at times, like the rubix cube (which I thought to give to the fellow on the roof, but never seemed to have it).

Despite the errors and bugs, I think that the creator was on to something that would be fun and interesting. I hope that they are able to take this idea and make something amazing in the future. If you’re interested, you can certainly download the demo to play, free from Itch.io *here*. I bet you can do better than I did. 

Be sure to leave feedback and encouragement for the developers! Until next time, Jammers. Happy gaming!

Bell

Looking for the Light || Actual Sunlight (PC)

Title

Actual Sunlight is an “adventure” game created by WZOGI. I put adventure in quotes because the game doesn’t quite fit what I expect my adventure games to be, in terms of gameplay. You play as a character who feels stuck in his daily life, and is having trouble finding the willpower to move on. This game tried to deal with some heavier and more complex issues, like depression, and suicide, but it fell short in a few areas for me.

I want to make a note that I could not finish this game. I have a pretty good idea of how it ended, though. I’ll check to see if I’m right before I finish writing this to see. Anyway, you follow your character through his daily life, and almost every object you inspect or person you interact with will give you a little blurb about something—like a memory, or an information tid-bit. I think this can be a useful tactic in the game, but when it’s almost the only way to get anything from the game, it because tedious. I’m talking about walls of text. If you wanted to make a point, this same thing could have been achieved by writing a short story, or an online comic or something. What’s the point of making this a game, if there’s not actual gameplay(other than walking around).

Wall o Text

The graphics are not spectacular. Keep in mind that I’m not a stickler on hyper realistic next gen graphics. But because I felt this game was, frankly, boring, it would have been nice to have something to keep me interested.

The theme of this game is meant to be depression and thoughts of suicide, but other than a few explicit mentions of it, I didn’t get that impression from the game. I felt that the character was unsatisfied in his life and harbored a lot of resentment and self-loathing, which can be a part of depression, but are not exclusive to it. Even so, this game could have been better if it used character development, interaction, or anything to help build a story, rather than the wall of text style that was used.

The office

Overall, I feel that this game could have been much better, but simply fell short. I got this game on a steam sale for, I think, 50 cents or so. So, it’s not a huge loss. Normally the game is 4.99, and I wouldn’t recommend it for that price. In case you want to read on it some more, or even try it yourself, you can check out the Steam page *here*. 

As always, thank you for sharing some of your time with me today. Hope everyone is ready for the holidays! Until next time, happy gaming, Jammers!

Bell

Life is an Adventure || Where Ages Go (PC)

What did that guy look like?

Where Ages Go is a cute visual novel style story created by Fox Lee. You play as a silent protagonist who has grand dreams of traveling the world, and seeing all there is to see. Perhaps the world may have a different plan for you though…

I think this VN is really cute. I like the artwork and the characters, even if the characters are a bit cliché. Tropes aren’t necessarily bad, though it can make the stories a bit predictable. Maybe I’ve played too many otomes or watched too many romance anime, I don’t know. I still enjoyed the stories, so don’t let that deter you.

Such a sweetie <3

There are a couple of things I really liked that the developer did. In the beginning, you get to choose your pronouns, your personality type, and your look. I’m not sure what bearing any of these have on the story, if any, but I like it none the less. I also like the way you choose your path, or your guy, rather. It was cute, and I haven’t seen another VN do it like this before, so a plus from me.

There are 3 different guys to play through, a tough guy, a smart guy, and a cute guy. I rather like the little cute on the best. He and I are the most alike, I think, and we could be friends in real life. This developer has a good base, and I hope to see more work from them in the future.

My favorite!

You can download Where Ages Go to play for yourself free from Itch.io *here*. Be sure to leave your feedback and encouragement for the developer, and let me know what you thought in the comments below.

Take care, Jammers, and happy gaming!

Bell

Mystery Abounds || Up Until the End [DEMO] (PC)

Title

Up Until the End is a visual novel in the works from LetiGame. You play as a nameable protagonist, who was reading in a library, when she somehow passed out. When she awakes, she’s surrounded by smoke and flames. What happened?! As you’re trying to escape, you’re intercepted by a man you don’t know, and you’re knocked out. When you awake again, you’re in a dark room, alone. Somehow, you’ll have to find a way to escape.

When you are able to escape the building, and perhaps help some others escape along with you, you’re left with no answers, except the knowledge that you don’t want to be caught. You learn that the others who escaped with you are Matt, Amanda, and Erika. You’re able to elude the men chasing you, and rest in a farmhouse located in the woods. After a rest, they search for supplies and decide to keep moving—together.

Talking with Amanda and Matt

I found the demo intriguing, and I want to know who those men were, and how all of these people got tangled up in such a mess—and what exactly that mess is. I find the artwork charming, both the sprites and the backgrounds. The music is intense and fitting, although I feel that it might benefit from some sound effects.

From what I understand, this VN is an undertaking by one individual, which is rather impressive, so kudos for making what you have. I hope that you are able to complete it, and refine it into something you’re proud of!

You can find the free demo of Up Until the End on Itch.io *here*. Please be sure to leave your feedback and encouragement for the developer, and let me know what you thought down below! Thanks for sharing some time with me today, and, until next time, happy gaming!

Bell

LetiGame did have a form to fill out in regards to the game, and in case I didn't address every point, I'll post it below:

Did you enjoy it overall? What did you like the most in the demo?

I did enjoy it overall. I am enjoying the mystery, and I want to know more.

Who is your favorite character and why?

I like them all, but I think Erika. She's young, and innocent. I wonder how she got mixed up in this?

Who is your least favorite character and why?

Um, I don't think I have one. 

What do you think of the protagonist ? Can you relate to her?

Not quite, but we don't really know anything about them, so I don't have anything to relate to yet. 

What is your opinion of the artwork?

It's not award winning, but it's not terrible either. I like a little more variation in poses maybe, but that's it. 

What do you think of the story so far?

Very intense.

Was it something that bothered you about the game?

I wish we knew more about the men, and what happened. (In time, I hope)

Did you find any typos or spelling mistakes?

Yes, and I'm still open to helping you with that, if you'd like. 

What would you say needs the most improvement?

Sprites.

Do you think you'll play the finished game once it's released?

I look forward to it!

The protagonist doesn't have a sprite. Did it bother you? Did it help you to relate to her or would you prefer her to have one?

I think there are pros and cons to both approaches. Personally, I think it's fine without. 

Any other comments?

Nothing in particular. :)

Beauty is Only Skin Deep || Meeting in the Flesh [DEMO] (PC)

"The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance." --Aristotle

Title

Meeting in the Flesh is a horror/romance visual novel in the works by cacoethic and inktrashing. You play as Vil, a delivery boy on a strange world that’s inhabited by a diverse number of… what you might call “monsters”. At first, I thought that we were in some sort of post-apocalyptic Earth, but then Vil described the planet’s 3 suns and I realized that we are on some strange and unknown planet. 

There is a good deal of reading, since this is a visual novel, however there is less dialogue and more descriptive writing, compared to other visual novels I have played. It’s not bad at all. I thoroughly enjoy reading, and the descriptions given made me much more curious about the world. The characters are all very different, and I’m very curious about where the story will go in the future.

In the plot of the story, an eclipse is approaching, an event that occurs only once every century or so. It’s seem as a great occasion and a day when anything can happen. Everyone seems to be making special plans, except for Vil. Perhaps someone else has plans for Vil, though?

Salt Bath... not a good time.

The demo takes you through two days of deliveries, introducing you to the major characters and giving a good bit of the lore and atmosphere of the world. I still am curious to know more, but hopefully that will come with time. Some of the characters can be rather unsettling at first sight, but half of this game’s genre is horror after all, and the artwork is very well done, regardless. 

Over all, I really enjoyed the demo. Kudos the developers for the great writing and artwork. I’ll be keeping an eye out for the finished game. As always, I encourage you to give the demo a play for yourself, you can download it free from Itch.io *here*.

Also, be sure to leave your feedback and encouragement for the developers on their page, and you can also follow the development of the game through their tumblr *here*. Until next time, happy gaming, Jammers!

Bell

The Abuser, or the Abused? || He Beat Her (PC)

Title Screen

He Beat Her is an interesting interactive mystery created by Zephyo. You play as a lawyer who is defending a client accused of domestic abuse. It seems, however, there is more to this story than it seems. The trial is about to end, so you need to use the last few precious minutes to change the outcome—to see that justice is served. But can you?

This game as a unique mechanic, which requires typing your actions into a dialogue box to perform them. For example, you can type “grab” and then you have to type what you want to grab. It can be frustrating to figure out, but I feel that is likely a part of the intended feeling of the game.

Source: Itch.io page

There are apparently different paths you can take, and there is a walkthrough to help you through them all. I played around with different inputs, and I managed to walk out of the case and abandon my client, and I got a little bit of somewhere with the plaintiff. Because it is looking for specific inputs, it can be difficult to get through.

I love the art style, and the game overall is well put together. I feel like the developer achieved the feelings and goals they set out to create, and I’m happy for that. As frustrating as this game can be, I enjoyed every minute I played of it.  I hope you’ll download this game free from Itch.io *here*

Be sure to leave your feedback and comments for the developer. Until next time, Jammers… Happy Gaming!

Bell 

The Perfect Monster || Dr. Frank's Build-A-Boyfriend (PC)

"There is love in me the likes of which you've never seen. There is rage in me the likes of which should never escape. If I am not satisfied int he one, I will indulge the other.” -Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Frankenstein

Title

Way back in January of this year, I talked about a demo I played for Dr. Frank’s Build-A-Boyfriend by Heiden. It was short, but I really liked the idea and was looking forward to playing to full game. Well buckle your seatbelts, cause it’s here and I finally carved out some time in my schedule to sit down and play it.

I found this game to be hilarious. Dr. Frank’s over dramatics, and the boyfriends unfailing innocence are charming. The sprite art and the environments are nice, and the puzzles are a perfect difficulty. There is a secret ending, which I think I know how to get but I haven’t tested it just yet. So, you can have fun trying to find that on your own.

That jerk!

Essentially, you play as Dr. Frank, who, after having his heart broken and his research stolen, is looking for revenge. And what better way to get revenge on a past lover, than to show them up with a new, and better, lover at your side? So, Dr. Frank is collecting… body parts to build himself a new boyfriend. But only the best body parts will do… right?

The game is a bit short, and I felt like there was more that could (or should) have been done with the boyfriend. It would have been nice to have even some smaller events to just fill the game out a little more. This isn’t something that really takes away from the enjoyment of the game, more of just a personal feeling.

Uh oh!

The music for the game is really nice, although sometimes the music would change suddenly and I wouldn’t know why, particularly while I was searching the house for clothes. The SFX were pretty well done also.

Without a doubt my favorite part of the game is building the boyfriend. The options are simply comical, and I had a good laugh while creating my boyfriend 3 separate times. My only issue is that the hair styles sometimes don’t quite look like they’re pictured in the builder, and I with the look of the boyfriend would change a little more drastically to really show. But, the pepperoni nipples were the real star.

Build that boyfriend!

If you enjoy a nice comical romance, I would certainly recommend giving Dr. Frank some of your time.  You can find the game free to download on Itch.io *here* Please be sure to leave your feedback for the developer, and happy gaming. Until next time, Jammers!

Bell

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