This demo is absolutely adorable, and I had a ton of fun with it!
The characters are wonderful, Mira is a fun and lively MC and our male lead is... a total jerk lets be honest, but I kind of like it. Enemies/rivals to lovers? Where magical warriors aka theatre kids face off on sass and snark? Sign me up! I love the side characters as well, they are all fun and distinct and the casual queer representation is lovely.
The art is absolutely stunning, and definitely contributes to the demo's really impactful first impressions. Seriously, stunning. All the characters are absolutely adorable and I love the colors. The MC and LI also have a delightful range of expressions (as do a few of the side characters).
For all my fellow mini-game fans, this demo has two and both are super fun! There is a arcade style battle minigame, and a rhythm minigame. I missed the instructions for the rhythm one and had to figure out controls while the notes were going by so that was exciting! Both the minigames fit well with the story, and ran smoothly.
The demo is still quite bugged (especially save/load) and does need some UI and QoL fine tuning. This is the sort of thing that the devs will work out with time, so its more a minor note than anything else. Just set aside 30 minutes or so to play through the whole demo so you can avoid the loading bug, and don't be surprised if the UI is still a bit rough.
Overall a really fun experience, I definitely recommend, and have fun with the magical shenanigans!
ShellBell.games
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Amazing work here! Especially considering this was a 10 day jam game. I am wildly impressed by the sheer skill on display here in everything from the writing to art to programing not to mention time management and everyone's ability to bust out something this incredible with basically no time at all. I was hyped for this game since I have been following the work of several team members, and it absolutely did not disappoint!
Minor spoilers below! Really just comments on mood and how I felt about the game.
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So, that was massively creepy and I loved every moment!
The UI changes and text effects were so striking, they really set the scene. I loved the slow unveiling of the story. I am still confused about some things that happened, but in true Lovecraft style sometimes the most horror you can feel is for something that was not described or explained.
Also, everyone was hot and swoonworthy, so there is that too. XD Aster mostly, but Oscar was a bit of a sleeper hit in his route as well and Theo was definitely a dorky cutie. I am but a simple thirsty gamer, make the love interests sexy and I will love a whole heck of a lot of things...but, I would have loved this if they all appeared to be indescribable horrors too, so there.
A fantastic demo! I am incredibly excited for this game and its newly launched Kickstarter, definitely recommend backing it!
This game is just wonderful to look upon. The UI is lovely, and there are a ton of wonderful little touches, from the magic effects to the mouse over dictionary entries. The battle system is so cool, I definitely had a fangirl moment when that popped up!
The sprites are gorgeous (with eye and mouth movements!) and the CGs and menu art are stunning. I love that our MC has a sprite, and she is adorable. Keldran is absolutely handsome and unfairly charming, I like him a lot and an excited to romance him! The side characters are interesting, with some of them being delightfully dislikable (if you have played, then you know who I am talking about).
The story has a lot of potential, and I liked the setup that we saw in the demo. Its very classic fantasy, but well done and with some interesting spins on the fantasy setup. I have GUESSES about what is happening and desperately want to know what's up!
What a fun demo! Rat and Dog are both extremely charming in the way of cyberpunk troublemakers. I really liked both of them, though Rat was my favorite - such a sweetheart! The dialogue was really well done and I thought their banter was super cute, both between the LIs and with the MC (MC is also such a sassmachine, I love it). I always love a sci-fi game, and this one definitely hits the spot! The demo sets up some interesting worldbuilding elements, so I am really curious to see where the full game goes.
I do have to make a special nod to the art. The character art is absolutely stunning (like woooooow these boys are hot). I also like the backgrounds and title screen art. The backgrounds feel so grungy and I love it, the mood for the setting is really well portrayed.
Overall, I loved my time with this demo, and am really excited for the full game!
Extremely cute! Honestly such a fun game absolutely packed full of personality.
The writing is very fun, with a casual relatable tone. The game is packed full of fun references and comments, as you might expect given the premise! The dialogue and banter is excellent, and I enjoyed it immensely.
I loved all the characters. Ettie has very humorous internal dialogue, and is a woman on a mission! The two LIs are both extremely charming, and are very different in such a way as to contrast each other nicely. Both are extremely likable and have lots of cute and sweet moments! The voice acting was fantastic. (Jacks voice especially was lovely)
I loved the concept of romancing a character who you can't see, and felt that was portrayed in a neat way both in text and in visuals - I loved the galaxy effect on the silhouettes. I also really enjoyed the side characters, they were a fun addition. I enjoyed all the endings, and liked the direction the branches went. I liked the extras as well - while Ettie may not want to know anyone's backstories, I definitely did!
I played on Android, and the game ran well and was easy to read and work with! It did get a little laggy during the scene near the end with animated effects, which was understandable. (The animated effects were super cool!)
This game perfectly captures the unbridled chaos of a good D&D adventure! Shenanigans from beginning to end, and full of fun references. I am definitely looking forward to the complete game, and curious where this adventure takes us!
I liked all the LIs - Baz and Algernon were fantastically chaotic, and Viriam was amusingly non-chaotic. (I actually liked him a lot more than anticipated - sorry Clove, we are definitely getting back together with our ex! XD) I would totally date Fern too if I could, but more power to them for not getting sucked into this hot mess of dating party members. The group dynamics between all the cast members were really fantastic and well written, and all the characters are really compelling.
Fantastic voice acting, especially from Fern with their rage and the cute duck. (I neeeeed to know whats up with the duck!) The UI was neat, I loved the little text boxes!
I played this on Android, and the game worked well and the text was easy to read! The menu buttons were a bit small, but I also have a small phone. I did notice a few bugs, the biggest was during Baz's conversation on peanuts, his sprite was set low and cut off the text box. I think it has to do with skipping, and when I hit back until the start of the scene it fixed itself. During character creation the bald sprite jumped to the right. The menu drop-down sometimes closed after hitting "back" to scroll back text, but not under all conditions.
A fantastic demo! Highly recommend, especially for those who are looking for action, sexiness, and some kink in their romance. (Me, its me, I am the audience for this. XD)
This demo feels very paranormal romance, and in all the best ways! The premise is interesting, with our MCs on the run from a shady organization. I am not sure what these two are capable of yet, but am excited to find out! The banter between the two is excellent, which is always something I absolutely love. Their fledgling relationship is rocky enough to be interesting, but with enough soft moments to feel very satisfying. The female lead is fierce and relatable without losing her practicality, and the male lead is grumpy without being cruel.
The art is lovely, and our LI Alvaras is just unfairly sexy. (Plus with the voice acting?! So perfect, so hot, fantastic casting choice and wonderful work on the VA's part) I liked the UI, and the whole aesthetic of the game feels very dark in an interesting way. The writing overall is really well done and flows nicely. There is a lot of story and trauma going on here as well as romance, and it was all handled very well. I did find one text error, which was pretty minor (repeated sentence: "Its now that Alvarez grapples free...")
Now, the 18+ content is excellent and deserves its own paragraph! For everyone who has been thirsty for intimate scenes, this is absolutely your game! Not only is it sexy, but it's also kinky and seems to be portraying kink well. As someone who is familiar with BDSM, I find there is a truly tragic lack of BDSM or kinky relationships in media, never mind realistic and/or healthy ones. It is honestly so wonderful to see this sort of story.
Thank you to Olivia/Lunamakaio for making such a wonderful demo. I am so excited to see the full game!
This is an absolutely wonderful demo and I am so excited for the full game! I am posting other comments first, and answering the questions below that. So...firstly, the art is absolutely stunning, the dreamy watercolor look is just amazing. Teresa is a wonderful and relatable protagonist, and I adore her animated thought chibis (especially in contrast with her straight face) and her otome references and reactions to some very tropey events are so fun. I also love her two friends, they are incredibly sweet and so cute together! (Mild spoilers after this point!)
-Whose route would you choose first? And why?
Vicenzo! Edel is a darling murder gremlin and his two CG scenes left me nearly speechless, but Vicenzo is slightly more approachable in that he is sly flirty fox and despite certainly being the more dangerous of the two, did not -redacted- in the demo!
-What's your favorite scene/event?
"Oh, isn't she ~amusing~" I do love a well done repeated joke, and this one is perfect! Also basically all the CG scenes were excellent, but Edel's especially hit me in my villainy soft spot.
-Are you interested in playing the full release?
Absolutely! Will definitely be pre-ordering this one. Anta's games impress me every time, and I am so excited for them releasing this one as a paid game!
-Are the LIs villainous enough for you?
Oh yes! <3 There is a fine line you need to walk with "evil" characters (something I have noticed from many D&D games, lol). A character can be evil or villainous, but they have to be able to form bonds and relationships with others, otherwise the story gets stuck. These two characters balance really nicely along that line where they are villains but are clearly capable of working as a team, both with each other and with other characters, and seems to have their own internal guidelines for honor and conduct that make them both compelling and fun.
Aghhhhhh, this is exactly the sort of soft soulmate content I crave, I am going to feel warm fuzzies over this for days. Thank you Crescence for making this wonderful piece, you and your team did absolutely amazing work. <3
Van is absolutely swoon worthy. As if his face and beauty marks and tattoos weren't enough, he's got the cute banter and cheesy flirting down across lifetimes and I am SO weak for that, ugh my heart. (And voiced too!? Halp me I am just a cheesy romantic my heart was not prepared.) I really liked the different stories that were chosen, and thought the contrast between the first two lifetimes was especially fun. The elements that were repeated were also really interesting - they were clearly the same souls in each life, and the writing was so smooth and really nailed the nostalgic feeling. I am torn between wanting to see more lifetimes, and feeling like this game was perfect and wonderful as-is!
I absolutely love the use of the visual novel format as part of the story. I've been musing on a similar concept (for a game that will probably never see the light of day, hah), and it was so delightful to see this type of repeat feature implemented such a wonderful way. <3 On top of that, the GUI was absolutely wonderful with its soft colors and lovely graphics, and the OST was just perfect (I liked the use of vocals in one of the songs!)
I am so happy the developer embraced this impulse to work on this game, its an absolute delight and I enjoyed every moment of my time with it! I've been really looking forward to Alaris, and this was such a treat to play while its in development.
Long-form review here, for the curious!
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I love sci fi, nonhuman characters, and questions of humanity and ethics, so this game was absolutely up my alley! I was a Kickstarter backer, and have actually been hyped for this game for several months. After finishing the first Chronicle, I am pleased to say that this game absolutely lived up to my expectations, and I enjoyed it immensely!
The writing for this game is excellent. The dialogue was fun and relatable, and the voice acting was stellar and fits perfectly with the writing. I am glad the creators were able to include the full voice acting, because it is beautiful and adds so much to the game. I don't play many games with full English VA, so it was a treat to hear everything in my native language. I especially love our voiced MC!
For the overall plot and theming, I would call this a sci-fi slice-of-life. The character interactions, and character development are where this game really shines. The world building is not the focus of the game, and while there is some to create the setting, it is on the less developed side. This was especially obvious in the endings, which wrapped up well but did not necessarily explore the world. (This may be touched on more in the additional DLC routes! I do hope so, for while I don't feel that every sci-fi story needs to be an epic adventure, I am partial to them myself )
This first Chronicle contains two routes, Victor and The Nightmare Prince. Both routes were really lovely and well done. My personal favorite was Victor, TNP was a great route but ultimately not my type.
Side characters include Diego, Zaffre, Roman, and Klaus. These are all characters that will receive routes in future DLCs. They do have a strong presence in these two routes, hanging out with Aureve as well as each other which results in strong bonds across the cast - something I always appreciate in visual novels. They are also teased just enough to make me very curious about their routes!
I would be remiss to talk about the game without speaking in Aureve! She is a wonderful heroine, and I really enjoyed stepping into her shoes. She is kind, levelheaded, and has a fun sense of humor light spoiler, but she likes to [spoiler]tease the LIs[/spoiler], which I adore). She is also incredibly beautiful, and I love seeing her change her hairstyle!
I really enjoyed the art, and think the sci-fi theming is really well done. The sprites are honestly stunning, and have a good range of expressions. The backgrounds are clean and fit the theme. The cgs are sweet, but a little stiff at times.
I do want to note that this visual novel is quite difficult. There is no in-game indicator of correct choices nor is the text always clear which answer is 'correct', and the good ends are somewhat difficult to get. I expect that there will be fan-quides available shortly after release so this might well be a non-issue, but you will want to be prepared to reference one to get that sweet, sweet good ending rush!
Overall, this is a lovely story and well worth playing. I can't wait until the next chapter!
Such a cute game! Really fun and sweet. I like the boys a lot, and the dates were all super cute! The MC is also fantastic, she is relatable and adorable.
I liked that there were both friendship and romance ends, and that the friendship ends were just as cute and satisfying as the romance ones. The writing in general was solid, and I liked the world building and characterization. The art is amazing - the character design especially is fantastic, as are the office designs (can I live in the spring office forever?)
Rye is absolutely best boy, but everyone is super cute, and I am really looking forward to Briar's route!
I played this on Android and it worked great!
What a fantastic little time-traveling romp!
I honestly adore all the characters and the dynamics. Wren is excellent and super relatable, as are her friends and love interests.
Lonan is an absolute soft sweetheart and I love him and his dumb memes. Galvin I didn't like at all at first, but the payoff when he softened up was perfect, and I actually ended up liking him a lot! (I love me a well done tsundere). I thought for sure Lonan had a secure hold on my heart, but then Galvin gave him a ferocious run for his money and now I just adore both. Honorable mention to Kanaria, she is a fantastic character and excellent best friend. I saw in the devlog that there is talk of making her the MC of her own game, and I would absolutely be interested in that!
I liked the inclusion of the gameplay elements. The shards were neat and I like that it was explained in-game, though it felt like a lot of explanation for a fairly simple mechanic. I also really liked the point and click parts, but it was a little tedious to get the good end after the bad because I would skip past the glowing events, and couldn't scroll back. (Worth it though, I love gameplay in my otomes!)
I love a good time travel mystery/romance, and this definitely hit the spot! I liked the time loop and the way the MC and LIs reacted to it. I do feel like this is a compressed version of a story that could have been much larger - I still have a lot of questions! Would definitely be interested in a third route. (Tell us your secrets, black bird~)
I had a lot of fun with this demo! The banter is clever and the writing terribly fun. Isabelle is absolutely delightful, I love her spirit and sass, and her interactions with the female side characters are really fantastic!
The art is stunning. All the characters look so great, and the coloring is so aesthetically pleasing. The expressions are excellent, part of which I credit to their glorious eyebrows. (Harry's sulk is hilarious and I love it.)
I don't read a lot of Regency novels, but I really enjoyed this! I would marry Harry, he's darling. Lets be real though, Parker is clearly best boy, and I have some interesting ideas about a certain vile bastard...
This game is excellent! I really enjoyed playing the demo, and am super curious where it goes next.
I LOVE the flat coloring, it's beautiful and stylish with the bright colors and use of shapes. Everyone's hair is so beautiful, and I love the facial expressions! I love the music as well, especially the clubroom song. <3 Seriously listening to it on loop while I write this, its SO GOOD.
I'm not usually into school settings, but this is honestly super cute. I love the interactions with all Aiya's friends, they are all interesting characters in their own right and the dialogue between them is really well done. Aiya herself is darling, and I like the LIs so far (Haru is the best though: seriously, have you seen this gorgeous nerd blush?! <3)
Overall a really great demo, and I am really excited for the full game!
Spoilers below the line!
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OMG, Ren was horrifying and I loved it. The chase scene was excellent as was the horror in being caught, and its interesting how a certain three showed up after her death. The aesthetics of the horror bits and the contrast with the bright normal sections was just perfect.
UMMM, wow this is amazing.
Seriously. The idea is fun, the banter is amazing, the art is lovely, the voice acting is incredible. Micah is seriously adorable, asgjlngdygdc, I can't even explain. I will absolutely be replaying this game though.
If you like the chat client+video call format and cute flirty-smirky internet boys, you will love this.
The UI is definitely confusing. I got stuck while exploring the options a few times, but the desktop guide is super helpful (also very cute and worth reading). The hangman and mastermind mini game is very fun and cute, and I appreciated the autopasses at the start!
Amazing work. A big thank you to the team, you did a fantastic job and I'm excited about the Kickstarter!
Fantastically fun short game! The premise is excellent, and the Demon Lord is adorable. I adore his design (unfairly attractive and suitably sinister) and the writing and dialogue is super fun (great banter, and I do love an evil boy who gets flustered). The voice acting is superb, and is a great addition to the game. Overall a fantastic piece, and I greatly enjoyed my time playing it! <3
Super cute! Fun concept, with fantastic art and cute conversation. Its a neat little game, and is especially impressive considering it was made in only 24 hours.
I really liked both characters, the designs were great and the characterization was really good, especially given how short the game was. I could have read their banter for a long time, lol. I also really loved the little sprites, and felt they added a lot to the mood of the game. Really great work overall!
Really fantastic work! The art is gorgeous and the writing is excellent - it captures melancholy, despair, and hope in a really lovely way. I absolutely would have read further philosophical conversations with the demon! They were very well done. The story in general is somber and relatable, without being overly unsettling.
I've been reflecting a on life a great deal lately - the choices we make, the paths our lives take, and what it means to be happy. This was perfect for a quite evening alone with my thoughts. <3
This is an adorable little game! The writing and the dialogue is super fun, and the art is so warm and cozy. Both of the love interests are fantastic, and I loved them so much! (I thiiiiink the Apartment Tenant is my favorite though. Gotta love a sweet gamer. <3 I love the Grocery Clerk's questions though!)
The covid/lockdown setting is so relatable with all we've been through over the last couple years. I also loved the gender discussion, discussion of mental health, the mentions of covid safety, the diversity of the LIs, and that the game was set in the Philippines! The game itself is really lovely to look at, as the art is so soft and pretty as is the UI.
It took me about an hour to play the game and pick up all endings, and that time was full of warm fuzzies and giggles. I definitely recommend picking this up for a quick playthrough! <3