Reviews by manonamora

The Butterfly Dreams is a sci-fi game introducing the next big gaming tech: a virtual reality machine that brings the whole of *you* inside the game. No more clonky accessories or heavy headsets that give you nausea, just stick some patches to your head, and off you are to Dream Land. And while this invention, appropriately named *Fantasia*, is not yet available to the masses, you along with six other brilliant individuals from various fields are one of the lucky few to not just test it, but create.

You are introduced to each individual, through a short conversation (where you discover your name, Tom/Thomas), about who they are, their personality, their view on *Fantasia*, and what they might end up creating during this workshop. Through forced proximity, relationship blossoms and thoughts turn into concrete ideas. Or so your inner thoughts tell you, as the story doesn't linger enough for you [the player] to experience it yourself.

Still, the story must continue, and you "play" through everyone's creations, each relating pretty closely to their respective identity: the chef creates a virtual restaurant to test out ideas, the children's author bring her characters to life, and the gamer revive old forgotten games.
Of course, nothing goes without a hitch, with one of the characters essentially breaking the machine (hinted at, but it didn't marinate enough to punch...). But things are swiftly swiped under the rug - there are still creations to test after all, including yours!

And this is when the "twist" appears. I use quotes here, because it really came out of the left field. This whole time *you* were playing everyone - with your identity and background never revealed, you could have been anyone, it just so happen you're a conman for some reason. The complete change of tone between your thoughts and the confrontation feels to disjointed, I kept wondering if I'd missed a whole section.
During my first playthrough, I didn't see *any* reason for Tom to be inculpated with some crime - you are so bland and boring, and no one ever ask *you* any question about yourself. So I went and checked out the other options of the few choices (only because others mentioned hints in comments), and still, the vibe felt the same. Maybe *once?* there was a whiff of you having some sort of plan? idea? but you could easily chalk it off as "well, he's just thinking of what to create for Fantasia".
The only thing I can think of is Layna being curt and distant towards you. But that's not enough to make a mystery interesting.

It's a shame, really, because simulations concepts, dream within a dream, and dystopian/cyberpunk-y takes on technologies are really fun, and you can make compelling critiques of society through those. Even conspiracies of nefarious agents using technology for evil is a tried and true trope. But you're not given enough time to explore the setting here (exploring a whole mansion and being caught touching something you really shouldn't be touching, or finding someone doing just that), to interact with the characters and learn more about them (maybe even pit them against one another?) , to have them interact with you so you learn more about yourself (*oh, why are you here, Tom? why are you special?*). And in general, give time for the mystery to settle.

Lewd Mod: Noir is "noir" spin-off to the pornographic series Lewd Mod, where you play as a new analyst in a spy agency called the *Red Hats*, which combs through sexy pictures for "reasons". Your arrival also marks the start of an internal investigation, as you learn there is a mole in the agency, selling out its members' information. Your two points of contact, Agent Scarlett and Agent Cyanne, have different motivations on how to deal with the situation. And you can side with one or the other.

Along with the usual phone chatting from this author, the game introduce another game mechanic to add a bit more interactivity: "analysing" the pictures and indicate whether a Red Hat agent has been photographed or not. Very simple, very basic, and as the days go one, pretty sexy. And if you make a mistake? the game makes you check the series of picture again.

There is also a Noir Mode, which adds a greyscale filter to most of the game, particularly the picture you swift through, which honestly adds an air of mystery (and sexiness, in a vintage way). And to the atmosphere of the spy setting.

Story-wise, you have your run-of-the-mill spy story: there's a mole weaving chaos into an agency, putting all the spies in some sort of danger, and *YOU* get the figure out what happens... *eventually*. You know, after you get to flirt with a woman or two. And there's your very flirty and approachable "love" interest (usually blond), and the stern and sulry one (usually brunette). Shenanigans may ensue.

Now, there is some charm to the game. At first at least. The game sort of nudge you to play as some sort of himbo to get Agent Scarlett frustrated with you (and you get some funny back and forth), as a way to give some exposition and explain the main mechanic of the game. It definitely got some chuckles out of me.

But then... It kinda fell off. I can't pin-point the exact moment when it went sideways for me. The vibe of the setting just shifted and turned sour. I think starting by the end of Agent Scarlett's backstory, where she essentially slutshame other agents for their bigger chests (making her insecure about her own B-C cup herself), it sort of became... *disappointing*. And the cheating, again...
Up until then, there was some tension between Agents Scarlett and Cyanne -- a sort of frenemies with sexy undertone, the kind you keep hoping they will kiss at the end of the story, because they realise how attracted to each other they are.

But then *this* happened, and it threw the vibes all the way off. And there is nothing wrong with conflict, heck, this is what makes stories interesting. But the pitting the women against each other, with a good dash of misogyny and bodyshaming, almost fighting for *you*, the lowly newbie analyst, cooled me off completely. In an agency that uses sex appeal as their modus operandi, how is there space for... *this*!
You'd think they would just treat it as the job, their body as a weapon, their actions the same you would filling a boring file in an office job. Instead, we get women hating each other's bodies, some slutshaming and accusations... What a bummer... And it takes away from the whole sexy vibe too.

The end of the demo happens after the major choice of helping Agent Scarlett, while she's targetted by a conspiracy, or selling her out to get into the good graces of Agent Cyanne, the boss. Follows a little conversation with whomever you sided, and a strip-tease of some sort. If only the women weren't bashing each other during that conversation... It would seem less sad.

The consequence of this choice, I assume, continue into the next chapters (but I stopped where the demo ends). Part of me sort of hope the Agents actually realise their feeling for each other, ditch you, and drive into the sunset for their cool-lesbian-on-the-road ending. But I'd probably bet on your regular spy story of their both got betrayed by a third person (let's call her... *Agent Yarrow*, and it's the super boss) and team up to take her down (but then don't apologise to each other, and make you choose again who should take the boss' seat). That or the one you pick is actually the mole and you got to "save" the other one. Or they are *both* the mole.
With how the demo ended, I wasn't tempted to find out. I'll just stick with my fanfic of the two Agents making out on a beach. :shrugging:

TW: mention of eating disorder

*Office Temptation* is a demo for the larger pornographic game *Lewd Mod*, where you "converse" with Maddy, a train-wreck of a coworker in your office. She is trying *really hard* to flirt with you, teasing you with snapshots and hinting at a sexy surprise at the end of the day. And she won't stop talking to you, whether you accept those advances or not (well, you can't *really* say no, it just translates as playing hard to get). The only big difference is whether you get the sexy surprise at the end or not (and *even then*, it's a tease).

This was... *weird*. There's no way around it but *weird*. I tried to play as the reticent co-worker first, that just wants to get through the day, see if Maddy would leave me alone (she doesn't, and the game kinda shoehorns you into giving in), and the one who's all into the whole thing. And both times, it left a bad taste in my mouth. Sure, it's porn. But gosh darn, I have standards!

First of all, you have doughnuts and you don't even make a porn joke with it? Stack em or lick em, there are so many ways of using the treat smartly and smutly. But no, Maddie just doesn't know how to eat them and ends up with jelly on her chest. Which.... *WHY?* Why the doughnut?? when you have the phallic *éclairs* right there, or the booby *religieuse* or *profiteroles* or *choux* right there! If the MC is not gendered, the *religieuse* work even better, in the game's context too (with the AC and Maddy)! Such missed opportunities.

Second of all, Maddy has a boyfriend. She's actively cheating on her boyfriend by essentially sexting you at work (and then at home if you took the right path). What's sexy about cheating? How are we supposed to be ok with being the affair partner? Why can't I call Maddy out on her actions??? As soon as she mentioned a boyfriend, I was out of it completely. I was ready to call HR and report her. Which you can't, because the game is hell bent on responding positively about Maddy's advances.

Most egregious of all, and that's not even touching the whole office affair, which its whole canworm, the way the game deals with Maddy's relationship with food is just... *questionable at best*. Maddy refers to herself as disgusting if she eats the doughnuts during the day, that she ate a whole box of cookies the day before and it made her feel bad, that her boyfriend essentially fatshames her when sending him sexy pics... and *she urges you to fatshame her so she won't eat the doughnuts she obviously want to eat*. In the year of our Lord 2025... why are we still doing this? This is not sexy to restrict someone to *not* eat something, especially you can pick the options of *calling her a GREEDY PIG*. Even as some sort of degradation/feeding fetish I don't buy it. It only reads as a woman who has some sort of eating disorder and not dealing with it (and *you can make it worse to get sexy pics* yay! /s).

Smut can be fun, smut can be flirty and cheeky, smut can titillate with neat graphics. This... was just uncomfortable throughout. I kept wishing for a *Report to HR* button so I could stop the game early. But, in retrospect, this would have been like monkey paw's request: instead of HR, I'd have *Horny Resources* on the line, and end up in a whole new layer of corporate hell.

The Deluge is an emotional exploration of your recently-flooded hometown. Trying to gather supplies to safely leave the town, you can (re)visit some major spots, reflect on the years behind you and the relationships that were, and give yourself one last chance to say goodbye. Leaving is inevitable -- you always had plans to do so, voiced so far back that people you meet are surprised you're still lingering around. But this time, it's for real. It only took you a literal deluge for you to move forward.

It took me a while to figure out the underlying mechanic of the game, and the steps needed to complete story in the way it's meant to me -- like the protagonist at first, I erred around, not knowing how to accomplish my goal, visiting spots without being able to connect with them properly, believing once was enough. My feet would take me times and times again into the northern road, thinking this was the only way out of town.

I only have myself to blame, for the game clearly points out multiple times you should come back to this place later, or that you shouldn't forget to get a specific thing, or that you still have unfinished business. I thought one goodbye was enough, even if the ghosts of the past still lingered, even if I didn't deal with my feelings. That what mattered was to turn the page and close the chapter regardless. Life is full of badly closed doors anyway. Because... the town is flooding, why the heck would I put myself in harms way???

Well... turns out, you have all the time in the world to mend your broken heart, to untwist your torn feelings, to iron out the crumbled pages of your past. You shouldn't linger and forget to *actually* leave town at some point, but you won't find yourself washed away by the water either (just by your own thoughts). I got there eventually, patiently combing through each location in town, and taking the time to internalise what was going on (be patient! or you'll miss something too!).

Loss is prevalent throughout the game. Obviously, the town, ravaged by the floods. Your apartment by proxy, the sanctuary you're leaving behind. The people who left before you, leaving *you* behind, something you both grieve and envy. The people still there but changed, with unrecognisable relationships. And inside your own heart, the loss you never dealt with, keeping you from moving on.

All this to say, it paints quite the melancholic atmosphere. Taking the time to process and accept loss before moving on makes all the difference. Will you drown in your sadness or bittersweetly float above it?

The Sword of Voldiir is a D&D inspired text adventure made in Twine, where you play as a mercenary with the task of recovering the eponymous sword for riches and reputation. Like in true D&D fashion, your quest is not without trials and tribulations: what seems to be a quick and easy task turns into an ambush that almost leaves you in your breaches, and a series of fights to recover what was stolen. And this is where the demo ends (about halfway through the story, looking at the word count - which is also where I stopped).

The D&D influences are obvious in this one, from how you create your character, to the turn-based combat, and the general flow of the story (aka get together, agree on a plan, try to execute it, something goes wrong, and repeat until you succeed). Though it streamlines the more obtuse rules of the game: you don't need to worry about your walking abilities, or spell slots. Which is awesome, because D&D combat can be pretty tedious.
However, it might be a bit too simplistic: at the start of a fight, you only pick your weapon and hope for the best. Even though the fight itself is turn-based, and you see the health bar tick away as you hit your enemies, you can't change your weapon or develop a strategy between turn. I think it's a bit of a shame, because variety in actions make combat fun! Even if you end up only smashing your sword, the option to have a choice is what makes it interesting.

Story-wise, it also felt a bit rushed at times, especially outside of the "beat" moments (going from one scene to the next). I think it makes sense when playing a campaign when playing with other people because scenes can drag on and on and on, and you don't want to linger on the side of the road when the big baddie still need to be defeated (and we're already 5 sessions in and nothing of note has happened). But in this context, I think it removed a bit of the charm of the adventure.
What about an encounter on your way to the city after being robbed for a meal and a listening ear? Maybe even letting you borrow their rusty sword because the forest you need to cross can be treacherous (and BAM tiny combat)?
Or between Act II and Act III, during the week before getting the sword back, why not getting your affairs in order, maybe buying equipment or scouting the building? Similarly to getting information around the city when tracking the woman who robbed you.

While it wasn't really my cup of tea, I can see some solid bones inside. I think it needs a bit more muscles on it, like adding more player agency (in the combat, during the story), so the player isn't just strung along, but an active participant of the story, or fleshing out some "down" moments, to make the combat/action/exploration more energetic (like the meal scene in the inn). Dare I say... maybe a puzzle?

Just a final point for dark mode users, the palette is not super accessible.

Coins of Gold is a tiny puzzle made in Whimsy (a bitsy clone), in which you find yourself in a dark tomb with no exit, but an empty altar in the middle. Oh, and there's a gold coin. What will happen if you bring the coin to the alter...

Well, you're in a dark tomb. One measly altar puzzle isn't enough. So, you also get a maze. And you know what? Let's throw you another one that will make you pull your hair out for good measure (hint: a screenshot will save your sanity).

An interesting proof of concept.

Prepper Van is a tiny adventure game, where your goal is to survive as many disasters as you can in this apocalypse future, AND find a job. With you van, and some dozen dollars in your name, you can pick up hitch-hikers or dead amarillo, buy or sell supplies, and hope you can go through the day unscathed.

There is something quite dystopian about this entry, although I am not sure it is intended. For all intents and purposes, it seems the Earth is going through the End of Times (tm). Yet, your parents nag you to leave the house to find a job, because you're freeloading off of them. And you struggle to get exorbitantly expensive basic supplies to survive the night (and whatever shenanigans of the hitch-hiker du jour).

I don't know... I'd expected small groups of people banding together and have enough humanity to share things (until the inevitable raid from the rowdy group a field over...). You know, more together we can survive anything. Less whoops we're destroying the Earth but capitalism is a demanding master still.

Lazarrien is a fantasy story that follows the eponymous knight journeying through cursed land, as he attempts to recover his memory, particularly why he roaming these lands, and what he has to do with the curse. During his travels, he meets a child, a priestess, a musician and a king – the order differing per playthrough – each, he finds, having a link to him and each other. And a demon, trailing behind him, never approaching until the ultimate hour.

For most of the story, I struggled to see what made it a love story. None of the characters on Lazarrien’s path display romantic feelings towards him, some being far from friendly, and one even hunting him. So how does it even relate to love? Is our knight going to love himself and change his fate? Will we find one of the aforementioned characters at the end, because it turns out they fell in love with the knight? Or will he turn back, return to one of them, and damn the curse and the quest? Is Lazarrien going to find a happy ending?

I think I should have known from the start it was going to be more tragic – my first playthrough started with the priestess, who warned me of sins that unravelled the world. And what better sin than forbidden love, the one that cannot be, the one you fight against and for regardless, the one that never ends well.
Lazarrien’s reticence to accept his feelings in that fateful meeting changed everything, about who he was, what he was trying to do, the meaning of the others’ words, and ultimately, what I thought I would choose when faced with the curse. I’m a sucker for love, even if I can see its end a mile away. His change within gave me hope – how he describes his body, how his true words escape his mouth without realising, tout semblant comme une évidence – you want to hope for him, that things will work out, that he could get his cake and eat it too.

So, when faced with that single choice, I did not hesitate once. I didn’t consider the other option to be an option either. I think Lazarrien would not suppress his feeling – the morning after’s regret told me so. I hung to that hope, even with the nagging feeling in the back of my mind that this was a love story, not a happy ending story. There was no surprise when it happened, for tragedy always makes its entrance when you want it the least: so close to your goal you can taste it.

But there was still a glimmer of hope, even when we were past the eleventh hour, even as I was grieving what I wished would be, when all the pieces finally fit and the picture was complete… There was a way, she said. Things might be different if we’d go back to the start. If we’d tried again. Lazarrien had done so many times before, but maybe this time will be the right one. I could go back to the start and lift the curse. I just need to remember the—

Habeas Corpus is a short interactive surreal exploration through an abandoned wandering fortress. You awaken in its centre, only sure that you were meant to be in this space - even if you are not quite sure where you are, or even who you are anymore. In this unfamiliar and perpetually moving construction, you are prompted to look around the 5 different available rooms and its contents. Rummaging through those, you may find objects which can unlock further interactions. Depending on your actions, you may end up with one of two endings.

The highlight of this game is its atmosphere: a mystery shrouded in its incomplete description and minimal exposition, continued through an exploration that reveals little still. You won’t solve the mystery, but might manage to fit some of its pieces together - though you’ll still be left with more questions than answers. I kept wondering what we had done to end up here.

Relating back to the title, Habeas Corpus, I imagined the building your find yourself within to be some sort of dystopian machinery imprisoning its residents. You seem certain of your place in this environment, but who says whether you came here with your own volition or you were brought here against your will. If only you remembered things clearly…

I think the styling of the interface influenced this sci-fi dystopian read on the story, with its pixelated font, the shaky cycling text, and the old school 3D buttons. It made me think of computer interfaced you’d find in sci-fi movies like Aliens or The Matrix.

Overall, this was an interesting game to play, if just for the exploration and the atmosphere.

Eight Steps is a tiny slice-of-life piece about ageing and the art of kyudo (the Japanese martial art of archery). Following the hassetesu ritual (or eight stages of shooting), the narrator describes their movements to achieve each stance - and how their aged body reacts. The recent pains, the old ones that were never shaken off, the creaking and the soreness that only comes with time. And most importantly, coming to term with this version of themself that fights them at every step.

This was pretty calming, going through the repeating steps of the ritual. And a bit existential-dread-y? Being reminded of your own limited existence through physical signs, knowing it's unlikely they will go away, that things can't go back to the way they used to...