Reviews by manonamora
smoochiejam
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[ MAKE ME. ] is a short Twine demo about a supernatural present where vampires walk among us (-ish, most of the world doesn’t know), looking at how you managed to get embroiled in this situation. Are you a vampire yourself? Or a vampire hunter? or simply just a human? How did you get to learn about their existence? And where will you go from there?
The demo… doesn’t really answer any of those. As of now, you have some sort of an introduction to how you get acquainted with the night-walkers (mainly by chance) a year prior to the current story, and a small glimpse of what your present is like as a vampire/hunter/pleb. Though notes throughout the game does promise a future update where everything is explained. I liked that as a hunter you have a cabinet full of vampire-deterrent items that you can just pick up, including rice?
From what there is, the writing wants to be playful and light-hearted, even in between mentions of corpses or deaths. If further updates follow this trend, I think we’d see more of an absurd supernatural story and your run-of-the-mill horror vampire tale. I’m intrigued to see where this could go…
Spin the bottle with a twist-ish, March 8, 2024The Spin-Off is a short visual novel about six friends partying in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, looking for a game to play to pass the time. Thing is: all of them have some sort of history or tension with each other. So what better way to break the ice (or confess your feelings) than playing some sort of Spin-the-bottle with Inprov…
This game is also some sort of a prequel of You’re Next a slasher/horror adventure, which it references at the start as a creepypasta story (and also at the end). This seem to have influenced the aesthetic of the VN, with the darker colour palette, the funky not-very-straight typing font, and the obvious horror trope setting. Still, this is not a gloomy and scary story, but more of a comical one, with everything you’d expect from a party with close friends: drinks, awkward conversations about who still has crushes on whom, and weird games where the goal is to kiss everyone in the room!
It was fun… and I did manage to kiss everyone first
Forward is a short personal interactive piece made in Twine, about life. Worries and hopes, anxiety and assurance, failures and successes... the good and the bad of realities. Set as a meditation exercise, the prose weaves bits of memories of the past together, with sources of tensions and triumphs mirroring each other, showing both states will coexist, moving from one to the other, moving one with the other.
Setting aside the specific samples of situations, this is still an emotional piece hitting on those universal feelings of not being enough, of being lost and hopeless, of struggling with what is around us. And yet it still gives us a glimmer of hope, forcing us to think about the good things around us, of the achievements accomplished, how we grew and moved further than the struggles.
It is a good exercise to do.
It's not whether you'll kiss a frog, but which..., March 8, 2024 One True Love is a short fairy-tale Twine game, where you have just one little task to complete the story: after defeating your evil stepmother and rescuing the land, it is time for you to break the curse of your one true love. Turned into a frog, you will need to find the correct amphibian and kiss it before it’s too late !
The prose is pretty humorous, overall, poking fun at those fairly-tale tropes (the curses and the trials and such). This was a fun short time, trying to go through all the different options, kissing all the different frogs. There are, I think, 3 endings to find: kissing the right frog, kissing the wrong frog, and giving up because who’s got time for that! But, be warned: the correct frog is never the same…
It was sweet and entertaining!
letters for su is a very short epistolary piece, a fan-fiction letter-writing game inspired by the Ace Attorney franchise. Missing your lover Susato, who moved to England some time ago, you write her a letter depicting your longing for her, hoping for a reply. The piece lets you choose a few options when writing the letter, even rewriting it, and when sealing it (whether you personalise it).
It’s very cute and charming, and seeing your feelings erased for tamer words is somewhat heartbreaking. I also liked being able to kiss the envelope :stuck_out_tongue:
Bonded in Darkness is a dark visual novel, where you play as Arnaud, a recluse vampire. His peaceful existence is often interrupted by Julien, a vampire hunter tasked to kill him, though the latter never manages to finish the job. Everything changes one night, then Julien appears at Arnaud’s doorstep, gravely injured. Will you tend to him or leave him to fend for himself?
While the game mentions having 4 endings, one good and three bad, I’ve only found two (which I think are the bad ones? it’s coded as enemies-to-lovers…), so I don’t feel yet like I had the full experience with this entry. From what I did get though, I quite enjoyed this darker atmosphere, with this dangerous tension between the two characters. They have history together, one is currently at the mercy of the other, and there are many moments where they could take advantage of the situation to end each other. It makes you think of which choice to pick, because any wrong move, and you might die…
I also really liked the sprite for Arnaud… gosh damn!
Bibbidi bobbidi boo, time to find *you* a prince !, March 8, 2024 One Night Fairytale is a cheeky short VN, where you play as a fairytale-jaded servant at a fancy noble party in some unnamed fairytale kingdom, when you are pulled aside by a strange character, your “Fairy Godmother” - Ash. Hoping to get you to believe in the power of love, you are thrust into this fancy world as if by magic. Will you find your Prince Charming?
This was a fun and cute short time, poking fun at fairytale characters. And overall, the interface was pretty nice – like fairly tales, it’s pretty dreamy. Though, I think it could have included sprites for the different princes you end up dancing with. There were a few moments were the text was a bit hard to read against the background, but History does record everything if needs be.
Gorgeous and Intriguing, but little to do, March 8, 2024 Angelblood is a fairly long gorgeous and highly stylised visual novel, edging the fine line between romance and horror. You play as Quin, a witch working in a magical pawnshop at the Crossroad between worlds. Your world turns upside down when a peculiar character waltz in: a vampiric angel. How will you handle this novelty?
There is something interesting about mixing the celestial (angel) with the corrupt (vampires), creating a strange world filled with ancient lore forgotten with time or apocalyptic events. The vampiric angel is incredibly gorgeous and frightening; the holy warrior is protecting but with a hint of unhinged; trades are what runs this world, with memories as currency… Nothing you see, nothing you believe, nothing is what it seems. In this world of Good vs Evil, everyone here is neither, no matter how they justify their actions.
The religious symbolisms mixed in the story makes for a fascinating world-building, with the all seeing eye that does nothing, the hand that forgives but also hurts, the wink to biblical accurate angels with the sprite, the separation of the flesh and the divine, the holy and the damned… There are definitely layers in this story, which might require a few runs to find all the links between everything.
While it is an incredible game, both in the visual and narrative side, there is little left for the player to do. Aside from a couple of choices, with the final one deciding which ending you will end up with, you are pulled along the story, clicking the screen for the next sentence to appear (I think it took me 30-45min before reaching the end?). Where it not for the styling (and wanting to see whether I’d have a choice at all)…
With the level of polish considering the tight deadline of a jam, it is understandable to have such linear story. But it would have been interesting to have more agency, especially when talking to the different NPCs coming to the shop.
Still, bonus point for the cute kitten.
Be careful who you are kissing..., March 8, 2024 What do you do when you, a vampire, are faced with a vampire hunter pointing a crossbow at your chest, while, incidentally, in the bed of his daughter? Or better yet, what can you do?
Stigmata is a Twine piece about survival, identity, and relationships. You play as a vampire found in your lover’s bed by her vampire hunter dad, fighting your way to escape (and the pointed insult coming your way). As your standing in this fight becomes uncertain, memories of your Sire and of your meeting with your lover intertwine, painting a picture of who you are… and how you got into this sticky situation. There are 3 endings in this story, with some path insinuating maybe your lover’s implication in all this.
The writing is quite emotionally charged, and gruesome at times, especially during physically demanding sequences. The depiction of the PC being a filthy thing who corrupted the virtuous daughter and which should be hunted down was disconcerting, but evocative of the usual rejection and derogatory depiction of queer individuals.
I didn’t always feel immersed in the story, probably because of the often confusion shift in timelines and interlocutor. But I liked the conversations with the Sire the most, those were pretty interesting.
To kiss or not to kiss, March 7, 2024 I Want to Kiss is a short visual novel about that first relationship in (high? middle?) school and accepting the other’s differences. Just before winter break, you asked out a girl you had fallen for from afar. Now back in school, you want to try whatever it takes to get closer to your girlfriend, and maybe even get to kiss her. But… how will you react to her secret?
It was a pretty charming and sweet time. The visual introduction of the girlfriend felt a bit out of place compared to the simple style of the interface, but it made me giggle too. I liked how emotions were portrayed on the sprites, it was cute!
Outside, the getaway to starting witchcraft and meeting strangers, March 7, 2024 The Curse of Unatxi Kamala is a binksi purely kinetic entry following the eponymous character, a Spanish witch, as she visits Glastonbury, the UK witchcraft capital and has a strange encounter. The game calls itself smut, and the crux of the story does revolve around its main explicit scene.
Sandwiched between the teenager’s recollections of uncomfortable pasts, description of the present visit, and hopeful dreams of the future, is a raw depiction of strangers meeting, flirting, and getting down and dirty in a forest. It really does not shy away from being explicit, showing the yearnings, the physicality, and even the awkward uttered words.
I also liked the retro/vcr-effect interface. It gave it an eerie vibe.
Silly Valentine Mystery, March 7, 2024 the phantown’s valentine mystery is a short silly Valentine visual novel, filled with puns. Set in Phantown, you play as Ins Spector, a detective looking for the yearly serial ghost kisser before it gets to its next victim. You can talk to the past victims, hoping for some sort of a clue, think of a perpetrator, and hope you solved the mystery correctly before revealing it all !
The premise is very silly, the writing simply pun-y, and the overall interface does push this absurd envelop further with its childish-like. It’s a short time, but a funny one.
constellate is a short Twine piece about (as the blurb calls it) two emotionally obtuse lesbians (Alexandra and Eris) in space. It is winter, it is cold, and neither can figure out how to resolve the conflict in their hearts. It does not help that one of them is a former warlord, and you play as her former soldier - playing pretend of a new life away from everything can only go so far.
Like 30x30’s previous works, the prose is luscious and full of imagery. The tension is palpable between the two, as both are filled with guilt over their actions and their feelings. And you can try to flick through cycle-links to figure out how you feel about the whole thing, but especially her - though its effect will be limited. Out of the 9 endings, it is clear none of them really resolve the issue at heart, and the (im)balance of power between the two. I liked that about the story.
Friends or more?, March 7, 2024 Relationships 101 is a Twine college story, following your relationship with Harper, moving towards a romantic relationship or strengthening your friendship. I found 3 endings.
This was a pretty sweet slice-of-life piece, starting with an affectionate depiction of a friendship between you and Harper, being there for and supporting one another, giving you ample options to affect how this relationship will evolve into. I first picked to stay friends, so it continued down that path, and it was really nice. I appreciated the maturity of Harper when being rejected, and how levelled the communication between characters is depicted.
It’s definitely a feel-good piece.
Comfortable intimacy, March 7, 2024 Blood and Intimacy is a short but sweet Ink story following student Lyle and their vampire boyfriend Zach, during an intimate snapshot. On a Thanksgiving break, the two watch a movie, cuddling… that might be leading to more.
I really enjoyed how the concept of intimacy was used here, focusing on the more emotional aspect of the term, where touch is not just a physical action bringing a physical reaction, but creating a bond between the partners. The painted picture of this form of intimacy is lovely and touching. I also liked the subtle discussion about boundaries and consent, through Lyle’s thoughts about their previous make-out sessions and Zach’s requests.
It feels so comfortable and sweet !
Hello... it's me., March 7, 2024 Familiar is a short Twine game, a sort of dating-sim sequel to Computerfriend, where you go back to Godfield, Louisiana, years later, meeting C by chance (?) on the street. Following an impromptu date, you are given two paths.
There’s always something off about Kit’s games, in a way that it is always both confusing and comforting. It hits all the melancholic and nostalgic points, leering you in with the sense of familiarity and those bittersweet feelings of “coming home but it doesn’t feel like home”… but always keeping you at bay, unable to see behind the veil, put off by the visceral descriptions and the unsaid. There’s also an interesting between-the-line discussion of what it is to be human, with C being an AI in a part-machine-part-flesh body and you who don’t seem to feel quite alive (that probably gave me extra existential dread…). I also really liked the discussion in the movie theatre about those Soviet movie and the point of it all.
This wasn’t really what I imagined a Computerfriend dating-sim would be like, but it even better.
Adorable little demo, March 7, 2024 Sweet Cravings is a short Visual Novel, where you play as Camilla, a young witch, trying to get the courage to go on a date with June, the waitress at the eponymous bakery. There are a handful of choices (for flavour), and a bouquet-making mini-game. There seems to be only one ending, with the game going back to the menu abruptly without real conclusion (maybe because it’s locked behind the NSFW version).
The visuals of the game is pretty polished, with a cute an bubbly art style and cheerful sound effect. It even switches from different interfaces (usual VN, phone screen, mini-game). There were just a few moments where the screen flashed black between some transition, but it wasn’t too bad.
Even though it is short, it is adorable AS HECK. I really liked the exchanged between Camilla and her friends (especially the phone chat, it was funny). It manages to capture the jittery feelings of a first date so well. I do wish there were a bit more choices, and a more satisfying end.
Heart-changing roadtrip, March 6, 2024 I’ll Drive is a short linear ink piece about first loves, will-they-won’t-they, and the anxious feelings you get before confessing. Formatted in a script-like fashion, cutting between short scenes, we follow a group of teenagers (three siblings and a friend) on a road-trip, controlling the actions of Luke, the lovesick friend. Will Luke find the courage to confess?
If you can over the second-hand embarrassment of tripping over yourself while trying to be helpful, or blurting out your extremely embarrassing memories, you will find a very sweet and tender story about too dumb teenagers in love (and the comical sister sidekicks).
Ouch, my stone heart. I felt a pinch.
Saccarine and Wit, March 6, 2024 My Demonically Lovelly Valentine! is a short Valentine-themed visual novel following Maria, a down-on-her-love young woman looking for a date for Valentine’s Day. Having depleted all possible options due to her peculiar hobbies, she decides to turn towards the dark arts to make her dream come true !
The entry is very charming. From the atmospheric music to the illustration, the silly premise and the witty writing, it’s as sweet as saccharine. A really cute bite for Valentine !
Fill your hunger, one way or another, March 5, 2024 blood4blood is a steamy Twine interactive story, where you play as a hungry lesbian vampire on Valentine’s Day. Hoping to find your fix, and get you going just a bit longer, you stumble inside your regular bar and look for your next meal. Under the heat of the season, surrounded by mingling bodies, two paths opens up to you - future interactions mirroring the composure of the two women reaching out to you. Will you follow the rough around the edges but clearly lonely butch woman or the cladly dressed bubbly femme who just bought you a drink?
The prose has a strong focus on the physicality, from the descriptions of the movements of the characters to the deep and tortuous sensations of hunger (in all terms, almost addictive). It is raw, and carnal, and savage. But there’s still a bit of sweetness and tenderness to it at times. I think I liked the “softer” path out of the two, it had a playful moment that threw me out of the loop - feigning an early end.
There are a few assets in the game, in shades of bright red to pop against the dark bordeau, and illustrations in greyscales with hints of vermillont. The simplicity of the style is quite lovely, and, when the illustrated portrait are formatted as VN-speech boxes, it makes for quite the sleek look. By the end of my run, I was sort of wishing the use of the latter was a bit more consistent throughout the game, maybe cover the dialogues, because they look so cool. Could even be a super neat VN if the author wished to.
Anyways, a neat read
From Data with Love, March 5, 2024Milliseconds of Romance is a short Twine romance story where you play as a Tresys, some sort of Artificial Intelligence, a good one, that follows its directive, handling data and learning from them, ever so growing in hopes to get rewarded for it (because you are a good Tresys). Set in the close future of 2057, spanning less than a second, at the dawn of its kind’s collapse, YOU receive a strange data package, that might change how you see things…
Behind the metaphors and the technical writing of the system, emerges a sweet story of two individuals finding each other, trying to find their footing in that strange dance of data mangling. Your partner’s voice is inviting, and weirdly human-like, teasing you to escape your comfort zone to experience the wonders of the unknown, playing against your timidity and controlled ways. I liked how even in the short span of the story, you grow and get more assurance in your actions, interested in seeing what’s out there. You know, getting out of your shell.
The game also includes 5 endings, all of which are pretty easy to get. The BEST ending had me giggling like a schoolgirl.
How will you spend the night with your lover?, March 5, 2024Poetry and Passion is a short ChoiceScript game, in which you spend the magical night of the full moon with your lover, with your romantic ending of choice. Though, before you can abandon yourself in the steamy make-out session or the sentimental walk in the arms of your beloved, tension must slowly rise.
Stolen glances and a delicious meal, brushes of the hand and delectable beverages, short breath and spontaneous poems… The prose of this entry is as smooth as caramel and goes down like a spiced bourbon. It is beautifully evocative and so romantic. I really liked the sweetness and gentleness in the movements.
Also extra biased points for the description of the food.
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