The Schizophrenic Dynasty of Müller
Rock solid game! The atmosphere, music and the aura of the game just caught my eye, do play it and you’ll come to think alike!
– Real player with 2.5 hrs in game
Read More: Best Choose Your Own Adventure Visual Novel Games.
UPDATE:
The game hasn’t had an update in 4 months and there have been no communications about it from the developer. The English translation of the game has had no changes from the initial release – it is still incomprehensible, written or translated by someone who does not have a good grasp of English. Furthermore, when I confronted the developer through the games' group chat about a refund, I was promptly banned, without even receiving any sort of answer.
TL;DR - The written English of this game is incomprehensible. Development of this game seems to have stopped after the initial release. I strongly advise against buying this game.
– Real player with 0.5 hrs in game
Incel Syndrome
“disgraceful caricature of us truecels”
Read the whole demo and i gotta say im not surprised at all what I read. Its another piece to put down lonely men in their 20s for not having success with women. The game has the same narrative that most media has on incels or adult virgin men. They are all either mass shooters waiting to happen or just smelly neets in their mother’s basement, while the game attempts to sound smart with its quotes from Otto. Notice how no where in the game a woman seems irrational. Of course that can change when they release the whole game but i highly doubt they will show the ugly side of women in todays society cuz truly lonely men are the worst of our race right? Normies will never understand the lonely male which is why they will just throw all of them in the extreme category of the incel group. Congrats on the cringey ass demo cant wait for the whole game so i can shit on it and laugh more
– Real player with 14.6 hrs in game
Read More: Best Choose Your Own Adventure Visual Novel Games.
Is a novel, no a game-novel, rather full novel with no relevant decisions. The following comment is therefore a review of the plot (No Spoilers).
This stuff is not for everyone, hardcore incel issues, 90% of the characters are assholes (except for Jhon, love that bastard), thick text, references to a certain goverment in Germany in the 1930´s, and so on. However, I would argue the plot is pretty well done, the conflict of the main character is real, the characters are all flesh-made weak-but-true people and one can even extract an idea or two from this philosophy-elevated 4chan rant. The backgrounds and the music are perfectly aligned with the plot and so on.
– Real player with 6.2 hrs in game
Freud’s Bones-the game
Freud’s Bones is a narrative-driven adventure that wants to pay homage to the birth of psychoanalysis and its founder Sigmund Freud.
Immerse yourself in his mind and discover the mystery behind his crisis.
Investigate disturbing Egyptian artifacts, philosophical puzzles, and perverse sexual disorders in this unprecedented indie adventure.
Born as a highly successful Kickstarter project, winner of the Red Bull Indie Forge Award 2020, Italian finalist in the Nordic Game Contest 2021; Freud’s Bones is developed by a single person, with the collaboration of a few friends.
“I believe that Freud is in crisis and that without a faithful friend, he will end up being swallowed up by his ghosts.”
Carl Jung
Freud finds a strange Egyptian artifact on his desk, that “comes to life” during the night showing him threatening and disturbing philosophical puzzles. This drives him crazy and makes him paranoid by making him believe that he is being persecuted…
Sigmund is used to solving his patients' crises, but this time he will have to help himself dig deep inside himself and understand the real reason for his paranoia.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, you came to his office right in the middle of his crisis.
Thanks to you, Freud may be able to overcome it…
Because of you, Freud may never get out of it.
Psychoanalyse Freud’s patients and explore their unconscious, to discover their hidden dreams, their obsessions, as well as the causes of their sexual disturbances.
Thanks to your help they could finally heal…
Because of your mistakes, they could collapse into a whirlwind of pain.
By helping Freud treat his patients, you will analyze their troubled minds. Through their illness, you will learn how our mind behaves in such circumstances. By confronting each personality, together with them, you will discover the depths of human sexuality.
Live Freud’s everyday life by accompanying him in his routine: read the letters he receives every morning, give him a few moments of relaxation to smoke his beloved cigars or to drink a sip of cocaine.
Accompany him to the Eckman Café to meet patrons who could finance his project or go on the nocturnal walks among the palaces of Vienna.
The id, ego, and super-ego are a set of three concepts in the psychoanalytic world describing unique, interacting personalities in the mind of the person. The three agents are theoretical constructs that describe the activities and interactions of the mental life of a person.
Id (represents instinct) - the hungry minotaur:
The Id is entirely unconscious, is the only component of personality that is present from birth. It is the source of all psychic energy and obtains pleasure unconditionally.
Superego (represents morality) - the merciless general:
The Superego assimilates social laws and, through them, a sense of guilt. Punishes the ego when it decides to transgress the rules which Id craves.
Ego (represents reality) - a puppet that aspires to freedom:
The ego is the center of consciousness. Constantly subjected to the demands of the Id and the pressing reproaches of the superego, while being forced to deal with reality.
Fortuna “Axel Fox” Imperatore worked in a cleaning company while completing her studies in Psychology and Philosophy.
Obsessed by her love of video games and psychoanalysis, she decided to put her mantra into practice: “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish” and combine her greatest passions into a project, Freud’s Bones which was born from a rickety old laptop and through a myriad of adventures.
In 2020, the Kickstarter campaign tripled its goal, raising €15,500 from all over the world. Alone, and equipped with a sense of stubbornness and craziness, Fortuna quit her job, she invested her salary and dedicated her body and soul to her first work.
Read More: Best Choose Your Own Adventure Indie Games.
The Dreamwalkers
The Dreamwalkers is a 2D Visual Novel/Point-and-Click Adventure Game in which you can project yourself into the world of Dreams.
You play Morgan, a student in History of the Arts in Paris, who’s life is about to be turned upside down. Along his journey he will meet new friends, whose fate will be into your hands.
Features
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5 acts of an hour each. Perfect for lunch break diversions!
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Highly replayable: the story is divided into 3 mutually exclusive branches, each focused on the relationship between Morgan and one of the Dreamwalkers.
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Romance: will Morgan fall in love with this Dreamwalker or just be friend? Your decision!
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8 different endings depending on choices you’ll have to own up (and no Mass Effect-style: some endings will depend on choices made earlier in the game)
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Explore Dreams: scenes in the world of dreams can be explored in point & click phases to discover more about the universe.
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Original Universe: inspired by Neil Gaiman and Inception, we created a world where myths and reality intertwine.
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Backgrounds and characters drawn by talented artists.
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The original music is a symphony in 5 movements created by a composer and played by an orchestra!
I Saw Black Clouds
I Saw Silver Linings
It doesn’t show its hand until it will have tested the patience of many, but I think in the pantheon of modern FMV titles it’s sufficiently interesting to recommend (with some caveats).
Consider me an avid indie FMV game dabbler . Over time I’ve realised that the real beauty of such interactive films, much like VR games, isn’t that they continuously break new ground towards some singularity future entertainment form. It’s that indie creator spirit that flows through their design and writing and all the quirks and eccentricities that come with that. I’m British, so I always love the underdog.
– Real player with 9.6 hrs in game
As a big fan of FMV games, I give this a 6 out of 10. So a mild recommendation mostly for other fans of the genre. There are just too many elements here that could be improved on to rate it any higher, some of which have been mentioned in other reviews.
There are some tracked playthrough stats like tact and honesty that are poorly explained in relation to the game, to the point I don’t think they have any impact other than reflecting choices you’ve made. There’s no situation where you aren’t tactful enough to continue down a certain path or anything like that. But at the same time there are the stats of denial and acceptance that determine your ending. So some of the stats matter and some don’t and that’s never really made clear.
– Real player with 8.1 hrs in game
Grotto
A Game Has Never Made Me Cry Before…
First of all, I want to say that this game is extremely well-written. The characters all have their own unique voice, a manner of speech unique only to them. You don’t always know how they will interpret the answers you give them. Sometimes the outcome remains the same, regardless of what you tell them; rather than a stiff railroad, though, the narrative comes across more like a river delta, with lots of little branches that ultimately lead to the same destination.
– Real player with 12.4 hrs in game
This game is a delightful experience filled with heart, joy, sadness, anger, and hope. Worth a purchase for anyone looking for a low-key game with simple, straightforward objectives and controls.
But what is it? In Grotto you play as the Soothsayer, the Stranger, the Startamer, and a bunch of other nicknames given to you by a primitive tribe for whom you read the stars, assigning them meaning and purpose in order to give guidance to those who seek you out. Over the course of the game you’ll see how your guidance affects the state of the tribe and their future, with many consequences unforeseen.
– Real player with 12.0 hrs in game
The Horrorscope
My Word was ‘Bloodthirst’
This was very interesting as it made me realise how violent of a person i have the potential to be. I wasn’t scared for a single moment during this but that doesnt meant it isnt a bad game, it was just different for me. It made me realise how calm i’d be with that situation, the one you get given with ‘Bloodthirst’, How i wouldnt be afraid. That intrigues me, Do I really have the potential to be a serial killer? How easily could that happen and how easily could that be avoided? Blood is fascinating in how it stains your hands, literally and figuratively. I will have to think about this more. I care for people and I could never harm someone yet if I was pushed too far, If i snapped. Could I stop myself? This is a very interesting game and makes you think about things you may not want to. Thats what makes it good.
– Real player with 12.8 hrs in game
A few months back I saw “The Test” and picked it up. I enjoyed the questions…well most of em lol… and the cool and sometimes too real summary of me…Well, it described me as well as someone who knows me would, and not many do.
OK.. back to “the horrorscope”. …basically same as “the test”. series of questions followed by an analysis of the type of person you are based on your answers to the questions(I think, who really knows what is going on behind the curtains?…not i). its a 15-30 ish minute experience but for a buck or 2 its like getting your fortune told basically.
– Real player with 0.8 hrs in game
The Journey - Episode 1: Whatever This Is
Secret word: Introspective
Pretty sick!
So, I wanna say I felt like the disclaimer introduction was a bit too long. However, I’m not sure if it prepared me better for the overall experience because the game frankly doesn’t get more complex or engaged than you want it to be. It’s an exercise in… whatever.
It doesn’t shock you by knowing your first name (based on your steam profile). It doesn’t intrude in your beliefs, current interests, or past experiences with similar exercises.
If you’re looking for “gameplay,” this isn’t for you… but it COULD be for you on another day, at another time, or in-between other games.
– Real player with 2.0 hrs in game
Code word: Introspective
So, this is highly recommendable. In fact this is the best computer game I have ever played. While I do like all of the games of the company, I love this one. I did not only buy it, but also send it to a friend as a present. Actually considering sending it to a few other friends/family members as well. This is awesome!
Why I think this is amazing:
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The game makes me think and analyse. Two things I love to do.
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It made me see the world in a slightly new perspective.
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Playing this made me feel very good. (Even if that is not the purpose of the game.)
– Real player with 2.0 hrs in game
The Test
Before I go into the rest of my review, this is my final word: Love.
Wow. This game did a lot of things well and successfully elevated my heartrate purely through artfully placed simple questions and atmosphere. Even the positioning of the question-asker and his design were unnerving.
You can see pretty quickly what the game is trying to accomplish, but it still throws you off guard. It is exactly what it says it is– a series of yes-or-no questions that range from “Do you prefer cats over dogs?” to “Do you feel like I know you yet?”
– Real player with 0.9 hrs in game
This game does not and cannot deliver what it promises.
Anyone who takes this quiz should familiarize themselves with the Forer effect, where people give high accuracy ratings to personality descriptions that are supposedly tailored to them. Such personality descriptions are vague enough that they could really apply to almost anyone, and people interpret the information to be more personal that it actually is. This test is an example of this effect.
I’ll use my own example to illustrate. After you answer all of the questions, the game will assign you a secret word, which supposedly represents something fundamental to your personality. The secret word it gave me was “love.” The game goes on to explain what that word means; for example, according to the game, I’m insecure: I don’t trust others and I don’t trust myself. That’s true, by the way; however, the game goes on to make a number of claims that could apply to just about anyone. In my case, it said:
– Real player with 0.7 hrs in game
Rest House
A very peculiar obsession of Don Quixote paints this game’s cerebral narrative. The levels and artwork are muddled, jarring, and provide a fenestrated glimpse into the developer’s unusual psyche. A commitment worth its value if you’re into strange games.
Warning: The game offers links to external websites usually found at the end of each level to Youtube videos, Leaderboards, and other websites. Some of these links were blocked by my antivirus for malicious code. Some of those loaded in-game windows to these external websites that my antivirus blocked as well.
– Real player with 8.1 hrs in game
Nothing makes sense in this game, it is literally 3D models just thrown all over the place. The author calls it an abstract adventure, but you can tell it was like the programmer just took a 3D model tool and w/e assets he could find and stick them in. That said the “game” itself is full of faults. You can get stuck while walking up a staircase, you can get stuck on an edge, you can get stuck inside a room you can’t reopen cause a ball rolled off the switch.
The puzzles are annoying, pushing a huge butterfly statue that flips around in all different directions is a tiring process. It gets stuck on everything. Pushing a rolling ball that seems to defy gravity and friction is a process much like listening to nails on a chalkboard.
– Real player with 3.9 hrs in game