A Fold Apart
Interesting puzzle concept. I got stuck in a few but never enough to look up a solution. Some puzzles (especially early ones, but also some later ones) are very easy. Feels like the game is trying to make you feel frustration and release in sympathy with the characters instead of ramping up difficulty just because it’s a game.
Presentation is impressive. Transitions, multi-view shots, and walking over folds are done seamlessly.
Dialogue (text messages) between the characters is generally pretty good. Some a bit too cheesy/sappy but some felt genuine. The puzzle thought text is usually too melodramatic.
– Real player with 4.3 hrs in game
Read More: Best Drama Cute Games.
VEREDICT: 8/10.
A Fold Apart is a sweet puzzle game with its mechanics and visuals well tied to its themes. The game could use some quality of life improvements and a smoother learning curve, but it’s worth it.
MECHANICS: Positive. The folding paper puzzles manage to match the allegorical emotional landscapes of a long-distance relationship cleverly. Some of the mechanics didn’t click for me and I think it could use a few extra steps to ease you into new stage gimmicks. At least the game has a solid hint system.
– Real player with 4.1 hrs in game
Nowhere New
TLDR: If you like indies, play this game. Its story and atmosphere are well worth a few hours of your time.
This is not a full size game. It was created by a small group of students on no budget, and it shows. However, for that size and scope, it is impressively complete. I greatly enjoyed the couple hours I spent playing.
Narrative:
The writing is very strong. The mystery is intriguing, the characters are likable and complex, and the story is well constructed. There are several emotionally impactful story beats; at various points I felt shock, anger, suspense, horror, compassion, etc. I enjoyed the prevailing theme of identity, trust, and how our experiences shape who we are. Also, LGBT rep is a plus!
– Real player with 3.2 hrs in game
Read More: Best Drama Mystery Games.
Even though the game has unappealing visuals, I thought that the writing was very strong and I liked most of the characters. However, I ultimately was disappointed with the experience because the ending felt very anticlimactic, a big exposition dump to what otherwise was a mysterious story that could have gone in many ways. We play as a character that crashlands on a mysterious world where inhabitants lose their memories as they share them with other people. The game presents memory share as a mechanic but it’s somewhat cosmetic, for the most part, the story is pretty linear and you can only trade a few memories for a couple of hints, although I cannot confirm that as I decided to keep them. I wouldn’t say that it has any puzzles, you just have to talk to the characters in the right order, it’s not too convoluted. If anyone cares you can complete the game in about 90 minutes.
– Real player with 2.3 hrs in game
One Spirit
One Spirit is a coming-of-age visual novel set in an alternate timeline where the Cold War drags on into the 21st century. Exploring various political, cultural and philosophical themes, the game presents an engaging, thought-provoking thriller through the eyes of a group of marginal teenagers, their doubts, struggles and hopes.
In 2003, the Iron Curtain stands tall. The superpowers of the new age wage a silent war through the means of information, economy, culture and proxy. As the Cold War slows to a crawl, the Sysican Republic, a pro-Western satellite state in Eastern Europe, finds itself on the verge of political death as radicalism, conspiracy and war loom overhead.
One Spirit follows Yuri Danilin, an 18-year-old young man disenchanted with life, as he returns to his modest hometown in Nevilyovsk, Eastern Sysica. Having failed in his studies at the capital, he reunites with his sister knowing their time apart has changed both permanently. When news of a known local activist disappearing spread through the town, Yuri soon finds himself at the center of a downward spiral of violence.
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Uncover a deep and engaging story, set in an original world where the Iron Curtain hasn’t fallen, inspired by real events and reflections on them: experience the bleak feel of a war too long fought.
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See the world through the eyes of an alienated youth — casual but complex personalities set in a path of self-discovery and self-affirmation in a world that has robbed them of a future.
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Delve into six different subplots branching from the main story.
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Every subplot has a unique dynamic you engage with by making choices, efforts and sacrifices. Subplots develop a wide variety of topics stemming from Yuri’s fatal years of 2003 and 2004, from the intimacies of friendship to the secrecies of Sysica’s ideological underground.
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Decide carefully how to spend your time in Nevilyovsk: days are a limited resource. Your priorities and preferences will increasingly mark your journey.
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Enjoy high choice responsiveness, as the game’s slightest details react to your smallest choices.
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Explore over 30 different environments to reveal new details, points of view and events.
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Take part in a philosophical journey about human history, society, struggle and life, with roots in contemporary critical theory, psychoanalysis and existentialism, among other similar and dissident traditions.
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Dive into this grey world through a high-quality art style that evokes the melancholic, nostalgic feel of post-socialist Sysica.
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Explore hours upon hours of worldbuilding detail: a unique Slavic theme, a constructed language, a simulated history and a culture imagined from the ground up.
Read More: Best Drama Visual Novel Games.
The Hurt in Secret
Game Info
“The Hurt in Secret” is a visual novel game adapted from true events. Players play the role of a practice teacher with high hopes, and experience the daily life of teachers on campus. At the beginning, players thought they could fulfill the dream of being a teacher. To their surprise, they will accidentally be involved in a troublesome case. As the story progresses , players will face difficult choices and based on every dialogue they choose will affect greatly to the ending of the story. Through playing this game, players can gradually understand what a teacher’s life is like besides teaching. In addition, the players may realize that whether or not they can be the ideal teacher as they wish.
Social Realistic style of Educational Situational Game
“The Hurt in Secret” is different from games full of romantic imagination about campus life or games that accompany students to grow together through games. The style of this game can be said to be too realistic and straight forward to a bit dull. Nevertheless, it pinpoints precisely to all kinds of dilemmas which teachers are dealing with throughout their teaching career. The background of the story is set at the teacher training internship which was practiced by the Teacher Education Act in Taiwan after 2002.The plot of the game is extracted from campus bullying cases that have occurred in recent years. Players will act as a senior student who is participating in the teacher training program. In the game, players have to make decisions based on various limited information that may affect the student’s future and meanwhile the results of their choice may also affect their future teaching career. However, while facing children’s powerlessness, parents' complaints, colleagues' attention, media’s misinterpretation, and senior teachers' high expectations, “choosing” has become a very difficult task.
Players Feedback
A teacher with a counseling profession said: “The length of the game doesn’t last long. The time of the game is about the same as the time I hesitated between each choice while playing with it.”
A current high school teacher, who was formerly a psychological counselor said: “ All practice teachers have to play this game at least once, so they can relate authentically to what it means to teach at school.”
These tedious and monotonous dialogues are teachers’ daily routine. Each and every of your responses is a vivid portrayal of a personal education view.
Attention from Educational Innovation Entrepreneurs
The Education Innovation Alliance called “R.O.L.E” has provided “online simulation scenarios” for educators across the world since 2019. To solve real cases that occurred at school, the organization came up with impromptuly problems solving practice by using real events. Players who participated in this situational simulation once pointed out several problems it were facing. They once expressed their hope that a PC version could be released, so that even if online interaction is not possible for them, they can still enjoy the game alone at home. As a result, Taiwan’s independent game teams “MaouCat studio” and “MuGeNeon” cooperated with the “R.O.L.E” alliance member “Acrossbeavers” to develop this game, and raised funds for development with “Improvpie” and “ACTAsia”. Through this crossover cooperation, the game will be remade into a PC version.
Vessels
Wow. Was going through my steam discovery queue and saw this odd title that didn’t have a lot of players but had 100% positive reviews. I had to try it and boy oh boy I do not regret it. I couldn’t put it down until I did everything I could thing of to get a different ending. This game is so unique with the way you get to play as the antagonist while the antagonist itself is a separate being from you. This entity gifts you with abilities that I don’t want to spoil but I think I can say that you will be able to influence what people on the ship are thinking and talking about in a way that selfishly benefits you. It’s a bit of a puzzle that involves starting with no memory of your past and trying to piece together information in a way that allows you to at least convincingly pretend to be the crew member who everybody remembers/suspects. Otherwise, you’ll get ejected out of the airlock!
– Real player with 5.4 hrs in game
Quick:
5/5. What an amazing game. Vessels is one of those games that comes along every now-and-then, and just knocks it out of the park. I played the game through from beginning to end in one run. Admittedly, it is a short game. You can complete a play-through of this in roughly three to four hours. I was completely engaged from beginning to end, and I would have stuck with it for another four hours. The choices in the game gave me the impression that there are different endings and scenarios to experience, but I do not know this for sure.
– Real player with 5.3 hrs in game
Doki Doki First Love Club!
Story
Yourself and Miku Nakamura are the President and Vice President of the renowned Tokyo Academy’s Student Council are considered top elite students: You are respected by your peers for his brilliant mind, and Miku, the eldest daughter of the wealthy Nakamura family, excels in everything.
Everyone thinks that they would make the perfect couple and even though both have feelings for each other - they are too proud to admit it.
Believing that the one who confesses first; will be looked down upon and humiliated.
A game of love begins between the two. Both are equally determined to get out of it as the winner of the battlefield.
#### Features:
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Non-Linear Visual Novel - Discover multiple different endings depending on your choices in-game.
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Time Travel.
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Choose your own name, and become the President of the Student Council.
Doki Doki First Love Club is not associated with Doki Doki Literature Club
Belle-de-Nuit
I was hooked from the start. Never have I ever had such a delightful experience reading interactive fiction, and I feel more open to trying similar games in the future. Sebastian, with his heart of gold and noble soul, stole my heart. The writing is so good. My only complaint is that I don’t feel there was enough build-up in Amaryllis' and Lou’s routes, they didn’t draw my attention to start with haha I’m happy I got to share sweet moments with Sebastian. He’s my definition of husband-material ❤
– Real player with 12.2 hrs in game
i think this is the first time ive ever actually struggled to just pick 1 love intrest i wish i could be poly with amryllis, lou and sebastian, i seriously cannot pick! theyre all so precious, and i love them all so much i just want to make them all happy T.T
– Real player with 10.4 hrs in game
Penny’s Path
This was a great game, a well-written story. Immersive and creative characters with wonderful spins on late 1600s theology and the power of women. The voice acting is top notch. I really enjoyed it. Sister Benedetta is the best!
– Real player with 4.0 hrs in game
A modern day woman gets infected with COVID-19, then … gets sent back in time to the late 1600s of “New England” … or rather has a fever dream?
Praises
• Some animations are pretty.
• The hand-drawn art is a little rough, but it’s a refreshing change from how most visual novels are illustrated.
• Good attempts at old English (I think).
• Criticisms of religion, especially of Puritanism.
Complaints
• No Steam overlay, so no screenshots. (I’m too damn tired for ShareX.)
– Real player with 1.5 hrs in game
The Railway
A road on the train is a road to yourself.
A sound of wheels, a smell of railroads, a meaningless chatter of travelers…this meditative road mood helps to rethink life, and to arrive at the station another person.
…There is a story that happened with a young girl in this tiny visual novel. Obsessed with vengeance, she goes to her father to punish him for betrayal. And she can’t imagine how this train car, this road, and these travelers will change her life.
#### Specifications:
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The story is plot-oriented.
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The reading time is 20 minutes.
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Genre — drama, the road movie.
Dull Grey
It’s not the choice that matters, but the way you make it
The Strugatskys, Dostoevsky, Tarkovsky. That’s what the store page said and that’s all it took for me to fire this up as soon as I could. And what greeted me was a vast grey-white, desolate landscape accompanied by droney, sprawling dark ambient soundscape… and then the black text box appeared with simple words and angular, sharp lines evoking that early 20th century futuristic Soviet aesthetic in black and white. From the colours, shapes, sounds to the words, and overall presentation, everything in this game oozes minimalism and simplicity. And that goes for its length too. It could be said that Dull Grey is an interactive fiction equivalent of a short story whose one playthrough can be finished in about half an hour. But it packs quite a bit in that short playtime especially as you play more.
– Real player with 2.7 hrs in game
Очень необычная визуальная новелла о выборе, самостоятельности и одновременно зависимости и независимости от окружения. Ну, во всяком случае, так ее понял я. Играть только на русском.
– Real player with 0.8 hrs in game