Cracks
Cracks is a single player side-scrolling platformer following the couple Liam and Lana, as they navigate the highs, lows and struggles of their relationship. Their relationship is part of the game, where their level of cooperation depends on how connected they are. Join them on their adventures and learn how you can overcome the biggest obstacles as a team, whether it’s dealing with overbearing store clerks, or finding seats together on the tube. Experience the joy of doing even the most mundane chores together, and grieve with them when their arguments turn ugly and they are unable to work together on the smallest task.
Read More: Best Story Rich Hand-drawn Games.
Haven
The review key was provided by the developer.
»Anyway, how much rust do you need in order to “pull the panties down”?«
This review contains no major story spoilers.
Haven is a narrative-driven adventure that tells the classic, almost cliché story of two lovers on the run from an oppressive force trying to drive them apart. Luckily, the way the story is written and conveyed is pretty damn amazing and easily takes center-stage. The Game Bakers delivered something quite unique in many ways, and it is easy to fall in love with many aspects of this flawed gem.
– Real player with 30.3 hrs in game
Read More: Best Story Rich Local Co-Op Games.
[url] Please see my curator page for more games that are well worth your time[/url]
Approximate amount of time to 100%: 12-18h
Estimated achievement difficulty: 3/10
Minimum number of playthroughs needed: 1
Has it been in a bundle: No
Is there a good guide available: Yes, multiple guides are available here on the steam guide section and on different console websites. I mostly used the guides on this page.
– Real player with 17.8 hrs in game
Tenebrae
Features:
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A visual novel with sensual love lines and aesthetic erotic scenes.
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An alternative modern world, where vampires are an independent branch of evolution.
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A detective story, presented on behalf of a young vampire Beatrice, transports readers to the modern Czech Republic, immersing them in an atmosphere of mysteries and secrets.
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Dynamic storytelling with tons of Easter eggs, irony and sarcasm.
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Four independent branches and events leading to different routes.
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Eight unique love routes with heroes representing the seven deadly sins and purgatory. Everyone offers specific trials and demands sacrifices.
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More than twenty endings at different stages of the game.
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Approximately thirty hours of pure gameplay.
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The classic mechanic of choosing the heroine’s actions is combined with communication via a mobile phone.
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Bright, detailed characters and lively dialogues.
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High-quality visual style.
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Original soundtrack.
Which path will you take, Beatrice?
William’s route. Theme: “Wrath”
The phrase “the way to a man’s heart is through the stomach” absolutely justifies itself when it comes to this guy. Is a well-fed man a kind man? Maybe…
But given how primitive it is, you will quickly figure out which buttons you need to press for this killing machine to work in your interests. You will live as safely as behind a stone wall.
Sylvan’s route. Theme: “Envy”
Look at this sly face, biker outfit and… Still in doubt?
Silvan always comes up with flashy sarcastic jokes, he is a hopeless romantic with a craving for travel, a professional liar, a scoundrel and a very smart young man. Well, someone has to be smart, right?
Charlie’s route. Theme: “Gluttony”
The flirty administrator of “Tenebrae” nightclub herself will kindly offer to become your guiding light in the dark world of revelry and pleasure. As long as it’s to her advantage, of course.
This beauty will reveal you much more secrets than you expect if you decide to get close to her.
Ryu’s route. Theme: “Greed”
Ever dreamed of an affair with a real J-rock star? Are you sure? This guy is a real handful, but what really motivates him?
- Oh, you… What is your name again? Will you kiss me for good luck?
Do you enjoy emotional swings? Then let’s fly!
Friedrich’s route. Theme: “Pride”
Do you like men in uniform and high ranks? Great, but they don’t care about you. Threatening with a boycott and hunger strikes? Why? Oh, right… He did ground you, after all.
Fraulein, have at least some kind of conscience, you are causing nothing but headache.
Morris’s Route. Theme: “Lust”
Already dizzy?
It’s all because of hunger. How can you resist and not bite when he asks for it? But it’s better to control yourself because your only chance of getting out of here is by winning the bet.
What? Such tortures are against the rules? Come on, a little masochism and delayed pleasure hasn’t hurt anyone yet.
Dante’s route. Theme: “Sloth”
What does a woman most often do when she sees a lost man deeply in depression in front of her? Of course, she saves him.
How does she save him? Oh, Beatrice has some specific ways. A bit of role-playing games, a little provoking, some improvisation, and now the guy is already…
Well, that was not a bad plan…
Martin’s route. Theme: “Purgatory”
With the detective, things are very difficult. Save him for last.
To get to his route, you’ll have to put some effort into it: find the right combination of messages and telephone conversations, without turning off that road.
After walking you through all seven circles of sweet Hell, Virgil will lead you to Purgatory. You will simply have to pass just a few deadly tests, and then you will be able to go through the gates of the real Paradise.
This, of course, is a metaphor, but we are not exaggerating.
Read More: Best Story Rich Otome Games.
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
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
Keizudo
I haven’t played much and I’m not sure if I intend to play much more but I think I can recommend this game all the same from what I’ve experienced so far. The writing is competent which is important because this Is a visual novel. That said, it is not necessarily presented in a way which is comfortable or easily digested (a majority of the time, you have to click through action menus consisting of “thinking”, “investigation”, and “move” to determine your next action within a linear set of actions that all must be taken to progress the game. This can fluctuate from frustrating to engaging depending on the scene and how much dialogue there is. I can’t help but think this system needs to be refined a bit. That said, for me, this game’s visuals where a treat. I adore the pre-rendered low poly look and their dedication to that style even in the character art. In an era of graphic obsessed pc gaming, this a bold and unique move which came to me as a fresh change of pace. I absolutely recommend this game to anyone seeking a new type of visual novel with a bold approach to its presentation.
– Real player with 0.3 hrs in game
Sacred Curse
Genre
Visual novel, fantasy, romance, otome, drama.
❖︎❖︎❖︎
Story
After awakening from a deathlike dream, Charlotte’s life turned into a terrible tale.
Her memory is corrupted.
Her heart will stop beating without the strange, unbearably bitter medicine.
Her body is altered by the forbidden skill of the Darkland.
She shouldn’t even leave the mansion into the garden.
Also, she shouldn’t go down to the underground laboratory, enter the West Wing, and approach the mirrors.
Constantine is Charlotte’s guardian. He is an alchemist, necromancer, master of the forbidden arts, and master of pale black-eyed servants.
Constantine says that Charlotte is special, but who is she really to him?
❖︎❖︎❖︎
Features
❖︎ Several different endings
❖︎ A story about love and loneliness
❖︎ Beautiful artwork
Winds of Change
This is Klace’s second game I’ve played, and after completing it 100% in ~66 hours, and making a 30 episode series on Youtube to translate for my country’s language, I can give a very good recommendation of this game.
( https://www.youtube.com/c/YanWindFW para os brasileiros!)
BUY IT! I don’t care if you are a furry or not, or even don’t like furries. If you like a good story, a good visual novel, good characters' relationships, or anything. Buy it.
This game is beautiful in everything it offers:
– Real player with 65.8 hrs in game
A major step up from Klace’s previous game, Major\Minor. Let’s just get that out of the way for those of you who’re wondering.
Practically EVERY aspect has been improved - the character art is way better (there’s ACTUAL different emotions for all the characters for starters), backgrounds aren’t stock images, the music isn’t stock RPG maker music either, the writing is far superior, and you do more than whack the enter key endlessly until a dual choice pops up. Oh and there’s voice acting too - pretty much everything except the narration is voice acted. It’s done by a great cast too - of note is Sean Chiplock, who seems to be really getting some steam as of late. But the other voice actors do a great job as well.
– Real player with 51.6 hrs in game
After I met that catgirl, my questlist got too long!
After I met that catgirl, my replays of this game got too manifold!
It’s no joke actually, I have spent an obscene amount of time on this game and do not regret going for completion. It’s the first time in a while that I felt so motivated for a rather simple RPG and it’s all due to the good writing and enjoyable combat system. I want to explain why exactly this game is worth buying and how it stands out among its contemporaries.
Story:
You play as Vera, the charm witch, a woman who is ever positive and seductive, but also compassionate and thoughtful. Everything begins on the day that she meets that catgirl, Tea, who arrived in Morpheya under the Elder Tree from a lighning bolt. The catgirl claims to be from another world and quickly the duo starts their own adventurers guild to get their hands on information about how she can return to her mysterious home “London”.
– Real player with 92.4 hrs in game
An enchanting game with dangerous lips++ ~(˘▾˘~) No Spoilers
STORY: 9/10 From the very beginning to the very end, I was entertained and engaged in Vera and her friend’s journey. The main story is well paced, clever, and hilarious with an intriguing tale of love and overcoming hardships. With five main girls, each one having a unique personality, voice, and reason for being there. I played three routes, Sunny, Tea, and Celia and got all of their endings. Each ending for each route is unique, giving you different information and hidden story bits, which encourages multiple playthroughs. I won’t spoil anything here but trust me, each route is vastly different from the other. If you want the entire story, you have to charm each girl which will result in 5-6 different playthroughs, each being at least 15-30 hours long. Without new game+, it is a bit tedious to do each and every route again so be aware and make a lot of saves.
– Real player with 61.4 hrs in game
Imperial Grace
Imperial Grace is a visual novel / otome game, focusing on politics and romance in an imaginary medieval world. You play as the new Empress of Calidya, who must rule her country despite the hardships and precariousness of her position. During your reign, you will face many difficult choices, which can dramatically change the future of Calidya as well as your own destiny. You may even find love in difficult times, but be careful: love can equally help you overcome the perils you face and get in the way of your duty..
Imperial Grace has an optional management feature, if you wish to spice up the game and face ever more strategic and thornier choices.
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A customisable strong-willed, competent, and ambitious MC
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3 enticing love interests and a colourful cast of characters
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A lot of meaningful choices shaping the story and epilogues
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Beautiful graphics and music
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Accessibility feature (for dyslexic and colourblind people)
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Optional strategic resource management features
Ochitsubaki
A fallen camellia is a beheading, every time, every petal falling at once: a severing.
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TW: CSA, animal death, violence, suicidal ideation
OCHITSUBAKI || 落ち椿 is a visual novel about the impossibility of translating trauma. It is a bilingual JPN/ENG game about translation and how it can run as deeply as the way hypermarginalized people constantly “translate” their identities and trauma for the understanding of others, no matter how far it is from the source material. It’s about recovering from trauma through the genuine compassion and consideration of another person, who manages to See the aftereffects of trauma and are willing to meet that person’s unique needs, regardless of if they “understand” them or not.
Ochitsubaki is only loosely a visual novel, which is to say it is a story-based game with a strong aesthetic component. Ochitsubaki has a deep, rich tapestry of aesthetics in unifying modern elegance with unique retro anime-inspired character portraits. The original soundtrack derives inspiration from traditional Asian pentatonic scales, particularly but not limited to Japanese ones, that also derive a modern, Genshin’s Liyue-type twist that sets it firmly in contemporary times. It has three language options: JPN, ENG, and JPN translation. The ENG/JPN versions are two different renditions of the story, thus requiring a separate JPN translation, emulating what happens when you try to translate something as complex as identity. You can consider that the only real choice you make in the game is which language to play it in, and each language option provides a different “route,” a similar but very distinctly different iteration of the story. The language modes mimic the powerful loss that happens when stories–when trauma–is translated.
The demo only contains the first two ENG chapters, an estimated 30-45min of playtime.
════*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*════
Hanashiro (he/she/they) and their few remaining kin all react differently to the trauma of being immortal and witnessing the apocalypse over and over again in different cycles of reincarnation. Shiragiku is unfazed and cheery and flippant and whimsical and capricious; Shirayuri is nowhere to be found; and Hanashiro? Hanashiro is planning on their death in 10 years, when the camellias fall, if they cannot find a reason to live by then.
Hanashiro and Shirayuri have witnessed THE END OF THE WORLD before. But no one believed them. Shiragiku has seen many, many apocalypses, but she has never been hurt by any one after the first. Shiragiku has remembered every single end; Shirayuri has remembered none; and Hanashiro only remembers some. Which? Even he doesn’t know.
Hanashiro misses speaking her fey mother tongue, but she can’t seem to find anyone willing to listen to her, not even her own kind. And then she makes an enemy who just might. Their name is Lun Kochouran.
And they might be the first one in a millennium to learn the Amayuri tongue.
They also might be the first to kill an immortal.