So... lemme understand. Having more options, more ways to express your character, is bad because... you personally don't understand some of the options? Cool, pick smth else then? Leave the other stuff for people who do understand and want to use it?
This is the easiest problem in the world to fix my guy, how fragile is your ego that you can't handle even just seeing some funky pronouns and quit so hard you left a salty comment about it.
Don't get angry immediately, it's genuine question. I don't understand all this weird pronouns stuff that I see on the English internet, especially on Tumblr. I don't have it in my native language.
a lot of people use pronouns as an extension of their identity, while some people care about it less; from my perspective, its mostly just about being able to present yourself in a way that makes you happy and comfortable :)
You could argue that this is misguided though, since pronouns are really one of the least personal and most vague things you could use to describe someone. It seems odd for some people to use that of all things to try to express their whole identity. Unless I'm misunderstanding something ofc.
You're not! The way you're seeing it is perfectly fine, some people care about it more than others and neither are really wrong- for example, i use it/its pronouns because that's just what makes me feel happiest but i don't mind if people call me by something else while done people would care a lot more. My pronouns are more like an aspect of me vs a representation of my whole identity
Pronouns are an essential function of just about any language. A pronoun is basically just a noun referring to a person (bit more complicated but yeah thats the gist). He, she, they, we, it, etc are all pronouns. There may be languages out there with limited pronouns, or who express things in a different way, but most languages I am aware of has them in some form. They are not always gendered however.
In english, several pronouns imply gender. For example "she" implies a female gender to the person being referred to. This creates a problem, as transgender and gender nonconforming individuals are uncomfortable when they aren't seen as the gender they identify as. Thus the concept of changing one's pronouns, and introducing oneself with their pronouns. This is merely a tool by which to ensure that the language we use to identify each other does not accidentally hurt anyone. Its basically the same level of respect as not calling someone a nasty nickname.
This works great, for some people. He/she/they are all very useful pronouns and can be applied to a wide variety of identities and genders, but some people don't really feel like their identity fits within any of those boxes, and they want a new box. Or heck, want to be outside any box. Thus we come to the concept of neo-pronouns. Essentially newly invented pronouns used to describe people who don't feel represented by the "standard set". A lot of people who don't fit in the binary of he/she use "they" instead but that doesn't feel right for everyone. Some people feel more comfortable with a unique singular pronoun instead.
And, finally (apologies for the rather long wall of text, I just wanted to be thorough), we come to eh/ehq. Eh/ehq are examples of neo-pronouns. They're not ones I am familiar with personally, but in essence they express something outside the gender binary. Choosing these pronouns can express character in a lot of ways, especially for an immortal born-from-the-fabric-of-the-universe god like the MC is in Uroboros. It can express an alienation from conventional gender norms, a desire to distance oneself from those norms, a simple sentiment of not caring all that much about gender and preferring to be unique in one's expression, or all of the above, or none of the above.
Eh/ehq, in essence, expresses that the person using them is not male or female, does not wish to present as such, and does not wish to be perceived as such. The reasons for this can be numerous but that is the essence of it.
And bringing back around to the topic of languages. There are languages out there that don't have gendered pronouns, or have less of an emphasis on gendered pronouns. It sounds like you likely speak one of these languages. I imagine it might sound rather silly for english speakers to get all worked up about them lol, but it is just a matter of expressing one's identity. Its also worth noting that not all pronouns refer to people. "This, That, and Those" are all pronouns as well. Again, most languages have pronouns, but only some languages have gendered pronouns and as such using the proper gendered pronouns may be more/less important depending on your language.
You're talking about ego when you're the triggered one. Why am I picking pronouns for characters with nothing but their name to go off? On top of that I don't know what half the words mean. On top of that if they're gods they could all be neutral. I know gender politics are your whole personality but find someone who cares to argue that bullshit
You're the one malding in the comments of an itch.io game because you saw some funny words. And now you're complaining about picking pronouns for the ROs before meeting them? Its very common in IF games to pick the gender (and thus pronouns) of the romance options ahead of time so all the ROs fit your tastes. Literally just complaining about one of the genre conventions now.
If you dont care about gender politics, why are you still here LOL? You're the one who came back to argue.
Regardless of the actual topic here, disregarding an opinion against something simply due to the fact that it's common does not make sense. It's just an appeal to popularity, a logical fallacy. Obviously, there is also a lot of Ad Hominem (another logical fallacy) on both sides here, making this whole argument look silly.
I agree, both sides were illogical and having opinion is your right, if you don't like it, you don't have to, it's your choice, I can respect it.
But I will add this, if you have a issue with a game, this is not how you go about it, tell the creator how they should design the game is like telling a chef how to cook, it's just disrespectful and there is a difference in blatant disregarding their work and providing criticism, it's about respecting them
Even though the other comment do give some ideas and changes ,they are giving criticism and aim to help in further updates, the op just wanted to yell about their issues and not how to fix them
Dude no one is forcing you to do anything if you don't want to pick it then don't your acting as if you can't choose he/him, she/her, or they/them stop whining about more options on games where you can make yourself whatever you want to be.
Hello author. I would like to express my great respect and gratitude to you for creating and introducing us to this wonderful story. To be HONEST, I FELL IN LOVE. THERE ARE JUST NO WORDS. Seriously, I'm thrilled. I have not played chicken games for a long time and I have some problems finding something interesting and exciting for myself. but your story managed to catch on, because I haven't been hooked on anything for a long time. actually, I went to itch io for the first time and then I suddenly came across your game, which I am very glad about. Thank you again very much for your work and for this story. (also, I'm sorry if the text is strange, I'm writing through a translator, since I don't know English. so I was also able to complete the game, sitting cleanly through the translator... it was difficult...)
So good!!! If games didn't require time and effort the fact that this isn't full would be a crime. THEY CHARACTER CREATION THOUGH IS SOMETHING TO DIE FOR TOP TEIR!!! <3
Ahh I'm glad you liked the character creation! It took some time and effort to create it (I was scratching my head to make unique descriptions for each appearance option), but it was all worth it and I'm so glad! Thank you so much, BeeHorn!
Oh! Thanks to you, I found out that Lana Del Rey indeed had a song called Salvatore! I will have to give it a listen, thank you so much tea for that and for the praise! :)
Ive been sitting on these thoughts for a while so,
"Nothing lasts forever" okay but what about the exceptions? Like death, otherwise this implies that revival is possible. Or the fact that gods apparently live forever? Or can gods also die?
Also, does "Nothing lasts forever" also include the world? Clearly that would mean that eventually, maybe tomorrow or the next millennia but eventually the world would also die.
Or maybe I missed something and this entire rant is stupid.
Also my thoughts on the game because I'd feel bad for leaving a whole rant and not reviewing the game: Its amazing, one of my favourite bits is the character creation because it is so detailed, and I also love the looking mechanic. I swear if I could marry an IF I would marry this.
Gods can indeed die, and the concept of "forever" is a bit fickle because to know for sure that something is eternal, you must have reached the end of eternity—or at least, that is how I view it. It is difficult to ascertain if there is anything that truly lasts forever, even the mortal spirit and even death. Is death permanent? Can we be certain anything is? That seems difficult to know for sure!
There is nothing stupid about your musings! It is very interesting to know your thoughts on it. You shared your thoughts because it was worth sharing and because you cared about the game, and that comes through! Thank you so much for all the love and praise for the IF! Even the "rant" is a love letter!
saw the art by nuavanxi and i knew i had to play it and DUDE I AM SO GLAD I DID. i adore the worldbuilding in this, it's so well thought-out and immersive!! the characters are all so interesting (salvatore has my whole heart), it feels like so much care has been put into them!! OH and the character customization is great omg, i love being able to put multiple pronouns instead of just one set :")
RAHHH I ENJOYED THIS SO MUCH i will 100% be trying to exhaust all the options here >:3 i'm so looking forward to the next update, i wish you the best of luck on it!!!
Ahh, do you know nuavanxi? They are an amazing artist, and I begged to commission them for their stunning artstyle! It completely aligns with the story. Thank you so so much for all the kind words, I am so glad that all the thought and care I put into the game is conveyed properly! Thank you again, tarutaro!
I was looking through the comments and I suddenly realized something about myself… in most games with multiple love interests I don’t get super immersed so I’m just there wanting to get with every single character… but with this game, I figure out who my character is as a person along the way and I instantly know who I most likely want them to be with and there’s no weird desire to have every character, I feel immersed enough to know how my character would actually react to different people, who I want to be friends with and who I feel my character might have a secret crush on or just a level of fondness they don’t otherwise know how to express.
I love this game so much. You just get so immersed, which is hard to do.
Stat based games can almost never get me immersed, but this game does it so effortlessly I don’t even notice how immersed I am. Lol
It is so incredibly amazing.
It feels so much more real than just numbers that pertain to your relationship or your skills.
I cannot wait to see my character grow and maybe become more powerful or learn more or become more social or become more used to humans or learn to enjoy their life more or maybe my character won’t even change as a person at all… and I just, I love this. I love feeling so immersed and like there is no end to the possibilities.
I need to replay this game a few more times- God damn its so good.
Thank you for coming back to this game time and again!! It is such an incredible honor that this game has stuck with you long enough—I remember you way back when you first commented if my memory doesn't fail me, and that felt like such a long time ago. I am really so flattered and amazed.
You have captured what I truly want to capture, which is focusing on characterizing your protagonist and finding a character to connect to who you think they are inclined to, not necessarily just by the preference of the player themself! Of course, the player has to also like the character, but I find that it's especially important to have your character's personality align with your chosen interest.
Thank you so so much for returning again and again. There is no highest flattery for any creative than to have someone continue to think about their work for so long. Much love, Angie.
That was... beautiful. VERY MAJESTIC. I love the emotions, the elegant writing and descriptions. That was a wonder to read through even if it needs just a bit more proofreading.
Gosh--I am so sad that there's only Chapter 1 but I also cannot wait for more!
Thank you Meow!! Yes, proofreading is the bane of my existence as it is difficult to parse through my own writing, but I tried my best with a couple of beta-testers! I have actually received very few proofreading errors from people over the year (I can count on one hand), which is a shame! I invite anyone who finds errors to let me know ASAP, even if it's very minor.
Ahh, but I hope to expand on it more soon!! I hope you will stick around to see the next chapter, Meow! Thank you so much for writing a comment and lending your lovely thoughts!
Hi vixhaze, I am so glad you like the writing style! I always thought it was an acquired taste for sure, so it's very comforting to know that some people enjoy it, haha! I hope to bring more of you to read soon, and thank you so much for the comment once again!!
Came back to replay it. Its so goood… I cannot wait for more.
I noticed a few writing mistakes here and there, some words being plural when they don’t need to be and such, I’ll maybe look through everything again later and type down some corrections.
Hi Angie! Ahh, I would be grateful to know what mistakes you find, as even if I take my time to read it and it's been a year since it's been released, not many people report to me any proofreading issues. :)
I remember your name!! Thank you so much for returning to this sometimes, that makes me extremely emotional. It's unfathomable to think about. Thank you again!
Hi Iristheeye! I am also hoping for completion one day!! My studies and work make it difficult to find time to write, but it's always a pleasure to do so, and I keep myself creative even still. Thank you so much for leaving a comment!
This is probably the most incredible piece of interactive fiction I've ever read. The details are fantastic, the writing is enthralling, and the characters make me swoon. I am in love with the way you write. It's inspired me to continue my own writing (hopefully a novel one day, we'll see).
Best of luck to you in your ventures here, as I think about this story very often!
Hi NeonGreenHoodie!! That is such high praise—thank you so much! I thought I responded to this before, but clearly not! In any case, I am so glad to be able to inspire your own writing, and that is an equal honor to being known as "the most incredible piece of interactive fiction" in your book. :) I love artists and writers inspiring others! Please let me know what you end up writing, I would love to see it, NeonGreenHoodie, and thank you so so much!!
Gods, this is so well-written and thought out, the world building in Chapter 1 is already amazing and the characters we've met are so likeable, with so much depth for players to uncover, which piques my interest to continue playing!
And I was pleasant surprised by how personalized this is as well, with the options and profile constantly updating according to the choices chosen, very unique, and hard to execute well for other 'games/novels' i've seen try. I love it!
Just some feedback: Allowing players to change character's genders as we read? I believe it was implied in the intro and agree that it's a good idea for players to be able to change it whenever.
Anyways, I'm a fan now, can't wait for the next chapters!
There's much about the profile page that I want to improve on, and admittedly, it was a rushed design and implementation — so I am always surprised when people say they enjoyed it! I hope to continue to add on to it so that it holds up to the standards I envisioned for it!
The options, however, was a very deliberate design, and was a huge effort, but a worthwhile one nonetheless, because I know there are people like you who will see and appreciate it!
You brought a great idea! I'll likely give the character the option to change the RO's genders at the beginning of each chapter (I sometimes find myself regretting assigning them a certain way, or perhaps imagining fluidly alternating between gender identities!). Awesome!
Thank you so much for all your compliments, and taking the time to read it!! It's the highest honor to hold your attention in the time that you went through the game! :) Much love, Chesrine!
This is so good, you've already given us a world to explore and hyperfixate on with only a few to go off of. This is so wonderful, I do hope you don't disappear like many other wonderful interactive fic creators ;-;
Everything is simply so beautiful and nothing's ever dull with how wonderfully you're able to describe the people, actions, and surroundings. I could visualize it perfectly in my mind as I process every word you've written and it's simply ethereal. I hope you know how amazing you are at writing as well as the rest of people behind this project. I'm looking forward to see this world emerge like a field of flowers as it continues to be built.
Hi lianyx! I hope not to disappear, either, and I am sorry that I have gone quite some time without an update! I don't ever predict myself being gone, although I have been slow, which I sincerely apologize for!
One of the main things I worried about is description! Writing it is the bane of my existence because I have to be very inspired, otherwise it will come out all wrong. That's why it's an incredible relief to hear that you can picture everything well!!
Thank you so, so much for all your words and taking the time to let me know your thoughts! It's extremely inspiring to read them! Thank you again, Lianyx!
i love this game so much and i will most certainly be kept busy replaying this! the game is so immersive and the story is so in-depth, i love games that make me think carefully about each choice i make. i will definitely be keeping up with any updates you release, i can't wait!
Ahh, it's so flattering to hear that people want to replay it! It makes giving every choice some unique flavor text all that much more worthwhile. Although, I hope to add more branching paths and hidden scenes in this next chapter, which will be a much more ambitious undertaking, on top of having consequences ripple further out into the story! Thank you so much for taking the time to read! :)
woah, this game is actually so sick, the fluid writing and the way it decides your personality, i can't lie this had me hooked for the hour or so i was at it. I'm really looking forward to another chapter, good luck to you and your team i hope this game flourishes, keep it up!!
Ahh, thank you so much miss typo!! :) It's just me on the writing, but I have many people to thank for, for making this IF the way it is! I'll do my best to deliver!!
Hi Kirbyk1d, you're not slow! Yes, you have reached the end of the work I've made so far. I apologize for the confusion, but I am grateful you've decided to read! Thank you again!!
"This game will be free to play in its entirety, and no necessary in-game content will ever be monetized. Updates may continue after the completion of the game as well." honestly I was unsure if I should play this game but this line, this line pulled me. not the fact that it's entirely free but the fact that your tryna make the best game for the sake of the game itself. (also why is my words cursive???)
Ahh, yes! All writers strive to write the best work they can, but many struggle to make ends meet. They may have to limit their creativity to meet deadlines or cater to an audience. I am extremely thankful to be in a position to take my time in developing the game to my vision, and publish it purely for the sake of sharing a work that I am passionate about! I simply want to write a story that makes me happy, and it would be amazing if it could bring joy to someone else.
Thank you so much for recognizing this, Kxtra66 ♥️!! The fact that someone took the time to consume something I created is the highest form of flattery for any artist!
Hey, I don't know if this is a bug on my end but I cannot seem to get past the prologue.
I saw this game two days ago, I was immediately drawn in by the beautiful art and was pulled in further by the intricate and well sought out dialogue. Once I started playing, customizing my little character and whatnot, I was disappointed to find that I could not advance further.
I reached the section where there are instructions on clicking the yellow text to get a more in-depth description. I click on it.. and well...I cannot find the X button in order to advance forward. I've tried various times and I just can't seem to find it.
I'd love for your help on this matter, I absolutely look forward to playing this game. Thank you Misty~
Oh, Foozie, I am so sorry that happened!! I have been holding off on this particular fix for so long for no reason -- it's in the very upper left corner, and it'll look invisible when it's actually there. If it's completely gone, though, then that's even worse. :(
Let me know what kind of phone you use or your monitor screen size (so I can test it on that screen size); I'll get it fixed ASAP. Sorry again for the inconvenience!
To answer your previous question, (Although it might not matter now), I was playing on an average personal laptop, it's around 11 inches.
I just checked the update and it looks great so far! I can't wait to play through your game, I'll let you know my thoughts if you wish. Thank you so much!
~P.S Have a cookie--🍪--and a great day. Keep up the great work, Suscess is undoubtedly looking you in the eyes. :)
i stumbled upon this game the other night, and played through what’s currently available in one sitting. it’s utterly beautiful and it struck me enough that i decided to write my first ever comment on a game, so sorry if something sounds off!
there’s so so so many options and the customization stunned me because for once i felt i didn’t need to sacrifice parts of myself or pick between what parts of my expressions i had to make my “main” focus; everything felt fantastically fluid. not only that, but i’ve been in sort of a creative block lately, but the writing has inspired me to get back to working on my own wips because it just was so amazing to read and digest. the worldbuilding and what i’ve seen so far of the characters shown have been very enjoyable (my personal favorites are luciel and ciocana…!), and the current cliffhanger has left me wanting to discover so much more.
i can’t wait to read more with future updates, thank you for making this beautiful game!
Hi avesidora!! For some reason I must have overlooked this extremely sweet comment, I apologize! :(
I am incredibly honored that you took the time to comment, especially when it's not something you usually do! It always means the world to me to know other people's thoughts on my work, especially when they likely dedicated an afternoon to sitting down and reading it -- which is truly no higher praise to receive.
... Except, of course, even going as far as to inspire someone to write!! Please, if you are ever comfortable, share me your own work. I am so glad you were able to express yourself freely, but more importantly, I'm ecstatic to hear it moved you to be creative as well!
Thank you so much for your words about the world building and characters, they occupy my thoughts daily! And so sorry to leave you you a cliffhanger!
But most of all, thank you thank you again so much for taking your time to read it and share your thoughts on it, avesidora! And I'm looking forward to seeing your WIPs if you ever intend to publish them! :D (reach out to me if you'd like!!)
at first i was hesitant to play this because i dont like playing demos and knowing ill end up on a cliffhanger for what might be a year for each new chapter, but i actually really liked this and didnt mind it. this might be the best written interactive story ive ever read, AND ITS ONLY BEEN ONE CHAPTER
NOT REALLY SPOILERS, JUST PUTTING IT UNDER A CUT SO I DONT SPAM BC THIS IS GONNA BE A VERY LONG LOVEMAIL/REVIEW FOR THE GAME:
the customization was AMAZING, though i do wish there were some more hair color options and perhaps scars (if there was scars and i forgot, im sorry LOL i have a short memory), but even if that doesn't change, it's fine without it.
the characters are also amazing, and i love the diverse pronoun choice for them, even neopronouns; usually games just stick with he/she, and sometimes they/them. this might be the first one i saw with more pronoun options, which was very pleasant. i also enjoy how gods have no gender and it's only presentation, as a femme sapphic who really likes masc/butch women but often has to deal with female characters in games being hyper fem due to the assumption of the people going after them being cishet men. usually i just date male characters and pretend theyre a beautiful butch in my mind to deal with this, but with this game i feel like i dont have to do that. even with characters who are feminine, it feels more natural somehow? all i can describe it as, is that i feel the care that went into this game and making the characters actually realistic.
the gameplay itself is also amazing; the choices, being able to lie and be a little mischievous at times, the skillsets (i dont know what to call them,,), the WRITING IS SO IMMERSIVE ALSO LIKE HELLO?? I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT. THE WHOLE THING ABOUT THE UNIVERSE WAS AMAZING, AND TO BE HONEST, i chose "i dont feel loved by the universe" AND THE DESCRIPTION OF THAT FEELING WHEN I CHOSE THAT?? IT MADE ME TEAR UP IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE. it reminds me of classic literature and those amazing poems you'd see on pintrest, or even the mincraft end-game dialouge thigny!!!
i genuinely dont think i have ANY critique from this game. the only thing i do want is more options because i love to play as my ocs in IF games, but this one already has so many options that i could make do without my array of fancy hair and eye colors. i also usually struggle to play games while being neurodivergent due to most choices being,, way too out there, or way too rude, but this game had a very nice middle ground where i felt like i could actually act as i would without it being weird for me, which honestly made me kind of emotional. being able to play as an autistic mc, with my symptoms, who i feel can unmask, is very meaningful for me. of course it isnt exact, and there were still times i had to make ooc (for me at least) choices, but it was still a lot more than any other game.
i will be honest, im really nervous that this game wont be continued because thats a sad trope with IF games, but i genuinely hope it does. im looking forward to buying the game when it comes out, and supporting the developer anywhere i can in hopes of the game continuing, because this is honestly everything ive ever wanted in an IF game! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK DEVS!!! ╰(*°▽°*)╯
Hi vlightowelle!!! I can't tell you how much this means to me.
I am genderfluid myself, and I deeply fear that picking a gender presentation for the deities means having to hypergender them one way or another. For that reason, I focused on still giving them some sense of androgyny, despite the differences between the versions. One disappointment I have in myself is tying gender presentation to their pronouns, however, which I want to rectify soon. I don't believe this currently reflects in their physical description except Ciocana, but perhaps I will make this more explicit by allowing the player to pick their pronouns and their presentation explicitly and separately! I am bisexual as well, and I personally love women who are non-conforming.
I am also blown away by your compliments with the writing!! It is indeed inspired more by some classical stories -- and while I am nowhere near their poetry and skill, it is what I admire and strive to achieve. More modern, casual writing is difficult for me.
But most of all, I am emotional about your comments on neurodivergency. My beta tester is my partner, and they have autism. They worked closely with me on this game, and I really worked hard to ensure that the wording of the choices was understandable, and that the offering of choices accommodated a wide range of personalities.
Please let me know your suggestions for hair and eye colors, as well as dialogue/action options! The first character creation scene is more down-to-earth as it is more your fathers looking at your appearance, but there is a second chance to change your looks with more fantastical colors!
And don't worry, this game will be free!! Your verbal support and continued patience will be the only thing I need to keep me going! 🤍
Again, thank you so much, vlightowlle. You don't know how much your words impact me deeply. ❤️❤️
it's no problem for the compliments, i enjoy writing long posts like these on games i like! and i really love the idea of allowing the player to pick the presentation, it's something i've always wanted in a game, so if you do add that in any future updates, ill look forward to it! i'm genderfluid too, which is another reason why the gender presentation in this game effected me so much
and im sorry for missing over the second chance to change your appearance, i thought it'd have the same options before just incase you had doubts, so i skipped over it, but ill definitely check it out when i finish this playthrough and do a second one. for eye and hair colors, i've always liked the idea of deities having weird coloration, like multicolored eyes or just dots of colors that arent naturally occurring, and even changing the color of pupils and sclera if the deity is more non human, though this is probably due to my love for fae and biblically accurate angels, im sure it'd be really hard to do in an IF, so it's more of a comment than a real suggestion. for hair color, the main one i was missing during the original creation was pink, since that's what i went in wanting my character to have: im unsure if thats an option in the secondary creation already though, it probably is! i also hope for jewelry and accessories if that's not in the secondary creation (sorry if it is and im just naming off things that are already there! i wish i didnt skip over it,,) ᓚᘏᗢ
for dialogue/action suggestions, i dont have any specific ones, but some of my symptoms that i very rarely get to see used in any IF are sensory overloads, semi or non verbal moments where someone might have to speak for the mc (not including choices where the mc is just too shy), non aggressive honesty/bluntness, rambling or over explaining things (again, in a non aggressive, genuine way), not understanding figurative language, just generally stimming i dont think ive ever seen that in ANY game, and hyperactivity without it being seen as childish. some of these ive already seen in choices, but i decided to put them all here regardless. i feel like a lot of these things in most IF's are either seen as childish, or always put in a rude way, which kind of hurts when i act like that but mean it kindly.
i think thats all i have to say, but again, it's no problem! im glad you responded so fast and so positively, usually creators brush comments off, but im genuinely glad you took time to respond and address everything i said! IM ALSO VERY GLAD THE GAME WILL BE FREE, because im honestly very poor and was worried about that! again, i hope the development goes well!! i hope everything i said made sense, its a bit late for me and as you can tell from my previous comment, i have issues with overexplaining/rambling
The writing is nice and character are well written but i can't judge the story yet, it didn't progress much. No idea either how the chosen skill will played out but i hope it will be truly impactful. Still the codex is lacking, the romantic interest aren't there and there is no physical/personality description of each character in the codex.
I apologize for the lack of progression. The first chapter is meant to be a setup and introduction to the characters, setting, and potential conflict. Hopefully it will feel better in the second chapter!
I definitely agree with the codex, however; that is admittedly a rushed aspect of the game so far as it already took me months to design and code it, and thus I prioritized releasing the story to demonstrate the progress I made to those who were following me so patiently. The codex page became a very low priority item. I hope to rectify this in the next update, because I know I can get confused or forgetful myself!
At first I didn't really knew if to play this or not, because I've never played this kind of games (or story?? Idk-), but THE ART.
But now that I have played it, I can say thaaat...
I LITERALLY LOVE THIS SOOO MUCH-
It has very different options to customize your character's personality, you can choose your appearance, the other characters gender... It's just perfection; I really love the writing too, even though my main language isn't english (so there will be misspelling 😭), as a person that's learning like three languages at once, without including my spanish, chinese and my bad english, it isn't a super duper big trouble for me HWKSSLHSKED-
Talking about the game, I want us to be all happy friends with a wholesome friendship or something like thattt 😿😿 I love all the charactersssss they each have that unique personality, Idk, but I know there's something (???)
In conclusion, playing this game was one of the BEST decisions I've made in my life. Looking forward more updatesss
Hi memori, thank you for the really sweet reply!! 💓 I'm really glad you took the time to play it even though it's not something you usually try!
It's also very admirable you want to learn so many languages - it's something I want to try doing as well! I always wondered how my writing read to non-natives, as English is not my native language, either. I hope it's readable!
I'm also super happy you liked the characters!! 💕💕
All in all, thank you for appreciating my work, and I hope you continue to want to look forward to updates! Thank you again, Memori!!
At first, I was hesitant to play this because it wasn't something I had played before, but the art drew me in!
And when I started playing, I was surprised by the writing and how many options the game offered. I'm excited to see how the story will develop and how our relationships will deepen!
My favourite right now is our dear deity of the sun, can't wait to spend more time with them <3
Hi Phoebus.Sun, sorry I didnt see this comment ealier! I'm glad you like the amount of options so far -- they truly gave me grief, but it is immensely satisfying to offer them! So happy you like Salvatore as well, they remind me of your name <3 Thanks for leaving me your thoughts again, Phoebus!! 🤍
Everyone kept offering me food and I love them for it, omg. And Luciel did mainly catch my attention when I was browsing the page for the first time, but then Salvatore?! Anyway Luciel, beloved, let me open your heart so we could sit right next to each other!
Edit: Okay, been replaying a bit since I can't get enough and MC happily (also giddily) enjoying Ciocana's surprise antics and not thinking ill of them was actually cute. Makes me excited to see more of Ciocana (and Alessi too, the intrigue!)
Looking forward to any progress as it's such a treat, absolutely loved it and it was really fascinating (that includes MC's lore, you could really feel it + wholesome adorable Dads despite everything) so thank you for your hard work, Mistyrious!
Ahh sarkazwho!! Thank you so much for the lovely words, I am so happy that you liked the characters! I will of course continue working on it so I can hopefully make you happy! Thank you again! ❤️
Nauuuur it's all good, you know! I'm already really grateful and happy that you created such a wonderful world (and characters!) Read through all the RO asks, and it's been quite rent free fr so Luciel better lock Lucidio's entrance since I'm ready to hunt them down to give adoration😤 Still, please take your time and stay bongga as always while at it✨
I am genuinely so invested in this game. It's so good and leaves you curious for more by the end of the chapter. Please, for the love of God, make more of it.
LOVING this story. It's unbelievably satisfying to have so many choices to dictate the tone of the player character. I like adapting one of my more harsh/cold OCs into games like this and rarely do they have so many options to accommodate her personality!!
Really beautiful writing, fascinating worldbuilding, and overall game. Very intriguing plot. Can't wait for chapter 2!!
Hi Addered! I am so glad that you feel that you have many options for that kind of character! I feel that such a character has amazing potential for the kind of story I want to tell; exploring the different personalities of MC sprung from how they responded to their circumstances growing up has been immensely satisfying. I hope to continue to accommodate for them!
Hi Aiedaeil! My game personally will never be put up for a price, so please be assured. However, the vast majority of other authors with the same medium will and have monetized their stories upon completion, to success. Thank you so much for your interest again! ♥️
I was looking for good stories to read on itch.io, and I finally found one!
This story not only had amazing imagery, but finally I found a story with more diverse choices! No more 'I'm sad' 'I'm mad' 'I don't answer' nonsense, this story even has 'I'm mad but i'ma joke about it' and it's amazing!
This story is a work of art, and I can't wait too see more!
I do have a quick comment that the 'X' button when you look at something is like right at the end of the screen, I wish there was some padding around it.
I also wish when the setting is picked to choose genders as I go, I wish the default selected was the intended gender, instead of always being 'they,' I feel this would allow us to keep it faithful to the intent but allow us to change some things around as we please.
Also sometimes the OpenDyslexic font doesn't work properly, and I have to reload the page to fix it.
Hi Goose, thanks so much for the feedback!! I'm glad you liked the diversity in the choices <3 I wasn't sure if it was going overboard to have such choices; I wish there was a way to accommodate a wide range of responses without filling the screen with links! Alas, it'd feel too gamey if the choices were in a dropdown box of all things. :)
I am sorry about the X button! A lot of styling for the game was done when I was still quite amateurish with Twine, so I will look out for that <3
Secondly, I had initially written so that the canon language did not actually have any pronouns besides "they/them"... until I realized that would then defeat the purpose of selecting your pronouns! As cool as it would have been, it came with it a slew of issues. I would say "they/them" is the closest to intent. :) Before adding the gender variables, I refer to all of them simply by they/them in writing!
Lastly, sorry for the font issue! I think I have a clue why that is, which is related to why font sizes initially didn't work great at first either :S so I will also investigate that further! Thank you so much for letting me know <3
Once again, thanks again for considering everything and taking the time to let me know your thoughts. I promise it is immensely helpful, and I strive to incorporate them ♥️♥️
Hey! I really enjoyed this story, and can't wait to see where you take this!
I get the pronouns thing, that makes sense! Choosing pronouns in writing is challenging to say the least, and I am just glad to see representation with xe/xem and ey/em pronouns, as well as fully customizable pronouns sheet! It really shows that you care and support your fans, and it allows for more diversity between stories!
I'm not [diagnosed] dyslexic, so I can't know for sure, but I do know reading is difficult, but the font issue wasn't a huge inconvenience, because of how easy it was to fix ( I just pressed refresh XD ).
I really loved the end of the chapter, that twist was incredible, and really shows a layer of depth to the story that many writers don't incorporate until later in the story, and shows you care about the context and emotion behind the scenes!
Overall, this story was beautifully (took me 4 tries before I spelled that right) crafted and incredibly immersive, and I loved every moment of it! Keep up the amazing work!
On the note of pronouns/language since you bring up the canon language perhaps only having 'they', I spent a while working on a more gender inclusive language a while back and came up with a neat idea. Read if you wanna (its long, sorry).
The basic idea takes the concept of keigo - literally translated to respectful language, it's the Japanese grammatical structure for adding respect/formality. The language would have several different levels of formality, for the purposes of pronouns we only really need 2 however so I'll only go into the 2 we need.
First, the "standard" formality. This is the formality you would use with strangers, coworkers, bosses, etc. In a more fleshed out language there might be more formalities above this, but they all would treat pronouns essentially the same as the standard. All pronouns in the standard formality are agender. The closest English translation would probably be they/them although that doesn't convey the true absence of gender that standard formality has. It is simply nongendered.
Second, we have the "familiar" formality. This is the formality you would use for close friends, family, etc. In this formality you do have a number of explicitly gendered pronouns, ranging from the standard masculine/feminine, to various neutral/nongendered pronouns, to even perhaps a number of different "gradient" pronouns for different mixes of gender identity. And finally of course someone can always choose to retain the truly genderless pronouns of standard formality should they prefer a more truly "agender" option.
The idea is that when speaking to strangers - and in situations where you need to be respectful and formal - gender is entirely absent. Thus there is not really a risk of misgendering a stranger without learning their preferred pronouns. Then when two people become close enough, they will switch to their familiar pronouns and thus affirm each other through their language as a sign of their closeness.
Since exchanging familiar pronouns is baked into the structure of the language, it becomes a natural part of introducing oneself. An English approximate would be like introducing yourself as "X, familiarly Y - xe/xer" or even simplified to "X, Y - xe" where X is one's family name/formal name/title and Y is one's personal name. For my MC it would be like introducing her as "The Eye, Lyria - she". It also implies some rude, culturally significant ways to introduce oneself like only introducing their formal title without their familiar pronouns and name thus implying that they do not intend to let you get close to them.
This makes a language that makes no default assumptions about a stranger's gender, but still retains gender expression and affirmation through language. Furthermore I think it canonizes gender affirmation as something more intimate and friendly, a sign of respect and friendship.
Sorry if that was a bit long and rambly but I am a language nerd, couldn't pass up the opportunity to talk about pronouns and gender inclusivity in fictional languages. Hope it was an interesting read at least.
That was a FASCINATING read, I am so grateful!! I wanted to hearken back to my own native tongue because all its pronouns are entirely neutral, only that we add an extra word in our sentences to denote politeness or formality.
Knowing this, I think I can make it canon! ❤️ My one sadness is that some stories or IFs automatically already know the neopronouns of the MC without asking. I think it's great that they already include them, and there is no harm in that at all! But I think it would make it more real this way.
So I can picture the MC and a new character introducing themselves and using gender neutral pronouns until they've become familiar or simply ask the other to refer to them properly if they dislike being formal or being referred to by anything else. Great!
Thank you so much -- this is a great compromise to allowing flexibility in gender expression for the protagonist, and yet also incorporating the neutrality in the language that I intended! You have singlehandedly saved the language. Thank you, Hexling! ❤️
← Return to game
Comments
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
Lost me with the nonsense pronouns before the game even started. Not even fucking words but sounds like eh/ehq like wtf am I even picking?
well obviously not eh/ehq ig
the pronounce that you want, who is forcing you to pick something u don't want?
you pick pronouns for people you know nothing about moron.
Let me get this straight, you are mad at letters, to give flavour, that you can choose, at the very start of the game, in a IF.
Ladies and gentleman and eh/ehq, I think we have found a comment of all time
you seem to be the one that's mad. So clearly you didn't get it right. I said the made up
word pronouns were off putting. Not seeing why you're so bothered by my disinterest
So... lemme understand. Having more options, more ways to express your character, is bad because... you personally don't understand some of the options? Cool, pick smth else then? Leave the other stuff for people who do understand and want to use it?
This is the easiest problem in the world to fix my guy, how fragile is your ego that you can't handle even just seeing some funky pronouns and quit so hard you left a salty comment about it.
How does eh/ehq express character?
Don't get angry immediately, it's genuine question. I don't understand all this weird pronouns stuff that I see on the English internet, especially on Tumblr. I don't have it in my native language.
a lot of people use pronouns as an extension of their identity, while some people care about it less; from my perspective, its mostly just about being able to present yourself in a way that makes you happy and comfortable :)
You could argue that this is misguided though, since pronouns are really one of the least personal and most vague things you could use to describe someone. It seems odd for some people to use that of all things to try to express their whole identity. Unless I'm misunderstanding something ofc.
You're not! The way you're seeing it is perfectly fine, some people care about it more than others and neither are really wrong- for example, i use it/its pronouns because that's just what makes me feel happiest but i don't mind if people call me by something else while done people would care a lot more. My pronouns are more like an aspect of me vs a representation of my whole identity
(I apologize for the wall of text ;-;)
Pronouns are an essential function of just about any language. A pronoun is basically just a noun referring to a person (bit more complicated but yeah thats the gist). He, she, they, we, it, etc are all pronouns. There may be languages out there with limited pronouns, or who express things in a different way, but most languages I am aware of has them in some form. They are not always gendered however.
In english, several pronouns imply gender. For example "she" implies a female gender to the person being referred to. This creates a problem, as transgender and gender nonconforming individuals are uncomfortable when they aren't seen as the gender they identify as. Thus the concept of changing one's pronouns, and introducing oneself with their pronouns. This is merely a tool by which to ensure that the language we use to identify each other does not accidentally hurt anyone. Its basically the same level of respect as not calling someone a nasty nickname.
This works great, for some people. He/she/they are all very useful pronouns and can be applied to a wide variety of identities and genders, but some people don't really feel like their identity fits within any of those boxes, and they want a new box. Or heck, want to be outside any box. Thus we come to the concept of neo-pronouns. Essentially newly invented pronouns used to describe people who don't feel represented by the "standard set". A lot of people who don't fit in the binary of he/she use "they" instead but that doesn't feel right for everyone. Some people feel more comfortable with a unique singular pronoun instead.
And, finally (apologies for the rather long wall of text, I just wanted to be thorough), we come to eh/ehq. Eh/ehq are examples of neo-pronouns. They're not ones I am familiar with personally, but in essence they express something outside the gender binary. Choosing these pronouns can express character in a lot of ways, especially for an immortal born-from-the-fabric-of-the-universe god like the MC is in Uroboros. It can express an alienation from conventional gender norms, a desire to distance oneself from those norms, a simple sentiment of not caring all that much about gender and preferring to be unique in one's expression, or all of the above, or none of the above.
Eh/ehq, in essence, expresses that the person using them is not male or female, does not wish to present as such, and does not wish to be perceived as such. The reasons for this can be numerous but that is the essence of it.
And bringing back around to the topic of languages. There are languages out there that don't have gendered pronouns, or have less of an emphasis on gendered pronouns. It sounds like you likely speak one of these languages. I imagine it might sound rather silly for english speakers to get all worked up about them lol, but it is just a matter of expressing one's identity. Its also worth noting that not all pronouns refer to people. "This, That, and Those" are all pronouns as well. Again, most languages have pronouns, but only some languages have gendered pronouns and as such using the proper gendered pronouns may be more/less important depending on your language.
You're talking about ego when you're the triggered one. Why am I picking pronouns for characters with nothing but their name to go off? On top of that I don't know what half the words mean. On top of that if they're gods they could all be neutral. I know gender politics are your whole personality but find someone who cares to argue that bullshit
LMAO keep telling yourself that buddy
You're the one malding in the comments of an itch.io game because you saw some funny words. And now you're complaining about picking pronouns for the ROs before meeting them? Its very common in IF games to pick the gender (and thus pronouns) of the romance options ahead of time so all the ROs fit your tastes. Literally just complaining about one of the genre conventions now.
If you dont care about gender politics, why are you still here LOL? You're the one who came back to argue.
I'm not reading all that. I don't have to justify anything to some random who's mad I don't like some game that makes them feel seen.
Regardless of the actual topic here, disregarding an opinion against something simply due to the fact that it's common does not make sense. It's just an appeal to popularity, a logical fallacy. Obviously, there is also a lot of Ad Hominem (another logical fallacy) on both sides here, making this whole argument look silly.
I agree, both sides were illogical and having opinion is your right, if you don't like it, you don't have to, it's your choice, I can respect it.
But I will add this, if you have a issue with a game, this is not how you go about it, tell the creator how they should design the game is like telling a chef how to cook, it's just disrespectful and there is a difference in blatant disregarding their work and providing criticism, it's about respecting them
Even though the other comment do give some ideas and changes ,they are giving criticism and aim to help in further updates, the op just wanted to yell about their issues and not how to fix them
Dude no one is forcing you to do anything if you don't want to pick it then don't your acting as if you can't choose he/him, she/her, or they/them stop whining about more options on games where you can make yourself whatever you want to be.
Why are you so triggered by my disInterest? How does this affect you?
Why are you complaining about something that you don't have to choose? And how does being a baby about it help you?
womp womp anyway i used some fun neopronouns like sol/sols deca/decays nym/nyr how fun!
(no ones forcing you to use pronouns you dont want, inclusivity is good actually)
You s should take your own usernames advice
What you said was unnecessary.
Ok
follow your own username's advice and do the entire world a favor actually 🫶
This was so fun and interesting! Any news on chapt 2? :3
I come back to this every now and then and love it still as much as the first time I read it. I look forward to seeing where the story goes!
Hello author. I would like to express my great respect and gratitude to you for creating and introducing us to this wonderful story. To be HONEST, I FELL IN LOVE. THERE ARE JUST NO WORDS. Seriously, I'm thrilled. I have not played chicken games for a long time and I have some problems finding something interesting and exciting for myself. but your story managed to catch on, because I haven't been hooked on anything for a long time. actually, I went to itch io for the first time and then I suddenly came across your game, which I am very glad about. Thank you again very much for your work and for this story. (also, I'm sorry if the text is strange, I'm writing through a translator, since I don't know English. so I was also able to complete the game, sitting cleanly through the translator... it was difficult...)
Hi! I played the game! Love the concept and world building. I wanna join the discord but they are all expired. Is there a link to the serve?
So good!!! If games didn't require time and effort the fact that this isn't full would be a crime. THEY CHARACTER CREATION THOUGH IS SOMETHING TO DIE FOR TOP TEIR!!! <3
Ahh I'm glad you liked the character creation! It took some time and effort to create it (I was scratching my head to make unique descriptions for each appearance option), but it was all worth it and I'm so glad! Thank you so much, BeeHorn!
game is so good that lana del rey made a song about it 9 years ago (salvatore)
Oh! Thanks to you, I found out that Lana Del Rey indeed had a song called Salvatore! I will have to give it a listen, thank you so much tea for that and for the praise! :)
That was gud. Looking forward 4 da ful ver.
Thank you so much, Ria!!
Ive been sitting on these thoughts for a while so,
"Nothing lasts forever" okay but what about the exceptions? Like death, otherwise this implies that revival is possible. Or the fact that gods apparently live forever? Or can gods also die?
Also, does "Nothing lasts forever" also include the world? Clearly that would mean that eventually, maybe tomorrow or the next millennia but eventually the world would also die.
Or maybe I missed something and this entire rant is stupid.
Also my thoughts on the game because I'd feel bad for leaving a whole rant and not reviewing the game: Its amazing, one of my favourite bits is the character creation because it is so detailed, and I also love the looking mechanic. I swear if I could marry an IF I would marry this.
Hello Alternate_Willow!
Gods can indeed die, and the concept of "forever" is a bit fickle because to know for sure that something is eternal, you must have reached the end of eternity—or at least, that is how I view it. It is difficult to ascertain if there is anything that truly lasts forever, even the mortal spirit and even death. Is death permanent? Can we be certain anything is? That seems difficult to know for sure!
There is nothing stupid about your musings! It is very interesting to know your thoughts on it. You shared your thoughts because it was worth sharing and because you cared about the game, and that comes through! Thank you so much for all the love and praise for the IF! Even the "rant" is a love letter!
Thank you again! :)
What the—
Holy—
...
This... I have no words; amazing doesn't come close. There isn't much yet, but my word I was drawn in and entranced all the same!
I'm looking forward to seeing where this one goes!!
Haha I'm so glad that you liked it!! Thank you so so much Cheeseless_Taco <3
What happened to the Tumblr?
Sorry for the inconvenience, KyleLy!!
saw the art by nuavanxi and i knew i had to play it and DUDE I AM SO GLAD I DID. i adore the worldbuilding in this, it's so well thought-out and immersive!! the characters are all so interesting (salvatore has my whole heart), it feels like so much care has been put into them!! OH and the character customization is great omg, i love being able to put multiple pronouns instead of just one set :")
RAHHH I ENJOYED THIS SO MUCH i will 100% be trying to exhaust all the options here >:3 i'm so looking forward to the next update, i wish you the best of luck on it!!!
How long is the gameplay?
late reply, sorry! i don't think it took more than an hour to finish a single playthrough.
No worries and wonderful! thank you for letting me know! I usually play games that have at least 1hr of gameplay
Ahh, do you know nuavanxi? They are an amazing artist, and I begged to commission them for their stunning artstyle! It completely aligns with the story. Thank you so so much for all the kind words, I am so glad that all the thought and care I put into the game is conveyed properly! Thank you again, tarutaro!
I was looking through the comments and I suddenly realized something about myself… in most games with multiple love interests I don’t get super immersed so I’m just there wanting to get with every single character… but with this game, I figure out who my character is as a person along the way and I instantly know who I most likely want them to be with and there’s no weird desire to have every character, I feel immersed enough to know how my character would actually react to different people, who I want to be friends with and who I feel my character might have a secret crush on or just a level of fondness they don’t otherwise know how to express.
I love this game so much. You just get so immersed, which is hard to do.
Stat based games can almost never get me immersed, but this game does it so effortlessly I don’t even notice how immersed I am. Lol
It is so incredibly amazing.
It feels so much more real than just numbers that pertain to your relationship or your skills.
I cannot wait to see my character grow and maybe become more powerful or learn more or become more social or become more used to humans or learn to enjoy their life more or maybe my character won’t even change as a person at all… and I just, I love this. I love feeling so immersed and like there is no end to the possibilities.
I need to replay this game a few more times- God damn its so good.
Hello Angie,
Thank you for coming back to this game time and again!! It is such an incredible honor that this game has stuck with you long enough—I remember you way back when you first commented if my memory doesn't fail me, and that felt like such a long time ago. I am really so flattered and amazed.
You have captured what I truly want to capture, which is focusing on characterizing your protagonist and finding a character to connect to who you think they are inclined to, not necessarily just by the preference of the player themself! Of course, the player has to also like the character, but I find that it's especially important to have your character's personality align with your chosen interest.
Thank you so so much for returning again and again. There is no highest flattery for any creative than to have someone continue to think about their work for so long. Much love, Angie.
That was... beautiful. VERY MAJESTIC. I love the emotions, the elegant writing and descriptions. That was a wonder to read through even if it needs just a bit more proofreading.
Gosh--I am so sad that there's only Chapter 1 but I also cannot wait for more!
Thank you Meow!! Yes, proofreading is the bane of my existence as it is difficult to parse through my own writing, but I tried my best with a couple of beta-testers! I have actually received very few proofreading errors from people over the year (I can count on one hand), which is a shame! I invite anyone who finds errors to let me know ASAP, even if it's very minor.
Ahh, but I hope to expand on it more soon!! I hope you will stick around to see the next chapter, Meow! Thank you so much for writing a comment and lending your lovely thoughts!
Of course! I will excitedly wait for more updates. I'll be seated here until the end! ♥
When I have free time to replay it again, I'll try to see if I can find some of the errors and share it.
i loveeeed the writing style for this, can't wait to read the rest
Hi vixhaze, I am so glad you like the writing style! I always thought it was an acquired taste for sure, so it's very comforting to know that some people enjoy it, haha! I hope to bring more of you to read soon, and thank you so much for the comment once again!!
THIS WAS SO YUM. I LOVED OT.
AHH THANK YOU SYLIVAN, and thank you so much for leaving your thoughts!!
Came back to replay it. Its so goood… I cannot wait for more.
I noticed a few writing mistakes here and there, some words being plural when they don’t need to be and such, I’ll maybe look through everything again later and type down some corrections.
I love you, I love this, I so badly want more.
Hi Angie! Ahh, I would be grateful to know what mistakes you find, as even if I take my time to read it and it's been a year since it's been released, not many people report to me any proofreading issues. :)
I remember your name!! Thank you so much for returning to this sometimes, that makes me extremely emotional. It's unfathomable to think about. Thank you again!
Such amazing writing should not go to waste! Good luck Mistyrious, let's hope for completion one day!
Hi Iristheeye! I am also hoping for completion one day!! My studies and work make it difficult to find time to write, but it's always a pleasure to do so, and I keep myself creative even still. Thank you so much for leaving a comment!
This is probably the most incredible piece of interactive fiction I've ever read. The details are fantastic, the writing is enthralling, and the characters make me swoon. I am in love with the way you write. It's inspired me to continue my own writing (hopefully a novel one day, we'll see).
Best of luck to you in your ventures here, as I think about this story very often!
Hi NeonGreenHoodie!! That is such high praise—thank you so much! I thought I responded to this before, but clearly not! In any case, I am so glad to be able to inspire your own writing, and that is an equal honor to being known as "the most incredible piece of interactive fiction" in your book. :) I love artists and writers inspiring others! Please let me know what you end up writing, I would love to see it, NeonGreenHoodie, and thank you so so much!!
Gods, this is so well-written and thought out, the world building in Chapter 1 is already amazing and the characters we've met are so likeable, with so much depth for players to uncover, which piques my interest to continue playing!
And I was pleasant surprised by how personalized this is as well, with the options and profile constantly updating according to the choices chosen, very unique, and hard to execute well for other 'games/novels' i've seen try. I love it!
Just some feedback: Allowing players to change character's genders as we read? I believe it was implied in the intro and agree that it's a good idea for players to be able to change it whenever.
Anyways, I'm a fan now, can't wait for the next chapters!
Rooting for the success of this project! ❤️
There's much about the profile page that I want to improve on, and admittedly, it was a rushed design and implementation — so I am always surprised when people say they enjoyed it! I hope to continue to add on to it so that it holds up to the standards I envisioned for it!
The options, however, was a very deliberate design, and was a huge effort, but a worthwhile one nonetheless, because I know there are people like you who will see and appreciate it!
You brought a great idea! I'll likely give the character the option to change the RO's genders at the beginning of each chapter (I sometimes find myself regretting assigning them a certain way, or perhaps imagining fluidly alternating between gender identities!). Awesome!
Thank you so much for all your compliments, and taking the time to read it!! It's the highest honor to hold your attention in the time that you went through the game! :) Much love, Chesrine!
This is so good, you've already given us a world to explore and hyperfixate on with only a few to go off of. This is so wonderful, I do hope you don't disappear like many other wonderful interactive fic creators ;-;
Everything is simply so beautiful and nothing's ever dull with how wonderfully you're able to describe the people, actions, and surroundings. I could visualize it perfectly in my mind as I process every word you've written and it's simply ethereal. I hope you know how amazing you are at writing as well as the rest of people behind this project. I'm looking forward to see this world emerge like a field of flowers as it continues to be built.
Hi lianyx! I hope not to disappear, either, and I am sorry that I have gone quite some time without an update! I don't ever predict myself being gone, although I have been slow, which I sincerely apologize for!
One of the main things I worried about is description! Writing it is the bane of my existence because I have to be very inspired, otherwise it will come out all wrong. That's why it's an incredible relief to hear that you can picture everything well!!
Thank you so, so much for all your words and taking the time to let me know your thoughts! It's extremely inspiring to read them! Thank you again, Lianyx!
i love this game so much and i will most certainly be kept busy replaying this! the game is so immersive and the story is so in-depth, i love games that make me think carefully about each choice i make. i will definitely be keeping up with any updates you release, i can't wait!
Ahh, it's so flattering to hear that people want to replay it! It makes giving every choice some unique flavor text all that much more worthwhile. Although, I hope to add more branching paths and hidden scenes in this next chapter, which will be a much more ambitious undertaking, on top of having consequences ripple further out into the story! Thank you so much for taking the time to read! :)
woah, this game is actually so sick, the fluid writing and the way it decides your personality, i can't lie this had me hooked for the hour or so i was at it. I'm really looking forward to another chapter, good luck to you and your team i hope this game flourishes, keep it up!!
Ahh, thank you so much miss typo!! :) It's just me on the writing, but I have many people to thank for, for making this IF the way it is! I'll do my best to deliver!!
I love this, pls dont dissapear🙏
Hello Dexrry! Thank you, I am still here and I am still working on it! ♥️
When does the prologue end? I’m a bit slow so I’m kinda confused. I’m on the screen where it’s shows the link to the Tumblr , is that all for now?
Hi Kirbyk1d, you're not slow! Yes, you have reached the end of the work I've made so far. I apologize for the confusion, but I am grateful you've decided to read! Thank you again!!
This is amazing, I'm so invested in this!
Thank you velcloud!! ♥️♥️ That means the world to me! I hope I can add to it soon!
"This game will be free to play in its entirety, and no necessary in-game content will ever be monetized. Updates may continue after the completion of the game as well." honestly I was unsure if I should play this game but this line, this line pulled me. not the fact that it's entirely free but the fact that your tryna make the best game for the sake of the game itself. (also why is my words cursive???)Ahh, yes! All writers strive to write the best work they can, but many struggle to make ends meet. They may have to limit their creativity to meet deadlines or cater to an audience. I am extremely thankful to be in a position to take my time in developing the game to my vision, and publish it purely for the sake of sharing a work that I am passionate about! I simply want to write a story that makes me happy, and it would be amazing if it could bring joy to someone else.
Thank you so much for recognizing this, Kxtra66 ♥️!! The fact that someone took the time to consume something I created is the highest form of flattery for any artist!
Hey, I don't know if this is a bug on my end but I cannot seem to get past the prologue.
I saw this game two days ago, I was immediately drawn in by the beautiful art and was pulled in further by the intricate and well sought out dialogue. Once I started playing, customizing my little character and whatnot, I was disappointed to find that I could not advance further.
I reached the section where there are instructions on clicking the yellow text to get a more in-depth description. I click on it.. and well...I cannot find the X button in order to advance forward. I've tried various times and I just can't seem to find it.
I'd love for your help on this matter, I absolutely look forward to playing this game. Thank you Misty~
Oh, Foozie, I am so sorry that happened!! I have been holding off on this particular fix for so long for no reason -- it's in the very upper left corner, and it'll look invisible when it's actually there. If it's completely gone, though, then that's even worse. :(
Let me know what kind of phone you use or your monitor screen size (so I can test it on that screen size); I'll get it fixed ASAP. Sorry again for the inconvenience!
Hi Foozie! I updated the game, let me know if this is a good enough solution for you! ♥️ and sorry this took a while -- it slipped my mind. :)
Oh hey, Misty! sorry for the late reply. (╥﹏╥)
To answer your previous question, (Although it might not matter now), I was playing on an average personal laptop, it's around 11 inches.
I just checked the update and it looks great so far! I can't wait to play through your game, I'll let you know my thoughts if you wish. Thank you so much!
~P.S Have a cookie--🍪--and a great day. Keep up the great work, Suscess is undoubtedly looking you in the eyes. :)
i stumbled upon this game the other night, and played through what’s currently available in one sitting. it’s utterly beautiful and it struck me enough that i decided to write my first ever comment on a game, so sorry if something sounds off!
there’s so so so many options and the customization stunned me because for once i felt i didn’t need to sacrifice parts of myself or pick between what parts of my expressions i had to make my “main” focus; everything felt fantastically fluid. not only that, but i’ve been in sort of a creative block lately, but the writing has inspired me to get back to working on my own wips because it just was so amazing to read and digest. the worldbuilding and what i’ve seen so far of the characters shown have been very enjoyable (my personal favorites are luciel and ciocana…!), and the current cliffhanger has left me wanting to discover so much more.
i can’t wait to read more with future updates, thank you for making this beautiful game!
Hi avesidora!! For some reason I must have overlooked this extremely sweet comment, I apologize! :(
I am incredibly honored that you took the time to comment, especially when it's not something you usually do! It always means the world to me to know other people's thoughts on my work, especially when they likely dedicated an afternoon to sitting down and reading it -- which is truly no higher praise to receive.
... Except, of course, even going as far as to inspire someone to write!! Please, if you are ever comfortable, share me your own work. I am so glad you were able to express yourself freely, but more importantly, I'm ecstatic to hear it moved you to be creative as well!
Thank you so much for your words about the world building and characters, they occupy my thoughts daily! And so sorry to leave you you a cliffhanger!
But most of all, thank you thank you again so much for taking your time to read it and share your thoughts on it, avesidora! And I'm looking forward to seeing your WIPs if you ever intend to publish them! :D (reach out to me if you'd like!!)
at first i was hesitant to play this because i dont like playing demos and knowing ill end up on a cliffhanger for what might be a year for each new chapter, but i actually really liked this and didnt mind it. this might be the best written interactive story ive ever read, AND ITS ONLY BEEN ONE CHAPTER
NOT REALLY SPOILERS, JUST PUTTING IT UNDER A CUT SO I DONT SPAM BC THIS IS GONNA BE A VERY LONG LOVEMAIL/REVIEW FOR THE GAME:
the customization was AMAZING, though i do wish there were some more hair color options and perhaps scars (if there was scars and i forgot, im sorry LOL i have a short memory), but even if that doesn't change, it's fine without it.
the characters are also amazing, and i love the diverse pronoun choice for them, even neopronouns; usually games just stick with he/she, and sometimes they/them. this might be the first one i saw with more pronoun options, which was very pleasant. i also enjoy how gods have no gender and it's only presentation, as a femme sapphic who really likes masc/butch women but often has to deal with female characters in games being hyper fem due to the assumption of the people going after them being cishet men. usually i just date male characters and pretend theyre a beautiful butch in my mind to deal with this, but with this game i feel like i dont have to do that. even with characters who are feminine, it feels more natural somehow? all i can describe it as, is that i feel the care that went into this game and making the characters actually realistic.
the gameplay itself is also amazing; the choices, being able to lie and be a little mischievous at times, the skillsets (i dont know what to call them,,), the WRITING IS SO IMMERSIVE ALSO LIKE HELLO?? I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT. THE WHOLE THING ABOUT THE UNIVERSE WAS AMAZING, AND TO BE HONEST, i chose "i dont feel loved by the universe" AND THE DESCRIPTION OF THAT FEELING WHEN I CHOSE THAT?? IT MADE ME TEAR UP IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE. it reminds me of classic literature and those amazing poems you'd see on pintrest, or even the mincraft end-game dialouge thigny!!!
i genuinely dont think i have ANY critique from this game. the only thing i do want is more options because i love to play as my ocs in IF games, but this one already has so many options that i could make do without my array of fancy hair and eye colors. i also usually struggle to play games while being neurodivergent due to most choices being,, way too out there, or way too rude, but this game had a very nice middle ground where i felt like i could actually act as i would without it being weird for me, which honestly made me kind of emotional. being able to play as an autistic mc, with my symptoms, who i feel can unmask, is very meaningful for me. of course it isnt exact, and there were still times i had to make ooc (for me at least) choices, but it was still a lot more than any other game.
i will be honest, im really nervous that this game wont be continued because thats a sad trope with IF games, but i genuinely hope it does. im looking forward to buying the game when it comes out, and supporting the developer anywhere i can in hopes of the game continuing, because this is honestly everything ive ever wanted in an IF game! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK DEVS!!! ╰(*°▽°*)╯
Hi vlightowelle!!! I can't tell you how much this means to me.
I am genderfluid myself, and I deeply fear that picking a gender presentation for the deities means having to hypergender them one way or another. For that reason, I focused on still giving them some sense of androgyny, despite the differences between the versions. One disappointment I have in myself is tying gender presentation to their pronouns, however, which I want to rectify soon. I don't believe this currently reflects in their physical description except Ciocana, but perhaps I will make this more explicit by allowing the player to pick their pronouns and their presentation explicitly and separately! I am bisexual as well, and I personally love women who are non-conforming.
I am also blown away by your compliments with the writing!! It is indeed inspired more by some classical stories -- and while I am nowhere near their poetry and skill, it is what I admire and strive to achieve. More modern, casual writing is difficult for me.
But most of all, I am emotional about your comments on neurodivergency. My beta tester is my partner, and they have autism. They worked closely with me on this game, and I really worked hard to ensure that the wording of the choices was understandable, and that the offering of choices accommodated a wide range of personalities.
Please let me know your suggestions for hair and eye colors, as well as dialogue/action options! The first character creation scene is more down-to-earth as it is more your fathers looking at your appearance, but there is a second chance to change your looks with more fantastical colors!
And don't worry, this game will be free!! Your verbal support and continued patience will be the only thing I need to keep me going! 🤍
Again, thank you so much, vlightowlle. You don't know how much your words impact me deeply. ❤️❤️
it's no problem for the compliments, i enjoy writing long posts like these on games i like! and i really love the idea of allowing the player to pick the presentation, it's something i've always wanted in a game, so if you do add that in any future updates, ill look forward to it! i'm genderfluid too, which is another reason why the gender presentation in this game effected me so much
and im sorry for missing over the second chance to change your appearance, i thought it'd have the same options before just incase you had doubts, so i skipped over it, but ill definitely check it out when i finish this playthrough and do a second one. for eye and hair colors, i've always liked the idea of deities having weird coloration, like multicolored eyes or just dots of colors that arent naturally occurring, and even changing the color of pupils and sclera if the deity is more non human, though this is probably due to my love for fae and biblically accurate angels, im sure it'd be really hard to do in an IF, so it's more of a comment than a real suggestion. for hair color, the main one i was missing during the original creation was pink, since that's what i went in wanting my character to have: im unsure if thats an option in the secondary creation already though, it probably is! i also hope for jewelry and accessories if that's not in the secondary creation (sorry if it is and im just naming off things that are already there! i wish i didnt skip over it,,) ᓚᘏᗢ
for dialogue/action suggestions, i dont have any specific ones, but some of my symptoms that i very rarely get to see used in any IF are sensory overloads, semi or non verbal moments where someone might have to speak for the mc (not including choices where the mc is just too shy), non aggressive honesty/bluntness, rambling or over explaining things (again, in a non aggressive, genuine way), not understanding figurative language, just generally stimming i dont think ive ever seen that in ANY game, and hyperactivity without it being seen as childish. some of these ive already seen in choices, but i decided to put them all here regardless. i feel like a lot of these things in most IF's are either seen as childish, or always put in a rude way, which kind of hurts when i act like that but mean it kindly.
i think thats all i have to say, but again, it's no problem! im glad you responded so fast and so positively, usually creators brush comments off, but im genuinely glad you took time to respond and address everything i said! IM ALSO VERY GLAD THE GAME WILL BE FREE, because im honestly very poor and was worried about that! again, i hope the development goes well!! i hope everything i said made sense, its a bit late for me and as you can tell from my previous comment, i have issues with overexplaining/rambling
Game with potential.
The writing is nice and character are well written but i can't judge the story yet, it didn't progress much. No idea either how the chosen skill will played out but i hope it will be truly impactful. Still the codex is lacking, the romantic interest aren't there and there is no physical/personality description of each character in the codex.
Still hope the game will not die, good luck
Hello, thanks for the sincere comment, Arthas16!
I apologize for the lack of progression. The first chapter is meant to be a setup and introduction to the characters, setting, and potential conflict. Hopefully it will feel better in the second chapter!
I definitely agree with the codex, however; that is admittedly a rushed aspect of the game so far as it already took me months to design and code it, and thus I prioritized releasing the story to demonstrate the progress I made to those who were following me so patiently. The codex page became a very low priority item. I hope to rectify this in the next update, because I know I can get confused or forgetful myself!
Thanks for the reply again! ❤️
At first I didn't really knew if to play this or not, because I've never played this kind of games (or story?? Idk-), but THE ART.
But now that I have played it, I can say thaaat...
I LITERALLY LOVE THIS SOOO MUCH-
It has very different options to customize your character's personality, you can choose your appearance, the other characters gender... It's just perfection; I really love the writing too, even though my main language isn't english (so there will be misspelling 😭), as a person that's learning like three languages at once, without including my spanish, chinese and my bad english, it isn't a super duper big trouble for me HWKSSLHSKED-
Talking about the game, I want us to be all happy friends with a wholesome friendship or something like thattt 😿😿 I love all the charactersssss they each have that unique personality, Idk, but I know there's something (???)
In conclusion, playing this game was one of the BEST decisions I've made in my life. Looking forward more updatesss
And I didn't expect this to be THAT long, sorry 😭
Hi memori, thank you for the really sweet reply!! 💓 I'm really glad you took the time to play it even though it's not something you usually try!
It's also very admirable you want to learn so many languages - it's something I want to try doing as well! I always wondered how my writing read to non-natives, as English is not my native language, either. I hope it's readable!
I'm also super happy you liked the characters!! 💕💕
All in all, thank you for appreciating my work, and I hope you continue to want to look forward to updates! Thank you again, Memori!!
At first, I was hesitant to play this because it wasn't something I had played before, but the art drew me in!
And when I started playing, I was surprised by the writing and how many options the game offered. I'm excited to see how the story will develop and how our relationships will deepen!
My favourite right now is our dear deity of the sun, can't wait to spend more time with them <3
Hi Phoebus.Sun, sorry I didnt see this comment ealier! I'm glad you like the amount of options so far -- they truly gave me grief, but it is immensely satisfying to offer them! So happy you like Salvatore as well, they remind me of your name <3 Thanks for leaving me your thoughts again, Phoebus!! 🤍
Everyone kept offering me food and I love them for it, omg. And Luciel did mainly catch my attention when I was browsing the page for the first time, but then Salvatore?! Anyway Luciel, beloved, let me open your heart so we could sit right next to each other!
Edit: Okay, been replaying a bit since I can't get enough and MC happily (also giddily) enjoying Ciocana's surprise antics and not thinking ill of them was actually cute. Makes me excited to see more of Ciocana (and Alessi too, the intrigue!)
Looking forward to any progress as it's such a treat, absolutely loved it and it was really fascinating (that includes MC's lore, you could really feel it + wholesome adorable Dads despite everything) so thank you for your hard work, Mistyrious!
Ahh sarkazwho!! Thank you so much for the lovely words, I am so happy that you liked the characters! I will of course continue working on it so I can hopefully make you happy! Thank you again! ❤️
Nauuuur it's all good, you know! I'm already really grateful and happy that you created such a wonderful world (and characters!) Read through all the RO asks, and it's been quite rent free fr so Luciel better lock Lucidio's entrance since I'm ready to hunt them down to give adoration😤 Still, please take your time and stay bongga as always while at it✨
I am genuinely so invested in this game. It's so good and leaves you curious for more by the end of the chapter. Please, for the love of God, make more of it.
Your comment has been extremely motivating in ways that I cannot explain. Thank you so much, paper albatross!!
I need more pleaseeeeeee
Ahhh I want to write more too! Hopefully I can get it to you soon ❤️ thank you Boing Boingg!
LOVING this story. It's unbelievably satisfying to have so many choices to dictate the tone of the player character. I like adapting one of my more harsh/cold OCs into games like this and rarely do they have so many options to accommodate her personality!!
Really beautiful writing, fascinating worldbuilding, and overall game. Very intriguing plot. Can't wait for chapter 2!!
Hi Addered! I am so glad that you feel that you have many options for that kind of character! I feel that such a character has amazing potential for the kind of story I want to tell; exploring the different personalities of MC sprung from how they responded to their circumstances growing up has been immensely satisfying. I hope to continue to accommodate for them!
Thank you so so much for your lovely words ❤️
Cant wait for chapter 2!
Thank you, London!! ❤️❤️ I hope to bring it to you soon!
I love the story line. Your not gonna put this up for money are you? :(
i really enjoy the game and yes money it's deserved but many wouldn't play maybe like a tip thingy? i dunno it's a good game.
Hi Aiedaeil! My game personally will never be put up for a price, so please be assured. However, the vast majority of other authors with the same medium will and have monetized their stories upon completion, to success. Thank you so much for your interest again! ♥️
No worries i love the game! and the art :)
I was looking for good stories to read on itch.io, and I finally found one!
This story not only had amazing imagery, but finally I found a story with more diverse choices! No more 'I'm sad' 'I'm mad' 'I don't answer' nonsense, this story even has 'I'm mad but i'ma joke about it' and it's amazing!
This story is a work of art, and I can't wait too see more!
I do have a quick comment that the 'X' button when you look at something is like right at the end of the screen, I wish there was some padding around it.
I also wish when the setting is picked to choose genders as I go, I wish the default selected was the intended gender, instead of always being 'they,' I feel this would allow us to keep it faithful to the intent but allow us to change some things around as we please.
Also sometimes the OpenDyslexic font doesn't work properly, and I have to reload the page to fix it.
Hi Goose, thanks so much for the feedback!! I'm glad you liked the diversity in the choices <3 I wasn't sure if it was going overboard to have such choices; I wish there was a way to accommodate a wide range of responses without filling the screen with links! Alas, it'd feel too gamey if the choices were in a dropdown box of all things. :)
I am sorry about the X button! A lot of styling for the game was done when I was still quite amateurish with Twine, so I will look out for that <3
Secondly, I had initially written so that the canon language did not actually have any pronouns besides "they/them"... until I realized that would then defeat the purpose of selecting your pronouns! As cool as it would have been, it came with it a slew of issues. I would say "they/them" is the closest to intent. :) Before adding the gender variables, I refer to all of them simply by they/them in writing!
Lastly, sorry for the font issue! I think I have a clue why that is, which is related to why font sizes initially didn't work great at first either :S so I will also investigate that further! Thank you so much for letting me know <3
Once again, thanks again for considering everything and taking the time to let me know your thoughts. I promise it is immensely helpful, and I strive to incorporate them ♥️♥️
Hey! I really enjoyed this story, and can't wait to see where you take this!
I get the pronouns thing, that makes sense! Choosing pronouns in writing is challenging to say the least, and I am just glad to see representation with xe/xem and ey/em pronouns, as well as fully customizable pronouns sheet! It really shows that you care and support your fans, and it allows for more diversity between stories!
I'm not [diagnosed] dyslexic, so I can't know for sure, but I do know reading is difficult, but the font issue wasn't a huge inconvenience, because of how easy it was to fix ( I just pressed refresh XD ).
I really loved the end of the chapter, that twist was incredible, and really shows a layer of depth to the story that many writers don't incorporate until later in the story, and shows you care about the context and emotion behind the scenes!
Overall, this story was beautifully (took me 4 tries before I spelled that right) crafted and incredibly immersive, and I loved every moment of it! Keep up the amazing work!
On the note of pronouns/language since you bring up the canon language perhaps only having 'they', I spent a while working on a more gender inclusive language a while back and came up with a neat idea. Read if you wanna (its long, sorry).
The basic idea takes the concept of keigo - literally translated to respectful language, it's the Japanese grammatical structure for adding respect/formality. The language would have several different levels of formality, for the purposes of pronouns we only really need 2 however so I'll only go into the 2 we need.
The idea is that when speaking to strangers - and in situations where you need to be respectful and formal - gender is entirely absent. Thus there is not really a risk of misgendering a stranger without learning their preferred pronouns. Then when two people become close enough, they will switch to their familiar pronouns and thus affirm each other through their language as a sign of their closeness.
Since exchanging familiar pronouns is baked into the structure of the language, it becomes a natural part of introducing oneself. An English approximate would be like introducing yourself as "X, familiarly Y - xe/xer" or even simplified to "X, Y - xe" where X is one's family name/formal name/title and Y is one's personal name. For my MC it would be like introducing her as "The Eye, Lyria - she". It also implies some rude, culturally significant ways to introduce oneself like only introducing their formal title without their familiar pronouns and name thus implying that they do not intend to let you get close to them.
This makes a language that makes no default assumptions about a stranger's gender, but still retains gender expression and affirmation through language. Furthermore I think it canonizes gender affirmation as something more intimate and friendly, a sign of respect and friendship.
Sorry if that was a bit long and rambly but I am a language nerd, couldn't pass up the opportunity to talk about pronouns and gender inclusivity in fictional languages. Hope it was an interesting read at least.
Hi Hexling,
That was a FASCINATING read, I am so grateful!! I wanted to hearken back to my own native tongue because all its pronouns are entirely neutral, only that we add an extra word in our sentences to denote politeness or formality.
Knowing this, I think I can make it canon! ❤️ My one sadness is that some stories or IFs automatically already know the neopronouns of the MC without asking. I think it's great that they already include them, and there is no harm in that at all! But I think it would make it more real this way.
So I can picture the MC and a new character introducing themselves and using gender neutral pronouns until they've become familiar or simply ask the other to refer to them properly if they dislike being formal or being referred to by anything else. Great!
Thank you so much -- this is a great compromise to allowing flexibility in gender expression for the protagonist, and yet also incorporating the neutrality in the language that I intended! You have singlehandedly saved the language. Thank you, Hexling! ❤️
Glad you liked it and it clicked some things into place for you!