VN - Ren'Py - Completed - Acting Lessons [v1.0.2] [DrPinkCake]

Simply beautiful, touching and with a great story is what can I say about this experience I had with this game by autor named DrPinkCake. I admire it and you. Good job. All I can say, yet, I could write a lot about it. Same goes to Being a DIK.

one of the best games I ever played!

So much depth in the story
Such interesting characters
Good graphics
...

list goes on. This game does great in so many ways - I really recommend you check it out.

I have to say that I have passed by this game so many times not knowing the treasure it is. Finally, give it a chance, and man... what a wonderful game. Deep characters, good renders (although have seen better), very good writting and intense and surprising story. Must admit, heart skip a beat in some choices and sank at some point (not doing spoilers). Must be one of the games I most enjoyed palying and also one of the hardests due to feelings it brings up. Contrats to DrPinkCake. Fabulous work!

★Chef's kiss: Story narration and writing

+ Top-tier plot that gets even better in later chapters
+ Characters are well written (except maybe for the horny college girls)
+ Comedy is unforgettable but not too invasive in the story
+ CG and models are good especially the main love interests ()
+ Liam
+ Very well-implemented choices and dialogue; rewards and consequences make sense
+ Good amount of adult scenes

- Traits mechanic isn't that immersive and didn't affect side or major dialogue that much
- Realism is a bit shoddy
- The poeticism and the dark turn in the story can come off as edgy or corny but that doesn't affect the experience
- Involves character-death which is a total bonerkiller if you're invested in the story (completely or partially) AND are waiting to jack it

Overall, this game is top-notch for an adult VN with focus on the plot. On that note, the story can stick to you (avoid the comments for spoilers if you can). Imo the game is definitely memorable after you've finished it.

I got a "bad" ending the first time through and having more than one twist really threw me off but nonetheless I enjoyed it very much. I prefer harem endings and I don't think there is one in this game, but I can see what the author is going for here and I appreciate it. One of the very few times where I replayed a game just so I could get the ending I want.

I contemplated playing this game for a couple of months since the graphics in the header didn't really appeal to me that much. But I have to say that was an ungrounded reason. Once I opened the game and met the girls I immediately saw their appeal. This is both a popular game and a classic and with reason, to this day it is very good.

I was on the fence between 4 and 5 stars for a while but decided on 4 because of the ending. But if you like games with great characters that are more story driven than H scene driven you will probably like this one.

I played this one quite a while back, but i'm coming back now to review it.

This is quite a masterfully crafted game, it set the standard for every Ren'py VN out there, while also bringing PinkCake under the radar to being one of the best devs we've seen. (check his new project, Being a DIK, if you haven't already. It's even better than this one imo)

It's actually a pretty generic setting, you're a young adult, pretty well off, and start meeting all those girls you can surely fuck. What really brings this game to being one of the best, is the absolutely superb writing, and extremely likeable characters.

It also helps that unlike most games on this site, this is a fully finished and fleshed out story, with multiple routes and endings. Some people didn't enjoy the ending and i understand their reasons (i personally didn't mind it), but even if you don't like the ending, everything that leads up to that is a very enjoyable experience.

Overall, 9.5/10, a must-play for anyone mildly interested in a porn game with a pretty damn good story.

Acting Lessons reminds me of a boy building a sand castle on the beach.

He starts with a crude outline (introduction), then spends hours of buildup by creating beautifully shaped citadels (a decent slice-of-life story).

Finally, when everything seems perfect (one of the most believable setups of a love triangle), his play takes a turn for the worse:

Now he imagines all kinds of terrible things happening to his refined castle - a flood, a siege, the wrath of god (an overabundance of cheap drama) until his once beautiful œuvre is completely destroyed and levelled.

I like a good story and I have no problem with dramatic story twists (quite on the contrary) - as long as it's believable.

Unfortunately, at one point the writer of Acting Lessons started to follow the credo "The more (drama) the better", but that's not how a good story works.

There's only so much drama I can take before I simply stop caring about the characters and their mishaps.

It's too bad because Acting Lessons had the potential to become something unique - if only things had been toned down and kept somewhat realistic.

Meant to rate this game a long time ago, but I absolutely enjoyed the game.
The story kept me really interested and I really felt it when the twist hit.
Keep it up with the loveable sidekicks they're my favorite part of your games.

This was the first VN I played.. well, except Katawa Shoujo way back in the day, but that doesn't count, because just like Kelly in high school, it was everybody's first; in a time I didn't even know what a porn game was. But I digress. Acting Lessons is like playing a really good soap opera, not the cheesy Mexicans imported ones. It has everything in here: loads of drama, romance, comedy, friendship, plot twists, obstacles to overcome.. pain.. lots of pain.
Now, my second VN was Melody, another one that I deeply loved for a different reason actually, now by the time I finished playing Melody I was thrilled! "Are all these games like this?! What the hell took me so long to get into this?! What game next will blow my mind?" Then reality hit, not all these games are like that, so I've learned. I had beginners luck, I guess.
Now, Action Lessons is not short of its problems though. The game is way too rushed; the connections the character try to display on screen don't really have the time to set up properly, giving you a feeling of detachment.. it all feels like a really good showcase of the Dev ability for another game. Except for the friendship of the MC with his best friend, although over the top at times, that was well made.. maybe a bit too much, so much so, that since I didn't read anything about the game before playing, I thought, for a good chunk of the game, it was a coming out of the closet story.
TL;DR, the game is a great, you'll should play it.. you probably already did, the game is freaking popular, for the right reason.

This game is a god damn rollercoaster of feels. I came here for sexy times and got one of the best visual novels Ive ever played. I fucking teared up too.
I recommend this game for everyone that likes good written storys and doesnt mind that he plays this for the feels and not for the fapps.
Holy hell, I love Liam, he is the best friend that everybody needs in his life.

This game is really really good and I recommend playing it all the way through. I wouldn't play this game for its nudity though because it really isn't focused on that nor is it really done well anyway. There aren't a lot of h-scenes considering how long the game is. The animations are bland and they really are not that great. But!!!! the story makes up for that and keeps you hooked anyway.

The only thing I would say if you are just starting is that you really need to anchor down in the beginning. The game starts really slow and it will make you want to drop it. When games or tv shows are slow I tend to drop them unless I know they are gonna get better. Trust this one really picks up if you give it time.

Overall, a wonderful game that I highly recommend. The only reason I am only giving this four instead of five is due to the shoehorned choice introduced at the end. I neither want to spoil or write a lengthy, rambling review so I will stay concise. The story has an interesting twist, but shoves a particular "choice" in a cliche and frustrating way. This is only made even worse by the excellent writing and characterization prior to this. I completely understand the presence of this, but to say there are 22 endings, but no matter what the player does, they are forever reduced to this one immutable forced plot point/direction. A new game after completing it once and doing everything unde4r the sun doesn't seem to ever change this. The refusal to have even added 1 out of 22 possible endings without this confounds me. So after still rambling, this one point is really the only negative of this game (other than some poor animation), just a massively frustrating and confusing one to have no matter what.

Yet, despite this it is still a good game and highly recommended. So close to being one of the best on this site.

Positive Points:
+The story is simply amazing
+Different path/ending
+3D model
+Liam the real bro

Neutral Points:
*A bit more of sex scene would have been better

Negative Points:
-Animation

Conclusion:
Just for the story Acting Lessons deserve 5/5 stars. The game give you so much feel and emotion that it's a real pleasure to progress and replay the game to get all the ending. Finally a game with a real sidekick that is a bro and not an asshole, you're happy de build your relation with him and get reward for it. The only negative point is the poor quality of the animation but the scene are still pretty good. One of the best adult game I've played, I totally recommand it and the other game from DrPinkCake : Being a Dik.

Test done on version 1.0.2 (Complete game)

Best game i’ve played so far. From start to finish the game had me so hooked and invested I wasn’t thinking about routes and unlocking the lewd scenes anymore. 11/10 Might not be able to touch it a while after my first play through. Kudos to DPC for this masterpiece

Excellent game packed with humor and a dark twist. The story is good and the characters are fun to get to know. Can't say too much not to spoil the fun. Try it, you won't regret the time invested, for sure.

I never had a game story just f****** powerful ok the sex things are all good they ok but it was the story that really caught me because my main focus when I play the game was the main girl you meet and her friend and pretty much both of them fall in love with you and you fall in love with both of them but then later on you got to make a real jacked up decision and then his best friend has cancer I don't want thing the game was pretty good the story was extremely good excellent job pinkcake

After finishing the game, I have to say that except the last episode and it's really really odd discoveries, the story was almost perfect. Characters were well-written and hot.
One of the most notable things about the game was the black guy. Unlike most games, this black character was a real friend, and not a cheating bastard who bangs every girl in the story.

Man I swear I just wanted to fap, but I found myself attached to my ingame bestfriend, and I got so much feels for the story. Wanted to save both megan and melissa tho. I'd rate this an honest 9/10 cuz I just wanted to save both my girlfriends

One of a kind story. Not the average erotic game you can just get away with a hard on. I was so curious every moment how it's going to end, and the ending was not what I expected.
Exceptional story line. Looking forward for more stories from the author. Love their work.