VN - Ren'Py - Cindy's Diary [Ch.2 v1.2.2] [Skull Design]

Looked great, but the game interface doesn't even work. No way to advance play. Actually has Our Red String feel to it, but can't be compared due to poor game play. If the interface is fixed it might be worth trying, but for now it is not worth a download.

ver. 1.2.1 (Ch. 2)

Trying to decide if the game was worth downloading, I checked the reviews – and it didn't help much, as one of them was completely negative, while the other gave it five stars. So, I decided to form my own opinion… and share it here.

Getting straight to the point: I doubt Cindy's Diary can be called a game, at least at this stage of development. It looks like a short exercise in Renpy and AI graphics. Or a cash grab. There's very little content, even though we're in Chapter 2. But getting through Chapter 1 took me… I don't know, 5 minutes? Maybe 10? And that's with all the options checked out.

The graphics are based on another game, but… significantly worse, due to the limitations of the AI, which causes changes in the appearance of the main characters, proportion issues, and artificial poses. Cindy's mother looks like her twin sister… but that's not the main issue. For me, the problems are the plot (almost nonexistent) and the poor dialogue. And on top of that, there's a terrible minigame, as necessary as a hole in the bridge.

Our Red String is a great game and deserves far better fan fiction. I don't rule out that Cindy's Diary will become more than just an exercise (or a cash grab) in the future, but for now, it would be difficult for me to give it more than a star and a half. Besides, everything good about the Diary comes from said other game, so I'm rounding down the rating to one star.

Cindy's Diary v1.0
I will try to keep this to the rules, Cindy's Diary is awful. The AI CG is incredibly generic, the writing is more so, and it barely builds a narrative other than "Cindy sad, and now there is incest". Plus, with only 1 real choice to make in the demo (with one of them being greyed out and making you wonder why it was put there in the first place if it holds no value), if you choose to not "peep", the game just ends. Cindy's diary is incredibly shallow experience and I have zero interest in future updates.

The setting immediately drew me in, feeling immersive and original. Despite the art being AI-generated, it was visually pleasing and enhanced the game's atmosphere, leaving me excited for the updates.