VN - Ren'Py - Confusion - Chapter 8 [v0.8] [AVNSnax]

This game is absolutely nuanced, has an impactful story. The characters make you emote in response to their actions, the story itself is devious. Alex suffers from gender dysphoria and has to navigate her way through landmines seemingly growing in number with each interaction. Interfamilial drama laced with a dark underbelly that is left to the reader to as AVN said "It's vague on purpose--it's up to the player to reckon what they may." This game is definitely worth watching even if you're not interested in trans content the story itself will make you emote and have you connect in some way to one of the characters, having felt it yourself, been in a situation, know of a situation similar, etc. There is something here for everyone and I genuinely feel regardless AVN modesty in regards to the writing, it is an impactful story that leaves you anticipating. I wish nothing but the best for the dev and I will be following wholeheartedly to the final release.

So... This rating is gonna be short, because I normally wouldn't have played a 0.5 incest game. However, I had been watching the thread for a while, since it looked like it was gonna be an actually tasteful exploration of a trans MC, and then this week my notifications were blowing up, so I decided to take a look at what was going on and decided I needed to play early.

In terms of writing, your story is compelling. I genuinely had no issues reading through the entirety of the available game as it moved at a good pace, and provided just enough spice to keep it interesting in this early build up.

In terms of adult content, legitimately, this is one of the few games I've played that genuinely feels erotic. For games with the incest tag, in particular, feeling the actual tension in the relationships of the characters is something rarely done well, and in terms of MC being trans, i genuinely felt like I could empathize with her own erotic feelings.

The renders are nice, but there's a few things that bug me. First is the cartoonish expressions. This is a common issue with daz... people realy should play with those expression sliders more, because the expressions themselves undercut tension and heartfelt moments throughout the game. The second issue I had was with whatever you were doing for sweat. There was one shot that looked like the sweat caused the render's lighting to create a mirage. And there were plenty of shots with sweat involved where it just felt like the moisture wasn't reacting well with the light.

Overrall, great work so far on these core points. I have some criticisms dealing with some specifics, but I'll take those to the thread where they'll be better suited as feedback.

A legitimately good story that just happens to be an adult game. I was not expecting this but after having played it I hope this gets finished n fleshed out. It's rare to have a game with a trans character have any meaningful depth hence a 5/5 for me.

Sweet and nice story, a well paced erotic novel. The graphics are good and the characters have a few physical flaws that make them more realistic.

There is very little sexual content, but the situations are very erotic.
I hope the updates will provide further exploration of MC sexuality

Review updated as of v.0.7.1

This VN is fantastic so far. We get the perspective of a trans girl in a realistic and holistic way. Her backstory is clean, not overly-detailed, interesting, and believable. She struggles with her feelings about herself as a person, her sexuality, and her relationships seem to evolve right in front of you - all very satisfying elements of the story.

As the player, you're given the option to shape Alex's personality and reputation through reactions to various situations she finds herself in. You can make her confident, keep her on the shy and defeated path, or make her somewhat neutral.

Dev did a great job with Alex as the character model goes; she presents in a way that very much resembles a trans girl, IMO. Everything from her face and body shape, to her expressions are all well made.

A critique I have is that the above almost seems to bleed into how her siblings' characters were modeled and posed as well. She doesn't have any brothers, only sisters, and all of them seem to make similar facial expressions which are posed in such a way as to give them a more masculine appearance. There's nothing inherently wrong with this; if the dev envisions this as a common trait because they're family, I can accept that. However, if we are trying to mentally distinguish the trans sister from her other sisters, I feel it would've been better to make the other sisters' facial expressions and face shapes more feminine and distinguished.

I've observed near zero issues with spelling, grammar, or punctuation. This is a breath of fresh air, and something I weigh heavily when rating a VN.

Visually, I think things could improve, but at no point does it feel like an inferior experience. The lighting, renders, poses, and the minor animations are all good. I tend to play on 4K displays, and so many VNs tend to appear a bit grainy, as this one does.

We get the satisfaction that - on at least some level - we're all likely downloading this one for: sex scenes that involve a trans woman rather than the overplayed "futa". Don't get me wrong, I love me some futa, but they're naturally inferior in convincing the player of any grounding in reality. It's nice that we get to indulge our curiosity with the MC sexually, if only to a minor degree so far. I expect with how things have been written it'll ramp up quite a bit by completion of the story.

I originally rated this 4 stars, but between my rating on v0.4 and v0.7.1 it's been raised to a 5. I've given this to maybe 3-5 VNs total, so that should tell you something. The story keeps getting better with each update. Your choices: more important. Your actions: noted and reacted to by those around you in realistic and worldly ways. I genuinely feel like the author tells this story without any undue glamour, defamation, and rides the fine line between catering to one side or the other on the subject of trans women. Obviously, the big takeaway is finding comfort in one's gender identity, and yet we also see very realistic depictions of the standard-issue bigots trans people face everyday. I hope this VN paves the way for more like it. As an ally, I'm glad to see the confidence to build a story that isn't riddled with shame and bigotry.

I eagerly await further updates on this one, and will most definitely be playing through to the end!

Just found this VN, upto now I'm liking it. I doubt it but I kinda have a feeling Brad might be more like Alex than they let on. Also Just a little thing that bothered me, not all guys have a pronounced adams apple, I definitely don't and I wouldn't call any part of me feminine, also similarly, there are plenty of girls who have a visible adams apple.

How do you find your place in a world where you do not seem to fit in? Confusion is a story about a young transgender woman that is coming into an adult world that seems to do everything it can to deny her any chance of happiness.

There are hundreds of stories out there with Futa/Trans content, but none of them have given the sub genre a story that is grounded in a "plausible" story-line. Confusion side steps the stereotypical Futa/Trans conventions and delivers on a very relatable and human story that forces you to "see" the characters and walk in their shoes.

It is my opinion that Confusion is a story that is long overdue. The developer has taken a brave step forward by not only casting a female as MC but also a transgender MC! Many would say that the story already has two strikes against it but I do not see it that way. I see this as a fantastic story that has been long overdue!

Confusion isn't a perfect story. There are times when you feel like the atmosphere is just too negative. It becomes depressing at times and may even anger some people. I do think that the story could use a little bit more positivity to help balance the emotions but I fear doing so would diminish the emotions that the writer is trying to convey.

Perhaps the biggest (maybe only) complaint that I have here isn't in the story, but in the games "Mechanics". I found the transistions and the use of delayed slides and non dialog scenes to be annoying and at times irritating. I quickly found myself spamming the mouse button to get things moving. In my opinion these scenes and moments are greatly over done! If anything would make me quit the story and delete it, it would be these moments. In my opinion, they did more to hurt the flow of the story than anything.

Graphically, the story is pretty good. The renders are good and aside from some inconsistency with the look of the stories patriarch, all of the characters look good. In this day and age, it is hard to find a VN that doesn't use the same cookie cutter assets but Confusion does a good job of giving us characters that are fairly unique. You don't find yourself looking at the MC and thinking about another story which is good. The world within the story looks good as well.

If you are looking for gratuitous sex scenes, this is not the story for you. Confusion is a slow burn that takes it's time to flesh out characters and build a good core story. You get a glimpse of things to come while the story builds momentum and the flow of the story does a good job of building anticipation for the events yet to come.

Overall, Confusion is a fantastic story at this stage. It does a great job of keeping your attention and you can't help but be emotionally invested in the characters. Game mechanics aside, I still give this story 5 stars. Confusion is a story that has been a long time coming! It is a breathe of fresh air in a stagnant sub-genre!

This is my original review - While I have no experience with trans issues, I can definitely tell that the author put a ton of heart into trying their very best to make a believable trans protagonist. I'm ngl, when I put the "trans" tag in the search bar to find games, I had a more perverted intention in mind. Instead, this game makes you feel bad for our protagonist and feel good when others stick up for her.

Like others have stated, the one downside I can think of is that the bully character feels like he was ripped straight out of an R.L. Stein novel. One thing I do really like, however, is how the author treats depression. Unlike other series which have characters being sobbing messes, this series uses a lot of "slow-burning pain" type depression. The characters will just sit there in emotional pain. Not over the top, just genuinely hurt.

[UPDATE] - So I lowered the score I'm giving by one star. It's still a good game, however, the antagonists go from laughably bad, to insultingly horrible in recent updates. If this game had a less serious subject matter, it wouldn't be a big deal, however, the villains in this story are a representative parody of certain groups that I can't write because it goes against the TOS.

I just want to give advice to the author about villain motivation.
Most good villains don't exist necessarily for the detriment of the main character, but rather as a detriment to the main character's development.

For example, Thanos didn't attack the Avengers because, "grrr I hate the Avengers", but instead, because he wanted to fix a GENUINE problem and in his flawed mind, came up with an extreme solution that conflicts with the Avengers. Again, I have to be careful how I word this next part, but I'd rather Alex have a genuine goal that is nuanced and easy to comprehend that conflicts with others goals in this game.

This is off the top of my head but imagine if Alex wanted to do MMA. This would naturally cause villains with believable and nuanced goals that conflict with Alex's AND it would be socially relevant to today. That's just one example off the top of my head, and I realize that telling the author how to write is disrespectful, and for that, if the author reads this, I apologize but I'm only trying to help.

Even if you disagree with the side you are trying to make villainous, it's important to at least understand the motivations and concerns that lead to their behaviors. Otherwise, they feel "unhuman" and the work you painstakingly created begins to feel like propaganda.

Graphics = Good

Gameplay = VN so good.

Story = Give this a try, it is a great story, I cried on the intro cause that made me realize how much I wanted my childhood to be more like that of the parents supporting my gender identity (NB) instead of forcing me to appear as masc as possible to not get bullied, although in my case I did resort to violence, I loved the realistic approach to transition and so far I've really fallen in love with it, also I saw someone write about the asexuality thing somewhere, either a review or comment and though to clarify that besides sexuality being in a spectrum and being fluid trauma and mental conditions heavily influence it so it is perfectly reasonable for the MC to just start having sexual desires after starting to heal, also some asexual people do get horny (me for example) but sex is not a priority in their life and don't normally seek sexual encounters but don't shun them either, again it is a very realistic approach from what I gathered, or at least as much as a Adult VN would allow and that includes character interactions and what they say, and again I can't stress this enough, it is realistic in a AVN type of way, wich means that it will have unlogical things in it, there is a lot of story for a 0.4 really good because of that as well.

extra = mostly stuff that I don't like that much 1. It feels like it is more of Chris's story of dealing with her sister than Alexe's, at least in the very beginning (chapter 2 for better about it). 2. Not a fan of seeing the thought of the characters I'm not playing, it makes me feel detached from the character that I'm actually controlling.3. this is the one work where more time with the MC and their inner thoughts is needed the most as, at least from what I gathered, most people here are not Trans so they would need as much help as possible to understand the character being the sex and sexual thoughts. 4. The only reason I can't give this a 5/5 besides just not liking the review system of stars or numbers is the animations, I like being in control of the pacing and animations take that away, a good example of what I like would be terminus reach 2 and there I don't like how some scenes move on their own, I like renpy games because of the control it gives players but I know I'm probably on the minority here.

edit: decided to edit some pointed criticisms of mine here, mostly 2 right now, 1. the reason to work out should be because it normally makes people feel better and helps with self-image and mental health, but not pointed out as "you could lose some weight" that does come off as a type of prejudice but it fits the story if you think that it would be what a young woman that grew up in a capitalistic and patriarchal society would think, just think criticism of it would be nice really. 2. the bathroom scene would be better in a private setting as to avoid people using it in a bad-faith argument about the game. I probably have more but can't word it right now so this will do.

A great start so far, with some very attractive renders. The story is very interesting and kinky wether you install the taboo patch or not (although the taboo makes it better). While there's no option to turn down the guy yet, it completely makes sense why there isn't.

Renders are quite good and the spelling and grammar have no obvious errors.

[ v0.3 ] Very promising game. The MC is very likeable and pretty. I like the development of the characters. This game tackles some mature themes and scenarios. So far the trans protagonist has only shown interest in women, which is the kind of content I want to see (or trans on trans). Love the relationship between the MC and her "lookalike foster-"sister. So far there is very little sexual content, but at this early stage it's totally understandable. The pacing is pretty good right now. I'm very excited to see how the game develops further. Can't wait to see more!

Review v0.3a:

It's clear that the MC is a deeply troubled person.

I think that this is exceptionally well portrayed in the game. Not only the MC, but nearly all characters are feeling very deep and well developed. One exception being the archetypical bully asshole Kevin, but there is something more going on there. I'm looking forward of seeing more of the MC's older sister Ellie and delving deeper into her reasons for treating the MC as poorly as she does.

I haven't played all paths, but it seems there are a few options. I followed a "lesbian" path and was not confronted with other dicks besides my own (so far) and I also didn't feel like I was dodging bullets all the time. Instead, the path I followed was mostly romantic and loving. In any case, and contrary to many other trans games, there is nothing forced on the player / MC. Without spoiling things, some (very) negative things happen for sure, but the MC / player has the agency to deal with these things.

The only thing I found a bit weak about the story is that while, for some reason, the MC only had a hard-on for two (!) times before the start of the story, she's starting to behave like a typical horny teenager, getting hard-ons for her twin's friend/lover, her mother and her twin sister. That's fine but I think the problem is with the back story. If there is some techical reason for her being mostly asexual while growing up, e.g. due to her transitioning, it's not stated in the game. Otherwise it's a bit unbelievable. Also the twin sister seems to be in a relationship with Zoey and with Izzy at the same time. I found this also a bit confusing and unneccesarily complicated.

Graphics, for the most parts it's fine. It's not breathtakingly beautiful but it's fine. Emotions are shown well, which is rather important for this game. Some outdoor scenes are rather poor but it's not a big deal.

Lewd content, well, there is some, but for this version 0.3a, not that much. It's clearly not a fap game and also clearly a slow burn. Which is completely fine by me.

Edit version 0.4: the story is starting to annoy me a bit to be honest. The MC is constantly crying, the mom is going overboard with her woke bullshit.

Verdict: 3 / 5 due to some plot holes, less-then-stellar graphics and annoying woke overtones.

Wow. Incredibly well written and erotic. The characters have depth and the while the family drama is pretty heavy, with topics like these you should expect that. Really looking forward to see more.

Dont usually go for these types of genre but what played so far was very erotic, which was quite suprising so looking forward to any more updates. Models look pretty good, the writing is very erotic and the scenarios quite erotic with a lot of potential.

The review below by SixtyNineGaming pretty much sums up my thoughts. It's nice seeing a serious take on issues that the trans community has to deal with. But aside from that, the story looks promising, and I like that its a bit of a slow build. It would cheapen the game showing more at this point.

The graphics are ok, no issues there.

The dialog is realistic, with no spelling or grammar issues that I noticed.

No issues with any of the coding, everything worked perfectly.

I would have given four stars as that's what I hand out for games I consider pretty good, but the fact that I'm also able to learn about someone's world that is in no way relatable to my own earned it an extra star.

Best of luck with the game, and I look forward to the updates.

This is the first game on the site that actually shows you the trans and transition experience. Almost every VN has trans people as a fetish (which I am not against), but this one actually what it is like to be a trans person. The constant ridicule and exclusion, the uncertianity and doubt, all these make life hard for trans people and this VN showed those things.

This is still an initial release/demo, so there isn't much content, but I love what's here and I'm looking for to more with interest.