4.60 star(s) 5 Votes

TheDevian

Svengali Productions
Game Developer
Mar 8, 2018
14,261
33,446
I'm not really a fan of sandbox gameplay, but if it's something intuitive, then I'm cool with it.
The small progression and corruption is tasty, it has some dose of humor, as well. (y)

Girl: "Dude, ur dick is hard!"
MC: "C'mon, we're in porn."

View attachment 1256784
Yeah, her art is really getting good.

There is a hint system for that part, so no need to worry.
The overall tags are nice but sandbox, point and click is big NO for me .
Good luck with ur game dev .
I get that some people don't like sandboxes (for various reasons), but you don't like point and click? What is the alternative?
 

derpdurp

Member
Jun 16, 2018
159
265
Played the first version now, pretty good stuff overall, nice enough HS character design and the dialogue was good.

The sandbox wasn't thankfully the worst kind of implementation at all (and is barely in use in 0.1), but it should be probably directly linked with a button on the main screen and the indicators on characters present should be on the map, not once you click once already - there's too many locations for that.

Also a small request to the dev: avoid using the same music everyone and their mother are using, it just gives a really tiresome/lazy dev vibe to people who play a lot of these games - the less commonly used music you chose for the game was good.
 

dolfe67

Forum Fanatic
Apr 25, 2020
5,004
13,901
I get that some people don't like sandboxes (for various reasons), but you don't like point and click? What is the alternative?
Just choice menus to head the story towards where we want and not more or less independent events depending where we click on a map

I'm ok with some free roams though (could be considered point and clic)
 

Sylver Games

Evil. Never. Dies!!!!! \m/
Donor
Game Developer
Jun 29, 2020
432
1,431
Played the first version now, pretty good stuff overall, nice enough HS character design and the dialogue was good.

The sandbox wasn't thankfully the worst kind of implementation at all (and is barely in use in 0.1), but it should be probably directly linked with a button on the main screen and the indicators on characters present should be on the map, not once you click once already - there's too many locations for that.

Also a small request to the dev: avoid using the same music everyone and their mother are using, it just gives a really tiresome/lazy dev vibe to people who play a lot of these games - the less commonly used music you chose for the game was good.
I can do both things for next update . Thanks for the feedback!
 

TheDevian

Svengali Productions
Game Developer
Mar 8, 2018
14,261
33,446
Just choice menus to head the story towards where we want and not more or less independent events depending where we click on a map

I'm ok with some free roams though (could be considered point and clic)
But that is still pointing and clicking. Even if you use the keyboard or a controller, you are 'pointing' with the arrows or d-pad, and 'clicking' with a button.

Don't get me wrong, there are some really bad sand boxes, but there are also some really bad non-sandboxes too. As long as it is well made, it just means more freedom of choice, including the freedom to keep playing once you have completed the main story, because there are repeatable side events to enjoy while you wait for the next update.

As long as there is a good hint system, or something that is easy to figure out (like Harem Hotel's 'go to the girl's room and click 'Talk' to advance that girl's story' system), I don't really see a problem with giving the player more control over what the do, when they do it, and with whom they want to do it with.
 

Crosaith.

Active Member
Nov 18, 2017
989
2,252
Don't get me wrong, there are some really bad sand boxes, but there are also some really bad non-sandboxes too. As long as it is well made, it just means more freedom of choice, including the freedom to keep playing once you have completed the main story, because there are repeatable side events to enjoy while you wait for the next update.

As long as there is a good hint system, or something that is easy to figure out (like Harem Hotel's 'go to the girl's room and click 'Talk' to advance that girl's story' system), I don't really see a problem with giving the player more control over what the do, when they do it, and with whom they want to do it with.
Gotta disagree with ya on that one. I haven't seen a single sandbox game on this site that wouldn't have been more enjoyable as a VN. That being said, occasional sandbox scenes in a VN can work if they're done well. Being a DIK is a good example of that.

I think a "gallery" is better for rewatching scenes. Straight forward and less immersion-breaking.
 

desmosome

Conversation Conqueror
Sep 5, 2018
6,316
14,501
The title reflects exactly the game plot, but not all the misteries can be present on a first release, don't you think?
Current and future tags don't really seem to have anything "evil" in it though. Is it safe to assume that there won't be some corruption or whatever? Is it more of a standard romance with some mysteries?
 

Hrothgar

Member
Aug 11, 2018
131
292
I'm getting a strong sense of deja vu playing this, particularly with the girls disappearing from the beach and the encounter with the crazy ex-girlfriend. Is this a relaunch under a different title?

That being said, it seems to be shaping up just fine. Good interface and the phone function is working pretty well. Looks like this is a real keeper.
 

TheDevian

Svengali Productions
Game Developer
Mar 8, 2018
14,261
33,446
Gotta disagree with ya on that one. I haven't seen a single sandbox game on this site that wouldn't have been more enjoyable as a VN. That being said, occasional sandbox scenes in a VN can work if they're done well. Being a DIK is a good example of that.

I think a "gallery" is better for rewatching scenes. Straight forward and less immersion-breaking.
Well, since most of the best games and the biggest money makers tend to be sandboxes, I am glad I am not the only one who disagrees with you, since the less options I have in a game, the more bored I am and the less likely I will play it, no matter how good the story is.

Galleries are not the same thing, not near as fun, neither is having to reload old saves to see it the right way. Besides, most of those sandbox games also have galleries, so again, I don't see the problem. Nothing is made better by taking away user choice and player agency.
 

Crosaith.

Active Member
Nov 18, 2017
989
2,252
Well, since most of the best games and the biggest money makers tend to be sandboxes, I am glad I am not the only one who disagrees with you, since the less options I have in a game, the more bored I am and the less likely I will play it, no matter how good the story is.

Galleries are not the same thing, not near as fun, neither is having to reload old saves to see it the right way. Besides, most of those sandbox games also have galleries, so again, I don't see the problem. Nothing is made better by taking away user choice and player agency.
No... Just no. In most cases, sandboxes are just time-wasting filler. Waste time hunting for an event through multiple areas. Waste time grinding points/stats/$$$/items. Waste time waiting for the right time of day. Wasting time repeating the same scene to get the next one. You're literally just wasting time to get the same amount of content. Wait... actually, you might be getting less content because the dev has to implement sandbox and resolve any issues that come with it... :unsure:
 

TheDevian

Svengali Productions
Game Developer
Mar 8, 2018
14,261
33,446
No... Just no. In most cases, sandboxes are just time-wasting filler. Waste time hunting for an event through multiple areas. Waste time grinding points/stats/$$$/items. Waste time waiting for the right time of day. Wasting time repeating the same scene to get the next one. You're literally just wasting time to get the same amount of content. Wait... actually, you might be getting less content because the dev has to implement sandbox and resolve any issues that come with it... :unsure:
In some cases, but just because some people suck at something, doesn't make it a bad thing.
 

Lola Adjani

Member
May 28, 2018
180
296
I'm seeing a couple of different viewpoints in the "to free roam or not to free roam" question.

One, it seems that some players want to be 'spoon-fed' the story, without having to fire too many synapses along the way (I'm in that group).
Others like to exercise their cortical layer, or they get bored (TheDevian seems to be in that camp). If you're a 'lazy reader', like me, you'll avoid choice driven, multi-path games. The more cerebral the player, the more challenge they're looking for.

Two, so many 'sandbox' projects are designed to utilize "grind" for stats management . . . something that is poorly done, far more often than not. Since so many devs don't seem to understand the concept of efficient stats management in game mechanics, many players assume that ALL devs have no understanding of it. When you ignore ALL games that contain 'free roam', you'll likely miss out on only a very few 'gems', but you will miss a few 'gems', indeed.
 

Badjourasmix

Conversation Conqueror
Sep 22, 2017
7,019
15,778
Good start for the game. I personally don't really mind sandbox games as long as they aren't super grindy. The only thing that worries me about this game is the prostitution in the future tags, not really a fan of that stuff, but I am definitely interested in playing future updates.
 
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Cotytto

Member
Jun 15, 2020
110
1,489
Tried it. Yep it's Sandbox alright. Make your game, you do you, and good luck. But please stop with the "Oh it's only partial sandbox." or "It has sandbox elements." stuff. Those "partial" bits and "elements" are the things some of us don't like about sandbox. If that is how you make your game, just own it. You will never attract those that don't like an element by trying to dodge it.

This site has tags for a reason, to find the things we like and avoid the things we don't. By not having those tags threads devolve into "I downloaded the game and it has [X]! Why isn't it tagged?!" followed by the people that like [X] rushing to defend [X] and then the people that hate [X] disagreeing with them.
 

karumi56

Member
Oct 7, 2019
300
872
Also a small request to the dev: avoid using the same music everyone and their mother are using, it just gives a really tiresome/lazy dev vibe to people who play a lot of these games - the less commonly used music you chose for the game was good.
The recycled music from some well known VNs is really annoying and makes a hugely negatively impression. Much better to have no music, than to re-use the music used prominently in other people's work.

The character models are odd, in the faces and dimensions. The conversation about aliens in the opening of the game sort of sets the tone that when you see the character models, and see things are just off.

The bios says the main character is 6'1", like his landlord, while most of the female main characters ("roommates") are below 5' is also really odd. If you ignore the Patreon-friendly terms and see them as a "family", it doesn't make much sense to have midgets and tall people directly related. I'm guessing that's where the attached loli tag is supposed to fit in, but having adult looking models with bios stating they are short doesn't equate to lolis.

In fact, the majority of the tags don't apply to the game in its current shape. There are the listed tags which are supposed to apply to what is in the game: "3DCG, Male protagonist, Big tits, Exhibitionism, Voyeurism, Oral sex, Animated, Teasing, Harem, Stripping, Incest, Romance, Map, Multiple endings, POV, MILF, loli". Half maybe actually apply. Then there are the listed "Projected genres: Vaginal sex, Squirt, Anal sex, Sex toys, BDSM, Prostitution, Spaking, Creampie, Group sex, Cosplay". Sloppy or dishonest? Either way it just looks bad and gives a negative impression.

These negatives really overshadow the positives, which for me are a promising game without any serious bugs or issues, a script that is readable and not full of errors and a humorous premise that could be fun. There is potential here, and I hope it succeeds.
 
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4.60 star(s) 5 Votes