VN - Ren'Py - Friends in Need [Ch.1-7 v0.73] [NeonGhosts]

The writing quality in this game is very good. Choices have weight and the characters make you want to help them. The graphics however are pretty bad, which is a real shame. It uses the default RenPy UI and has no sound at all, and there are basically no animations. This game has a lot of potential, and hopefully future updates give this game the polish it deserves.

The game is very enjoyable. The characters story are decent. The choices are good and the rework has added some great extra elements. The LI's are varied enough to have something for most people the choice to do a darker playthrough gives replayability.

Low-Key a Masterpiece with All the Feels
Rating: 5/5 Stars

Well, NeonGhosts absolutely cooked with this one. "Friends in Need" isn't just a visual novel; it’s an absolute banger with some seriously real and mature storytelling. I’m reviewing the [Ch.1-7 v0.73] build here, and even though it's still early, this game has a deep emotional core and a story that’s anything but basic.

The writing is, without a doubt, the game's greatest strength. The way it puts together the lives of these friends is so seamless, showing all their struggles and wins in a way that feels totally legit. The main story revolves around this one dude who's straight-up broke, and then got rich through some crypto shit. He then starts being the white (or BAD..your decision) knight for his hood. Everyone's got their own thing going on, from the supportive but kind of messed-up childhood friend to the super sweet neighbor and the hustler professional. The game is fire at showing how all their individual dramas connect, creating this rich mix of loyalty, jealousy, and surprising new friendships. These characters aren't just generic types; they feel like real people you could actually know, complete with their own flaws and desires. The conversations are so natural, they pull you right into their world and make you genuinely care about what’s going to happen next. The narrative explores some heavy stuff like loyalty, cruelty, forgiveness, and just growing as a person, but it does it with a nuance that feels refreshing and authentic.

What really makes "Friends in Need" stand out is how much your choices actually matter. Unlike tons of other visual novels, the decisions you make feel significant and have a real impact on the relationships and where the whole story is headed. There aren’t any easy answers, and a lot of the time you’re faced with some tough calls that make you think hard about the consequences for everybody. It creates this super immersive experience where you aren't just watching, you're a crucial part of the whole drama.

The art style is also a major highlight. The character sprites are beautifully drawn and so expressive, perfectly capturing every emotion. The backgrounds are detailed and set the mood so well, making the world feel legit and believable. And the music just hits different, fitting the story so perfectly and enhancing every emotional moment without ever feeling extra.

If you’re into visual novels with actual substance and soul, you gotta check out "Friends in Need [Ch.1-7 v0.73]". It’s a game that will make you laugh, make you think, and might even make you tear up a bit. I'm honestly so ready for the next chapter. It's hella recommended.

==========FRIENDS IN NEED==========
Zac rating: 4.6 out of 5
Setting, Theme: City, Corruption
Last Played: 2024

Length: 4
Originality: 5
Images: 4
Story: 5
Game Play: 4
Pace: 4
Characters: 5
Kink: 5
HOT!: 5

So I’ve played a lot of AVNs over the years (easily over a thousand hours at this point), and Friends in Need has really surprised me—in a good way.
Story:
The story is actually pretty original, which is rare these days. It doesn’t feel like a recycled plot, and the way the characters interact and develop makes it really easy to get invested. I was hooked from early on and wanted to keep going just to see where things would lead.
Visuals:
The renders are seriously impressive. High quality, great lighting, and the models look amazing. It’s clear that the dev put a lot of time and care into making the game look this good. Easily some of the best visuals I’ve seen in a while.
Lewd content:
Now this is where the game really shines. The lewd scenes are top-tier—super hot, well-paced, and not just thrown in randomly. Out of all the AVNs I’ve played, this one has some of the best scenes I’ve come across. They feel natural and are really well done.
All in all, this one caught me off guard. I wasn’t expecting much when I started it, but it quickly climbed up into my favorites. Definitely worth checking out if you’re into story-driven AVNs with great visuals and spicy content.

OMG is MC a sad sack of pure fucking misery.
> He invested all his savings into an obvious crypto scam, because .... he's retarded?
> He worked for two years with a girl that he loves without ever confessing, because .... he's mute?
> He encouraged her to go out with another guy, because .... he's a cuck?
> He can't stand up for himself, because .... he's a limp-dicked wimp?
> Crypto scam eventually went "to the moon", and made MC filthy rich because .... porn logic?
> He ignored Nicki's calls, because .... he's an asshole?
> Why does he have to deal with her boyfriend's debt?
> Why can't she just break up and move in with MC?
> Why did he just give her money and let her go?
> Why did she not come back?
> Why did she whore herself out instead to pay someone else's debt?
> First 10-year time skip that made MC look like a boomer wasn't enough, we totally needed another one that made MC even older and turned Nicki from a cute girl into an ugly scank with bloated lips, huge chin and a bad haircut. Why not a final 20-year timeskip so that we can see erectile dysfunction ugly bastard MC getting it on with saggy tits grandmas?


Oh yeah, btw:

• No music
• No sounds
• No animations
• Choices make no sense: MC casually goes from a spineless vegetable to a violent rapist in a blink of an eye.
• But even tho MC can be a knight in shining armour or a rapist, he somehow still aren't able to grow any balls.
• Some random slut from one night stand in Brazil that has 5 minutes of screen time is more attractive than a fucking main love interest.

This game's missing netorare tag, because it makes you feel like a cuck by trying to associate yourself with this protagonist. TBF, this isn't a terrible game, objectively speaking, like writing for sex scenes is pretty hot, even if technical implementation is of the lowest quality and some girls and relationships are pretty lovely/engaging. But unfortunately after the prologue I had to sit there with a shit taste in my mouth for the rest of the playthrough, so it made me a little less appreciative.

I did try this one already before the remake but completely forgot it, and seeing the overwhelming good reviews, I thought "it can't be bad, right ?"... Well, there certainly was something to it.

The whole game is about being a white knight. No point in turning around it, even by raping the Li you are still saving them whether they are thankful for it or not, so you are still a white knight. That's all there is, meaning that the game is basically full of Li's drama.
I'll just take the point with the main Li and her story in the chapter 1: She is the perfect woman that the loser of Mc is desperately in love with, have a useless boyfriend who's asking for her credit card every time he sees her, and need money because he is in debt and she must pay for it.
Simple facts and even though there is a whole lot I want to say about it, I'll keep it straight: how the hell must she pay for the boyfriend's debt? And why the hell should I care about someone who's digging its own hole again and again?
I think that is one of those moments that are hinting at the deep of the writing skill of the author. Should have be hinted there because all the others drama are nearly on that level. As it stands, there is only one girl who isn't creating troubles for herself.
The game being mainly about Li's drama, having the said Li being that bad is just completely killing it. The worse being that this one is supposed to be the main one so you just have to put with her all along whether you want it or not.

The second root problem comes with the pacing.
The chapter 2 was actually pretty fast-paced at the beginning with plenty off-screen. But from there on all that have begun didn't get any ending whatsoever. Even the main Li which had some kind of conclusion just keep at bringing new drama dumber than the previous one to keep being on-screen.
The worse here being that it is really sluggish. Take the bookstore at the chapter 3 (or 2), at the end of the 7 there is still no advancement, being focused on their family's matter, which does not have any actual advancement either. You have talks about the Mc's sister all along, and she is still isn't here nor did she even spoke by the end of this version, to the point that I think she is just an incest bait.
All that because it is either a new character that is introduced or that when you are finally with the said character you begin to concentrate at another one... Or because you spend time with the mess of a main girl.

Now, onto the good thing is that you can rape them. Not all, unfortunately, but you can avoid being just the nice guy. Problem here is that the main part is still with a nice Mc making it weird and that you still have to white knight them anyway, so I can't really count it completely as a plus, but it is still better than nothing.

All in all, it makes for a pretty poor game. You sure have some choices but nothing much interesting and being concentrated completely on the Li, having them being dumbass digging their graves doesn't help.
I do think that the dev is understanding that the drama itself isn't his strong since there is no sound. I thought it of a weird choice at the beginning but after some times, I was thankful that there was no music to tell me to feel sad about another of those "poor" girls.

Ch.1-7 v0.73

The story is about one of those implausible situations we all imagine when we're trying to fall asleep. There isn´t really any long term goal or antagonist in the story. Main thing is to help the women in money problems, while making sure MC is well "compensated". And not just pay the problems away, but make the women addicted to sugar from the daddy. So every woman has their own mini stories for the MC.
One thing that makes this game stand out is the conversation options and how every woman has multiple paths. One of those rare games where there are no "wrong choices".

Writing does create emotions towards the women really well. Also evil path writing is natural and believable, but i have liked most of the women too much, to even check it. But options are always great.
Writing makes characters with their negative qualities so much more human and creates good excuse to dip in the evil path. But it also makes characters more vulnerable, so that you really wanna help them. You can easily see one character as "adorable dizzy beaty" or "slutty bimbo", up to the viewer. And those different views make the great conversation options so fun.

Visually game looks good. Most women are average or good looking, but there is one or two that make you really consider love path for them. Sex scenes have passion and feel natural. So even if graphics are not the best, sex scenes are better than many "mechanical porn scenes" or "bored teens humbing" we often see in AVNs. Writing creates emotions, and sex scenes really drive it home.

When a developer relies entirely on the success of his game revolving around a forced love interest, things can go well... or they can go horribly wrong, as is the case here.

Yes, because the protagonist of this game isn't actually the player, but the repulsive Nicki, a detestable character whom the main character is forced to endure, whether he wants to or not. And no, having freedom of choice isn't simply covering up this ordeal by saying «I'll treat her with kindness or I'll treat her with contempt». The freedom of choice that's truly meaningful is saying «I forgive you and you can be a part of my life again» or «Go to hell, I want nothing to do with you».

But, of course, the developer can't do that because, as we've already seen, the plot is sustained solely by the aforementioned presence: her traumas, her work for the foundation, her part-time nanny, her stalker boyfriend... He can't offer the option to get rid of Nicki because then the whole story collapses. In fact, he is so aware of this, that, thinking it was funny, he made a patch where you could reject the girl from the start, but the game would automatically end, insulting players who chose this route by insinuating that, if they weren't with Nicki, they were incels.

In short, my advice is to try the game, and if you're willing to forgive a girl who prostitutes herself with you to pay off her boyfriend's debts, disappears without a trace, and then crawls back to your door a while later because she's broke, then you'll like it, because you'll be spending a looooong time glued to her. If, on the other hand, you don't like having such an obnoxious love interest in your story, then delete the game, because there's no way to get rid of her, and it doesn't matter if you act like a white knight or a sadist, you're going to have her in your house whether you like it or not.

This is a very good game. The story is good, the characters are good, well written, relatable. If anything, they are too many of them and the story gets too fragmented. It gets to be one of those games where the MC can do more stuff in one day than what an hyperactive squirrel can do in a week.

The models are very enticing, hot and eye-catching. Even MC, for once, is a human being with features that are not stupid and patetic or barely put there or over-chad-dified.

The plot is starting to get very interesting.

So far it has been a good, worthy ride. Yet things seems to be changing for the worst.

The good, though provoking story is getting dumbed down and levelled (to lower levels) i guess to be digestible for a broader public on more remunerative platforms and constant, unecessary, reworks keep making your saves incompatible with the new releases.

At this point i must recommend not to waste time playing this game, unless a complete version gets out, and even then, if the story will still be any good.

The current state of art is way too unreliable to invest hours of your time.

Yoooooooooo, was not expecting some of the most emotional writing i've witnessed in an AVN, in a game where some of the alternate routes are just violent rape. The chapter 1 remake was absolutely insane, and while remakes are typically an awful idea I 100% support it in this case, as the original renders and animations aren't super hot and the story could be a lot tighter if more emphasis is placed on how good the emotional routes are.

Also the branching was pretty incredible, getting up to like 3 scenes playing out differently all with custom writing and animations in an encounter based on how you've established your relationship with them and what you choose during. One of the very few games where I thought a replay added to the experience rather than just being a way to stretch out playtime. It also avoided the pitfall of being black and white, as some characters just wouldn't engage with you where possible if you were an asshole to begin with, but you could get unique scenes and relationships if you stuck a middleground between GF experience and sex toy.
God speed OP, I just found this but if remake chapter 2 happens with same quality and not taking a whole year, I will 100% sub and donate.

Came for the kinks, stayed for the writing. I've never read one of these with such intense kinks that didn't also feel like it was written by some 4chan incel but NeonGheosts does a great job.

It really was a joy to meet all the characters in this one and somehow make a dozen or so characters all feel distinct and real. Often when i read these i am only interested in one girl and skip the rest but i just couldn't with this one. They were all sypathetic and charming which made the introduction of abusive sexual actions all the more potent.

The story is feels reactive in a way that is seldom seen. People don't just forget what you've done to them but there is still a path forward somehow.

The only things missing for me were just some basic music. Feels like an easy addition to really raise the quality. Also animations would be great but less necessary.

Great game. The ability to make meaningful choices is awesome, and really helps highlight the great characters in the game. I know Nicki gets a lot of hate, but I think she's a very interesting character, and I've really enjoyed the complexity of her character. More porn games need deeper characters. Looking forward to the next update!

The game is just perfect. I cannot think of somethink that this game lacks or missing of. I am just speechless. From the artwork to the story everything bonds really well. Also one thing that i have rarely meet to any other game is that in this game the choices are impactful and you can choose how to proceed with the story.

That was a long time ago... i did a nice and long review.

SO about this game!

- The story is immersive, well written with a good amount of interactivity. Like so much dev before they got a problem with their main LI they all want us to accept her not imagining one instant that we don't. She is the main character more often than not, i was obliged to have sex with her just because. Not this is not ok! Stop forcing your main LI into a player please.

Otherwise that's quite flawless for a porn game hey i accept to be easy for my pleasure ^^

- The sex and acts.

There is a full diversity with some kinks . I wish there was more... with the main LI thing and this that could cost the game 1 star depends of you. Animation is minimalist hey there still is. No sound and that's very bad nowadays. Models are good not incredible but good enough.

- Gameplay: You know there is nothing new but that's done correctly. I have a sense of control of the story and the interaction with the LIs. Sometimes there is some bad connection between some path and it shows . The latitude of behavior i can choose is real good and is engaging as nobody can be feel discarded by the option.


In conclusion this game is a 4 star to which i give an extra 1 star personnal because i play a good character with shadows and i can choose this kind of nuance with my options. That's amazing, the people you meet seems realistic and your main character is lovable. Sex is good but could be improved.

That's all guys, i recommend highly this title and his enjoyability is great

Friends In Need (Season 1)
In a capitalist society, money buys you a lot of power. Potentially the power to change lives. But how will you impact the lives of your friends in need? Neon Ghosts created a power fantasy that lets you change the city.

STORY
Guy Harrison is a stereotypical average low self-esteem worker until one day he wins big through an idiot stroke of crypto luck, transforming life for good. Quitting his job at the local convenience store and leaving his life behind, he decides to retire and aspires to use his newfound wealth to improve the world. Soon enough, his direct environment learns about his riches and Guy’s life of accumulating drama really starts off. Who will you help? And what are their ulterior motives?

With the reworked Chapter 1, FiN slowly introduces you into the world of Kobalt Koin and how it ruins lives. Guy's co-worker Nicki has a boyfriend who's buying the peak after Guy cashes out, instantly ruining Nicki's life while launching Guy's trajectory. As the newly rich man is set up with estate agents and lawyers who warn him about the pitfalls of rich life, Guy's friend Nicki hits a low point and that's where the story takes off.

From chapter two on, new possibilities are introduced and Guy is overwhelmed by options. Luckily, he’s blessed with Nicki, a best friend that aids him regardless whether he adores or ignores her. The game really pushes you to do the right thing, as the vanilla game centers around building meaningful connections. However, hidden within the game are some very graphic and story-heavy taboo scenes, unlocked with a taboo patch you can find online. More on that later.

For Patreon-subscribers, there’s also ‘Friends Indeed’ - a Patreon compliant version that removes all ‘bannable’ content that would otherwise hurt the developer. No dark stuff, no sexy stuff. Fun if you’re looking for a lighter experience, but the meat of FiN is definitely in the full, weighty package. If for some reason you can't play Friends In Need, Friends Indeed is a fine substitute.

Like predecessor ‘The Student Loan’, the minute-to-minute writing is fine and far better than average novels. The overarching story is interesting, although some things feel a bit silly. If you take events with a grain of salt and focus on the general direction of the story, there’s a lot of story in ‘Friends in Need' to be enjoyed. Especially the first chapter goes deep into friend psychology, which actually puts weight between Guy & Nicki's friendship

Sometimes, the storytelling can be a bit too overbearing. Characters have a tendency to ‘overexplain’ into subplots that thereafter take quite some time to come back into focus. Content with one character might be interwoven or hidden by another character. Just remember you will have to look deeper than face value if you wish to see everything this game has to offer. Luckily, with characters like these it's a bonus.

Let’s quickly discuss the dark routes from the taboo patch. You feel the vanilla game wants to ’go places’ it can’t - and the patch opens the floodgates. Some information about the game you actually can’t learn unless you go dark and things get painful. Extortion, abuse and molestation are more than possible, all the way down to involuntary penetration. It’s not my thing, but it’s done with a lot of weight and fans will love it. It somehow adds to the believability of the universe, serving as a warning to foul behavior that actually happens out in the world.

Aside from the FiN game itself, the universe has various sub-games and side-stories to further explore characters. These are worth experiencing if you enjoy the world or are into certain personalities. You can find these on the developer’s Patreon, although we have reviews on Blue Valentine (Sapphire) and A Slave To Desire (Alex). Other stories, like Viola's Song and Ashleigh's photoshoot with Lucien are on Patreon only, but definitely worth it.

Ultimately, characters are the strongest part of the universe. Stuttering Mason, struggling Viola, rebellish Gabby and bubbly Ashleigh all play their part - but none like Nicki Merrill, the friend and assistant. There is an actual developer-made patch to dismiss her if can’t find a heart for Nicki, but it’ll also mean you’re down on (wo)manpower. It’s things like these that do give Friends in Need its charm.

Overall, Neon Ghosts does a great job at building a world with many characters that’s deeper than most AVN’s today. If you don’t mind things getting chaotic sometimes (in favor of choice), you should play this.

PRESENTATION
Friends in Need looks great. The developer has a good sense of art direction and both camera angles and render amount are gracious. It’s not pushing the edge of graphical fidelity, but the style fits the story very well. Closeups with focal depth, wide location shots that are recognizable - it's all here. Developer Neon Ghosts also has a love for dutch angles that is prevalent through the series, which has become a staple. Certain angles or sequences in the latter part of the game are great, some instant wallpaper material.

Because of the many story branches, this game features a large amount of renders, especially if you include the taboo patch. Most of the locations are recognizably styled and each chapter tries to introduce at least one new location or character. Characters are pretty icons and sometimes surprise with their appearance, with Neon even throwing in special renders of other non-romanceable characters.

One point of criticism is Guy, the MC. Somehow he visually doesn’t cut it for me in relation to the story, but that’s a minor gripe when you have everywhere else to put your eyes. He is the most featured character in the game however and his expressions are great, so make sure you get comfortable with Guy’s visual choices and you will be fine.

The game features a diverse cast of characters - from Chinese and African-American to Caucasian and Indian - and most if not all look striking. Friends in Need is an opportunity to cater to a bigger audience, regardless of your preference. You might love hot blonde Ashe or Carolina's more reserved, traditional approach. Social outcasts like the young Gabby or the transforming Mason. And then there are the crazy ones like Risa and Alex. You'll find a character for everyone.

A few more things to note - there are animations in the form of three consecutive frames in the game. Basically, it's more of a slide animation. Sound isn’t really a thing for FiN, but I didn't miss it for a second. The story and pictures are where the meat of the game is at, and it’s actually nicely presented. The game could benefit from a gallery function, but can easily be added after the game has been completed.

GAMEPLAY
Story choices matter in Friends in Need. You’ll generally follow a main story, but your inputs decide how light or dark the story is. It could be a tale of romance or a descent into depravity, depending on what you like. That said, it takes both roles very seriously and will mix things up along the way.

This is a Ren’Py choice-based visual novel, but you can get locked out of certain scenes or situations by your choices and one or two playthroughs won’t let you experience it all. Not everything is for everyone, and you can mostly opt out of things that don’t suit you. To find what you want isn’t always easy, so a walkthrough or mod might become mandatory at some point.

OVERALL
If you are into storytelling, you should play Friends in Need. The characters are fun, pretty and memorable - plus there's a ton of things to explore. The Guy and Nicki story needs to be up your alley, but the way friendship can stretch in this game is interesting. There’s a clear direction and style to the game, which enhances the storytelling in a fun way. And there's a lot of story to be told within this universe.

A newly designed start sets this story up for hours of fun with an experience that feels of high quality. Friends in Need is a fun game if you want to be friendly enough to have friends. But if you're one to mistreat your friends at times, you could easily add +1 to the score. Even though the game will always push you to do right by your friends.

Developer: Neon Ghosts Studios

Man, i like this game a lot. It starts out a bit slow and quite rough on the presentation side, but it gets better, a lot better.
The writing is one of the best i have seen in these type of games, every character feel quite different, with their own personality and the main character is also quite competent, smart and deliberate with most things he does. Its one of those games where i dont mind when characters talk to each other because it feels quite natural. There are a few annoying characters when you first meet them but the writing manages to make them likeable after a few deeper dive into their detailed personal lives, which is quite impressive to me. The story also takes a few surprising twists, which also helps to expand on the games world.
The presentation, like i said, starts out rough, but the further along you get the better it gets, both in facial expressions and body language and environments. Love to see it
Overall its a definite recommend, and i eagerly wait to see where the characters and stories go. Excellent job, keep it up!

I honestly wasnt expecting much, but I went off a limb due to the ratings and the screenshots in the download section. Great story, great scenes, great girls. The tags also helped because they all are ones that interest me.

Finally the game I've been waiting for, the game that finally gets rid of wimpy MCs and morality, and dares to ask the question, what happens when you mix unlimited money with an evil MC ?(or at least a really fucked up one since I go for most taboo options), you get an untouchable sociopath. You get the power fantasy I've been wanting, not a game where you mind control characters, but a game where your actions have real repercussions on others. The only other game that has allowed me to do things with relatively no consequences is Desert Stalker and that's my favorite game, so great work dev.

Honestly, one of the few games that makes me happy whenever I see it on the latest update page. The more of these 'games' I play, the more nitpicky I become... yet this one somehow didn't lose me.

Visuals: 5/5 ⭐
The character's design is so good; every LI was unique and has a realistic body. The scenes look good, although sadly nothing is animated.

Story: 4/5 ⭐
As far as porn logic stories go, this one is fine; the game starts off with you being filthy rich due to some crypto luck to insane limits. The MC has no chance to struggle or have a hard time with any choice, leaving you picking the choices knowing there will be 'almost' no consequences. Choices range from happily patting LI's head and giving her money to whacko BDSM out of nowhere and getting away with it... brings the bad out of you, lmao.

Gameplay: 6/5 ⭐
This is this game's best feature. It's a simple VN, but unlike many others, choices have a consequence in the story. The way you act with an LI on the first meeting will affect your relationship going forward, and the more your moral compass is fucked, some of the nice choices will disappear. Even the nice path and the bad path sort of split at certain points depending on certain choices...

My favorite thing is the number of choices there are for each interaction; it's not just a good/bad choice or interested/uninterested. If you want to see all scenes, you obviously will need multiple saves.

Sounds: 0/5 ⭐
Sadly, none... this game would have been 10 times better with sounds since it's already missing animations; any music or moaning sounds would've made the scenes more immersive, but alas, an argument can be made to play music or sound on a different app...

Overall excellent game; if I had to nitpick, my biggest criticism would be the lack of sounds/music and the increasing amount of LI. I hope more focus will be on who we already have.