VN - Ren'Py - Hillside [v0.15.1] [DarkBlue]

Possible Spoilers:

Hillside is an excellent crime drama about police corruption and the seedy underbelly of the fashion world. The story begins with us learning that someone is stalking the daughter of fashion supermodel, Charlotte Lloyd, which forces her to hire a bodyguard (the MC) to protect her.

The plot thickens as we soon learn that Charlotte had been brutally beaten earlier in her career, the impact of this event, leaving her mentally scarred and unable to trust or establish any close relationships with men.

I won't give away any major plot twists, but I will say that the story is well done and really held my interest. I actually became attached to the Lloyd family and the sad story of the main characters past.

I must also add that this is not a Porn game. It is a visual novel with a few sex scenes, which are integrated naturally into the theme of the game. So if you're here just to have sex with the characters, this game is not for you.

Pros:

1- Excellent story that held my interest throughout.
2- Beautiful characters and some really nice renders.
3- A technically well made game.
4- Multiple options to take varied paths / love interests.
5- Loved Lucy LLoyd. Fearless and selfless.. A well made character.

Cons-

1- An overly long game. Very wordy.
2- Some of the dialogue feels awkward and misses the mark.
3- Youngest daughter Emma is 18 but acts like a 13 year old, making some scenes feel out of place.
4- Older sister Suzi's emotions flipped more than a hamburger on a fast food grill. Her temper tantrums becoming borderline psycho at times.
5- Some facial expressions seemed overdone and didn't quite look right.

This is a very good story that held my interest to the end. But it's not a porn game. Go fap someplace else.

I'm not going to sugarcoat this review: this adult visual novel is an absolute disaster. While I understand that a well-told story can be enjoyable even without an abundance of explicit content, this game fails spectacularly on all fronts. What we encounter in *Hillside* goes beyond a simple lack of eroticism—it’s a convoluted mess filled with broken characters and implausible plotlines.

Beyond the external appearance, which is limited by the use of outdated 3D models, the character design is atrocious. Each female character is portrayed as emotionally unstable, riddled with psychiatric issues that make them repulsive rather than attractive. It’s impossible to forge any kind of connection with characters that are so poorly crafted. Their negative traits are exaggerated to the point of absurdity, rendering them entirely unlikable.

Take Charlotte: a supposedly successful 40-year-old supermodel (seriously?) who is traumatized by violent abuse in the fashion industry. Yet, despite her morbid phobia of men, she continues to model in revealing lingerie and attends social events where her abusers are present. Talk about cognitive dissonance! She unloads her aversion to men onto the main character, who is the only person treating her with the respect she deserves—after all, he’s the one she hires to protect her daughter. The logic here is laughable at best.

Then there's Emma, Charlotte's youngest daughter. At 18, she's physically developed but mentally stunted, resembling a 10-year-old in maturity. This bizarre portrayal is cringeworthy. She's bullied at school and harassed by a stalker, and she creates provocative outfits to be worn by models , including her own mother. It’s infuriatingly contradictory that this character is depicted as innocent and naive about sex while also being a skilled designer of sexualized clothing.

Lucy, Charlotte’s sister and manager, is another disaster. She’s depicted as a sexual nymphomaniac who flirts with the bodyguard while her niece is being stalked. The sheer absurdity of the situation is mind-boggling. Her emotional swings, from sexual excitement to tears, only serve to highlight her mental instability. It’s hard to take any of this seriously.

Suzy, the eldest daughter, is a complete waste of screen time. Her irrational outbursts at the main character for using her room make her seem absolutely childish. This senseless animosity only adds to her disgusting persona, making her a character you can’t help but loathe.

As for the plot? It’s an absolute dumpster fire. All the drama revolves around an illogical lack of communication and an absurd level of distrust among characters. Charlotte keeps vital information about the stalker from Emma, 'cause she don't want her to be afraid? also she keeps information about her attacks suffered in the past hidden from the very person she hired to protect her family. Emma hides the fact that she’s being harassed and bullied. Lucy keeps secrets from her sister and the MC. Suzy refuses to ask for help despite being the victim of an extortion. The main character himself is not without his secrets... It’s an endless cycle of stupidity that defies all logic and common sense.

In summary, the level of absurdity in this narrative is staggering. Reading this train wreck was an exercise in frustration, and I honestly don’t know how I managed to drag myself to episode 9 before throwing in the towel. It’s a masterclass in how not to write a coherent, engaging story. Save yourself the pain and avoid this one at all costs.

This game had a strong start. It's a fairly unique premise in the genre and the render quality is good. The 4 to 6 women that we see the most are at least attractive and not outrageously proportioned.

In terms of grammar and typos, the writing is fine. It's UK English so to Americans, or people who have learned American English it may sound odd at times. There are typos and errors, but they're quite rare.

Sadly, that's the end of the good news. I made it to somewhere in episode 11 I think. I was trying to power through to see if anything ever got better, but every aspect of the plot and characters continued to decline. I had to give up.

• Emma, the 18 year old, speaks and behaves like she's 10 to 11 years old. For a while I was trying to give her the benefit of the doubt, but it just gets worse and worse. Every character in the game treats her the way you would treat a small child. The dev has made it very clear that Emma is no older than 10 or 11. She's just "18" because if she wasn't, she couldn't have D cups and be used as eye candy.
• Charlotte, the mom, knows about an extremely wide spread evil conspiracy in the city. She's filthy rich. She could move her family anywhere in the world. She hasn't done so for 20 years.
• Kayla (might be remembering that name wrong) is denser than a brick. She's warned about things. She blows it off. Said things happen to her. Later, the person who warned her about the things attempts to warn her about more things. She completely blows off the attempt and it takes physical restraint to get her to wake the fuck up.

Random shit that probably only annoys me:

• Either the dev does not know what college is, or he's afraid of calling it high school for censorship reasons. In any case, Emma goes to high school. It's called college, and the word college is used in ways no human has ever used it in conversation.
• The basement of a multi-million dollar home has a completely unfinished basement full of spiders.
• I know there was other stuff, but thankfully I've forgotten whatever it was.

very unique game, with more of a focus on story driven elements. The characters have personalities that contribute to the story as opposed to just being something to hit ctrl through. This is good enough to be a blockbuster hit

This game isn't perfect, the writing is kinda flawed, the renders aren't the most beautiful around, and if you aren't like me and are after great h-scenes, you won't find any.

Why i'm giving 5 stars then? Well, the story is insanely addictive. I kept playing non-stop becausa i was dying just to see what happens. Every character is... human and flawed, but everyone has a motivation to be like that (even if the naiveté and childlike behaviour of Emma gets VERY tiring). The story is DARK, and you'll fell for the characters because of that. So the world building is great.

I also think that Charlotte's path feel too much "canon", i don't think the game works when you choose another LI.

The writing is decent. Not terrible, but small amateur things that stand out (like using names over and over in dialogue - for example:
"Emma, are you going to college today?"
"Yes, Mom, I am. Suzi, are you staying for dinner?"
"Yes Emma, I planned to."
people don't talk that way).

I think the story is definitely above average. It definitely feels like the dev has a plan and is following it, rather than making it up as he goes along.

Visuals are decent. Not terrible, but not top tier.

My main complaint is that this isn't really an AVN. It's just a mild suspense/romance. There's no corruption, no lewd scenes, just hours and hours of the predictable story plodding along. I can't even complain about the MC being a Gary Stu, because I've been playing for 90 minutes and he hasn't even seen a woman naked.

I've been passing the time by rooting for the movie producer to bang Charlotte, the paparazzo to plow Suzi, and the movie actor to nail Emma. That'd make this game soooo much better lol.

I have to say, the story has me hooked. It has kept my attention despite the sub par dialogue. I can't explain why, but I just have to know how it ends. Usually with games like this one (with similar dialogue), I skip through to the important parts, but this one has me reading everything.

To the developer(s), I salute you. Despite the, sometimes painfully bad, script, I can't help but stay engaged.

Excellent renders and models, a well developed story and a sad sack for an mc.

Unfortunately you have to play as a wet paper bag of a man acting macho all the time but absolutely terrified by women. It's like he was written by a desperate 12 year old who wants to imagine he can be perfectly passive and absolutely all women will throw themselves at him. Even then, when opportunities are presented, he freezes up and makes excuses.

As other reviewers wrote 'its not a porn game' (because thats too scary for mc), so if you like gamed for very very light teasing and good writiting, this might be the one for you

There are very few choices so it's closer to a novel than game

I gave this game 3 stars to be generous because the women in the game are desirable. You follow an Ex military veteran turned body guard with a tragic past. You are hired to body guard a super model and her daughter which on paper sounds like a great porn game. But then you get hit with the reality that is Hillside. At the start it really makes you believe this game could be something special. You have awkward moments with the naïve well endowed younger daughter ,Intimate situations with the super model that hasn't let a man touch her in years , even some spicy scenes with the older aggressive daughter. But that's legit where it stops. The game has not progressed pass any of that since the early days of its development. Just some story about a body guard who wont let the past repeat itself.

An amazingly well written, and well drawn, adult visual novel. But not a porn game.

(reviewed at version 0.15)

You are a bodyguard hired to protect a retired model and her daughter(s). As the story progresses you grow closer to your charges. and learn more about the plot that threatens them, and how that connects to your own past.

This is easily in the top percent of best written VNs on the site. The plot is well-crafted and engaging. The characters have distinct personalities and internal lives. The dialogue is natural and the scenes all hold their weight and push the story forward.

The art is also incredible. It manages the rare feat in adult games of telling you a character is beautiful, and then that character actually is beautiful. But even beyond that, the acting is a stand-out. When the game tells you what a character is thinking or feeling, it is clearly reflected in how they are posed, and when you're not told, you can still tell.

What this is not, is a porn game. There is a lot of titillation, scantily dressed characters arranged for us to ogle, and for the MC to feel emotionally conflicted about ogling. There are very rare sex scenes with side characters. But as far as the main love interests go, the game is, so far, at best PG-13.

Obviously this will change eventually as the plot reaches its climax, and I was conflicted whether to give the game four stars until I know if it sticks the landing, or five stars in the hope it does. I decided on the latter.

This AVN goes from good to great for me so I wish I could rate 5 stars but I just can't go there. It's close but not quite.

For the most part, this is just a classic visual novel and is perfect for Ren'py. There is not a lot of adult content and the choices are limited, but they all have a big impact on the story. And it's a good story with some well developed characters, a strong plot with a beginning, middle and end. The dialogue is good and the story moves at a good pace. It really is well done and it is an enjoyable story.

While I might be able to nit pick a bunch of things, there are really only two things, I think, are not good. The first one is the MC is a little bit too sweet. For a guy who was in the service and who has been through a lot, he is really in touch with his feminine side. I am not saying a guy like him can't love and be emotional, but it seems a too easy for him.

The other thing is a pretty big spoiler so be warned.

Regardless, it is an enjoyable story, just don't expect much adult content and depending on the path you are on, you might not see any. It is totally worth a download to check it out for yourselves.

I am looking forward to seeing how this will wrap up.

The game is very nice in terms of story and graphics, I like it a lot.
The sex scenes are a bit sparse, but they are within the framework of the story.
The tags are misplaced
The scenes need better endings, thanks,
I will wait for the next update.

If the main thing you want to see is sex, I would move on but if you're like me you're looking for a mature story driven game with likeable ladies and a good story and that's what you'll get here.

And the MC like the girls is really likeable and the story starts out strong straight away. There are four girls to romance all members of the Lloyd family. Also, it's not a harem so don't go in expecting one.

Hillside shows how powerful of a tool renpy can be for storytelling because I have laughed and cried while playing this game.

So do yourself a favour and give this wonderful AVN a try because it's one of the best story driven games around.

Well, I knew from the previous reviews that sex is pretty much non existent here so far, only one with a side girl. But the story is great, the plot is dark, and the characters feel alive. Every girl here has their own flaws which is understandable, but I really can't bring myself to like Suzi, she got some anger issues and simply hostile for no damn reason. I hope this won't be on hold for long, I'm loving the story so far.

Ignore the tags, pretty much anything remotely sexual with the exception of hugging is only being talked about as a bad memory.
Reminds me of a cheap soap opera with handful of protagonists and very few locations. They talk, think about what to say, think about what have been said, "analyze" their emotions, they do shopping, drive cars, watch movies... pure extract of boredom and uninspired VNs.
Eroticism definitely doesn't have to be hardcore sex, but everyone (with the exception of police officers though - it would have been funny at least) hugging everyone, few kisses on cheek and plethora of cleavages are far from enough. So many opportunities using pretty well sculpted characters, all wasted as my about 10 hours of keeping hope that something breaks and the story will use all the teasing and build-up for the satisfying climax. Instead it feels like someone had to rewrite erotic thriller to bad Disney movie according to a whacko psychologist guidelines. Let's talk about it!

Edit: The dark version about the bad guys from Hillside might have been great EROTIC game!

A very good game but without (or almost) sex.
The characters are good, the graphics are correct. The girls are attractive. The progression is good, the dialogues are correct but sometimes a little exaggerated, as is Emma's childish behavior.
I really like this game. A very good story. The characters are endearing. I just regret that Lucy (Charlotte's sister) is not more present and involved. For some she is a tomboy, but for me, she is the most beautiful. She seduces me and I love her attitude (for example when she shows her breasts to MC behind her sister's back - when she teases MC...). I'd like to see Lucy having a relationship with another girl in the game.
I can't wait to see the rest and I hope there will be a few sex scenes with her... but not too many.

This is one of those games that’s just a little bit different, and I think you need to know that going in, or you may find yourself very disappointed. It is, in part, a very sexy game, but it’s not a sex game – it’s not a game full of scenes with your chosen love interest, it’s very much a slow burn, but one that I think is done very well.

Hillside focuses on the relationships, and regardless of the path you choose, the relationships in question remain the same, it’s just to what level they might progress – purely professional, familial, or (potentially) sexual. The female lead is Charlotte, who I think is modelled perfectly to represent a supermodel at the end of her career. She is beautiful from a distance, and up close, while still beautiful, you can see the graceful aging as well as tiny reminders of a terrible past that will be unveiled as the game progresses.

The main story revolves around protecting Charlotte and Emma (her daughter), and becoming closer to them as a result. That’s not to say that your only options in terms of LIs are Charlotte (at present) and Emma (presumably upcoming), but this is not the sort of game where the main objective is to get the girl. So even on a side-girl path, most of the time will be spent with Charlotte and/or Emma, and scenes with your side girl will be minimal, although they do give a couple of lewd scenes each.

The graphics here are good, the game mechanics work well, and although some might feel the relationships with some of the potential LIs move too slowly, I personally feel the pacing is nicely done for the type of game this is. I’ve really enjoyed the story in the first part of Hillside, and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next as the first arc comes to a close.

Honestly, I dont think I've posted at all before. But I genuinely love what you have done here. Thanks for your great work. Look forward to seeing more. I also want to send my condolences for your loss.

This game here is one of those cases where I don't even like the LIs as LIs (though they are great as characters), and there's next to no porn, but this game is still one of my favourites.

Pros:

1) My favourite MC in all of AVN world. He's a total badass, but he is very gentle with the girls. I'm very comfortable in his skin.
2) One of my favourite stories in all of AVNs. I like intrigues, and secret conspiracies, and badasses who fight against corrupt rich bastards. Don't make the mistake of assuming that this game is porn or pure romance; this is film noir in AVN form, and once you accept that, everything will fall into place.
3) The characters. I may not like the Lloyds as LIs and pursue Kaylah and Selena instead, but damn, they are great as characters!
4) In addition to the above: writing is great. I do feel Charlotte's and Emma's emotions when they are attacked, and I do worry about them as a friend. I hate those ******* Hollywood producers now!
5) Specific girl: Emma. Many people say that her behaviour is totally unrealistic and too childish for a 18-years old. However, it is actually very realistic for an extremely sheltered child. You see, I was sheltered too. My parents' word was law for me. By 18 y.o., my knowledge of relationships was extremely limited, and my experience was similar to Emma's. Now, I was slightly less naive, and if a celebrity made a move on me after I caught her fucking my friend, I'd probably get that something was fishy. However, if a pretty girl of a slightly lower social standing pulled something on me, I'd 100% buy it and behave just like poor Emma does. But it isn't just relationship inexperience that holds sheltered kids back. They are also very idealistic, believe in fairy tales and see the world in black and white. Their sexuality is also repressed, and, to them, every relationship is supposed to be a great romantic love, and they want it to be that way.
With all of those things, it's very hard to navigate through life until one has made the necessary compromises with their conscience.
6) Action. I always like it when there is action in AVNs.
7) Good renders.
8) Charlotte's model is very well designed as someone who's really beautiful and in great shape, but still showing signs of aging.

Cons:
1) Almost zero sex. It isn't as bad as in other games lacking sex, as because of how great the story is I only understood that all of my MC's sex was limited to that one time with Kaylah in late hindsight. But yeah, more scenes could be nice. Charlotte should give her trusted bodyguard more leeway for, er, carnal activities.
2) As mentioned above, I'm not a fan of the MGs (and they are all Lloyds) as LIs. Charlotte is a bit too aged and damaged, Emma is too young and childish (which makes her great as a character but bad as a LI), and Lucy is a tomboy.
3) In addition to the previous point: I don't get how anyone wants to romance Suzi. She is rabid towards the MC for half the game, even after any real suspicions towards him have come and gone, he saved her from blackmail, and Charlie and Emma got to trust him. I think her character development should've started earlier.

So, overall, this game is rather lacklustre as porn and isn't my cup of tea as romance, but the best MC ever and one of the best stories pull it to a 5-star rating .

Never has an AVN made me feel more emotion than this, honestly the amount of times that I was close to tears.
If you are some horny kid looking for a game to jerk off to, or someone with zero empathy then this one may not be for you.
The slow burn romance with Charlotte is honestly one of my favourites in the genre. How she goes from not wanting you around, which is perfectly understandable given her experiences, to allowing the MC to get closer to her than she ever thought possible. Personally I can't wait to see more of it. Watching the MC go from hired bodyguard to caring father figure of Emma was for me very moving and very well done.
I don't generally post reviews as I have trouble ranking some of my favourite games, but this is certainly one of them. And given the trend lately of trying to kick the developer while they are down, I felt like the time was right to post an honest review.
Thank you to the developer, keep up the good work please.