Ren'Py - Lessons in Love [v0.49.0] [Selebus]

THE BEST indie VN.
Love characters interactions. Love crazy amount of CG. Love the lore. Love how characters are well written. Love the dialogs. Love the main character. Love the fact that game is 300h+ long (insane). Love the drama and romantic moments. Love "Happy scenes". Love games riddles. Love Maya. Love hardworking dev. Love this game. 50 72 61 69 73 65 20 62 65 21

Pretty nice until you get to the first happy event. What a letdown. You can get a message across without all the disgusting imagery. Egregious. I was super excited because of the amount of work and how big this game is.

After countless hours, I've finally finished reading from Ch1 to 4 as of 0.48 update. It's honestly hard to rate this game because I both love and hate it. For anyone looking to diving into this, note that each "Chapter" is more equivalent of a book or a 24-episode season of anime. Each chapter has 2 puzzle sections that occur at mid and end. Think of them as intermissions. Every Chapter also has a bunch of those grotesque images that suddenly appear to confuse you. Don't think too hard about them or you will want to quit halfway, due to headaches from overthinking. And if you are here simply for quickfap, this game isn't for you.

Require External Tools
I don't like to use mods to play renpy games, but for this game you really need AutoVN Mod and puzzle guide to play it flawlessly. Without those external tools, you will get stuck at some points, like not sure where to go, missing events, or simply unable to progress the puzzles. The mod can be turned off and on anytime, so if you feel like taking a break from the story, turn it off and do normal sandbox mode. Plus, it hides spoilers such as upcoming characters or new hairstyles.

Story
In Chapter 1 and 2, they mostly introduce new characters and give you clues about their backgrounds. The chapters are overall good but with too many fillers in between important events. I'm sure there are people enjoying those cute or funny moments of "filler" events, but for me, it drags on the main story unncessarily long. Most of time I just keep clicking and just glancing the dialogues until I see what seem important.

As for Chapter 3 and 4, the pacing is much better. There are still a number of fillers, but the story feels like it's finally moving forward, as the plots thicken. Characters can surprise you with their development. At one event, it gives me a heart-wrenching moment that I want to pause and think. At another, I can't help but giggle at the character interactions. I feel eager to see what happens next, instead of just mindlessly clicking through dialogues.

Visual & Music
The characters styles are fairly generic. However, they will change into many different outfits and hairstyles as the story progresses. There are sex scenes, but they are not the main focus of the game; their quality is mediocre. The settings are repetitive as you will revisit the same locations many many times. Music is decent most of time with each character and important events having their own theme songs.

Although I rate this game 4 out of 5 stars, note that if the AutoVN Mod or puzzle guide are no longer updated, I'd consider this game a 2 out of 5 for being too grindy, confusing, and troublesome to play.

Best VN i ever played on my life, this made me cry, laugh and get angry. Peak writing, Changed my views on a lot of shit i was going thru on real life, so thank you Selebus for giving us this masterpiece of a game

After finishing one chapter(20ish hours) I can now give a decent review. This game is fine, it's like a poorly made creepypasta mixed with a good dating sim with little to no porn. The main story is fine, but the individual stories of the girls are what's actually interesting and make you grow attached, with some being funny, some serious and some dramatic to help make the narrative not become stale.
There is a metric fuckload of grinding of repeatable events to get you to required affection levels to hang out with a girl. These events are almost always not pornogrpahic in nature(which I think is good), but feel like they could have happened without reaching an arbitrary relationship or lust point. The girls are variations of generic tropes but with a piece of trauma that they withhold forever until it gets out(oh no).
The true difference to other games are mainly the MC and the setting. The MC is a piece of shit, but mainly by his own self view, he is actually not that bad once you reflect on his actions and understand his intentions but him constantly moaning about how much of a pos he is gets annoying quickly. He(almost the rin thing is still strange) never forces the girls to do anything they aren't asking for; which while still would be inherently bad as a 30ish teacher he's not a 30ish teacher he's a random spirit(or god most likely based on context clues) that has no memories other than when convenient(he can recite poetry just fine lmao). He just is a jumbled mess that makes the game very annoying and pretentious along with the next part.
The other difference is that the setting is creepy pasta-vile, with jungi-ito type events happening in smile events. I did all of them and got bored more than scared, think body horror but where no one has any emotion or cares in the world. But these extend into normal events whenever something “not happy” happens, things break the world or whatever else. These subject of the events are usually focused on arbitrary(albratross or bugs of clocks) or other things that probably don't matter but they really try to convince you they do. These things are the main essence of the plot and its dramatic tension, i.e. when things go wrong the world could break. Like a girl traumatised by loud noises can break for a second due to lightning, etc. The issue is that it is established many many times that everything is designed to be “happy” and that it's the purpose, which means the meta commentary is that happiness is not the destined purpose of the world and the game and in that case wtf is the point of playing it? I’m not gonna be playing a porn game for the drama i'll tell ya lmao.
Finally the pornographic content is subpar at best, at the end of ch1 there is little worth cumming over, most of the girls are lolis which i'm ambivalent over but god there isn't much sex appeal to work with making the adult moms scenes much better.Overall though even if you like a girl you at most get 2-3 sex animations(and about 4 sentences of dialogue) and that's it for 20 hours.
Overall I think this game would do better as a regular ln, as a porn game it's quite bad. The stories with the girls are by far the best part, but I don't see myself continuing due to the arbitrary grind and the setting of the game pushing the games narrative into treating the girls into tools to use against either the mc/player whatever for arbitrary shock value or pretentious monologues about self or happiness(which gave insane chunni vibes btw).

What else can i say about this game that hasn't been said? idk but here we go:
It's incredibly well written, even if sometimes it can be a bit pretentious and/or too nonsensical, almost as if you are in a very long fever dream. i wouldn't say this is everyone's cup of tea, especially if all that you're looking for is something to jerk off to. you'd be better of playing this as a normal VN with adult themes and i assure you there would be no regret. The time traveling theme is great, and the characters are even better developed, Especially Maya, Niki and Yumi.
One of the only downsides i'd say this game has is the amount of "puzzles" you find in it. i almost went insane going around in older saves to figure out the answers through my first time playing. DO NOT DO IT!!!, just look them up online and have fun (or not) in this incredible VN.
Also use the auto VN mod or the Hint mod to help progression.

PRAISE BE!

** EDIT: It's Day 54, and I'm not laughing anymore. Not a damn thing has happened. This game is a completely worthless piece of shit. Don't waste your time. **


With the hilarious way MC woke up the first morning (Day 2), I thought this was going to be a six star game. Maybe seven. It's not.

The Good:

I laugh out loud sometimes. It's certainly not a non-stop riot, but it is one of the funnier games I've played. If not for that this would be a one star game.

The renders are actually quite good as well, provided you're into Koikatsu.

The Bad:

I feel like I've been playing forever (Day 47), and there hasn't been anything close to a sex scene or nude scene. You have one breakthrough kiss with a girl, then revert to a no-kissing relationship for no reason. I don't recall any animations, either, though I'm told they are poor when they eventually show up. I'm perfectly fine with slow burn stories, but this is not a slow burn story.

On day one, there are two cute teen girls who are completely obsessed with you: getting you in bed, marrying you, etc. It's literally the only thing in life they care about. You? Well, you are completely obsessed with fucking all cute teen girls. It's literally the only thing you care about. You interact with these girls nearly every day, and you know what happens? Absolutely fucking nothing. You are literally the most incompetent human being in the history of the universe. Somehow you manage to fuck this up, but there are no wacky hijinks preventing you from getting laid. You simply do nothing. You keep lusting after these girls who keep begging you to fuck them, and you do absolutely nothing whatsoever.

There are another six cute teen girls that take a couple days to warm up to you before deciding they want to fuck you like you want to fuck them. What happens with them? Absolutely fucking nothing.

I hope you like tsunderes, because this game has two at outset and probably more on the way. They completely hate your guts and you have no idea why. One of them is tolerable. One is a genuine drag every time she appears.

This game also has very long and tiresome scenes with unexplained weird shit. I'm down with weird shit, but you've got to connect it to the story somehow. Mystery is fine, but mystery requires leaving clues. It's just extended tiresome unexplained weird shit with no clues.

I should probably note I am using the VN mod, which cuts down greatly on wasted time and energy. Without it, this would be a two star game at best.

Was once a 5 now a 3 maybe lower find the game to just be very frustrating nowadays trying to figure out what to do. Even just the character events are pain to figure out some of the time. Needs an option for hints or something.

I pretty much just downloaded this with a bunch of other random crap during a three day goon sesh and ended up forgetting the goon and playing it for 60 hours straight lol

Despite having a lot of sex scenes and a bit of explicit fan service this is not a porn game, it's more just a VN with a lot of sexual content (some of which is disturbing) and themes. The word count as it stands now (0.48) is coming on 3 million - by the end of this year playing this to completion will be the equivalent of reading every book in the ASOIAF series and then going back to Game of Thrones and re-reading the entire series again. If what you're looking for here is a quick wank, you are looking at the wrong game.

LiL is very well written - though arguably with an overly-wordy tendency to wax philosophical - with its biggest strength being the characters you interact with, all of whom are both well written and consistent with a ton of scenes. Honestly I can't think of any VN or even manga with as many endearing and interesting characters. As others have mentioned it follows a (sort of) groundhog day trope and has a lot of existentialism so those aspects might be a turn-off. Worth mentioning again that there's some disturbing themes, with the MC being an (initially) unapologetic predator.

Personally I love this game, I'm on my third playthrough now and have sunk hundreds of hours into it. If you're cool with the themes and the format I'd say this is definitely something you should give a go - though, again, not if what you're looking for is a wank. It's also worth noting that the author is extremely consistent - he maintains a pre-planned schedule and pushes out 60-80K+ word updates 10 months a year.

There's only one major drawback (which many reviews here have touched on) and that's progression. The actual triggers are generally easy to figure but occasionally there will be a trigger that's in a spot you wouldn't expect (e.g you randomly have to call someone at a time of a day you wouldn't typically be able to, or you have to choose to go to the second floor of the dorms and then back down). Getting through chapter 1 without aid isn't too bad but by the end of chapter 2 you're working with 35 characters each with various common triggers - if you try and brute force your way through the whole game you're gonna find yourself stuck for extended periods. Save yourself the hassle and install the guide mod. It will add a 'hints' button to the menu which will tell you in a completely non-spoilery way what you need to do next for who, and it will also provide a warning for events in which you can make a decision with consequences so you can avoid certain easy-to-fall-into pitfalls that might cause you to miss events.

I'd also highly recommend using the puzzle walkthrough, as the solutions to some of these puzzles are either very obscure/random or else require you to remember things you have no reason to have thought you needed to remember.

For those wanting a quick answer as to whether or not they should play this game, the following key points should be noted.

• The game story uses the rather common "Groundhog Day" trope.
• The writing seems to make use of the The Story That Never Was trope.

Basically, if you don't want to see those two writing tropes... the game isn't for you. Now, if you'd like more detailed analysis of the game, continue reading.

LiL is one of those games that, honestly, I very much want to like... quite a bit in fact. It's got a rather extensive cast of characters, which to date, all seem romance open characters in one form or another. Some are present just for sex, while others help push the story along... well... eventually.

That's where the first problem that LiL runs into, which as a player, you're going to start dealing with. Specifically, to get various story events to take place (above and beyond the character events) you're going to find yourself repeating multiple little events in this kind of grind fest. All with the intention of getting an affection stat up high enough that you reach an arbitrary range before an event will trigger. Furthermore, it's not uncommon to have to grind multiple characters over the span of several in game days (or weeks) to reach the needed required affection range.

At the start of the game, when you're only really worrying about one or two characters, this isn't too big a deal. However as the game progresses, and you start having more and more interactions with other characters... well you can quite easily get into situations where you're 'hanging out' (no that's not a code word for sex) with the same character again... and again... and again... for days on end.

A walkthrough, or some kind of hint mod, is a must have with the game... and even then it's not perfect. Expect to use cheats... a lot. Trust me on that.

However, while the grind fest that the game is can be frustrating, the question remains, "Is the writing worth it?" Specifically, is it something that makes you want to go through and deal with that headache?

Short answer... maybe.

The writing is relatively decent, for the most part, and has come quite a long way from when the game first released. Having said that, there are issues with it. Not huge, glaring issues that make you go 'was that even English?' but there are going to be times that you find yourself going back through things to try to make sense of what you just read. One point you'll quickly be introduced to, is the main plot point of the game, where you learn you're stuck in a Groundhog Day kind of loop, where everything simply resets and you start over. You retain the memories of the previous loop, but much of the characters around you, don't. When Groundhog Day is well written, it's a great story to see play out. Even when it's badly written, it can still be interesting. Sadly, this game falls somewhere in the middle. There are real good plot points and story lines, and real BAD ones. They even out to make the game have somewhat 'meh' writing. Expect to be confused. That's all I can say there.

Things get worse as the game progresses, as you will start finding that there's something you the MC need to do to try to end the loop... but as with any good "Groundhog Day" story, what you need to do... isn't clear. This is often called the "story that never was" trope, where you have to do... well, something, to prevent the loop from even happening in the first place. However, since so much of the game story is a mystery, and seems to even change with every major update (at least it feels that way writing wise), good luck in figuring things out.

Story I rate a 2 out of 5 stars.

So what about the code itself? Is the game well built and generally bug free? Honestly, yeah. The code is relatively simple, but it works, and it tends to work quite well. There's been bugs in the past, but the developer seems to have figured out how to prevent those, and has progressed to a point where the game is relatively stable. To the point that as a player you generally don't have to worry about some new update changing everything and breaking your past saves, forcing you to have to run through everything... again. Sure, it's still a grind fest, but at least it works well enough that you aren't going to have to return here from time to time to look for an update that fixes some bug, or you don't need to worry about having to start over from the beginning. Even if that technically is the main theme of the game. (pun intended).

Code and writing gets a 5 out of 5 stars.

Conclusion:

Is the game even worth it? Well, yeah. It's not a great game, but by the same token, it's not a bad game either. If you don't mind the grind fest that it is, you can have some fun with it. If you want to skip all that, there's a handful of cheats which can get you past that, and at least one 'hint' or walkthrough that you can use to figure out what to focus on. The writing is generally decent, the game is stable. Overall, the game is average. A good play, with some replayability, but not something you're going to go out of your way to return to.

"This visual novel is an absolute gem! The story is captivating, with well-developed characters and unexpected twists. The artwork and soundtrack are stunning, creating an immersive experience. Highly recommended!"

This game is really hard to describe to someone but it has honestly change my outlook and judgement of games as a whole with just how well written this game is. Do not play this game if your looking for a quick wank because this is definitely not the one to be playing if so. I have fallen in love with these characters as a whole and genuinely feel for each and every character as they go though some pretty horrible stuff. 11/10 and a must read if you are looking for something for the long run because this is one heck of a long visual novel and its not even half way done yet.

A masterpiece of psychological horror. If you just want porn, it may not be your cup of tea. But if you're interested in a great story with well-written characters and a perfect mix of comedy and tragedy, this one is perfect.

This game is annoyingly good. like seriously, The game will have you doing mental gymnastics to remember "random" parts of dialogue. The sandbox is tedious. The grind to continue forward even more so. And the dialogue comes off as a little too preachy at times even with certain themes.

But the story in my opinion makes it worth it. The characters feel alive. Your actions carry genuine consequences. And the writing when it wants to, can make you want to either take a break because of how awful you feel, or keep you glued to the screen curious for more. Multiple times I was either laughing at the funny banter or mentally cursing myself for being curious enough to keep playing.

If you're curious enough to play be ready to spend at least 40+ hours getting to the parts everyone praises. But I do hope you stick it out because it really is worth it. And remember, Don't forget to smile!


TLDR: game good!

This visual novel has a horrible identity crisis. As a standalone game, it's got a lot going for it. The writer obviously has a natural talent with words, the overall idea behind the plot of the game (isekai where you've taken over a high school teacher's body in a world where the school year keeps looping and getting progressively weirder) is really intriguing, and most of the horror elements are legitimately creepy and unsettling.

However, the process of advancing through the game is a chore unlike any other I've had to do in any game I've ever played. GOOD FUCKING LUCK getting through chapters in Lessons in Love without an external guide. Everything needed to get through the story feels completely arbitrary, and I haven't even referenced the time loop segments that require you to solve absurdly obtuse puzzles to advance.

Which leads me to my main issue. This would be fairly interesting as a plain ol' indie game. A bit pretentious, with some spotty writing, but the effort and vision are clearly there. But what is any of this doing in a porn game? It makes fun of the genre while being a part of the genre. It constantly ridicules the player for what it itself is. "Time to do sex on your niece" it playfully slaps into a choice for you to select, when it is the game that is pandering to the niece-fucking demographic in the first place.

There's a lot to this game; I'll give it that. But maaaaaybe half of it is good, and even that's a stretch. For every heartfelt conversation the game has, it has another scene where no one involved comes out of it even remotely likeable. For every joke that lands, there's a horribly-timed, tasteless joke about rape. For every well-written character dealing with real, relatable problems (Rin, Futaba), there's a character that I just can't even imagine what happened writing their scenes (most of the second floor). I feel like I would be more willing to let most of this slide if the non-sexy stuff was profound or thought-provoking, but they're not. It's just a bunch of protentious fluff that constantly degrades you for attempting to enjoy it.

A lot of work obviously went into making this game, and I can recognize it for being of objectively higher quality than 98% of the stuff on this website, but that doesn't automatically make this a good game.

Erased my previous lengthy review to bring it down concisely.

This is like if a Westerner made a shitty isekai and was too obsessed with DDLC but didn't understand why that game was popular.

This game is all shock value. There is content, but it's buried under layers of pretentious narration, terrible grinding mechanics, and lackluster horror elements.

(Not to Mention Unvoidable ((without warning)) noncon and NTR)

2.5 Good Art

Lessons in love is a pretty good horror visual novel. It has a pretty interesting story and has some well-written characters that stand on their own, but it's also marketed to pornsick gooners. I dislike how long it drags sometimes but its there more so as set up like in Higurashi or something.

It's worth a play imo. I would recommend downloading the walkthrough mod just so you don't have to click around looking for scenes.

You should also avoid the discord. It's a bit of a cesspool.

There isn't any NTR. People saying so are literally delusional.

I've been holding off rating games. I have been following this game since day one, with it's ups and very very lows. The latest update is a return to the original plan. H-scenes and TONS of weird and degenerate dialogue.

And when I have to say "thats a sentence I would never think myself", I can't help but rate it 5/5

Pretentious word salad with poor art, hard to relate personalities on the LIs, weird AF MC, infinitely repetitive "where do I go next?" clicking... overall just a terrible experience.

A frustrating waste of time. Hard pass.