VN - Ren'Py - Completed - Once in a Lifetime [v1.0] [Caribdis]

Version 0.9 - Minor Spoilers

A boy and his harem try to save the world.

You'll only end up disappointed if you try to take the story too seriously. It flows well enough, but the writing jumps back and forth between "serious" and comedic far too often. I say "serious" because more often than not, the scenes that are meant to advance the main plot are interrupted by ill-timed humour or are just plain cringe-worthy.

The jokes and humour are decent overall, but largely inconsistent. It seems like the worst jokes are constantly reused, and the funniest scenes are few and far between, but there are some genuine laughs to be had with this title.

My (second) last negative point is about the heroines and their behaviour; it, like the humour, is inconsistent. Most of the characters contradict themselves from one scene to the next - the sisters especially. They go from willing and ready for action to one scene, to timid, overly cautious, or prudish in the next without any good reason for it. Then in the next scene that you'll see them, they're back to the opposite behaviour! This nonsense continues for far too long.

So why am I rating Once in a Lifetime 4/5 stars despite my apparent grievances? Well, I would rate it 3.5 if I could, but the dev deserves the rounded-up score because of the clear effort that's put into this work. There are tons of little details in the backgrounds, the girls have multiple outfits and hairstyles, and there are some appreciated technical features, like the relationship tracker and different camera angles during sex.

And while the visuals may not be the cleanest, and the animations may not be the smoothest, the sex scenes are definitely hot. The girls are gorgeous - which makes the MC being ugly that much worse - and their different personalities make each of their sex scenes feel unique, at least early on. This particular quality is dulled once they all become more open/outright addicted to sex, but hey, it's a harem game. Give this one a shot if you're a fan of waifu collectathons.

Lighthearted, funny, well-written story, and fantastic sex with girls that aren't morons.

Now, most of the choices that the game grants you determine whether you stay with a girl or not, or whether you're on her good side, or how well you do in the game. It doesn't provide you with multiple winning paths. But the one they give you is a good one as of 0.9.

This is an amazing game. It has great storytelling, the sex scenes are fantastic, the characters are compelling and have interesting storylines, it's the real deal.
I enjoyed it greatly and I am looking forward to the next update!

Edit: Thought I should update this review since the game has finished. What I've said about this game previously still stands, however now that I've had the chance to play more games, I've got to say, this game still stick out by far in terms of quality. Was a short run but it was a fun one. All the best to Caribdis on his new work!



Probably one of the best porn games I've played. Good mix of comedic writing and quality sex scenes mixed in. Wish the game was longer, but it being short has probably helped prevent it from becoming stale. Hope we get to see some extra content for the game after Carbidis starts working on their new project.

One of the funniest games. Woman are also very cute too. I hope the game has a sequel or something. Also pls more of Iris can't get enough of that redhead. Also I wander how will the sisters going to react once they find out about two timing them with each other and every other woman too.

Absolute great game. I love the story and the humor.
The transition of Tom with him doing weird stuff in the background and giving you the thumbs-up was just hilarious. The struggle of the Swedish exchange student, the time when you meet the dildo guy from the train again...absolutely great. Already looking forward for 0.10!

This game is great, the writing is very good, the characters are charismatic and have personality, the MC is one of the best, and to be honest i usually hate comedy, but in this game is good really good, I laughed a lot, the history is interesting and the plot goes whatever it feels like to go but in a good way, the only thing i feel is bad is the music, a lot of times you don't have any, but is whatever because in general is so good that i don't mind that problem, the game will have a final in the next version so yeah i totally recomend , i play with the incest patch because if feel it's mean to played like that.

After seeing the hype sorounding this game I finally decided to give it a try. Now, I am the kind of guy that plays VNs for the story, so the artistic style doesn't affect my judgment a whole lot, but these type of models are my least favorite, which would bring it down to 4 stars, My problem comes solely from the fact that I was struggling to get excited to keep reading. I finished it, but I won't be playing it again. There was simply too little of interest for me in the writing for my personal enjoyment, and to quantify that I took away 2 more stars.

I say this, subjectively I don't understand how it is in the top 2 pages of the weighted rating, wouldn't really recommend, but to each their own.

Edit: 3 star

Such a good story complemented by good renders and amazing animation. has some moments that are actually funny, which is rare in games like these, which makes the story even better than it already was.

Well done game with a lot of content.

At first I was not impressed with the models and the "horror" tag, but I've given the game a shot because of the screenshots and I'm glad I did.

As of 0.9, the game's main story is almost finished and only a couple of sex scenes are left to finish. The "horror" in this game is very mild and someone like me, who doesn't play horror games or watch horror movies at all, it didn't scare me once, which is good, I don't want to rip my penis off whilst fapping.

The sex scenes themselves are great and stimulating. The game has a tons of choices and the story is really decent by porn game standards.

5/5

Excelent content.
quite a bit of humour but not too pushy.
Plausible reaction for most of things and girls.

can't ask more as Caribdis is also quite listening to the community to improve and fix bugs or error.

I swear to God, this is hands down the funniest game I have ever played in my life. I can't remember ever laughing out loud while alone playing a game before but this had me rolling countless times.

Quick review for this gem. Incredible story, characters, and humor. Definitely a top tier game for these regards. I enjoyed every minute of play and was hooked to the very end, I cannot say that for most games I have played. Characters are sexy and likeable, the plot is intriguing and unique.

Plenty of H scenes with animations, however at this point in 2021, they seem a bit dated compared to other top games that have top tier h content. However I do not think that really detracts from the game at all. The rest of the content is just that good thats its like watching a super long movie that hooks you from start to end.

I would recommend this game to absolutely anyone who is looking for something fun to play. If you are just looking for a quick wank, this is def not the right choice, but for any other reason this game is waiting to be enjoyed.

Caribdis, my man, you have a gift for writing and humor and I wish you success for your future endeavors. I will absolutely be there to support and play all your future works. Cheers.

I don't really get what all the buzz is about. It's frankly a pretty average game. From writing, to graphics, to gameplay, this game is ok, not great.

The renders are low polygon and poorly lit. Some shots such as the TV watching scene near the beginning and the breakfast after it have severely oversaturated colors. Dark edges in the corners give the setting a horror movie doll-house feel. Against the colorful and dark backgound the character models have a deathly appearance. In general the characters look like they're wearing corpse paint. The character models themselves appear to be very similar to those in Harem Hotel, but possibly less well textured. That is to say, they are competent but dated. Later in the game the lighting and colors improve marginally, but the background textures become blurry and flat.

Fight scene minigames come out of nowhere and feel more tacked on than polished. The choices are unclear on whether they help you. Since the villain character is a cliche bully and there isn't much context, I can't get invested in the outcome. The combination of poorly developed drama and clumsy design makes action sequences frustrating, merely a hurdle to the content of the game. Dialogue options are better but not by much. It's the same point system I've seen a hundred times. Compliment the girl and get 2 points, get enough points and you can lay her 3 chapters in. Yea, other games have done it better, but it is nice that the tally is kept somewhere accessible. That way you can get all the scenes easily when you lose interest in the text. Missing a sex scene early will bar your access to all further encounters with that character. Several times these missed opportunities are not broadcast at all. None of your choices matter. It's not even good or bad outcome, just do you see a scene or not. If not, especially early on, then you miss out on up to half the game. Most "bad" choices end in an immediate game over. During the sex scenes there are buttons you have to press on alternating sides of the screen. As a result you always need to keep both hands on the mouse and keyboard or use the mouse exclusively.

That brings me to the writing, which is generally the most lauded part of this game. It feels familiar rather than good. I chuckled a few times in the opening act at the characters awkward friendlyness. He's a likeable enough self-insert for the player. However, as the story progresses the awkwardness starts to feel uncomfortable rather than endearing. The plot is fairly cookie cutter. There's a scene where a girl falls asleep in your lap. There's a shopping scene where you watch a girl try on outfits. There's a scene where a girl sees you sleeping naked and can't help but get turned on by your enormous penis. Yea, I've seen it all before a hundred times. These archetypal scenerios arent even really all that good by relatively shallow game's standards (like Photo Hunt or Love and Sex, who sacrifice some writing to give the player a greater sense of freedom). Na, they just feel like a chore here. It's as if there is a law somewhere the writer is dispassionately following that a clothing store needs to be in every adult game. Even small things like having a third person narator describe charaters actions, or even have the protagonist do it more often would drastically improve the game. Everyone is just motionlessly talking through most of the dialogue, not interacting with the environment or eachother. The author even opted to use HAHA rather than, in my opinion, the much more immersive and descriptive option of "her stern expression breaks, only for a moment, as she lets out a shy laugh. As she tries to repress it, she snorts softly. Her face floods firey red". Like please, please can I have a narrator, damn! Even in very well made VN and KNs the creator doesn't assume the art speaks completely for itself (the art here isn't even all that good). Later in the game the dialogue improves and the plot thickens, only to fall back on pop culture references and bland plot twists. Sometimes the references painfully forced. The Joker makes an appearance, there are quotes from several episodes of Rick & Morty, etc. One character in particular, Moloch, who is a primary antagonist and one of the love interest's father, dies offscreen in an unspectacular way.

Final thougts? The direction is ok, good angles and pacing. The premise is strong at first but devolves into a chosen one cliche. The execution is merely passable. The creator clearly has a great sense of humor. In the early slice of life portions the premise is at once relatable and emotionaly impactful. Every new scene would get my hopes up again, something new perhaps, only to have some crippling flaw that ruined my enjoyment. At least it doesn't waste your time like a lot of point and click and RPGM games on the site. Worth your time if you really need to kill some and have absolutely nothing beter to do.

OIALT: It's got it all

Captivating story? Check. Memorable characters? Definitely. Brilliant humor? For sure. And, of course, what we all came for... absolutely sexy characters with an abundance of steamy, animated h-scenes? 1 0 0 %.

Caribdis has managed to skillfully produce a game that will take you on a roller coaster of emotions and definitely leave you hooked by the end. His attention to detail and passion for development shines brightly through in each chapter. This game may be called Once In A Lifetime, but it's definitely deserving of multiple play-throughs in your lifetime.

You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll wank... and you'll be wondering why you didn't start the game sooner.

Truly genre-defining. This game defines comedy/adventure in the same way Acting Lessons defined drama. Amazing story-telling and excellent pacing. A true masterpiece. And long live Stabby Mike.

One of the best game i ever play, good story line and humor, first time i ever seen funny while playing an adult game. Character modeling and and depict very good, they all so cute and beautiful but still sexy as hell, love the way Carla art style, Lauren and Judie is best kind of waifu we can love with. Iris also cute.
Hope to see more of breast tease/ be sucked scene cuz these made so well that better in action more than just for watch and traight to fuck
This game did so well, appreciate Caribdis 's works. Can't wait for new updates haha.

The dev is an unsung heroic master at creating charming, lifelike female lead characters. His girls actually have their own separate personalities, different from one another in very fun ways. The story itself is like a mystery/conspiracy novel, but spiced with tons of anime-style humour about the male protagonist. Who is goofy, relatable, and often hilariously non-chalant. I know the renders are only 8/10 maybe on first glance, but once you get into the game they will be 11/10 to you because you're so into the girl's personalities and character. They're very erotic because they seem to kinda "breathe" and have a lifelike glow to them, cute expressions going on on their faces.

One other amazing thing the dev does that almost no one else has in their games, is giving the girls consistent facial expressions and emotions during the sexy scenes. They do not suddenly turn into lifeless fuckdolls since now you have "unlocked teh sex scene, it's over", instead they will still be the girls you have come to know and love (mainly the MC's two sisters, but there are more to find). It's hard to explain why this is so great, but it adds a whole other level of hotness when done right.

As the story progresses, the girls wear diff. cute outfits that actually look like something SHE would pick to wear and go on adventures with the MC, it's adorable. The overall structure of the story is VN style, but the dev wants you to do multiple playthroughs because based on your choices, some paths "may" close, while others open up. There is no grinding at all involved, just story. Highly recommend this game to everybody, even though it doesn't take itself so seriously sometimes, it's definitely a once in a lifetime gaming experience.

Definitely a great game, when there's so many good reviews, you know it's not over-rated.

The humor is great, the plot is very interesting, and you actually play the game for the plot, and not for the "plot".

The sex scenes are good and there's a good amount of choices, although it's either you try go get everyone to like you, or you just mess up and have to go back to get the right path.

There aren't a huge amount of kinks though, well apart from the "step mom, step sisters,teacher" you don't have any hardcore kinks like there can be in other games.

All in all.

5/5 plot/story
5/5 humor/ athmosphere
4/5 renders
4/5 fappability


Props to the creator for making such a fantastic game, going to wait for new releases.

I've become emotionally invested to this game... have I hit rock bottom kek
Games require more than just scenes -- they need a well written out story to keep the audience engaged throughout the developer's story, and Caribdis has done just that. The game is near its end, but I continue to look forward to updates and to Caribdis's future projects!

It takes a genuine talent to write such stupid jokes over and over yet not have it feel annoying or forced, it's a legitimately funny game. The jokes also don't fully remove the somewhat unnerving atmosphere which creates an entertaining juxtaposition, the horror elements are kind of tame as everything is left pretty surface level but I suppose that's fine as the overall writing is far more entertaining than average.

My main gripe with this game is that there are very little actual conversations between the characters so the romance seems kinda weak especially towards the later half.