VN - Ren'Py - Our Red String [Ch.13.3.6] [Eva Kiss]

Eva Kiss is two-for-two so far, knocking it out of the park with the infamous Good Girl Gone Bad and now with Our Red String.
This game surpasses basically any h game I've played up to this point, it's hard to even compare it to them. Not to mention the game's not even done.
Pros:
+ Art style is incredible, you can tell Eva Kiss has been improving on their skills and it shows with this project
+ Story has many choices and will have tons of content to replay. Just from chapter 9 alone, I could replay the story 4 or 5 times. I probably will as well.
+ Characters are actually interesting and believable, and dialogue is genuinely interesting and changes even with the slightly different choices you can make.
+ Disliked kinks/fetishes can be avoided entirely. Personally, a problem I have with most H games is unavoidable anal (I know it's weird but it's a turn off for me), and this game seems to give you full control over that, as well as things such as ntr and lesbian.
+ The idea of switching between 2 characters isn't new, but this is the only game I know that has it almost perfect.
+++ There isn't any annoying ads or things locked behind a paywall. Eva Kiss will be the first ever creator I'm going to sub to on patreon for this reason. They're humble and just make quality games.
Cons:
- In very small instances, the game will bug out in typical Ren'Py fashion, specifically in gallery mode, but it's very limited and I'm sure it will be fixed.
Suggestions:

• The only thing I can suggest to Eva Kiss is to potentially add more sfx to the sex scenes. The moans and other sounds are great, but I just wish they weren't limited to be heard during one dialogue box, but instead, was continuous throughout the scene. Within reason of course.

Couldn't recommend this game enough, it's accessible, open to many people with many tastes, and the creator is worth supporting.

Completed my first full play through up to the end of Chapter 9 and thought the game was really really addictive engaging. This is the first game I have played where you switch protagonists at various points (weekly). Making decisions with equal consequence for both Ian and Lena, who find their paths converging having lived separate but in many ways similar pasts.

I found myself having empathy and whilst I tend to play these games with a slightly devilish mindset, I almost instinctively tended towards those decisions that were to their long term benefit.

A degree of 'fate' is always a reality in this genre of game but there were more than enough choice to genuinely shape each characters path and I will probably replay the game from an early save point to see how much I can divert the MC's after a second play through. The writing and characterisation is first class. The characters are real and relatable for me.

The males more diverse in terms of age and shape, the women somewhat more homogeneous in that they are all slim or relatively slim and pretty (which is how I like it). However the character personalities covered a fairly broad spectrum, from energetic and out going to introverted and subdued. Equally there are a fair share of decent and shady characters, with decisions that will bring those characters closer to you, or create distance should you feel suitably repulsed by them.
In my first play through I had both characters reach points where their life was starting to change and it will be interesting to see how Eva Kiss takes their respective stories and develops them. I certainly hope, like I have read elsewhere that there are 20 or more chapters planned.
I particularly liked Lena's pathway and I'm genuinely excited to see how the story develops for her. That said, I found directing Ian fun and engaging, in slightly different ways but enjoyable nonetheless.

If you haven't played it, you should. Our Red String is definitely in a top list of 5 games currently in development. I didn't expect it to be quite that good, but it most certainly is. Loved it!

Ever since I discovered my first adult VN about two years ago I've been completely addicted to them. I've played hundreds. Some good some not so good and most of them just terrible. This is one of the good ones, and quite possibly the best VN I have played. It has everything you could want in a mostly vanilla VN minus animations. The art and writing is amazing, the characters for the most part are excellent, the sound and music is great and the erotic scenes are fantastic. Much like EvaKiss' first VN Good girl gone bad there are a ton of choices to make that all have meaningful consequences that drastically change the story which gives it a ton of replayability. The game so far as of writing this is quite long and I have never felt like skipping through any dialog even once which is rare for me. Something else I can say about the characters and writing that stuck out to me that I didn't realize until after playing through the game so far is that in most VN' that I've played I usually make choices that corrupt the main female character or MC the most in an attempt to make them as ruined and slutty, corrupt etc as possible. I didn't do that in this one because I actually cared about the characters and what was happening to them. This is because they seem like real people that I can relate to. The art and dialog capture emotions and fears and humanity in a way that no other VN can do from what I've seen so far. I genuinely cared for Ian, Lena and some of the other characters and I wanted the best for them.

To sum it all up, this VN is a masterclass and should not be missed by anyone that appreciates excellent writing, characters and art.

I thought long and hard whether I should give this game a 5* rating, and frankly, there would be nothing wrong with it since the developer invests a lot of time in beautiful drawings, intimate relationships and a grown-up approach to themes like love, betrayal and temptation. I just wish it wasn't so much like it's predecessor. I know it's a proven formula and it's tempting to stick with it, but there is an entire perfect game that covers this for me. The positive ratings prove the developer right I guess and I see that there is serious effort to give it a different spin. But overall, it's also much of the same and there are scenes where I know exactly what to expect and get exactly what I expected, because it is from the same playbook as Good Girl Gone Bad. It's a good experience, don't get me wrong, I just wish it would be more of its own thing.

As much as I enjoyed the previous GGGB game, this feels far more messy. As interesting as seeing two coins of every character is through duo character perspective, it feels strange constantly jumping from one shoes into another, especially when you end up dating yourself.

In a way the corruption is there, while people complain it is unavoidable I feel like it is too mild and doesn't make much of a difference. In the story nothing hit hard on either good or bad side of the spectrum, it just seems like a more casual drama game than the previous. So if you are looking for that it might be for you.

The writing itself is good, art is stylish, I'm curious to see what the next project is after this one wraps up with the current version being 0.9.

0.9 Final Review

*SPOILERS*

The Good:

- Hand-drawn art is amazing.
- Writing is solid, particularly during sex scenes. The dialogue is mostly believable.
- Compelling plot.
- Great job on creating multiple branching narratives.
- Choices are meaningful and have impact on the plot.

The Bad:

- Ian and Lena's chemistry is not quite there for me to believe that they are connected by a "red string". Idk, it's may be a completely subjective thing, but I felt there was more chemistry between the two and other characters than each other.
- Lena's relationship with Robert is not believable.
- The animations are two images cycling. Instead of that, I'd prefer more still images of the sex scenes.
- Everyone has giant dicks that look the same. It'd be cool to see more of a variety of shapes and sizes. Same with vagina and asshole variations.
- Every chapter there's a moment of self-reflection for Ian and Lena while they process events that happened. This breaks the immersion because sometimes Lena or Ian will have something horrible happen to them and they're all anxious about it, and then they reflect on something good and they're all happy about it. It feels kind of jerky.

Suggestions:

- Would be great if Eva added more unique sound effects, particularly moans and looping audio during sex. For me, half of the eroticism of sex is what I hear.
- I'm super into the Minerva relationship. Banging your married boss has always been a huge fantasy of mine. Would be awesome if Ian cucked her husband. Would love to see a full Minerva love route.
- I would love the option to cuckold Perry if you're Ian and Stan if you're Lena.
- It would be cool to have an option not to hook up with Lena at all.
- Gillian is Chekhov's gun. I hope she shows up later and is a love route option.
- It got on my damn nerves listening to Lena whine about Ian hooking up with Holly after Lena gave head/handjob to Jeremy at the after-party.
- Would really like to see a Jessica route for Ian.

Eva Kiss is creating something really special here. They've proven that they're the monarch of adult visual novels. Our Red String is a must play if you're a filthy bastard like me.

Another banger by Eva Kiss, basically everything good about GGGB made even better. Now with more gameplay and an interesting new mechanic. Probably the best in the hand drawn art style, and incredible story telling too.

v0.9 Final

An incredibly well-crafted VN. The story is about two different POV characters, Ian and Lena, and their struggles in working through young adulthood. All the characters have strong personalities, motivations and wants, and character arcs are playing out. The choices all seem really impactful and get referenced throughout the story. There is a lot of content right now, it's a good game to play and spread out lots of breaks throughout. I really liked the art, and thought the sexual content was really hot. I just felt like at the end I really knew all the characters and had become a part of their lives for a while. A new favorite of mine.

Great game. Many choice and affect the story so make it worth to play again. Good character design but voice isn't good yet. Should have minigame like real snooker or something. The progress about skill is not showing right .

I just finished the available content:

I have to say, this game is pretty good. It shoehorns a certain type of behavior and isnt the most pleasant experience to "ride" if you are looking for a nice romance or two, but it is enjoyable.

Character art is great, Ian is a massive chad and Lena is adorable. I don't how the author continually used Ivy as a way to keep retroactvely changing Lena's past, adding more and more baggage to it, but I guess it's fine. You can ignore it pretty easily.

Either way, it seems very difficult to avoid corruption in this game. If its not Ian or Lena, it's Holly through Ivy, Alison or Emma through Jeremy, Cindy through Axel. I liked it better in GGGB, since you had full control and you could voluntarily go for the Corruption Route with the right mindset and enjoy it completely. In fact, some of my favourite routes were Corrupt in GGGB. But in ORS it seems like there isn't a way to avoid it, which is a shame.

There was an option to have an Open Relationship with Lena after all. But it required her being with Robert, Mike, or Louise. I don't really like that, as far as it might seem, since I don't like either of those people. They don't fit well with Lena (at least my Lena).

I'm hoping for a change in this in the future. It seems greedy from my part, but I really would like to have a serious relationship with Lena and Cindy. If not possible with both, at least have Cindy on the side.

Either way, Eva is a great dev. This game is great and is Top 5 or 6 in my short list of this site.

The only reason I don't give it the full 5 out of 5 is because it isn't finished and because I'm still holding on to hope that the two best girls will end up with Ian in the end.

Looking forward for the future.

The game is almost perfect. Great art. Great writing. Meaningful choices.

Dating sims are my favorite sub-genre and this one delivers a really great experience. I really like the 2 MC twist, compared to GGGB, but both are equally fantastic games by Eva Kiss and two of my favorite AVNs out there.

10/10. Will play any and all games by Eva Kiss.

One of the best game on the site.

I was a huge fan of EvaKiss' other game GoodGirlGoneBad and this might be even better than GGGB.
Unique/real characters. Good writing/story. Meaningfull choices.
The approach of relationships/drugs etc. just feels realistic which makes the game really good.

Update Period: ~6 months per big update/none for small
Play time - Total/Big update/Small update: 3 hours/30 minutes/-
Frequency of play: Every big update
Update type: Continuation of all stories, as this is a linear VN
Opinion on updates: Pretty good for a game like this, but the last 7 month one was a bit too long compared to previous ones
Personal notes: I wait for walkthrough/walkthrough mod to update and release and tend to skip through convos in general. I have 2 saves for 2 different playthroughs that I keep

When playing the previous game from Eva Kiss (Good Girl Gone Bad), I instantly loved the style of the narration and artworks. However, I struggled to relate to the female main character. Luckily, developers implemented two MCs this time and it is just great! You can expect that every decision counts and will alter your game experience. Characters are believable and you really want to know how the story and the characters will evolve. As the choices you make really lead to very different story lines, the game is replayable several times and you will still get new things to see (if you choose differently than before, of course). I also like the looks of the game, as all artworks are made with a lot of love and care and details. I absolutely recommend to try it out!

TL/DR Wonderful writing, stat system, and interconnections hindered by a sexually unappealing / pathetically small male MC and a lack of meaningful non-corruption content on the female MC.

Chapter 10 update: Ian's content remains flaccid and he looks pathetic. The best scene content is used to cuck him. He is barely a main character in the story. His art is used interchangeably with other 'average men.' Hollys content continues to be focused on corruption and we had little to no movement on anything that could be considered exciting for Ian. If you wanna play a generic female corruption game this is it. If you wanna feel good about the male protagonist or have an enjoyable time from his POV move along- he is designed to be a pathetic cuckold and his content focuses on that. He gets maybe 2 or 3 good scenes a release.

Pros:
~Holly redeems it a lot for me. She is the true gem / beauty of the series; no corruption added- she is perfect just the way she is. In fact, I will be very sad if she doesn't put her foot down at some point on her corruption route. Its so sad to watch a beautiful person like her get corrupted.
~Writing is fantastically immersive
~Characters motivations are mostly realistic and believable
~Stat gain system is interactive and interesting.
~Plot on the male side of the game is great.
~Really well written scenes.

Cons:
~ The male lead character is the the smallest, least well endowed, and least buff / physically attractive on the roster of males in the game (with the exception of Perry). It is very hard to self identify with such a tiny man-child. While the love vibes in many of his scenes are the best sexual energy in the game, he is so woefully pathetic looking that it is still very difficult to find his scenes hot at all- despite it being the content in the game I enjoy the most narratively.
~Almost every male character in the game is abusive / manipulative / horrible- more or less designed to try to sublimate the female lead.
~If you don't like corruption content playing as the female lead is a very flat experience - she does not fill her extra free time with self-empowerment or other content. Her route is just barren.
~There is more route content that I am disinterested in than that I am interested in.
~ Approximately 50% of corruption path Lena's decisions seemed to directly contradict her characterization
~ There aren't very many Lesbian routes.
~The 3 super-bull steal your girl antagonists in the game are walking stereotypes.
~lack of narrative consequences for NPCs who are being assholes.
~Lack of narrative consequences for when Lena is being a Hypocrite.

At first I was a bit concerned by the art style, as I usually like drawings that feel unique to the artist, and, well, I find those a bit dull.
And that will be the only criticism I'll have to tell, because it's simply the best adult game I've played. The writing is astonishing, and the story is really nice. Enjoy !

At first i was skeptical about male protagonist (because you know, man struggle have at least one sexual relationship not five simultaneously)
but Eva Kiss ingenious patches up plot hole with alcohol and witty charisma. and it worked, at least not cringe. Maybe because Ian don't fuck mother and sister and they not his sex slave or maybe Eva Kiss have talent and probably some experience in real life unlike other writers adult novels

a fly in the ointment:
I hope next updates bring hardcore fetish (f2m rimjob for example) but i understand fetish not good for "vanilla" story and i grateful for "vanilla" story without supernatural.
Holly feels odd. She is young petite redhead and successful writer. struggling to have relationship WTF but honestly i don't read her explanation.

P.S. Sorry for terrible English and terrible opinion

I was a huge fan of EvaKiss' other game; GGGB, so I was very excited to check this one out, and it has not disappointed thus far.

I really like both MCs; Lena and Ian, and I dig the whole "switching perspectives" thing. If not done well, it could be jarring for the player, but don't worry hypothetical player, you're in good hands, as Eva handles it perfectly.

The art style is so refreshing and is a noted step up from GGGB.

The sex scenes are very hot, especially the ones with Cindy, because I'm a major simp for her.

Speaking of, I really enjoy all of the supporting characters aside from Jeremy who kinda plays into a cliche trope too heavily for my liking, but it's not a deal breaker or anything.

As I touched on, I really like Cindy. The "forbidden fruit" dynamic between her and Ian is so fuckin spicy and well done. Makes me want to chase her and only her honestly.

Lena's scenes with her collective roommates are all super sexy as well, between the dom stuff with Louise and the teasing of Stan, it's hard to not get...hard.

I'd also like to note the creative DMT trip scene, I love meta shit like that. Gave me big Doki Doki Lit Club vibes.

Overall, Evakiss has fucking nailed it so far with this one. Great job again, Eva.

5*

v0.9

Good :
- Great artworks
- Excellent writtings
- Meaningfull choices
- Many options and branches
- Each girl has a unique personality that will suit every tastes
- Holly is the most adorable character i've ever seen in a VN
- Intimate scenes are perfectly brought out and realistic
- Male / Woman protagonist
- A lot of romance
- Cheats available

Bad :
- You can't change the protagonist's names

This is a very good. I wish i could play as Jeremy! The female mc is hot but the male mc is kinda bleh looking. The writing is good and LI's are good. Music is VERY good. Suprising even... I really wanted to play as Jeremy.