VN - Ren'Py - Pale Carnations [Ch. 4 Up 4 Public] [Mutt & Jeff]

Wow.... I seriously did not anticipate how much I would love this game. The writing is fantastic. The art is top notch for CG and deliciously hot. The sex is steamy, intense, pushes the lines of taboo (I wouldn't be opposed to them being pushed further, especially with some incest added in, or more) but at the same time you get an actual feeling for the characters. Even if you try to play a bastard you can't help but emphasise with the characters, they feel real. Even the bit ones. Gameplay.. It's a VN, few choices that matter, but I'm actually curious to go back and see what some other psths would've done. And again, it's gripping enough that I actually did not pay attention to this just being a VN, it didn't feel like those renpy games where eventually you are just clicking past dialog fast as you can fit Something, anything interesting to happen. Yup, now supporting this on Patreon, best I can in the current economy and with trying to support so many awesome folks

While the theme is not my cup of tea, I can appreciate the fact that the game is different from a lot of things here.

-The English is very good and like the pompous feeling it gives.
-While the renders are honey select, which I'm not a fan of, since they aren't stock and clearly hard work was put into it, I appreciate those unlike many other games.
-The lack of animations is not a problem, I'd rather not have them and have good descriptions of the action than to have 2 frames animations that repeat a couple of times. Plus the stock HS animations are fairly vanilla, which wouldn't really fit with the setting of this game.

And the updates have a lot of contents.

Like I mentioned before, it's not my cup of tea but for what the story is, it does it really well, so I have no problem giving this a good rating.

Its an okay game in many ways.
Okay dialog, but you really need to just go with it and dont question a lot in the story.
Its a focus on the sex part kinda game.
Models are cute, but not new, but at least they have distinct personalities.
All of them have huge knockers tho, and similar bodies.
And its a Honey Select game, so you need to be okay with those kinds of models.

The really BAD part is the lack of animations tho, there is only 1 super simple one in the game, and thats in hours of content, and a lot of sex scenes already. (ch 2 u1)
I honestly dont understand how you can make a Honey Select game and not have animations.
It feels like a huge miss tbh to not have animations, and just lazy 1/2/1/2/1/2... shifting of 2 frames to "simulate" animations.
Like even basic demos that goes no where but 1 short update, have animations with Honey Select.

A game that focuses on the sex part and not a super deep story, needs to do that sex part well, and not having animations makes it just fall flat.
Some games with really good renders/models (that are not Honey Select) can pull it off with no animations, but not a Honey Select game that has such similar body types and faces we all seen before, as this one have.
The angles in the sexscenes are poor also.

If this game had some good animations, it would be a solid 4, maybe 4.5 but with out animations a 3 tbh.

I adore this VN for so many reasons, where do I start?

The scenery in this VN seems more varied than from others. I'm seeing significantly less regularly used assets in background choices, which I love. The characters have have a more eastern influence in their design which is a pleasant change of pace from most 3DCG; it adds a bit of color to a VN to try something less common.

This VN makes a comprehensive use of transitions between scene changes. It's not greatly varied in the prologue, and a handful of the transitions seem a little sudden. The scene transitions were a little meh during the prologue, but the Week 1 content saw the transition game hit a whole other level. I usually don't even see the level of transitions found in the prologue in most VNs (aside from dissolve, that one's a regular), but those from Week 1? Yeah, that gets props in the review.

The level of English presented by this developer seems more advanced than the average developer's work. I rarely have trouble reading through what is going on in any author's work, otherwise I wouldn't be here following this particular art... but it's rather common to come across work where the writer is not thoroughly fluent, something I am okay with mind you; how many of us truly are? So I gladly say it is refreshing to not come across language that forces my brain to a crashing halt for a rethink and reset once in a while.

The work to date has terrific music that is for most scenes thematically on point. In fact I've only really noticed one scene where the music didn't really fit the scene, though that had less to do with the scene and more to do with the feelings of cold sobriety that the music have already come to evoke from previous scenes. That same piece has already been used in scenes with two other characters who either are currently or have previously gone through very similar hardships to one another (no spoilers here), building the Moonlight Sonata's 1st Mvt as a sort of leitmotif for their particular archetype... and its use in scene with this third character who seems almost diametrically opposite of said archetype is somewhat jarring. If I were asked (I know I wasn't, but hypothetically) for an alternate recommendation, I'd suggest the Clair de Lune by Debussy; it has a similarly soft sound that fits the scene well, but isn't quite as somber (which also fits the scene well). That said, ignore my pithy musings. This VN has music, which is better than I daresay 90% of the offerings.

5-star work. Keep it up.

This game is something special. But be warned, at it's core is a sex club that deals heavily with prostitution. If seeing girls having sex with people other than yourself upsets your fragile sensibilities then this game might not be for you. If you decide not the play it because you only play harem games, then you are missing out on one of the best written VN adult games in current development.

The Good

- The story is unique, well crafted and very adult. Characters are unique and interesting, all with their own motivations and back story.
- You can play the MC as a mature, thoughtful young adult or as an atypical pervert you see in most porn games. You can assign the MC different personalities which gives a little rpg to the game and a degree of replay-ability.
- All the girls are gorgeous with deep and interesting personalities. Some may be more than they first appear....
- The game can be both very dark and very humorous. Don't go into this game looking for your typical juvenile porn tropes, this game is well crafted and exceptionally written.
- This game takes you out of your comfort zone, especially if you decide to pursue a relationship with a 'Carnation'. This was a very bold decision by the developer and it has definitely paid off.

The Bad

- It requires a certain suspension of disbelief that some of the Carnations would willingly submit themselves to such humiliation and depravity for reasons that don't quite stack up. The important thing to remember is they are all willing, there is no coerced sex or rape here. If there was, I probably wouldn't be playing it. Despite that, it is still very dark at times and made me a little uncomfortable.

- It suffers from the typical Honey Select art style limitations, but it still looks visually gorgeous and is a cut above most HS games.

The Ugly

- Navigating the options menu isn't intuitive, as there doesn't seem to be a return button that I could see after saving or checking the bios.

Overall, this game is amazing. It may not be for everybody, but if you are mentally mature enough to accept some of the themes then you are in for something special. There is a lot of content, so it won't be a quick play through. At no stage is it slow or boring, and it's never dragged down with filler content. I was so impressed with this game after the second chapter that I became a Patreon member, and it takes a special game for me to do that these days.

Category: Visual Novel
Version: Ch. 2
Visual novel/Script: 5+
Gaming experience: 3 (nice for a visual novel)
Graphic quality: 5
Character development: 5+
Xcitement: 5+

Complex story with good and deep background. Though it is a visual novel, have a lot of different options and paths with the different characters with a possible outcome in the future. A good base for a great Novel.
The only upgrade i can imagine so far, is to turn it into a video game with sandbox (a boy can dream). Very good work!

Played: Ch,2 p1.
Really interesting story, so far the plot is not very serious, but the seeds are there, and im waiting to explore more about the girls real motivations.
The game has a lot of Kinks so far.. so make sure its your kind of thing before you get to it blindly.
Girls are a 10/10
Cant say much so far, just try the game yourself, im looking forward for the next content update and dig more into this rabbit hole of non-moral things that are about to happen inside the Carnations club.

5-star rating for sure. One of the most beautifully written adult game I've ever played. Despite the confronting setting of the game (prositution) that I don't normally go for, I quickly fell in love with this game. This is prime example of how a well-written game could push me outside my comfort zone and still very much enjoy the experience.

The characters feel so alive that I can't help but be extremely invested into their lives. I want to know more about each and every character in the game. I want to know more about their stories. I want to know more why they are who they are, and how I can be a part of their lives. That's how good the writing is. I can't help but becoming a fan of this game.

This game is off to a very promising start. Excellent writing, great renders, engaging characters, interesting story. Very excited to see where this one goes. The chance to interact with the various "Carnations" means the game has a lot of chances to go in very interesting ways. Highly recommend trying this out

Love the art, love the story. It makes me keep wanting to play the game through again even when I know the outcome to all the decisions. I could just sit around and enjoy this game adult material aside. Definitely gonna keep an eye on these devs and support their work. Looking foreward to this games completion, and any futere projects they may have.

Everyone has pretty much already said what I was thinking about this game. The phenomenal Writing, the excellent characters, the unique HS Models, everything about this game is just amazing. There are few AVNs that come around and make you enjoy things you know you shouldn't, this game is one of them. Much like the character in-game, you the player will go through extreme, carnal situations. Situations that may be uncomfortable. Will you embrace or reject your baser urges? It's all up to you.

In short. if you want a new game to play, and aren't afraid to explore themes that may have you question yourself. I highly recommend this Gem of a game.

Other Devs take notes. If this dev ends up updating on a frequent basis this will be the best kink game ever made. If you're into vanilla there is only one girl and even she is getting D'd down by your friend. You know, just like real life there aren't many 20 to 30 something year old virgins. MC is also not a virgin or a creep. In fact, you pretty choose his traits in unique Skyrim/Mass Effect kind of way.

CONS
- NTR is unavoidable although it totally makes sense for the PLOT.
- Mom is involved in NTR and thats normally a No-Go for me but she's so sweet and well written I'll let it slide as long we get a chance to give her some REAL affection.

Chapter 2

The quality of this work is amazing, the writing beautiful and emotionally heavy at times; making you actually care for the characters and every line of text that is delivered to you. The fresh air of change from vanilla oriented games, at this quality level, is a rare sight, but a highly welcome one.

Version 0.2:

Normally I wait until at least the 0.3 version, but this game has so much content in its first two updates, you can already say something about it.

For a HS (I guess from the look) game it looks really good, the girls offer something for almost every taste and all have character.

The story is interesting and solidly built and unfolds with a pleasant pace. The writing style is solid and I only noticed a few spelling mistakes.

I'm not sure how much the choices will have an effect, but at least when you play the first game they feel good enough so far. It remains to be seen whether they will have a stronger or weaker effect as the game progresses.

Overall this is a really good game and feels well thought out and executed. I am looking forward to the next update.

This game is really great.
Bad thing first :The only bug i found was 2 times in text names was wrong but was in 2-way discussion so i could tell that the other person talked.

Good is everything
I dont know how to do rating messages so apologies if is weirdly formatted .
I usually get the idea of the plot and skip thru a lot of dialogues.
However seeing the comments made me actually try understanding the story.
So im saying this to let anyone know, the story is amazing, the way we are presented with people and their thinking seems natural for some reason.
The story flows so good and it has appointed days and events in advance, said by the characters . Its like established and planned by the author and you you have an idea how the story goes.But is interesting cuz u dont understand what is to come . It is such a fine line of telling you what the situation is and what is going on and still put you in position to change stuff around by your decision and how you want to behave in the situation presented.
A lot of opportunities to do the "deed" . Many images too. Great content.
The game is supposed to be "young" but has so much content already, and even more the choices matter already.You can find different interactions with the characters and how they perceive you, i do not know where it all leads in the end but it already gave me a desire to want to have multiple saves for the actions i can do with different people.
Is just like reality, you can choose your actions and who you are spending your time with, and you see result of that.
Im sry if i sound like i play for first time such game, it just came so nicely to me.
The renders are good , i feel like they can improve but no complaint of anything bad.I like the effort put on the girls body and esp expressions they make sometimes , feels nice.
The writing is kind of the same story i think(?),the story specific for writing and how the interactions are, is quite realistic.
That more, i found myself reflecting on the situation given and trying to think of my morales and what i think of whats going on( just like the main guy).
There is a replay section too, which is great to have.
A lot of music too, there is a list and like a player thingy you can use to listen to .
As conclusion: I recommend playing this game, is great experience. If it keeps going this way is gonna be a masterpiece !
5/5

Man, people keep saying that the writing is excellent, and they're not wrong. This is the kind of game I could play even when I'm not horny, the characters are detailed and varied and the models look great (though maybe some work could be done on Veronica's abs if I'm going to be a real stickler).

I honestly love this game, I don't know if I could write better myself, and that is what I pride myself on.

Awesome game, with huge updates and nice moving story. Nothing like I've seen anywhere else. I'd say the only the quality of pictures is a bit low.
I hope developers could keep the same pace.
Thank you!

Wanted to Thank You, guys for sharing this game with us. I spent about 4-5 hours playing it, and i get so much pleasure. At the beginning, to be honest i was sceptic about this game - because this type of renders not in my taste range. But 10 minutes later after beginning i i was completely involved in it. Superb story and gameplay. Very interesting, subtle, and various characters. Thank You very much! Wish You to finish this project and evth You planned. You're extremely good it it
The Best and Warmest Regards,

This game is a perfect example of how really good writing can elevate a really good game to a GREAT game. Even without the immersive story and character building / development, I would probably rank this game fairly high, due to the gorgeous renders, way above average HS models I think. However this game has a story that grows on you. My opinions of the characters changed universally thanks to the character building. I started off (as most probably do) really only liking Mina and Hana. But after interacting more with the other girls (mostly Felicia, and even Veronica) I have to admit I like them as well. That for me is the sign of a good story, when I become emotionally involved in the characters. This game is in my top 5 on F95. I friggan love it!

I'm going to try and keep this simple and sweet but over anything else, I want to encourage people on the fence to try this game!

The biggest con I want to say right up front for me - to get it out of the way - was first seeing the male protagonist, because I have seen him in other games so I initially groaned at this discovery. And most other games I have played with this same male were games I would rather forget for the most part so I already had some negative associations with his face so to speak. I'm also a female, so all things being equal, I'd like the male character to be really hot! (he's...ok...the dev used the word passable in the game...that's the perfect word)

But I quickly turned around on the game. Why?

The writing and atmosphere really sucked me in, and in particular, the characters appear to have very thought out and delineated personalities and narrative arcs planned for the game. I love protagonists that have to deal with choices that deal with real inner conflict and one's own morality. This is very much the case here with a protagonist that initially is a classic fish out of water and he finds himself in a new and unfamiliar environment where all of a sudden certain degrees of power are readily available. What would one do in this kind of environment? Give in to one's baser desires and go all in with this new reality? Or perhaps walk off into the sunset at the end with one true love? Or so many possibilities between that?

The two updates are HUGE. Like 3700 images! Seriously, how many devs working on a game for 1...2...YEARS don't have this much content. I think the girls look great, I am pretty sure men will agree with my assessment on this one. There are lot of choices that have real impact and different scenes so you can play it again and see what you missed.

I'm not totally into some of the sex scenes that I predict are coming, but I think a particular scene with the protagonist and four females will make a lot of men happy.

From my perspective, my favorite sex scene was the male in a bathroom err picking up a women with great force and being a little strong, I don't mind that, hee hee.

I'm really not great at writing reviews as I overthink everything, so let me just boil it down to saying that this is one of my favorite games on this site, and this is coming from a woman who really wouldn't necessarily be into the fetishes in this game so easily. I hope people try it, that's it!