VN - Ren'Py - Pale Carnations [Ch.4 Up.5 Public] [Mutt & Jeff]

Pale Carnations is undoubtedly one of the best AVNs on the market. It easily earns S-tier in every aspect. To be honest, I typically steer clear of HS avns like the plague, but I decided to give this one a go because a friend highly recommended it. I'm so damn glad I gave it a shot, or else I would've missed out on this absolute gem.

Pale Carnations takes you on an emotional rollercoaster, eliciting disgust, sadness, hope, laughter, anger, lust, passion, and every feeling in between. It keeps you on your toes, delivering a compelling narrative with a darker, mature tone while maintaining elements of slice-of-life storytelling intertwined with debauchery. After reading the overview for PC for the first time, I initially had some concerns that it might be too intense even for my personal preferences. But now, I almost view Pale Carnations as the standard for what I truly desire to experience in AVNs. Trust me on this one and, at the very least, give it a try. You won’t be disappointed.

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One of the best games with BDSM themes here on F95.
An intriguing setup; really beautiful girls [HS assets done right!] with different personalities and back stories; fantastic writing; amazing bondage; even more amazing sex scenes; an MC whose personality (and relationships) can change a lot according to the player choices...
All this converges to make a great game and, what is better, excellent replayability, since you can "play" a very different story according to the choices you make along the way.

I have been burned too many times on "replayable" games filled with false choices where you see the same stuff over and over. However, my first play alone earned it 4 stars for how good the renders and writing were.

After 2 more plays it not only earned 5 stars, but my patreon support.

Wishlist: I always crave a wider experience vs a longer experience and could use more model variety for characters you can truly interact with. It isn't perfect but most of this is personal taste.

Kind of wild to imagine a lewd game would have much more depth and a more immersive story than most big story-driven AAA games out there. PC gets an S+ in story as well as in being a top tier game to get your rocks off. to Great writing, paired with great and memorable characters, choices that change that affect story and topped off with some of the best animated sexual scenes I've seen in any H game so ever.

Currently playing Ch. 4 Update 2 and I'm almost done with Chapter 2.
From the hundreds of VNs I've tried, this is in the top 5%.
For the below reasons I give this a 4.5 star rating.

+ Good, clear writing.

+ A unique setting and plot.

> I'm not a fan when there is lack of variety in the females.
Here all the females have big tits and tiny waists. Other than Veronica the gym rat who has big tits, smaller waist, but a six pack + other muscle definition; all the females basically look the same.

One of the splash screens upon game start has Mina and Hanna holding each other = they seem exactly the same model except for hair color and hair style.

+ The dialogue is good without feeling forced and if there is a witty remark it comes off nicely.

+ You can allow (or not) other males to hook up with the girls.

> The MC is not much of a stud but almost below average looking and he has a big dick...probably the most cliche part of this VN.

+ Sex scenes are not over and done int 3.7 seconds but can last a good amount.

+ Nice animations at different points.

OVERALL:
It's keeping my interest and I like the variety of kinks included.
It may be already included in Chapter 3 or 4, but now I'm hoping the MC has a bit of incest with his mom who has been single way too long...

Well, I rarely leave a review for a game, but there's always a first time for everything. I played this game somewhere around a year ago, I've decided to drop it for some time, cause it was too good. I was pretty damn sure it will eventually be abandoned like every other above mediocre game. Amateurs doing something like this? It will surely fail. Turns out, it doesn't and it's gotten even better. Chapeau bas to the game developers. I can actually list with one hand games on this level here. I regeret not supporting the devs before, they have my full support now and in the future. Because I hope they will continue to create games like this. This game is playing masterfully with my feelings, the renders are getting more insane with every update, the story is captivating and it's actually making me struggle with choices. Should I go GF route? What about the other options? This game's story is witty, not so obvious and engaging and it's making the sex scenes look a lot more authentical. That's the kind of game you can play 2-3 times just to see the difference in dialogues, cause they're so good it's worth it.

In my private ranking it should be around TOP 1-2 and I've played a lot, but that's a game that satisfies my sadistic urges and kudos for that!
I look forward to the new updates, devs just keep up the good work.

I never really leave reviews, most games that I have played on this site are mediocre to decent at best and are completely unremarkable. However, this game has captivated me like only one other game has (Starless: Nymphomaniac's Paradise by Empress, which I consider to be my all-time favorite eroge and if you enjoy this game then I'd definitely recommend playing that as well). This game is definitely not as wild as Starless, but it does draw a LOT of similarities which I consider to be a huge plus.

The characters are actually very well written, and each one attractive in their own way. There's not a single one that I do not like, looks or personality wise. Scenes are well rendered and well animated. There's no blatant misspellings or grammar mistakes that plague 90% of the games I've played from here. You are given a lot of choices, and for the most part they aren't just random dialogue changes with no purpose. Many decisions starting from the very beginning of the game actually matter and can alter your playthrough in a variety of ways. There is no grinding for stats or money, no shitty combat system, nothing stopping you from just playing and enjoying the story. There's a gallery to replay past scenes that lets you choose different branching paths that you may have missed the first time, or if you haven't unlocked the scene it gives you a hint on what you need to do to view it.

Just an absolute masterpiece of a game, and I will be supporting the devs which I have never done before. The literal only thing about this game that I can complain about is that it is not finished yet, which isn't even a real complaint. There is still a good amount of content for you to enjoy, and the story is developed enough to get you about halfway through to the end if I had to guess, which is enough to give each character a decent amount of plot development. If you're on the fence about playing this, then give it a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

The girls were amazing and the supporting cast weren't absolute idiots with no personality. I am honestly surprised with how high quality the expressions and animations were.
Some characters did look fairly screwed up face and hair wise but I imagine that was for effect.

What an absolute banger of a game!
Not going to be a long review, but this one nails everything down perfectly.

The writing is smart without being try-hard witty, the models are gorgeous. I don’t even like HS in the first place but damn! The focus on the girls orgasms, their expressions is what makes the real difference imo.

The scenes are always hot. Why? Because they’re creative! There’s such variety, tension, that even the more vanilla stuff is great. The scenes actually make most games on this site seems bland, unoriginal, and boring. Other devs should take a careful look at what Pale Carnations is doing right.

Pretty much perfection and justified as the second best AVN out there.

Graphics are *chef's kiss*, especially the lewd scenes.

Topic is sometimes dark, but handled in a beautiful way.

Really not that much to say other than play it. You will not regret that.

10/10

Not much else to say that other haven't. Easily one of the best games out there right now. The story and writing is top notch as are the renders. Some of the content isn't for everyone, and I'd probably say some of it isn't for me, but its always possible to avoid/skip and the quality makes it worth it.

I will start off by saying I did not enjoy playing this game very much - it is not uplifting, it deals with depressing topics, you see corruption/abuse/exploitation and only 1 of the 5 (6?) main girls feels like a proper romantic interest. It is heavy on genres I typically avoid when I play VNs. I found some scenes disgusting, others cruel and yet others just sad.

But despite this, I cannot give this game any less than 4/5 stars.

The character writing is probably the best you are going to find on this website. Everyone from the main character to the random patrons from the brothel feel like a real person. They are complex, have distinct personalities and have their own motivations - this is very different from a lot of VNs where characters feel one dimensional and have cardboard personalities. The renders use HoneySelect which has a very distinct look. However a lot of care and attention to detail has been put in them which even people who dont like how HoneySelect looks will be able to appreciate.

In terms of overall plot, this VN is very character heavy. It feels like a story of self discovery for the characters where the game asks what happens if you put this character in an extreme/depraved environment? How will they react? How will you as the player influence them? There seems to be hints pointing towards a greater overarching plot - something involving illegal drugs but that seems more like a background story than anything else at this point - maybe it will be expanded upon in the future. If you like character driven drama you will probably like this game. If you are looking for a grand overarching plot this game has very little of that right now.

If like me you are not into hardcore fetishes, sadism or exploitation this VN is a good starting point assuming you are looking for something different. Even if it turns out you dislike the themes you will still end up playing a high quality VN that is worth your time so I encourage you to at least give it a try. If you are into hardcore fetishes, prostitution etc you are probably going to love this VN - it is a work of very high quality.

Very good NV!!

There are a lot of erotic scenes and they are well integrated in the story.
The girls are very endearing and that's what makes the strength of this VN in my opinion.

Only weak point: Sometimes the dialogues are a little too long for the purpose of the conversations. The narration can sometimes be long.

But this VN still deserves 5 stars and I recommend it.

Version: Chapter 4 Update 2 Public

One of the best AVN I have ever played. Pale Carnations does an amazing job at excelling in pretty much all aspects of what makes an AVN great.

The writing for PC is amazing. They put a lot of thought and effort in giving the characters life and personality. The five LIs are the highlight of this. It is easy to to be captivated by any of the five LIs because they all have such unique personalities, motivations, and backstories. The MC does have his own backstory, but his life and personality is really something you develop with your choices throughout the story.

The design and art of the LIs all look beautiful too, each with their own distinct style. You definitely will not have trouble finding at least one LI that suits your taste. I do not know if it is related to honey select, but I have always found that the AVNs that use HS female models are able to show so much more facial expression if the artist chooses to do so, and this game definitely does. I love being able to see the LIs face change when you are interacting with them. These little things really help bring the character to life. The animated sex scenes are great too.
The males are basically what you expect from honey select models, they are okay, not the worst.

There is a good amount of content at the moment and it is definitely worth starting now. You can separate the five LIs into three groups:
1. Three LIs in the club competition
2. One LI related to the club
3. One LI outside the club (Mina)
Because the plot revolves around the club, you will find the most content + sexual content from 1 > 2 ≥ 3. Which can be a bit frustrating if your favorite LI is Mina, like me, cause she has the least overall content at the moment (still a good amount though).
Currently the MC has at least one sex scene (with penetration) with all LIs, except one LI in group 1.
You can enter a romantic relationship (BF/GF) with only one of the LIs at the moment.

The game has a lot of branching paths based on your choices and they are all well developed. It really makes you feel the impact of your decisions and gives the story life.

The story can get pretty dark, especially for the LIs in group 1. This game is probably not for you if you do not want to see them get degraded, humiliated, or worse. It was a real struggle for me to get through these parts because they did such a great job at developing the LIs' character and making me care for them. I do not think I could have gotten through this if the writing for their light/love path was not so damn good. They were able to find the perfect balance, where they offered just enough light/love to not let the dark parts consume you, while not offering you escape from it. This might be why I am so drawn to Mina's route. It is the brightest path, but is the light just hiding the darkness at the end? I hope not, because I really love Mina's character and route, but I will see it through to the end. This struggle and fear just shows how captivating the story and writing is.

So far, you can prevent the LIs from having sex with other males based on your choices (although there might be unmentioned off screen sex, as one LI is married and one has a boyfriend). Female (LI) on female (LI/Other) cannot be avoided for group 1 LIs and neither can their exhibitionism (sexual acts will be shown or performed to a crowd). There is also an unavoidable bukkake event for one of the LIs in group 1, based on your choices, but you do not have to watch it happen and can just skip the scene. If any of this bothers you, then you probably should not play this game.

Crab game hentai royale madness.

Okayish scenes, good dialogues (!!), poor music, game allows some choices that will lead to different scenarios (not very descriptive, but still), nice made characters by both lore and visual criteria (and thanks for not using koikatu), but the story is... something different. Really didn't want to continue it nor to see what will happen, it's crazy.

It's very confusing to rate and I probably should not even rate something I'm not into, but yeah. Didn't get out of 5, not for everyone. Searching for something new you should be careful what you wish for.

Pale Carnations is the best AVN I have played to date. The writing and visuals are both top tier in quality and combine to keep the player completely engaged in their playthrough.

First, the writing. Characters are at the heart of my enjoyment of a visual novel. In PC every character comes into the story with personality, history, and motivation. None of them are static. They are depicted well, with their traits, inclinations and motivations shown through action in scene rather than exposition. The MC's narrative helps to frame both what's going on in the scene as well as make the MC sympathetic to the reader.

The scenes are well thought out with the characters motivations creating natural conflict and subtext for the reader to engage with. There is very little wasted screen time, which is unusual in an AVN. The pacing of the scenes - from sex, to setup, to tension, to payoff - is done remarkably well; this is the first VN I've read where I never felt a lagging of my interest at a slower part. The lewd scenes are easily the best written you'll find on F95.

The branching elements allow the player to tailor their experience to their MC - in the first date scene alone there are a number of endings to the night and they all path back into the main narrative.

Second, the visuals. The characters all have very specific looks, from their model, clothes, and even down to their expressions, making them feel very alive as the story progresses. The way Chuck laughs or smiles is not the same way Hana or even Ian does. The posing is fantastic: detailed, drawing the eye, and perfectly showing what the character is doing or experiencing, the posing keeps you engaged and constantly comparing it to what's been said.

The various scenes have details in the background, placed with care and an eye toward composition. These, combined with the camera angles, bring a lot of emotion and information to the reader, keeping you paying attention instead of tuning them out. The girls are also a constant focus, with the blocking and framing doing a good job of showing what we're all here for. When you're playing PC you will feel like you're watching a movie, that's how engaged the visuals get you.

The tone of the novel presented by the writing and visuals is matched by a simple, clean UI (the notification sound is dope) and musical score. It does so many things at a high level that the overall experience is unique.

If you're here reading reviews and you're on the fence about playing, play the damn game. You won't regret it, even if the story does not seem to be your normal fare.

This game is the best AVN game I have ever played. I have played almost all the well know AVN's out there and I am awestruck with the character depth this game provides. The writing is like a well written novel, the choices are vast, the scenes are top notch, wide variety of genres, highly lovable characters, there's nothing done wrong with this one. The devs of this game knows what they doing and man are they doing a great job at it.

Holy shit this game has beaten all my expectations. This is truly a gem. The effort put in this game is insane, all hats off to the creator ffs.

The story is well written, characters are magnificent, graphics and animations are top tier, the possibility to change the game with own choices makes the player hella invested into the plot

Even tho it might be kinda wicked for some ppl it still provides some good vanilla shit. The game is totally worth playing.

I would kiss creator's hands for this masterpiece.

One of the best games I ever played. The art and character designs are nice. The scenes and animations are fantastic. The sadism angle is what I played the game for and it does not let down. Looking forward to upcoming updates.

This is..damn, I've been sleeping on it. If you are like me, and feel it's too early to check out a game only 4 chapters in - well, don't. It's easily hours of content already, especially if you check out different choices(there are plenty of meaningful ones, but writing is good enough that even checking out flavor-based options is worth it).

As opposed to lot of other games, which give you bunch of render numbers or lines coded, only to boil down to 1 or 2 in-game day with 15 minutes of gameplay, chapters in this one are plenty juicy, structured around main theme of the game - exhibition weeks.
The amount of scenes only becomes bigger, as amount of meaningful characters grows and relationships deepen, which is bittersweet - slower updates, but more impactful events and branching happening.

Anyway, what surprised me the most is how strong and believable writing is :
this is not another fantasy escapism hero journey story, no-brainer harem romp trying to hide shallow foundation under tsunami of sex, or tired mafia/criminal world drama.

This is more about exploring the depths of human psyche, and the effects of power, money and sex on it. The story about "nobody" stepping into the whirpool and learning to swim on merits of his own convictions and darker impulses stewing within (heh, my pale attempt to give credit where it's due).