Ren'Py - Abandoned - Patronus [v3.2.72 Final] [DVE Games]

Honestly, I really want to like Patronus. The game has a unique aesthetic, incredible art, decent writing, and a vision of real gameplay to be invested in beyond just the porn. But the game is flawed. Deeply. The initial grind is brutal, taking weeks of in-game time, all the while draining your resources and patience, and the minigame that allows you to skip this is not only repetitive, but generally unpleasant. Actually playing the minigame makes the player out to be brutal and impatient, and given the dev's comments, it almost seems like a middle finger to critics. "If you don't want to grind, be an asshole and play the minigame. If you don't want to be an asshole, then deal with the grind."

I'll be following development to see how the game changes, but it's hard to recommend it as is.

An extremely buggy, unfocused shell of a game. Nothing works, lots of crashes, it would be generous to suggest there's much potential here (the art is fine for basic cutout standing figures, scenes not so much)

The user interface for a daily schedule is clumsy and tedious (making basic 'travel to x' actions needlessly complex). The dialogue feels the need to tell you basic instructions twice, sometimes three times. It's a chore to (try to) play.