VN - Ren'Py - Ripples [v0.8.0 Public] [Jestur]

Time travel in general has always been a fun read for me. I suppose the draw is that we all would like to have a "Mulligan" ( a second chance to perform an action, usually after the first chance went wrong ). The story is engaging and leaves you wanting more when it ends (cliff hanger). Kudos to the developer(s), I'll continue following the story as new releases come available.

This is a story-first sci-fi AVN. It's paced how the player wants, and there appears to be no real forcing of replay (though you might want to because the story is solid).

If you are a looking for a sci-fi story-driven game, where choices matter a bit, but aren't game-crushingly bad, you've found it.

Jestur is a wizard with art. The dialogue is deceptive, in that smart characters will speak with a level of intelligence, but others will speak with a moderate level of intelligence. The line between the two is blurred by the use of casual speak, leading to a need to pay a bit more attention than you might otherwise. (No harm if you don't, the story still rolls on, quite well, on first pass.)

The width of characters does mean that a lot of the standard trope-type behaviour happens, and a lot of them are shallow-depth with stereotyping used to shade around them. While this sounds like a bad thing, it allows the audience to wind down while playing the game, and let their imagination run wild. I suspect Jestur has done this to allow for juxtaposition later (as it has happened already a few times), leaving a lot of character detail aside, and allowing us to make assumptions instead.

I'm a story-first player, so I'll say that the story is spectacular. Because Jestur has been clear that the story is already mapped out, I'm comfortable saying it, alone, deserves five stars.

The animation and scenes aren't all that important to me, but I'm not going to deny that all of it is exceptionally well done too, and, from an art perspective, deserves the full five stars too.

My only real gripe is the character depth, but as I said above, I'm pretty sure Jestur is toying with us, so I'm giving it the full five here too.

As usual, bonus points for designing it in a way where we don't have to replay it to death to see every scene.

As always, I started the game unprepared and didn't want to be spoiled.
The story is good, it just can't get too complicated because of the time travel if you want to keep to the rules of time travel. I like the animations, the girls and the writing is very good. I'm curious to see where the whole thing will go.
I hope there is an internal roadmap and no gaps in logic. So far it feels like
we're still in the prologue for some things instead of a few things being resolved.
Trust the developers, let's see where it goes and that it won't get abandoned later.

Can't wait to see what's next in the story, i don't even care about the sexual stuff anymore. I usually go for full 3D unreal engine or unity games for *immersion*, and this one was downloaded on a whim and it's the best whim that ever happened in a while. Really good job and i can't stress it enough.

You shouldn't spend too much time reading reviews, just go play this, it's one of the great ones.

A few reasons why this game is a must play. No spoilers, it's better if you go in blind.

Incredible renders and animations
I'm not a big fan of animations in AVN simply because the majority of them are half assed and most games would benefit more if the developer would just put more effort into static renders. But this is one of the few where animations shine, they are really well made and not just used for lewd scenes. Static renders are absolutly beautiful as well.

LIs
The girls in this game are gorgeous and there is a bunch of them, this goes for both main and side girls. You'll have a hard time picking a favorite and thank god you don't have to, for the most part. The build up with each one is excellent and it makes the intimate scenes more meaningfull beacuse of it. Each relationship and LI is unique in its own way and have different dynamics to them, but they are all pretty hot regardless.

Plot
This is a hard one to judge since it's not over yet, but so far it's really well written and has a compelling story, with a lot of cool references to movies and tv shows. Until episode 6 I'd say it's perfect, but in episode 7 a lot of things are introduced and we'll just have to see how it goes. I'm not going to get into it so I don't spoil the experience. It's sufficient to say it's one of those stories that rewards players that pay attention to it.

Cons
The only complains I have is that sometimes the MC is a little dumb but thats okay, and the dialogue should go through some polishing/editing. There is a lot of lines that are just characters telling others what happened almost verbatim, which adds nothing to the player except a few little reactions and the knowledge that the character being told something now knows what happened, which could be accomplished in better ways without making us read the same thing over and over again. But thats not a big deal.

TLDR
Overall it's a very beautiful and interesting game, very good story and characters. Big variety of hot and fleshed out LIs to choose from and a lot of spicy scenes with them. Animations are superb and so are the static renders. Dialogue could be better, but nothing that breaks immersion. A lot of care went into this. Just go play it and be sad when it's over.

Good renders and animations, bleh everything else.

The MC acts like a 13 year old with all the horny internal monologuing. "OMG I can see her boobs!!! Please don't get hard UwU!!!" Rinse and repeat for literally every fucking scene. For any other devs reading this review: please for the love of god take this shit out of your game. It's cringe, it's weird, and it's super immature. There is not ONE scene where it's necessary to tell the reader every single internal thought the MC has about someone's tits or ass.

The writing in general is just really subpar here. The English isn't broken, thank god; but as expected with games like these, no one actually talks or acts like a real person. I know absolutely nothing about this writer, but I guarantee he's a man, because a woman would never be this out of touch with how women in real life actually behave.

Women don't go around and call every single one of their friends "slut" as a nickname. Women don't strip for a guy and make out with him in a public setting after one or two meaningful conversations. Honestly, it could be argued that the writer has never actually interacted with a woman in his life (here I would usually say "except for his mother" but the mother character in this is awfully written too, so I'm not quite sure).

Overall, if you give even the slightest fuck about plot and character writing, please do yourself a favor and skip this one. It's cringe, unfunny, unrealistic drivel.

Great game.
Lots of good sex scenes, well-developed characters, interesting storyline, fun premise. The art is really good, with its stylized 3d models, that aren't too generic but also not weird-looking.
Overall, a great experience.

Ripples was not a game I really got into at first thinking I was in for that basic high school harem route but man over the past few years I have been enlightened. Now more experienced in the genre I can say that this game is without a doubt PEAK.

At first as I said I thought this to be a a simple high school romance and harem route type game but boy was I wrong and im glad about it. Sure it does the basic highschooler in a harem route but it does so much more that I did not expect. Even taking out the time travel shenanigans it manages to make such interesting characters not to mention attractive and not make it work with this strange concept. The comedy is always a great take away in this series taking me by surprise and making me laugh and forget that this is in fact a porn game. But that's not to say that the scenes are any less than that. The scenes are so well made and make me look forward to ever update (I am however concerned of the person who animated that one scene with the chandelier but it was still hot).

So without a doubt I will be waiting ever so eagerly for the next installment of ripples if these past few updates are anything to go off of we shall be eating well very soon.

I really enjoy play this story "game" ; all sharacters are incredible with personality, ...environments sounds and music are good,.
I notice some mistake in french translation (ép.6&7) (ée) (é) because i am.
I think i'll replay for all gallery , i would like to help you more (on patreon) but i can't at this time.
iI wish you the best for next (devs & players) Many thanks.
...I am old but i'm happy...

I don't think that I have ever scored a 5 star review before, but this is totally deserving and more. The story is simple, the characters well varied, and the animations are some of the best I have ever seen.

It is slightly kinetic in that most of the choices are towards building your rapport with the LIs, and a few more important choices are funneled toward keeping a romantic path open or not. I don't care about this. IMHO the story, branching stories and backgrounds of the LIs are so thoroughly engaging and interesting, keep it as borderline kinetic as you want, Dev.

I have played other VNs with many more H scenes. It is arguable that, as far as a porn game is concerned, there is more story here. I don't care about this either. The build ups, the teasing and the relationships/bonds that the MC is able to build with the LIs is engaging enough for me. Also, the animations are so well done that it is worth the wait. I will take quality over quantity every time!

The models are stupendous. There is something for everyone in the fact that some girls are petite (extremely realistic for high school aged LIs) , some that are a little more athletic /busty and plenty of gorgeous milfs. And on a side note, I APPLAUD the Dev for making the MC taller than the girls. This makes the game so much more engaging and realistic. I've never understood Devs that create LIs that are all either as tall or taller than the male MC. Either he's short or all the LIs are amazons which is unrealistic. Women, on average, are around 5 inches shorter than men and I don't understand why so many Devs shy away from making shorter LIs. Bravo!

The story is perfectly paced and very intriguing. I am usually playing several VNs at a time and switch back and forth between them. Not this time. I was so engaged that I spend stretches of hours playing Ripples without taking a break. Maybe this is a norm for other players, but not for me.

Not only are you working to get every LI possible but the MC is also actively moving the story along by helping, exploring and protecting. I'm very thrilled that the MC can actually fight. So many other Devs seem to think it's somehow off-putting to actually have a masculine, tough MC that isn't afraid to stand up for himself and others and I have no idea why. But if beta males are for you, there is even a choice of being more submissive to the LIs. Like I said before, a little something for everyone. Thumbs up!

I have played all of the most popular VNs (the BIG hitters) and I have to say, I think this is probably my overall favorite. I look forward to more content. Please keep it coming Dev! Standing ovation!!! 5.5/5

This is excellent work! Great story, rendering, and super sexy scenes.

Each characters are very unique and different. There is something for everybody.

I can't wait for the continuation of the story!

This may be the best animated and drawn VN i've ever seen. The camera work in the scenes is amazing, much more engaging than just flipping through a powerpoint like a lot of them. I'd take every dollar ive spent on VNs on steam and give it all to Jestur.

This game sets the standard.

Great writing. Good humor without going overboard.

Amazing girls. Best animations I've seen in a game on this site.

Dialogue is crisp and doesn't feel forced. Very few errors.

The production value and craftsmanship shine through. It's clear how much love and attention went into making this.

I have nothing bad to say and eagerly await the next chapter.

Graphics and animations are good thanks to honey select engine, and the story is well written..

BUT it doesn't have so many fappable scenes, too much teasing .
You'll have to play like 50hours, if you pay attention to the story, to get 5-8 good scenes, and around 4-5 "real fuck session"

To conclude, all is well executed, but for a porn game, it lacks H-content, pace is reaaaally too slow, you can play 4-5 hours sometimes without seeing anything.

Very unique story and immersive characters. The animationas are great and you can tell a lot of work has been put into it. Renders are pretty good and the sound (including music) is perfect. Overall 9/10

Truly Amazing, not the biggest fan of Honey Select games but i am when the story is this good, one of the best stories you will ever find in this genre with one of the coolest concepts, all of the LIs are great (for the most part) and Mc is pretty good too, This game is just pure fun and extremely well written a great great game

I love this game. Visually the art style is great and fits the tone of the story. I also like that they have soundtrack. too many AVNs are missing that as it adds so much. If you appreciate well-developed characters and a story that resonates on multiple levels try it out!

i enjoy the storyline till now, after that the render of 3dcg is the best. for the music background match with the ambience of story. the detail when to past is good.
I can't wait for the next update of the ripples

Having just finished Episode 7, I can wholeheartedly recommend Ripples. Its story is captivating, the character models are impressive, and the animations are exceptionally well done. However, it is not without its flaws.

The narrative follows a fairly basic time-travel premise, which caught me by surprise as I approached the game with no prior knowledge. Despite its simplicity, the plot is engaging, filled with intriguing mysteries, and never feels forced. The characters are enjoyable, both in their personalities and in how well they are modeled. Yet, the true highlight of the game are the animations. While there is obviously still room for improvement, they are among the best I have encountered in a visual novel of this kind - highly detailed, expertly crafted, and superior to what is found in 99% of other top-rated VNs.

Now, onto the negatives. Though not overwhelming, there are some aspects that could benefit from improvement. One of the weaker elements is the writing, which, while generally solid and never prompting the need to skip, occasionally feels lazy or, in one instance, poorly executed. The "lazy" scenes occur when the game adopts a rather stereotypical approach: every girl is inexplicably infatuated with the protagonist, every joke lands perfectly, and the player character is depicted as the ultimate, coolest, greatest chad.
These moments feel like a teenage power/shower fantasy, with women existing solely to adore the main character, the only exception being the punk girl - but only because she isn't straight. One particularly poorly executed scene occurs during the visit to Riley’s. This encounter feels really rushed and underdeveloped. You go to her, she tells you she betrayed you. She then tells you, you shouldn't trust her when the topic of the USB-Stick comes up. Then she tells you, you should trust her. The only option to continue her path is if you go "sure, you put me and my family danger but it's all cool now". Then Sex (arguably a great scene but still). I was honestly perplexed because my first instinct was to obviously not trust the person who just betrayed me. However, refusing trust abruptly ends the Riley path.

This leads to another significant issue: the lack of multiple paths or meaningful decisions, which removes any incentive to replay the game. Different choices either funnel back into the same outcome or simply skip over scenes that are part of the "correct" path. Lacking a certain item doesn’t alter the story; it merely omits a scene and eventually grants the item anyway. Saying "no" to a character ends that narrative thread entirely, skipping scenes without creating a new branch. The only substantial difference in player choice seems to be whether or not one pursues the Skylar route, with everything else being highly linear. In fact, the linearity is so pronounced that when checking text messages, selecting the bottom one first often causes confusion, as it references events that haven’t yet occurred in the top option.

Another point of critique is the limited interactivity. While you can use your phone, there is no real function beyond aesthetics. There’s no option to chat, call, or otherwise engage with the system meaningfully. Personally, I think the phone system from averywellknownfraternityVN would suit this game well, with chat and call functionality for present-day interactions, and SMS or voicemail for the 1999 setting. However, this would likely conflict with the streamlined storytelling approach.

Despite the negative tone of my review, this stems from my genuine fondness for the game. Ripples has tremendous potential, with its engaging characters, outstanding models, fantastic animations, and intriguing story. Yet, these strengths are slightly undermined by its flaws. While I don’t know the creator’s vision, from my perspective, a story-driven time-travel visual novel like this would benefit greatly from prioritizing multiple paths and meaningful choices. Nonetheless, I’m eagerly anticipating future updates and new content.

Absolute masterpiece.
The attention to detail is everywhere, in the animations, places, positions, dialogues, story, music, sound effects, characters, character development, and much more until all culminates into a deep immersion (which to be honest is even quoted in a meta dialogue inside the game itself).
It's a must play, don't let the cover deceive you as the plot may as well go way above your head, fantastic game.