VN - Ren'Py - Shroud [v0.3.2] [KEXBOY]

[0.3.2]

so i spent 2 hours waiting for this game to crash or turn into a mid-render slideshow. it didn't. i'm upset.

the renders don't suck

plot twist: dev actually knows how to light a scene. the characters aren't glossy potatoes. the environments have atmosphere. the toxic clouds look genuinely toxic. it's giving post-apocalyptic, not "forgot to render." unprecedented behavior in this genre.

there's a story??? and it matters???

literally made me care about whether daust lives or dies. the branching actually branches instead of pretending to. your choices in act 2 aren't just cosmetic bullshit – they actually change what happens. i hate it. i wanted to hate this game.

the sex scenes have context

they're tied to relationships. they have dialogue. they're not just "click cum and stare at a loop." revolutionary technology. should be patented.

combat system actually works

no lie. you pick abilties, you manage stats, you don't get one-shot by random enemies for no reason. the haze system lets you boost yourself. it's... competent? in a Ren'py game?

i don't trust it. there's gotta be a catch.

the catch: it's actually good

which sucks because now i have to admit the dev put in work. like real work. not "i worked for 2 weeks and called it done" work. the kind where you think about pacing, atmosphere, character arcs. the kind that makes you go "wait did a solo dev really do this?"

honest rating: 5/5 because i'm angry this turned out well. if you've been scarred by bad adult games, this might actually restore your faith. if you wanted to hate it, too bad. it's good. be mad about it like i am.

Played 0.3.2 – Sandbox game with a male mc. In this postapocalyptic world the mc lives on a skyship flying over the poisonous clouds. He joins a group of explorers who scavenge the world below for material. As is classic his first dive goes wrong and he gets stranded on the surface where he meets a society of survivors.

I tried it due to the high reviews in combination with the bdsm and male domination tag. Sadly I was disappointed – I do not understand how this got such great reviews.

The only good parts are the interesting world and the decent writing. The sex scenes are plain bad – they consist of a single, textless animation you can view from different angles that ends when you press cum. That’s it.
The characters have weird glossy skin, a lot of renders are pretty dark so you don’t see much unless you play in a darkened room and the minigames are a mess. I personally also hated the combat system.

After a short introduction you get thrown into a free-roaming section that’s highly unfinished. You constantly run into enemies that cannot be defeated or dead ends.
Only has a handful of short, bad and vanilla sex-scenes – stick it in – watch short animation – cum. It might have been better to skip the sex altogether than to deliver it like this.

I guess if you like games with a lot of minigames and a dev who tries to build combat into their game you might keep an eye on the game.

As it is the game feels like the dev had bigger eyes than their stomach – maybe this could be a good game in a few years of hard work – in its current condition I’d derec it.

"SHROUD — not just a visual novel, but a slowly emerging tactical RPG."

Version [0.3.0] was a surprise: the dev took a big step forward and introduced a fully functional turn-based card combat system. Forget QTEs — here it's all about tactical choice and how your build fits your cards.

Each fight plays like a mini tactical session:

• You choose your weapon (yes, fists are an option if you're out of gear).
• Then, you draw one of 5 random attack cards.
• The effectiveness depends on your strongest stat — Strength, Intelligence, or Dexterity.
• After that, it’s the enemy’s turn, and you defend by choosing a random defense card.

There's even an escape mechanic — draw a card and you might flee, take damage, or just die. No joke.

What makes the combat system interesting:

• Stat synergy — your character build matters.
• Card randomness is controlled, tactical — not just blind luck.
• Inventory affects combat — unknown cards stay hidden unless you own them.
• Atmosphere remains intact — fights feel like part of the world, not a separate mini-game.

This is already one of the most thoughtful and immersive combat systems I’ve seen in a Ren'Py-based game. And it's all made by a solo dev.

SHROUD isn’t just another Ren’Py clicker. It’s style, systems, and serious potential.

Honestly, this is one of the best projects I’ve played in a while.

If someone told me a mix of Helldivers and Fallout could work on Ren'Py, I’d laugh. But here it is — and it works damn well.

Didn’t expect anyone to tackle such a complex genre seriously on this engine. The atmosphere, the structure, the pacing — it all just clicks.

Just please… don’t stop.
Looking forward to what’s next.

Not gonna lie — I hate playing something that makes me wait months for the next part.

It’s like watching a show one episode at a time, with no idea when the next one drops.

I’d rather play the whole thing when it’s done, then decide if it’s good or not.

That said — v0.3.0 actually hooked me hard.
Atmosphere, pacing, even the weird fights — it’s all solid.

I’ll give it 5 for potential, but I’m not coming back every update. Drop the full game — then we’ll talk.

This isn’t a visual novel — it’s a damn RPG built in Ren’Py.
So yeah, scrolling is useless here, forget about your autoclickers.

Like most Ren’Py games, it’s basically a slideshow with choices, not a traditional VN.

BUT! I was honestly surprised by the combat.
Usually QTEs are boring as hell, but here they went with a card-based mechanic, and it actually works. Simple, but not dumb.

Visuals are decent. The atmosphere is there.
The whole thing still feels a bit early, sure — but it’s clear the dev’s not just slapping NSFW scenes onto a template.

For an early version? Pretty solid.

Rating: /10. Keeping an eye on it.

For me, a mixed bag.
What's good: Nails the atmosphere, very dystopian feel, atmospheric and foreboding. Graphics look great, worldbuilding is nice.

Whats Meh: Characters look extremely similar to other games, MC looks like some young teenage kid, not the gruff MC you'd hope for in a dystopian setting. Sex scenes are just different camera angles and a cum button, extremely basic. Game is listed as a VN but it's very clearly a sandbox game.

Whats bad: The games a pain in the ass to play, there are a lot of mechanics and they feel clunky. Navigating around is kinda a chore and the menus are very clunky. Also, you cannot go back in dialogue for some reason? If you missed something that somebody said and want to re-read it, well you can't.

Overall I think it's a mixed bag, needs some more time in the oven so to speak. Otherwise, I think it has some real potential to be a great dystopian horror-esque game.

ver 0.3.0.2
Loved the atmosphere and worldbuilding in this one. The setting feels fresh, and the characters are actually interesting to talk to. It’s not just lewd for the sake of it — there’s a real sense of story and purpose behind the choices you make. The latest update added new mechanics and pushed the plot forward in a way that makes me really curious for what’s next. Definitely a standout VN so far.

"No gods, no girls, no guidance — just you, poison air, and a missing team."


This update hit hard. The floating city is behind you, and now you're on the surface — alone, bleeding, and surrounded by a broken world. You can almost taste the poison in the air, and that’s not a metaphor.


You start with almost nothing. Your gear is scattered. Your team is gone. The game doesn’t hold your hand — and that’s exactly what makes it awesome. The atmosphere is heavy, but immersive. Every step feels earned, every breath feels borrowed.


This is where the story really opens up. You start exploring, meeting survivors (including some really interesting characters like UNAN and TILLA), and you can tell things are going to get deeper from here. Arlae is still present — and yes, there’s already a scene for those who spent time with her. And TILLA? Let’s just say she doesn’t stay cold for long, either. The others? Relationships take time. And tension.


There’s no dumb sandbox grind — everything feels meaningful. The quests are layered, the writing keeps you reading, and the tension never really lets go.


It’s rare to find a VN that blends worldbuilding, choice, and emotion this well. This dev is building something special. If you liked the prologue on Orintia, you’re going to love what happens after you hit the dirt.

I'll give it 4 stars, although I am very annoyed with the game.

I stopped after a few minutes of playing. For me, it is hardly bearable.

• No rollback? Why? Sometimes you skip over something, and renpy gives rollback to you for free. But not here.
• I like to progress at my pace. No forced slowdowns. But in this game, I am forced to wait for the next text to appear. If I accidentialy skip, I cannot go back. So I have to be very careful with my clicks. That is not enyoyable.
• The story and the visuals are great so far. Because of the above mentioned shortcomings I really would like to give 1 star (yes, it is that bad for me), but that would be justified. so, 4 stars and if you get the gamplay into some usable state, I will upgrade that to 5.

Played Shroud v0.2.7. Thought about whether it was even worth writing a review, but since I spent time on it—here we go.

Let’s start with the big one: atmosphere. When you say "post-apocalypse," I expect a harsh, oppressive world full of danger and hopelessness. Early on, I wasn’t feeling that weight, but as you dig deeper, you start realizing it’s more layered than it seems. The airship isn’t floating in the damn stratosphere, and people aren’t just strolling around on deck for no reason—there’s tech and adaptation at play. It’s just not spoon-fed to you right away. That’s actually a good thing. It means the world is being built piece by piece instead of dumping everything on you in the first five minutes.

Now, the story. The dialogue? It’s fine. No over-the-top drama, just people who clearly know each other and act like it. But when the action starts—that’s where the game picks up. The descent to the surface isn’t a walk in the park. And yeah, there are mutants, there’s a goddamn dragon. But let’s be real—why would a dragon be any less believable than giant cockroaches or other mutated freaks? The world collapsed, ecosystems are screwed—who knows what kind of monstrosities crawled out of that mess?

Mechanically, v0.2.5 was just a kinetic novel—fair criticism. But in v0.2.7, now we’ve got choices, inventory, stat tracking, and relationship management. That’s a solid step toward actual RPG mechanics. Now there’s a reason to pay attention instead of just clicking through the story.

What didn’t sit right? The balance is still rough, but that’s expected. Some dialogue could be tighter, and more interactivity wouldn’t hurt. But calling this game "average"? Not yet. You can tell progress is being made, and if the dev keeps at it, Shroud could turn into something really solid.

Bottom line: not a masterpiece yet, but nowhere near forgettable. Worth keeping an eye on.

This is a great game; it really impressed me. I have no complaints about the sound or music — the graphics and animations are at a decent level.

I have so many questions after playing, and I’m eagerly looking forward to the update.
What will happen on the ground? How many relationship options will there be? And most importantly, who will you be able to build relationships with? I’m excited to see all of this in the next update.

Overall, the game’s pacing is excellent, and I’m curious to see what happens next.
Since I’m very impressed, this is a well-deserved 5!

As of now (v0.3.0) it's maybe too early to judge, but there's already enough to constructively criticize with the intend to improve the current and future content... so let's do:

1) The post-apocalyptic story premise & world isn't believable or realistic.

In other words:
so high above the clouds that there would be not enough oxygen to breeze without air masks or proper tech behind. And yet people frequent the open deck "outside" on that airship without much indication of this kind of tech. Under these circumstances they should all be dead within seconds - but not here. Is it magic? Or just ignorance?
In any case it's a severe issue, isn't it?

2) The writing is more or less decent but does not leave much mentionable impact on me. For me it's too much trivial and almost jovial chatter between a bunch of newly introduced characters (with really odd names like "Daust", "Narone" or "Arlae") that seem to know each other well, but are still kind of blank pages for me as the player after their first appearances. So it's hard to immerse with their group dynamics.
Sometimes the dialogues even feel somewhat stiff and seem to lack the substance that could build up some deeper immersion with those characters as well as the horrific world they are trying to survive in. To be fair, some references hint at their world, their tech, their societal structure and so on, but without any ingame codex explaining those more detailed, it's difficult for me as the player to comprehend those initially.
The almost absurd cliffhanger at the end of the intro showing what their next destination on the toxic fogged earth inhibits ... a DRAGON !!! does not really contribute to something more immersive, realistic and profound for me. Cause every post-apocalyptic plot certainly needs some serious threat out of fantasy tales, doesn't it?!
But well, maybe that's only me yearning for more plausibility here.

3) Almost the whole introduction of this VN is purely kinetic. Choices start later on, so a bit of patience is needed if you like some player agency. Some of those choices seem to impact the story progression, some affect the MC's skill stats or relationships with the potential LI's. But at times it's not clear enough to what they may lead - in particular those regarding the lewd scenes.
Btw, in an earlier version the first sex scene happened without a choice and was therefore forced - always a no-go for me! Thankfully the dev added that choice, so thumbs up!

4) The few lewd scenes so far are okayish, but I've seen better. Because they come too sudden and often lack erotism and some build-up. The animations are mostly solid, except for some minor glitches or stutters. There are usually varied camera angles for each scene as well as mostly a small number of different poses. Pretty much vanilla, but that's not bad in my book.
The potential LI's introduced at the moment are few and there's only one you can get intimate with - too early to say anything else about her or the few others.

5) A minor issue, but: You can't rename the MC right from the very start. It makes not much sense that you're given the option to name the MC (originally "Daust") much later on. So why not before the beginning?

Conclusion:
"Shroud" in this very early state of development is definitly not bad or poor - it's okay. But it lacks quite a bit to be really an interesting story with the right amount of immersion with the world and its characters so far to be more than passable, slighly above average.
After the introduction some RPG-like gameplay elements are introduced - such as inventory management, skill & relationship stats, sandbox exploration (no grind!) and turnbased combat. The combat system seems to be a bit too random to me and may need a bit more polish, the gameplay elements could maybe need an additional short intro tutorial, but I generally like this direction into being more than a AVN.
The visuals aren't an issue, the renders and the few animations are mostly okayish, some of them up to quite good.
Can't say that the music or sounds were annoying or distractive in any way, some ambience & fx sounds quite well chosen - so that's no issue as well.
But the writing and character introduction is just not interesting and immersive enough for me so far, the apocalyptic setting kind of inplausible and not well enough developed yet, world building only fragmented. I get that it's impossible and not smart to stuff all of the information in the player's head at once, but perhaps a codex could help to feel not too much thrown into an unknown world without any knowledge of it?!

After my first playthrough nothing was really outstanding or picking my interest, that's why I initially rated "Shroud" only 2.5 stars.
That has changed with my second playthrough. I think, after the unspectacular intro the story get's a twist in the right direction. The post-apocalyptic world becomes more threatening and tangible. And the addition of the gameplay elements are - even in the need of some more polish - potentially a benefit to the immersion and the plot.

Therefore I raise my rating to 3,5 stars - with a recommendation for keeping an eye on the further development and give it a chance.

As a fan of everything steampunk I was really really happy to find this one, the banner immediately got me interested.
But as so often is the case with these things the happiness dissipated just a few minutes after starting the game.
As soon as you start the game before even beginning to play and you try looking at settings to get full screen mode you hit a wall it doesn't exist, Not untill you start a game and see the in-game menu at the bottom of the screen can you find an option named "screen" and this will let you enter fullscrene mode.
Fine I found it! not where I was expecting it but it's there at least.

Then you start playing the game and the second thing you try to immediately find is the setting to turn off the horrible voice. This one you find where you think it will be so now you feel all set to enjoy a possibly great game.

But the dissapointments just pile up, the pace of the story is slow. Then we have the lack of choices having a meningful impact on the story.
Graphics are good but far from great and i really hate that i have such a negative response to a game that could be amazing if done right.
The story is there but burried under piles of meaningless text and the scenery is ok but far from what the banner implicates.

I've been playing porn games forever, but this ain't one of them. This isn't a porn game. Heck, it's not even a game! At least not the first part. Hard to say I played anything, but damn, I listened and watched. In this part, there's no choices affecting the storyline, no need to search for stuff or do anything (except for the sex scene). I just kicked back and enjoyed the characters and how the plot unfolds. It's a classic straight-up visual novel, but I'm really hoping for more interactivity and varied gameplay in the second part. I'll be keeping an eye on this project—good luck, KEXBOY.

P.S.: Big thanks for the wind in my ears.