Recommending Story-first games

[TheimmortalP]

Summer Scent has also had an update. It was OK. This game is the definition of scope creep. There are 18 (!!!) paths according to the dev, many of them unpopular, so each update has very little content for a given player, despite the 6-month development time. Credit where it's due, though: The dev works on the game continuously and gives detailed updates every week like clockwork. My biggest complaint remains the MC. I haven't managed to find a single path where he is a likeable human being. Either he is a monstrous rapist, or the shittiest cliche of a neckbeard white knight. That scene in the car park with Cassie's bodyguards was pure cringe, I wanted to smash his head in with a tire iron...

That's it from me. Anything interesting you folks have played lately?

Oh god, thank you so much for letting me know about this. Like I said, it's my favorite incomplete visual novel!

 

[Impious Monk]

I'm also going to start Isabella: Dark Paths for the first time after hearing about it here quite a few times.

Yes, that's a very good game!

 

[jufot]

[Nothing is Forever] I do find it interesting how people who have no clue about this subject experience/describe femdom. For example, i've read a review from someone who interpreted the whole orgasm denial angle with Deb as being sadism...Which was kinda funny, but also, again, interesting. To be fair though, the game is overall pretty kink heavy and it can catch you off guard when you're going in blind thinking that it would be a traditional/vanilla AVN which it clearly isn't.

This is definitely one of the challenges facing the dev. People who don't know what a particular kink actually is are reacting negatively to it based on what they think it is.

There are also too many people being annoying because their favourite LI isn't player-sexual, e.g. they just want to hold hands and go on dates with Deb, living out their vanilla fantasies, without any of the femdom and that's just... annoying :/

[Summer's Gone] But the developer also cornered himself a little going forward with how he wrote the MC. Him only being able to get hard when he's truly in love with someone... I'm curious how he'ill explain the MC having fast sex later on with some "side girls" when he needs to get heavily emotionally invested...

I don't see how he could write in "side girls" without ruining the story. MC's entire personality is "I'm an impotent sad sack because my GF disappeared when I was 12, woe is me" and effortless sex wouldn't fit well at all.

Well, the biggest letdown in the latest chapter for me was the DnD session. Mainly because it felt more like they're playing a VR game rather than doing a DnD session. DnD is all about constant decision making all the time, but there was like none of that?.. It felt weird to me.. It did look good though, not gonna lie...

Felt like the time spent on DnD would've better spent elsewhere.

I really didn't like the DnD session. It would have been meaningful if it was used for character development, but no, it's just a random game where none of the players' personalities are allowed to shine. It's like the dev just wanted to stop doing Summer's Gone and work on sci-fi for a while instead, and decided to use SG characters models for it. Remove that entire scene and the game loses nothing :/

I really like Nami as a character, but the relationship with MC doesn't click for me. Zara and especially Vanessa are obviously intriguing, but adding them as LIs now gives me power creep vibes if you know what I mean. In some ways, they overshadow the others. Also, did we really need more LIs?

I don't like Nami. She's extremely clingy and completely obsessed with MC. I want to send her to a boarding school far, far away

Zara and Vanessa are very compelling, especially the latter. They do overshadow the rest. I think it's because they feel like actual adults who are above the teenage melodrama of the others

As for more LIs, I've made my peace with the idea that this game will never ever be finished, so I don't let the continuing scope creep bother me.

 

[vneotpolemus]

I feel like I'm the only one here playing Emma's maledom route.

So far it's edging out Lea's route as my favorite. I like the realism of Emma coming to terms with who you are in public not defining you in the bedroom. The downside is that it meant that during the lap dance the characters were constantly stepping out-of-the-scene to emphasis that it isn't real. Hopefully this is the start of things ramping up as Emma becomes more comfortable (my advice for next time would be to play the scene straight(ish), then have them talk about things afterwards). If they just continue being half-hearted it'll be disappointing

Summer's Gone has amazing visuals and some great moments, but it's also a demonstration of why creative types benefit from having producers and editors to rein in their dreams. Too many characters, too many reworks, too much ambition. Still, even if it never quite comes together, it's good enough as it is.

 

[realjitter]

There are also too many people being annoying because their favourite LI isn't player-sexual, e.g. they just want to hold hands and go on dates with Deb, living out their vanilla fantasies, without any of the femdom and that's just... annoying :/

I do agree, although , general speaking, i can sympathize with people wanting a "normal" kind of romantic story progression, but especially with Deb it should pretty clear what she's into.

[/QUOTE] I don't see how he could write in "side girls" without ruining the story. MC's entire personality is "I'm an impotent sad sack because my GF disappeared when I was 12, woe is me" and effortless sex wouldn't fit well at all. [/QUOTE]

So you really think that all the girls in this game will have their own "romantic" stories attached to them? All the teachers, all the minor role girls?. I'm not convinced

[/QUOTE] Zara and Vanessa are very compelling, especially the latter. They do overshadow the rest. I think it's because they feel like actual adults who are above the teenage melodrama of the others [/QUOTE]

Who's Vanessa? I don't remember... Is that Zara her sister?. I mean Zara is the daughter of Nojikos new lover as far as i can remember, right?. See, that's what i mean, there are just too many girls in there...I even stopped paying attention to the later introduced ones...

 

[jufot]

So you really think that all the girls in this game will have their own "romantic" stories attached to them? All the teachers, all the minor role girls?. I'm not convinced

No, not at all. I think they won't be developed as fuckable characters. I know that they have gallery entries, but I don't see the dev ever managing that. About a year ago, someone on the game thread ran the numbers and figured it would take 10+ years to complete the game with the characters and pace of development at the time. Since then, Ocean has added half a dozen new characters and has spent the majority of his time redoing existing content. So no, I don't think we'll ever see sexual content with side characters

Who's Vanessa? I don't remember... Is that Zara her sister?

Yes. She is compelling because she's far smarter than everyone else we've met so far, and has Bella completely fooled

 

[zedkiller]

I'm interested in games where the story takes precedence over everything else. My personal criteria are:

• Well-designed, internally consistent, coherent story with a beginning and an end - i.e. no games where the devs make shit up as they go along.
• Characters that are actual human beings, with lives, personalities and interests outside the MC.
• Sex scenes should serve the plot, not vice versa. If there is no story-relevant reason for a scene, it shouldn't be there.
• No Engrish. Non-native speakers are fine (I am one), but the dev should at least use Grammarly or LanguageTool.
• No cheap tropes (e.g every female character lusts after the MC's magical dick).

Games I've already played that - IMHO - mostly fit the above criteria, in alphabetical order: (last updated June 2022)

• Acting Lessons
• A Long Journey
• A Summer's End
• Blackberry Honey
• Callisto
• Camp Klondike
• Cardinal Cross
• Chrome Lifelines
• City of Broken Dreamers
• Corporate Culture
• Defending Lydia Collier
• Deviancy
• Divergence: Beyond the Singularity
• Elsaverse games (Omnibus first, followed by Nightmares, Transitions, and Chasing Beth)
• Elvensang
• Halfway House
• Hillside
• Intertwined
• Isabella - Dark Paths
• Leap of Faith
• Life Changes for Keeley
• Mad World
• Mythos: Book One
• Nothing is Forever
• Oathbreaker
• Oathbreaker 2
• One Day at a Time
• One Night Stand
• Penny for Your Thoughts
• Price of Power
• Rebirth
• Reluctant Archon
• Reunion
• Sorcerer
• Summer's Gone
• Terminus Reach: Sentinel
• The Bite: Revenant
• The Warrior's Heart
• Three Rules of Life

Any other suggestions in the same vein?

nice

 

[jufot]

So, One Night Stand, one of my favourite games in recent times, has an update out. I continue to be mesmerized by it and can't decide which is more beautiful - the writing or the artwork. Minor spoilers below.

This chapter mostly takes place while David and Elena are walking on a dark street, with a short stop at a clothing store. Of course, clothes shopping is an AVN cliché, but ONS has a refreshingly unique take on it. It's quite cerebral. He doesn't go into the changing room with her, nothing sexual happens. He doesn't even choose her outfit, and yet you can cut the tension with a knife. His motivations for offering to buy a dress for a woman he just met a few hours ago are hidden and a bit suspicious, enough to make her vaguely uncomfortable, but not enough to break their chemistry. It's beautifully done. This is the "normal" route - the only I've been playing till now - and I love the realism of it. I could imagine every single thing happening exactly like that in real life. Such realism is rare, and curiously under-appreciated.

With this update, the devs

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giving the "corruption route" a chance. I'm not a fan of corruption in AVNs. It's almost always cheap and tasteless. But I'm so enamoured with this game I decided to give it a chance. I'm glad I did! ONS' take on corruption is anything but cheap. In this route, David has a distinctly different personality and there is an undercurrent of repulsiveness throughout. It's mostly hidden from Elena, just simmering beneath David's kind smile, but it's present in every scene, line, thought, look, and touch. We all have a darker side, some more than others, but I don't think I've ever seen a VN do such an impressive job of presenting certain grotesqueries of the male psyche. David is less in control of his darker side than most, and his struggle to keep himself in check is palpable. He's not rapey, but his actions are calculated and conniving. He doesn't merely want Elena, he wants her to want him, and want him desperately. That is the thrill for David, and he knows exactly how to push and when to back off to get there. On her end, Elena is

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- she wants him, but is also scared. Not necessarily of him, not directly, but of her willingness to stay with him despite the alarm bells rung by her instincts. There is something electric between them that she is finding impossible to resist. This route is all about pushing Elena's boundaries to the very edge of what's acceptable (or welcome), while trying very hard not to cross them. I find it repulsive, and yet fascinating. It's probably the only corruption route I've ever enjoyed!

Like my previous post on ONS, I'd like to finish off with some screenshots. As with the first chapter, I paused frequently to just enjoy the beauty. These are my favourites.



PS: One of the most attractive things for me in a woman are her hands. There is something so enchanting, so tantalizing about long, slender, soft fingers and Elena has a gorgeous pair, so here are a few screenshots of exactly that

 

[TheimmortalP]

So, One Night Stand, one of my favourite games in recent times, has an update out. I continue to be mesmerized by it and can't decide which is more beautiful - the writing or the artwork. Minor spoilers below.

THanks so much for introducing me to this. It's by far my favorite VN that you've recommended, and I have no doubt in my mind that I never would have touched it if you hadn't recommended it. Sure hope it gets finished!

Edit: I didn't notice a big difference in this update with the "soft" route. Seemed like some of dialogue might have been changed, but I don't think I noticed anything new.

 

[TheimmortalP]

Not a game, but I think some of you on the more vanilla side will enjoy the comic

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.

And with no story at all, but I saw some nice

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about Sunstone. Recommended for Sunstone fans.

Hi there Jaike, how's it going? It's funny that you should mentioned this, because my 2 main geeky passions would be fantasy stories, and graphic novels. I realized this year that I actually want to read them more than I do ADULT visual novels, I'm actually on the lookout for vanilla ADULT graphic novels. And while I have found some that I've enjoy I can't find any that have a lot of substance to them.

That said, I think we have very different definitions of vanilla, because having 6 arms isn't what I'd consider vanilla.

 

[jufot]

THanks so much for introducing me to this. It's by far my favorite VN that you've recommended, and I have no doubt in my mind that I never would have touched it if you hadn't recommended it. Sure hope it gets finished!

I'm glad you like it! It's such a gem.

I didn't notice a big difference in this update with the "soft" route. Seemed like some of dialogue might have been changed, but I don't think I noticed anything new.

Really? In the corruption route (which begins when you introduce Elena to the old lady as your best friend's daughter) David's entire demeanour changes. He goes from a washed up lonely guy merely seeking the company of a gorgeous young woman, to a predator on the hunt. His internal monologue is all about his desire to get Elena to surrender to his whims so he can devour her body. He's struggling to keep his urges in check and, if you make the wrong choices, it can go horribly wrong during the back alley scene.

The whole thing feels entirely different to me than the rather simple one-night stand in the normal route.

 

[TheimmortalP]

So I've been trying to play The Author for what feels like a year now.

I keep saying that it's my favorite completed adult vn, and when I can focus, it really does feel like the best, the problem is that I can't most of the time. I thought I could today, I was wrong. HAte this! Really need to find more VNs with super great pacing.

 

[TheimmortalP]

I'm glad you like it! It's such a gem.



Really? In the corruption route

Yeah, it definitely is quite a gem so far.

And yeah, I know that you said that the corruption route is added. I'm not in a good mental state to handle something about a monster right now. I figured that I was gonna get at least a decent amount more from the good route.

 

[Impious Monk]

I've started reading this thread from the beginning. I've still got over 60 pages to go, but you all have a lot of very good insights into the games. There's a lot of discussion about some of my favorite games like Hillside and Intertwined so far. I'll be interested to get to the end of the thread to see what you all have had to say about the latest releases of those and other games I like.

I do have a question: Intertwined was the first AVN I played. The opening sex scene between MC and Alexis didn't strike me as being too porny because I had no idea what the hell I was even reading, and I didn't know what it meant for an AVN to be too porny or tropey. And I thought it was hot. The game/story was interesting, and then when the Alexis-Erynn connection was revealed I really felt the emotional punch. That's when I knew I'd been hooked and I had to get the rest of the story.

But some of you did feel the airplane sex scene was too porny and not realistic, and that it was placed there only because players like to get sex early. So my question is, if that was your initial thought when you played it, did your opinion of that scene change once you found out that Alexis knew who MC was when she had that airplane conversation with him? I imagine she was feeling a powerful mix of nostalgia and affection, turbocharged because this was an unexpected encounter where they were really connecting, further heightened by the excitement that she knew what he didn't and possibly by a dark thrill that this was the guy her best friend liked. Under those circumstances, her invitation doesn't strike me as unbelievable. Aggressive, to be sure, but people do have sex on planes.

Just wondering.

 

[jufot]

Under those circumstances, her invitation doesn't strike me as unbelievable. Aggressive, to be sure, but people do have sex on planes.

Hmm... I tend to judge early game scenes like that as two blank slate people doing something unrealistic or porny, but it's not really a blank slate for Alexis. So yeah, I suppose you do have a point.

Raife might have some thoughts as well

 

[schinoize]

I'm usually not one for the early sex scenes as they indeed often feel forced and I typically want to avoid any unnecessary drama. With Intertwined, it was different. Alexis' doubts were clearly visible, which made it very intriguing imo. All signs were telling this was a bad idea, but why exactly wasn't yet fully known at that point iirc. So yeah, to me it felt good to go with the fast sex for once and see where it ends.

You made some good points about Alexis' motives. Can't say if it's realistic or not, but it didn't feel porny to me and I really liked that scene.

 

[vneotpolemus]

Accidental Mind - is one the rarest creatures on F95, a completely text-based game with no images. Despite that handicap and the developer being (by his own admission) not much of a marketer, it has a solid fanbase and a patreon that keeps humming along. I played it, loved it, and decided that since I wanted more I should really get off my ass and see if I could help out. So over the last half year I've been beta testing, bug fixing, and occasionally contributing QoL stuff.

I was sold on the game in one of the first scenes, where the crowd at a cafe respond to an emergency alert about a titanic battle between superheros and a supervillian as though it was an annual fire drill. The writing is funny, smart and sometimes incisive, while the world feels real despite being drawn larger than life. The open world can be annoying but I found that I adapted to it, and the grind is mostly there to encourage you to explore all the side scenes (and see how they change) rather than simply rushing ahead with the main storyline.

Despite some of the tags (Mind Control, Corruption), the game is pretty upbeat - one of Myscra's goals was to have a story of psychic super powers where the main character isn't a sociopath. While the MC's powers allow him to occasionally give people a nudge, his main ability is to read minds, not change or control them, and much of the story is about leveraging that to "make friends and influence people". Strongly recommend giving it a shot.

 

[Amorous Dezign]

Cataclyzm is a game I'm working on which takes place in a medieval themed world of Humans, Furries and Cross breeds. The game is made with RPG maker MV and there is a lot of lewd artwork and sex scenes for players to enjoy. The game has a main story and plot revolving around the MC. You can enjoy the story as it develops and learn more about the MC or the inhabitants and the world around you by talking to NPCs and discovering new areas.
This is a working progress and I could definitely use the support.
Please check out my game, I hope you enjoy it.

 

[Raife]

Hmm... I tend to judge early game scenes like that as two blank slate people doing something unrealistic or porny, but it's not really a blank slate for Alexis. So yeah, I suppose you do have a point.

Raife might have some thoughts as well

It's like the 'tree falls in the forest' philosophical question: if my game has a porny opening, but nobody knows it's not porny (due to future plot developments) is it really porny? My ruling is: it's porny!

That said, Impious, a single porny vignette in an otherwise story-driven game does not magically transform it into a 'porn game.' _Intertwined_ is still essentially story-driven because Nyx is primarily interested in telling a story rather than delivering porn. Her game features some incredible sex scenes and really awesome (almost uniquely good) representations of female desire... but those are the incing on the cake, not the cake.

I do have some gripes, though. I am not a fan of callow, youthful male MCs... they are overdone in games of this sort, and not particularly interesting. (Perhaps it's because I was once a callow youth, and it strikes a bit too close to home!) My main beef is that Nyx has created too many LIs -- particularly the unnecessary stepsisters -- which distract attention from the primary LIs.

_You_ have created a far more interesting MC, Impious -- it's one of the things that I most like about your game. The trope you must guard against is Gary Stu-ism... your beefy, athletically-gifted, super-stud district attorney risks becoming a little _too_ perfect. Sprinkle a bit of self-doubt and inner turmoil on that guy, or the rest of us ordinary mortal players might start to find him more annoying than admirable.

 

[noping123]

It's like the 'tree falls in the forest' philosophical question: if my game has a porny opening, but nobody knows it's not porny (due to future plot developments) is it really porny? My ruling is: it's porny!

Everyone will judge it differently but personally my litmus test for "is it porny?" is simply, how often does this happen outside of fiction?

On the one hand of the scale we'll put 2 people dating, and they have sex. Pretty fucking common.

On the other hand, we'll put "Help me step-bro, I'm stuck!".

So let's assign values - "Step-bro" : -10
2 people dating: +10

Then it's just a matter of assigning things along the scale. Personally that scene for me falls around a -5 or 6. It's definitely something that actually happens.... but not exactly often enough to even rate a positive score.

I think, particularly in these games, both the leadup to, and the content of it's scene contribute to it's score. I've seen some where the scenario might rate say a +7, but the content more like a -5. So base score of 2, borderline, but ok! Otoh I've seen scenes with like a -8 on the scenario but a +9 on the content, so those still rate ok to me as well, even if the scenario was rather contrived.