Recommending Story-first games

[Zalmoxys]

Thanks for sharing your list! Some of these have indeed been discussed on this thread, you might enjoy reading everyone's thoughts on them. I do see a few I don't recognize, so I'll definitely check those out

Yeah sorry about that. I've done a quick rereading through the thread and a lot of games as you said are already mentioned. It's hard to navigate to so many games and find those that are story focused, have a good quality and continuous updates. I'm running out of options to play, until some updates are released to the already played games, so keeping this thread updated is a really good option for me. I will keep searching to find some hidden gems and post them here .

 

[jufot]

OK, I have a new recommendation. This time it's a comic! I can't believe I'm actually recommending an incest comic of all things, and yet...

Nature of Nurture is about this guy William who thinks himself a Casanova, his life-long obsession with his adoptive mother, and his hare-brained schemes for seducing her. I've written previously on this thread about how I think it's damn near impossible to write an incest story that is both realistic and entertaining. Well, this one manages to sidestep that issue entirely, and I find myself thoroughly entertained.

You see, the comic doesn't take itself seriously. The author is fully aware of the ridiculousness of the premise, and you can tell his tongue is firmly planted in his cheek throughout the story. It also helps that the writing is so very British, which is a huge plus in my book!

I'll leave you with 4 frames from the comic that I've particularly enjoyed (not really a spoiler), so you can judge for yourselves

(And yes, I know this is not a good fit for this thread, as nothing about this comic is "story first", but I just had to share because it's incredibly funny!)

 

[Zalmoxys]

Adding 4 games to the list. I found them by their soundtrack on youtube .
https://f95zone.to/threads/the-entrepreneur-v0-2-mistermaya.97324/
https://f95zone.to/threads/radiant-v0-3-2-rk-studios.49572/
https://f95zone.to/threads/savior-xmas-special-purple-fellas.40217/
https://f95zone.to/threads/how-to-fix-the-future-v0-2-2-mr-moonmi.80788/
I haven't played them yet, so I'm just adding them here so i can keep track. If anyone played them please give me an opinion.

 

[Jonboy80]

So many great looking titles. Too bad most seem to be works in progress. I dislike playing unfinished story driven titles. Gonna have a field day when they start hitting the completed stage. And, happily, most seem to be Ren'py as I do my VN playing on my tablet, as opposed to at a desk.

 

[K_Nakamura]

The best story of all games is in A Dance with Rogues.

 

[Nyravrod]

I know it was already in the lead post but I just played through One day at a time recently and I thought I would post back with a few thoughts.

I found it very interesting to have a story where the main antagonist in driving the story forward is not a character but yourself and addiction. I never had any close encounter with substance abuse but the story still hit and I felt invested in the characters. I found the last few chapters to be a bit rushed, I feel like the story could have used some padding in between the barrage of life altering events that happen to the characters. I'm assuming it's hard for a dev to justify spending time "padding" when people are waiting for updates but sometimes a good story needs to give in some space to breath in before the next big thing happen.

Overall it is a great story game and the characters are compelling, I really recommend people have a play

 

[Raife]

I know it was already in the lead post but I just played through One day at a time recently and I thought I would post back with a few thoughts.

Overall it is a great story game and the characters are compelling, I really recommend people have a play

I agree, Nyra. There's a ton of sex in that game, and a semi-harem develops around the MC... but I think it makes sense, in the context of the MC's personality:

Spoiler

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There are aspects of that story that are extremely dark, and you can pursue a very self-destructive path... (hell, it's dark even if you _don't_ court oblivion) but, again, I think that darkness makes sense in context.

It's an excellent game: uncomfortable to play, but I mean that as a compliment. I learned something about the nature of addiction... and gaining genuine insight into human nature through a porn game is damn unusual.

 

[Zalmoxys]

Artemis chapter 3 is out. And boy ... What a story. Renders and clips are top notch!

 

[jufot]

Artemis chapter 3 is out. And boy ... What a story. Renders and clips are top notch!

Indeed. I just finished it, and it was the best chapter so far. We're finally getting to the bits where Artemis herself is becoming important. Now, all that's left is to wait another 6 months for chapter 4

 

[Zalmoxys]

Indeed. I just finished it, and it was the best chapter so far. We're finally getting to the bits where Artemis herself is becoming important. Now, all that's left is to wait another 6 months for chapter 4

You are right. To story is so good and the character development is going deeper. In fact after I finished playing chapter 3 I've start supporting him on Parthenon. Digi.b need all the support.

 

[badtimetales]

Somehow I missed Artemis.

Let's say: I really understand how he got 650 patrons in 10 months.

I just played 20 minutes or so and skimmed through the media, don't have any free time atm as I want to finish Chapter 2.2 of Isabella.
But I will play it after my update, from what I've seen until now there are a few things I can learn from this dev

 

[jufot]

I really understand how he got 650 patrons in 10 months.

I think it's a combination of factors:

- The theme. Cool sci-fi story with transhumanist undertones.
- Fan-service driven porny bits. There is an entire sorority of attractive, successful women who are all inexplicably single.
- MC's ex-girlfriend as the primary antagonist. She is designed to be easily hateable, and there is nothing more attractive to porn game audiences than justifiably hateable women. The utter rage on the Artemis thread is... something.
- Attention to detail. Very high production values (especially after the first chapter), excellent visual and sound design, with dozens of immersive, non-sexual animations.

The updates are very long and are delivered at impressive speed. Chapter 3 took only ~5 months from start to finish, and I still have a hard time believing it. Either digi.B is doing this full time, or he's working with a team.

My only real criticism would be about the porny bits. This comment summarizes my feelings perfectly.

Still, it's a very good game and I'd definitely recommend it.

 

[badtimetales]

I think it's a combination of factors:

Good points.

The updates are very long and are delivered at impressive speed. Chapter 3 took only ~5 months from start to finish, and I still have a hard time believing it. Either digi.B is doing this full time, or he's working with a team.

Can't really say something until I've played it, but from what I've seen until now I can say:
Even working full time that would be hard.
It's not just the render times, scripting takes a lot time too if you do it his way.

So yes, it's impressive.
That's all about the technical aspects, too early for me to judge the story.

 

[vneotpolemus]

Interesting thread, it's always nice to see some more in-depth analysis.

I've played a fair few of the recommended games, but I'll be adding Corporate Culture and Sorcerer to be list of games to try.

 

[Raife]

So yes, it's impressive.
That's all about the technical aspects, too early for me to judge the story.

I have very, very mixed feelings about _Artemis_.

Some aspects are great:

• Technically, it's brilliant -- although I prefer slightly less 'perfect' renders (a la Mortze or Naughty Road);
• Some aspects of the story are fascinating;
• A few of the LIs are appealing, in terms of their personalities/characters, particularly the 'ugly ducking/swan-childhood friend/tech genius;
• There is a robot/AI dog.

Other elements are truly groan-worthy (as jufot has, as usual, correctly sussed out):

• The 'evil ex-girlfriend' is probably the second-dumbest porn cliche antagonist... after the 'evil father';
• Rando sorority girls... are an incredibly lazy porn trope, and it is just goofy to include them in a game not actually set in a US college Greek rush scenario (as in BAD, which jufot underrates due to his infamous anti-college game bias ); and
• the jarring alternation between different narrative strands:
  one moment you're in a futuristic AI adventure, the next you're enmeshed in corporate power games, and then you're dumped in the middle of a sorority blowjob contest. Huh?!

So it's lovely... there are flashes of eroticism... some LIs are appealing... but there's too much of everything. Too much distracting bling, too many LIs, too much pointless angst (why can't the MC get over his evil ex-girlfriend?) and too many random plot diversions.

I see this game as a beautiful incipient mess... which is highly likely to 'jump the shark' soon like _Chasing Sunsets_ did in the last episode. (Just to be clear: I still _like_ playing _Chasing Sunsets_ for exactly the same reason I like watching _Moonraker._)

Badtimes, my advice (which, as always, you're free to disregard) is to use Artemis as a guide on what not to do, at least as much as a model for emulation: don't use cheap porn tropes, don't lose narrative focus, don't create too many LIs, and don't insert a rando sorority free roam.

 

[badtimetales]

I see this game as a beautiful incipient mess... which is highly likely to 'jump the shark' soon like _Chasing Sunsets_ did in the last episode. (Just to be clear: I still _like_ playing _Chasing Sunsets_ for exactly the same reason I like watching _Moonraker._)

Hmm, it is a month since I played CS - but I really can't remember something "bad" in the last update.

Badtimes, my advice (which, as always, you're always free to disregard) is to use Artemis as a guide on what not to do, at least as much as a model for emulation: don't use cheap porn tropes, don't lose narrative focus, don't create too many LIs, and don't insert a rando sorority free roam.

Be assured that nothing like this will happen in Isabella.
The general story is set and will not change (though I have to bring in some side girls, for story and sex (avoidable), see patreon poll )

To be honest, since I've started developing I lost the interest in a lot games I've played before.
So I will give it a try, but at the moment my interest is just for the technical parts

 

[jufot]

as in BAD, which jufot underrates due to his infamous anti-college game bias

Uhm... excuse you, I enjoy BaDIK very much. It's a great porn game! I just don't pretend it's about the story

Rando sorority girls... are an incredibly lazy porn trope

True. I like the suggestion in this comment:

They could have it that all of these women work for Reina and they all met at the sorority when they were all in college. No need to have them still in the sorority, could have just had the house they live in be Reina's property that they are all living in.

This would have been a much better background for basically half the cast. My feelings on this topic are further complicated by my obsession with Reina, who is best girl, obviously. I just have a weakness for strong-willed red-headed executives with smokey eyes

Badtimes, my advice (which, as always, you're always free to disregard) is to use Artemis as a guide on what not to do, at least as much as a model for emulation: don't use cheap porn tropes, don't lose narrative focus, don't create too many LIs, and don't insert a rando sorority free roam.

I'd like to strongly second the "too many LIs" point. Countless VNs on this forum have been prematurely abandoned due to inherent complexities of branching narratives with a large cast. For a first game, I would keep the main cast at 5-6 people max.

 

[jufot]

Hmm, it is a month since I played CS - but I really can't remember something "bad" in the last update.

He's referring to this comment and the following discussion

 

[badtimetales]

He's referring to this comment and the following discussion

Thanks.
Didn't really bother me, but I agree, that could have been done better.

Reading your thoughts .... ok, my update is postponed for 4 weeks, I need a new ending for C2.2

Na, just kidding.
Can't create a cliffhanger without some unexpected things happening.

 

[Raife]

Uhm... excuse you, I enjoy BaDIK very much. It's a great porn game! I just don't pretend it's about the story

I admit that BAD is a great porn game... despite the fact that for some outrageous reason the dev forgot give the MC the ability to have sex with a young, heterochromic clone of his mother, like all the best porn games do!

But... your notorious anti-college game bias (TM) blinds you to the fact that while the narrative is prosaic and (rather deliberately) includes a number of college frat movie/game cliches, the characters are well drawn and three-dimensional, and several of the primary LIs, as well as the MC, have genuine character arcs and backstories. There is a tremendous amount of character building and non-porny dialogue in BAD.

So... I submit that BAD is both a porn game AND a story-driven game. And you, my friend, have repeated the mistakes of the taxonomists of old who beheld the duck-billed platypus laying eggs... and failed to recognise that it was, in fact, a mammal!