Ren'Py - Time Loop Hunter [v0.72.00] [Hydrahenker]

This is a solid premise and the graphics are alright. Once there's more content I suspect it might get a fourth star. HOWEVER, as of the current release (v0.08) the game is way, way, way, WAY, way too grindy. To the point that it would be simpler to teach yourself how to enable console commands and then cheat new stats in rather than grind for them. As in performing the same action 30 times to level, but each time you do the action you have to perform between 10 and 30 clicks to get to that action again. Tedious at best, definitely not good game design.

EDIT: On Later iterations, I have to rate down it from 5 stars to 4. I'd put it lower except for the 1 star review which I think is unfair. I'd stay it's solid 3 with a great mechanic, but it's really difficult to actually get somewhere and there's a lot of grind. Honestly, though, I have no idea how to fix this issue.

While the content is fairly thinly spread around the sprawling game mechanics, this is an excellent start. It's clearly one of the best games in this adult game forum when it comes to "game mechanics". Most VN's shouldn't have very difficult mechanics, because it detracts from the story(or porn). However, here is truly an interesting game mechanic that doesn't detract from it at all, nor make it unreasonably difficult, nor punish mistakes. Bravo. I can only hope the developer continues on this path. Giving 5 stars is a bit premature considering the actual content in the game, I am giving the 5 stars more as an endorsement of the idea and in hopes of much content in the future. There also seems to be a clear end-game in mind, which always a good idea as no one wants to see game that enternally languishes in half-way state.

UPDATE: The game seems to be getting more sprawling, but not meaningfully worse or better. It's much better in the sense of pure content, but it's slightly worse in the sense of the path to get that content is as opaque as it gets. Since there's no real "punishment" for screwing things up, by the virtue of the game's mechanics -- it's not an unmanageable problem but it does make it sometimes feel both very grindy AND like you're not getting anywhere.

Definitely needs some more guiding mechanics on what to do next.

But it is getting very complex to keep up with when trying to play as often you're really not sure what you need to do next.

Also the "you will remember this" needs to be displayed in some other way, possibly a pop up or maybe change/overlay the image with the text, instead of showing it in the text box.

It is a very useful hint, but right now it's displayed in very lackluster manner.

Waiting for more content but so far what has been delivered is interesting and has lots of potential in its premise. Due to complexity of the game it might be hard to fully realise but heres to hoping.