itch.io

Showcasing jealousy as a part of the story to be overcome is more than fine. My rule was to not let jealousy be the main thing showcased as it’s a problematic trope polyamorous people, like myself face. That our relationships don’t work because of jealousy etc… I understand romance stories and stories in general need conflict. What matters is they have a good endings and those stereotypes about us don’t win. And especially aren’t emboldened by the text created for a positive jam about good polyamory representation ❤️ 

As for the platonic representations of poly. I do acknowledge of course that those relationships exist and should be showcased. This is and was first and foremost a romantic centric jam for me. As I’m primarily a romance writer and by extension mostly a romance reader so I do prefer the stories submitted will be closer to that. 

Of course, anyone can make their own jam with their own set of rules to bring different types of representation if they want. 

My word is not gospel, these are simply the things I enjoy and this jam is very self indulgent. 

Yes, absolutely! I’d love to make it an annual jam 💞

I want to build a team

One thing I love to do for my games is make them as original as possible, I don’t like using assets other developers have used as they can be very limited depending on what it is. 

It’s important to me that if I write a story, I have every hand in trying to construct a team of people who can bring my vision to life, or make it better than I imagined. Since I am limited to a certain skill set, and limited by time.

If this sounds like you, building a team may be the way to go.

Now, I know a great many devs who feel ashamed for reaching out to others for help, either ashamed of their ideas or burdening someone else for doing work for free.

I understand this mindset, but I have some counterpoints to hopefully ease your mind.

First, keep in mind there may be those with the skills to make a game, but they don’t have the vision or the drive. 

Another, is that there are people who simply love to help others bring their dreams come to life. (Myself included!)

Something else is, maybe they are also too shy to reach out even though they want to. 

The indie dev space is built on enabling creatives to do what couldn’t be done alone due to limitations, but thanks to the internet and abundant resources for learning and using its never been easier to make a game than now.

To be in this space is to know that this just comes with the territory, and anyone who thinks lesser of you for wanting to build a team to make your passion project isn’t someone you want to be associated with anyway.

There’s also a saving grace for more introverted devs. There’s a such thing called recruiting, that let’s you put your work out there but enables others to reach out to you if they are interested. 

As long as you are honest and make it crystal clear of your intentions, expectations, and scope, then you will have a lot of success. 

So how do I build a team?

The simple answer: make a recruitment doc!

What is a recruitment doc, well its a document that details your project, who you are, what you want, who you need, deadlines, your contact info, etc…. Anything that a stranger needs to know to help you with your project. 

There is no one way to make these either, but this is how I make mine: feel free to use these as a template to make your own! I’d recommend using your color scheme, inserting visuals you have, sketches, mood boards, official art, etc… anything to catch the attention of the reader and try to be as informative as possible without bombarding the reader. 

You can look over them here:

Golden Bonds Recruitment Doc [CLOSED]

JAD/Monstrous Desires Jam Entry ❣️

Where to post the recruitment doc?

I’d recommend 4 main places, though I’m sure there are more depending on what circles you run in- the first is Discord, specifically dev specific servers. 

You’ll have to read the rules carefully before posting spending on the server, but often you can link back to your doc for the bulk of the info.

Some examples:

The next place would be dreaded Twitter, or more recently Bluesky, if you have a following or the right hashtags to gain attention, if you are participating in a jam, make sure to find the hashtag associated with the jam and use it in your post. For this jam its #PolyJamorous2024

Those who are also participating, or the jam runner will be able to find and repost your recruitment doc getting more eyes on it. If you make a recruitment doc for this jam I will happily repost it!

Another place is here on Itch, specifically you’ll go to the main menu and click on the Community tab, then scroll down to “Help Wanted or Offered”, there you can either message those looking to volunteer, or make your own post. I haven’t had a lot of success on Itch as of late, but I have in the past its just very hit or miss. 

You can also, make a recruitment post in the Polyjamorous 2024 community tab where you’re reading this currently! I made one for Josei After Dark Jam recently. 

Last but not least is a more obscure one, and requires you to already have an account to do it. Lemmasoft forums- https://lemmasoft.renai.us/forums/

Here you can make a forum post in the “Recruitment/Services Offered” section.

I have also had less luck here lately, but it has worked in the past, especially for reaching out to people you intend to recruit/commission directly. 

Unfortunately, a lot of this comes down to luck, and there is a chance depending on your project specifically it may not speak to as many people, or you may not have many people see your recruitment post in the first place.

Something that has helped me a lot, and may not be something you’ll want to do is to reach out to those you need directly.

What do I mean? Well, other people leave posts in these locations, offering their services. What you can do is dm those individuals and give them a sale’s pitch of your game, and link them the doc you made. 

This of course is vulnerable and leaves you open to rejection, but it really is high risk high reward, as I have been able to find some of my best friends/team members etc… by taking the first step. 

First example I got turned down, but in the other they agreed!

In Conclusion

A lot of this gets much easier as you go, currently it feels a bit second nature and even when things do crop up, experience is often a saving grace, enables you not to panic but adjust and come out the otherside much more knowledgeable. Ensuring every project gets better and better. 

If you have any questions feel free to post below, dm me on discord @flowersforjoy I'd love to hear from you and answer any questions to the best of my ability.

There’s a lot more than can be discussed, especially with very specific situations you may have and I hope I can help in any way I can. Happy team building! Thank you for participating in my lil old jam. And best of luck to you, I can’t wait to read and stream your projects! (did I not mention that before? Only if you’d be okay with it of course.) -Joy

Hey hey participants! I’m Joy, and as the title says this is a guide to getting your game submitted. If there is one thing associated with game dev that I have ample experience in its coming up with an idea and seeing it through to the end. So whether you are a brand new dev with little to no game dev experience, or someone who has multiple games but struggles with burnout, scope, and lack of inspiration. Look no further.

My Credentials:

I’m the founder, creative/casting director, and lead writer for Meant to Bee Studios and all of the games under it currently.

My most recent game, “Carved in Stone” was conceptualized September 27th and finished yesterday October 28th, almost an exact month from just an idea in my head to a full fledged visual novel with 12k words of script, fully voiced dialogue, custom GUI, original soundtrack, blinking sprite animations, 3 CG’s, and multiple endings.

And a year before, I’d joined “Once Upon A Time VN Jam” 2023 which had a 3 month time period, I managed to solo dev an entire 10+ hour RPG in that time. (“Lord of Lies”) Was it easy? Absolutely not, but I had a goal, and I saw it through. 

Both took a lot of planning, adjusting, and proper time management. But if there is a will to see your game come to life than I assure you that there is a way.

So with PolyJamorous starting in 3 days, I’ve made a guide to help you do just that. Whether it be a one shot polished visual novel, an ambitious multi hour RPG, or somewhere in between.

(Keep in mind you can submit an older game of yours to finish, update, remaster, polish etc… you can submit a demo as well.)

Your Submission

The only real stipulations for your submission are dictated by the rules of the jam, primarily that it must be a healthy portrayal of polyamory romance, with adult characters in some sort of medium, whether that be games, visual novels, comics, etc…

I’m sure if you’ve joined the jam you already have an idea in mind. If not, that’s okay as well, maybe you hope to develop an idea along with your team. I usually have an idea long before I join a jam, but with “Carved in Stone” I had a vague idea and developed it alongside a team member for example.

Again, there is no wrong way, just a different way of approaching projects. I’d recommend your first step be to have a vision of your project. 

Now, I didn’t say it had to be a vivid vision, there can be a lot of missing pieces, but you do need to have an idea that is interesting, especially if you intend to team build, as the only thing anyone has to go off is your concept.

(Unless you are a dev with multiple games, and a social media following, than it may be much easier for you to garner a team to help you despite the synopsis of your game.)

The idea I had for “Carved in Stone” was simple, I wanted to submit to Josei After Dark, a smut jam targeted towards women, and Monstrous Desires jam which focused on romanticizing monsters in fiction. The idea was the MC who was an older woman having a night of passion with the love interest (the monster in question). 

Everything that came afterward was developed in my brainstorming/outlining phase which took a couple of hours. 

Luckily a smut game with a hot demon love interest is a pretty easy sell for a lot of people. Though every project comes with its own set of challenges and setbacks. For example, my game is NSFW, there aren’t a huge amount of artists who do explicit nsfw art for free. I got lucky.

This goes double for when I decided to add voice acting, and the game is fully voiced, yes even the sex scenes. 

Every project will have its own setbacks, but keep in mind that you will have them.. Whether you work on a team, or as a solo dev you are going to encounter problems that can make or break development, and its imperative that you come out the otherside, regardless of what happens. 

I know there are some newer devs that join game jams to test out if they can even make a game. 

And joining a game jam is a great way to start! I also did a similar thing when I became a dev myself back in 2021, by joining Yaoi Jam of the same year. 

However, I didn't complete the game within the jam time limit, and instead didn't finish the game till a year and a half later and it bloated in size and scope.

So to avoid that, let me give you some tips on how I manage to keep scope small in my current projects. 

Disclaimer: my word is obviously not gospel, there is no one way to create and I’d hate to imply otherwise. I am speaking from my own personal experience and what has worked for me. Also, most of this advice applies to visual novels, RPG’s, and their hybrids. I imagine most of this advice can apply to other mediums as well, however.

Planning and Scope

As I said above, brainstorming/outlining needs to be your first step, even if you aren’t the main writer on your project. Regardless, you will have to pitch this idea if you intend to build a team. And if you are soloing it, you are the writer.

Now brainstorming and outlining varies quite heavily on the person. For me personally, I have quite loose outlines. For me, as long as I know where I begin, where I end, and the general themes associated with the story, I can wing the rest in the drafting process.

Yours may vary, you may need to keep notes of every intricate detail of your characters, romances, settings, dialogue choices, etc… and that is fine as well. 

What’s important is that you curate an environment that enables you and your team to do your best work. 

Since I learn best by example, here’s my hypothetical example if I was participating in this jam solo or in a team to showcase the differences. 

(I am actually submitting a visual novel for my own jam at the end of this year, but I digress.)

My Process

So I’m going to submit a project, specifically a visual novel to PolyJamorous 2024. 

First thing to consider is, does this project need to be in this jam? 

Jam’s have rules, restrictions, and time limits, this may be in and of itself a reason not to participate, and it’s important that you recognize that. If you have a 20+ hour RPG, or a dating sim with 7 love interests (omg who would do that even..?) maybe submitting to a jam with a couple months to work on it may be more harmful than helpful.

If this doesn’t apply to you, and the jam time for PolyJamorous (November 1st, 2024- February 14th 2025 is more than enough time for your project than I’d continue reading.)

The next thing you need to think about is, what is my project? And does it fit the jam?

My project for this example is a polycule romance between a newly wed couple and a ghost haunting the hotel they have their honeymoon at. (I made this up on the spot, feel free to use it as it legit sounds pretty banger ngl.)

Without doing any sort of outlining I know a couple of things right of the bat- I’ll have at least 3 characters (so 3 sprites), a setting which is a hotel fit for a honeymoon, that is also haunted? Since its a hotel this could require multiple backgrounds, not just the hotel lobby, maybe the suite, maybe a pool, maybe the dining area, etc…

Next is genre, I am submitting it to a romance jam, so it will be romance, but I have ghosts, so will it be darker? Will it tackle death and grief? Or will it be more comedic?

You’ll need to go over all the info you have about your project and answer these questions, at least as many as you can. Especially if you are the writer. What helps me is bouncing off my own ideas with someone willing to listen and contribute ideas. This can be a friend, partner, even me if you’d like, feel free to dm me I’d love to help!

How long do I want this project to be? I usually try to judge in word count, though you may have a different way to measure, maybe chapters, acts, or you’ll just write and see where you land. 

Since I am making a game, its usually a better idea to have a game on the shorter side so if a player does pick it up they aren’t bored. Also, a great deal of players can be discouraged by long play times on game pages. However, this isn’t an absolute rule, for games like my dating sim, it’s expected that those projects be long, and the game can be tackled route by route etc…

For myself though, this idea I conjured up doesn’t warrant any more than 30k words which is about 3 hours of playtime. 10k words is equivalent to 40 mins-1 hour of reading time. Though of course the numbers vary, but having a good idea can help with marketing and managing scope. 

Which brings me to my next point, what will I need?

What’s helped me a lot in the past is to plan my assets first, or while I outline. 

Keep in mind writing is the most flexible part of the dev process, especially if you are the writer. You can explain away a lot. As well as restrain an entire story to a single setting, or a single visible character if you are clever enough.

For me, finding certain art assets can be the most difficult part of team building as I myself am not an artist and have to outsource in some way. Whether that be commissioning, finding royalty free assets, or finding a generous jam goer to make art for me.  

If you are an artist, this may not be as big of a hurdle. However, another problem can occur. Taking on too much. Because you can draw it all, you do. I don’t recommend this. Especially if you are a newer creative who struggles to complete projects. It’s always a good idea to spread out the work load in a way no one is overwhelmed, even if you are solo deving.

And for jam games, since your time is usually limited, You don’t want to have one artist do it all, since it will mean one of those won’t be done in time, or the artist is overwhelmed and quits, etc… So you’ll need multiple, ideally, 1 artist for each part of your game- so 1 for GUI, 1 for BG’s, etc… 

For example, if you are a writer/artist/programmer solo dev, you may want to consider looking for free GUI assets, making a list of free music tracks you’ll need. Or building a team of artists/composers/programmers etc to help you while you do one specific part of the dev process. 

What’s important is that you are honest with yourself. How much are you willing to do? How much can you realistically do? If you work, have school, or even mental/chronic/physical illness these are all things you need to take in account. 

Especially when building a team of people whose time you want to value. If they’ve offered to help you with your project, you owe it to them to know what you want, be consistent, and to be respectful. 

So, to come back to my hypothetical ghost honeymoon project. I’m not an artist, and I need backgrounds, luckily, I am the writer so although I said there’d be a certain set of backgrounds, if I wanted I could base the entire story in the couple’s honeymoon suite, or if I felt more ambitious, had a click and point system where you explore the hotel as the ghost. The sky is the limit, but you need to make key choices that reflect the project you want and the story you’re telling.

Restriction breeds creativity after all- "Restrictions breed creativity" is a phrase that means that intentionally limiting oneself can lead to more creativity. The idea is that restrictions can help people see problems from a different perspective and can lead to new ways of thinking. 

This same amount of asset planning should extend to GUI, sprites, music tracks, voice acting, etc…

Keep in mind all of this can also be taken out, you may hate voice acting in games, than I recommend not adding something you yourself don’t like. Or you may already have free sprite assets you could use and don’t have to worry about looking for an artist, or doing it yourself.

Your circumstances, what you want from the project, and what you need for your specific project will make all the difference. 

There are free assets available here on itch by going to: “Game Assets”- then find the tags for what you are looking for- GUI, sprites, etc… (please note itch is unfortunately infested with ai art, and many people will not play your game if you use ai, and for the jam you submit to, mine included, you will be disqualified for using ai in your submission.) 

So you’ll have to pay for assets, find royalty free, commission, or enlist help from a generous jam goer. 

you’re so real 😭💕

If you're reading this please play the game. If hot alien sex with a healthy serving of humor sounds like a bit of you than this is going to be more than up your alley. ;) Zen is so sweet, and the game is put together so seamlessly! Couldn't recommend it enough tbh!

This is a wonderful question! I am a polyamorous person in a monogamous relationship with a monogamous man (we are actually married). It sounds like it will work perfectly and is amazing representation! <3 Thank you for participating <3333

Thank you so much! I appreciate you letting me know about the project, if you do a sequel for it I'd be happy to check it out <3

In regards to the image used on the jam page it isn’t mine. So I can’t grant permission to use it or not. It could be fun to make your own. I know I intend to commission my own diagram for it eventually 😃, thank you for sharing all this you don’t have to apologize. 

That works just fine! Seems really fun 🤩

Hey, appreciate your feedback. The thing is, if I didn’t list the rules, I’d end up disqualifying or removing entries that had any of it listed anyway. So better to just list it before anyone submits a game.

I said it a couple times before. But because I a poly person have to read every entry, I don’t want to be subjected to harmful tropes. Feel free to make poly romance with any of these tropes if you’d like in your own time. I just don’t want to read it honestly. And that’s fine, it’s perfectly normal to just have different things we like to read. 

I do think it’s a bit unfair to tell me, that my own jam is too strict. It’s like saying my boundaries and opinions are too strict. They’re just what I like. 

Yes, you can make fan projects. Just don’t sell it for money. 😁

If you have any questions regarding the game jam, page, polyamory even- here is the place to ask!

Roles needed:

-Sprite Artist 

-CG Artist 

-GUI Artist

-Composer

-Programmer

-QA/Editor

-Masc VA

More info here

https://docs.google.com/document/d/19diAvAzMomRCq65tkUORJsEv7_jGmmYOhu7zm5xduuc/...

Roles needed:

-Sprite Artist
-CG Artist
-GUI Artist

-Composer

-Programmer

-QA/Editor

-Masc VA

More info here
https://docs.google.com/document/d/19diAvAzMomRCq65tkUORJsEv7_jGmmYOhu7zm5xduuc/...

About Me
Hey hey! I’m Joy Founder/Creative Director/Lead Writer (among so many other things) for Meant to Bee Studios. I’m also a major chatterbox, and have an unbridled passion for storytelling especially romance.

I’m looking to work primarily in helping write stories and helping you develop them. I even offer services in Project Management and Beta Reading as I have a lot of experience in both. I’ve worked as a writer for money since I was 19 (I’m 25 currently), though I’ve been writing since I was 8 years old. 

The last 3 years I’ve managed lead a studio and produce 5 full length visual novels, (1 more by the end of the year) in addition to writing for 2 other projects. 

I am deeply familiar with all things indie visual novel development and am consistently putting out high quality work quickly.

Disclaimer: I am not an editor. Beta reading is providing feedback from a reader/writer perspective.

Resume: Games can be found https://flowersforjoy.itch.io/. “Tattoos and Tulips” creative directed and written by myself in 3 weeks at a total of 60k words.

“Crabs & Cocktails” creative directed and written by myself in 2 weeks at a total of 30k words.

“Lord of Lies” written and solo developed visual novel/RPG by myself in 3 months at 100k+ words.

“Carnival of Shadows” wrote one route in 2 weeks at 10k words. Aurel’s route. 

“Rectifier: In Bloom” creative directed and wrote 3/7 routes for the game. Greer, Glyph, and Percy’s routes respectively. 

Cats on a Lilypad’s “The Inn Between”. Hired to write Leon’s route 50k in 10 weeks. 

 Strengths:
I am entirely a romance writer, if your project doesn’t have any romance in it I may not be the writer for you. On the contrary if you do have romance, than I am the ideal writer for you!

In addition to romance I am good at writing fantasy, scifi, slice of life, adventure, action. I struggle quite a lot with mystery and thriller. Horror as well, however I would love the opportunity to write a dark romance/horror romance. 

I am also a queer indie developer (I’m bisexual/polyamorous) I have a plethora of experience writing with and about queer relationships/people. Whether it be otome, bl, yuri, amare, or anything in between I’m your gal! I also have a lot of experience writing NSFW. Though certain dark themes, topics, kinks/fetishes I may not be willing/capable to write about. I’m open to discussing it however.

Rates: Services/prices are as follows:

Script Writing 0.03-0.05 USD per word, depending on the genre, if the project is SFW/NSFW, or if I am credited for my work. Story Outlines/Idea Bouncing

Consultations $25 dollar an hour for a call via Discord or 0.01 USD per word if you want ideas and/or an outline in a written form rather than through call.

Project Management Will heavily depend on the project, please contact me with as many details as possible. Jam Projects/Free/Unpaid Projects will be less, and Commercial/Long Term/Paid Projects will be more.

 I accept payments through Kofi, Paypal, and Venmo.

Trades

As a developer myself, I more than understand budgetary restrictions. However, I also intend to keep working on my own projects and can always use help with the services below. So is money/budget an issue? Now worries! I’d happily work in exchange for one of the services below:

 -Art (Sprite art, promo art, background art, CG art, merch art, etc…) 

-Programming (In both Renpy and RPG Maker preferably)

-Video Editing (Mainly for trailers and promotional material)

 Contact Me The quickest way to get in contact with me is via discord: "flowersforjoy", feel free to email me at [email protected], or here on lemmasoft. I look forward to working with you! Let's work some magic!

not another Percy enjoyer! 😭 jkjk thank you for the sweet comment and the rating! I hope you’ll enjoy the rest of what we have to offer 🙏

- Lady Gaga and now me.

Honestly this is so polished, every time I see you produce a new game I can just see your skills as a writer, programmer, producer etc... come to the forefront and Ghosts of Troy is no exception!

Also Andromache, nah more like Andro-SMASH what a babe through and through! Hector really did pop off with her!

The direction is always one of my favorite parts of your game as it can be hard to do so in Visual Novels especially with limitations like in O2A2 but you didn't struggle what so ever that I could tell!

I really enjoyed it! It's so polished, and doesn't feel limited by any means. Also the easter egg names on the boxes was so smart! Really well thought out, planned, written, and executed! (also music is immaculate)

(minor spoilers) Love that the yandere cage trope just put us in a bird cage lolol (also love the prey/pray thing at the end!)

Hi hi, I just watched! Thank you for playing! Cassie is definitely a more experimental game for me. It's mainly about interpretation, so how ever you feel it meant is right <3. I also agree that it's weird for young Cassandra to have so many suitors lolol don't worry. I wanted to detail a young woman set back in time who wanted to be free from her expectations. Some interpret the story as self love, though a more fantastical element to me is also fun. If you enjoy I hope you'll give my other games a shot! (This one is my shortest as it was made for O2A2 jam)

*farts* really sums up my experience 100000/10 swamps out of swamps 

I didn't leave a review! aghhhh! Annelise! 10000/10! 

I love the NVL style! You did a great job with this project and I love the narrative itself along with your own personal journey getting this project out and the changes that were made.

The CG's are so gorgeous, and the poetic story telling just sells it even more!

Annelise, Annelise, ANNELISE! Honestly (the prince too- but I am just like him, just floored by her heart and strength!)

I said everything in more that I could say in my playthrough, but goodness! For anyone other than Chim reading, play the game!

What an incredible entry! I am consistently blown away by your work Chatter! Even with 2 hours of playtime I played it in one sitting cause I couldn’t step away from the world, Ramil’s struggle, and his relationship with Tala- to name a few. I adore how much detail there is in your stories- it’s like you create a huge puzzle/sandbox for me to play in where I can piece things together and also just have fun! 

Play this game seriously! I am not asking 😤 

(Spoilers)

Ramil is hot af and he is an incredible character so far! I totally buy into everything about him like he has a reason for everything and where’s a cereal box toy around his neck, what more could you want?

I love his backstory, current struggles, motivations, and ESPECIALLY his interactions with Tala.

I also love Tala! She is a careful balance of “sexy born yesterday” trope without all the problematic shit! She’s mature, optimistic, and drop dead gorgeous! 

There’s honestly so much I could say, and have said. I just can’t understate how FULL your projects feel. Even when it’s a demo there is so much to latch onto- so many questions, so many mysteries, and fears left lolol 

You’ve tackled a Fairy Tale esque story with Actala and it’s definitely your strong suit! I love the breaks between the drab realness (which I adore it’s super down to Earth, pun intended!) and then as he dreams you get to go to this fantastical world! I love that they dream together and whether this is some magic shit (which it most certainly is lol) we are still left with the themes that come from Fairy tales and how Ramil keeps those stories close to his heart! Truly incredible! Cannot wait for more! However, this is super high quality in 3 months and you more than deserve to take it easy lolol but if you’re anything like me, you’ll be busy.

Great work man! Truly! 

I spoke at length about the story in my recording of it lol (half the runtime was just me yapping lololol) but for those wondering if they should play-in short, absolutely! especially if you’ve played its predecessor “Daughters of the Sun”

I personally feel more attached to this part of the Phaedra tale as it captures a more relatable protagonist. And though it was horrifically beautiful to witness Phaedra's thoughts in DOTS it didn’t speak to me as much as Son of the Woods. It may sound silly to say with the gorgeous art and writing, but the sound design on this really shines to me! It really sucks you in how the darkest of thoughts find us in the safest/most serene places. 

I am genuinely shocked that this project is shorter than DOTS- as I felt like they had the same runtime at the least! (Comparisons aside) 

As its own piece of work, this is a very RAW entry. It doesn’t shy away with all the emotions that come from being a victim to a horrible crime. And how Hippolytus is no weaker or lesser because of it! It really sparks an important conversation between the biases of female predators to male. 

I feel for Hippolytus and how he wants to “take responsibility” for his step mothers heinous actions/feelings- but the sad truth is we have no control on how others looks at us, and even how they treat us all the time. Even with all the power, influence, and strength we can all be victims. 

Some people may find that last sentence terrifying, and in a way it is, but for me a victim myself- I find it empowering- I’m not alone in this and even if I could slay a Minotaur it could still happen to me.

I know Hippolytus and others like him, with the correct support system can come to terms with what happened and not blame himself- as well as not let others blame him. 

As I said before, Chime thank you for tackling these heavy subjects with tact and thought! I can always tell you care what you are talking about and take a lot of responsibility with what you are saying! It’s one of the many things I admire about you and your body of work 💕

I was blown away by the presentation of the story! I loved all the little surprises and the amount of character to be found in the narration, characters (mainly Julian rn), and the setting! I love how much you think about your stories Butter; and how self indulgent you are! I can truly see your vision and buy into the world you’ve shared with us! 

I didn’t know what to expect really at all, and it was a pleasant surprise through and through! I am more than ready for the full demo/full release! 💖🙏

Kick those enemies asses! 😈 

Tyty happy new year to you! I’m excited to play one of your games on my break ✌️ 

ty Grey! I have to thank all those encouraging me (like yourself) that have gotten me this far! I drew from a strength I had, but it was those around me encouraging me that made all the difference.

I'm so glad to hear Alex! You've helped me so much, if I can help even a little I am so glad. I will continue to work hard! Thank you <3

I played the game and all its endings! They were quite fun to see the changing menu and all the camera work! I love Arcturus what a precious man! Araceli and I just starstruck hehe 🤩 it wasn’t as sad as I thought but instead I shed tears much easier cause it was beautiful and loving! 

I love this genre of game like Intertwine and Threads of Snow that touch on time travel and soulmates! It was fun seeing your take on this and the color scheme was so pretty and comforting!

And of course the subject matter of not needing to rush yourself into anything, specifically sex to show your partner you love them! I loved Arcturus’ line about he’d rather Araceli be comfortable! He was so relaxed and understanding and the blurry screen effect is just me 90% of the time with my loved ones when they say something sweet!

loved the background art and the changing menus and sparkly goodness throughout! 

Great game as always Chime! Going to be recommending it and of course it’s infinite/5 stars ⭐️! 

oh Butter I finally played it! Sorry it took me so long! What a gorgeous piece! I love all the analogies and the artistry throughout! The MC is so pretty I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. I love that your work is just you all over it! It’s Butter core from the ceiling to the floor! This was so wonderfully tragic and poetic but also hopeful and calm. Just like the snow! Depending on who you are it’s peaceful or deathly silent. I love that you have the player so much to ponder and chew on! I am so excited to see more of what you do! Keep up the incredible work! 

This has become a major comfort game for me. Not to mention inspires me to do a similar thing in the future just because of how well executed it is here. 

You hit a bullseye with Boone! He is the center of this game for a reason. It’s super fun to play through a western and be a cowboy right alongside him! 

The nsfw scenes which I opted into were fantastic! I played as a male cowboy because what’s better than one cowboy? Two cowboys! And I never felt like it was a secondary option to playing a lady cowboy and the same can be said for the non-binary/gender neutral option.

I like how cohesive the whole experience is, it’s not too lengthy nor too short- plenty of replay ability (at least for me). You can choose to ride this horse how ever you see fit and that’s a testament to your writing and planning!

There is just so much love put in this game and it’s evident from the second you start! I am so glad I got to experience it early! 

I look forward to everything yet to come.

TLDR; Boone’s Balls make this game a certified 10/10 🤠

Game is a BANGER (pun intended ;) )

Warning spoilers, and sex jokes/puns below! The game is 10/10 play the downloaded version if you're comfortable with NSFW worth it! Also bring tissues- they are necessary throughout it all ;D

Spoilers under the cut
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Loved the game since I read it originally! You captured such a strong emotional conflicttttt, this want that so many humans share- just the want to be wanted.

The voice acting added so much to this! Alex's lines hit so much more, and Adam felt even more nonchalant oh godddddd. (some of the Adam line deliveries were so Chrys, I see what you meant! Although, it was evident in the text by itself!)

The sex scene was really well done, I love the pop ups and the changes in the CG. Alex may be sad, and going through it- BUT HE LOOKS GOOD DOING IT (also he's got that schlang on him good lord o_o- not complaining lolol)

The monochromatic backgrounds is so cool and adds to this cold detached feeling!

The musiccccccc, music adds so much for me and you always pick the right one.

I knew what was to come at the end (pun not intended LOL) and it still hit me hard, I hope Alex gets a happy ending of some sort in Namida. (And Adam too...I guess lolol jkjk, I hope everyone finds something that works for them!)

I am so proud of you for doing something outside of your comfort zone and really delivering! This was super enjoyable, and I am not surprised it's getting attention lolol!

Great work as always friend <3

I KNEW IT- VILLIAN YOU ARE A VILLAIN I’LL GET YOU FOR THIS CHIME 🤣 also curse you for making such a good pun title name…I’m a sucker for it…

alright, lesson learned DONT simp for characters without playing the game first lmfaoooo- YOU GOT ME

Spoilers starting now

okay I hate him, I knew going in thanks to the warnings that this wasn’t going to be a simple cute little dinner between a ‘troubled’ couple.

The second he started acting out I was like, alright only one choice- we have to poison the chimichurri steak. Dude is THE WORST, he made Matthieu look sympathetic jfc.

but it was a good strategy to make him look appealing! Monsters are all among us, they look like beautiful people but can be wolfs and sheep’s clothing.

There was no other choice in my mind but to break the plate, honestly she’s better than me because I had Murder on my mind lolol. But this is better, he can live with the humiliation and never be seen as some victim.

Personal stuff for a second, my horrible father was also a domestic abuser so I think I react very strongly to this material in the first place. The ending lines are my favorite- that she always had the strength in her! She just suppressed it versus the usual- she was weak and just one day snapped. Thank you for portraying it this way! 

I liked this game a lot despite having a sinking feeling the whole time lol! I’m off to read the devlog parts I didn’t want to read due to spoilers 🏃‍♀️ great work as always Chime! 

P.S you must have been CACKLING at me over Twitter lmfaooooo a pretty face and my head is GONE 😫

Bro's got the most kissable lips ever!

Awwww the writing was so cute, witty, and wholesome!

I liked this entry a lot! The music, UI, background,. and sprite art are all so gorgeous! Hell, just this itch page alone is so pretty wow!

I enjoyed this a lot!

LOVED this entry. It's so real, I like that you were uncomfortably honest with the subject matter, it was told in a way that can only be told if you have first hand experience and most women do. 

This was equal parts uncomfortable and comfortable. Voice acting was so gooood gosh we do not deserve VA's mannnn.

Phoenix is legitimately gorgeous and she looks BANGER~! But I know she needs to believe it first, and that's the hardest part. No matter how beautiful we see her, unless she feels like she is, she'll never be happy.

Self love is something I also decided to tackle in my O2A2 project and games like this speak so many people because we all struggle with our self image in one way or another. It's sad, but if we are aware of the issue we can fix it.

I like that the endings all are so authentic!

I love how cleverly constructed this project was in the first place. The mechanics of clicking and further inspecting Phoenix in the mirror GOSH so real it hurts.

The quivering texts was such a great idea! Honestly just a brilliant project and equally brilliant execution! Amazing jobbbb!

Carrot can you be a little less talented please???? Jk I said in my rating that this game finally pushed me to play Our Wonderland, I've always wanted to but now it is not negotiable. I loveeddddd this so much GOSH.

The presentation is so you! (so Orlam) LMFAO I feel like I understand so much while also understanding so little??

Your art has always been gorgeous! Your characters so charming! This game had me SWEATING at one point, you are so good at making me feel so uneasy, and yet I still want to persist.

I cannot believe this entry is less than 1k words, how? It didn't feel like it had ANY limitations, you excelled! I can confidently say this is THE BEST O2A2 ENTRY I HAVE PLAYED. Period. And it's more than deserved.

You did some tricks I have never seen done in a VN before, with the dancing especially.

and if your art and presentation/coding weren't enough YOUR WRITING GOSHHHHH (save some talent for the rest of us please, I beggggg)

All jokes aside, your writing is so strong! I love that Genzo always has a very specific voice, in everything I see from him it's such strong characterization that i feel like I already know him and Iggy, and Orlam with minimal exposure and that is an understated talent and FEAT.

I cannot wait to play and praise you even more via word of mouth. You deserve all the attention you're getting and more, so crazy to be in the same space as someone so talented.

So many great things about this project! Great presentation lovely art all around from the sprites, to the CG's, to the GUI, the music is fitting. The voice acting swoon worthy! (especially for Artie and Kasanov!)

The writing is great, I feel very close to the characters already and am very curious to see how this plays out. But most importantly want to protect my boy Kas at all costs. I am so in love with him! I played through the game, tried to record me getting the CG's but (I am very bad at technology apparently...)

This game makes me laugh, swoon, and feel for the cast! I am so excited to see where it goes.

The quality was IN FACT TOP TIER! Justine literally couldn't have been a better choice they delivered each and every line brilliantly! But, it's a symbiotic relationship, the script is wonderfully nihilistic-ly beautiful. A tormented woman's final thoughts, presented in such a soliloquy way was just so much fun!

The presentation can not be understated here, honestly, I feel like the piece shone so much brighter due to the limitations, (and not just because you wrote about the "Daughters of the Sun" hehe) which is the beauty of this jam!

I will probably reread a couple times because I'm not familiar with the original work and I am trying to make sense of it all, but even without the full scope I entirely bought into the emotion and betrayal Phaedra felt from Aphrodite, for herself and her sisters.

This is so fantastic! It's crazy you did this in such a short amount of time, you had a vision and you DELIVERED. Huge pat on the back to you and Justine friend <3