I played this after watching an animation by Venz and I loved it... Lee might be my favorite character of all time. This game was so sweet and tender and yet so cruel. If you're paying attention you can see what's going to happen long before it does, but you hold out hope. I loved it
This game is a masterpiece. The art, the pacing of the story, the subtle nods and shifts in behavior make this a 10/10 in my books. Mixes of unsettling moments with sweetness shortly after made it feel like a rollercoaster ride. You did incredible homie!
ive really enjoyed this game a lot omfg. good commentary on a lot of stuff and also very well written characters and plot and the messed up stuff. and and oughh. a lot of parts felt very personal n relatable n thus hit harrrd
now some technical stuff that ive experienced
idk if anyone noted this bug already but the game crashes if u press left or right in the menu (not main menu (afaik? didnt test) but ingame) the error message is something about ConfigManager.save not being a function. sorry i cant recall the exact error cuz of the next issue that i sadly cant really pinpoint properly:
after getting my first ending (the good one?? i think?? its relatively good) the game started to really struggle with opening "load savefile" menu. actually maybe not the game struggles its like my whole pc starts struggling. BUT idk maybe my pc is just weak. but that didnt happen before i got the ending. oh actually now that i check it wont start a new game either just endless loading too. sadge... sorry that i couldnt get any more info on that ;;
lastly would love for the game to ask if the save should be overwritten T_T not a big deal tho at this point
but still an overall amazing game and an incredible indie project to experience im like. really inspired by this game. beautifully made !!!!! bleh words r hard
Holy fucking shit i used to enjoy ur art so much im so glad youve made a game now!!! just downloaded it so im quite excided to see what youve done seems like an intresting concept ^3^
i don't really know what this error means because i usually get it during anytime a cutscene transition happens or whenever a prompt shows up, can anyone help out?
Sorry to hear you're having this problem. I can't guarantee this will work, but have you tried doing what the error says to do? Going into the folder it's telling you to go into and renaming that specific file to have the underscore at the end?
i did do that yeah, multiple times, however it seems that it reverts back to "C:\Users\User\Desktop\Clinical Trial\save\Preload_JSON.rmmzsave" even after renaming it and replaying that moment in the game
sometimes it would follow through, allowing me to move on to another cutscene, but it'd happen again when i try to go to the next cutscene
Really caught me off guard by the last half. What an excellent game. The writing and tension was pretty much perfect. Angel is becoming one of my favorite characters in an indie game now.
*****SPOILERS*****
The middle section does a very great job at building chemistry for both Angel and Lee, as well as making us forget that this game is categorized as a thriller, making the final minutes feel very rewarding (and disturbing) to watch. I only got that ending so I prolly need to play and delve into it more. Really solid experience, man. I cannot believe this is free
I really enjoyed the medical commentary in the first act and it really hit home knowing how much of it applies to me. Angel being able to interact with everything was a super nice touch of immersion.
What an awesome story, fun "game"... Ah whatever, we can call it a game, WHY NOT? There's interactable elements, you can choose to get Angel's jacket out of the wash if you wanna, inspect stuff here and there, choose an ending... It's a game! I tried to spoil myself about what exactly WAS the taboo element in this but I couldn't figure it out in my attempt and then I just decided to play it since it's not that long and boy am I glad I wasn't stupidly spoiled, what a fun ride. I'm not averse to taboo elements at all, far from it... "Is Angel a loli?" I remember asking... but no, this story wouldn't really work if she was... Regardless, the taboos presented here rubbed me the right way and I totally felt Angel and Lee's love through their interactions... I absolutely adore their dialogue, it's all so well done and human. What else can I gush about... The art is really well done, and I appreciate having Angel's art drawn by Peachy, a third party, instead of just having Homie, the main artist, mimic a style... Both artists are doing such a beautiful job. The story itself is REALLY well told overall, I loved the ride. Perhaps I'll go into spoilers now? If you're reading this and are on the fence on whether to play this or not, please do, it's short, you're not wasting too much time if you don't end up liking it, but if you've got good taste you'll probably REALLY like it.
(spoilers from here on out)
Regarding the endings, one is obviously much better than the other in my opinion, and maybe just flows better... The good one, the one where they live happily ever after, is the one that's clearly canon and better. As for the other... Iunno, I feel like Angel would be more understanding of Lee at this point and would be nicer to him after seeing his shrine... But I can also see her just blowing up after being taken for a ride all the time... The more I think about it, the cooler it is how BOTH endings are totally plausible for Angel's character, though of course one's way more beautiful and canon, just so much more canon and also beautiful. Homie if you're reading this please release your next game on steam so you can make money, this was a very gripping short story and I think anything else you make will probably be JUST as good... GOOD JOB ON MAKING THIS!!!
edit: oh my god, side note: you can have Angela inspect the shrine from the side and that messes with her placement in the cutscene that follows. If you ever patch the game that'd be something to fix
its such a good game!! its sad and i understand both endings so it hurts 😭😭😭. i only wish that they had more interactions with Adri. i thought she was gonna be relevant but i guess not
I played this game blind, and that was the best decision I could have made for myself. I walked into this because of an animation, and came out of it with angel living in my head rent free (literally)
{ SPOILERS }
I needed a game like this a lot, I think. I feel very seen in my experiences, especially so many of the uglier parts of my symptoms and trauma, and I know I would very much love to see more of these two if you decide to do anything more with them. Isolation is a deeply haunting thing, and it can drive you to points that many people cannot understand and often do not attempt to, and it can get so bad when you pair this with unresolved trauma and untreated symptoms of mental illness. Both endings have their importance, and I think that ending 1 being the drill one makes sense to be followed up with what I feel is the more 'true' ending. It's the one the average player is bound to get first, and seems like the most logical conclusion. To follow it up with an ending that provides so much more depth to his actions and the actual intent and meaning behind everything, empathetic understanding while still setting boundaries and being honest, is absolutely devastating, and I cried when he told the story about his sister and the dolls they made of one another. Angel has made me feel more seen than any other character ever really has in so many deeply personal ways, and Lee is such a strong favorite character of mine that I will never forget what this experience brought me. Thank you for making this, I loved seeing them get to be happy. It shows that I can be too.
im halfway through the game and told him to get in the tub to see what would happen thinking "shurley he wont really get in right?" now im staring at both of them in the same tub naked blushing doing nothing freeky but i was not expecting that to actually happen
Absolutely loved this, wow! I had to sit back and just process everything after both endings. Even if one ending was less likely, I found myself really just wanting it to happen that way anyway. Loved the characters, the art (especially the variety in facial expressions), the little details (like the scene lingering on Lee every time Angel leaves), their relationship development (love me a good slow burn)... I'm so glad I checked this out, and I hope you keep making games!
Im hoping someone knows of a social media that the artist for Angel has? I know its peachy but Im not sure if they have a social. I loved not just the regular art style but their art as well. It was magnificent! Lemme know please and thank you!!
i enjoyed this game so much, especially the story and visuals, that i even created an itch.io account just to leave a comment! thank you for your amazing work!!<3
like many of the commenters here, i fell in love with this game by watching a popular youtuber play it. now, i've been thinking about it for two days straight. i'm eagerly waiting for my wife to have some free time, so we can play it together, and i can show her this story that has carved a permanent mark into my brain.
i was drawn in by the wonderful character art. then you hit us with the material realities of healthcare under american capitalism... lemme tell ya, as a disgruntled leftie office worker, in a field adjacent to healthcare, that shit had me hootin and a hollerin. when lee started talking in detail about how he gets paid i fully became two soyjacks pointing at the screen with excitement.
[spoilers]
.
.
i love the "red herrings." i love how they subvert the expectations of the rpgmaker horror scene, but also develop the characters. i love that you whether or not angel called the cops ultimately doesn't matter, even though i was so sure it would.
being cared for by a fucked up, moneyed niceboy who's unhealthily obsessed with you is such a lovely fantasy LOL. truly one for us tfag fujoshis in the crowd. i think lee should administer angel's testosterone.
i keep typing more things i like and then erasing it all, there's so much i could say but i can't put it eloquently.
what a fucking game. i'm going to think about it for a long, long time. i hope to see more work from you. thank you for making this and sharing it with us.
Reviews that have untagged ending spoilers such as yours did are deleted. Additionally, you referred to a problem you ran into using your mouse as a bug when the controls instruct you to use the arrow keys.
a lot of constant issues in my life got represented in this game. It felt like finally being seen, in a positive light nonetheless. Loneliness and lack of human understanding can screw with your head a lot, i'm glad this game exists. I heart Lee and his obssesion with suicide yet inability to commit to it, contrasting how his impulsive actions towards Angel truly meant a lot to him. I adore how the codependency is handled. shoutout to manlybadasshero
i adore this game. felt somewhat ruined by it, really. the tentative intimacy, a veering from the superficial romance often observed in such works of fiction, really immerses one into the narrative. i found myself genuinely rooting for them, in a way. no matter how twisted the intricacies might be, they are inherently good for each other. I am glad you didn't stray into the typical, wholly irrational path for Lee, an obsessive character. and I love how angel is not depicted as a wholly helpless, manipulable character. their presence is visceral. it is as if such stories are pulsing flesh.
This is more of an narrative adventure than actual game but with that being said the writing is pretty good. The author may have an medical background. I was VERY uncomfortable during a lot of scenes, this game may not be playable for everyone.
Finished playing this a few hours ago. It's not saying much since it's only February, but this is easily my game of the year. I spent about an hour typing up some a 'review' (schizoid ramblings) before realizing I was a shit writer and deleting it. Instead, I'll just say this:
If you are interested in psychological horror, this is a great game for you. If you enjoy realistic character-focused drama, this is a great game for you. If you love well-developed dialogue, this is a great game for you.
If all of what I just said sounds boring to you... I mean, you should still try this game. It's free, takes maybe 4-5 hours to experience all the content (if you're a slow reader), and you might be pleasantly surprised! Hell, there's even a full playthrough on the official youtube channel if you don't want to take up a few hundred megabytes on your hard drive.
It is very rare for a game to make me care so much about the characters so quickly. For dialogue to cut so deep. For a few minor pieces of foreshadowing to instill so much unease throughout the rest of the story. Jesus, I think I said 'b-but where is the *spoiler*' like 50 times in the second half of the story, and was NOT disappointed
Please give it a try.
Homie, if you have a patreon, ko-fi, or anywhere that fans can support you, please let me know. I don't know if you plan to continue the story of these characters (and understand if you don't - it can be very difficult to make a satisfying continuation), but I would love to see what other stories you can tell in the future! Plus, you're a fucking master of the slow burn, I live for that shit.
(And please give us more Adri content, I love her and it is criminal she only appeared in 2 scenes lol.)
i genuinely teared up when angel started to open up about their problems on the rooftop. though i may not have gone through a fraction of what they have, it still hit too close to home for me. 10/10 game, first one to make me cry
Don't usually do this sort of thing, but I felt so strongly about it I decided to make an account to leave a comment here..
Spoilers I guess,
I really don't know how to feel after it, and that bugs me to an extent. At my stage in life I don't really find game narratives to be particularly gripping, or plot twists to have any real bite which is why it totally shocked me when I found myself at full attention, absolutely enthralled in this narrative, fully invested and hopeful for what these two might become while being just as equally petrified, worried and unnerved for what the horrible eventual truth about Lee could possibly be when it finally decides to rear it's ugly head.
I think most people will clue in early on somethings going to happen and it just makes it all the more tragic as you really grow to love these two, I've always found Romance in video games to feel really plastic and meaningless, nothing ever felt believably genuine because of how in service of the plot it always felt and yet with this it feels so real and I really can't pin it on anything - but if I were to try I think it'd be in part due to all those fantastically mellow intimate moments we get throughout the story, despite how little things may be progressing literally and physically in those moments the growing bond I interpret from them feels deeply authentic and meaningful, more than anything I've experienced before - maybe there's a whole genre for this that's lost on me and I just have poor taste in games but it really stuck with me after.
I can't describe how badly I wanted them to win out in the end, and I guess technically they can if you choose to but after immersing yourself so much into the narrative and characters it just feels so wrong on every level to choose that option, I'd be a liar though if I said watching Lee drill his brains out didn't hit me like a train.
Probably wasn't helped by Angel (Angela?) learning no one was ever trying to contact her while she was missing, this plot really doesn't pull any of it's punches.
I really don't want this to be the end. I think there is more to be told here so I guess the point to this all, my silly little plea to the developer: please continue this story. Despite what he claimed I never believed Lee would be able to walk away from this unaffected and I'd love to see and suffer through it all in a continuation, I think if the acceptance ending were ever to run its course as Lee becomes more grounded in Angels company in a somewhat more healthy and normalized environment the gravity of what he did would set in, perhaps in a setting that flips the character perspectives to explore his psyche as it slowly unravels while impossibly trying to make this new life work would be an experience just as equally gripping and emotionally confusing as this game was.
Regardless,
Take this whole giant multi-paragraph ramble to be an overcomplicated compliment - congratulations your game broke me, and whatever comes next from you I'll be there waiting for it.
I love your suggestion for what a potential continuation could regard. I was thinking nearly the same thing. Like “huh… I can’t imagine everything going completely well after the end of acceptance ending.” So I’d also love to see this explored. I’d like to see Angel grow in confidence and such, and I’d like to explore what Lee might be thinking. He got what he wanted… but did he really?
it feels a little like this game was made for me, but it should be played by everyone. i can't believe i just happened to come across it online. i absolutely fell in love with lee and angel (and adri, such a cutie) and their stories compelled me beyond belief. you are a natural writer-- i learned so much about these characters through their dialogue both internal an external. not to mention the scripting of their body movements-- little habits (lee's poor hands, and angel's... dongles? is that what those things are called at the end of jacket strings?) and their many wonderful expressions (sweaty lee best lee!)...
there is also a lot to be said about how mental health and social programs like health insurance are discussed in this
game. i feel like both topics were handled with an intimate knowledge of them. i would do heinous things for more content of these two, or just more stories from their universe! anyway... i just know i'm going to be thinking about this game for a long while. thank you so much for you and your teams hard work!!! :)
this felt less like simply playing a game but watching an enticing thriller movie. on the surface first half of the game is just mundane interactions but noticing the small foreshadowing like the trash can being emptied by lee had me at the edge of the seat. the second half further solidified my connection to the characters. both lee and angel were painfully relatable and broken, and the EMOTIONAL CONFLICTION at the end drove me nuts. i loved it, amazing work!!
Great game. Found it thanks to Manlybadasshero playing it.
I was suprised how enjoyable this was.
The art i say helped immensely. Not just one picture of face, but rather a variety of them and their actions was very helpful and it makes me one think - that i would say is a big factor.
Background music, and just like the background noise / sound helped as well.
I liked how quite realistic it was, and i don´t think i can even say " but.. " because then it wouldn´t work as how much it did.
SPOILERISH BELOW:
Nobody asked, but here are some things this game made me thought about - with a wall of text.
This seemed to be a story of two people who are pretty much at their bottom, but it´s not the same for both.
Lee in particular is likely " far too gone ", due to him i imagine being severely alone for most of his life. His mother and her actions only made it worse. No matter what mental issues he has, it is generally very rough for people to be alone and not understood by anyone. Not many people can relate to that. The idea of death is nothing suprising. But, life happens and time goes fast. Thus " postponing death " really is nothing to be suprised about.
Angel is severely alone as well, but is not at such a bad place as Lee, who has likely been there for many years. Who knows how Angel would be like in x years. Considering the idea of death was present on both of their minds, it´s hard to say how he would fare. Angel is not understood as well, but not as much as Lee.
Angel seems to seek affection, as in like grasping for a hope. Likely rather hopeless, but not nearly as much as Lee - giving a chance to co worker, or even towards Lee at his place, in hopes it would work out.
Some people i imagine would like to label Lee as " obsessed " aka the shrine and some stalking, but i wouldn´t say that. After all, he barely knew Angel. I don´t know what was the spark for more of his affection, but - the shrine itself made me thought of someone almost completely hopeless. As in if one is at the point where one does not believe he could get any affection at all. Thus in a way, the shrine would be more like a way to get close to at least " some form " of affection or closeness, even if one sided. For the idea of affection being even from other side? To Lee, that is likely next to unimaginable.
And why did Lee went with such drastic actions with the co worker, stalking, shrine and such? Because with the idea of postponing death, this was a way to actually get closer to death.
Likely he wanted to somewhat help Angel, and why not grab the co worker? It´s not the best kind of help or revenge, but it´s not like he has much to lose.
He didn´t do that because he was thinking it would increase his changes with Angel, as he wasn´t delusional or stupid. He knew that if he found out about it, it would be more than bed. Same with the Shrine. Then why did he do it? Because not only it would be helpful to Angel, but it would also get him closer to death, heavily cornering him. He deliberately cornered himself by doing that.
Maybe even Angel actually finding out about the Shrine and the co worker, wasn´t much of a coincidence, though probably it was. Regardless, that way Lee put himself in a .. win win situation.
The most likely odds of that would be Angel rejecting him, because that´s what a normal person would do. That way, the option was Death. The odds of that i would say would be around 98%.
Now Angel accepting him was next to impossible odds, and i don´t think Lee had even slight hopes of it working it out. That is why he cornered himself, with the idea of death. He knew he would most likely get rejected, and by putting himself into such situation, he would no longer be able to properly postpone his death.
But Lee also made a slight ray of hope - Angel possibly accepting him. Something more like a fantasy, something rather unreal. Actually a way of more than postponing death. But, something extremely unlikely to happen.
Now i don´t know which one is the " right " ending, but him being rejected is most likely scenario. Him being accepted has extremely low chances of happening, and while nice, is very unlikely to occur.
I also have to say, both being quite hopeless and at the bottom, this would never work out without it.
If Lee had someone to understand him or show him affection, likely he would never ever went to such lenghts with the co worker, shrine and such, and would do much better.
Similarly for Angel, if he wasn´t in such a bad situation, he likely would never even bothered with the co worker, neither would go with Lee to his place.
This seemed like a " tragedy " ( if i am using that term right), as in two people at a bad place, while at the end with acceptance, they found a ray of hope and grasped it.
Now of course, this is is more than unlikely to happen in real life. And the " happy " ending even more so.
And yeah, i might be completely wrong about this stuff. It´s just what i thought about, as someone who ... you could say, could relate quite well : ). What is very amusing is that i am infinitely far more gone than even Lee in this dissection hah. If average person ( in terms of being " gone "), is 1, angel would be 30, lee would be 100, and i am like 500 personally. Me as a character would not be very relatable at all, gotta have at least realistic ones like Lee and especially Angel. The further higher numbers, the less relatable i guess. Oh well.
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I played this after watching an animation by Venz and I loved it... Lee might be my favorite character of all time. This game was so sweet and tender and yet so cruel. If you're paying attention you can see what's going to happen long before it does, but you hold out hope. I loved it
This game is a masterpiece. The art, the pacing of the story, the subtle nods and shifts in behavior make this a 10/10 in my books. Mixes of unsettling moments with sweetness shortly after made it feel like a rollercoaster ride. You did incredible homie!
PLOT TWIST WAS A 10/10
I absolutly loved that game!!! the pacing, the art, the music, everything is great!!!! aaaaaa <3
dont ask lee about the jacket
ive really enjoyed this game a lot omfg. good commentary on a lot of stuff and also very well written characters and plot and the messed up stuff. and and oughh. a lot of parts felt very personal n relatable n thus hit harrrd
now some technical stuff that ive experienced
idk if anyone noted this bug already but the game crashes if u press left or right in the menu (not main menu (afaik? didnt test) but ingame) the error message is something about ConfigManager.save not being a function. sorry i cant recall the exact error cuz of the next issue that i sadly cant really pinpoint properly:
after getting my first ending (the good one?? i think?? its relatively good) the game started to really struggle with opening "load savefile" menu. actually maybe not the game struggles its like my whole pc starts struggling. BUT idk maybe my pc is just weak. but that didnt happen before i got the ending. oh actually now that i check it wont start a new game either just endless loading too. sadge... sorry that i couldnt get any more info on that ;;
lastly would love for the game to ask if the save should be overwritten T_T not a big deal tho at this point
but still an overall amazing game and an incredible indie project to experience im like. really inspired by this game. beautifully made !!!!! bleh words r hard
Holy fucking shit i used to enjoy ur art so much im so glad youve made a game now!!! just downloaded it so im quite excided to see what youve done seems like an intresting concept ^3^
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so I'm currently experiencing this game blind, however this glitch would happen and it shows this string of text:
"Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, rename 'C:\Users\User\Desktop\Clinical Trial\save\Preload_JSON.rmmzsave' -> 'C:\Users\User\Desktop\Clinical Trial\save\Preload_JSON.rmmzsave_'
i don't really know what this error means because i usually get it during anytime a cutscene transition happens or whenever a prompt shows up, can anyone help out?
Sorry to hear you're having this problem. I can't guarantee this will work, but have you tried doing what the error says to do? Going into the folder it's telling you to go into and renaming that specific file to have the underscore at the end?
i did do that yeah, multiple times, however it seems that it reverts back to "C:\Users\User\Desktop\Clinical Trial\save\Preload_JSON.rmmzsave" even after renaming it and replaying that moment in the game
sometimes it would follow through, allowing me to move on to another cutscene, but it'd happen again when i try to go to the next cutscene
this is so peak.
Really caught me off guard by the last half. What an excellent game. The writing and tension was pretty much perfect. Angel is becoming one of my favorite characters in an indie game now.
*****SPOILERS*****
The middle section does a very great job at building chemistry for both Angel and Lee, as well as making us forget that this game is categorized as a thriller, making the final minutes feel very rewarding (and disturbing) to watch. I only got that ending so I prolly need to play and delve into it more. Really solid experience, man. I cannot believe this is free
Love the characters it had such a feel good vibe :D <3 XD Or maybe im crazy
I really enjoyed the medical commentary in the first act and it really hit home knowing how much of it applies to me. Angel being able to interact with everything was a super nice touch of immersion.
What an awesome story, fun "game"... Ah whatever, we can call it a game, WHY NOT? There's interactable elements, you can choose to get Angel's jacket out of the wash if you wanna, inspect stuff here and there, choose an ending... It's a game! I tried to spoil myself about what exactly WAS the taboo element in this but I couldn't figure it out in my attempt and then I just decided to play it since it's not that long and boy am I glad I wasn't stupidly spoiled, what a fun ride. I'm not averse to taboo elements at all, far from it... "Is Angel a loli?" I remember asking... but no, this story wouldn't really work if she was... Regardless, the taboos presented here rubbed me the right way and I totally felt Angel and Lee's love through their interactions... I absolutely adore their dialogue, it's all so well done and human. What else can I gush about... The art is really well done, and I appreciate having Angel's art drawn by Peachy, a third party, instead of just having Homie, the main artist, mimic a style... Both artists are doing such a beautiful job. The story itself is REALLY well told overall, I loved the ride. Perhaps I'll go into spoilers now? If you're reading this and are on the fence on whether to play this or not, please do, it's short, you're not wasting too much time if you don't end up liking it, but if you've got good taste you'll probably REALLY like it.
(spoilers from here on out)
Regarding the endings, one is obviously much better than the other in my opinion, and maybe just flows better... The good one, the one where they live happily ever after, is the one that's clearly canon and better. As for the other... Iunno, I feel like Angel would be more understanding of Lee at this point and would be nicer to him after seeing his shrine... But I can also see her just blowing up after being taken for a ride all the time... The more I think about it, the cooler it is how BOTH endings are totally plausible for Angel's character, though of course one's way more beautiful and canon, just so much more canon and also beautiful. Homie if you're reading this please release your next game on steam so you can make money, this was a very gripping short story and I think anything else you make will probably be JUST as good... GOOD JOB ON MAKING THIS!!!
edit: oh my god, side note: you can have Angela inspect the shrine from the side and that messes with her placement in the cutscene that follows. If you ever patch the game that'd be something to fix
{small spoilers}
its such a good game!! its sad and i understand both endings so it hurts 😭😭😭. i only wish that they had more interactions with Adri. i thought she was gonna be relevant but i guess not
I played this game blind, and that was the best decision I could have made for myself. I walked into this because of an animation, and came out of it with angel living in my head rent free (literally)
{ SPOILERS }
I needed a game like this a lot, I think. I feel very seen in my experiences, especially so many of the uglier parts of my symptoms and trauma, and I know I would very much love to see more of these two if you decide to do anything more with them. Isolation is a deeply haunting thing, and it can drive you to points that many people cannot understand and often do not attempt to, and it can get so bad when you pair this with unresolved trauma and untreated symptoms of mental illness. Both endings have their importance, and I think that ending 1 being the drill one makes sense to be followed up with what I feel is the more 'true' ending. It's the one the average player is bound to get first, and seems like the most logical conclusion. To follow it up with an ending that provides so much more depth to his actions and the actual intent and meaning behind everything, empathetic understanding while still setting boundaries and being honest, is absolutely devastating, and I cried when he told the story about his sister and the dolls they made of one another. Angel has made me feel more seen than any other character ever really has in so many deeply personal ways, and Lee is such a strong favorite character of mine that I will never forget what this experience brought me. Thank you for making this, I loved seeing them get to be happy. It shows that I can be too.
im halfway through the game and told him to get in the tub to see what would happen thinking "shurley he wont really get in right?" now im staring at both of them in the same tub naked blushing doing nothing freeky but i was not expecting that to actually happen
both of the ending made me unhappy btw :(
(SPOILERS)
yeahhh why cant any romance media i interact with ever be normal...
Absolutely loved this, wow! I had to sit back and just process everything after both endings. Even if one ending was less likely, I found myself really just wanting it to happen that way anyway. Loved the characters, the art (especially the variety in facial expressions), the little details (like the scene lingering on Lee every time Angel leaves), their relationship development (love me a good slow burn)... I'm so glad I checked this out, and I hope you keep making games!
Im hoping someone knows of a social media that the artist for Angel has? I know its peachy but Im not sure if they have a social. I loved not just the regular art style but their art as well. It was magnificent! Lemme know please and thank you!!
I'm guessing you're talking about the artist for Angel's artwork? I believe that is 222rury on twitter. Hope this helps!
i enjoyed this game so much, especially the story and visuals, that i even created an itch.io account just to leave a comment! thank you for your amazing work!!<3
homie how do i send you money
i am not joking. i have played this game and i would like to send you a gift in the form of money. truly unforgettable story.
Fantastic experience! The creeping tension was so well done better than most thriller movies. I hope you do more!
This game hitted very close to home, thanks for making such a moving experience.
¿The microscope featured in the game is based on any real life model?
like many of the commenters here, i fell in love with this game by watching a popular youtuber play it. now, i've been thinking about it for two days straight. i'm eagerly waiting for my wife to have some free time, so we can play it together, and i can show her this story that has carved a permanent mark into my brain.
i was drawn in by the wonderful character art. then you hit us with the material realities of healthcare under american capitalism... lemme tell ya, as a disgruntled leftie office worker, in a field adjacent to healthcare, that shit had me hootin and a hollerin. when lee started talking in detail about how he gets paid i fully became two soyjacks pointing at the screen with excitement.
[spoilers]
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i love the "red herrings." i love how they subvert the expectations of the rpgmaker horror scene, but also develop the characters. i love that you whether or not angel called the cops ultimately doesn't matter, even though i was so sure it would.
being cared for by a fucked up, moneyed niceboy who's unhealthily obsessed with you is such a lovely fantasy LOL. truly one for us tfag fujoshis in the crowd. i think lee should administer angel's testosterone.
i keep typing more things i like and then erasing it all, there's so much i could say but i can't put it eloquently.
what a fucking game. i'm going to think about it for a long, long time. i hope to see more work from you. thank you for making this and sharing it with us.
Deleting an honest review is quite sad.
Reviews that have untagged ending spoilers such as yours did are deleted. Additionally, you referred to a problem you ran into using your mouse as a bug when the controls instruct you to use the arrow keys.
Makes sense, yes, but deleting a review without any sort of explanation gives the wrong idea.
Would've liked this reply on my original comment.
a lot of constant issues in my life got represented in this game. It felt like finally being seen, in a positive light nonetheless. Loneliness and lack of human understanding can screw with your head a lot, i'm glad this game exists. I heart Lee and his obssesion with suicide yet inability to commit to it, contrasting how his impulsive actions towards Angel truly meant a lot to him. I adore how the codependency is handled. shoutout to manlybadasshero
Im posting two comments this game is so fucking good thank you, im going to be thinking about this game for a while...
MY SHAYLAAAASSSS WAAAAAAHHHHHHH 10/10
i adore this game. felt somewhat ruined by it, really. the tentative intimacy, a veering from the superficial romance often observed in such works of fiction, really immerses one into the narrative. i found myself genuinely rooting for them, in a way. no matter how twisted the intricacies might be, they are inherently good for each other. I am glad you didn't stray into the typical, wholly irrational path for Lee, an obsessive character. and I love how angel is not depicted as a wholly helpless, manipulable character. their presence is visceral. it is as if such stories are pulsing flesh.
This is more of an narrative adventure than actual game but with that being said the writing is pretty good. The author may have an medical background. I was VERY uncomfortable during a lot of scenes, this game may not be playable for everyone.
made an account just to comment, beautiful game.
Finished playing this a few hours ago. It's not saying much since it's only February, but this is easily my game of the year. I spent about an hour typing up some a 'review' (schizoid ramblings) before realizing I was a shit writer and deleting it. Instead, I'll just say this:
If you are interested in psychological horror, this is a great game for you. If you enjoy realistic character-focused drama, this is a great game for you. If you love well-developed dialogue, this is a great game for you.
If all of what I just said sounds boring to you... I mean, you should still try this game. It's free, takes maybe 4-5 hours to experience all the content (if you're a slow reader), and you might be pleasantly surprised! Hell, there's even a full playthrough on the official youtube channel if you don't want to take up a few hundred megabytes on your hard drive.
It is very rare for a game to make me care so much about the characters so quickly. For dialogue to cut so deep. For a few minor pieces of foreshadowing to instill so much unease throughout the rest of the story. Jesus, I think I said 'b-but where is the *spoiler*' like 50 times in the second half of the story, and was NOT disappointed
Please give it a try.
Homie, if you have a patreon, ko-fi, or anywhere that fans can support you, please let me know. I don't know if you plan to continue the story of these characters (and understand if you don't - it can be very difficult to make a satisfying continuation), but I would love to see what other stories you can tell in the future! Plus, you're a fucking master of the slow burn, I live for that shit.
(And please give us more Adri content, I love her and it is criminal she only appeared in 2 scenes lol.)
i genuinely teared up when angel started to open up about their problems on the rooftop. though i may not have gone through a fraction of what they have, it still hit too close to home for me. 10/10 game, first one to make me cry
Don't usually do this sort of thing, but I felt so strongly about it I decided to make an account to leave a comment here..
Spoilers I guess,
I really don't know how to feel after it, and that bugs me to an extent. At my stage in life I don't really find game narratives to be particularly gripping, or plot twists to have any real bite which is why it totally shocked me when I found myself at full attention, absolutely enthralled in this narrative, fully invested and hopeful for what these two might become while being just as equally petrified, worried and unnerved for what the horrible eventual truth about Lee could possibly be when it finally decides to rear it's ugly head.
I think most people will clue in early on somethings going to happen and it just makes it all the more tragic as you really grow to love these two, I've always found Romance in video games to feel really plastic and meaningless, nothing ever felt believably genuine because of how in service of the plot it always felt and yet with this it feels so real and I really can't pin it on anything - but if I were to try I think it'd be in part due to all those fantastically mellow intimate moments we get throughout the story, despite how little things may be progressing literally and physically in those moments the growing bond I interpret from them feels deeply authentic and meaningful, more than anything I've experienced before - maybe there's a whole genre for this that's lost on me and I just have poor taste in games but it really stuck with me after.
I can't describe how badly I wanted them to win out in the end, and I guess technically they can if you choose to but after immersing yourself so much into the narrative and characters it just feels so wrong on every level to choose that option, I'd be a liar though if I said watching Lee drill his brains out didn't hit me like a train.
Probably wasn't helped by Angel (Angela?) learning no one was ever trying to contact her while she was missing, this plot really doesn't pull any of it's punches.
I really don't want this to be the end. I think there is more to be told here so I guess the point to this all, my silly little plea to the developer: please continue this story. Despite what he claimed I never believed Lee would be able to walk away from this unaffected and I'd love to see and suffer through it all in a continuation, I think if the acceptance ending were ever to run its course as Lee becomes more grounded in Angels company in a somewhat more healthy and normalized environment the gravity of what he did would set in, perhaps in a setting that flips the character perspectives to explore his psyche as it slowly unravels while impossibly trying to make this new life work would be an experience just as equally gripping and emotionally confusing as this game was.
Regardless,
Take this whole giant multi-paragraph ramble to be an overcomplicated compliment - congratulations your game broke me, and whatever comes next from you I'll be there waiting for it.
I love your suggestion for what a potential continuation could regard. I was thinking nearly the same thing. Like “huh… I can’t imagine everything going completely well after the end of acceptance ending.” So I’d also love to see this explored. I’d like to see Angel grow in confidence and such, and I’d like to explore what Lee might be thinking. He got what he wanted… but did he really?
it feels a little like this game was made for me, but it should be played by everyone. i can't believe i just happened to come across it online. i absolutely fell in love with lee and angel (and adri, such a cutie) and their stories compelled me beyond belief. you are a natural writer-- i learned so much about these characters through their dialogue both internal an external. not to mention the scripting of their body movements-- little habits (lee's poor hands, and angel's... dongles? is that what those things are called at the end of jacket strings?) and their many wonderful expressions (sweaty lee best lee!)...
there is also a lot to be said about how mental health and social programs like health insurance are discussed in this
game. i feel like both topics were handled with an intimate knowledge of them. i would do heinous things for more content of these two, or just more stories from their universe! anyway... i just know i'm going to be thinking about this game for a long while. thank you so much for you and your teams hard work!!! :)
Love it!
this felt less like simply playing a game but watching an enticing thriller movie. on the surface first half of the game is just mundane interactions but noticing the small foreshadowing like the trash can being emptied by lee had me at the edge of the seat. the second half further solidified my connection to the characters. both lee and angel were painfully relatable and broken, and the EMOTIONAL CONFLICTION at the end drove me nuts. i loved it, amazing work!!
Great game. Found it thanks to Manlybadasshero playing it.
I was suprised how enjoyable this was.
The art i say helped immensely. Not just one picture of face, but rather a variety of them and their actions was very helpful and it makes me one think - that i would say is a big factor.
Background music, and just like the background noise / sound helped as well.
I liked how quite realistic it was, and i don´t think i can even say " but.. " because then it wouldn´t work as how much it did.
SPOILERISH BELOW:
Nobody asked, but here are some things this game made me thought about - with a wall of text.
This seemed to be a story of two people who are pretty much at their bottom, but it´s not the same for both.
Lee in particular is likely " far too gone ", due to him i imagine being severely alone for most of his life. His mother and her actions only made it worse. No matter what mental issues he has, it is generally very rough for people to be alone and not understood by anyone. Not many people can relate to that. The idea of death is nothing suprising. But, life happens and time goes fast. Thus " postponing death " really is nothing to be suprised about.
Angel is severely alone as well, but is not at such a bad place as Lee, who has likely been there for many years. Who knows how Angel would be like in x years. Considering the idea of death was present on both of their minds, it´s hard to say how he would fare. Angel is not understood as well, but not as much as Lee.
Angel seems to seek affection, as in like grasping for a hope. Likely rather hopeless, but not nearly as much as Lee - giving a chance to co worker, or even towards Lee at his place, in hopes it would work out.
Some people i imagine would like to label Lee as " obsessed " aka the shrine and some stalking, but i wouldn´t say that. After all, he barely knew Angel. I don´t know what was the spark for more of his affection, but - the shrine itself made me thought of someone almost completely hopeless. As in if one is at the point where one does not believe he could get any affection at all. Thus in a way, the shrine would be more like a way to get close to at least " some form " of affection or closeness, even if one sided. For the idea of affection being even from other side? To Lee, that is likely next to unimaginable.
And why did Lee went with such drastic actions with the co worker, stalking, shrine and such? Because with the idea of postponing death, this was a way to actually get closer to death.
Likely he wanted to somewhat help Angel, and why not grab the co worker? It´s not the best kind of help or revenge, but it´s not like he has much to lose.
He didn´t do that because he was thinking it would increase his changes with Angel, as he wasn´t delusional or stupid. He knew that if he found out about it, it would be more than bed. Same with the Shrine. Then why did he do it? Because not only it would be helpful to Angel, but it would also get him closer to death, heavily cornering him. He deliberately cornered himself by doing that.
Maybe even Angel actually finding out about the Shrine and the co worker, wasn´t much of a coincidence, though probably it was. Regardless, that way Lee put himself in a .. win win situation.
The most likely odds of that would be Angel rejecting him, because that´s what a normal person would do. That way, the option was Death. The odds of that i would say would be around 98%.
Now Angel accepting him was next to impossible odds, and i don´t think Lee had even slight hopes of it working it out. That is why he cornered himself, with the idea of death. He knew he would most likely get rejected, and by putting himself into such situation, he would no longer be able to properly postpone his death.
But Lee also made a slight ray of hope - Angel possibly accepting him. Something more like a fantasy, something rather unreal. Actually a way of more than postponing death. But, something extremely unlikely to happen.
Now i don´t know which one is the " right " ending, but him being rejected is most likely scenario. Him being accepted has extremely low chances of happening, and while nice, is very unlikely to occur.
I also have to say, both being quite hopeless and at the bottom, this would never work out without it.
If Lee had someone to understand him or show him affection, likely he would never ever went to such lenghts with the co worker, shrine and such, and would do much better.
Similarly for Angel, if he wasn´t in such a bad situation, he likely would never even bothered with the co worker, neither would go with Lee to his place.
This seemed like a " tragedy " ( if i am using that term right), as in two people at a bad place, while at the end with acceptance, they found a ray of hope and grasped it.
Now of course, this is is more than unlikely to happen in real life. And the " happy " ending even more so.
And yeah, i might be completely wrong about this stuff. It´s just what i thought about, as someone who ... you could say, could relate quite well : ). What is very amusing is that i am infinitely far more gone than even Lee in this dissection hah. If average person ( in terms of being " gone "), is 1, angel would be 30, lee would be 100, and i am like 500 personally. Me as a character would not be very relatable at all, gotta have at least realistic ones like Lee and especially Angel. The further higher numbers, the less relatable i guess. Oh well.
Anyway, great stuff, really enjoyed it.
Got to this game yesterday after seeing an animated video about it too. It was fun, story was engaging and so were the characters!
Is Angel a guy or girl? IDK if I just can't tell but I can't tell.
maybe they’re meant to be gender neutral. after all, angel is the player character