Hey!! I played the game, and gosh, I was impressed and amused by it!
First of all, I have to say I was impressed with the implementation of everything! The GUI was gorgeous and very consistent with the vibe of the game (its modern, sleek design made it feel futuristic without being outlandishly so, just like the relatable future the game takes place in!). The art was gorgeous, I did love the characters’ expression, and the shading was amazingly done amazingly well! The backgrounds were vibrant and colourful, which fit the story!
Now, for the elephant in the room, the customisation system was OUTSTANDING??? Like it made me pull out my hair, question all the years I’ve spent devving, I think it might genuinely the best one I’ve ever seen in terms of possibilities???? So congrats to the team who implemented it, and to the artists who designed the various assets so that they would work well with the colour sliders!
Now, for the story of the game. I’m quite used to Chattercap’s writing, and yet, it was very fun to discover a new side of her story-telling, as this game is definitely more comedic than her previous work. Zuri, despite having her own issues, is a character much lighter than the usual protagonists portrays (Nelli from Karamu, the socially anxious MC from MindMindMind, or the self-deprecating one from My Husband Is A Stranger). It makes sense: while Zuri isn’t a happy-go-lucky person, she is a media-savvy influencer who is not only an expert at being entertaining after a decade-long career, but who is also quite good at dealing with people.
Yet, Zuri is something quite important: past her prime. She is 36, and of course, that means she is a fossil… Okay, obviously not, life doesn’t stop at 25, but that is something that is a lot on her mind: she is getting older (and I did appreciate the fact she was older than the love interests, even the attractively broad-shouldered Hoku), and saying we live in a society that devalues women who aren’t young would be a truism. So, as an aging woman, with the symbolic age of 36 (being in her 30s, but being closer to 40 than she is to 30), Zuri has to find ways to make herself look pretty, because that’s what makes her feel relevant to society, especially considering her divorce (with a fuckface, he didn’t steal it dfvfdfg) was a blow to her self-confidence. So her struggles are rendered absolutely well, in details I won’t spoil too but which felt very interesting!
So, how to prove that, on the market of desire, you’re still an attractive woman? Compete with other ladies of course! The game gives us options when it comes to how we want to approach the competition, and on whether or not we want to humiliate other girls. But the setting of a TV reality show inspired by The Bachelor was genius when it comes to addressing the issue at the heart of the story (the consequences of the beauty expectations on women).
The game also uses that to brush on themes like constantly keeping up with trends (with Zuri, for example, mentioning she wants to go au naturel to avoid having to adapt to newer trades every single time, in the same way some people opt for “timeless” pieces of clothing just to never be out of fashion, without questioning whether or not that is their style). This theme is also carried out with the technology introduced in game, that allows women, through medication, to change appearance quickly in a reversible manner. I think it was an amazing adaptation, in universe, of the problem with fast fashion or of all the pretexts corporations find to lead us to consume more (like winter colours, spring colours etc. for clothes… who said you can’t wear pastel-pink in winter??????) I’ve been questioning recently the necessity of consumption (radicalising myself into my anti-capitalistic views), so I did enjoy this theme in game!
For the love interests, I appreciated them a lot, the two of them! Hoku might sound a bit rude at first, but I could tell he wasn’t mean-spirited, and the game never makes him go too far! I did enjoy Zuri’s dynamic with him, and even the snippets we got of his route/character made him grow on me (but to be honest, I was, just like Zuri, hypnotised by his muscular arms the moment I saw them loool).
For Orion, he was great too! I did appreciate, in particular, that his relationship with Zuri isn’t a stereotype at all. One might expect an enemies to lovers route, but in fact, there are nuances, which I really enjoyed, as they made him look more human, even with his businessman/influencer façade. And of course, it did help he was so beautifully designed!
Like, seriously, I don’t think I have a favourite between the two LIs, and I really enjoyed the two of them!!
This was so good, and thank you for giving us players options that are considerably safer than singing right of the bat (lol). Silliness aside, I loved the character customization, which we could alter whenever we liked! And, the outfits were so (green XD) tea (fyi, this is a compliment!), and I liked the art, especially the backgrounds. Though, there are some errors, like how the game goes to this text-filled screen after I try to use the candy, but I don't mind. I kinda want to play the game without its help if I could anyway. More, more, more power to you, and to your team, and I'm very excited!
OH GOSH, thank you so much for the kind comments!! I’m glad that you enjoyed the choices, I tried to give players a good variety 😂 and I’m so happy you enjoyed the dress-up and the artwork as well (the artists did such a fantastic job!)
(Ack regarding the candy error, I’ll see if I can reproduce it… it might have been “NVL” mode? Sometimes if there’s a lot of narration to deliver to the player I fullscreen it to vary up the visual presentation/make it easier to read, like a book!)
And thank you again for playing, and for taking the time to leave your thoughts! 🥹 We’ll be working hard on the updates!
Oh god it's so amazing to see all the character arts came to life! You do very well for these babies chap! I am a Hoku gal but now I am naming my character Nico Tina because
I really liked the futuristic elements (like the mentions of different planets and miracle pills), because they were realistic enough to make sense in my brain! It was fun to play as an influencer character, because I am a budding one myself and I liked being able to relate to the MC. Such a cool concept, I'm excited to see how you'll expand upon it for the whole game!
Ohhhh I’m so glad!! It was my first time writing something a bit futuristic so I’m glad that everything seemed plausible 😂 and thank you for the influencer seal of approval 🤭 I hope you enjoy the full version, too!
Unfortunately not for this one! The dress-up elements would have made it too complicated 😅 I’ve got some other games in the pipeline where you can choose your gender though (and one with visible MC, too!)
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Hoku is soo fine
Awesome game! Everyone did such an outstanding job in every aspect. The story and dialogue really stood out. Congrats to all!
Hey!! I played the game, and gosh, I was impressed and amused by it!
First of all, I have to say I was impressed with the implementation of everything! The GUI was gorgeous and very consistent with the vibe of the game (its modern, sleek design made it feel futuristic without being outlandishly so, just like the relatable future the game takes place in!). The art was gorgeous, I did love the characters’ expression, and the shading was amazingly done amazingly well! The backgrounds were vibrant and colourful, which fit the story!
Now, for the elephant in the room, the customisation system was OUTSTANDING??? Like it made me pull out my hair, question all the years I’ve spent devving, I think it might genuinely the best one I’ve ever seen in terms of possibilities???? So congrats to the team who implemented it, and to the artists who designed the various assets so that they would work well with the colour sliders!
Now, for the story of the game. I’m quite used to Chattercap’s writing, and yet, it was very fun to discover a new side of her story-telling, as this game is definitely more comedic than her previous work. Zuri, despite having her own issues, is a character much lighter than the usual protagonists portrays (Nelli from Karamu, the socially anxious MC from MindMindMind, or the self-deprecating one from My Husband Is A Stranger). It makes sense: while Zuri isn’t a happy-go-lucky person, she is a media-savvy influencer who is not only an expert at being entertaining after a decade-long career, but who is also quite good at dealing with people.
Yet, Zuri is something quite important: past her prime. She is 36, and of course, that means she is a fossil… Okay, obviously not, life doesn’t stop at 25, but that is something that is a lot on her mind: she is getting older (and I did appreciate the fact she was older than the love interests, even the attractively broad-shouldered Hoku), and saying we live in a society that devalues women who aren’t young would be a truism. So, as an aging woman, with the symbolic age of 36 (being in her 30s, but being closer to 40 than she is to 30), Zuri has to find ways to make herself look pretty, because that’s what makes her feel relevant to society, especially considering her divorce (with a fuckface, he didn’t steal it dfvfdfg) was a blow to her self-confidence. So her struggles are rendered absolutely well, in details I won’t spoil too but which felt very interesting!
So, how to prove that, on the market of desire, you’re still an attractive woman? Compete with other ladies of course! The game gives us options when it comes to how we want to approach the competition, and on whether or not we want to humiliate other girls. But the setting of a TV reality show inspired by The Bachelor was genius when it comes to addressing the issue at the heart of the story (the consequences of the beauty expectations on women).
The game also uses that to brush on themes like constantly keeping up with trends (with Zuri, for example, mentioning she wants to go au naturel to avoid having to adapt to newer trades every single time, in the same way some people opt for “timeless” pieces of clothing just to never be out of fashion, without questioning whether or not that is their style). This theme is also carried out with the technology introduced in game, that allows women, through medication, to change appearance quickly in a reversible manner. I think it was an amazing adaptation, in universe, of the problem with fast fashion or of all the pretexts corporations find to lead us to consume more (like winter colours, spring colours etc. for clothes… who said you can’t wear pastel-pink in winter??????) I’ve been questioning recently the necessity of consumption (radicalising myself into my anti-capitalistic views), so I did enjoy this theme in game!
For the love interests, I appreciated them a lot, the two of them! Hoku might sound a bit rude at first, but I could tell he wasn’t mean-spirited, and the game never makes him go too far! I did enjoy Zuri’s dynamic with him, and even the snippets we got of his route/character made him grow on me (but to be honest, I was, just like Zuri, hypnotised by his muscular arms the moment I saw them loool).
For Orion, he was great too! I did appreciate, in particular, that his relationship with Zuri isn’t a stereotype at all. One might expect an enemies to lovers route, but in fact, there are nuances, which I really enjoyed, as they made him look more human, even with his businessman/influencer façade. And of course, it did help he was so beautifully designed!
Like, seriously, I don’t think I have a favourite between the two LIs, and I really enjoyed the two of them!!
Did you find out that the artist is very biased towards Hoku winkwink
Honestly, you did an amazing job with the two of them!!!! But my eyes sparkled the moment I saw Hoku, so maybe there is something loool!
This was so good, and thank you for giving us players options that are considerably safer than singing right of the bat (lol). Silliness aside, I loved the character customization, which we could alter whenever we liked! And, the outfits were so (green XD) tea (fyi, this is a compliment!), and I liked the art, especially the backgrounds. Though, there are some errors, like how the game goes to this text-filled screen after I try to use the candy, but I don't mind. I kinda want to play the game without its help if I could anyway. More, more, more power to you, and to your team, and I'm very excited!
OH GOSH, thank you so much for the kind comments!! I’m glad that you enjoyed the choices, I tried to give players a good variety 😂 and I’m so happy you enjoyed the dress-up and the artwork as well (the artists did such a fantastic job!)
(Ack regarding the candy error, I’ll see if I can reproduce it… it might have been “NVL” mode? Sometimes if there’s a lot of narration to deliver to the player I fullscreen it to vary up the visual presentation/make it easier to read, like a book!)
And thank you again for playing, and for taking the time to leave your thoughts! 🥹 We’ll be working hard on the updates!
Oh god it's so amazing to see all the character arts came to life! You do very well for these babies chap! I am a Hoku gal but now I am naming my character Nico Tina because
Orion loves smoking coughcough
CHOKINGGGGG (Nico is such a cute name ngl…) and I’m glad I did it justice, thank you so much for the beautiful art!! 😭
(Man I wonder if anyone will have Orion as their fave, poor guy. At least he’s popular in universe)
I really liked the futuristic elements (like the mentions of different planets and miracle pills), because they were realistic enough to make sense in my brain! It was fun to play as an influencer character, because I am a budding one myself and I liked being able to relate to the MC. Such a cool concept, I'm excited to see how you'll expand upon it for the whole game!
Ohhhh I’m so glad!! It was my first time writing something a bit futuristic so I’m glad that everything seemed plausible 😂 and thank you for the influencer seal of approval 🤭 I hope you enjoy the full version, too!
Yes ofc!! I definitely will~
This game was so fun so far it's so good I loved all the things you could do and I loved how my bestie got my back in this game I loved it
😔🙏 May we all have a bestie willing to throttle our ex in our honor 😔🙏 (and thank you, I’m so glad you enjoyed 🤭 !!)
We love the bestie even though her look is so villain-coded
i was scrolling mindlessly until i found YOU (yes u, i love u and ur creations!)have made a whole new game!!! im gonna play it, and im so excited! :D
Aww thank you!! 💜 I hope you have fun!! 😁
I did!! i got really invested even though this is not the type of game i usually go for. It was super fun tho! i really would like more content:>
Darn wish I can be my own gender. But ok I'll play
Unfortunately not for this one! The dress-up elements would have made it too complicated 😅 I’ve got some other games in the pipeline where you can choose your gender though (and one with visible MC, too!)
WHAT! A WHOLE NEW GAME
THE DEVIL WORKS HARD CHATTERCAP WORKS HARDER
THANK YOUUUUUU it was all thanks to the people I worked with 😭 They’re all so talented!!! (And so much faster than me at everything too 😭)
This is such a fun game concept!! I can't wait to play! ^-^
OHHH I hope you enjoy!!! 🥹