Just saw this :(( it worked fine!! I remember playing through it after a little bit of trouble. Can't remember what the issue was but it was a really nice game!
Great game! Currently, I've only played through twice, but it was so captivating that I couldn't stop myself until I noticed it was nearly 2am, lol! Can't wait to go for the rest of the endings!
One constructive criticism I'd offer is that the pause/options menu--while cool--feels a little cluttered and slightly confusing on first glance. Maybe not all-caps would make it easier to read the words.
Oooh, this is SUCH a lovely game! When I saw this was made by the same people who did The Pretender's Guild, I wasn't surprised-- but honestly, I think I love this game even more 😭
~*~SPOILERS~*~
All of the endings contributed to the narrative in a way that was very satisfying, even the bitter-sweet ones... and the straight up bitter ones. God, I REALLY do hate killing Caesar! I don't care what the fuck he's done, the man is getting hugs and I mean that! I mean that pool party selfie is literally top 5 cutest things ever, they make such a cute couple! Even in Alto's route (who, I mean, WHEW 😍), I still have a soft spot for that ridiculous man lmao.
But speaking of Alto, Y'ALL HIT ME RIGHT IN THE DEVOTION! OW! Find you a man who loves you even when you're a disembodied string of code attached to his wrist! Or a smooth, genital-less battering ram! Gosh I'm using so many exclamation points!
The art was fantastic, the music was a perfect addition, and all in all I love the way you allowed the choices to play out. It was a nice balance between story-telling and allowing us to come to our own conclusions, which I love in a VN.
Super looking forward to Lilith Hall now, keep it up y'all!
I honestly want a second part that shows the relationship between the MC and the love interests and the story behind this mole and really just a second part that shows how everything plays out. I think that goes without saying that I absolutely loved this game and the choices associated with it.
Ohmigoshhh, this was so good! I'm so, so impressed with the writing as always! Minyan, you are an inspiration omg. From the beginning it was super easy to fit into the role of the MC (and admire how cute they are!), and to be sucked into the relationships they were supposed to have had with Alto and Caesar. (Like, goshdarnit, Alto seemed like a jerk at first, but I just couldn't help but love him more and more with every scene. There was a moment when he said something honestly sweet and so un-tsundere-y that it surprised me in the best way.) That moment when the MC was freaking out after Alto told them they were an android, that was amazing, I was shook. I think the only thing I wasn't sure about was how easy it was to kill Caesar with the poison; I was wondering why they didn't do that in the first place? Maybe they had to do it in public? But I think that was the only thing, and it made the rest of the plot fit smoothly. I did want to see the dance and the catching-up-with-Alto scenes, but I understand that that would be more work! Other things I enjoyed: the characters' voices were so clear and fun. The immediacy of the looming decision was intense. And every soft moment was so good. I really enjoyed everything so much! Your art is always getting better and better, I love looking at it, and the interface too! And I really like the design of the fashion and buildings in the background too. And especially the song that plays on the main menu, I just sat and listened to the whole thing! And fave CG: leaping into Alto's arms. Huge kudos to everyone who worked on this! <3 <3 <3
Thanks so much for playing! We all had a lot of fun with this. I was surprised how much I ended up liking Alto because I was worried he'd come off as another typical tsundere but I'm really happy with how he turned out.
And I'm so happy to hear you say I'm improving, that means a lot! ;u;b
I just finished the game for the third time, and it was super interesting and overall really good! I got the "bang" ending the first time, then went back a little and got the "shiritori" end, but I wasn't quite satisfied, so I downloaded the ending guide and replayed, coz I really wanted to get the "sequel bait" ending, which was the most satisfying in my opinion!
spoilers ahead!!
The game was great and sparked some "what would I do?" questions in me. My favorite of the two men was, as you can see by the endings I chose, Alto. He was an interesting character, and I would describe him as "lawful good". I liked the grey-ness of the MC, I liked how based on the player's choices, you can change their personality and even, by some extent, their sense of humanity. As a fan of the game "Detroit: Become Human", I really appreciated the morality of the character that is determined by the player. Will MC stay a machine, designed to accomplish a task? Or will they choose to be a living being, endowed with free will? (a partial quote from D:BH, btw)
a great game, overall. Short, but to the point. 5/5!~
So glad you enjoyed. The sequel bait end is also my personal favorite! I really wanted to explore the idea of "humanity" with the MC, so I'm happy it came across in an interesting and thoughtful way. Thank you so much for the lovely review!
wow, this was amazing!i honestly can't believe that this was free, as it is absolutely worth paying for.
the story totally drew me in, right from the begining, and i ultimately ended up playing 3x in a row to get the different endings. I think the twists in the story were well done, especially because they're so open to player interpretation (such as why you turn the wheel) and I also enjoyed the slight changes in art style. I think what really made the game for me though was the detail in terms of each character; there was no "good guy" or "bad guy" -- just people. Everyone had their own issues, but everyone also had their own moments of charm. My only complaint is that there isn't more -- I feel like I need to know what happens next (esp with the mole)!
I love it! The customization made the game stand out to many other visual novels out there, art was consistent and blended well with background, cutscenes and sprites~ The beginning of the story got me hooked! I did not expect that plot twist and it really got me thinking about my own morals, I've never really been put into the spot of 'that' scenario (DBH kind of did but this VN did it much better). Characters were amazing and had unique and memorable personalities, they had flaws, a backstory, positive traits and much more. The player character's personality was well-developed, it wasn't too over the top nor bland, and the player could actually pick a side. There's so much to the story and I love it~ I hope to see a sequel or anything by your team because this was damn amazing!
2. Who was your favorite character? My favourite character is Caesar, he's so cute, sweet, loveable. No matter what Alto said I couldn't help but side with Caesar because he was so genuine, he didn't give me a reason to doubt him. It's rare to see characters as 'innocent', loving, and sweet as Caesar.
3. Anything that could be improved?
It was well-paced until after the second-meeting with Alto. It suddenly felt rushed, story-wise, I was expecting it to go on for a bit longer. But one thing went to another and then the story just jumped to the end.
4. Favorite/least favorite part?
Favourite part would have to be anything with Caesar because he's so wholesome uwu.
I have no least favourite parts because this game is amazing~~~
Thank you so much Minyan, Kyan, Reikun, Ray, Wray, and Zatomi!
No, thank you! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed. The team did such a great job bringing it all together! I can definitely see where you're coming from on the rushed aspect, I need to work on my pacing P:
Yes. The customization, the emphasis in bodies for sensations/feelings/boundaries/affections regardless of the body itself was extremely euphoric. The endings are interesting, and since they are paralleled, it's interesting to explore all
2. Who was your favorite character?
Quinn and Caesar. Quinn is utterly complex, and I love how complicated they are, both because of the amnesia, the android-quality, their experiences, their mission, their reticence to face their feelings/thoughts about their existence...idk, quinn is just so layered
and caesar is such a sweetie pie. I cant, for the life of me, not feel awful in the two endings i killed him. it was not worthy at all, Caesar was so sincere in his affections, and respectful, and overall nice. I love the fragments of conflict we saw, his motivations are vague and his actions are very grey, but so are the MC or Alto's. So Caesar won me because he was so sweet and caring and loving and sincere and idk.
3. Anything that could be improved?
idk, maybe more cgs, or more mobile (like, there's one that's 3 images, the others arent). and a ending list of scenes unlocked or sth like that would be nice for the completionist in me (like, in the game, not as a guide i mean).
4. Favorite/least favorite part?
i love the interface you made. aesthetically so pleasing, and different from regular VNs in organization and display in general. it made me very happy.
least favourite... killing caesar? Not knowing which ending is more canonical? not knowing more of the Syn or the society in which this happens, but like, because i want to know more
I'm so glad you liked Quinn! They were really enjoyable to write. And the interface is my baby so I'm so happy to hear you liked it :D I really appreciate this detailed review!
I have recently gotten super into visual novels. I have played maybe two dozen in the last couple of months after a streamer introduced me to the genre. This is, by far, the best one I have seen or played. The characters, the story, the art, all were just exactly what they needed to be to convey a very emotional experience.
This is the first one I did not immediately replay, as well, because I enjoyed my ending so much that I didn't want to "ruin" things for the characters who seemed so happy.
I also really enjoyed how multifaced the characters are. It irks me in so many things how characters that do bad things are inherently bad people, but here we have Caesar who is both a loving, caring spouse and a manipulative criminal who abuses his power and authority. And these things are not contradictions, just different sides of his character depending on who he is dealing with.
It is refreshingly realistic in a world that tends towards more straightforward, tropey characters, and I DIG it.
Long story short, I enjoyed it.
2. Who was your favorite character?
Quinn. AI discovering themselves and coming to terms with their own sentience and sapience is apparently something that affects me deeply.
3. Anything that could be improved?
This was amazing! The only thing that could have improved it is more of it!
4. Favorite/least favorite part?
My favorite part was the moment after you wake up after learning you are android. I felt so many things right then, I was sitting there going WAS it a dream? Was it a trick? Is someone trying to make you THINK you are android so you'll do their dirty work? Is it real?
And even though its resolved quickly, making ME feel that uncertainty helped make me really identify with the character who faced those same uncertainties!
My least favorite part was selecting the memories because the way it is designed basically ensures that since it was my first playthrough I got random ones. I get that this is a device for exploring over multiple playthroughs (or savescumming obviously) but it would have been improved for me if like the memory let you see a still or something from it before you confirmed it was the one you wanted to explore or something. EXTREMELY minor complaint, my least favorite thing about this game is still above my most favorite things in some others!
Thanks so much for your nice comment. I've been having a rough time lately so I really needed it. It's an honor to hear the that Mnemonic Devices has snagged the top spot on your list. I'm really glad you enjoyed, I hope you'll check out future stuff from us as well!
Very much yes. I played it once...and then again...and I just kept playing until I got all the endings. ^_^
2. Who was your favorite character?
That's a tough call. I really liked both romance options. I guess, if I had to pick one, I'd say I liked Alto more, since he doesn't have the whole 'working for a corrupt politician' thing going on...
3. Anything that could be improved?
A sequel! :P Other than that, one thing I would have liked seeing is an option for hair color. It's a purely cosmetic thing, but it'd be a nice addition to the other customization options we get.
4. Favorite/least favorite part?
I liked so much about this game that it's hard to pick one specific favorite, but being able to tease Alto in the kitchen was definitely a highlight. As for least favorite part: Getting SHOT. :P
Thanks so much for playing! I did consider hair colors, but since the hair color ended up being sort of a way to differentiate the past/present MC, I decided not to add that feature.
I already played The Pretenders Guild and This, My Soul so when I got the notification that you were making a new game I knew I had to play it. So far I've managed to get 3 of the endings and I really liked the game! Alto also surprised me, in a very good way. But Caesar is also very sweet.
Thank you for making this name, and in a month at that! (Also, I appreciate the Ending Guide, 3 out of 5 on my own seems like a record for me).
I've played and loved Arena Circus and The Pretenders Guild, and I came here expecting to love this too. I actually think I love this game the most??? Even though it's obviously the shortest, I absolutely adore the concept, the execution, the polish and overall oomph, the writing, the art (awesome sprites as always + creative outfit designs + lovely semirealistic CGs), the UI, the music, the sound design, the customizability ... just literally everything. It astounds me that you got all this done within a month. Seriously, the heartiest congratulations to everyone in this team for releasing such a solid game. <3
<SPOILER ALERT!!!>
My absolute favorite thing about this game is that it gives us agency in what should have been sticky territory, given that the main character is an amnesiac who is forcibly thrown into a situation wherein information is withheld from them, and they don't know whom they can trust. For all they know, everyone around them could be deceiving them.
So I appreciate that the game gives us choices that allow us to set boundaries. And I SUPER appreciate that, despite the proven history of the main character with both love interests, the aforementioned LIs respect the MC's boundaries and apologize every time they slip up. Kudos to the writer for the sensitive handling of a potentially problematic setup.
Loving the sequel bait. You got me -- hook, line, and sinker.
Thanks so much for your continued support! I'm really glad that you enjoyed it. I was worried that the choices would seem too passive compared to my other projects, so I'm really glad to hear that it came off as intended!
If you scroll down the page, just before the comments, there’s a download link! This is only available on this website, not the play store. The android icon is there because the guide is viewable on mobile devices.
I can't get it to boot unfortunately...when I try it proceeds to completely slow my computer down to a halt and I have to use the task manager to close Itch....I'll fill out the questionare after I get it to work tho cause I'm determined to give it a try because I love the premise ;u;
That's unfortunate! If you're using the itch app, maybe try downloading it from the website? Not sure if that will do anything to help. What OS are you running?
Just got three endings so far and here are my thoughts...
I enjoyed playing the game. I recognize the art style (the sprites, specifically,) as similar to the one in Pretender's Guild, just without the hatching, and it showed me how you were able to adapt the art style to the genre. (TPG was, for me, a bit rural/oriental, if that makes sense, so I found the hatching and the" traditional art" look go with the music and Ash and Paris' rural background. Mnemonic Devices, on the other hand, looks urban, because of the "digital art" look thanks to relatively thick brushes and fine contour lines, which I don't associate with traditional paintings. So each art style, for me, is fitting for wherever the story is set in, which is pretty cool.)
I also noticed that the character faces in the sprites became rounder, and as usual, the outfits are great~
[Beware of SPOILER ALERTS from now on:]
My favorite character has to be Alto. I really found Ceasar sweet, and even got the ending where he goes with Quinn. But when I went through Alto's route, I just found his bond with Quinn as deeper. I'm not usually one for tsundere-ish characters (which is why I liked Ceasar first) but... damn, THAT BLUSH KILLED ME! Game changer. Alto is very very fine~ (I'm half-kidding. More on why I love Alto later.)
For what could be improved.... I'm not sure if it HAS to be clarified, but I was a little confused at first because I thought Alto was ALSO an android. Not sure if it's because I played the game weeks after I read the character descriptions here on Itch, but yeah. I ended up thinking that Alto was a cold-hearted android, and that the thing he said about Quinn being more human than most was Alto not wanting Quinn to live like a human. (Of course, I'm mistaken. I love Alto now.)
My favorite part is the scene/s where Alto said that he liked Quinn regardless of the body Quinn was put in. It was a MAJOR whoa moment for me, because I've never been one to understand how a human could love an AI. I don't know, Quinn just felt very human for me. It made me think that even if an AI's personality is programmed, originally, the AI's decisions henceforth are still the AI's own. (I mean, same goes for humans. A person can decide to do something they wouldn't usually do. And even if some people would say that that decision is a part of character development and therefore inevitable, I beg to differ because the person could just decide to not do anything and let things happen instead of choosing between character-defining options.) I don't know, I think this whole AI love thing is a mix of a love story that transcends body types, time, memory.
(And that is why Alto is even more amazing for me because in the Ceasar route I got, Alto still helped them escape even if, theoretically, he could just get Syn to forever place Quinn in Alto's comband, maybe even erase Quinn's memories and feelings for Ceasar. Alto was treating Quinn like a person, rather than a "pocket girlfriend" (or pocket boyfriend or partner).... But yeah, I still don't know who the mole Quinn talked about is, and I could only gather so little information from the available memories. But I'm crossing my fingers and hope that Alto won't break my heart in the other endings/timelines.)
Thank you for the lovely comment! I do try to adjust my art style if only a bit to fit the feel of the game, so I'm glad that came across.
Alto's blush is very cute xD and he IS very fine. Very very fine. I'm sorry you thought Alto was an android, I can see why it might seems that way--both working for the organization and all--maybe a hint is that Alto has to use a device to speak with Quinn whereas Quinn can just use their head?
I'm happy the game was able to give you a new perspective on AI! Alto loved Quinn enough that he wanted them to do what made them the most happy, even if it meant failing the mission and never seeing them again. Thanks again for the lovely comment, and I'm so glad you enjoyed.
I'm still working on getting all the endings for this, but since I played through enough to get the ending I was looking for I thought I'd write up my thoughts! (spoilers)
1. There's a lot of cool elements to this game that I enjoyed a lot. I love robots so all the stuff with the androids and how they work was cool, and I liked the parts with reliving your past memories to learn about your past. I will say that my first try through the game was disappointing since I got a bad ending, and my second try I got one of the endings where you don't get a new CG so that was a little confusing/frustrating. But I'm glad I went through a third time and got it to end exactly how I wanted it to!
2. I ended up liking Alto the best, I just really enjoyed Quinn and Alto's weird and interesting relationship? I liked how Alto knows your whole deal and loves you no matter what form you're in. I liked Caesar enough to not want to kill him though haha, so I'll still probably play through again and find out more about him.
3. One minor thing that I didn't like was that it was hard to tell if I was currently on the save or load screen, and I accidentally overwrote a save while trying to load it. :/ That's probably my fault for not paying enough attention though, since it does ask if you want to overwrite.
4. This might be weird, but I loved the part with the selfie of you and Caesar?? I really want to know who drew that one since that was probably my favorite piece of art in the whole game ahaha. Also the good Alto ending I got was great! And I think I already commented before about the UI, but it looks so nice and really adds to the scifi aesthetic. My least favorite part was getting a bad ending the first time through...
This got a bit long, sorry! Anyway, great job on the game and congrats on finishing this whole thing!
Never apologize for long comments, they make my life!
The UI was pretty experimental for me, so I'm sorry it was hard to differentiate between save/loads! I definitely put style over function this time ^^; I'm glad you were able to get the ending you wanted.
Alto and Quinn's dynamic was a lot of fun to write, so I'm glad you enjoyed it ;u;b Hopefully you like Caesar's route as well!
I've done two of the endings so far, so I'll answer the questions!
1. Yes, I did.
2. Me, obviously ;))
3. I feel like the story should be longer. With the two endings I've gotten so far, I did feel dissatisfied and wanting more. I loved Alto and I wish there was more. To be honest, I thought there was going to be more, but it ended. Nonetheless, still glad I read it!
Woah! I didn't expect the plot to be like this! I really like Caesar. He's so thoughtful and considerate. Also, [spoiler?] I somehow got jumpscared when I saw the top of Alto's head in the window. Speaking of, I like his character too. Especially in Caesars good end when he said what street to take. He's very caring.
By the way, I thought I got all four endings, but only two pictures show up in the gallery. I guess I need to play some more. Anyway, this game was great. Definitely worth my excitement!
EDIT: After posting my comment, I saw you added an ending guide. So now, 27 minutes later, I've gotten all of the endings!
Thanks so much for playing, I’m glad you enjoyed! I struggled with how to advertise for this without giving anything away so I’m glad there was no disappointment xD
I think everyone got jumpscared when the programmer released the first build with the backgrounds xD I’m glad you were able to get all the endings.
This was lovely!! Will there eventually be a walkthrough of some kind to unlock all the endings (or I suppose an ending guide)? I absolutely love the endings that I've seen. You guys did a great job.
Is it at all possible to get the ending guide in like a plain text format? I realize it seems like I'm the only one having an issue, but I've tried to use it and am still only able to get the "Bang" ending.
You guys released this game so fast. This was probably my favorite story from you guys. I feel like I'm missing something from Alto's route, but I can't tell.
Also one of the CE from the end doesn't show up in the gallery(Spoiler: The one waking up, with shaved hair)
Thanks so much for playing! I'm so glad you liked it. I think there's a little more to Alto's path, once you unlock that, you'll see the expanded part of the CG, and it will unlock.
Yay, go Minyan and team! Am I lucky it's not finished yet (cuz I won't have access on my computer for a while) or am I unlucky it's not finished yet (cuz I liked Arena Circus and super-liked Pretender's Guild)?
I love the amnesia trope! Especially if it's temporary or they find out about their past. It's just such an interesting way to take a story and has the potential for some great reveals.
Up-voting just because I appreciate it when people are honest about the stuff they like. While some persons who don't like certain tropes probably have fair reason to (plenty of exposure to the trope), the more controlling of these persons forget that people come from different vantage points, have different and valid tastes, and that the persons who dislike a trope may have been surprised by how the trope was used once upon a time. (I'm not referring to anyone on this page, it's just something I notice elsewhere.)
Eh, sadly I may need to pass on this one - amnesia is one of my pet peeves in fiction, unless treated in some specific ways. But good luck with the project non the less!
Haha that's okay, I get that xD Thanks for giving the page a look anyway! Although I will say the amnesia, while a big part of the game, has some unique origins! It's not quite what it seems c;
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For some reason I can't open the game? I can try to download it, but it always says there's a download error.
Help would be much appreciated.
Hello! I'm so sorry I just saw this. Can you let me know if you're playing on Mac or PC? And have you tried playing it through the itch app?
Just saw this :(( it worked fine!! I remember playing through it after a little bit of trouble. Can't remember what the issue was but it was a really nice game!
Great game! Currently, I've only played through twice, but it was so captivating that I couldn't stop myself until I noticed it was nearly 2am, lol! Can't wait to go for the rest of the endings!
One constructive criticism I'd offer is that the pause/options menu--while cool--feels a little cluttered and slightly confusing on first glance. Maybe not all-caps would make it easier to read the words.
Oooh, this is SUCH a lovely game! When I saw this was made by the same people who did The Pretender's Guild, I wasn't surprised-- but honestly, I think I love this game even more 😭
~*~SPOILERS~*~
All of the endings contributed to the narrative in a way that was very satisfying, even the bitter-sweet ones... and the straight up bitter ones. God, I REALLY do hate killing Caesar! I don't care what the fuck he's done, the man is getting hugs and I mean that! I mean that pool party selfie is literally top 5 cutest things ever, they make such a cute couple! Even in Alto's route (who, I mean, WHEW 😍), I still have a soft spot for that ridiculous man lmao.
But speaking of Alto, Y'ALL HIT ME RIGHT IN THE DEVOTION! OW! Find you a man who loves you even when you're a disembodied string of code attached to his wrist! Or a smooth, genital-less battering ram! Gosh I'm using so many exclamation points!
The art was fantastic, the music was a perfect addition, and all in all I love the way you allowed the choices to play out. It was a nice balance between story-telling and allowing us to come to our own conclusions, which I love in a VN.
Super looking forward to Lilith Hall now, keep it up y'all!
Thanks so much for playing! I’m really happy you enjoyed it. Both the routes were so fun to write but yes, bittersweet 😭 I hope you enjoy Lilith Hall!
1. Did you enjoy it overall?
Yes! It's a great game!
2. Who was your favorite character?
"Oh fuck, don't ask."
3. Anything that could be improved?
I don't know... I think that the game is perfect the way it is. And I need a sequel!
4. Favorite/least favorite part?
Favorite: Interacting with the guys.
Least favorite: (SPOILER)
killing Caesar.
Could you at least put that your review contains a SPOILER near the beginning...? I was trying to read reviews, not have a surprise ruined... -_-;
Sorry!!
I honestly want a second part that shows the relationship between the MC and the love interests and the story behind this mole and really just a second part that shows how everything plays out. I think that goes without saying that I absolutely loved this game and the choices associated with it.
Thanks so much for playing! I'm really glad you enjoyed. Maybe one day we will come back to these characters!
Ohmigoshhh, this was so good! I'm so, so impressed with the writing as always! Minyan, you are an inspiration omg. From the beginning it was super easy to fit into the role of the MC (and admire how cute they are!), and to be sucked into the relationships they were supposed to have had with Alto and Caesar. (Like, goshdarnit, Alto seemed like a jerk at first, but I just couldn't help but love him more and more with every scene. There was a moment when he said something honestly sweet and so un-tsundere-y that it surprised me in the best way.) That moment when the MC was freaking out after Alto told them they were an android, that was amazing, I was shook. I think the only thing I wasn't sure about was how easy it was to kill Caesar with the poison; I was wondering why they didn't do that in the first place? Maybe they had to do it in public? But I think that was the only thing, and it made the rest of the plot fit smoothly. I did want to see the dance and the catching-up-with-Alto scenes, but I understand that that would be more work! Other things I enjoyed: the characters' voices were so clear and fun. The immediacy of the looming decision was intense. And every soft moment was so good. I really enjoyed everything so much! Your art is always getting better and better, I love looking at it, and the interface too! And I really like the design of the fashion and buildings in the background too. And especially the song that plays on the main menu, I just sat and listened to the whole thing! And fave CG: leaping into Alto's arms. Huge kudos to everyone who worked on this! <3 <3 <3
Thanks so much for playing! We all had a lot of fun with this. I was surprised how much I ended up liking Alto because I was worried he'd come off as another typical tsundere but I'm really happy with how he turned out.
And I'm so happy to hear you say I'm improving, that means a lot! ;u;b
We can't see that broken memory fragments right? I completed all the endings but couldn't get them.
Nope, those are just for aesthetics! Thanks for playing ^^
No, thank YOU, for creating! <3
I just finished the game for the third time, and it was super interesting and overall really good! I got the "bang" ending the first time, then went back a little and got the "shiritori" end, but I wasn't quite satisfied, so I downloaded the ending guide and replayed, coz I really wanted to get the "sequel bait" ending, which was the most satisfying in my opinion!
spoilers ahead!!
The game was great and sparked some "what would I do?" questions in me. My favorite of the two men was, as you can see by the endings I chose, Alto. He was an interesting character, and I would describe him as "lawful good". I liked the grey-ness of the MC, I liked how based on the player's choices, you can change their personality and even, by some extent, their sense of humanity. As a fan of the game "Detroit: Become Human", I really appreciated the morality of the character that is determined by the player. Will MC stay a machine, designed to accomplish a task? Or will they choose to be a living being, endowed with free will? (a partial quote from D:BH, btw)
a great game, overall. Short, but to the point. 5/5!~
So glad you enjoyed. The sequel bait end is also my personal favorite! I really wanted to explore the idea of "humanity" with the MC, so I'm happy it came across in an interesting and thoughtful way. Thank you so much for the lovely review!
This game was super interesting.
Nice work.
Thank you!
wow, this was amazing!i honestly can't believe that this was free, as it is absolutely worth paying for.
the story totally drew me in, right from the begining, and i ultimately ended up playing 3x in a row to get the different endings. I think the twists in the story were well done, especially because they're so open to player interpretation (such as why you turn the wheel) and I also enjoyed the slight changes in art style. I think what really made the game for me though was the detail in terms of each character; there was no "good guy" or "bad guy" -- just people. Everyone had their own issues, but everyone also had their own moments of charm. My only complaint is that there isn't more -- I feel like I need to know what happens next (esp with the mole)!
Thanks so much! That was something I really wanted to highlight, everything being open to interpretation. I'm happy it came across!
1. Did you enjoy it overall?
I love it!
The customization made the game stand out to many other visual novels out there, art was consistent and blended well with background, cutscenes and sprites~
The beginning of the story got me hooked! I did not expect that plot twist and it really got me thinking about my own morals, I've never really been put into the spot of 'that' scenario (DBH kind of did but this VN did it much better).
Characters were amazing and had unique and memorable personalities, they had flaws, a backstory, positive traits and much more. The player character's personality was well-developed, it wasn't too over the top nor bland, and the player could actually pick a side.
There's so much to the story and I love it~ I hope to see a sequel or anything by your team because this was damn amazing!
2. Who was your favorite character?
My favourite character is Caesar, he's so cute, sweet, loveable. No matter what Alto said I couldn't help but side with Caesar because he was so genuine, he didn't give me a reason to doubt him. It's rare to see characters as 'innocent', loving, and sweet as Caesar.
3. Anything that could be improved?
It was well-paced until after the second-meeting with Alto. It suddenly felt rushed, story-wise, I was expecting it to go on for a bit longer. But one thing went to another and then the story just jumped to the end.
4. Favorite/least favorite part?
Favourite part would have to be anything with Caesar because he's so wholesome uwu.
I have no least favourite parts because this game is amazing~~~
Thank you so much Minyan, Kyan, Reikun, Ray, Wray, and Zatomi!
No, thank you! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed. The team did such a great job bringing it all together! I can definitely see where you're coming from on the rushed aspect, I need to work on my pacing P:
Thank you again for this lovely comment!
1. Did you enjoy it overall?
Yes. The customization, the emphasis in bodies for sensations/feelings/boundaries/affections regardless of the body itself was extremely euphoric. The endings are interesting, and since they are paralleled, it's interesting to explore all
2. Who was your favorite character?
Quinn and Caesar. Quinn is utterly complex, and I love how complicated they are, both because of the amnesia, the android-quality, their experiences, their mission, their reticence to face their feelings/thoughts about their existence...idk, quinn is just so layered
and caesar is such a sweetie pie. I cant, for the life of me, not feel awful in the two endings i killed him. it was not worthy at all, Caesar was so sincere in his affections, and respectful, and overall nice. I love the fragments of conflict we saw, his motivations are vague and his actions are very grey, but so are the MC or Alto's. So Caesar won me because he was so sweet and caring and loving and sincere and idk.
3. Anything that could be improved?
idk, maybe more cgs, or more mobile (like, there's one that's 3 images, the others arent). and a ending list of scenes unlocked or sth like that would be nice for the completionist in me (like, in the game, not as a guide i mean).
4. Favorite/least favorite part?
i love the interface you made. aesthetically so pleasing, and different from regular VNs in organization and display in general. it made me very happy.
least favourite... killing caesar? Not knowing which ending is more canonical? not knowing more of the Syn or the society in which this happens, but like, because i want to know more
I'm so glad you liked Quinn! They were really enjoyable to write. And the interface is my baby so I'm so happy to hear you liked it :D I really appreciate this detailed review!
Thank you for the thorough review! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
1. Did you enjoy it overall?
I have recently gotten super into visual novels. I have played maybe two dozen in the last couple of months after a streamer introduced me to the genre. This is, by far, the best one I have seen or played. The characters, the story, the art, all were just exactly what they needed to be to convey a very emotional experience.
This is the first one I did not immediately replay, as well, because I enjoyed my ending so much that I didn't want to "ruin" things for the characters who seemed so happy.
I also really enjoyed how multifaced the characters are. It irks me in so many things how characters that do bad things are inherently bad people, but here we have Caesar who is both a loving, caring spouse and a manipulative criminal who abuses his power and authority. And these things are not contradictions, just different sides of his character depending on who he is dealing with.
It is refreshingly realistic in a world that tends towards more straightforward, tropey characters, and I DIG it.
Long story short, I enjoyed it.
2. Who was your favorite character?
Quinn. AI discovering themselves and coming to terms with their own sentience and sapience is apparently something that affects me deeply.
3. Anything that could be improved?
This was amazing! The only thing that could have improved it is more of it!
4. Favorite/least favorite part?
My favorite part was the moment after you wake up after learning you are android. I felt so many things right then, I was sitting there going WAS it a dream? Was it a trick? Is someone trying to make you THINK you are android so you'll do their dirty work? Is it real?
And even though its resolved quickly, making ME feel that uncertainty helped make me really identify with the character who faced those same uncertainties!
My least favorite part was selecting the memories because the way it is designed basically ensures that since it was my first playthrough I got random ones. I get that this is a device for exploring over multiple playthroughs (or savescumming obviously) but it would have been improved for me if like the memory let you see a still or something from it before you confirmed it was the one you wanted to explore or something. EXTREMELY minor complaint, my least favorite thing about this game is still above my most favorite things in some others!
Thanks so much for your nice comment. I've been having a rough time lately so I really needed it. It's an honor to hear the that Mnemonic Devices has snagged the top spot on your list. I'm really glad you enjoyed, I hope you'll check out future stuff from us as well!
Do we ever learn who the mole is?
Unfortunately, no. Sorry! If there's ever a sequel I'll explore it further.
1. Did you enjoy it overall?
I adored it, so sad
2. Who was your favorite character?
The protagonist. I love them as a character, and whether they're more emotional or androidy, they are so layered and I loved it.
3. Anything that could be improved?
I'd love a sequel!
4. Favorite/least favorite part?
My favourite part would be the ending of the route where she loves Caeser but knows she must kill him, I cried so much.
Thank so much for playing! Oh no I hope you're exaggerating don't cry Dx
1. Did you enjoy it overall?
Very much yes. I played it once...and then again...and I just kept playing until I got all the endings. ^_^
2. Who was your favorite character?
That's a tough call. I really liked both romance options. I guess, if I had to pick one, I'd say I liked Alto more, since he doesn't have the whole 'working for a corrupt politician' thing going on...
3. Anything that could be improved?
A sequel! :P Other than that, one thing I would have liked seeing is an option for hair color. It's a purely cosmetic thing, but it'd be a nice addition to the other customization options we get.
4. Favorite/least favorite part?
I liked so much about this game that it's hard to pick one specific favorite, but being able to tease Alto in the kitchen was definitely a highlight. As for least favorite part: Getting SHOT. :P
Thanks so much for playing! I did consider hair colors, but since the hair color ended up being sort of a way to differentiate the past/present MC, I decided not to add that feature.
Teasing Alto is probably my favorite part too xD
I'm so glad you enjoyed! Thank you for playing and sharing your lovely comments.
I already played The Pretenders Guild and This, My Soul so when I got the notification that you were making a new game I knew I had to play it. So far I've managed to get 3 of the endings and I really liked the game! Alto also surprised me, in a very good way. But Caesar is also very sweet.
Thank you for making this name, and in a month at that! (Also, I appreciate the Ending Guide, 3 out of 5 on my own seems like a record for me).
So glad you enjoyed! No worries, the endings can be kind of difficult to get to xD
I've played and loved Arena Circus and The Pretenders Guild, and I came here expecting to love this too. I actually think I love this game the most??? Even though it's obviously the shortest, I absolutely adore the concept, the execution, the polish and overall oomph, the writing, the art (awesome sprites as always + creative outfit designs + lovely semirealistic CGs), the UI, the music, the sound design, the customizability ... just literally everything. It astounds me that you got all this done within a month. Seriously, the heartiest congratulations to everyone in this team for releasing such a solid game. <3
<SPOILER ALERT!!!>
My absolute favorite thing about this game is that it gives us agency in what should have been sticky territory, given that the main character is an amnesiac who is forcibly thrown into a situation wherein information is withheld from them, and they don't know whom they can trust. For all they know, everyone around them could be deceiving them.
So I appreciate that the game gives us choices that allow us to set boundaries. And I SUPER appreciate that, despite the proven history of the main character with both love interests, the aforementioned LIs respect the MC's boundaries and apologize every time they slip up. Kudos to the writer for the sensitive handling of a potentially problematic setup.
Loving the sequel bait. You got me -- hook, line, and sinker.
Thanks so much for your continued support! I'm really glad that you enjoyed it. I was worried that the choices would seem too passive compared to my other projects, so I'm really glad to hear that it came off as intended!
hi, sorry if I'm totally missing an obvious link, but is this already on the Play Store, or is the apk download hosted somewhere else...? thanks!
If you scroll down the page, just before the comments, there’s a download link! This is only available on this website, not the play store. The android icon is there because the guide is viewable on mobile devices.
I can't get it to boot unfortunately...when I try it proceeds to completely slow my computer down to a halt and I have to use the task manager to close Itch....I'll fill out the questionare after I get it to work tho cause I'm determined to give it a try because I love the premise ;u;
That's unfortunate! If you're using the itch app, maybe try downloading it from the website? Not sure if that will do anything to help. What OS are you running?
I'll try that, and I'm running on Windows 10 ;7;
Just got three endings so far and here are my thoughts...
I enjoyed playing the game. I recognize the art style (the sprites, specifically,) as similar to the one in Pretender's Guild, just without the hatching, and it showed me how you were able to adapt the art style to the genre. (TPG was, for me, a bit rural/oriental, if that makes sense, so I found the hatching and the" traditional art" look go with the music and Ash and Paris' rural background. Mnemonic Devices, on the other hand, looks urban, because of the "digital art" look thanks to relatively thick brushes and fine contour lines, which I don't associate with traditional paintings. So each art style, for me, is fitting for wherever the story is set in, which is pretty cool.)
I also noticed that the character faces in the sprites became rounder, and as usual, the outfits are great~
[Beware of SPOILER ALERTS from now on:]
My favorite character has to be Alto. I really found Ceasar sweet, and even got the ending where he goes with Quinn. But when I went through Alto's route, I just found his bond with Quinn as deeper. I'm not usually one for tsundere-ish characters (which is why I liked Ceasar first) but... damn, THAT BLUSH KILLED ME! Game changer. Alto is very very fine~ (I'm half-kidding. More on why I love Alto later.)
For what could be improved.... I'm not sure if it HAS to be clarified, but I was a little confused at first because I thought Alto was ALSO an android. Not sure if it's because I played the game weeks after I read the character descriptions here on Itch, but yeah. I ended up thinking that Alto was a cold-hearted android, and that the thing he said about Quinn being more human than most was Alto not wanting Quinn to live like a human. (Of course, I'm mistaken. I love Alto now.)
My favorite part is the scene/s where Alto said that he liked Quinn regardless of the body Quinn was put in. It was a MAJOR whoa moment for me, because I've never been one to understand how a human could love an AI. I don't know, Quinn just felt very human for me. It made me think that even if an AI's personality is programmed, originally, the AI's decisions henceforth are still the AI's own. (I mean, same goes for humans. A person can decide to do something they wouldn't usually do. And even if some people would say that that decision is a part of character development and therefore inevitable, I beg to differ because the person could just decide to not do anything and let things happen instead of choosing between character-defining options.) I don't know, I think this whole AI love thing is a mix of a love story that transcends body types, time, memory.
(And that is why Alto is even more amazing for me because in the Ceasar route I got, Alto still helped them escape even if, theoretically, he could just get Syn to forever place Quinn in Alto's comband, maybe even erase Quinn's memories and feelings for Ceasar. Alto was treating Quinn like a person, rather than a "pocket girlfriend" (or pocket boyfriend or partner).... But yeah, I still don't know who the mole Quinn talked about is, and I could only gather so little information from the available memories. But I'm crossing my fingers and hope that Alto won't break my heart in the other endings/timelines.)
Thank you for the lovely comment! I do try to adjust my art style if only a bit to fit the feel of the game, so I'm glad that came across.
Alto's blush is very cute xD and he IS very fine. Very very fine. I'm sorry you thought Alto was an android, I can see why it might seems that way--both working for the organization and all--maybe a hint is that Alto has to use a device to speak with Quinn whereas Quinn can just use their head?
I'm happy the game was able to give you a new perspective on AI! Alto loved Quinn enough that he wanted them to do what made them the most happy, even if it meant failing the mission and never seeing them again. Thanks again for the lovely comment, and I'm so glad you enjoyed.
The mole issue is meant to be kept vague, but
~spoiler~
Alto is not the mole, so no worries!
Ahh, that makes sense! Sorry, I tend to be slow on details. New to sci-fi haha.
Yay for human, not-mole Alto~
I'm still working on getting all the endings for this, but since I played through enough to get the ending I was looking for I thought I'd write up my thoughts! (spoilers)
1. There's a lot of cool elements to this game that I enjoyed a lot. I love robots so all the stuff with the androids and how they work was cool, and I liked the parts with reliving your past memories to learn about your past. I will say that my first try through the game was disappointing since I got a bad ending, and my second try I got one of the endings where you don't get a new CG so that was a little confusing/frustrating. But I'm glad I went through a third time and got it to end exactly how I wanted it to!
2. I ended up liking Alto the best, I just really enjoyed Quinn and Alto's weird and interesting relationship? I liked how Alto knows your whole deal and loves you no matter what form you're in. I liked Caesar enough to not want to kill him though haha, so I'll still probably play through again and find out more about him.
3. One minor thing that I didn't like was that it was hard to tell if I was currently on the save or load screen, and I accidentally overwrote a save while trying to load it. :/ That's probably my fault for not paying enough attention though, since it does ask if you want to overwrite.
4. This might be weird, but I loved the part with the selfie of you and Caesar?? I really want to know who drew that one since that was probably my favorite piece of art in the whole game ahaha. Also the good Alto ending I got was great! And I think I already commented before about the UI, but it looks so nice and really adds to the scifi aesthetic. My least favorite part was getting a bad ending the first time through...
This got a bit long, sorry! Anyway, great job on the game and congrats on finishing this whole thing!
(not min but) I was responsible for that selfie cg. it started as a joke and i have no regrets <3
omg nice! Well I'm glad you included it, I love it so much haha.
Never apologize for long comments, they make my life!
The UI was pretty experimental for me, so I'm sorry it was hard to differentiate between save/loads! I definitely put style over function this time ^^; I'm glad you were able to get the ending you wanted.
Alto and Quinn's dynamic was a lot of fun to write, so I'm glad you enjoyed it ;u;b Hopefully you like Caesar's route as well!
I've done two of the endings so far, so I'll answer the questions!
1. Yes, I did.
2. Me, obviously ;))
3. I feel like the story should be longer. With the two endings I've gotten so far, I did feel dissatisfied and wanting more. I loved Alto and I wish there was more. To be honest, I thought there was going to be more, but it ended. Nonetheless, still glad I read it!
4. The end :C
Sorry you were left wanting! I’m glad you enjoyed though.
Can you tell us how to access the locked files?
The locked files are just there for aesthetic, there are no memories associated with them. Thanks for playing!
Both romance options are male?
Yes~
Woah! I didn't expect the plot to be like this! I really like Caesar. He's so thoughtful and considerate. Also, [spoiler?] I somehow got jumpscared when I saw the top of Alto's head in the window. Speaking of, I like his character too. Especially in Caesars good end when he said what street to take. He's very caring.
By the way, I thought I got all four endings, but only two pictures show up in the gallery. I guess I need to play some more. Anyway, this game was great. Definitely worth my excitement!
EDIT: After posting my comment, I saw you added an ending guide. So now, 27 minutes later, I've gotten all of the endings!
Lol, I actually got lightly jumpscared there too xD I loved that part
Thanks so much for playing, I’m glad you enjoyed! I struggled with how to advertise for this without giving anything away so I’m glad there was no disappointment xD
I think everyone got jumpscared when the programmer released the first build with the backgrounds xD I’m glad you were able to get all the endings.
This was lovely!! Will there eventually be a walkthrough of some kind to unlock all the endings (or I suppose an ending guide)? I absolutely love the endings that I've seen. You guys did a great job.
I'm so glad you enjoyed! I'll work on an endings guide to put up soon.
Aaaand there is now a guide available!
Is it at all possible to get the ending guide in like a plain text format? I realize it seems like I'm the only one having an issue, but I've tried to use it and am still only able to get the "Bang" ending.
I’ll see what I can do!
Hello! Here is the guide in plain text format
~~SPOILERS~~
Ending 1
I recall hearing darling
Either
Sounds unrealistic
If you chose Yes for 2: Warm
If you chose No for 2: That’s…sweet
Yes
Keep trying
I can seen why I was drawn to him
Flustered
It feels nice
I liked it
He’s been considerate
(spend time with Caesar)
I need to think about Caesar and I
Yes, I’m waiting for the doctor now
Are you my husband?
(smile)
No
(walk into his arms)
I’d like that
I want it to be more
Don’t kill Caesar
Ending 2
Choose anything in day 1
Don’t run
Warm
Talk to Alto
You think so?
I feel safe around you
I need to think about what Alto said
Caesar told me I grabbed the wheel
I want to see your face
Can’t you figure something out?
Yes
Thank you
(Invade his personal space)
Yes
Nervous
Were you going to say you love me?
Don’t kill Caesar
Ending 3
Yes I heard you OR stay silent
Sounds romantic
Nothing
I appreciate it
Please don’t
Guilty
It feels strange
It’s okay
Either
Either
Either
Lie
It’s hard to concentrate
I understand
I was bored
What does that mean?
Scoot the chair over
Either
Deja vu
Okay
Ending 4
Choose anything in day 1
Don’t run
Warm
Talk to Alto
You think so?
I feel safe around you
I need to think about what Alto said
Caesar told me I grabbed the wheel
I want to see your face
Can’t you figure something out?
Yes
Thank you
(Invade his personal space)
Yes
Nervous
Were you going to say you love me?
Kill Caesar
Ending 5
I recall hearing darling
Either
Sounds unrealistic
If you chose Yes for 2: Warm
If you chose No for 2: That’s…sweet
Yes
Keep trying
I can seen why I was drawn to him
Flustered
It feels nice
I liked it
He’s been considerate
(spend time with Caesar)
I need to think about Caesar and I
Yes, I’m waiting for the doctor now
Are you my husband?
(smile)
No
(walk into his arms)
I’d like that
I want it to be more
Kill Caesar
~~SPOILERS~~
Hope this helps ^^
I loved this so much! <3
Thanks so much for playing! Glad you enjoyed. c:
You guys released this game so fast. This was probably my favorite story from you guys. I feel like I'm missing something from Alto's route, but I can't tell.
Also one of the CE from the end doesn't show up in the gallery(Spoiler: The one waking up, with shaved hair)
Thanks so much for playing! I'm so glad you liked it. I think there's a little more to Alto's path, once you unlock that, you'll see the expanded part of the CG, and it will unlock.
I am super excited for this!!
Yay, go Minyan and team! Am I lucky it's not finished yet (cuz I won't have access on my computer for a while) or am I unlucky it's not finished yet (cuz I liked Arena Circus and super-liked Pretender's Guild)?
You're in luck, because it's finished!
I am very lucky indeed!! (Made a separate comment for fan-ing. Just finished three endings.)
wooo let's goooo
sounds very interesting
I gotta say, you've got me excited. I'm ready. ;3
I love the amnesia trope! Especially if it's temporary or they find out about their past. It's just such an interesting way to take a story and has the potential for some great reveals.
I hope you find this an interesting take on it!
Up-voting just because I appreciate it when people are honest about the stuff they like. While some persons who don't like certain tropes probably have fair reason to (plenty of exposure to the trope), the more controlling of these persons forget that people come from different vantage points, have different and valid tastes, and that the persons who dislike a trope may have been surprised by how the trope was used once upon a time. (I'm not referring to anyone on this page, it's just something I notice elsewhere.)
Eh, sadly I may need to pass on this one - amnesia is one of my pet peeves in fiction, unless treated in some specific ways. But good luck with the project non the less!
Haha that's okay, I get that xD Thanks for giving the page a look anyway! Although I will say the amnesia, while a big part of the game, has some unique origins! It's not quite what it seems c;