Cinders

Truly one of the most whelming games I've ever played. To be fair to Cinders, it's a visually gorgeous game (especially the backgrounds), and the art still holds up very well over a decade after the game's release. But the writing just doesn't match up to it at all. It's rarely outright terrible, but instead thoroughly mediocre almost the whole time. The whole thing reads like an outline of the events that happen; characters outright state their actions and motivations constantly, removing almost all tension from the story, which combined with the clunky prose and awkward branch merging just makes Cinders an utter slog to read. I can't even say that it aged badly, because frankly, there were plenty of much better-written visual novels available in English in 2012. This was released a few months after the full release of Katawa Shoujo, and Digital: A Love Story was released in 2010 and is much shorter with few graphics at all, but it's a far more compelling read than this. And that's not even getting into all the quality VNs we've gotten since then. Aside from the art, Cinders' major selling point is its choice density: it has a lot of choices, all of which affect your progress t…

A unique fairly short VN jam-packed with impactful choices that allow you to create your own "Cinderella." Very replayable. Additionally, the art-style and OST are so distinct and moody. However, while this game succeeds at being a Cinderella sandbox, the character writing is so mediocre. Especially if you're looking for a romance story, don't play this. The romance is very short and entirely underdeveloped. The stepsisters are a highlight but in general, the characters are all pretty bland and forgettable (more plot devices then anything).

Ash and glass slipper Choices twist the old fable Fate bends to her will

Nice little VN. Hand drawn art. Nice soundtrack. A little on the shorter side, my first run took about three hours, although there are a number of different endings, and variations within each path. I quite liked it, but considering the runtime, i think the price tag is a bit steep. Ran well. Had no bugs, glitches, or crashes.

This is really addictive... so, it's a visual novel. You play as Cinders, an orphan now that her father has passed after remarrying a cruel woman named Carmosa after Cinders' mom died in childbirth. Carmosa brought her two daughters into the marriage: Sophia and Gloria. Gloria is the elder, bent on imitating her mother until gaining her approval. Sophia is the bookish and surly younger daughter. Cinders, being relegated to the life of a servant, has to do fetch quests for both her step sisters and her step-mother as well. One day, things take a turn and Cinders decides to change her fate. She begins trying to figure out what Carmosa's deal is and the secrets she's hiding. Likewise, Cinders has the option of wooing several dudes (this was 2016... I will try to be less severe): Tobias, the childhood friend turned merchant who works the store; Perrault, the captain of the guard who is on his way out now that there's no war on any longer; or the Prince... whatever his name was. There are several options for endings: fairytale, Cinders becomes queen (with various types based on advisors and lovers chosen); traveler, Cinders hits the road either solo or with a man or Madame Ghede (a pot…

Such a gem of a game, the art and storytelling is fantastic! <3