Epimutation

This is a free Visual Novel, made with Ren'Py, by an indie dev. The setting is post-apocalyptic, after a virus outbreak which turns humans into monstrous killer mutants. The concept of the story is awesome, but the telling of the story... not so much. The current story of the survivors is shallow and only mildy interesting, and there is barely any background story to speak of. The Store Page has the tag "[i]Choices matter[/i]". Well... some choices matter, and some don't. The Store Page also has the tag "[i]horror[/i]", but I would not categorize this game as true horror. It is not scary at all. I would use terms like disturbing, thought-provoking, unnerving, and suspenseful. I really wish this story had been fleshed out some more. It had so much potential. [b]WARNING!! The Store Page does [b]not[/b] have the tag "[i]LGBTQ+[/i]", but the story does contain 2 female gay characters. There is no kissing or anything. They just exist. It also contains 1 character who goes by "[i]they/them[/i]" pronouns, so do not play this if you are easily triggered by such things. If you are physically and/or mentally sensitive, the game also contains flashes, adult language, blood, …

I really enjoyed this game I just wished it was longer. Maybe they will have another part come out and a continuation.

Epimutation is a free short horror game about a group of seven trapped inside a bunker in a forest. The world has ended and monsters now occupy our countries. For the protagonists, they must find a way to continue survival while they discover the truth behind the monsters and how to identify the infected. This game is short, topping about 1 hour of playtime. There are multiple sequences of talking to your bunkmates and sending them out two at a time to scavenge. There's a decent mystery behind the game and the human moments of the game come in talking to the characters. As for queer representation, the protagonist is nonbinary and there are two lesbian characters who are in a relationship with each other. I found it interesting and meaningful. I liked the characters and the art style and felt anxiety at a lot of key moments. Much save scumming was completed. I do recommend this game; the art and CGs are great and it's a good experience.

I really enjoyed this game. I just hope we got more content regarding this game. I really enjoyed the characters, the story, and world building we saw a glimpse into.

I really enjoyed the game, especially the character design. The character art style immediately stood out and reminded me of the dark, whimsical illustrations associated with A Series of Unfortunate Events (illustrated by Brett Helquist). The slightly eerie, stylized look gave the game a unique atmosphere that fit the horror tone perfectly and made the experience feel memorable. I do wish the game spent a little more time introducing the main character or showing more of them throughout the story. Since the game is a short narrative experience, a deeper connection to our main character could have made the some moments feel even stronger. Still, the mystery and tension kept me interested from start to finish. The game itself is a short horror visual novel, with choices that influence relationships and multiple endings. The game includes different endings, which adds replay value despite the short runtime. Overall, I would recommend Epimutation to anyone who enjoys short horror experiences, visual novels, or story-driven indie games. It’s a quick but atmospheric experience with a distinctive art style, and I’d definitely like to see more games in this style from the developer.

I got very invested with the characters and world even if i kinda wished it was a lil longer, even so what's here is very well done and i hope Barbie who is now known as Starlight Detective makes more projects like this one!