Starlight Shores

Hang out with your buds on the beach! Starlight Shores is a surprising little gem. There are many choices that branch out sometimes in surprising and oddly satisfying ways, so if you like your visual novel with that style, this one checks that box. However, all events take place in the span of one day in basically one location. It's a condensed tale but is written very well. I fell in love with the entire cast by the end of two playthroughs and I still have more of the gallery to unlock so I'll be diving in again soon!

This slice-of-life VN may be on the short side, but it's length makes it no less impactful. Story takes place over less than a full day, with a simplistic background beach party plot deceiving it's many intricate and poignant branching narratives. And the branching system is also very well developed. Choices generally foregoing a good, bad, or even gray pretext; but rather just providing different avenues for discovery... and resolution. So the mechanics already set this VN above average. But what makes it stellar IMO is the writing. The dialogue from all characters is so natural and organic, full of wit and charm. They may fill the role of a certain trope but not in any over-exaggerated way. So when it does come time ramp up the feels, by being so relatable the empathy hits that much harder. The many choices leading to a succession of roller coasters, from heartening to harrowing with a finale of heartwarming. [spoiler] Or perhaps even devastating [/spoiler] As per the CG's the characters are quite cute, though sprinkled in are some very striking backgrounds. And really must give a shout out to [url=https://soundcloud.com/alcaknight] Alcaknight [/url] for the BGM, their piano me…

A slice-of-life, romance VN that involves a group of friends spending the weekend at a cottage near the beach. Make some choice find out what happens good could just be bad. Hopfully you will have a good time.

I really enjoyed my time with this game! I don't tend to try out demos, but this one caught my attention on itch.io when it came out and I really liked the style! It may be a shorter experience than some would like, but as someone who doesn't always have a lot of time to game, this made for a more manageable experience (it's also crazy affordable). I don't want to spoil anything of course, but the game's story was more mature than I expected. While it is easy to discuss sex and other adult themes, it is much more rewarding to tell a more realistic version of them. The game fleshes out the characters without using all of it explicitly. Trauma, self-doubt, romantic pasts and other characteristics make them believable and relatable, but are not forcefully ushered into the plot to create false drama. Many details are brought up and never mentioned again because they don't have to be. It's honestly really refreshing. My only complaint minor complaint is that the long campfire drinking session does feel a bit drawn out. It does serve an important purpose to the plot, but I would have liked to see a slightly longer build up before it. Perhaps a bit more time in town or in the cabin, som…

[Disclaimer: I played an early build of this game on Itch Io before the game was released on Steam. I was also offered the Steam version of the game to help test it out for bugs.] This game is short and sweet, but the writing in this game is phenomenal. The interactions between the characters is so fun, and down to earth. You might end up not liking one or two characters at the start, but depending on your choices, you will end up loving EVERYONE near the end. The music in this game is probably the best I have ever heard in any visual novel. And all the feelings are so well written. No spoilers, but one ending is a literal roller coaster of emotions. Short and sweet. One of the best visual novels I have ever played. Keep an eye on Delphinium Interactive. They know how to bring together memorable visual novel experiences with top tier writing, excellent art, and beautiful scores.

I'm currently mid game as I write this so you may want to take this with a grain of salt. I recommend this game very much and it's something that touches on heavy topics so mind the content warnings. Firstly, I love the art. It's cute and beautiful and I love it very much so I look forward to more games in this style. I've been eyeing this game for a while so I was very ecstatic when I got it for free in a giveaway on twitter. And, suffice to say, it didn't disappoint. This game is very narrative heavy. You would think that it makes sense for a visual novel and it does! It's just the sort of story that relies heavily on knowing the characters themselves so there are parts where you really are going to be able to look into a character's thoughts and feelings. Some may dislike it but the plot of the story hinges on this specific aspect so kudos to the writing for having done it well without becoming too much. I'm looking forward to continuing this game and I'm looking forward to future releases.