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If You Like Starship Troopers and Anime, Check out Stories From Sol

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Stories From Sol: Part 1 Gun-Dog is a new game entering onto the scene. It’s a hard space sci-fi story, a genre not without a plentiful fandom, although this sneak peek led me mostly through sharp comedic timing and even a romantic interest? Looks pretty cool. Please note that not only is this a demo, but it also’s part one of the whole story, so if you enjoy it, make the dev know so with a comment on their ItchIO. Or drop by our tweet on Twitter as well. Let’s take a look.This game is available on Itch.IO Genre: Visual… Read the rest

NeuroNet: Mendax Proxy is a Stunning New Visual Novel

Posted on by Dave Pizza
“Dream Harvest,” the developers of NeuroNet: Mendaxy Proxy have provided a demo that gives a special preview of this futuristic fiction that showcases a highly visual and highly interactive story experience. The synopsis goes something like this. Wake up, you’re the newest programmed artificial intelligence developed by a very prominent corporation in the high-tech metropolitan Catena. Take it into your own hands in the bizarre POV of the AI, who is named Arc after a few calibrations in the prologue, or “beta” if you will. As you evolve, you’ll be given various responsibilities that will make you think and test… Read the rest

Choices Matter Every Time in the Visual Novel “OVERBOARD!”

Posted on by Dave Pizza
This article about Overboard is in the June 2022 Issue 4 of ChoiceBeat: The Visual Novel and Interactive Fiction Zine.With eye-catching flat graphics and exciting period-stylized environments, no one could say the game Overboard! doesn’t have class. (Also known as Overboard! Get Away With Murder.) Literary elements and composition create an intellectual environment on the fictional steamship SS Hook, where your task is to resolve speculation on a murder. It’s not just an ordinary mystery though. From the very get-go, it’s made apparent that you, the apathetic yet charismatic, Veronica Villensey, are the killer–of her own husband! It is up… Read the rest

Eternia is a Unique Visual Novel About Pets I Played For No Reason

Posted on by Dave Pizza
There’s a short, charming story in Eternia: Pet Whisperer. Even if you’re a cockatoo/border-collie lover like me, or whether you lean more toward the exotic koala/frill-necked lizard, or rat brothers. These animals have a slight backstory, and cute appearance, plus a natural subtle wit. It’s got that solo dev quirk that I love best of all, where the plot derails to form a full loopable plot-line but keeps things manageable; that’s a plus, folks. And I’m not going to spoil it for you, because you deserve that, but also because I think it’s one of the charms of the game.… Read the rest

Some Resources For Using Copyright Music in a GameDev

Posted on by Dave Pizza
When I went to learn what was involved in making my visual novel, this surprisingly was not so simple. Do not get me wrong, I’m here to give you the goods, but when it comes to music, graphics, or anything really, the way copyright protection works is stern yet often confusing. So, let me get you going here. Don’t fret–or do! I’m here to tell you that things are not hopeless. More specifically: how to obtain copyright-free music. So, let me paint the picture: copyrights. Yes, “copyrights.” Copyright is the law that protects the intellectual property of artists, writers, and… Read the rest

Date Night Bowling: This is a Visual Novel About Fun Love

Posted on by Dave Pizza
For the record, I am a big fan of Way Down Deep and their dating sim releases over the last year like the socially distanced romance sim Romantic Distancing and the popular release Half Past Fate. I’ve been eyeing Date Night Bowling since I first saw it in an upcoming game roster. So when the opportunity to play it on Switch arose, I snagged it and slipped on some bowling shoes. Eww, digital ones! Anyway, what we’ve got here is a combination of a very pleasant to-look-at video game with plenty of replay value and a pretty darn decent bowling… Read the rest

Not It: Spookiest Edition is a Dark & Amusing Visual Novel

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Earlier this year, I took a look at a visual novel from this developer called The Last Act. Incidentally, they have a new act called Not It: Spookiest Edition just in time for Halloween. In fact, this whole game’s story revolves around an old legend of a curse that arrives every Halloween. I suppose, being on hiatus and everything, I can still find some room to squeeze this one in because this whole month I’m doing a Halloween theme. Also, it is released today, so that’s a scoop I can’t resist. Therefore, from a very distraction-free space, mostly, let me… Read the rest

Blake is a Colorful Grit Filled Cyberpunk Visual Novel

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Blake is an interesting new visual novel from LegendOri Productions about a complacent computer programmer turned vigilante in a futuristic cyberpunk city. The primary scenario within the game involves a new technology that can make somebody totally anonymous. Even amongst the modern people-tracking computers of its era, a criminal of heinous description is leaving a fatal trace and incidentally has decided to start toying with Blake’s sanity. The visual amalgamation of all the people and places of this story looks really, really good and the art, in general, is right on the button in terms of a high-quality visual novel.… Read the rest

Beacon Pines is Finally Out Now and It’s Astonishing

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Beacon Pines is interactive fiction, but really it qualifies with a new level of cozy interaction and fathoms deep optimistic complexity to its characters. The basic structure of the story relies on an interesting plot device made of… well, plot devices! You start in a storybook tale of a young fawn, though I’d say that’s up for interpretation, named Luka at his grandmother’s. Through exploration and experimentation and interacting with those around you can acquire something known as charms. Charms help change the course of the story. You may need to go back and forth to test what works and… Read the rest

Kraken Academy – Why am I in Love With Broccoli Girl?

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Kraken Academy has been on my mind since I first eyed a trailer of it some months ago. “I have to play that one,” came to mind. Many of you are probably familiar with my love of visual novels. And in this case, I’m working with a combination of visual novel and interactive fiction characteristics–an all-things-aside awesome and hilarious game. Explore the bizarre introduction to Kraken Academy with me, and I’ll explain why you might start loving visual novels after all and why you should continue to if you already do. “Kraken Academy” is the first in a handful of… Read the rest

Arietta of Spirits – This is Really a Charming Indie With a Supernatural Spin

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Arietta of Spirits is a story-driven action-adventure set in a bustling forest teeming with creatures from the spirit realm. Your identity is Arietta, a young lady camping at grandma’s cabin along with Arietta’s mom and dad. Arietta meets a spirit named Arco on their first night. After Arietta’s departed grandmother greets her on the cabin pier and sends her on a quest to retrieve a silver ring, things take a major turn. With some authentic metaphysical storytelling involving realms, ghosts, and spirits, the integrity of the spiritual aspect of this game is solid. As a reward, it creates a game… Read the rest

Raptor Boyfriend is A Game About Love Unlike Any Other

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Raptor Boyfriend: A High School Romance is an ambitious and masterfully crafted visual novel/dating sim that takes place in small-town Ontario. With fun cryptid characters and absolutely stunning illustrations, its gameplay value is probably some of the best I’ve seen for this genre. I have been excited to play this for some time, as a general fan of visual novels and cryptid fantasy games. You don’t have to worry about anxiety-driven creature interaction though, because this game is safe and accessible to diverse players. Shortly after the day began, I got started on this dive into the world of Ladle,… Read the rest

If You’re Fascinated by the Gig Worker Vibe or Sci-Fi, Check Out This Game “Neo Cab”

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Neo Cab is an award-winning visual novel released in 2019 somewhere within the future echoes of driver automation and the course of smart services. It involves themes of corporate monopolization, intimate driver/passenger simulations, and the management of being a business in the contemporary market. The story features Lina, an empathic cab driver new in Los Ojos, where being an actual cab driver is a rare occupation. There are many nuances to Neo Cab. Let me take you through them. Meet Lina The desert city of Los Ojos is a luminescent backdrop for the nocturnal journey of Lina’s relocation to this… Read the rest

Visual Novel Spotlight: My Cup Of Coffee

Posted on by Dave Pizza
My Cup of Coffee: The Trouble with Earl Grey is a visual novel that takes place in a turn-of-the-century coffee shop presumably somewhere within Victorian society. You play as a family apprentice of the coffee trade and you more or less are plonked right into days as a barista. The story revolves around a casual plot involving a group of customers known as the Grey family. Using clues from casual conversation, you are tasked to unravel the feeling of tension between Mrs. Grey and Mr. Grey and their maid as well. My Cup of Coffee: In Context It is definitely… Read the rest

Universe for Sale Looks Like a Good Sci-Fi Game

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Universe for Sale is an upcoming title that combines sci-fi themes and metaphysical themes into a quirky and compelling visual novel/interactive fiction. I already do not recall the main character’s name, and neither will you, as the shroud of mystery is an important part of this introduction. He is a self-described “cultist” with a floating head who drops into a tea shop on Jupiter to meet with a young lady named Lila. The prologue sets up a story involving Lila’s special gift to create mini-universes! Hence the game title. Universe for Sale: Intriguing Oddities The first thing that pops out… Read the rest

“What Comes After” is A Heartwarming Interactive Fiction

Posted on by Dave Pizza
What Comes After is an interactive fiction from the creator Coffee Talk in collaboration with the Rolly Glory Jam. This story-rich game takes place on a pandemic-era commuter train that transforms into a ferry for souls to the afterlife after Vivi falls asleep. There’s no set directive, but the game is experienced through interacting with souls on the train. This ranges from average folks to owls and trees! It is a highly creative and somewhat mystical story that explores deep concepts of purpose and life as well as what comes after. What Comes After: What Is It? As a preface,… Read the rest

Monster Pub is a Hidden Gem I Will Always Love

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Monster Pub is a neat and funny narrative wrapped up in a nice isometric, pixel art game that is ultra-casual. You’re whoever you want to be, a shadow-cloaked being, approached on a dark rainy street by a bright pink monster named Pfeffer. She leads you to a mysterious location that turns out to be a public house… for monsters, which is apparently based on the set for the ’80s TV show Cheers. Only here, it’s where every *monster* knows your name. Let’s play some sandwiches, Norm! They did the Monster Pub mash If you follow my reviews or know me,… Read the rest

Wheels of Aurelia 1978 is a Free Hidden Gem

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Wheels of Aurelia is an interactive-fiction-style racing game set in Italy in 1978. The left-hand steers the wheel of a gritty game that is full of themes of crime, punk, and danger. While the themes are a bit serious, its thematic integrity is in check by fun, innovative game design, and a serious historical snapshot. Drive through the coastlines in low-polygon graphics and talk to your passengers about anything. Wheels of Aurelia: Clarification There are a few things to make clear immediately here. As I said, the game is gritty. Some topics are about heavy life issues. I don’t find… Read the rest

Forgotten Fields is a New Indie About a Young Man’s Private Life

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Forgotten Fields is an indie-developed story-rich interactive game by Frostwood Interactive. It is about a young Indian author seeking inspiration for his next book in the midst of a major family transition at his childhood home. The character, Siddharth, visits home which at first seems a distraction but may help him re-think his writing completely. The game design is aesthetically pleasing low-poly 3D modeling combined with interactive puzzles and visual novel-style dialogue. It was recently released on Steam and is available to download. Searching Deeper in Forgotten Fields The game Forgotten Fields was recommended to me since I am now… Read the rest

Nyaa-Kuza!! is a Freebie Indie Student Game

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Nyaa-Kuza is an illustrated half-action interactive fiction title from the self-dubbed Catzooka Studios out of the University of Utah’s EAE program. Play as Mochi, an ex-Nyaa-Kuza brawler cat, whose cat wife, Hime, has been “catnapped” by the syndicate. You’ll traverse the outskirts of a Japanese city interacting with leads and allies in a conventional visual novel style to find Hime. At other times, the game is highly interactive with button-mashing fight scenes with cat gangsters. The game is free on Steam, and I sincerely suspect you’ve never seen a game like this. I Love University Games and Interactive Fiction I… Read the rest

Scarlet Hood & the Wicked Wood, 👌

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Scarlet Hood and the Wicked Wood is a new visual novel/interactive fiction game. The story follows Scarlet, a budding musician in an aspiring band of close friends. Start your journey on route to your band’s major performance at a club in the city. Plus, explore the opportunity it provides with a heavy offer from the club’s boss. In an unexpected twist, you’ll soon find yourself, through unforeseen circumstances, in another world! This land is filled with popular themes from classic fantasy stories and solvable puzzles. Together, they all blend nicely into a one-of-a-kind story. Scarlet Hood: Definitely Try It I’m… Read the rest

The Last Act is a Spectral Afternoon at the Theater (Visual Novel)

Posted on by Dave Pizza
The Last Act is a visual novel with a theatric theme about an actress in a lead-play character. Interact with a social group of charismatic characters, while finding yourself getting more and more into the script as the serious drama unfolds. The choices you make unfold the story in different ways, but ultimately you’ll find yourself interacting with supernatural characters that seek to interact with your fate. Will you continue on with the play? Or is it too much? Or do people just need to mind their own business? It’s up to you. This review was sponsored with a free… Read the rest

Half Past Fate is the Only Dating Sim I’ve Seen Attempt to Address Love During the Pandemic

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Half Past Fate: Romantic Distance is a visual novel about dating during the pandemic. It is out as of February 2021. The story revolves around a mutual interest involving a young man and his broken laptop named Stephen and a clerk at a computer repair shop named Robin. Soon after they meet, the city goes into lockdown because of the pandemic. They try to make it work using video dating for multiple months and test the limits of distant relationships. The game has a very pleasing 2.5D pixel art aesthetic and a catchy chiptune soundtrack. What is Half Past Fate?… Read the rest

The Colorful Art is Must-See in “//TODO: today” (a New Visual Novel)

Posted on by Dave Pizza
//TODO: today is a visual novel and dating sim. You’ll follow the main character through a crisis involving life direction in the context of paying rent, becoming an artist, working in a bookstore, dating, and the help of a cute but invasive artificial intelligence named Joyce. The game takes advantage of bright pastel colors and hand-drawn art. It conveys a message of getting out of a rut as an adult and using a motivation to solve life’s problems. The gameplay is a few hours and very interesting. //TODO: This Game Is My Life, Circa 2008 You may notice in your… Read the rest

Self-Driving Cabs, Murder?, “CRASH Autodrive” Tells a Different Story

Posted on by Dave Pizza
CRASH: Autodrive is a point-and-click interactive fiction that takes place in Pittsburgh, PA, in the year 2027. You are a passenger in a robot auto cab that hosts you and three other passengers on your way to your respective destinations. The car takes an unanticipated detour and strikes a crossing bicyclist on a deserted back road in the city. With the aid of a host full of clues from your cab sharers, you will use information and evidence from the individual to unravel the mystery behind the crash. In a world where A.I. is everywhere, you’ll have to deduct on… Read the rest

Arcade Spirits: The New Challengers Appeals to Gamers, Romantics, and Visual Novel Lovers

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Arcade Spirits: New Challengers takes place in an alternate history, the year 20XX, where arcades have not been subjected to deprecation or obsoleteness, unlike what happened after consoles in the 1980s. As such, the arcade is quite an interesting place to run into quirky characters. Get into all sorts of gaming fun in a truly nostalgic vibe. I keep an eye on Steam’s demo listings on a daily basis. I’ve been really into visual novels for some time now. I like the way they hit my palette when it comes to emotionally charged game content. The game Arcade Spirits: New… Read the rest

“Coffee Talk” What is This Seattle-Set Indie Masterpiece?

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Coffee Talk is an interactive visual novel released in the pumpkin spice season of 2020. You play a barista in Seattle in a futuristic/alternate universe. Your customers range from humans to succubus, and it is your job not only to make them coffee in your coffee shop but also to help talk them through their personal problems. The gameplay is interspersed with actual barista beverage-making with various ingredients and you can even make latte art. The game art is also enjoyable and has a high-quality direction in design. Oh yes, this is the game I need. Yesterday, I drank entirely… Read the rest

A Cottage Story is a Hidden Gem & Terrific Little Visual Novel

Posted on by Dave Pizza
A Cottage Story is an indie fantasy-style visual novel currently in development by indie developer LadyMeowsith on itch.IO. The theme is what is described as, “Cottage-Core.” You’ll play as Emory, or whichever moniker you choose. Your form is selectable as well. You are a human/changeling grown up far away from humans. You live within a fantastic forest of goblins, satyrs, elves, and maybe more. Meet characters and treat their ailments by mastering herbalism and healing skills from herbs found in the forest. Participate in the story or personal fulfillment in this stylistic story/dating sim. Platform: PC (Itchio: https://ladymeowsith.itch.io/a-cottage-story) A Cottage… Read the rest

The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante is One of the Best ‘Serious’ Interactive Fictions

Posted on by Dave Pizza
The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante is an interactive visual novel. It spans the lifetime of a character named Sir Brante. Progress through the stages of life starting with childhood. You will forge deep experiences that will shape the course of your entire life later on. Your actions will affect your own character and also how others interact with you. Try to live true in a world dominated by an esoteric caste system and brutal classism. Yet, starting from the very bottom. If you’re looking for an experience, not just a game, that will affect you at your core,… Read the rest

Superstorm Melon Date is Weird & The Best

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Superstorm Melon Date is a visual novel that takes place in a relatively near dystopic future. People live in shelters and return to the surface only periodically because climate change has plagued the earth with frequent superstorms that burden humanity. People have developed widespread allergies and only the rich can raise fully human children. Therefore, a hybrid species of half-melon people have outnumbered humans because they have better immune systems. To tie it all together, the plot of the game is about you going on a date with a “melon person” listed on an internet dating website. A melon person… Read the rest

Demetrios: The BIG Cynical Adventure Requires Some Decent Puzzle Solving Skills

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Demetrios is the second title from COWCAT’s indie studio that I have played, the other one being BROK the InvestiGator. My friends, let me preface this by saying although what I present to you are my first impressions from the demo, I enjoyed this enough that I purchased the full version because I am 100% behind this game developer and might very well go in-depth at some near-future point. Demetrios: The BIG Cynical Adventure is an indie interactive-fiction/visual novel cartoon adventure. The interactive feature is much like you’d see in a hidden object game as well, although clues that you… Read the rest

Aviary Attorney is a Beautiful and Hilarious Indie About BIRD Lawyers

Posted on by Dave Pizza
Greetings from cloud cuckoo land, I’m your host, Mr. Dave Pizza and I’m the author of this review of Aviary Attorney. The special today is hrmph. So, I’ve been scouring catalogs of games looking for something that suits my current appetite. I’m having a really good run with a few visual novels, but I am hopelessly novice to them. Yet, I was flipping through lists and it occurred to me I had this one game from last year that I intimidatingly withdrew from out of sincere oversight. The game is good, really good, and I have been getting my feet… Read the rest

Henchman Story is a Hilarious & Bizarre Visual Novel About Super Heroes

Posted on by Dave Pizza
I’ve been trying to give visual novels a place in my catalog. It’s a fun game style that is conducive to some good storytelling. Incidentally, I keep finding more and more edgy but good-natured humor in them. Pick a theme and go, that’s where I’d like to see these go. Most of these games are also tagged as dating sims. But that is pretty much secondary to my interest in them, however, it may interest you! Today I’ll be looking at the visual novel Henchman. Most of the visual novels out there are also anime, not sure why. But the… Read the rest

Cryptid Crush is Creepy, Cool, and Completely Awesome

Posted on by Dave Pizza
I have been getting really into visual novels and interactive fiction lately. Itch.IO is rich with these games, and they’re kind of a nice gig. There’s a lot they can offer for developers and gamers. Lower production demands without sacrificing creativity, and a focused effort for players. The talent of the creator is still necessary of course. I certainly intended to give Cryptid Crush an efficient test. I played it out until the very end though. These games are making me interested in themes I didn’t even know existed. I’ll even admit I let a whole cup of coffee go… Read the rest

Loco Motive is Coming to Nintendo Switch

Posted on by Dave Pizza
UPDATE: Loco Motive is headed for full release on Switch & PC in 2023 (sorry if I don’t update this right away.) I absolutely adore it, and if you want to watch the awesome trailer for it, check out this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFahJJOdMzII’ve spent a good amount of time my life on trains or watching, learning, and reading about trains. For my own context, it’s always been a novel way to travel, and some don’t dig it, but I do. The chic yesteryear of trains was incredibly stylish at any rate. You’ll find that aesthetic all here in Loco Motive. There’s… Read the rest