Nyargh is best boy. I don't know what else can be said. These character designs are as gorgeous as they are odd and I love the strange world that has been created here.
Aaaaa I love it! It took some time to get used to this odd world but when I did I find myself in love with the unique premise and genuinely interested about the characters in the world, they truly have life and each of them are so unique, I'm very grateful you all even went out of the way to illustrate these characters and not just stopping at the suitors. It truly pulled me in! As of now I've only played Yiestol's route and I am so happy at the ending, truly I enjoyed it, thank you for creating such a wonderful game!!!!
I really liked this visual novel, and you did a wonderful job with the characters and the setting.
Yiestol's route had me thinking about big questions regarding responsibilities and making big sacrifices in the name of helping others. It's not something to be taken lightly, but I feel that it's certainly an important theme to consider, and I do understand how it feels to be faced with big choices of all shapes and sizes.
Brattan was a very fun character and I enjoyed his route, though due to personal preferences, I found his ending to be a bit underwhelming. Though it does raise a point about the unknown. Some journeys aren't meant to be undertaken lightly and there's no way to know what lies on the other side of the reflection until you've already taken the one-way plunge, so it's always good to enjoy what you have in the present and live life to the fullest, regardless of what your choices may lead towards.
Nyargh's route was my favorite due to the cozy atmosphere (and the adorably wonderful bees). I can understand and respect his struggles, and it resonated with me because there wasn't much of a 'dramatic' twist, simply a strong bond between two people who want to understand each other better. It's no less important in scope, but I've always had an appreciation for conclusions that are tender and warm and peaceful.
Thank you very much for the wonderful experiences.
Nyargh's was my fave too. I did Yiestol's but for personal reasons wasn't fond of the idea of the 'good' end. It was after meeting Nyargh and learning more that I fell for him. Visually he's so different but inside he is so pure and I can hardly imagine a better life than a gentle yet stable delivery job and coming home to dozens of adorable bees and a loving partner.
This game was an absolute delight in every way. A lot of the time I feel like it's difficult for media to throw the audience into a world they should already 'know', but I felt the natural build of information and Vil's POV tackled that issue well. And what a world it is! It's weird and wonderful and I loved learning about and experiencing it through Vil's eyes.
!!! SPOILERS !!! The act of spending so much time in what was familiar to Vil, through Vil's POV, also served to make the twist of Brattan's route something special. Getting to experience Vil and Brattan learning to live in a world and bodies that were new to them added a level of awe to something familiar, and it left me with a much higher level of appreciation for his route than I think I would have walked away with otherwise.
That said, all of the routes were delightful experiences! They all felt very down-to-earth despite being couched in the unfamiliar and strange, because at the core they remained very relatable: standing at the precipice of growth and change, heading out to explore the unknown, or trying to open yourself up to another. It made the story feel very cozy and intimate in a way that made it soothing in something that, at first glance, you'd never expect such a feeling from.
Thank you for creating and sharing this game! It's going to be sticking with me for a while, I think.
I really took a chance on this game, and I'm glad I did. Horror elements and gore have always been gag-inducing for me, but this game does such a fantastic job of painting them as beautiful and intimate. Really well done.
I love world building like that. It doesn't go into hyper detail but it's enough to show how a basic day is here as well as the rule of law. Things are just how they are for them.
I decided to go with Yeistol's rout because he's so gentle and elegant. The other one I would have gone with would be Barttan because he's playful and has an infectious attitude.
The twist and turns with emotions as you get closer with Yeistol (he's the only ending I got so far) was moving. Also, the twist was something I never thought of before and really made me think if I would be okay with a decision like that. Keeping it vague to be spoiler free.
I like stories with huge life changing choices for the character mid way through the story. Something that involves a completely alien concept to the main protag and the reader. You make decisions you never thought you would ever consider and learn something about yourself as well as adding a unique memory.
You did a good job Fal and Miru, so take my $5. It would be more (because you deserve more) but this is what I can afford right now. Keep up the solid righting and art style. This my be a niche story and not for all but that's what makes it special.
Some of the most captivating & unique worldbuilding to be found in a visual novel! The character designs, environments, and audio blend together perfectly on top of a otherworldly, sweet story.
Got the game for Yeistol’s route because his art looked pretty, but was completely BLINDSIDED when I met Nyrgah for the first time and was hit with Zaddy vibes. NEVER had a thing for a Eldritch-horror-esque character before.
I think this game might have awakened something… 🥲
I absolutely love this game. It's so well written and the art is gorgeous. The characters are wonderful. I think Yiestol is my favourite but I do really adore Brattan and Nyrgah. If there was ever an expansion of the lore/story of this world I'd be ecstatic. It's very interesting.
//Spoilers//
Ngl I never thought previously that being eaten could be romantic but it sure felt so when playing his route. Probably because it didn't just straight up lead to dying lol Thank yall for this wonderful game. <3
I find it hard to articulate my thoughts after going through this VN, as I believe it's best to play it without much context or knowledge of the game. It's wonderfully written, gorgeously rendered, and surprisingly human at turns. Much thought was put into each character, and the world is so, so unique and vivid.
I've never played anything quite like this - so if you've stumbled upon this game, take this as a sign to dive deep into the unsettling yet heartfelt world in Meeting in the Flesh. <3
A good game would recommend it. Like a lot of others it seems, played Yiestols route and really liked it. I haven't had to play the others but they do seem good.
I played through all of Yiestols routes on my channel and then went back for the other two on my own lol. I think Yiestol is my favorite but also jellyworms, ya know? Super cool game I just really liked it
there was that one vore misunderstanding but it was just funny lol
I'm absolutely in love with this game my only problem.. ok problem is wrong word to use but I wish there was like more lore/more information on the world and everything. This game is gonna live rent free in the back of my mind for who knows how long. ngl i'd be down to play another game or even read a story set in this world.
Thank you so much for playing, nulCat! Honestly, it's very flattering that you'd like to see more of the lore and world. To a certain extent writing from Vil's perspective definitely limits things, but sometimes leaving things a bit open is much more interesting than whatever we might set in stone, we think!
Although we've moved to a new project and are working on it passionately, if we ever have a good idea that would make us want to revisit this world, we'll certainly consider a sequel. :> Thank you so much for your kind feedback, we're so glad if the game left a positive impression!
I'm not the type of person who usually plays dating sims, but the art was so beautiful that it kept me going until the end! I've made a video on it, please enjoy!
Genuinely wonderful game. I've seen it once or twice in passing and never downloaded it until now, and I'm really glad I did. I made an account just to comment and say how impressed I was! I've been recommending it to my friends because it's just so well done.
Thank you so much Cryptid! We're deeply honoured you not only took the time to comment but made an account expressly to let us know you had a good experience with the game, and we're really happy you took a chance on it. That really means so much to us! Thank you so much for kindly recommending it too, we're deeply appreciative of any word of mouth!
Absolutely beautiful. Always slightly eerie - the music was lovely and appropriate to each scene and also felt like a horror movie, keeping me a bit on edge. I loved the way the city felt - with people's genuine care for each other, full of life, and also slightly terrifying. The little mentions of how Vil runs, the pus on their face, constantly making me update my perception of them/myself-as-the-main-character.
Fantastic worldbuilding and so well-written. Every scene layered on more details perfectly. I wasn't confused by anything, and while the game leaves a lot of questions about the world unanswered, it gives plenty of depth and just leaves more room for imagination. (And you do get an idea of how each path would go at the end even if you took a different path)
The art is of course just gorgeous. I keep stopping to hide the text and just take in the feel of the scene - especially with the music and the colouring. The character designs were really cool, especially how many different emotions they showed during conversations. You managed to give three very nonhuman characters understandable body language and 'facial' expressions!
The first time I played it, I spoke with Yiestol bc he was first and then was disappointed that I couldn't explore with Brattan lol. But the conversation with Yiestol really made me stop, and think, both from my perspective and from Vil's. I ended up choosing the dialogue options that gave me no choice but to refuse Yiestol, which hadn't been my intention. I kinda love that, tho? I made genuine character choices and that meant my character wasn't right for Yiestol, as much as I'd been trying to romance him. Plus, it turned out his romance path was a bit more intense than I'd been expecting. (Trying to avoid specific spoilers :D )
(Personally, the sort of Big Brother police state thing he had going on would normally be 'horror' without the sexy/romance aspect. That shit's terrifying irl. But hey, it's a horror game, there's flesh on the walls and the food burns your mouth, so it actually fit perfectly into the world!)
And now, a few months later, I was feeling in the mood for some more horror romance (and, as I'd just rewatched Venom, was also more in the mood for exploring that kind of bond.) And it was just as enjoyable this time around - same little thrills/chills from the music, from the punishment salt scenes, from the legit horror elements; getting to notice more details about the world; romancing Yiestol. Plus even though I vaguely knew what direction the conversation should go, I wasn't entirely sure which answers would get me there, so I still got to think through my character decisions and accept the consequences.
And it was so lovely! Watching the eclipse, the beautiful artwork, the perfect music, stopping to really take in the impact of the dialogue. I was able to picture how Vil felt towards Yiestol, and imagine making a similar/equivalent decision myself, so it felt less like I was just clicking through a story about someone else's emotional moments and more like I was really playing/living the character.
And the Yiestol ending was so good!! A real horror scene written as an erotic romance. (And I was half-expecting it would just end there, as though Vil hadn't realised exactly what was going to happen, and the 'erotic'/bonding parts of the scene really were pure horror; although I enjoy just as much that it was a real romance ending). It felt like a good decision for Vil's character, too. (Also I gotta say I was impressed with Yiestol's mouth. Was not expecting what I'd seen of his mandibles/teeth to go that far, so it was a delightful/terrifying surprise)
I'm going to replay it to see how the other two go, and I'm looking forward to how their paths get fleshed out, but honestly just Yiestol's path was really worth it for me, so I went and 'rebought' the game so I could actually pay you (since I got it in the itch BRJE). And I'm definitely recommending it to some friends irl (we've joked about being into 'monsterfucking', so if they're actually looking for some real content I can't think of anything better than this game).
- I did notice a couple typos (very few!) - how do you want us to report those?
- any recommendations for similar games, once I've played through all of this?
I absolutely love this game. Your writing is beautiful, the illustrations are gorgeous, and the whole thing is just so perfectly sentimental. I'm not ashamed to say I cried (and played through all of the paths). I actually downloaded it for free, then went back to "buy" it today.
Oh gosh Lemon, thank you for trying the game out and even going so far as to support us! We appreciate it so much, and we're really touched and happy if you found the story moving. We couldn't ask for a higher compliment. Thank you for taking the time to kindly tell us your experience with it, it's deeply encouraging. We will work hard to pour as much passion and energy into our new project as we did for this one!
We don't have a Patreon, only an Itch.io at this time, so the full version is here. :) On the bottom of the itch.io game page, downloading should give you the list of file options, and that is the full version! Our game is relatively short and can be completed in around 2-4 hours fairly comfortably depending on reading speed.
This game had no business being as absolutely amazing as it was. I've never liked vore in my life and Yiestol's route was just so gorgeous and I adored it way too much; seriously, thanks to whoever wrote all that out. The writing itself is just consistently outstanding and the character designs blew me away. All the art pieces really just made the game that much better, they were beautiful.
Thank you for giving the game a chance emdrew! We're so grateful and happy that you enjoyed it so much, and we really appreciate you taking the time to kindly review it. We're both really happy you approve of the writing and the art!!
this was so good holy shit.........i think my only concern/thing that i would hope to be changed is the dialog? im not much of a reader and i think it would be great if it was shortened. but overall this game was so freakin good!!! i really liked vil's char design too <33
Thank you for playing our game sleetskate! Although it's quite a talky game, we're really happy you enjoyed it despite that - the game we're working on now and just released a demo for may be more up your alley, with a higher ratio of dialogue to description! And we're so happy Vil's reveal was positive for you! It's always a gamble so we know it won't always make everyone happy, but we're really happy it worked for you.
It's a really really nice game. The art is gorgeous and the overall feel of the writing is... gorily wholesome? I see that some people bemoan the fact that Vil looks too human but she sure doesn't feel it. The world feels alien and yet familiar becasue it's every day life. Very awesome, Im now going to harass my Twitter followers into checking it out :p
Thank you very much Newt! We're both really glad you enjoyed our game and we deeply deeply appreciate you sharing your interest in the game on social media! Almost all the traffic we get comes from word of mouth, so we're genuinely grateful for that.
I really enjoyed this game, loved the warm, yet gorey atmosphere and world, how diverse the monsters are, all of the characters, solid 3-4 hours of enjoyment, would love to see more in this setting. Mostly everyone is kind, but since a human couldn't eat the food, maybe a good place to visit but not to live, although I guess they'd probably turn like how the reverse happened for Vil and Brattan. I was wondering "okay, Yiestol is lithe and kind of like a sexy android, and Brattan is a classic furry, but how will they make Nyargh appealing?" Well, naturally, he's an absolute sweetheart and also tentacles, how could I forget?
Thank you so much for trying out our game Ruise, and for sharing your comments and thoughts! We're both really happy that you enjoyed it, and that all the characters had something that could appeal to you. It's especially great to hear that you warmed to Nyargh and that we could strike the right balance with him! c:
I expected it to be more unusual, but beside one or two colourful details, the characters' problems are very human and so is the dialogue and everything else. Sure, pus will be mentioned a few times, but Nyargh is essentially a kind-hearted cat lover, Yiestol a workaholic and his route (could be read as) a metaphor for serious long-term relationships, Brattan is the enthusiastic best friend... The characters personalities and struggles are too human. I expected something far more alien.
This doesn't mean the game isn't fun or anything of that sort, though. I had fun playing the game and would recommend it, even though I think the concept is far more interesting than the execution.
Not a fan of the MC’s design, by the way. She looks too human. For a moment I thought her being completely human would be a plot twist and I was kind of living for it, because how would a human adapt to that world and how did she get there in the first place? But no. She was just pus-in-the-eye girl with gorilla hands and kangaroo legs, I guess?
Yiestol I wasn’t interested in, but his smooth, affable personality won me over. And that’s saying a lot, considering he’s what seems to be a police state’s panopticon.
Brattan is adorable, like a puppy. He’s so enthusiastic and passionate. He’s my second favourite LI, but his route is my favourite overall. If a hot werewolf told me “hey want to leave your life and come with me to another world?” I’d say: fuck, lead the way, mate. Wait… did this game make me a furry? *gasp*
Nyargh’s design is pretty cool and the different mood animations involving different mouths opening are pretty awesome overall. I love how he’s the gentlest soul and the most visually strange out of all the LIs. He’s my favourite LI. I was counting on the tentacle sex, by the way. No tentacle sex? WE RIOT.
Anyway, play this game if only for Nyargh's route. He's a cutie.
Thank you very much for taking the time to offer your thoughtful feedback and personal perspective on the game! It sounds like it wasn't entirely to your taste, but the review will be really helpful for others on what to expect and to avoid any disappointment. We're glad you were still able to enjoy some aspects of our work!
Good job there was the content warning, I was not ready for all that hand-holding.
I knew I was going to enjoy Meeting In The Flesh the moment I read the description, but wow! The art and the writing wonderfully combine grotesque body horror with a wholesome atmosphere and beautiful scenery. Every relationship feels natural, within moments of meeting everybody I felt an immediate sense of fondness and familiarity with each of them. Yiestol was my favourite (never thought I'd ever enjoy vore) but each of the suitors routes were a joy to playthrough; it's so nice to have every route be such a positive experience, even if I didn't choose to pursue a romance. I adored all of the world-building details, and it would be great to read more stories set in this world. The music was also amazing, ambient and emotional in every scene.
This is my perfect romance visual novel. Heck it's my perfect romance story in general, thank you so much for creating such an incredible experience.
P.S. How do you make big bees so cute? I've never been that keen on bees but now I really want to pet a big bee!
Thank you so much for your kind feedback, anmanarrative! It's really meaningful to us to hear your thoughts and the things that worked for you!
And we're so happy if we could sell you on the notion of big bees. We do love a big buzzy dribbling giga-bee! 🐝
It's wonderful to hear that the aesthetics and the mood felt harmonious for you overall, and that you enjoyed what we wrote for the romance. Thank you immensely for taking the time to write this review for our little game, it's very special to both of us to know our little project resonated for someone, and making a visual novel that felt perfect for you is the highest praise we could ever hope for.
This is probably one of my favorite dating sims now. I love quite literally everything about it, the writing, the character design, the characters themselves. The combination of grotesque and sweet, the way everything feels so incredibly homey and gentle, even with the macabre world. It feels like real tangible effort went into making the world itself (blood and all) feel kind as opposed to trying to work against it. There's such a quaint, charming, mundane feeling to the daily interactions of Vil that made the entire thing feel... just... warm. Safe. Comforting. The characters are so kind and welcoming, I love the emphasis on how each of them makes Vil feel at ease and comfortable. I love the sensory details in the writing. I adore how in many ways, your expectations are questioned by the routes themselves.
It's such a unique and pleasant experience and I'm honestly in love with it. I can only describe this game as beautiful, and I thank InkEthic for making it.
PROS - INCREDIBLE writing. There were times while I was reading that I completely lost track of literally everything else around me. - Gorgeous art - Amazing story - A fascinating world that's really interesting to learn about. - Fantastic character design - Lovable romance options that are all unique, interesting, and compelling for their own reasons. - A level of softness, kindness, and comfort one probably isn't expecting - THE BACK BUTTON, I need you to know how much I love the back button.
CONS - Adult content off was Not as PG-13 as I was expecting oh god (I wouldn't normally mind, but I played Yiestol's route on stream and was a little taken aback by how sexually explicit it was.)
Hi! Thank you so much for this lovely and thorough review of our game, the feedback is really invaluable to us!
First off, we're so glad you enjoyed the world of Vil and the other inhabitants. This kind of thoughtful response gives us such a strong idea of what we should pursue and focus on for the future of our games, and it means a lot to us that you took the time to share your experience!
We're both very sorry that you got a start while streaming, and we're going to address the Pg13 text to be safer for streamers in the future. At the time our metric for Pg13 was very... Not well informed, as both of us are from countries that have a 15 rating, not a pg13 rating, and there's quite a lot that a 15 rating can get away with in terms of text and image. We had a bit of an awakening when, in the discussion that ensued from this feedback, we realised that a lot of our 15-rated examples were not PG13 in the states, but rated more highly. Our ignorance is a serious oversight, and replaying it now is really eye-opening with exactly how uninformed we were... Thank you for bringing this to us. We've really tried to make an effort to be thorough and clear and safe with every aspect of our labelling, so we consider this a very serious failure on our part.
We can't offer a timeline because of the volume of edits involved, but this is a very high priority for us. We have a list of QoL and bug fixes in the pipeline across our line of games, and we'll roll this fix into it.
An enjoyable and sweet experience, your world building leaves me entranced from start to finish and the almost 'gross' setting of it all is really one-of-a-kind and super interesting! Not to mention the art is amazing!
We just finished playing your game, which we streamed on Twitch, and we really loved it. : )
We found the story engaging and thoughtful. We loved the characters and the warmth of all the interactions. The creature design and world building were very enjoyable and added a lot to the story.
It was really refreshing to have a game where all the love interests aren't total strangers at the beginning of the story and we felt that the clear presence of friendship before romance added so much to the 'dating' experience.
Our favorite thing, out of many well liked things, had to be the warm and comfortable feel of the game and it's environment. We were continually impressed at how everything in the game continued to feel both familiar and inviting regardless of the content or focus. It was a lovely subversion of expectations and added so much to the overall experience.
If you would like to see what we did please feel to check it out on our YouTube channel. : ) The last segment isn't up as of this posting, but will be on Nov, 28, 2020.
Thank you so much for this lovely feedback, and I'm terribly sorry for how late it is! We're glad the familiarity of the characters helped to ease you into the story and maintain a welcoming atmosphere throughout. Since that was a fundamental part of the game as much as the script or characters, it's really lovely to hear that kind of response.
I'm also really grateful for your playthrough! We both really enjoyed your thoughtful commentary and your sense of humour about the game, and it's really uplifting to hear that kind of enthusiasm about our work. Thank you immensely for giving the game a try and for sharing it with others through your gameplay!
I'm very sorry for the delay in our response as we've both been tied up in various things for the last few months, but we're really happy you enjoyed our little game islandrock! Thank you so so much for giving it a go and for your sweet message!
i made an account on here for a couple of reasons but what really pushed me to do it was this game!! oh my god! it is incredibly well written, the world feels real and unfamiliar and gross and beautiful all at once. the concept is grand! the characters are incredibly likeable! i've been on a visual novel kick recently and this one really stuck with me, i've been thinking about it since i played through all the routes. a wonderful game. thank u for making it :-)
Oh gosh, thank you so much, hospitalsocks! This is such an unbelievably lovely and kind comment, and we can't thank you enough for spending time with our game and coming back to share your experience. We're really happy that it spoke to you and that you found the story and the world satisfying to play!
I loved this game. I feel like it was gently insightful, if that makes sense? I had to often check my own biases and immediate reactions towards certain things, like how I felt about pus or blood, which was really cool. There was one specific interaction during Nyargh's route where the MC spoke to a child and had the option to see things from multiple points of view, and I feel like I also had to do that as a player.
I found myself starting to be fearful of what might happen, especially the vore route, but somehow every route ended up feeling safe and the fear didn't last. Thank you so much for making this game, and especially for making it free :)
Thank you so much for this sweet message ZedNenZen, and we're both so grateful and touched to hear such a kind description of our game! It really means so much to both of us. We're very glad that the game didn't cause you any prolonged discomfort especially, and that you felt safe and secure with the game's choices! That was really important for us as developers, so we're really happy you had a good experience with it.
Thank you for trying our game, and for taking the time to share your thoughts!
I went into Meeting in the Flesh expecting something horrific, what I've got instead was a sickeningly sweet game with some body horror that doesn't make one feel queasy to look at and the world building was very unique in the sense it feel somewhat fleshed out with an already established history.
What I really appreciate is that the monsters themselves aren't portrayed the way monsters girls are like as if they were fetish objects with cliche tropes as their personality, what sets this apart is that the love interests are portrayed with a agency of their own along with Vil.
Meeting in the Flesh is a labor of love filled with a wholesome body horror game. It's a crime for this game to be free because it's a game that deserves a price tag, it is worthy buying to thank the people who have created this wonderful game for us to enjoy
Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments Mechartist! We're both really glad the game was a positive experience and that you liked our approach. Games that are challenging and ominous are terrific too, but we were really gunning for a game you could relax into easily despite the content, so we're both really thrilled if it felt that way!
We really appreciate this lovely and considered review!
Aw. That was just... nice. The music reminds me of the WTNV music by Disparition. The visuals are lovely and the worlduilding's pretty great! In fact, I'd've liked it to be longer, to see more from all these other monsters along Vil's route and what else is going on in the world!
A few things struck me as unusual choices that, if the devs are still watching this page, I'd like to hear more about!
(Mild spoilers ahead for anyone perusing the comments section)
-The punishment salt baths - Vil has the option to linger at one and the next day we see the remains of either three or maybe one-but-jostled - seem like they should be leading to something. Are these for worldbuilding's sake or do they tie into a route I haven't found yet?
-How did you decide on this layout? You commented below about the prose-heaviness prompting a change from the usual VN layout, but why have the prose on the left versus the right side of the screen? I often found myself so sucked into the prose I forgot to glance to my right to see the monster boys' cute expressions!
-Interesting that the choosing a route happens sequentially rather than all at once ('Yiestol or not? > Brettan or not? > Nyargh or not?' vs something like having Vil finish the salt route on Day 2, offering the player the chance to follow up with 'Yiestol or Brettan or Nyargh'). I kinda ended up doing Yiestol's route first because I felt bad skipping out on him - which I bet would've been true no matter who we encountered first. Can you tell me more about this decision?
We're really glad you enjoyed the game and thank you so much for your comment and your lovely thoughts! It's really interesting to hear this kind of feedback on how you experienced and thought about these things, and I'm really happy to answer whatever I can!
- The punishment salt helps add a little more context to the world, but it's really just for flavour! Since we get to learn more about Yiestol's job as a community overlook operator, we thought it would be good to portray what happens when monsters transgress against each other or generally make trouble for others, and how routine this sort of sight becomes for people living there.
- I'm not sure we had anything particular in mind with choosing the right art display over left! Since the natural movement of reading for English readers is left to right, it might be that we instinctively prioritised the text over the art a bit more.
- I think we really liked the idea of integrating the choice sequentially because it followed the manner that Vil's day goes - they meet people one by one as they traverse on their route. That way, you also get to learn a bit more about them before having to make a particular choice, by having this back-and-forth small-talk before it's time to decide. An unintended side-effect is that it seems like many people do play in order of character introduction, which we felt was probably the best order for the stories.
Thank you so much for the questions and your lovely thoughts!
Thank you so much! We both really enjoyed writing and illustrating the bees, and they're definitely the cutest critters we got to design. Save the bees!
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Comments
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Oh my god. I love this game. So delightfully wholesome ;-; Thank you for making this game!
Nyargh is best boy. I don't know what else can be said. These character designs are as gorgeous as they are odd and I love the strange world that has been created here.
Aaaaa I love it! It took some time to get used to this odd world but when I did I find myself in love with the unique premise and genuinely interested about the characters in the world, they truly have life and each of them are so unique, I'm very grateful you all even went out of the way to illustrate these characters and not just stopping at the suitors. It truly pulled me in! As of now I've only played Yiestol's route and I am so happy at the ending, truly I enjoyed it, thank you for creating such a wonderful game!!!!
I really liked this visual novel, and you did a wonderful job with the characters and the setting.
Yiestol's route had me thinking about big questions regarding responsibilities and making big sacrifices in the name of helping others. It's not something to be taken lightly, but I feel that it's certainly an important theme to consider, and I do understand how it feels to be faced with big choices of all shapes and sizes.
Brattan was a very fun character and I enjoyed his route, though due to personal preferences, I found his ending to be a bit underwhelming. Though it does raise a point about the unknown. Some journeys aren't meant to be undertaken lightly and there's no way to know what lies on the other side of the reflection until you've already taken the one-way plunge, so it's always good to enjoy what you have in the present and live life to the fullest, regardless of what your choices may lead towards.
Nyargh's route was my favorite due to the cozy atmosphere (and the adorably wonderful bees). I can understand and respect his struggles, and it resonated with me because there wasn't much of a 'dramatic' twist, simply a strong bond between two people who want to understand each other better. It's no less important in scope, but I've always had an appreciation for conclusions that are tender and warm and peaceful.
Thank you very much for the wonderful experiences.
Nyargh's was my fave too. I did Yiestol's but for personal reasons wasn't fond of the idea of the 'good' end. It was after meeting Nyargh and learning more that I fell for him. Visually he's so different but inside he is so pure and I can hardly imagine a better life than a gentle yet stable delivery job and coming home to dozens of adorable bees and a loving partner.
This game was an absolute delight in every way. A lot of the time I feel like it's difficult for media to throw the audience into a world they should already 'know', but I felt the natural build of information and Vil's POV tackled that issue well. And what a world it is! It's weird and wonderful and I loved learning about and experiencing it through Vil's eyes.
!!! SPOILERS !!!
The act of spending so much time in what was familiar to Vil, through Vil's POV, also served to make the twist of Brattan's route something special. Getting to experience Vil and Brattan learning to live in a world and bodies that were new to them added a level of awe to something familiar, and it left me with a much higher level of appreciation for his route than I think I would have walked away with otherwise.
That said, all of the routes were delightful experiences! They all felt very down-to-earth despite being couched in the unfamiliar and strange, because at the core they remained very relatable: standing at the precipice of growth and change, heading out to explore the unknown, or trying to open yourself up to another. It made the story feel very cozy and intimate in a way that made it soothing in something that, at first glance, you'd never expect such a feeling from.
Thank you for creating and sharing this game! It's going to be sticking with me for a while, I think.
I really took a chance on this game, and I'm glad I did. Horror elements and gore have always been gag-inducing for me, but this game does such a fantastic job of painting them as beautiful and intimate. Really well done.
I love world building like that. It doesn't go into hyper detail but it's enough to show how a basic day is here as well as the rule of law. Things are just how they are for them.
I decided to go with Yeistol's rout because he's so gentle and elegant. The other one I would have gone with would be Barttan because he's playful and has an infectious attitude.
The twist and turns with emotions as you get closer with Yeistol (he's the only ending I got so far) was moving. Also, the twist was something I never thought of before and really made me think if I would be okay with a decision like that. Keeping it vague to be spoiler free.
I like stories with huge life changing choices for the character mid way through the story. Something that involves a completely alien concept to the main protag and the reader. You make decisions you never thought you would ever consider and learn something about yourself as well as adding a unique memory.
You did a good job Fal and Miru, so take my $5. It would be more (because you deserve more) but this is what I can afford right now. Keep up the solid righting and art style. This my be a niche story and not for all but that's what makes it special.
Some of the most captivating & unique worldbuilding to be found in a visual novel! The character designs, environments, and audio blend together perfectly on top of a otherworldly, sweet story.
Amazing that this experience is free
A+
Got the game for Yeistol’s route because his art looked pretty, but was completely BLINDSIDED when I met Nyrgah for the first time and was hit with Zaddy vibes. NEVER had a thing for a Eldritch-horror-esque character before.
I think this game might have awakened something… 🥲
Love this VN!!!!! I really hope an expansion of some sorts is made someday, but even without it I love this game and love to revisit it!
I absolutely love this game. It's so well written and the art is gorgeous. The characters are wonderful. I think Yiestol is my favourite but I do really adore Brattan and Nyrgah. If there was ever an expansion of the lore/story of this world I'd be ecstatic. It's very interesting.
//Spoilers//
Ngl I never thought previously that being eaten could be romantic but it sure felt so when playing his route. Probably because it didn't just straight up lead to dying lol Thank yall for this wonderful game. <3
gateway to vore
I find it hard to articulate my thoughts after going through this VN, as I believe it's best to play it without much context or knowledge of the game. It's wonderfully written, gorgeously rendered, and surprisingly human at turns. Much thought was put into each character, and the world is so, so unique and vivid.
I've never played anything quite like this - so if you've stumbled upon this game, take this as a sign to dive deep into the unsettling yet heartfelt world in Meeting in the Flesh. <3
A good game would recommend it. Like a lot of others it seems, played Yiestols route and really liked it. I haven't had to play the others but they do seem good.
omg throwback..
I played through all of Yiestols routes on my channel and then went back for the other two on my own lol. I think Yiestol is my favorite but also jellyworms, ya know? Super cool game I just really liked it
there was that one vore misunderstanding but it was just funny lolHi I'm back! Thank you for having created such a beautiful novel.
Recently I've found out frantically clicking is also one of the best ways to enjoy this game. Here's a clip:
My compliments to the artists. The art is very high quality and the monster/character designs are great!
(Dunno if the artist(s) takes commission at all, but damn.)
Music and ambience too, it's fire. Kudos to you two.
(edit) The story as well is fire, forgot to mention that too.
I'm absolutely in love with this game my only problem.. ok problem is wrong word to use but I wish there was like more lore/more information on the world and everything. This game is gonna live rent free in the back of my mind for who knows how long. ngl i'd be down to play another game or even read a story set in this world.
Thank you so much for playing, nulCat! Honestly, it's very flattering that you'd like to see more of the lore and world. To a certain extent writing from Vil's perspective definitely limits things, but sometimes leaving things a bit open is much more interesting than whatever we might set in stone, we think!
Although we've moved to a new project and are working on it passionately, if we ever have a good idea that would make us want to revisit this world, we'll certainly consider a sequel. :> Thank you so much for your kind feedback, we're so glad if the game left a positive impression!
I'm not the type of person who usually plays dating sims, but the art was so beautiful that it kept me going until the end! I've made a video on it, please enjoy!
Thank you very much for playing our game! We're glad you had a good time with it.
Genuinely wonderful game. I've seen it once or twice in passing and never downloaded it until now, and I'm really glad I did. I made an account just to comment and say how impressed I was! I've been recommending it to my friends because it's just so well done.
Thank you so much Cryptid! We're deeply honoured you not only took the time to comment but made an account expressly to let us know you had a good experience with the game, and we're really happy you took a chance on it. That really means so much to us! Thank you so much for kindly recommending it too, we're deeply appreciative of any word of mouth!
Absolutely beautiful. Always slightly eerie - the music was lovely and appropriate to each scene and also felt like a horror movie, keeping me a bit on edge. I loved the way the city felt - with people's genuine care for each other, full of life, and also slightly terrifying. The little mentions of how Vil runs, the pus on their face, constantly making me update my perception of them/myself-as-the-main-character.
Fantastic worldbuilding and so well-written. Every scene layered on more details perfectly. I wasn't confused by anything, and while the game leaves a lot of questions about the world unanswered, it gives plenty of depth and just leaves more room for imagination. (And you do get an idea of how each path would go at the end even if you took a different path)
The art is of course just gorgeous. I keep stopping to hide the text and just take in the feel of the scene - especially with the music and the colouring. The character designs were really cool, especially how many different emotions they showed during conversations. You managed to give three very nonhuman characters understandable body language and 'facial' expressions!
The first time I played it, I spoke with Yiestol bc he was first and then was disappointed that I couldn't explore with Brattan lol. But the conversation with Yiestol really made me stop, and think, both from my perspective and from Vil's. I ended up choosing the dialogue options that gave me no choice but to refuse Yiestol, which hadn't been my intention. I kinda love that, tho? I made genuine character choices and that meant my character wasn't right for Yiestol, as much as I'd been trying to romance him. Plus, it turned out his romance path was a bit more intense than I'd been expecting. (Trying to avoid specific spoilers :D )
(Personally, the sort of Big Brother police state thing he had going on would normally be 'horror' without the sexy/romance aspect. That shit's terrifying irl. But hey, it's a horror game, there's flesh on the walls and the food burns your mouth, so it actually fit perfectly into the world!)
And now, a few months later, I was feeling in the mood for some more horror romance (and, as I'd just rewatched Venom, was also more in the mood for exploring that kind of bond.) And it was just as enjoyable this time around - same little thrills/chills from the music, from the punishment salt scenes, from the legit horror elements; getting to notice more details about the world; romancing Yiestol. Plus even though I vaguely knew what direction the conversation should go, I wasn't entirely sure which answers would get me there, so I still got to think through my character decisions and accept the consequences.
And it was so lovely! Watching the eclipse, the beautiful artwork, the perfect music, stopping to really take in the impact of the dialogue. I was able to picture how Vil felt towards Yiestol, and imagine making a similar/equivalent decision myself, so it felt less like I was just clicking through a story about someone else's emotional moments and more like I was really playing/living the character.
And the Yiestol ending was so good!! A real horror scene written as an erotic romance. (And I was half-expecting it would just end there, as though Vil hadn't realised exactly what was going to happen, and the 'erotic'/bonding parts of the scene really were pure horror; although I enjoy just as much that it was a real romance ending). It felt like a good decision for Vil's character, too. (Also I gotta say I was impressed with Yiestol's mouth. Was not expecting what I'd seen of his mandibles/teeth to go that far, so it was a delightful/terrifying surprise)
I'm going to replay it to see how the other two go, and I'm looking forward to how their paths get fleshed out, but honestly just Yiestol's path was really worth it for me, so I went and 'rebought' the game so I could actually pay you (since I got it in the itch BRJE). And I'm definitely recommending it to some friends irl (we've joked about being into 'monsterfucking', so if they're actually looking for some real content I can't think of anything better than this game).
- I did notice a couple typos (very few!) - how do you want us to report those?
- any recommendations for similar games, once I've played through all of this?
I absolutely love this game. Your writing is beautiful, the illustrations are gorgeous, and the whole thing is just so perfectly sentimental. I'm not ashamed to say I cried (and played through all of the paths).
I actually downloaded it for free, then went back to "buy" it today.
Oh gosh Lemon, thank you for trying the game out and even going so far as to support us! We appreciate it so much, and we're really touched and happy if you found the story moving. We couldn't ask for a higher compliment. Thank you for taking the time to kindly tell us your experience with it, it's deeply encouraging. We will work hard to pour as much passion and energy into our new project as we did for this one!
Has this game been abandoned?
Hi PaleAngel!
The game isn't abandoned, it's just completed!
The story lasts several days before concluding. If it seems to end abruptly after the first day, you may be playing the demo and not the full version.
The full version is the Patreon one? Or does it exist here in Itch too?
We don't have a Patreon, only an Itch.io at this time, so the full version is here. :) On the bottom of the itch.io game page, downloading should give you the list of file options, and that is the full version! Our game is relatively short and can be completed in around 2-4 hours fairly comfortably depending on reading speed.
That's good to know! :)
This game had no business being as absolutely amazing as it was. I've never liked vore in my life and Yiestol's route was just so gorgeous and I adored it way too much; seriously, thanks to whoever wrote all that out. The writing itself is just consistently outstanding and the character designs blew me away. All the art pieces really just made the game that much better, they were beautiful.
Thank you for giving the game a chance emdrew! We're so grateful and happy that you enjoyed it so much, and we really appreciate you taking the time to kindly review it. We're both really happy you approve of the writing and the art!!
this was so good holy shit.........i think my only concern/thing that i would hope to be changed is the dialog? im not much of a reader and i think it would be great if it was shortened. but overall this game was so freakin good!!! i really liked vil's char design too <33
Thank you for playing our game sleetskate! Although it's quite a talky game, we're really happy you enjoyed it despite that - the game we're working on now and just released a demo for may be more up your alley, with a higher ratio of dialogue to description! And we're so happy Vil's reveal was positive for you! It's always a gamble so we know it won't always make everyone happy, but we're really happy it worked for you.
It's a really really nice game. The art is gorgeous and the overall feel of the writing is... gorily wholesome? I see that some people bemoan the fact that Vil looks too human but she sure doesn't feel it. The world feels alien and yet familiar becasue it's every day life. Very awesome, Im now going to harass my Twitter followers into checking it out :p
Thank you very much Newt! We're both really glad you enjoyed our game and we deeply deeply appreciate you sharing your interest in the game on social media! Almost all the traffic we get comes from word of mouth, so we're genuinely grateful for that.
I really enjoyed this game, loved the warm, yet gorey atmosphere and world, how diverse the monsters are, all of the characters, solid 3-4 hours of enjoyment, would love to see more in this setting. Mostly everyone is kind, but since a human couldn't eat the food, maybe a good place to visit but not to live, although I guess they'd probably turn like how the reverse happened for Vil and Brattan. I was wondering "okay, Yiestol is lithe and kind of like a sexy android, and Brattan is a classic furry, but how will they make Nyargh appealing?" Well, naturally, he's an absolute sweetheart and also tentacles, how could I forget?
Thank you so much for trying out our game Ruise, and for sharing your comments and thoughts! We're both really happy that you enjoyed it, and that all the characters had something that could appeal to you. It's especially great to hear that you warmed to Nyargh and that we could strike the right balance with him! c:
I expected it to be more unusual, but beside one or two colourful details, the characters' problems are very human and so is the dialogue and everything else. Sure, pus will be mentioned a few times, but Nyargh is essentially a kind-hearted cat lover, Yiestol a workaholic and his route (could be read as) a metaphor for serious long-term relationships, Brattan is the enthusiastic best friend... The characters personalities and struggles are too human. I expected something far more alien.
This doesn't mean the game isn't fun or anything of that sort, though. I had fun playing the game and would recommend it, even though I think the concept is far more interesting than the execution.
Not a fan of the MC’s design, by the way. She looks too human. For a moment I thought her being completely human would be a plot twist and I was kind of living for it, because how would a human adapt to that world and how did she get there in the first place? But no. She was just pus-in-the-eye girl with gorilla hands and kangaroo legs, I guess?
Yiestol I wasn’t interested in, but his smooth, affable personality won me over. And that’s saying a lot, considering he’s what seems to be a police state’s panopticon.
Brattan is adorable, like a puppy. He’s so enthusiastic and passionate. He’s my second favourite LI, but his route is my favourite overall. If a hot werewolf told me “hey want to leave your life and come with me to another world?” I’d say: fuck, lead the way, mate. Wait… did this game make me a furry? *gasp*
Nyargh’s design is pretty cool and the different mood animations involving different mouths opening are pretty awesome overall. I love how he’s the gentlest soul and the most visually strange out of all the LIs. He’s my favourite LI. I was counting on the tentacle sex, by the way. No tentacle sex? WE RIOT.
Anyway, play this game if only for Nyargh's route. He's a cutie.
Thank you very much for taking the time to offer your thoughtful feedback and personal perspective on the game! It sounds like it wasn't entirely to your taste, but the review will be really helpful for others on what to expect and to avoid any disappointment. We're glad you were still able to enjoy some aspects of our work!
Good job there was the content warning, I was not ready for all that hand-holding.
I knew I was going to enjoy Meeting In The Flesh the moment I read the description, but wow! The art and the writing wonderfully combine grotesque body horror with a wholesome atmosphere and beautiful scenery. Every relationship feels natural, within moments of meeting everybody I felt an immediate sense of fondness and familiarity with each of them. Yiestol was my favourite (never thought I'd ever enjoy vore) but each of the suitors routes were a joy to playthrough; it's so nice to have every route be such a positive experience, even if I didn't choose to pursue a romance. I adored all of the world-building details, and it would be great to read more stories set in this world. The music was also amazing, ambient and emotional in every scene.
This is my perfect romance visual novel. Heck it's my perfect romance story in general, thank you so much for creating such an incredible experience.
P.S. How do you make big bees so cute? I've never been that keen on bees but now I really want to pet a big bee!
Thank you so much for your kind feedback, anmanarrative! It's really meaningful to us to hear your thoughts and the things that worked for you!
And we're so happy if we could sell you on the notion of big bees. We do love a big buzzy dribbling giga-bee! 🐝
It's wonderful to hear that the aesthetics and the mood felt harmonious for you overall, and that you enjoyed what we wrote for the romance. Thank you immensely for taking the time to write this review for our little game, it's very special to both of us to know our little project resonated for someone, and making a visual novel that felt perfect for you is the highest praise we could ever hope for.
This is probably one of my favorite dating sims now.
I love quite literally everything about it, the writing, the character design, the characters themselves. The combination of grotesque and sweet, the way everything feels so incredibly homey and gentle, even with the macabre world. It feels like real tangible effort went into making the world itself (blood and all) feel kind as opposed to trying to work against it. There's such a quaint, charming, mundane feeling to the daily interactions of Vil that made the entire thing feel... just... warm. Safe. Comforting.
The characters are so kind and welcoming, I love the emphasis on how each of them makes Vil feel at ease and comfortable. I love the sensory details in the writing. I adore how in many ways, your expectations are questioned by the routes themselves.
It's such a unique and pleasant experience and I'm honestly in love with it.
I can only describe this game as beautiful, and I thank InkEthic for making it.
PROS
- INCREDIBLE writing. There were times while I was reading that I completely lost track of literally everything else around me.
- Gorgeous art
- Amazing story
- A fascinating world that's really interesting to learn about.
- Fantastic character design
- Lovable romance options that are all unique, interesting, and compelling for their own reasons.
- A level of softness, kindness, and comfort one probably isn't expecting
- THE BACK BUTTON, I need you to know how much I love the back button.
CONS
- Adult content off was Not as PG-13 as I was expecting oh god
(I wouldn't normally mind, but I played Yiestol's route on stream and was a little taken aback by how sexually explicit it was.)
???
- I like vore now.
Hi! Thank you so much for this lovely and thorough review of our game, the feedback is really invaluable to us!
First off, we're so glad you enjoyed the world of Vil and the other inhabitants. This kind of thoughtful response gives us such a strong idea of what we should pursue and focus on for the future of our games, and it means a lot to us that you took the time to share your experience!
We're both very sorry that you got a start while streaming, and we're going to address the Pg13 text to be safer for streamers in the future. At the time our metric for Pg13 was very... Not well informed, as both of us are from countries that have a 15 rating, not a pg13 rating, and there's quite a lot that a 15 rating can get away with in terms of text and image. We had a bit of an awakening when, in the discussion that ensued from this feedback, we realised that a lot of our 15-rated examples were not PG13 in the states, but rated more highly. Our ignorance is a serious oversight, and replaying it now is really eye-opening with exactly how uninformed we were... Thank you for bringing this to us. We've really tried to make an effort to be thorough and clear and safe with every aspect of our labelling, so we consider this a very serious failure on our part.
We can't offer a timeline because of the volume of edits involved, but this is a very high priority for us. We have a list of QoL and bug fixes in the pipeline across our line of games, and we'll roll this fix into it.
Thank you again so much!
An enjoyable and sweet experience, your world building leaves me entranced from start to finish and the almost 'gross' setting of it all is really one-of-a-kind and super interesting! Not to mention the art is amazing!
I'm wholeheartedly Team Brattan too, lol.
Oh, thank you so much for this kind comment! It's really touching that you tried out and enjoyed our game, and that you like Brattan!
Greetings!
We just finished playing your game, which we streamed on Twitch, and we really loved it. : )
We found the story engaging and thoughtful. We loved the characters and the warmth of all the interactions. The creature design and world building were very enjoyable and added a lot to the story.
It was really refreshing to have a game where all the love interests aren't total strangers at the beginning of the story and we felt that the clear presence of friendship before romance added so much to the 'dating' experience.
Our favorite thing, out of many well liked things, had to be the warm and comfortable feel of the game and it's environment. We were continually impressed at how everything in the game continued to feel both familiar and inviting regardless of the content or focus. It was a lovely subversion of expectations and added so much to the overall experience.
If you would like to see what we did please feel to check it out on our YouTube channel. : ) The last segment isn't up as of this posting, but will be on Nov, 28, 2020.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjno0226g2FIl_Vit9qp77h_vmi9mGfDa
Hi there, Lies and Scandal!
Thank you so much for this lovely feedback, and I'm terribly sorry for how late it is! We're glad the familiarity of the characters helped to ease you into the story and maintain a welcoming atmosphere throughout. Since that was a fundamental part of the game as much as the script or characters, it's really lovely to hear that kind of response.
I'm also really grateful for your playthrough! We both really enjoyed your thoughtful commentary and your sense of humour about the game, and it's really uplifting to hear that kind of enthusiasm about our work. Thank you immensely for giving the game a try and for sharing it with others through your gameplay!
This game was great! The descriptions are AMAZING, all the characters are well written and lovable
I'm very sorry for the delay in our response as we've both been tied up in various things for the last few months, but we're really happy you enjoyed our little game islandrock! Thank you so so much for giving it a go and for your sweet message!
i made an account on here for a couple of reasons but what really pushed me to do it was this game!! oh my god! it is incredibly well written, the world feels real and unfamiliar and gross and beautiful all at once. the concept is grand! the characters are incredibly likeable! i've been on a visual novel kick recently and this one really stuck with me, i've been thinking about it since i played through all the routes. a wonderful game. thank u for making it :-)
Oh gosh, thank you so much, hospitalsocks! This is such an unbelievably lovely and kind comment, and we can't thank you enough for spending time with our game and coming back to share your experience. We're really happy that it spoke to you and that you found the story and the world satisfying to play!
I loved this game. I feel like it was gently insightful, if that makes sense? I had to often check my own biases and immediate reactions towards certain things, like how I felt about pus or blood, which was really cool.
There was one specific interaction during Nyargh's route where the MC spoke to a child and had the option to see things from multiple points of view, and I feel like I also had to do that as a player.
I found myself starting to be fearful of what might happen, especially the vore route, but somehow every route ended up feeling safe and the fear didn't last.
Thank you so much for making this game, and especially for making it free :)
Thank you so much for this sweet message ZedNenZen, and we're both so grateful and touched to hear such a kind description of our game! It really means so much to both of us. We're very glad that the game didn't cause you any prolonged discomfort especially, and that you felt safe and secure with the game's choices! That was really important for us as developers, so we're really happy you had a good experience with it.
Thank you for trying our game, and for taking the time to share your thoughts!
I went into Meeting in the Flesh expecting something horrific, what I've got instead was a sickeningly sweet game with some body horror that doesn't make one feel queasy to look at and the world building was very unique in the sense it feel somewhat fleshed out with an already established history.
What I really appreciate is that the monsters themselves aren't portrayed the way monsters girls are like as if they were fetish objects with cliche tropes as their personality, what sets this apart is that the love interests are portrayed with a agency of their own along with Vil.
Meeting in the Flesh is a labor of love filled with a wholesome body horror game. It's a crime for this game to be free because it's a game that deserves a price tag, it is worthy buying to thank the people who have created this wonderful game for us to enjoy
Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments Mechartist! We're both really glad the game was a positive experience and that you liked our approach. Games that are challenging and ominous are terrific too, but we were really gunning for a game you could relax into easily despite the content, so we're both really thrilled if it felt that way!
We really appreciate this lovely and considered review!
I really liked this game, so creepy yet so wholesome!
Thank you so much for trying out our game, and we're so glad you enjoyed it!
Aw. That was just... nice. The music reminds me of the WTNV music by Disparition. The visuals are lovely and the worlduilding's pretty great! In fact, I'd've liked it to be longer, to see more from all these other monsters along Vil's route and what else is going on in the world!
A few things struck me as unusual choices that, if the devs are still watching this page, I'd like to hear more about!
(Mild spoilers ahead for anyone perusing the comments section)
-The punishment salt baths - Vil has the option to linger at one and the next day we see the remains of either three or maybe one-but-jostled - seem like they should be leading to something. Are these for worldbuilding's sake or do they tie into a route I haven't found yet?
-How did you decide on this layout? You commented below about the prose-heaviness prompting a change from the usual VN layout, but why have the prose on the left versus the right side of the screen? I often found myself so sucked into the prose I forgot to glance to my right to see the monster boys' cute expressions!
-Interesting that the choosing a route happens sequentially rather than all at once ('Yiestol or not? > Brettan or not? > Nyargh or not?' vs something like having Vil finish the salt route on Day 2, offering the player the chance to follow up with 'Yiestol or Brettan or Nyargh'). I kinda ended up doing Yiestol's route first because I felt bad skipping out on him - which I bet would've been true no matter who we encountered first. Can you tell me more about this decision?
We're really glad you enjoyed the game and thank you so much for your comment and your lovely thoughts! It's really interesting to hear this kind of feedback on how you experienced and thought about these things, and I'm really happy to answer whatever I can!
- The punishment salt helps add a little more context to the world, but it's really just for flavour! Since we get to learn more about Yiestol's job as a community overlook operator, we thought it would be good to portray what happens when monsters transgress against each other or generally make trouble for others, and how routine this sort of sight becomes for people living there.
- I'm not sure we had anything particular in mind with choosing the right art display over left! Since the natural movement of reading for English readers is left to right, it might be that we instinctively prioritised the text over the art a bit more.
- I think we really liked the idea of integrating the choice sequentially because it followed the manner that Vil's day goes - they meet people one by one as they traverse on their route. That way, you also get to learn a bit more about them before having to make a particular choice, by having this back-and-forth small-talk before it's time to decide. An unintended side-effect is that it seems like many people do play in order of character introduction, which we felt was probably the best order for the stories.
Thank you so much for the questions and your lovely thoughts!
Really loved the game, especially the bees.
Thank you so much! We both really enjoyed writing and illustrating the bees, and they're definitely the cutest critters we got to design. Save the bees!