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!
I love how this game mixes gore and romance in such an elegant and captivating way.
Will the game have a sequel or after story of the routes?
I would love to see more of the characters or that world.
For example: I take it for granted that when Brattan and Vil have become more adapted to their new bodies and society, they will explore again and begin to explore the world and its wonders (I wonder what face they will put when they see for the first time the sea or the snow or the desert or cultural differences between countries).
I like the concept of "Bonding" by Yiestol, it reminds me of the "fusion" of Steven Universe (But more gore and no turning back XD), I would like to see adventures of them in their new form and how they enjoy existence together (Technically they are continuously in a date XD)
And my dearest Nyargh, curiously, I felt that his relationship with Vil and his route was the closest thing to our society's concept of "close friends to boyfriends", I would like to see how those changes affect their relationship, and how they have dates together.
Simple words, I loved the game, and if you decide to make another one, you would make me very happy, but if you decide not to, nothing happens, I will still love you equally.
Thank you very much for making this game so wonderful.
Aw gosh, thank you so much for playing our game Aural, and we're really so glad you enjoyed the story and characters! It means a lot to us to hear anyone would enjoy seeing more of the world we made!
Unfortunately we don't presently have a sequel planned, though we do have other projects in the works (slowed down a bit by covid, I'm afraid). In part this is because we'd like to leave the story open enough for exactly these sorts of speculations! Your thoughts on how these characters might go on into the future is so wonderful.
If we think of anything interesting enough to make a full arc for this world again, we'd like to revisit it. But we wouldn't want to take away the opportunity to imagine something cool for these characters unless we can deliver something totally worthwhile.
I! LOVE! NYARGH! SO! MUCH!!!!! Yiestol is definitely a close second, but MAN, I loved Nyargh's route! He's the only datable character I've seen in a game like this that is completely monstrous and doesn't have a humanesque body shape... He's kind and caring and I love him. ;w; And his bees. (Thank you for letting us pet the bees!!!)
Fangirling aside, this was honestly SUCH a good game! The story is fleshed out (hehe) and well written, the art is AMAZING, and the pace is pretty perfect. Learning how the world works is easy, and even the background characters are well done. The only "flaw" is that there are some typos, mostly during the later half of the routes, but they are easy to miss and do not hinder the flow of the game. (I'm not sure if this is still being worked on, but I would be more than willing to go through everything again and pick out all the errors I can find.)
Like many others have said, I appreciate the fact that while everything is dripping with horror elements, the story isn't meant to scare the player. I've honestly been looking for what feels like forever for a game where you can date monsters without having them be humanized or part of an abusive story-line, and this scratched that itch PERFECTLY. (That being said, Brattan's route is my least favourite, even though it is the most mysterious... but that's just a personal preference, and I know many people would adore his route!!) I would honestly gladly pay real money for updates/a sequel/a new game that's similar. (Please please PLEASE make more! I don't care what you do, the two of you are fantastic together and I crave more of this delicious horror romance content!! *insert the "shut up and take my money" gif here* )
Please, if you find this page and are even remotely curious or interested in what you see, download this game!! You will not regret it!
Awh gosh Loliqua, this comment is so lovely and kind -- reading it is honestly really moving for us. We're both so grateful you enjoyed the game and that it could scratch a rare itch!
Although there's many dating sims for monsters, we're just really glad we could fill a particular void and create a world that didn't feel too repetitive. Above anything else we hoped people could enjoy the game's environment and Vil's friends, and get a feeling of belonging. If we could succeed with that in any small way then we're so incredibly happy. Thank you so much for giving our game a chance, and we're so glad you're willing to stick with us for our future projects!
(We do also apologise for the typos! Unfortunately for many reasons our hopes to quickly fix those things were bumped down in priority, but we do hope to get to repairing those issues in future. Honestly, if you wouldn't mind picking out errors, we'd be really grateful for the help in assembling a list! I know it's been quite a while since this message though, so it's no trouble if it's a bit late to ask! We're also over at inkethic@gmail.com !)
Honestly, I'm still willing to help out! Though I imagine you guys have moved on by now... of course I see the notification for this a year later. </3
I saw you have a new game launching! I can't wait to check it out!
I'm going to send you an email, if that's okay; if you need any editing for text I'll happily help out. I FINALLY got my account back on my new laptop, and when I saw the notification that you had responded, I immediately re-downloaded the game. xD
I'm so happy to see you two are still making games! I plan on grabbing the others you've made, both together and seperate, whatever I can find. I can't support financially because I JUST bought a house (yay!) but I'll cheer you on!
wowowowowow, its 330 am and i just spent a full 5 straight hours going through each of the routes. i expected to only touch the game to check it out tonight, but the worldbuilding is beautiful, the art delicious, and the twists and turns of the story kept me coming back even when i had to get up to grab a snack or go to the bathroom. the CGs for every occassion were spectacular, and i found myself adoring each of the characters so much more than i expected. like? normally the nsfw bits are ones i like to skip thru, but everything was written so interestingly and everything felt like a natural extension of the story that by the end i was actually okay being eaten. 12/10 i would kill a man to get more from this universe and/or more from you.
Awh gosh, it's incredibly flattering for us to know that you found the game riveting enough to stay locked in like that, but we're also really sorry we messed up your sleep schedule! Thank you so, so much for playing the game and for taking the time to provide this sort of feedback. We're really glad we could hit the right balance in the story for you, especially with the nsfw content - we did our best as a team to work out a tone that felt right for the characters and the story we'd made thus far. It's also really touching and uplifting to know you enjoyed the visuals and the artwork!
We unfortunately don't have current plans to revisit this world specifically, not until we really think we have some worthwhile stories to tell. But we're always collaborating, so there will be more from inkethic in future!
This has been one of my favorite games from the Bundle for Racial Justice! The art is amazing, the world-building is fascinating, and I love all of the characters, routes, and endings. Thank you for sharing!
Awh gosh, thank you so much for playing the game! It really means so much that you gave our weird game a chance amongst so many amazing gems in the Bundle, and we're really so glad that you enjoyed it! Thank you for your sweet comments and for supporting the Bundle!
Hi, I tried playing this today and I am getting an "uncaught exception" error when I try to save/quick save. Its something about having no valid save locations. Here's a pastebin of the error:
I really do apologise for the trouble with this; it's definitely an intersection of issues between the client, MacOS and the game code. Although we can resolve this, unfortunately it'll take us some time to implement it on account of our ongoing schedules and access to necessary hardware. If it's possible for you to play the game outside of the client until we're able to resolve the problem we'd really appreciate it, otherwise we hope you'll be able to enjoy it once we can get the fix in place!
Thank you so much for letting us know about this issue!
Chose the vore route straight off, while thinking I was avoiding the vore route (not because I didn't want to play it eventually, but just because I thought I'd start in the shallow end of the body horror pool!).
No regrets, it was incredibly adorable and actually ended up playing into a story trope that I really love. I'm looking forward to the next two routes. I love body horror, transformation stories, *and* Ghibli-sweet slice of life, so this VN is right up my alley. Lovely art, too.
We're very glad you're enjoying the game so far, and thank you so much for taking the time to let us know how it's going!
You definitely picked the most direct body horror route, and we're just really glad it was comfortable and enjoyable for you. The game routes diverge a fair bit from each other, so hopefully there'll still be some interesting surprises that you like in the other stories!
I've finished all the routes now, and I enjoyed all of them! I liked the way they all subverted expectations to a degree. Torn between whether Yiestol or Nyargh was my favorite, oddly enough. Would 100% marry Nyargh in reality, even if he *is* a floating fleshball. Incredibly sweet and lovely game all the way around. Thank you for making it!
I liked this game a lot; it's a nice change of pace from the usual dating sims, and pleasingly simple to get into the love interests' routes. I gotta say I fell in love with Nyargh and his bees. Those bees were heckin' cute.
Yiestol looked cool in the last picture, too, and I liked Vil's design.
Hi! I'm so sorry for how delayed this response is, but I wanted to thank you so much for your lovely thoughts and feedback on how you found our game! We're both so glad you enjoyed the story (and the bees!) and that we could present something that felt different for you!
Thank you so much for giving our game a look, and for taking the extra time to comment! It really means so much to us.
This was such a fun game! I absolutely ADORED all the art and the worldbuilding felt so creative and interesting! All three of the monsters were really fascinating in their own ways, and I enjoyed all three routes immensely - even Yiestol's, which I was initially a bit unsure about! Nyargh's route was probably my favourite though... It's just so cosy and lovely! I truly love the way this game embraces weirdness wholeheartedly. Thank you for making such a beautiful game!
Gosh, this is such a kind comment, having our weird game called beautiful is such incredibly high praise... We're both really touched and happy that you enjoyed our work on it! Thank you so much for giving the game a try and even braving a route that might have otherwise been daunting. We're so glad you enjoyed it!
Also please forgive how late this reply is! I'm the one who handles the social media, so I can only apologise for my sluggishness!
I just finished my first play through and damn,,, I did not expect this game to make me as soft as it did. You all did a wonderful job writing the characters and exploring the world. It's strange but it makes sense and is beautiful in it's own way!
One criticism I have is that there's a couple of typos/grammatical errors in Brattan's route! They're not a big deal it was just something I noticed.
Overall this is one of my new favorite VNs! I'll definitely be coming back to this title in the near future <3
Aw gosh, we're both really grateful for your lovely comment, and we're really glad you enjoyed the game! Hearing that you think so highly of it really means more than we could possibly say.
We apologise for the typos! We do have a fix in the works for several things that should also repair that, but we've been set back by various challenges this year. We hope we can address it in future!
when i saw the content warnings, i was expecting something horrific, but this was nothing but sweet. it was fun to get to know such a strange world from characters who find it completely normal.
We're really so glad you enjoyed it! We definitely wanted the world to feel familiar and comfortable in its own way, even if it's a very different society to ours, and we're really glad to hear that it was a fun experience! Thank you for playing our game!
i really really REALLY enjoyed this... the writing is amazing, the art, the world, you feel a part of it very quickly through the natural interactions and simple explanations. The horror elements are handled so elegantly, things don't have to be nightmare fuel /jumpscares/ or super horrible imagery to be constantly upsetting. I read the warnings and though im not into vore, the second i saw yistol's teeth i knew it was that path, and i was gonna go there regardless xDDD overall, i really loved everything, good work!!!
Thank you so much for your incredibly kind comment! Throughout we hoped we could stay true to billing the game as something that felt comfortable to play and make something eerie without trying to manipulate or frighten the player, so hearing this sort of thing really means a lot to us.
Thank you for giving the game a chance, especially given the vore warnings! We're really happy you still found it worthwhile and palatable!
(This is my first comment, so this may be read weird.) The story telling was INCREDIBLE and the character design? Perfect! I am so lucky to find this accidentally! This is my first dating sim I've ever played, and I'm sure that all the others will have a much higher standards to reach now! If you guys will ever make another game like this I will 100% play it! My only complaint is the fact we couldn't choose our name or gender, but thats a silly complaint in general compared to how amazing this was! This is an easy 5 stars, and can't wait to see what else this teams make!
Awh gosh, thank you for making us the recipient of your first comment! And thank you also for taking the time to tell us about your experience of the game. We're really, really thrilled you enjoyed it and had an overall positive experience with it as your first dating sim. Hearing that the story could live up to expectations is really high praise for us, and saying that we set any kind of bar is so kind and really touching. Thank you so much!
We have hopes to develop more games in the future, so hopefully we can make something that will interest you! We'll definitely take your comments on board for future developments!
OMG! I loved it so much!!!!!!!!!!! the art style is amazing and the writing is even better!!!!!!!!!! ahhhh i cannot express how much i loved this, not only were the designs for the LI's amazing but for Vil as well! At first i thought we wouldn't see our self but it was a pleasant surprise! Personally my only problem was reading, but that's because of my own issues, i loved the LI's a lot and i hope i get to see more of your work if other are made! Best wishes!!!
Hi there! I'm really so sorry for how long it's taken me to reply to this, but I wanted to thank you so much for your sweet and kind praise for our game! We're both really happy and flattered that you enjoyed both the art and the writing, and that you were happy with Vil's reveal! We knew we might be taking a risk with making a design people might not like, so it's always really great if it works for someone.
If you don't mind elaborating, we'd absolutely welcome any feedback on how we can make our writing more readable/accessible for you in future games! Please feel free to leave us a comment or message us here, on Tumblr or on Twitter, and we'd be grateful to hear from you.
this was awesome, im glad i took a chance on it! i didn't expect such a detailed, highly realised game or setting. the little portraits of random customers were so cool and not something most games bother with.
the writing was great, and the characters all endearing in v different ways which i wasn't really expecting; i was anticipating that id have a hard time liking or connecting to nyargh since he looks so inhuman but i immediately was charmed by him! the characters and their problems felt very human(ha) and realistic despite the outlandish setting, but despite that both them and the setting also didn't feel like just typical humans or your average setting; the otherworldly monstrosity stuff felt well integrated into the story and the characters and like an asset, not an afterthought. i kinda got some magical realism vibes from the whole thing!
a really small thing i noticed but was impressed by, you handled having a gender neutral protag really well! most of the time i find in dating sims or the like, a gender neutral protag (as in where the mc's gender/sex isnt referred to, not cases where u have the option to pick ungendered pronouns or wev) is used for the sake of ease or laziness and is executed awkwardly and sticks out, and (though this prob only is smth that bothers or is felt by me lol) instead of making the game inclusive/queer/lgbt/etc, basically eliminates the possibility of a portrayal of same sex/gay relationships. here i felt no awkwardness, it was very unobtrusive - perhaps because Vil already knows the characters that we meet, there were no awkward moments of 'if they aren't assuming the MCs gender from their appearance/gendering me why am i gendering them from it?' etc, or references that only make sense when you assume Vil is a specific gender.
even though we're introduced to the characters midway through their relationship with Vil vs meeting and getting to know them as the MC does, the writing is great at getting across the characters individual personality and relationship with Vil quickly without hitting you over the head with exposition. by the time i got to the honey shop i felt settled into the rhythms of Vil's life, and felt a warm sense of familiarity towards their job and the characters.
really great game, it was enjoyable and interesting! better than many paid ones.
Gosh, I'm so sorry for how long it took us to reply to this, but this is such a wonderful, in-depth and kind review, and we're both so grateful and flattered by your kind thoughts! Thank you so much for taking the time to talk about the things that worked for you, especially because these are the sorts of details that really help us both as we proceed into new projects!
It's really wonderful to hear that the writing for the world and characters worked for you and was easy to relate to. Although they live in a society with very different rules, to a certain extent we hoped the monsters would also be living quite quiet, everyday lives with fairly everyday and understandable worries.
We're really glad to hear that the writing for Vil worked, too! You're probably right that that has to do with the characters already knowing them. Since the game is also written entirely in first person and all the characters address Vil on a one-on-one basis, it was possible to avoid third person pronouns entirely without making it stick out too much. In some ways the decision was easier than trying to assign a gender to Vil, since it wouldn't have had too much bearing on any of the writing in the end. Given the sort of game we wanted to make, we're really glad if it makes the story feel inviting to any reader and their own approach to who Vil is.
Thank you so much for taking the time and giving our game a go, we're really thankful for your comments and your time!
hi i found this randomly (because i love horror dating sims) and i absolutely adore this game. the writing was simply beautiful, to put it lightly, and the characters were just wonderful. everything about this felt very real and soft and comforting and i sincerely thank you for releasing this for the world to enjoy, because i'm definitely going to be replaying it time and time again. yiestol is by far my favorite, so an extra special thank you for him!
i wish you so much luck on any future ventures you choose to take (if any at all) and just know that you have my full support on any of them. <3
Hi there! I'm so sorry for how long it's taken us to reply, but I wanted to thank you so much for this lovely review. I'm so glad we could create a game that could bring some comfort and replay value for you! That's especially high praise for a visual novel type game. Thank you so much for giving our game a chance and for taking the time to comment to us!
We're currently formulating plans for our next game, so we hope we can share something interesting in the future!
Oh wow! We're so flattered and happy that it was promoted on Reddit, and thank you so much for giving our game a try based on that! Word of mouth is the only way we get around at all, so hearing that is really thrilling for us!
We're so glad you enjoyed our game and thank you for the comment!
Oh my gosh, this is truly up my alley in every possible way. I love how good the writing was to really establish the world right off the bat in such an immersive way, all of the monster designs were honestly top tier, the routes were all so compelling in their own ways and you bet i cried for like half an hour at the end of each route (ESPECIALLY Yiestol). Thank you so much for filling this niche that was sorely, sorely needed and for doing it in such a fantastic, enjoyable, and fun way!
(also the Boss mentioning his partners made my little polyamorous heart warm and fuzzy)
Thank you so, so much for this kind review -- it's so wonderful that you enjoyed our game, and we're so grateful for your kind praise! If we could fill a niche and do justice to this sort of subject matter, we couldn't ask for anything better!
And we're very glad that the Boss's love life could speak to something personal for you. We really hoped to reflect the importance and sincerity of all kinds of relationships within our story. c:
As others that played this game, my expectations were blown away after playing the game. I expected it to be more shallow I guess? and for it to feel kinda like a parody. But I was surprised to see the depth that each character has and even the depth of the world itself. I definitely didn't expect the game to be so... cozy? gentle? in dealing with topics that are otherwise pretty gross and horrid.
Yeah, you guys did really well selling this pretty horrifying world that I almost forgot about the "food"... and the fleshfield... and the "ambient smell"... etc.
Also, I was surprised to find that the character I found to be most outlandish was the one with the most normal route. I was kinda scared that something might happen at the end and "jump" at me, but no it was very sweet.
Looking forward to seeing more of you monstrous creations!
We're really glad you enjoyed it -- thank you so much for giving it a go and for the incredibly kind feedback! It's really great to hear that it surpassed expectations for you!
We definitely knew we weren't going to try and make the game scary/shocking for the player -- not that there's anything wrong with a twist or a jump scare in the right game! We hoped in the end that we could just make a sincere story with a setting and characters that could be satisfying for the player, even if they might have a world or nature that's harder to relate to. We're just really happy if that's the experience you had.
And we really appreciate the interest! We're currently in early stages of discussing our next project, which will properly get underway next year. :) Thank you so much for sticking with us!
Wow... This really blew away my expectations. As someone who's a big fan of monster characters that are more than just humans with different skin colors or horns on their head i was immediately drawn to the art on your store page, but i was drawn in more than i could ever have expected when i started playing. The world and characters you've created are really breathtaking and fills a niche i've desperately wanted more content of. My first, and most memorable, path was Yiestol since i have a soft spot for cute monsters with exoskeletons :) While the ending scenes were a bit more... intense than what i'm used to it was still kind of sweet.
I hope you continue to work within the universe you've created, and i'm eagerly awaiting whatever you create next!
Aw gosh, we're really thrilled the game could work for you, especially considering Yiestol's route is one of the more challenging ones to sell. Thank you so much for giving it a chance and we're really glad you could enjoy the meaty MITF world!
And we're glad you could enjoy the designs too. We love really abstract non-human monsters, and since we didn't see much of that niche out there in visnovels, indulging ourselves was a no-brainer. We didn't really know if there was any audience out there so we're both incredibly flattered and thrilled to bits that the monsterfuckers came out of the woodwork. :^)
Wow! I've never been as immersed with a game as I have with this one. I was so sad when it finished (especially with Brattan's route, my favorite omggg), I was left wanting more! Would you ever consider making a continuation or will you continue making games that fall into this realm? Thank you so much for this gem of a game!
Thank you so much for the lovely compliments! We're so glad you enjoyed the game and that you enjoyed Brattan's route, it's always so wonderful to hear that someone enjoyed our lil' project! :^)
We don't have plans to continue MITF at this time, but we absolutely do have plans for games in a similar strain! We're in early talks about our next project, so hopefully we'll be able to get some news out there early next year. Thank you so much for the interest and for giving our game a go, it really means so much to us!!
Thank you so, so much for your high praise! We're so glad the game's world felt immersive and that you enjoyed it -- it really does mean so much to both of us to hear that.
Gah! Ok, so I'm a wimp. I faint at the sight of blood, have a bad reaction to even the thought of bad tastes or smells.... So... the reason I downloaded this was definitely just a boatload of curiosity.
Definitely glad I did!
Of COURSE the first route I pick turns out to be the vore one. Because of course it is. And I'm shamefully curious to know if the whole game's aesthetic is something people are... into? Because despite the packaging, the whole thing was just so... otome. XD So I'm pretty curious to know why the aesthetic is enjoyed, how that interacts with the otome aspect, etc. (I'm sure it'll be different for different people, but still! :O )
Also curious to know- did you have hopes of inspiring people with such curiosity, perhaps even empathy? Did you have any larger goals besides delivering an awesome game?
I've got a lot of curiosity. >>
Anyway, thanks! This was really adorable. Perhaps unsurprisingly, I'm a Nyargh fan. <3
Aah gosh, we're certainly not the easiest game to stomach if you're averse to blood, so thank you for giving us a chance!
As for the appeal of the game, we can't definitely speak for what others want! However, there's been a general trend of monster suitors in media these days, and we also noticed some people wanting to court characters that are a bit more monstrous than the usual werewolves, vampires, zombies, humanoids, etc.
We've both always been interested in horror-leaning elements like monsters, body horror, and creepy atmospheres, as well as dabbling in visual novels here and there. So when we saw a demand that we might be able to fulfill, and that we were both interested in, we figured it would be worth a shot. Though we did have that prospective audience in mind as we started creating Meeting in the Flesh, it was ultimately a project exploring our personal interests and fascinations.
In a similar vein, we just wanted to create characters that were sincere and had relatable motivations, despite the unusual setting. We're glad if we made something that connects with people in that level - it was fundamental to the game design that the monsters were relatable, with their own everyday dreams, motivations and problems.
This is a great game! I'm usually not into romance games unironically, but this one blew me away. The worldbuilding is where this game shines, and the story makes great use of the things established to form unique bonds between the characters. I think the best point this game makes is that looks don't matter. The world felt weird and unsettling at first, but the more I got to know the residents of the city, the more I fell in love with it. Even though much of the story feels like wish fulfillment, I can't say it bothered me. It never took away from the characters' personalities, and the protagonist didn't have a "plot black hole effect" that so many visual novel protagonists tend to have. Everyone was very wholesome and it's a really good game for when you just want to wrap up in a blanket with a cup of tea and get the feels.
(also, I'm glad I turned on mature content! The scenes felt really sweet, and weren't as graphic as I expected them to be)
I don't like to judge a game by it's visuals, because the story is what primarily matters to me, but I have to say, the art was absolutely stunning. The character designs were all interesting and different, and the background art was amazing.
Yiestol's route is definetely my favourite, second is Nyargh's (and the message about prejudice is great with this one! also, fuzzy bee bois), and last is Brattan (his route was fun, but I always had a feeling of "okay, I guess??" going through it. I think his personality just isn't my type)
Thank you so much for the kind comment! We were always aiming for a soft contrast between the city's grotesque aspects and its softer, more wholesome core, so we're very glad that it reads as a coherent and pleasant package!
(As for the mature scenes, we're very glad they didn't come across as overbearing! There's a general shortage of games that go all the way with romance scenes, but we also thought being too lurid would take away from the emotional cores. We're really pleased if we've managed to hit a reasonable balance!)
Wow, this is a great game! The worldbuilding especially blew me away; I think this game has the best worldbuilding I've ever seen in something of its length. I really enjoyed the little details like the earthwhale and the punishment salt that had nothing to do with the romance but made the world feel more like a living, breathing place.
The protagonist was delightful. She's optimistic and emotionally literate and kind without falling too much into the generic otome protagonist trope. And like the rest of the characters, she's a great blend of monstrous-yet-relatable, rushing not to be late to work one moment and thinking of blood salt as a delicacy the next. Thank you for writing this game and releasing it for free, it was a really memorable experience!
Thank you so much for this really kind comment, and for giving our game a try!
We're both glad you enjoyed the game's worldbuilding, and particularly that Vil as a character felt relatable while still being a character in their own right. It definitely mattered to us that playing them didn't feel frustrating and that they said things the player might want to say, so we're really glad if we managed that at all. :)
thank you sO much for making this game?? it literally felt like unwrapping presents during the holidays with how much it kept surprising and delighting me- i can't wait to see what yall come up with next !
(p.s. i wrote up a small review (over here) if you're interested !)
!! We're so happy you enjoyed the game, and thank you so much for this review! It's extremely kind and also really balanced feedback -- and a masterclass in puns, it'd be such a joy to read even if we weren't the creators :^)
We really appreciate the time you spent playing this game and for reviewing us! Word of mouth is the only way we get around, so this is really flattering and support we're incredibly grateful for.
i absolutely love this game, and i'm totally obsessed with yiestol! i did his route first and had a hard time not automatically doing it again when i played through for the other routes. it was almost instinctive to just fall into him all over again, haha. this game kicked my depression out the window for a little bit with fuzzy bee goodness that squeezed my heart and a writing style that kept me captivated until it was early morning hours! ❤ i'm so glad i accidentally stumbled upon this ❤ ❤ i'll probably be replaying it for a long time to come! thank you for this wonderful game!
Aw gosh, honestly, thank you so much for this! Your praise is so immensely kind! We're both so happy you enjoyed Yiestol and that playing our game was enjoyable for you; that's all we really made it for. Thank you so much for taking the time to write to us and brighten our day too! It really means a lot to us.
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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!
I love how this game mixes gore and romance in such an elegant and captivating way.
Will the game have a sequel or after story of the routes?
I would love to see more of the characters or that world.
For example: I take it for granted that when Brattan and Vil have become more adapted to their new bodies and society, they will explore again and begin to explore the world and its wonders (I wonder what face they will put when they see for the first time the sea or the snow or the desert or cultural differences between countries).
I like the concept of "Bonding" by Yiestol, it reminds me of the "fusion" of Steven Universe (But more gore and no turning back XD), I would like to see adventures of them in their new form and how they enjoy existence together (Technically they are continuously in a date XD)
And my dearest Nyargh, curiously, I felt that his relationship with Vil and his route was the closest thing to our society's concept of "close friends to boyfriends", I would like to see how those changes affect their relationship, and how they have dates together.
Simple words, I loved the game, and if you decide to make another one, you would make me very happy, but if you decide not to, nothing happens, I will still love you equally.
Thank you very much for making this game so wonderful.
Aw gosh, thank you so much for playing our game Aural, and we're really so glad you enjoyed the story and characters! It means a lot to us to hear anyone would enjoy seeing more of the world we made!
Unfortunately we don't presently have a sequel planned, though we do have other projects in the works (slowed down a bit by covid, I'm afraid). In part this is because we'd like to leave the story open enough for exactly these sorts of speculations! Your thoughts on how these characters might go on into the future is so wonderful.
If we think of anything interesting enough to make a full arc for this world again, we'd like to revisit it. But we wouldn't want to take away the opportunity to imagine something cool for these characters unless we can deliver something totally worthwhile.
Thank you so much for your lovely comment!
I loved this game so much. The visuals were amazing and the story was very well put together!! I just love everything about it
Thank you so much! That you enjoyed the story and art really means so much to both of us. We really appreciate your kind feedback!
I! LOVE! NYARGH! SO! MUCH!!!!! Yiestol is definitely a close second, but MAN, I loved Nyargh's route! He's the only datable character I've seen in a game like this that is completely monstrous and doesn't have a humanesque body shape... He's kind and caring and I love him. ;w; And his bees. (Thank you for letting us pet the bees!!!)
Fangirling aside, this was honestly SUCH a good game! The story is fleshed out (hehe) and well written, the art is AMAZING, and the pace is pretty perfect. Learning how the world works is easy, and even the background characters are well done. The only "flaw" is that there are some typos, mostly during the later half of the routes, but they are easy to miss and do not hinder the flow of the game. (I'm not sure if this is still being worked on, but I would be more than willing to go through everything again and pick out all the errors I can find.)
Like many others have said, I appreciate the fact that while everything is dripping with horror elements, the story isn't meant to scare the player. I've honestly been looking for what feels like forever for a game where you can date monsters without having them be humanized or part of an abusive story-line, and this scratched that itch PERFECTLY. (That being said, Brattan's route is my least favourite, even though it is the most mysterious... but that's just a personal preference, and I know many people would adore his route!!) I would honestly gladly pay real money for updates/a sequel/a new game that's similar. (Please please PLEASE make more! I don't care what you do, the two of you are fantastic together and I crave more of this delicious horror romance content!! *insert the "shut up and take my money" gif here* )
Please, if you find this page and are even remotely curious or interested in what you see, download this game!! You will not regret it!
Awh gosh Loliqua, this comment is so lovely and kind -- reading it is honestly really moving for us. We're both so grateful you enjoyed the game and that it could scratch a rare itch!
Although there's many dating sims for monsters, we're just really glad we could fill a particular void and create a world that didn't feel too repetitive. Above anything else we hoped people could enjoy the game's environment and Vil's friends, and get a feeling of belonging. If we could succeed with that in any small way then we're so incredibly happy. Thank you so much for giving our game a chance, and we're so glad you're willing to stick with us for our future projects!
(We do also apologise for the typos! Unfortunately for many reasons our hopes to quickly fix those things were bumped down in priority, but we do hope to get to repairing those issues in future. Honestly, if you wouldn't mind picking out errors, we'd be really grateful for the help in assembling a list! I know it's been quite a while since this message though, so it's no trouble if it's a bit late to ask! We're also over at inkethic@gmail.com !)
Honestly, I'm still willing to help out! Though I imagine you guys have moved on by now... of course I see the notification for this a year later. </3
I saw you have a new game launching! I can't wait to check it out!
I'm going to send you an email, if that's okay; if you need any editing for text I'll happily help out. I FINALLY got my account back on my new laptop, and when I saw the notification that you had responded, I immediately re-downloaded the game. xD
I'm so happy to see you two are still making games! I plan on grabbing the others you've made, both together and seperate, whatever I can find. I can't support financially because I JUST bought a house (yay!) but I'll cheer you on!
wowowowowow, its 330 am and i just spent a full 5 straight hours going through each of the routes. i expected to only touch the game to check it out tonight, but the worldbuilding is beautiful, the art delicious, and the twists and turns of the story kept me coming back even when i had to get up to grab a snack or go to the bathroom. the CGs for every occassion were spectacular, and i found myself adoring each of the characters so much more than i expected. like? normally the nsfw bits are ones i like to skip thru, but everything was written so interestingly and everything felt like a natural extension of the story that by the end i was actually okay being eaten. 12/10 i would kill a man to get more from this universe and/or more from you.
Awh gosh, it's incredibly flattering for us to know that you found the game riveting enough to stay locked in like that, but we're also really sorry we messed up your sleep schedule! Thank you so, so much for playing the game and for taking the time to provide this sort of feedback. We're really glad we could hit the right balance in the story for you, especially with the nsfw content - we did our best as a team to work out a tone that felt right for the characters and the story we'd made thus far. It's also really touching and uplifting to know you enjoyed the visuals and the artwork!
We unfortunately don't have current plans to revisit this world specifically, not until we really think we have some worthwhile stories to tell. But we're always collaborating, so there will be more from inkethic in future!
This has been one of my favorite games from the Bundle for Racial Justice! The art is amazing, the world-building is fascinating, and I love all of the characters, routes, and endings. Thank you for sharing!
Awh gosh, thank you so much for playing the game! It really means so much that you gave our weird game a chance amongst so many amazing gems in the Bundle, and we're really so glad that you enjoyed it! Thank you for your sweet comments and for supporting the Bundle!
You can't fuck the ant, this game sucks
the bee movie has really changed some of you people smh
Hi, I tried playing this today and I am getting an "uncaught exception" error when I try to save/quick save. Its something about having no valid save locations. Here's a pastebin of the error:
https://pastebin.com/PRWRxPvw
I'm running the game through the itch app on MacOS Mojave 10.14.6.
Hi!
I really do apologise for the trouble with this; it's definitely an intersection of issues between the client, MacOS and the game code. Although we can resolve this, unfortunately it'll take us some time to implement it on account of our ongoing schedules and access to necessary hardware. If it's possible for you to play the game outside of the client until we're able to resolve the problem we'd really appreciate it, otherwise we hope you'll be able to enjoy it once we can get the fix in place!
Thank you so much for letting us know about this issue!
Chose the vore route straight off, while thinking I was avoiding the vore route (not because I didn't want to play it eventually, but just because I thought I'd start in the shallow end of the body horror pool!).
No regrets, it was incredibly adorable and actually ended up playing into a story trope that I really love. I'm looking forward to the next two routes. I love body horror, transformation stories, *and* Ghibli-sweet slice of life, so this VN is right up my alley. Lovely art, too.
We're very glad you're enjoying the game so far, and thank you so much for taking the time to let us know how it's going!
You definitely picked the most direct body horror route, and we're just really glad it was comfortable and enjoyable for you. The game routes diverge a fair bit from each other, so hopefully there'll still be some interesting surprises that you like in the other stories!
I've finished all the routes now, and I enjoyed all of them! I liked the way they all subverted expectations to a degree. Torn between whether Yiestol or Nyargh was my favorite, oddly enough. Would 100% marry Nyargh in reality, even if he *is* a floating fleshball. Incredibly sweet and lovely game all the way around. Thank you for making it!
I liked this game a lot; it's a nice change of pace from the usual dating sims, and pleasingly simple to get into the love interests' routes. I gotta say I fell in love with Nyargh and his bees. Those bees were heckin' cute.
Yiestol looked cool in the last picture, too, and I liked Vil's design.
Hi! I'm so sorry for how delayed this response is, but I wanted to thank you so much for your lovely thoughts and feedback on how you found our game! We're both so glad you enjoyed the story (and the bees!) and that we could present something that felt different for you!
Thank you so much for giving our game a look, and for taking the extra time to comment! It really means so much to us.
This was such a fun game! I absolutely ADORED all the art and the worldbuilding felt so creative and interesting! All three of the monsters were really fascinating in their own ways, and I enjoyed all three routes immensely - even Yiestol's, which I was initially a bit unsure about! Nyargh's route was probably my favourite though... It's just so cosy and lovely! I truly love the way this game embraces weirdness wholeheartedly. Thank you for making such a beautiful game!
Gosh, this is such a kind comment, having our weird game called beautiful is such incredibly high praise... We're both really touched and happy that you enjoyed our work on it! Thank you so much for giving the game a try and even braving a route that might have otherwise been daunting. We're so glad you enjoyed it!
Also please forgive how late this reply is! I'm the one who handles the social media, so I can only apologise for my sluggishness!
I just finished my first play through and damn,,, I did not expect this game to make me as soft as it did. You all did a wonderful job writing the characters and exploring the world. It's strange but it makes sense and is beautiful in it's own way!
One criticism I have is that there's a couple of typos/grammatical errors in Brattan's route! They're not a big deal it was just something I noticed.
Overall this is one of my new favorite VNs! I'll definitely be coming back to this title in the near future <3
Aw gosh, we're both really grateful for your lovely comment, and we're really glad you enjoyed the game! Hearing that you think so highly of it really means more than we could possibly say.
We apologise for the typos! We do have a fix in the works for several things that should also repair that, but we've been set back by various challenges this year. We hope we can address it in future!
Thank you so much for playing our game!
when i saw the content warnings, i was expecting something horrific, but this was nothing but sweet. it was fun to get to know such a strange world from characters who find it completely normal.
We're really so glad you enjoyed it! We definitely wanted the world to feel familiar and comfortable in its own way, even if it's a very different society to ours, and we're really glad to hear that it was a fun experience! Thank you for playing our game!
i really really REALLY enjoyed this... the writing is amazing, the art, the world, you feel a part of it very quickly through the natural interactions and simple explanations. The horror elements are handled so elegantly, things don't have to be nightmare fuel /jumpscares/ or super horrible imagery to be constantly upsetting. I read the warnings and though im not into vore, the second i saw yistol's teeth i knew it was that path, and i was gonna go there regardless xDDD overall, i really loved everything, good work!!!
Thank you so much for your incredibly kind comment! Throughout we hoped we could stay true to billing the game as something that felt comfortable to play and make something eerie without trying to manipulate or frighten the player, so hearing this sort of thing really means a lot to us.
Thank you for giving the game a chance, especially given the vore warnings! We're really happy you still found it worthwhile and palatable!
(This is my first comment, so this may be read weird.) The story telling was INCREDIBLE and the character design? Perfect! I am so lucky to find this accidentally! This is my first dating sim I've ever played, and I'm sure that all the others will have a much higher standards to reach now! If you guys will ever make another game like this I will 100% play it! My only complaint is the fact we couldn't choose our name or gender, but thats a silly complaint in general compared to how amazing this was! This is an easy 5 stars, and can't wait to see what else this teams make!
Awh gosh, thank you for making us the recipient of your first comment! And thank you also for taking the time to tell us about your experience of the game. We're really, really thrilled you enjoyed it and had an overall positive experience with it as your first dating sim. Hearing that the story could live up to expectations is really high praise for us, and saying that we set any kind of bar is so kind and really touching. Thank you so much!
We have hopes to develop more games in the future, so hopefully we can make something that will interest you! We'll definitely take your comments on board for future developments!
OMG! I loved it so much!!!!!!!!!!! the art style is amazing and the writing is even better!!!!!!!!!! ahhhh i cannot express how much i loved this, not only were the designs for the LI's amazing but for Vil as well! At first i thought we wouldn't see our self but it was a pleasant surprise! Personally my only problem was reading, but that's because of my own issues, i loved the LI's a lot and i hope i get to see more of your work if other are made! Best wishes!!!
Hi there! I'm really so sorry for how long it's taken me to reply to this, but I wanted to thank you so much for your sweet and kind praise for our game! We're both really happy and flattered that you enjoyed both the art and the writing, and that you were happy with Vil's reveal! We knew we might be taking a risk with making a design people might not like, so it's always really great if it works for someone.
If you don't mind elaborating, we'd absolutely welcome any feedback on how we can make our writing more readable/accessible for you in future games! Please feel free to leave us a comment or message us here, on Tumblr or on Twitter, and we'd be grateful to hear from you.
this was awesome, im glad i took a chance on it! i didn't expect such a detailed, highly realised game or setting. the little portraits of random customers were so cool and not something most games bother with.
the writing was great, and the characters all endearing in v different ways which i wasn't really expecting; i was anticipating that id have a hard time liking or connecting to nyargh since he looks so inhuman but i immediately was charmed by him! the characters and their problems felt very human(ha) and realistic despite the outlandish setting, but despite that both them and the setting also didn't feel like just typical humans or your average setting; the otherworldly monstrosity stuff felt well integrated into the story and the characters and like an asset, not an afterthought. i kinda got some magical realism vibes from the whole thing!
a really small thing i noticed but was impressed by, you handled having a gender neutral protag really well! most of the time i find in dating sims or the like, a gender neutral protag (as in where the mc's gender/sex isnt referred to, not cases where u have the option to pick ungendered pronouns or wev) is used for the sake of ease or laziness and is executed awkwardly and sticks out, and (though this prob only is smth that bothers or is felt by me lol) instead of making the game inclusive/queer/lgbt/etc, basically eliminates the possibility of a portrayal of same sex/gay relationships. here i felt no awkwardness, it was very unobtrusive - perhaps because Vil already knows the characters that we meet, there were no awkward moments of 'if they aren't assuming the MCs gender from their appearance/gendering me why am i gendering them from it?' etc, or references that only make sense when you assume Vil is a specific gender.
even though we're introduced to the characters midway through their relationship with Vil vs meeting and getting to know them as the MC does, the writing is great at getting across the characters individual personality and relationship with Vil quickly without hitting you over the head with exposition. by the time i got to the honey shop i felt settled into the rhythms of Vil's life, and felt a warm sense of familiarity towards their job and the characters.
really great game, it was enjoyable and interesting! better than many paid ones.
Gosh, I'm so sorry for how long it took us to reply to this, but this is such a wonderful, in-depth and kind review, and we're both so grateful and flattered by your kind thoughts! Thank you so much for taking the time to talk about the things that worked for you, especially because these are the sorts of details that really help us both as we proceed into new projects!
It's really wonderful to hear that the writing for the world and characters worked for you and was easy to relate to. Although they live in a society with very different rules, to a certain extent we hoped the monsters would also be living quite quiet, everyday lives with fairly everyday and understandable worries.
We're really glad to hear that the writing for Vil worked, too! You're probably right that that has to do with the characters already knowing them. Since the game is also written entirely in first person and all the characters address Vil on a one-on-one basis, it was possible to avoid third person pronouns entirely without making it stick out too much. In some ways the decision was easier than trying to assign a gender to Vil, since it wouldn't have had too much bearing on any of the writing in the end. Given the sort of game we wanted to make, we're really glad if it makes the story feel inviting to any reader and their own approach to who Vil is.
Thank you so much for taking the time and giving our game a go, we're really thankful for your comments and your time!
hi i found this randomly (because i love horror dating sims) and i absolutely adore this game. the writing was simply beautiful, to put it lightly, and the characters were just wonderful. everything about this felt very real and soft and comforting and i sincerely thank you for releasing this for the world to enjoy, because i'm definitely going to be replaying it time and time again. yiestol is by far my favorite, so an extra special thank you for him!
i wish you so much luck on any future ventures you choose to take (if any at all) and just know that you have my full support on any of them. <3
Hi there! I'm so sorry for how long it's taken us to reply, but I wanted to thank you so much for this lovely review. I'm so glad we could create a game that could bring some comfort and replay value for you! That's especially high praise for a visual novel type game. Thank you so much for giving our game a chance and for taking the time to comment to us!
We're currently formulating plans for our next game, so we hope we can share something interesting in the future!
someone just happened to recommend this on Reddit and clicking the link was the best decision that my lineage ever made.
Oh wow! We're so flattered and happy that it was promoted on Reddit, and thank you so much for giving our game a try based on that! Word of mouth is the only way we get around at all, so hearing that is really thrilling for us!
We're so glad you enjoyed our game and thank you for the comment!
Oh my gosh, this is truly up my alley in every possible way. I love how good the writing was to really establish the world right off the bat in such an immersive way, all of the monster designs were honestly top tier, the routes were all so compelling in their own ways and you bet i cried for like half an hour at the end of each route (ESPECIALLY Yiestol). Thank you so much for filling this niche that was sorely, sorely needed and for doing it in such a fantastic, enjoyable, and fun way!
(also the Boss mentioning his partners made my little polyamorous heart warm and fuzzy)
Thank you so, so much for this kind review -- it's so wonderful that you enjoyed our game, and we're so grateful for your kind praise! If we could fill a niche and do justice to this sort of subject matter, we couldn't ask for anything better!
And we're very glad that the Boss's love life could speak to something personal for you. We really hoped to reflect the importance and sincerity of all kinds of relationships within our story. c:
As others that played this game, my expectations were blown away after playing the game. I expected it to be more shallow I guess? and for it to feel kinda like a parody. But I was surprised to see the depth that each character has and even the depth of the world itself. I definitely didn't expect the game to be so... cozy? gentle? in dealing with topics that are otherwise pretty gross and horrid.
Yeah, you guys did really well selling this pretty horrifying world that I almost forgot about the "food"... and the fleshfield... and the "ambient smell"... etc.
Also, I was surprised to find that the character I found to be most outlandish was the one with the most normal route. I was kinda scared that something might happen at the end and "jump" at me, but no it was very sweet.
Looking forward to seeing more of you monstrous creations!
We're really glad you enjoyed it -- thank you so much for giving it a go and for the incredibly kind feedback! It's really great to hear that it surpassed expectations for you!
We definitely knew we weren't going to try and make the game scary/shocking for the player -- not that there's anything wrong with a twist or a jump scare in the right game! We hoped in the end that we could just make a sincere story with a setting and characters that could be satisfying for the player, even if they might have a world or nature that's harder to relate to. We're just really happy if that's the experience you had.
And we really appreciate the interest! We're currently in early stages of discussing our next project, which will properly get underway next year. :) Thank you so much for sticking with us!
love love love this, played it like six times and i'm forcing my friends to download it as well
HAHAHAH Thank you so much, both for giving our game so much of your time and for helping to share it! We really hope your friends can enjoy it too!
Wow... This really blew away my expectations. As someone who's a big fan of monster characters that are more than just humans with different skin colors or horns on their head i was immediately drawn to the art on your store page, but i was drawn in more than i could ever have expected when i started playing. The world and characters you've created are really breathtaking and fills a niche i've desperately wanted more content of. My first, and most memorable, path was Yiestol since i have a soft spot for cute monsters with exoskeletons :) While the ending scenes were a bit more... intense than what i'm used to it was still kind of sweet.
I hope you continue to work within the universe you've created, and i'm eagerly awaiting whatever you create next!
(Also the thank-you booklet was a nice touch!)
Aw gosh, we're really thrilled the game could work for you, especially considering Yiestol's route is one of the more challenging ones to sell. Thank you so much for giving it a chance and we're really glad you could enjoy the meaty MITF world!
And we're glad you could enjoy the designs too. We love really abstract non-human monsters, and since we didn't see much of that niche out there in visnovels, indulging ourselves was a no-brainer. We didn't really know if there was any audience out there so we're both incredibly flattered and thrilled to bits that the monsterfuckers came out of the woodwork. :^)
Wow! I've never been as immersed with a game as I have with this one. I was so sad when it finished (especially with Brattan's route, my favorite omggg), I was left wanting more! Would you ever consider making a continuation or will you continue making games that fall into this realm? Thank you so much for this gem of a game!
Thank you so much for the lovely compliments! We're so glad you enjoyed the game and that you enjoyed Brattan's route, it's always so wonderful to hear that someone enjoyed our lil' project! :^)
We don't have plans to continue MITF at this time, but we absolutely do have plans for games in a similar strain! We're in early talks about our next project, so hopefully we'll be able to get some news out there early next year. Thank you so much for the interest and for giving our game a go, it really means so much to us!!
The worldbuilding in this is incredible. Really, really fantastic work.
Thank you so, so much for your high praise! We're so glad the game's world felt immersive and that you enjoyed it -- it really does mean so much to both of us to hear that.
Gah! Ok, so I'm a wimp. I faint at the sight of blood, have a bad reaction to even the thought of bad tastes or smells.... So... the reason I downloaded this was definitely just a boatload of curiosity.
Definitely glad I did!
Of COURSE the first route I pick turns out to be the vore one. Because of course it is. And I'm shamefully curious to know if the whole game's aesthetic is something people are... into? Because despite the packaging, the whole thing was just so... otome. XD So I'm pretty curious to know why the aesthetic is enjoyed, how that interacts with the otome aspect, etc. (I'm sure it'll be different for different people, but still! :O )
Also curious to know- did you have hopes of inspiring people with such curiosity, perhaps even empathy? Did you have any larger goals besides delivering an awesome game?
I've got a lot of curiosity. >>
Anyway, thanks! This was really adorable. Perhaps unsurprisingly, I'm a Nyargh fan. <3
Aah gosh, we're certainly not the easiest game to stomach if you're averse to blood, so thank you for giving us a chance!
As for the appeal of the game, we can't definitely speak for what others want! However, there's been a general trend of monster suitors in media these days, and we also noticed some people wanting to court characters that are a bit more monstrous than the usual werewolves, vampires, zombies, humanoids, etc.
We've both always been interested in horror-leaning elements like monsters, body horror, and creepy atmospheres, as well as dabbling in visual novels here and there. So when we saw a demand that we might be able to fulfill, and that we were both interested in, we figured it would be worth a shot. Though we did have that prospective audience in mind as we started creating Meeting in the Flesh, it was ultimately a project exploring our personal interests and fascinations.
In a similar vein, we just wanted to create characters that were sincere and had relatable motivations, despite the unusual setting. We're glad if we made something that connects with people in that level - it was fundamental to the game design that the monsters were relatable, with their own everyday dreams, motivations and problems.
This is a great game! I'm usually not into romance games unironically, but this one blew me away. The worldbuilding is where this game shines, and the story makes great use of the things established to form unique bonds between the characters. I think the best point this game makes is that looks don't matter. The world felt weird and unsettling at first, but the more I got to know the residents of the city, the more I fell in love with it. Even though much of the story feels like wish fulfillment, I can't say it bothered me. It never took away from the characters' personalities, and the protagonist didn't have a "plot black hole effect" that so many visual novel protagonists tend to have. Everyone was very wholesome and it's a really good game for when you just want to wrap up in a blanket with a cup of tea and get the feels.
(also, I'm glad I turned on mature content! The scenes felt really sweet, and weren't as graphic as I expected them to be)
I don't like to judge a game by it's visuals, because the story is what primarily matters to me, but I have to say, the art was absolutely stunning. The character designs were all interesting and different, and the background art was amazing.
Yiestol's route is definetely my favourite, second is Nyargh's (and the message about prejudice is great with this one! also, fuzzy bee bois), and last is Brattan (his route was fun, but I always had a feeling of "okay, I guess??" going through it. I think his personality just isn't my type)
I recommend it 100%, great work!
Thank you so much for the kind comment! We were always aiming for a soft contrast between the city's grotesque aspects and its softer, more wholesome core, so we're very glad that it reads as a coherent and pleasant package!
(As for the mature scenes, we're very glad they didn't come across as overbearing! There's a general shortage of games that go all the way with romance scenes, but we also thought being too lurid would take away from the emotional cores. We're really pleased if we've managed to hit a reasonable balance!)
Wow, this is a great game! The worldbuilding especially blew me away; I think this game has the best worldbuilding I've ever seen in something of its length. I really enjoyed the little details like the earthwhale and the punishment salt that had nothing to do with the romance but made the world feel more like a living, breathing place.
The protagonist was delightful. She's optimistic and emotionally literate and kind without falling too much into the generic otome protagonist trope. And like the rest of the characters, she's a great blend of monstrous-yet-relatable, rushing not to be late to work one moment and thinking of blood salt as a delicacy the next. Thank you for writing this game and releasing it for free, it was a really memorable experience!
Thank you so much for this really kind comment, and for giving our game a try!
We're both glad you enjoyed the game's worldbuilding, and particularly that Vil as a character felt relatable while still being a character in their own right. It definitely mattered to us that playing them didn't feel frustrating and that they said things the player might want to say, so we're really glad if we managed that at all. :)
thank you sO much for making this game?? it literally felt like unwrapping presents during the holidays with how much it kept surprising and delighting me- i can't wait to see what yall come up with next !
(p.s. i wrote up a small review (over here) if you're interested !)
!! We're so happy you enjoyed the game, and thank you so much for this review! It's extremely kind and also really balanced feedback -- and a masterclass in puns, it'd be such a joy to read even if we weren't the creators :^)
We really appreciate the time you spent playing this game and for reviewing us! Word of mouth is the only way we get around, so this is really flattering and support we're incredibly grateful for.
i absolutely love this game, and i'm totally obsessed with yiestol! i did his route first and had a hard time not automatically doing it again when i played through for the other routes. it was almost instinctive to just fall into him all over again, haha. this game kicked my depression out the window for a little bit with fuzzy bee goodness that squeezed my heart and a writing style that kept me captivated until it was early morning hours! ❤ i'm so glad i accidentally stumbled upon this ❤ ❤ i'll probably be replaying it for a long time to come! thank you for this wonderful game!
Aw gosh, honestly, thank you so much for this! Your praise is so immensely kind! We're both so happy you enjoyed Yiestol and that playing our game was enjoyable for you; that's all we really made it for. Thank you so much for taking the time to write to us and brighten our day too! It really means a lot to us.