Just the other day I was ranting about lacklustre the search/filter system on ItchIo is! Thank you for doing this.
One thing I would like to suggest; would it be possible to filter games by the last time they were updated? Like being able to filter out all WIP games that haven't been updated in 2 years.
Maybe not in general but among interactive fiction and visual novels (the only thing I browse around here) there's a lot of them. There's over 5k erotic games, about half of those are visual novels. I don't have any concrete numbers but among my searches, it feels like 1 out of every 5-8 games is some kind of porn. I will turn on / off the setting but I'm not happy with having to do this every time I want to include or exclude adult content. This is something that should be part of the search / filter engine.
I agree. There's a ton of potentially abandoned WIP games that haven't received an update in a year or more and I would like to filter those out from my search list. I know I can check the last update in the game's page but something like this would be a nice QOL feature.
Truth be told, I find the search engine and filters on ItchIo to be quite lacking. You can choose games by tag but you can't use the same tag system to blacklist or hide games you don't want to see. For example, while I don't mind porn, sometimes I want to search other stuff without getting a barrage of NSFW content in my face, and nowadays ItchIo is filled to the brim with low-quality porn that I can't avoid.
ItchIo has been around for ages, there's no excuse to have such lacklustre search/filter system in 2026...
I'm simply warning the author that it's a bad idea to commit to so many games at once. Over-ambition and poor management almost always ends in frustration and abandonment. I like these games and I want them to succeed, but I refuse to get emotionally invested into a game that is being sabotaged by poor decision-making. Been burned too times over this.
Free products aren't exempt of opinions and criticism. Criticism can help you grow and learn as a developer, and if you intend on publishing your game down the line you need to strike a balance between your creative vision and something people are interested in playing / buying.
The "polite" culture has become a trap. It has made people afraid of being honest because they don't want to hurt others' feelings, or because they don't deal with the backlash that comes with writing any form of criticism. Imagine putting all your effort into something and failing... because no one told you your product was bad, broken, uninteresting, or going down a bad path, out of fear it would hurt your feelings.
I hate the mentality that only praise is allowed, or that any form of negativity has to be extremely gentle because the dev is "fragile".
Not everyone is going to be well-spoken or polite when they write their feedback, but just because they weren't "eloquent" enough for your taste doesn't mean you should automatically dismiss them. Focus on the meaning of the message, not how it was conveyed.
And did they ask you to speak in their stead? You ain't the dev so whether my comment is worth anything is not for you to decide. The author has a section dedicated to beta-readers where they thank their players for testing their game and providing advice, so yeah, they care.
Also, they don't have to ask for it. This is a gaming website; where people are allowed (and expected) to write their opinions and criticism. This game is still a WIP and game development is contingent on honest feedback, even the kind we sometimes don't want to hear.
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I've seen several games come and go to know some of the traps many newbie devs fall into; one game is difficult enough, managing several of them at once, as a solo dev, that's just asking for trouble. Let's see how these games fare 3-5 years from now; I will be happy to be proven wrong.
A Crown of Velvet Thorns, The Last Divine, The House of Noctus, Eirington on the Moor...
I'm going to be honest, this many games suggests you haven't decided what you want to make yet and you're just throwing games at the wall of see what sticks. Either that or you can't focus or remain interested on one thing for long (which doesn't bode well for long-term projects like these).
Good games take time and effort to make. You haven't even finished one and you're already trying to juggle several of them at once... A bit of advice; don't stretch yourself too thin or you're going to burn yourself before you ever finish anything. Quality is more important than quantity.
I think your games have potential, but a newbie dev trying too much is usually a bad sign. Take care.
AI is a tool and a tool is no more evil than the person who wields it.
Every major invention is followed by upheaval until society adapts to its new circumstances. How many scribes lost their jobs when the printing press was invented? How many laborers were laid off when the industrial revolution came along? How many people in the horse industry fell into irrelevancy after the invention of cars and locomotives? Yet all these inventions benefited humanity in the long run.
Self-driving cars and AI are just the newest batch of inventions that society complains about because they are hyper-focused on the short-term consequences, and not the greater benefits they could bring. I know nobody likes being told their education, skills and career are becoming irrelevant... You want to stay competitive you have to provide something AI can't, or do it better than it does.
Most industries already have little regard for their employees and costumers... Cutting corners to maximize their profits has been their modus operandi for a while now, even before AI. They have grown corrupt, immoral and unsustainable, all in the name short-term profit and goals. We're partially to blame too, because despite our complaints we still buy for them or use their services.
There's a big disclaimer in this page that warns about animal violence. Why did you play the game if you can't stand that kind of content? You're punishing the dev for something that is entirely your fault...
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I wish common sense was common enough that I didn't have to mention this - it's ok to not like certain types of content, however, it's important to note that videogames are NOT real. Those cats aren't real. Those people aren't real. You can't hurt something that doesn't exist.
Most people know that fiction is just a story medium; to experience new things, new perspectives, or merely a form of entertainment. Immoral acts are permissible in fiction because they have no bearing in reality. Similarly, the inclusion of dark topics doesn't necessarily mean either the player or the author approve of such things in the real world.
Poetry like this requires a better understanding and commanding of the language that I'm afraid the author hasn't quite mastered yet. The first game had the right balance between prose and readability and I would personally prefer a return to that.
Right now, it feels like the author is trying too hard to be "deep" and the end result is just complete gibberish. There is a difference between something "sounding right" in your head because you possess the insight and context of what you're trying to convey, and expecting your readers to do the same.
As it stands, the most we can do here is appreciate the art, which is lovely, but that alone does not make a game. the universe and lore are right up my alley, as i love dark fantasies and this kind of romance, but it still needs a lot of work. Still, if the author managed once they can do it again. I look forward to that day.
I absolutely love this game. So far I have only played a character with evil tendencies but I was impressed how cohesive it all felt in the grand scheme of things. I was not punished for my decision, but rather given different opportunities to exploit. By the end of the demo, I felt both immersed and a force to be reckoned with.
My character was not above ending lives or using others to further her own goals if the benefits outweighed the cons. She's not destructive for the sake of it, but values her own survival above most - a useful, if somewhat callous, trait she inherited from her tumultuous past. Currently, her hound is the only friend she would fight to the bitter end to protect. Time will tell if the same courtesy will extend to her new allies...
Beneath the mask she dons, rages turmoil between what has been done and what needs to be done in order to achieve her goals. She dreams of normalcy and innocence - that which was robbed from her - and is envious of those who have it. She's rational, confident and flirty, with a dash of mirth. She's dangerous, but more than mere cockiness, she has the skill to back it up.
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I only have one small thing to point out. Seben's portrait describes her as someone with "no sense of humor" and "playful" at the same time. Doesn't that seem a bit contradicting?
This game is, without a doubt, one of my favorites on Itch.Io so far!
The hazy and rough but distinguishable art style, the lovecraftian-esque monsters, the gameplay with all its intricate choices and paths, etc. It's like a breath of fresh air from the standard VNs I stumble upon and it's super nice!
Pretty impressive that this was made in one month... I only wish it was a bigger game. Would have payed for a full-blown version.
I'm a little conflicted about the MC's appearance... in particular the huge, bimbo lips. Part me of me thinks an invisible protag would have been better here, that way the reader can imagine the Queen however they want and it would save you time and money from having to make different models just for customization's sake. Unless, of course, that's something you really want to do.
That aside, I love Masahige's design and the premise of the story. I'm curious to see where it leads! ^^
This strikes me as one of those stories where there's no real happy ending. Treating others poorly, for extended periods of time, can lead to bitterness and resentment. There's a chance Mara could have grown into a perfectly normal person, hadn't it been for the way she was treated - thus creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.
On the other hand, if you're superstitious and believe in prophecies, things would have turned out bad regardless of the actions taken. Maybe she would grow into a loving family that was, unfortunately, destined to be murdered, and her desire for revenge would turn her evil. Maybe she would get kidnapped and tortured by cultists. There are many things that could happen...
Regardless, it's kind of sad to see how cruel some people can be over a superstition. Maybe we create the devils we deserve.
I like this game; the more Regency/Victorian games, the better!
My MC has a sharp tongue and lots of spirit. What society did to her was extremely unfair, (un)fortunately, she's not one to hold back from speaking her mind and putting people in their places. There shall be a reckoning for whoever started the rumor. It's scandalous and likely to land her in some hot water, but as the saying goes "I will not have the fame without the benefit." In a sense, Mrs. Harlow could almost pass as her role model.
Also, of all the ROs, Mr. Worthington is my favorite. Linfield is... well... he can take a nose dive into a ditch after what happened. Sinclair gives me bad vibes, like those guys that like to take women for a spin and then dump them when bored. (Also, not really a good idea to marry someone who is going to spend large amounts of time away.)
Worthington is considerate, respectful and a long-time friend; a good foundation for a relationship. His origins and age put him at a disadvantage, by society's standards, but I consider him the best candidate (also because the other two aren't in a good position to begin with).
Wow, this game is... something else. I don't remember ever playing something like this before and I've been an avid gamer for years. The art is beautiful and rather unique; one of the game's main highlights, for sure (it was actually the first thing that drew me to this game). The prose can be a bit 'flowery' but it kind of goes hand in hand with the atmosphere.
I got completely immersed as soon as I dived in (ha! - pun intended!), which is a good sign. There's something very dream-like about it all. It's a mystery, wrapped in an enigma, and it brings forth a concoction of emotions - part of me just wants to give in to the Abyss (maybe we forgot for a reason, that it's not worth the struggle, that it's better to just let go), the other part wants to reverse whatever is happening. I think Ilar means well but... my instinct tells me to trust the other "being" in the library? Who knows?
The game looks good so far! I'm always eager to play a Regency/Victorian game, as there are too far and few in-between.
Small error: When meeting Lord Warren Hind in the ballroom, he calls us Dorothea, even though I changed my character's name to something else. And the same happens in the next page.
Errant Kingdom is a visual novel with text-based elements, which, I assume, means you have to have some interest in reading to appreciate it. I find it ironic that some people don't even bother to read the synopsis/description in this page, to see if the information they are looking for is contained therein, yet play a game of this nature... It says on the very first two lines of this page:
"Errant Kingdom is an episodic release and will update in volumes/chapters on a bi-monthly (once every two months) basis."
If Chapter 3 released yesterday then we can assume the next installment will be up sometime in October.
@Lunaris Games
Is Flirt the only way to pursue a romantic relationship or will the other options still work if you say something that is agreeable with that character's disposition and or beliefs? Or what we say doesn't matter all that much aside from flavor text and shaping our character?
Let me clarify the latter a bit - is it going to be one of those situations where we get a prompt to choose our love interest and from there on out the path is set, regardless of our dialogue choices? Will we get different endings with said character based on our choices?
@Gorl
I think Sunscoop already explained this on their first post. According to them, there was a "monk-boy" and a "snake-boy" that apparently got "gender-swapped", hence why they thought this was an otome.
Now, I don't know if this was before the Kickstarter, if they simply mistook this game for another or if they simply saw early sketches/designs and though they were male-looking when they were actual women. This is a Yuri game and from the looks it has been since the beginning... so maybe there was a big misunderstanding here.
Otomes are VNs whose central figurine is a woman pursuing or being pursued by several romantic options, sometimes exclusively male, sometimes mixed. But more often than not its usually male ROs. Since this here is a Yuri game, I don't think calling it an Otome is correct IMO. So yeah, probably Sunscoop misunderstood.
They made a post about it here.
For future reference, pressing Ctrl + F it will bring up a little search engine in the bottom left corner that you can use to look for something in a page. I typed in "race" and it instantly highlighted the word on the screen (if present) and told me how many matches existed. I pressed the down arrow (next to the input space) to scroll through the several mentions and the last one was a month ago.
Since the authors already replied to that comment, I took the liberty of re-posting their link here. ;)
I normally tend to save right on top of choices. In this case it was quite early on, when first interacting with Mr. Goat, so it's not that important. ;) I went back and now get what you mean... most VNs I've played tend to show a little thumbnail of the scene, along with some dialogue and the time the save was created. Meanwhile this game uses a simpler form of that. I now understand its not a bug but intentional by design... so nevermind me. :)
