I wonder why the mc tries to push the prince/king away instead of seduce him completely.
Regardless if he loves him or simply wants power, it would be a good match. And it is obvious the queen is dying, thus there will be no one who can make the new king choose whomever he wish to marry. (As far as I can tell, this is the old type of king; the one with absolute power.) And seeing as how the mc is the one who basically trained him, he could easily have taught (or manipulated him to think) that -some- traditions could be ignored.
I DO love the premise of how greatly you can shape the outcome in this game tho. I love choices, especially impactful ones. ^_^
Is there only a single choice that determine your love interest tho? Because it's a strange and unnatural world where you cannot flirt with more than one person --even if you have to choose where your heart truly lies in the end.
(Not to mention that you get the choice for the king long before you meet the other love interests, so if you later discover that you like someone else better, you're fucked. ...or have to reload a safe way back, which is a serious pain if it's far back. Which is pretty much fucked.)
I'm asking because he's the ONLY one I've seen with a love-marked choice thus far. And I've met his brother a great many times since, with zero such choices.
Is the overlap of text on the chapter titles intentional, or a minor flaw? It's not a real problem, just a minor detail, but if you plan to make the game ready to sell, you may wanna fix that.
I do wish you could tell the king to shave tho. (But that's because I personally dislike beards and stubble. And he looks a bit like a hot elf without it. ^_^ )
I wish there was a choice between Insist and Do Nothing, where I asked what Mathias -truly- wanted. He's admirable in many ways, but far to swallowed up in his fear of what others may think. He fail to realize his duty is to rule well, not cater to everyone else and forgetting himself.
(Of course, anyone who listen to my advice is liable to end up a villain, be it an obvious one or in secret, but still...)
I am tempted to be impressed by the complexity of this game, but having played it only one time, I'll reserve my opinion on that until I've seen a walk-trough, or tried every path to see how much each choice change the story.
I am not a super-fan of monochrome games, but the story is rich enough to make up for the lack of colors.
If I could give Manda a birthday gift (and actually trusted him enough), I'd gift him a can of oil for those squeaky hinges. lol (In all fairness, I'd learn those passage-ways myself, and keep them well-oiled...and with a lock in pivotal rooms to ensure safety. They could be useful if something happens.)
I wonder why a child who's so-called family sold him into a position of pain still considers those people in any way 'family'.... It makes no sense to me. In his place I'd disown them.
Mathis is very sweet tho. At the gazebo in the rain. (And this kind of sweetness I think the majority would agree with me on, for once.)
Flashback scenes are tricky beasts to tame. Most write them badly, often they're disruptive, or pointless. They're often the most hated things in the life of all fiction. Most of the time they kill the story they're in. So I am impressed at how well they work in this game.
Why the gem names tho? I'm not saying it's bad. I'm not saying it's good either. But I am curious as to why.
...although he does seem to shave later in the game. So I should retract my earlier comment on needing to shave. lol
If this story had any flaws, it would be that it lacks the option to lie and seduce for the sake of power. But that is a flaw just about every game that is not about court intrigues share. And I do understand it would be complicated to make the story even more complex with lies. So that is not something against the story itself.
I do not understand how someone can be so trusting as the mc.... Then again, I don't understand why anyone would ever fully trust anyone else. It seems foolish. (Nor do I see the need for it. The ability to consider the possibility that even those closest to you COULD wish you harm, when mellowed by what you know of them and their nature, seems the smartest choice. To refuse to accept that someone you know and love COULD harm you seems incredibly foolish to me.)
Also; I never trusted the guy to begin with. IF he is to blame, it would not surprise me in the least.
But kudos for giving the players a chance to -choose- their trust level! I am -very- appreciative of that. ^_^
If you play a game of 'story', and the muse tells the storyteller a whole damned story.... what's the point of having a storyteller? (When the game was explained, I honestly expected some kind of mini-game-esque thing where each threw out a sentence and you had to put them together like a fantasy version of mad libs.)
Bliaut.... ....every time I read clothing choices in games I seem to learn words I never knew existed. lol
....
Evil, EVIL creator!!! Ending the game at a cliffhanger!!! *shakes my fists at*
I NEED to know how it goes!!!! 😭
The story is incredibly captivating. It draws you in, and more and more have you sit at the edge of your seat, wondering if you made the right choice, hoping you CAN protect your darling king.....
Although I HAVE to say I hope there is a part 2 after he truly becomes king.
Because a part of the promise of the premise for this game was the promise that you could help shape him, and whether he becomes a benevolent king, a tyrant, or something in between.
And as exiting as the story is, there has been very few choices that would directly impact HOW he rules.
At least that is what it sounds like in the description above here. And thus it becomes an expectation, which will disappoint if not fulfilled.
Although the game does appear to come close to the end --it has all the hallmarks for it--, so perhaps a sequel game is better?
Or more choices early in the game where you advice him on how to act.
(Because his rule changing because of how -you- behave when you are not near him makes no sense at all. And it's a flaw I've seen far too often.)
That aside, this game is still an excellent game. And one I hope will be on Steam once it's finished.
Because after playing it I realize I NEED this game in my collection!
I do wonder if your choices have any real impact, however, and if they do, what that impact is. Because thus far I have not seen any impact --but that -could- be because the impact is delayed (I have not checked if trusting people changes something, or if skimping on your duties get you killed, for example.)
I HOPE your choices matter tho. Because they should --otherwise they wouldn't be much worth as choices.
--
And to answer the questions the creator seem to wish to know:
What's your favorite character?
I favor Mathias, naturally. Because he's my sweet darling who looks like and elf prince~ ^_^
But overall, I am actually a bit impressed at the versatility of the characters. And while they don't actually show too much depth of character, they -appear- to have a great depth of character. Even if we never see anything deeper. (Perhaps you do if you romance someone other than the king-to-be, I wouldn't know.
Did you try the different options, or did you follow only one path?
Both, to a degree. I always do what I personally would have done the first time I play a game. And I rarely (as in; pretty much never) change romantic interest. I get tunnel-vision once I've made my choice I fear. (I'm prone to a yandere-esque obsession. lol) But I did re-think a few choices to check if something changed, and there seems to be zero immediate impacts --not much seem to change at all except perhaps what you think about something. But I have not played the different routes far enough to know if it had a -delayed- impact. Or perhaps impact the epilogue at the end only (as some games do.) So I am keeping my fingers crossed that your choices DO matter, and I simply haven't see the result yet.
What do you think of the black-and-white aesthetic?
Not a fan. I like colors. But objectively.... it suits the art-style. This art-style, with colors... you'd need to get the colors right, or it would look childish and bad. (In the same way the drawing in the "Sandman" comic do. The artstyle could look simplistic or bad in any other setting, but the style comes off as skillfully fitted to the story the way they are now.)
Is there anything about the world of Five Kingdoms you'd like to know more about while playing?
Why the city names sound like a children's fantasy novel, for one thing. It doesn't suit the story itself. Because the story is quite dark, and thus one expect more...epic fantasy style names, something more realistic than childish. (gem names, for one thing...)
There is the mystery about the dragons and the religion. The story makes it seem important --like a latent chekhov's gun--, and so it comes with an expectation it will be vital to the plot at some point.
I also hope to learn what the curse on the mc is, and why it's there. And get the chance to defy it.
(I almost suspect it's well-meaning, which makes me want to destroy it all the more.)
The political situation is important, yet we don't get to know about it until everything goes to Hell because of it. THAT is a problem. If something can cause such big problems, then it should be hinted at long before the problems begin.
And Mathias acted strangely, with the dagger and the diplomat and the hug... We never got an explanation as to why.
I also keep my fingers crossed this game will have MANY endings!
And I don't just mean friend vs romance for all the potential partners plus going solo.
If he is a good king but a weak one, would the kingdom be swallowed by another?
If he is cruel but weak, would it fall?
If he is cruel but strong, would be build an empire akin to the Sith's in the Old Republic? / ancient Rome?
And so on, and so forth.
Essentially: Mathias is filled with potential, and that potential, will change the fate of the kingdom. Even if he dies, the fate of the kingdom will change, as his brother will be forced to rule. (And I doubt he'd want to, which would harm the kingdom as he dodges his duties. His sister might want to, but she'd be a fickle ruler, too enthralled with intrigues to do a good job, liable to become a new Marie Antoinette.)
For the kingdom itself....
I honestly think most information and world-building would be better in a sequel game. One that focuses more on politics and less on adventure.
As it is now, you more or less know what you need to know, save for what I mentioned above.
Too much info can be detrimental to the story, just as too little can.
Writing is a very tricky balance.
But this game is exceptionally good --and I tend to be harsh in my criticism and bad at giving good feedback-- so trust me when I say it's good.
I look forward to see even more of the game when it's finished.
just finished this game and it was a blast. i was really intrigued in the story and world and was sad, that the demo was finished.
i have 4 questions:
1.) how many endings will th game have? will it be a) always the same ending, b) the same ending but with variations OR c) completely different endings depending on your choices (like good/neutral/evil ending with variation of romatic/platonic/....)
2.) will other choices besides the romance ones (marked with hearts; btw i only had 2, maybe 3 of them; are there more?) influence the relationship with Mathias? e.g. in my playthrough Mathias proposed to my MC. was this happening because i chose all romantic options or did this only happen because i made other, independent choices ==> if i side with Mandreis during the bonus story, will it "reduce the romance score"?
3.) are there more informations about the second game of this series "Ward the Dragon, Love the King"? if not, could you share some teasers, like will we play as the same character as in this game or will the ending/choices of this game matter in the second one?
4.) once the full game is released, will you release a "guide" about how to e.g. unlock certain scenes/archetypes/endings?
EDIT: just scrolled through some comments and noticed, that the MC can have 2/3 different archetypes. a.) i read about seeker/destroyer/ruler archetype. is one of them "bad" and the other "good"? or does these represent different personalities of the MC, like would a seeker-MC be more tactical, while a destroyer-MC trusts more on their power? b.) how much influence will the archetypes have over the story. will they mayorly change the story or only some choices? c.) at which point are the archetypes decided aka will the archetypes change during the game or not? d.) is it possible to get the ruler archetype. how?
thank you in advance and im excited for the final chapter
(sorry if my english is bad, it's not my first language) i never commented but i have been a fan of this since 2021!! i love it so much that i always kept checking for a new update because it's my favorite thing in the world!!!! i always loved the characters in this and your artstyle, and i mostly love how you give the mc and the other character a great backstory and the results of that in the future!!! i want to support you, but i'm broke, so that is why i wanted to comment this!! i will keep waiting until the full release comes and i will look at your other stories:D
Im curious to know what the archetypes mean? Are there only two archetypes? Or more? That aside I'm so glad of how the new update turned out, every character felt so real and fleshed out. I didn't expect to cry at the ending (and got surprised by the cliffhanger) and I'm a sucker for angst and this game gave me the right mix of comedy, romance, drama, while also navigating my dragon commanders feelings towards her past while dealing with the present and worrying about the future. Kudos to you for giving us such a great game, we can see how much time and effort you have put in this and hope more people will know more about this game
Hi! If you mean in the scene at the gazebo, you can only go with them if you're playing as a The Seeker or The Destroyer archetype. :) You can check your archetype in the menu >> extras; it appears under your DC's name.
(Sorry for my english, but I try my best!) Its really fantastic that evry time I reread the story i discover something new for myself. It is truly very deep and meaningful story that even while changing, a person can find something for themselves in its lines and its characters every time. (I can't stop collecting quotes in my head). Every update I try to recreate my Commander to whom I'm so attached and with whom I could be most comfortable to make progress on the story and every time I unintentionally have a new Commander with different personality. But every time they are more than enough to make a great impression and touch just right strings of my soul omg. (It says something that when I was younger, say 2022, the Commander was more timid and forgiving and now they strongly defend their boundaries lol) So, what i hope to convey is that this story have a place for every Commander and as it goes, for every me as a reader through years and it makes me immensely happy.
Unbelievably good. Almost bawled my eyes out because of how the story progressed. I also love how every character in this story, even the passing nobles and servants, can drag a genuine anger or fondness out of me. It is beautiful in every way. Thank you for the new update, best of luck for you while you craft the rest of the story!
There's something so soft and real about this game that I struggle to put into words. Playing "Story" in Ch.3 really highlighted it for me.
As vaguely as I can say without spoilers: no matter how heavy and complicated things get, that there's still optimism is just... really nice. I cried for maybe 20 minutes after that, then played through it a second time to see other ways the story comes together, and cried more.
Oooooh, I came back to this game after such a long time and it got even better! As previously, I adore the art and aesthetics, but also, I want to express my utter joy on how fleshed-out all the secondary characters are! (Crying as a player because I have a big fat crush on Mandra... but I cannot let my poor Commander ditch Matt, they are a set, do not separate!) Spent a large chunk of my day off playing and had a blast, thank you so much for sharing it!! I have seen that the Commander's face position changes depending on the personality, but how many archetypes are there? (Do you have a fav one?) Ngl, I felt happy when my Commander raised their head proudly. Like, good for them. (sorry if my message is chaotic; I am not the best at writing reviews, but I won't let the lack of eloquence stop me from praising your game)
BACK TO REPLAY THIS, MY CAT HAS YET TO APPROVE OF THE GAME AGAIN
Edit: Did the entire thing, loved it even MORE than before, I am feelin' INSPIRED right now, AUGH IT IS CRUEL TO LEAVE US OFF ON THAT CLIFFHANGER (technically?)
I haven't gone through it all again yet, but I did notice the customization option! Which has a glitch(?), if I save during it, then reload it, it changes from this (first image) to this? (last image)
Other than that, I must explore everything before coming to a proper conclusion, and also show this to my dog for his judgement (I got a little Rottweiler in between my last review and this one, the guys a BIG DOG now)
Yaay, I'm so, so glad you liked it ♥♥♥ I hope your cat and your dog will approve of it too hehe :)) The second image is the default pose for the Destroyer archetype, while the first is for the Seeker archetype and also the default pose when you open the customization screen for the first time. Are you playing a Destroyer MC? If not, I'll take a look to make sure that the saving + loading aren't messing with the code somehow. Either way, thank you for pointing that out! :))
Pets approved of it, keep it going!! (At the cost of fur between my keys)
But no, it just happens when I save while having the Seeker mc screen during the customization, then reload it anytime during the game or when on the main menu for some reason? I noticed this when I first opened the game, saved on the customization screen (for whatever reason, do not question me) then reloaded it and saw the Destroyer mc for some reason? ('Destroyer' was also under the Dragon commander title, if that helps!)
There are so many things I enjoyed about this, things that had me yelling at the screen like I was at a football game. It had everything I wanted to read about a knight x king situation, including the inherent longing. I, personally, enjoyed making him kind(er) (something I don't often see with male protagonists) and my protagonist as burned as possible (for the DRAMA). They made choices I wouldn't have, like doing [redacted] but I still loved watching them face the consequences. I also loved the siblings. Both of them. So much.
R: depois de muito pensar, acho que posso dizer que MC, gosto do Mathias e tb de Mand, mas acho que a forma como podemos direcionar a historia, MC seria minha resposta.
Did you try the different options, or did you follow only one path?
R: fiz uma só rota, mas pelo meio do caminho quando tinha outra decisão, eu salvava pra jogar aquela opção e dps voltava a minha original
What do you think of the black and white aesthetic?
R: gosto muito, mas tem vezes em que o fundo é claro demais e doi a vista
Is there anything about the world of Five Kingdoms you'd like to know more about while playing?
R: como não houve uma revolta, mas ainda estou no ch03, of whispers and awakenings, entao nao sei se vai ter futuramente
i love this way too much. it literally breathes life into me. been playing this game since i was 16 and im 19 rn and this game still settles my heart and makes me feel like a new me. i always play it as a reward after my examinations. i love the atmosphere in it, the feelings every character invokes in me, the music, everything is so lovely and touches me deeply. i always dedicate full nights to it, where i pull all nighters so that no disturbance is possible lmao. i love mathias, i love the queen, i love mel, i love mandra, curio, i love esma, i love helen and i have a feeling we'll get along fine with kastian, since we both love mel and want her safety. several times, i was brought to tears because of this game, throughout the years too lmao. i love this i love this i love this. thank you sm author i love u sm. creating literal art, im seriously in tears this is so beautiful
Just finished the demo and this is one of my favorite games on itcho i've played. I loved the art style. Amazing job and I look forward to the finished game and updates!!!
Cara ficou incrível, direção de arte está ótima, e a escrita é praticamente perfeita, o mesmo vale pela escolha da trilha sonora, tudo combina perfeitamente, espero que todos envolvidos no projeto estejam orgulhosos, ficou lindo
Aaaaa muitooo obrigada! ♥♥♥ Fico sempre mega feliz de ver BR por aqui, muito obrigada por jogar e por deixar esse comentário lindo *-* ♥ Eu trabalho em LtGBtK sozinha (a Ursa em Percurso é uma dev de 1 mulher só auhsiuaehuh) então seu comentário fica ainda mais especial. ♥ Espero q vc goste dos próximos capítulos!
Ohh, this was amazing. <3 Does someone know what the paths are? Initially, I played a sarcastic type of character, then a really sweet and insecure one and then a hardass that was obsessed with discipline.
I really love the writing! I was super immersed and invested in the attention to detail. I really, really love the amount of effort going into the choices feeling consistent and varied. I really love how the lore and the world building builds on top of each other without breaking the flow of the narrative. I absolutely love the grayscale coloring as well, my eyes were practically dancing over the designs in the background and characters. It's awesome.
ngl matt be funky flustered mess and then something happens and the only clear thought in my head is 'daddy is daddying' LIKE WHEN WE YELLED AND HE MADE US KNEEL after the nightmare??????????? DAYMN.
anyways i loved it, mattie is my fav so far, i didnt try other paths, the pictures and aesthetic are fire and im sending all love well wishes and hopes for the update!
Just noticed a bug. After choosing my dragon commanders appearance in game, a short time later his appearance on the save menu where it usually shows is different from what I chose - he has a different nose & different jawline. Not sure why this happened? Also, in the first part of the game, if you try to quicksave it gives an error and you need to rollback. Not sure at what point this stops but after Matt visits the dragon commander in their bedroom, the error no longer occurs.
Hi! Just wanted to report an error in the Windows version! It's during basically the first chapter, right after the talk with the Queen, the scene where you can help Mathias undress, it stops playing as this message pops up!
I'm sorry, but an uncaught exception occurred.
While running game code:
File "game/chapterOne.rpy", line 654, in script
label c1dulcereward:
File "game/chapterOne.rpy", line 654, in script
label c1dulcereward:
File "game/screens.rpy", line 1427, in execute
screen notify(message):
File "game/screens.rpy", line 1427, in execute
screen notify(message):
File "game/screens.rpy", line 1432, in execute
frame at notify_appear:
File "game/screens.rpy", line 1433, in execute
text "{font=GrenzeGotisch.ttf}{size=20}[mn1][message!tq][mn2]{/size}{/font}"
Just did my first run and even created an account, so far I'm impressed. I'll try a few different choices later, but so far choices have been frequent, made sense for the characters and didn't leave me wanting for different options, I'm a bit bummed about not being able to tell on Mandra, but oh well...
I don't mind the black and white aesthetic and the frequent art shots (scenes or whatcha call it) mere then make up for the lack of colour. I do want to point out that the art style is quite charming.
All in all a great VN! But If I could ask one thing, MC has long hair cos of the queen, will we be able to at some point chooses to cut it? Idk why that's the thing I'd love to see, but it is.
So i had been playing this game for about 5 hours and there was this choice i couldnt get no matter how many different choices i get it was the 'Be obedient' and i couldnt press it cause my MC was always to proud any tips would be great or i might spend the whole week fixated on this
Hi! Thank you so much for playing the game! I'm glad you're enjoying it. ^^ That scene at the end of CH02 changes a little bit depending on your MC's archetype/personality. That option only appears to the Ruler archetype. It's supposed to be always locked to show that your MC just can't bring themself to be obedient to Mathias (yet) hehe ^^ <3 There are similar options in the other routes too, but for different aspects of the MC's personality. If you want to play other archetypes, you can get the Seeker archetype (sweeter MC) from the first choices in the menus, while the Destroyer (outspoken MC) options are often in the middle. Each archetype has a different ending in CH02. :3
This is such an amazing story, i was sooo invested!! no wait, I AM so invested!!! like seriously the characters are amazing, the story is super interesting, the art is georgous!
i really hope that the second part of chapter 3 comes out :0 IT WAS JUST ALL TOO GOOD AAAAHGGHGHAGHGDGHS i'm gonna go feral
it's a really nice change from all of the Visual Novels i see! the posibility of choosing how you feel of most things, the incredible artwork, the way the story is seriously unique, it's all just too amazing!! The extra story was great too!! I honestly hope to see a future update :)
I made an account just so I could leave a comment lol, I really love this game and the character's you've created! I'm so excited to see where this goes in the future (though I'm very new to using itch.io so I literally have no idea how to navigate this site lmao). I love all the LGBTQ+ representation too, super nice to see :)
← Return to Visual Novel
Comments
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
I wonder why the mc tries to push the prince/king away instead of seduce him completely.
Regardless if he loves him or simply wants power, it would be a good match. And it is obvious the queen is dying, thus there will be no one who can make the new king choose whomever he wish to marry.
(As far as I can tell, this is the old type of king; the one with absolute power.)
And seeing as how the mc is the one who basically trained him, he could easily have taught (or manipulated him to think) that -some- traditions could be ignored.
I DO love the premise of how greatly you can shape the outcome in this game tho. I love choices, especially impactful ones. ^_^
Is there only a single choice that determine your love interest tho?
Because it's a strange and unnatural world where you cannot flirt with more than one person --even if you have to choose where your heart truly lies in the end.
(Not to mention that you get the choice for the king long before you meet the other love interests, so if you later discover that you like someone else better, you're fucked.
...or have to reload a safe way back, which is a serious pain if it's far back. Which is pretty much fucked.)
I'm asking because he's the ONLY one I've seen with a love-marked choice thus far. And I've met his brother a great many times since, with zero such choices.
Is the overlap of text on the chapter titles intentional, or a minor flaw?
It's not a real problem, just a minor detail, but if you plan to make the game ready to sell, you may wanna fix that.
I do wish you could tell the king to shave tho.
(But that's because I personally dislike beards and stubble. And he looks a bit like a hot elf without it. ^_^ )
I wish there was a choice between Insist and Do Nothing, where I asked what Mathias -truly- wanted.
He's admirable in many ways, but far to swallowed up in his fear of what others may think.
He fail to realize his duty is to rule well, not cater to everyone else and forgetting himself.
(Of course, anyone who listen to my advice is liable to end up a villain, be it an obvious one or in secret, but still...)
I am tempted to be impressed by the complexity of this game, but having played it only one time, I'll reserve my opinion on that until I've seen a walk-trough, or tried every path to see how much each choice change the story.
I am not a super-fan of monochrome games, but the story is rich enough to make up for the lack of colors.
If I could give Manda a birthday gift (and actually trusted him enough), I'd gift him a can of oil for those squeaky hinges. lol
(In all fairness, I'd learn those passage-ways myself, and keep them well-oiled...and with a lock in pivotal rooms to ensure safety.
They could be useful if something happens.)
I wonder why a child who's so-called family sold him into a position of pain still considers those people in any way 'family'.... It makes no sense to me.
In his place I'd disown them.
Mathis is very sweet tho. At the gazebo in the rain.
(And this kind of sweetness I think the majority would agree with me on, for once.)
Flashback scenes are tricky beasts to tame.
Most write them badly, often they're disruptive, or pointless.
They're often the most hated things in the life of all fiction.
Most of the time they kill the story they're in.
So I am impressed at how well they work in this game.
Why the gem names tho?
I'm not saying it's bad. I'm not saying it's good either.
But I am curious as to why.
...although he does seem to shave later in the game.
So I should retract my earlier comment on needing to shave. lol
If this story had any flaws, it would be that it lacks the option to lie and seduce for the sake of power.
But that is a flaw just about every game that is not about court intrigues share. And I do understand it would be complicated to make the story even more complex with lies.
So that is not something against the story itself.
I do not understand how someone can be so trusting as the mc....
Then again, I don't understand why anyone would ever fully trust anyone else. It seems foolish.
(Nor do I see the need for it. The ability to consider the possibility that even those closest to you COULD wish you harm, when mellowed by what you know of them and their nature, seems the smartest choice.
To refuse to accept that someone you know and love COULD harm you seems incredibly foolish to me.)
Also; I never trusted the guy to begin with.
IF he is to blame, it would not surprise me in the least.
But kudos for giving the players a chance to -choose- their trust level!
I am -very- appreciative of that. ^_^
If you play a game of 'story', and the muse tells the storyteller a whole damned story.... what's the point of having a storyteller?
(When the game was explained, I honestly expected some kind of mini-game-esque thing where each threw out a sentence and you had to put them together like a fantasy version of mad libs.)
Bliaut....
....every time I read clothing choices in games I seem to learn words I never knew existed. lol
....
Evil, EVIL creator!!! Ending the game at a cliffhanger!!! *shakes my fists at*
I NEED to know how it goes!!!! 😭
The story is incredibly captivating. It draws you in, and more and more have you sit at the edge of your seat, wondering if you made the right choice, hoping you CAN protect your darling king.....
Although I HAVE to say I hope there is a part 2 after he truly becomes king.
Because a part of the promise of the premise for this game was the promise that you could help shape him, and whether he becomes a benevolent king, a tyrant, or something in between.
And as exiting as the story is, there has been very few choices that would directly impact HOW he rules.
At least that is what it sounds like in the description above here.
And thus it becomes an expectation, which will disappoint if not fulfilled.
Although the game does appear to come close to the end --it has all the hallmarks for it--, so perhaps a sequel game is better?
Or more choices early in the game where you advice him on how to act.
(Because his rule changing because of how -you- behave when you are not near him makes no sense at all. And it's a flaw I've seen far too often.)
That aside, this game is still an excellent game. And one I hope will be on Steam once it's finished.
Because after playing it I realize I NEED this game in my collection!
I do wonder if your choices have any real impact, however, and if they do, what that impact is.
Because thus far I have not seen any impact --but that -could- be because the impact is delayed (I have not checked if trusting people changes something, or if skimping on your duties get you killed, for example.)
I HOPE your choices matter tho. Because they should --otherwise they wouldn't be much worth as choices.
--
And to answer the questions the creator seem to wish to know:
I favor Mathias, naturally. Because he's my sweet darling who looks like and elf prince~ ^_^
But overall, I am actually a bit impressed at the versatility of the characters.
And while they don't actually show too much depth of character, they -appear- to have a great depth of character. Even if we never see anything deeper.
(Perhaps you do if you romance someone other than the king-to-be, I wouldn't know.
Both, to a degree.
I always do what I personally would have done the first time I play a game. And I rarely (as in; pretty much never) change romantic interest. I get tunnel-vision once I've made my choice I fear. (I'm prone to a yandere-esque obsession. lol)
But I did re-think a few choices to check if something changed, and there seems to be zero immediate impacts --not much seem to change at all except perhaps what you think about something.
But I have not played the different routes far enough to know if it had a -delayed- impact. Or perhaps impact the epilogue at the end only (as some games do.)
So I am keeping my fingers crossed that your choices DO matter, and I simply haven't see the result yet.
Not a fan. I like colors.
But objectively.... it suits the art-style.
This art-style, with colors... you'd need to get the colors right, or it would look childish and bad.
(In the same way the drawing in the "Sandman" comic do.
The artstyle could look simplistic or bad in any other setting, but the style comes off as skillfully fitted to the story the way they are now.)
Why the city names sound like a children's fantasy novel, for one thing.
It doesn't suit the story itself. Because the story is quite dark, and thus one expect more...epic fantasy style names, something more realistic than childish. (gem names, for one thing...)
There is the mystery about the dragons and the religion.
The story makes it seem important --like a latent chekhov's gun--, and so it comes with an expectation it will be vital to the plot at some point.
I also hope to learn what the curse on the mc is, and why it's there.
And get the chance to defy it.
(I almost suspect it's well-meaning, which makes me want to destroy it all the more.)
The political situation is important, yet we don't get to know about it until everything goes to Hell because of it.
THAT is a problem.
If something can cause such big problems, then it should be hinted at long before the problems begin.
And Mathias acted strangely, with the dagger and the diplomat and the hug... We never got an explanation as to why.
I also keep my fingers crossed this game will have MANY endings!
And I don't just mean friend vs romance for all the potential partners plus going solo.
If he is a good king but a weak one, would the kingdom be swallowed by another?
If he is cruel but weak, would it fall?
If he is cruel but strong, would be build an empire akin to the Sith's in the Old Republic? / ancient Rome?
And so on, and so forth.
Essentially: Mathias is filled with potential, and that potential, will change the fate of the kingdom.
Even if he dies, the fate of the kingdom will change, as his brother will be forced to rule. (And I doubt he'd want to, which would harm the kingdom as he dodges his duties. His sister might want to, but she'd be a fickle ruler, too enthralled with intrigues to do a good job, liable to become a new Marie Antoinette.)
For the kingdom itself....
I honestly think most information and world-building would be better in a sequel game.
One that focuses more on politics and less on adventure.
As it is now, you more or less know what you need to know, save for what I mentioned above.
Too much info can be detrimental to the story, just as too little can.
Writing is a very tricky balance.
But this game is exceptionally good --and I tend to be harsh in my criticism and bad at giving good feedback-- so trust me when I say it's good.
I look forward to see even more of the game when it's finished.
just finished this game and it was a blast. i was really intrigued in the story and world and was sad, that the demo was finished.
i have 4 questions:
1.) how many endings will th game have? will it be a) always the same ending, b) the same ending but with variations OR c) completely different endings depending on your choices (like good/neutral/evil ending with variation of romatic/platonic/....)
2.) will other choices besides the romance ones (marked with hearts; btw i only had 2, maybe 3 of them; are there more?) influence the relationship with Mathias? e.g. in my playthrough Mathias proposed to my MC. was this happening because i chose all romantic options or did this only happen because i made other, independent choices ==> if i side with Mandreis during the bonus story, will it "reduce the romance score"?
3.) are there more informations about the second game of this series "Ward the Dragon, Love the King"? if not, could you share some teasers, like will we play as the same character as in this game or will the ending/choices of this game matter in the second one?
4.) once the full game is released, will you release a "guide" about how to e.g. unlock certain scenes/archetypes/endings?
EDIT: just scrolled through some comments and noticed, that the MC can have 2/3 different archetypes. a.) i read about seeker/destroyer/ruler archetype. is one of them "bad" and the other "good"? or does these represent different personalities of the MC, like would a seeker-MC be more tactical, while a destroyer-MC trusts more on their power? b.) how much influence will the archetypes have over the story. will they mayorly change the story or only some choices? c.) at which point are the archetypes decided aka will the archetypes change during the game or not? d.) is it possible to get the ruler archetype. how?
thank you in advance and im excited for the final chapter
(sorry if my english is bad, it's not my first language) i never commented but i have been a fan of this since 2021!! i love it so much that i always kept checking for a new update because it's my favorite thing in the world!!!! i always loved the characters in this and your artstyle, and i mostly love how you give the mc and the other character a great backstory and the results of that in the future!!! i want to support you, but i'm broke, so that is why i wanted to comment this!! i will keep waiting until the full release comes and i will look at your other stories:D
I LOVE MATHIAS. ahem. thats it
also, tears were shed. amazing story. like omg
Valid
Well fuck. I need the ending NOW!!!!
So far so good! I look forward to the complete version!!🤩🤩
words couldn't describe how much i love this game <3
Im curious to know what the archetypes mean? Are there only two archetypes? Or more? That aside I'm so glad of how the new update turned out, every character felt so real and fleshed out. I didn't expect to cry at the ending (and got surprised by the cliffhanger) and I'm a sucker for angst and this game gave me the right mix of comedy, romance, drama, while also navigating my dragon commanders feelings towards her past while dealing with the present and worrying about the future. Kudos to you for giving us such a great game, we can see how much time and effort you have put in this and hope more people will know more about this game
how do to get an option to go with mandra?
Hi! If you mean in the scene at the gazebo, you can only go with them if you're playing as a The Seeker or The Destroyer archetype. :) You can check your archetype in the menu >> extras; it appears under your DC's name.
(Sorry for my english, but I try my best!) Its really fantastic that evry time I reread the story i discover something new for myself. It is truly very deep and meaningful story that even while changing, a person can find something for themselves in its lines and its characters every time. (I can't stop collecting quotes in my head). Every update I try to recreate my Commander to whom I'm so attached and with whom I could be most comfortable to make progress on the story and every time I unintentionally have a new Commander with different personality. But every time they are more than enough to make a great impression and touch just right strings of my soul omg. (It says something that when I was younger, say 2022, the Commander was more timid and forgiving and now they strongly defend their boundaries lol) So, what i hope to convey is that this story have a place for every Commander and as it goes, for every me as a reader through years and it makes me immensely happy.
Unbelievably good. Almost bawled my eyes out because of how the story progressed. I also love how every character in this story, even the passing nobles and servants, can drag a genuine anger or fondness out of me. It is beautiful in every way. Thank you for the new update, best of luck for you while you craft the rest of the story!
There's something so soft and real about this game that I struggle to put into words. Playing "Story" in Ch.3 really highlighted it for me.
As vaguely as I can say without spoilers: no matter how heavy and complicated things get, that there's still optimism is just... really nice. I cried for maybe 20 minutes after that, then played through it a second time to see other ways the story comes together, and cried more.
Can't wait to see what comes next.
Oooooh, I came back to this game after such a long time and it got even better! As previously, I adore the art and aesthetics, but also, I want to express my utter joy on how fleshed-out all the secondary characters are! (Crying as a player because I have a big fat crush on Mandra... but I cannot let my poor Commander ditch Matt, they are a set, do not separate!)
Spent a large chunk of my day off playing and had a blast, thank you so much for sharing it!!
I have seen that the Commander's face position changes depending on the personality, but how many archetypes are there? (Do you have a fav one?) Ngl, I felt happy when my Commander raised their head proudly. Like, good for them. (sorry if my message is chaotic; I am not the best at writing reviews, but I won't let the lack of eloquence stop me from praising your game)
BACK TO REPLAY THIS, MY CAT HAS YET TO APPROVE OF THE GAME AGAIN
Edit: Did the entire thing, loved it even MORE than before, I am feelin' INSPIRED right now, AUGH IT IS CRUEL TO LEAVE US OFF ON THAT CLIFFHANGER (technically?)
I haven't gone through it all again yet, but I did notice the customization option!
Which has a glitch(?), if I save during it, then reload it, it changes from this (first image) to this? (last image)
Other than that, I must explore everything before coming to a proper conclusion, and also show this to my dog for his judgement (I got a little Rottweiler in between my last review and this one, the guys a BIG DOG now)
Yaay, I'm so, so glad you liked it ♥♥♥ I hope your cat and your dog will approve of it too hehe :))
The second image is the default pose for the Destroyer archetype, while the first is for the Seeker archetype and also the default pose when you open the customization screen for the first time. Are you playing a Destroyer MC? If not, I'll take a look to make sure that the saving + loading aren't messing with the code somehow. Either way, thank you for pointing that out! :))
Pets approved of it, keep it going!! (At the cost of fur between my keys)
But no, it just happens when I save while having the Seeker mc screen during the customization, then reload it anytime during the game or when on the main menu for some reason? I noticed this when I first opened the game, saved on the customization screen (for whatever reason, do not question me) then reloaded it and saw the Destroyer mc for some reason? ('Destroyer' was also under the Dragon commander title, if that helps!)
hahah ♥ Oooh, I see! It really helps, thanks! :))) I'll take a look ♥♥♥
There are so many things I enjoyed about this, things that had me yelling at the screen like I was at a football game. It had everything I wanted to read about a knight x king situation, including the inherent longing. I, personally, enjoyed making him kind(er) (something I don't often see with male protagonists) and my protagonist as burned as possible (for the DRAMA). They made choices I wouldn't have, like doing [redacted] but I still loved watching them face the consequences. I also loved the siblings. Both of them. So much.
Oh wait, is it completely done now?
No, I don’t think so.
R: depois de muito pensar, acho que posso dizer que MC, gosto do Mathias e tb de Mand, mas acho que a forma como podemos direcionar a historia, MC seria minha resposta.
R: fiz uma só rota, mas pelo meio do caminho quando tinha outra decisão, eu salvava pra jogar aquela opção e dps voltava a minha original
R: gosto muito, mas tem vezes em que o fundo é claro demais e doi a vista
R: como não houve uma revolta, mas ainda estou no ch03, of whispers and awakenings, entao nao sei se vai ter futuramente
I really genuinely love this game so much, and I love how well you can tailor things to make your own commander. It's an amazing game <3
Hello :) when will the new public version be out?
i love this way too much. it literally breathes life into me. been playing this game since i was 16 and im 19 rn and this game still settles my heart and makes me feel like a new me. i always play it as a reward after my examinations. i love the atmosphere in it, the feelings every character invokes in me, the music, everything is so lovely and touches me deeply. i always dedicate full nights to it, where i pull all nighters so that no disturbance is possible lmao. i love mathias, i love the queen, i love mel, i love mandra, curio, i love esma, i love helen and i have a feeling we'll get along fine with kastian, since we both love mel and want her safety. several times, i was brought to tears because of this game, throughout the years too lmao. i love this i love this i love this. thank you sm author i love u sm. creating literal art, im seriously in tears this is so beautiful
Just finished the demo and this is one of my favorite games on itcho i've played. I loved the art style. Amazing job and I look forward to the finished game and updates!!!
Pls make it available for android 🙏🏻🙏🏻
I'll work on the app version after ch04 is ready! ^^
I'm waaaaaay too invested in this and I want more!
Cara ficou incrível, direção de arte está ótima, e a escrita é praticamente perfeita, o mesmo vale pela escolha da trilha sonora, tudo combina perfeitamente, espero que todos envolvidos no projeto estejam orgulhosos, ficou lindo
Aaaaa muitooo obrigada! ♥♥♥ Fico sempre mega feliz de ver BR por aqui, muito obrigada por jogar e por deixar esse comentário lindo *-* ♥ Eu trabalho em LtGBtK sozinha (a Ursa em Percurso é uma dev de 1 mulher só auhsiuaehuh) então seu comentário fica ainda mais especial. ♥ Espero q vc goste dos próximos capítulos!
Ohh, this was amazing. <3 Does someone know what the paths are? Initially, I played a sarcastic type of character, then a really sweet and insecure one and then a hardass that was obsessed with discipline.
I really love the writing! I was super immersed and invested in the attention to detail. I really, really love the amount of effort going into the choices feeling consistent and varied. I really love how the lore and the world building builds on top of each other without breaking the flow of the narrative. I absolutely love the grayscale coloring as well, my eyes were practically dancing over the designs in the background and characters. It's awesome.
ngl matt be funky flustered mess and then something happens and the only clear thought in my head is 'daddy is daddying' LIKE WHEN WE YELLED AND HE MADE US KNEEL after the nightmare??????????? DAYMN.
anyways i loved it, mattie is my fav so far, i didnt try other paths, the pictures and aesthetic are fire and im sending all love well wishes and hopes for the update!
I am in LOVE with this game!!!
loved playing this!! can't wait for the next chapter to be released!!!
So so good!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just noticed a bug. After choosing my dragon commanders appearance in game, a short time later his appearance on the save menu where it usually shows is different from what I chose - he has a different nose & different jawline. Not sure why this happened?
Also, in the first part of the game, if you try to quicksave it gives an error and you need to rollback. Not sure at what point this stops but after Matt visits the dragon commander in their bedroom, the error no longer occurs.
Hi! Just wanted to report an error in the Windows version! It's during basically the first chapter, right after the talk with the Queen, the scene where you can help Mathias undress, it stops playing as this message pops up!
I'm sorry, but an uncaught exception occurred.
While running game code:
File "game/chapterOne.rpy", line 654, in script
label c1dulcereward:
File "game/chapterOne.rpy", line 654, in script
label c1dulcereward:
File "game/screens.rpy", line 1427, in execute
screen notify(message):
File "game/screens.rpy", line 1427, in execute
screen notify(message):
File "game/screens.rpy", line 1432, in execute
frame at notify_appear:
File "game/screens.rpy", line 1433, in execute
text "{font=GrenzeGotisch.ttf}{size=20}[mn1][message!tq][mn2]{/size}{/font}"
NameError: Name 'mn1' is not defined.
For me, it kicked me out and asked how I'd like to open .txt files.
Hihi! It should be fixed now. Thank you for reporting the bug, and I hope you'll enjoy the update ♥
Hi! Thank you for letting me know ;) Fixing it right now. I'll let you know once I upload the new build!
All right! It should be fixed now ;D Please update to the newest build, it should be up any second now. I hope you'll enjoy the update! ♥♥♥
omg I'm so sad this isn't playable on my phone. I just wanted to say it looks like a wonderful project and the premise sounds so great! ♥️
Just did my first run and even created an account, so far I'm impressed. I'll try a few different choices later, but so far choices have been frequent, made sense for the characters and didn't leave me wanting for different options, I'm a bit bummed about not being able to tell on Mandra, but oh well...
I don't mind the black and white aesthetic and the frequent art shots (scenes or whatcha call it) mere then make up for the lack of colour. I do want to point out that the art style is quite charming.
All in all a great VN! But If I could ask one thing, MC has long hair cos of the queen, will we be able to at some point chooses to cut it? Idk why that's the thing I'd love to see, but it is.
I just finished my first run, now to play it like 3 more times.
So i had been playing this game for about 5 hours and there was this choice i couldnt get no matter how many different choices i get it was the 'Be obedient' and i couldnt press it cause my MC was always to proud any tips would be great or i might spend the whole week fixated on this
Hi! Thank you so much for playing the game! I'm glad you're enjoying it. ^^ That scene at the end of CH02 changes a little bit depending on your MC's archetype/personality. That option only appears to the Ruler archetype. It's supposed to be always locked to show that your MC just can't bring themself to be obedient to Mathias (yet) hehe ^^ <3 There are similar options in the other routes too, but for different aspects of the MC's personality. If you want to play other archetypes, you can get the Seeker archetype (sweeter MC) from the first choices in the menus, while the Destroyer (outspoken MC) options are often in the middle. Each archetype has a different ending in CH02. :3
This is such an amazing story, i was sooo invested!! no wait, I AM so invested!!! like seriously the characters are amazing, the story is super interesting, the art is georgous!
Thank you soo much for your amazing work!!
I WAS SO SHOCKED WHEN BACHG PLAYED> THE SPECIFIC SONG IS SPECIAL TO ME
I NEED MANDRA RIFGHT NOW
me too bestie me too TT
GAHHH IT WAS AMAZINGG
i really hope that the second part of chapter 3 comes out :0 IT WAS JUST ALL TOO GOOD AAAAHGGHGHAGHGDGHS i'm gonna go feral
it's a really nice change from all of the Visual Novels i see! the posibility of choosing how you feel of most things, the incredible artwork, the way the story is seriously unique, it's all just too amazing!! The extra story was great too!! I honestly hope to see a future update :)
thank you for this incredibe Visual Novel!!
I made an account just so I could leave a comment lol, I really love this game and the character's you've created! I'm so excited to see where this goes in the future (though I'm very new to using itch.io so I literally have no idea how to navigate this site lmao). I love all the LGBTQ+ representation too, super nice to see :)