Quaint [MxM][MxNB][Fantasy][Romance][Secret organizations][EXTENDED DEMO RELEASED]

[takanohiro]

[Genres]: Fantasy, Romance
[Themes]: LGBT+, magic, secret organizations

[Synopsis]:
Quentin “Q” Hawthorne is a coffee-loving IT specialist living a quiet life in the small town of Millbrook. But he’s about to learn that this charming place holds a secret – it is home to a 200-years old mage association known as the Snake and Saber Society. Invited to join their ranks, he’ll now have to redefine his understanding of the world. But each step he takes on this new promising path will also bring him closer to his troubled past. Will he be able to confront it? Or will the shackles of guilt stop him from ever moving on?

[Content warnings]:

Strong language, sexual themes, blood, murder, suicide, mentions of homophobia and transphobia, mentions of violence and abuse

[Features]:
• 130k+ word count
• 50+ original artworks
• original music
• 4+ endings
• a variety of minigames
• free to play

[Main characters]:



[Screenshots]:



Sample minigames (read more over on itch):


[Stage of completion]:
• script: 85%
• artwork: 90%
• programming: 80%
overall: ~85% done

[Extended demo notes]:

• About 30 minutes of new material, bringing it to 50 minutes total

• Content warning for strong language (please keep in mind the full release will be at least 16+)

[Demo link (itch.io)]: https://takanohiro.itch.io/quaint-demo

[Questions]:
1. Is the synopsis in its current shape interesting enough to check out the game or does it seem too generic? I wanted to avoid going into too much detail, but I’m not sure if what I’ve included has good selling points.
2. How do you feel about characters’ internal monologues? Do you enjoy the additional input (esp. when it’s different from what they actually say) or do you find it annoying?
3. How much interactivity do you expect from a visual novel, especially a longer, story-heavy one? Is it enough if there are a lot of dialogue/action choices (some more plot-altering, some less) and minigames? Would a point-based relationship and/or magic system you’d have to manage on top of that be added value or would it be too much?

[Comments]:
Thanks for reading about my game! I’m basically a one-person team and this is a passion project I’ve been working on for over two years now. I’d love to hear your impressions on what’s appealing, what’s not, and what could be improved. Suggestions welcome. ^^
You can follow me on Twitter @HiroRCK for more updates and game art.

[takanohiro]

April update:
1. I made and posted character profiles of my main cast (what do you think?)
2. I cleaned and updated the cover image
3. I'm planning to release a little demo sometime next month to give you a taste of the general style and story ^^

[Zelan]

1. Is the synopsis in its current shape interesting enough to check out the game or does it seem too generic? I wanted to avoid going into too much detail, but I’m not sure if what I’ve included has good selling points.: I feel like the synopsis could be lacking a little, but I'm also still interested in playing it lmao so I couldn't tell you what you might need to add.

2. How do you feel about characters’ internal monologues? Do you enjoy the additional input (esp. when it’s different from what they actually say) or do you find it annoying?: I don't mind it! Like you said, especially when what they think is different than what they say, it gives us a good window into a character. However, it can get weird and confusing if characters other than the protagonist have their internal thoughts shown as well (not sure if this is what you were asking/planning).

3. How much interactivity do you expect from a visual novel, especially a longer, story-heavy one? Is it enough if there are a lot of dialogue/action choices (some more plot-altering, some less) and minigames? Would a point-based relationship and/or magic system you’d have to manage on top of that be added value or would it be too much?: I personally am a big reader so I don't mind long VNs with few choices. It depends on what you think will fit - if you think a point-based relationship system will work well with your game, go for it, but if you're thinking of adding it just for the sake of having the feature, I would avoid it. I like minigames as long as they aren't overly difficult (some people don't, and like the option of having them be skippable - it's definitely up to personal preference). I'm interested in what you mean by "magic system," could you elaborate on that?

I really like the character profiles btw!! Wren's lil snake is sooooo cute. Definitely looking forward to seeing updates! (:

[takanohiro]

Thank you so much for the reply! ^^

I feel like the synopsis could be lacking a little, but I'm also still interested in playing it lmao so I couldn't tell you what you might need to add.

I guess it's not too bad, then. I'll still try to think of something to add, though.

However, it can get weird and confusing if characters other than the protagonist have their internal thoughts shown as well (not sure if this is what you were asking/planning).

I'm definitely only doing the monologue thing for the protagonist, so no worries. ^^

It depends on what you think will fit - if you think a point-based relationship system will work well with your game, go for it, but if you're thinking of adding it just for the sake of having the feature, I would avoid it.

That's a good point. I've actually come up with something more fitting since I posted this so I'll be going with that instead. It's kind of like the hangout system in Persona 5 but simplified.

I'm interested in what you mean by "magic system," could you elaborate on that?

Basically a stat-building system with different unlockables and additional choices. But it would probably be just for the sake of having something extra, so I might scrap it altogether. I feel that locking up choices in a longer game may be discouraging to the player.

Again, thanks a lot for writing it out. I appreciate the kind words. ^^

[Zelan]

Again, thanks a lot for writing it out. I appreciate the kind words. ^^

Sure thing! Looks like you've got a good grasp on what you want to do with your game, I'll definitely look forward to your updates.

[takanohiro]

May update:

The demo is out now! Please check it out and let me know what you think. ^^

[takanohiro]

June update:

• I wrote two posts about the game over on itch.io: an overview of the progress so far and a minigame showcase. Feel free to check them out and let me know what you think ^^

• An extended demo with two-three new chapters is already in the works and scheduled to release in late August ^^

[takanohiro]

July update:

• added a content warning section

• updated the word count as I've recently hit 130k words in the script ;A;

• posted another devlog about the upcoming GUI update

• set the launch date for the extended demo to August 2nd

[takanohiro]

August update:

The extended demo is out now on itch. Check the devlog to see what's new. ^^

[takanohiro]

September update:

• posted a new devlog over on itch outlining recent progress

• updated some details in the main post