Weekly VN Submissions, Reviews, & Lets Plays by Bluebird

[bluebirdplays]

Hi guys,

I'm Bluebird, or Bluebirdplays.

I maintain a small, but lovingly-built website that features new visual novels each week over at http://bluebirdplays.com. Demos, Free Games, Commercial games, I try and promote them all by doing 3 things:

1. I create a landing page or hub for your visual novel i.e. http://bluebirdplays.com/ambre/

Here I list all important details in a sidebar, add fun little things like memorable moments and awards, and include let's play videos of the game if I've recorded it.

2. I review your game i.e. http://bluebirdplays.com/the-misadventu ... er/review/

These reviews are constructive more than critical, and try to look at things from a developer as well as a player's perspective. While there is a scoring system at the bottom for various categories, they aren't required if it feels intimidating to have.

3. I place your game in an easily-searchable database. Folks who are looking for a specific type of romance are going to find what they need, as are the ones looking for a sci-fi comedy adventure.

This database will also always be quite small, with between 1-5 visual novels added per week. This allows for a smaller collection, but ample time to check out each title rather than feel overwhelmed and unable to pick one.

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With each game, I try to offer my own means of promoting it, whether it's through playing it, bringing in folks and friends to narrate with me, holding mini-interviews, and other neat things. My purpose is to provide the extra lovin' your game deserves!

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If you'd like to submit your game, just filled out the form at http://bluebirdplays.com/submit-your-visual-novel/

[truefaiterman]

I won't submit my game in that form since it's only in Spanish and... oh well it needs a LOT of improvement to be worth of a review.

With that said, I can recommend you a few short visual novels with English releases:

-Narcissu the 2nd (Includes the first game). You can get it on Steam for free. All ages.
-Planetarian. Commercial, on Steam. All ages.
-Saya no Uta. Commercial, I hope you have a good stomach. Definetely FOR ADULTS ONLY.

And not short at all (mostly commercial):

-Clannad. All ages, it should be on Steam.
-Ever17. All ages.
-Aselia the Eternal. Old, with RPG elements, all ages.
-Kara no Shoujo. Adults only.
-Cartagra. Prequel to Kara no Shoujo, also for adults.
-Katawa Shoujo. OEVL. It's free, it has adult content, but you can turn it off.

I'm sleepy right now so I can't think about many more, but I think you'll have material with that.

[fleet]

Just in case anyone misunderstood, the form is in English. Truefaiterman's game is in Spanish.

[trooper6]

If you are wanting to review older games (a lot of turefaiterman's suggestions are not new), then let me recommend some games that are not either a) Japanese VNs or b) trying to copy the Japanese VN aesthetic.

EVNs are more than copies of JVNs. Here are some interesting ones:

Cave, Cave Deus Videt
Digital: A Love Story
The Elevator
Cinders
The One in Love

[gekiganwing]

How much are you interested in gameplay, and how much are you interested in reading? Think about this. If you're looking for complex adventure games and simulations, then make sure to focus on visual novels which are not stories with occasional choices.

If you're looking for translated VNs with unusual graphics or themes, consider the following:

* Ibn al-Nafis: Story about a real-life Arabian scientist.
* Steins;Gate 8-Bit: A retraux game - made in 2011, but with '80s style graphics and interface.
* The World to Reverse: Two stories that might help you rethink visual novels as a medium.
* Tears 9, 10: Not a fun story to read, but it discusses several real world problems. It made me curious about Korea's recent past.
* World End Economica: Science fiction story about a stock market. As of this writing, the translation of part two has a vague 2015 release date.

While I primarily want to tailor my site to visual novels and possibly rpgmaker games, I've done a number of other genres for other sites.

Heartache 101 was made with one of the RPG Maker programs. So was Cherry Tree High Comedy Club.

[bluebirdplays]

Ello guys. Thanks for the solid list of suggestions! There's so many it's hard to choose what to open up first! I'll be going through the list I've received on Google Forms first, and take a peak at these after.

For me, I have no personal preference just yet. I've been enjoying kinetic novels just as much as the ones that have choices to make and affect the storyline. I love some hardcore narrative games, but for example, I just played Voices of the Sea. While its narrative consisted of one liners, it fit the mood of the game and generally worked really well that way.

Folks who filled out my form- I'll be contacting you today

[Katy133]

Thank you for doing this! It's nice to see more reviewers interested in visual novels.

[Caveat Lector]

Would you also be interested in some VN-hybrids? I can definitely recommend The Loop and The Madness. As for KN's, I highly recommend Higurashi--the first chapter (Onikakushi-hen) is out on Steam.

[bluebirdplays]

Thank you for doing this! It's nice to see more reviewers interested in visual novels.

Thank you I've just had some seriously good experiences with visual novels and want to give back a bit. I'll be posting a review every Tuesday on my site for sure - but if I get ahead of all my other game review dealys, I wouldn't mind doing another review on Thursday.

Really depends on the pacing of what I'm playing.

Also kind of curious - have Twitch streamers ever played visual novels before? More curious than anything. I don't think my super lame voice acting would do a game proper justice, buuuut I have been having a blast streaming Hatoful Boyfriend lately.

Sure certainly, I'll take VN hybrids as well, Caveat! Whoa. Loop and The Madness look crazy good! I definitely want to look into these!

[Katy133]

Also kind of curious - have Twitch streamers ever played visual novels before? More curious than anything. I don't think my super lame voice acting would do a game proper justice, buuuut I have been having a blast streaming Hatoful Boyfriend lately.

I know that Luchjins and Watercress Studios have livestreamed visual novels on Twitch.

[bluebirdplays]

Just a kind note that I've responded to everyone who've submitted the form again and want to make a note.

---When I send these emails with a date chosen, it's really just to assure you that if there ARE delays of any sort, the review will still go out on that date, 100%. It's also so I don't overload myself!---

I'm actually looking into reviewing longer games for a week and having that review posted every Tuesday, and then having shorter games possibly posted on Thursday where I may let's play them instead - Thanks to Traumendes for giving me the idea

So if your game is short, say an hour or less, be sure and say so in the notes, as it'll help with organizing

Also, every so often I may arts up some promo art:



I'll also be giving out small web graphic badges that say your game has been reviewed by me after I finish my review. It's fluffy, and up to you guys whether you choose to post it up somewhere or not :>

[bluebirdplays]

My next review has gone up - The Misadventures of Detective Butler!

Promo Art-



Still taking visual novel submissions - though I'm looking now for shorter ones so I can possibly narrate a playthrough of them - lemme know in the notes if it's ~1 hour!

[Tracy Bullet]

Oh, this sounds cool! I'll come around when I have something worth it

[bluebirdplays]

Thanks Tracy!

My next review is up!
FI: Interview
http://bluebirdplays.com/fi-interview-i ... me-review/

I'll be making promo art for it sometime this week when I have the time.

Sadly, I'm a week behind with my reviews- I hope you guys don't mind!

I've also just started a youtube playthrough for the visual novel Ambre.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2-PdJboRR4

Enjoy guys~

[bluebirdplays]

My latest review is Death Rule: Lost Code - which you can read all about here:
http://bluebirdplays.com/death-rule-los ... me-review/

Keep those visual submissions coming guys While I'm only doing 1 written review a week, I really want to branch out with let's plays in the near future as well.

Also - Probably not going to do promo art for the games unless I have the time to do so...it's been a bit hard catching up lately, and is something I'll have to work on when I have extra time in the week. Work is evvvvvil that way!