I am back two years later with an even longer comment after finishing the game.
I originally went into it completely blind--which is what I like doing, on the other hand, so nothing strange there. I trusted the friend who recommended it with my life, I played the demo and enjoyed the vibes, but I still didn't really know what I was going to find in the full game. I was hooked on the mystery, though, and I wanted to learn more.
I played the first 1/4th of the game in small bursts and I'd have likely kept up with that pace until I was done with it. Since I'm used to playing games like that, my memory tends to be pretty good and I don't often forget major details of the plot or the gameplay. (Or, rather, I should say my memory doesn't get *worse than it usually is*, so it wouldn't have made much of a difference lmaooo) Still, I'm really glad I decided to go all out on it after getting the first proper ending, because I picked it back up right when the true mysteries began and I was so hooked from beginning to end.
It turned out to be absolutely fantastic. I found the English translation to be really good, really fun and charming. I often switched to Italian to see how some sentences or jokes had been adapted and I thought there were some very clever things in there! The whole cast is so lovable, each in their own way, but I loved going through all of their stories and getting to know them better. It's amazing how even Honkui goes from asshole to bro.
I think it's very clever how the game lulls you into a... false sense of security? Or how it makes you think the tone is going to be one when it turns out to be another, rather. I was honestly very invested in the whole hierarchy thing and how they wanted to overthrow it (now that I've played some of your other games, I can definitely see a leitmotiv there lmao), so when the game takes a sudden turn and its vibes change, it's very shocking. It really does feel like the everyday life of these children has changed drastically in an instant and it hits HARD. Comparing that to other games and stories in a similar vein, where the stakes are revealed from the get-go, this feels a lot more personal, because you've had a lot of time already to get to know them and live alongside them. It doesn't just tell you "these were normal teens until yesterday and now they're going through all this!"--you DO see they were normal teens. I think that adds a layer of complexity too, as it plays with your expectations in more ways and you can compare how they acted before and after.
It also has a lot more endings than I expected?? Sure, they are BAD, but I kinda fricking love it. It's just more content that took time and effort to think of and create, and more story for me to explore even if I know that it's not going to be pretty. You could have easily made it more linear or just have a generic bad ending dialogue, but the fact that they're all different, with their own names and text, really makes it feel like you put a lot of love and care into every little detail and you want people to seek them out instead of simply avoiding them like a run-of-the-mill game over screen.
I also have to say I really loved the sci-fi stuff during the last route. And I loved *why* that route was the last one. And I won't say anymore to avoid spoilers.
And most importantly, WHAT AN AMAZING OST. IT ROCKS HARD.
All my games made with Ren'Py are mostly accessible but I haven't tested them extensively; Lifelong Dream is just hypertext so it should be 100% accessible; Ciao Nonna is a Gameboy game hence completely inaccessible as far as I know.
Please note that there hasn't been any extra thought put into most of them (older games probably won't have all buttons labeled), but they're also all free besides Toumayhem so you can have a go at them yourself
Hi! There is no image gallery, but all screens and buttons have been properly labeled for screen readers. However I haven't been able to test it myself, so I can't guarantee all extra screens are 100% accessible. The code should be pretty much the same for the glossary and character screens, though, so if you can access those with no problem on the trial version every other screen should be fine.
Very little romance, actually! The routes are platonic and the main focus is on the mystery. There are a couple of canon pairings and occasional focus on their relationship, though.
There's a coming update that's been pending for a while (it needs thorough beta testing before release) but it only concerns accessibility options; as the game is complete I'm not planning any more updates content-wise.
Hi there! I am creating a collection of fully blind accessible games, and your game is listed under the "blind support tag". The word "blind" means different things to different people, and within that wide spectrum their are various levels of expertise with visual UI's. but as a fully blind gamer, I am wondering what features this game provides for those who can not see the screen at all. Do you have "screen reader" or "text to speech" support? Is your game fully playable with a keyboard or controller, rather than having to point the mouse at buttons on the interface? If the answer to those questions is no, it would still be great to know what options are provided for those with less severe visual impairments, so that I might make them aware of your game's usability for them. Thank you for any information you can provide, it's very much appreciated! :)
Hi! First of all, thank you for reaching out and for creating such a collection, that's really cool (and also useful to devs without any visual impairment who might want to take notes!). Toumayhem is made with Ren'Py, so the built-in self-voicing should cover most of the game; I also took care in labeling all buttons with an alt text, and the main character's thoughts are explicited as such in self-voicing (prefaced by "Thinking:", while in text it's just between parenthesis). Most screens work fine on keyboard and controller, but I do know that the Glossary and the Jukebox (both extra screens, but still a nice part of the game!) are a bit iffy at times due to scrollbars I've had a few problems fully figuring out (solo game dev hard). That said, I've had a few test runs myself for all these options but I'm far from fully blind, so there's probably a thing or two I missed or I didn't think about implementing. Anyway, if you want or have time to (I imagine you're doing one hell of a work in collecting 100% accessible games), you can try out the trial version as the only thing I mentioned earlier that's missing is an access to the Jukebox screen.
If you do end up giving it a try and find anything that might improve usability, please do tell if you've got time! Post-release fixes are being kind of slow at the moment, but I'd hate for anyone to be locked out forever from playing for issues I could easily solve.
Really enjoying this so far, but I'm stuck on something.
*SPOILERS*
I've been trying to access Reichou's route (the game says I've unlocked it and I've fully done the first two characters' routes), but I can't seem to get it. I've tried more or less every dialogue option in the first two chapters. Any hints?
Happy you’re enjoying it! The hint for both Reichou’s and Neesan’s routes is in the game’s tagline.
If you want specific directions, here they are in ROT13: Lbh arrq gb unir ng yrnfg bar cbvag jvgu Ubaxhv naq Snagbzr naq n znwbevgl jvgu Ervpubh. Vs lbh cvpx “Tb onpx tb gur pynffebbz” naq gura “Ohl fbzr gvzr” lbh trg bar cbvag jvgu Ubaxhv, gura lbh pna pbagvahr ol purpxvat bhg gur bgure pynffebbzf gb zrrg hc jvgu Snagbzr. Cvpxvat Ervpubh nsgre gung fubhyq oevat lbh gb uvf ebhgr!
I’m currently on vacation but I’ll be working on a guide as soon as I’m back :) Thank you for enjoying the game!
Just played through the demo--in a couple of sittings, though, due to time constraints. I was nervous going in because of the trigger warnings, since I am terrible with anything even mildly scary, but the demo was a delight and it didn't give me any issues, thankfully. I love the characters, the premise is very interesting, and I'm definitely looking forward to more! Great job!!
Thank you so much!! If you survived the demo most of the full game should be fine, I think! Just some graphic descriptions you can skim over when it gets too overwhelming (and you know they're there when the scary music hits). Please look forward to the rest! ☺️
Of course! Script is completed, currently putting sprites in the last chapter :) hopefully will be ready by the beginning of 2023, but I don't want to jinx it...
Design dei personaggi e soundtrack sono deliziosi, ho apprezzato le opzioni di accessibilità disponibili, e le informazioni relative al gioco come profili e glossario.Non vedo l'ora di poter vivere la storia completa!
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I am back two years later with an even longer comment after finishing the game.
I originally went into it completely blind--which is what I like doing, on the other hand, so nothing strange there. I trusted the friend who recommended it with my life, I played the demo and enjoyed the vibes, but I still didn't really know what I was going to find in the full game. I was hooked on the mystery, though, and I wanted to learn more.
I played the first 1/4th of the game in small bursts and I'd have likely kept up with that pace until I was done with it. Since I'm used to playing games like that, my memory tends to be pretty good and I don't often forget major details of the plot or the gameplay. (Or, rather, I should say my memory doesn't get *worse than it usually is*, so it wouldn't have made much of a difference lmaooo) Still, I'm really glad I decided to go all out on it after getting the first proper ending, because I picked it back up right when the true mysteries began and I was so hooked from beginning to end.
It turned out to be absolutely fantastic. I found the English translation to be really good, really fun and charming. I often switched to Italian to see how some sentences or jokes had been adapted and I thought there were some very clever things in there! The whole cast is so lovable, each in their own way, but I loved going through all of their stories and getting to know them better. It's amazing how even Honkui goes from asshole to bro.
I think it's very clever how the game lulls you into a... false sense of security? Or how it makes you think the tone is going to be one when it turns out to be another, rather. I was honestly very invested in the whole hierarchy thing and how they wanted to overthrow it (now that I've played some of your other games, I can definitely see a leitmotiv there lmao), so when the game takes a sudden turn and its vibes change, it's very shocking. It really does feel like the everyday life of these children has changed drastically in an instant and it hits HARD. Comparing that to other games and stories in a similar vein, where the stakes are revealed from the get-go, this feels a lot more personal, because you've had a lot of time already to get to know them and live alongside them. It doesn't just tell you "these were normal teens until yesterday and now they're going through all this!"--you DO see they were normal teens. I think that adds a layer of complexity too, as it plays with your expectations in more ways and you can compare how they acted before and after.
It also has a lot more endings than I expected?? Sure, they are BAD, but I kinda fricking love it. It's just more content that took time and effort to think of and create, and more story for me to explore even if I know that it's not going to be pretty. You could have easily made it more linear or just have a generic bad ending dialogue, but the fact that they're all different, with their own names and text, really makes it feel like you put a lot of love and care into every little detail and you want people to seek them out instead of simply avoiding them like a run-of-the-mill game over screen.
I also have to say I really loved the sci-fi stuff during the last route. And I loved *why* that route was the last one. And I won't say anymore to avoid spoilers.And most importantly, WHAT AN AMAZING OST. IT ROCKS HARD.
tl;dr very good game, would get murdered again
Thank you so muuuuch <3 Real glad you had a blast playing!
The best game to open for listening to Tasailence u_u
loved that track!
😊☝🎶
I want to eat strawberry cake with San...😳
me too 😢
you should introduce this to the audiogames forum.
forum.audiogames.net
sorry.
but, why is this game tagged as lgbt?
there are several lgbt characters
are all your games blind accessible?
All my games made with Ren'Py are mostly accessible but I haven't tested them extensively; Lifelong Dream is just hypertext so it should be 100% accessible; Ciao Nonna is a Gameboy game hence completely inaccessible as far as I know.
Please note that there hasn't been any extra thought put into most of them (older games probably won't have all buttons labeled), but they're also all free besides Toumayhem so you can have a go at them yourself
is the jukebox and image galary accessible to screen readers?
Hi! There is no image gallery, but all screens and buttons have been properly labeled for screen readers. However I haven't been able to test it myself, so I can't guarantee all extra screens are 100% accessible. The code should be pretty much the same for the glossary and character screens, though, so if you can access those with no problem on the trial version every other screen should be fine.
just curious, how much romance does this game have? also, will it be updated?
Very little romance, actually! The routes are platonic and the main focus is on the mystery. There are a couple of canon pairings and occasional focus on their relationship, though.
There's a coming update that's been pending for a while (it needs thorough beta testing before release) but it only concerns accessibility options; as the game is complete I'm not planning any more updates content-wise.
ok. thanks fo telling me! looking forward to accessibility since i'm blind.
Hi there!
I am creating a collection of fully blind accessible games, and your game is listed under the "blind support tag". The word "blind" means different things to different people, and within that wide spectrum their are various levels of expertise with visual UI's. but as a fully blind gamer, I am wondering what features this game provides for those who can not see the screen at all. Do you have "screen reader" or "text to speech" support? Is your game fully playable with a keyboard or controller, rather than having to point the mouse at buttons on the interface? If the answer to those questions is no, it would still be great to know what options are provided for those with less severe visual impairments, so that I might make them aware of your game's usability for them. Thank you for any information you can provide, it's very much appreciated! :)
Hi! First of all, thank you for reaching out and for creating such a collection, that's really cool (and also useful to devs without any visual impairment who might want to take notes!). Toumayhem is made with Ren'Py, so the built-in self-voicing should cover most of the game; I also took care in labeling all buttons with an alt text, and the main character's thoughts are explicited as such in self-voicing (prefaced by "Thinking:", while in text it's just between parenthesis). Most screens work fine on keyboard and controller, but I do know that the Glossary and the Jukebox (both extra screens, but still a nice part of the game!) are a bit iffy at times due to scrollbars I've had a few problems fully figuring out (solo game dev hard). That said, I've had a few test runs myself for all these options but I'm far from fully blind, so there's probably a thing or two I missed or I didn't think about implementing. Anyway, if you want or have time to (I imagine you're doing one hell of a work in collecting 100% accessible games), you can try out the trial version as the only thing I mentioned earlier that's missing is an access to the Jukebox screen.
If you do end up giving it a try and find anything that might improve usability, please do tell if you've got time! Post-release fixes are being kind of slow at the moment, but I'd hate for anyone to be locked out forever from playing for issues I could easily solve.
Really enjoying this so far, but I'm stuck on something.
*SPOILERS*
I've been trying to access Reichou's route (the game says I've unlocked it and I've fully done the first two characters' routes), but I can't seem to get it. I've tried more or less every dialogue option in the first two chapters. Any hints?
Happy you’re enjoying it! The hint for both Reichou’s and Neesan’s routes is in the game’s tagline.
If you want specific directions, here they are in ROT13: Lbh arrq gb unir ng yrnfg bar cbvag jvgu Ubaxhv naq Snagbzr naq n znwbevgl jvgu Ervpubh. Vs lbh cvpx “Tb onpx tb gur pynffebbz” naq gura “Ohl fbzr gvzr” lbh trg bar cbvag jvgu Ubaxhv, gura lbh pna pbagvahr ol purpxvat bhg gur bgure pynffebbzf gb zrrg hc jvgu Snagbzr. Cvpxvat Ervpubh nsgre gung fubhyq oevat lbh gb uvf ebhgr!
I’m currently on vacation but I’ll be working on a guide as soon as I’m back :) Thank you for enjoying the game!
Hey, I like this game of yours.
(Kouhai voice) What a coincidence! I'm very fond of girls who think like that 😙
Do you plan to publish your game on steam?
Hi! It's not in the plans, at least for a while
Congrats on your game's release! If you are interested in getting it translated into Latam's Spanish, please let me know.
Thank you! Will definitely keep you in mind if the opportunity comes :)
Thanks! :)
Just played through the demo--in a couple of sittings, though, due to time constraints. I was nervous going in because of the trigger warnings, since I am terrible with anything even mildly scary, but the demo was a delight and it didn't give me any issues, thankfully. I love the characters, the premise is very interesting, and I'm definitely looking forward to more! Great job!!
Thank you so much!! If you survived the demo most of the full game should be fine, I think! Just some graphic descriptions you can skim over when it gets too overwhelming (and you know they're there when the scary music hits). Please look forward to the rest! ☺️
I'm eager to check out the final release! Keep up the great work, and best of luck with development!
Is it still going?
Of course! Script is completed, currently putting sprites in the last chapter :) hopefully will be ready by the beginning of 2023, but I don't want to jinx it...
Design dei personaggi e soundtrack sono deliziosi, ho apprezzato le opzioni di accessibilità disponibili, e le informazioni relative al gioco come profili e glossario.Non vedo l'ora di poter vivere la storia completa!
Grazie mille! <3