If I had the extra money, I would definitely back this story up.
I just played two different routes for the demo and I already love it. The UI is amazing and feels great. The characters and how they all interact with one another is great too. I love both of the boy's personalities with April too. I'm ready to see what you guys have in store for April in the coming updates!
No worries! We adore any and all support, money or otherwise!
The character interactions, though limited in the demo, is one of our favourite things about this story, so we're glad you enjoy it! We'll keep working away at this for sure.
I'm not very wordy but HOLY, this game looks and feels good. You could tell me this wasn't a demo and I'd believe you, there are so many things just nicely polished.
Hi oh my god, I check out otome demos and games for fun, and I think this is one of my favorite if not my favorite demo out of every one I've encountered. I ended up trying almost every combination of choices I could (after I realized that one choice would be mentioned/affect the others) and okay hi!! hello here are my thoughts
As said before, the UI is beautiful and never feels like I'm taking myself out of a scene whenever I take a stop to save. It doesn't feel like I'm pausing the game, just that I'm backing up a memory. The backgrounds are gorgeous and fit the styling of the characters who all have unique faces, color schemes, and personalities. The colors are dull but they aren't lifeless, not at all. The characters are so alive, they have their own worries, fears, and different ways of approaching them. Some are a bit more obvious than others (faine.) but it adds to their charm instead of making it annoying which is really impressive.
---- spoilers
I like how we're given choice on April's reactions to events, even if it doesn't affect much, it's nice that we can share our reaction and feelings on events through her and honestly, she's a lovely MC. Someone struggling to excel in her passion is such a mellow concept. I also am quite curious on how April only "succeeds" on the park picture when she takes inspiration from the mysterious cracked wall picture from the gallery(?). I've had my own endeavors with art/writing, and yeah, it did suck when I only succeeded when I had tried to imitate someone else's work(consciously or subconsciously), and It's so URGhSBS.
(I also happen to have a slight pink-girl bias)
Next, the choices. (Oh this is really fucking good) This is one of my favorite parts of the demo! I'm the player who picks the less romantic-leading choices (or the ones that seem like it), I enjoy seeing how things go if I don't pursue someone specifically, and it led, and I mean it's soooo interesting seeing how you're rewarded in game, The option that seem to drove Henbae- I mean Hendrick away from April was the one where you'd try paying him back? I enjoy the shenaniganry of Hendrick (though I struggle a bit to see him as someone I can romance) The choices with Faine too, it was interesting to see how he'd react because it was all different if I just had one different choice. I like how a combination of choices could lead to a new bit of information. (I seriously love the picture scene.eeasd..)
I like how everyone seems human (?), they feel like their own characters outside of the mc (which is a pitfall i see in a few games) and while I might be a little stand-offish to well honestly BOTH of the possible romanceable characters, It doesn't mean I'm willing to see both of their stories with April pull out.
- For now, I guess I don't prefer Hendrick over Faine or the other way around, They both have their own mysteries so I don't know how to feel /yet/. I like them equal amounts and don't lean one way or the other, I feel like the star of the show is April and honestly I don't mind! She's lovely as heck. Hendrick's teasing personality and Faine's ... well... yeah... It's interesting but I was drawn to the MC and how this felt like her story that just so happened to have two funny little guys involved.
Anyways, I'll see if I can support this on kickstarter, big congratulations on getting your goal in ... 2 days? (might support if I have enough spare money) Really excited for the full game q(≧▽≦q)
Hello! And thank you for giving the demo a try and for the support! We love reading long reviews <3
We're really glad you like the choice system in the game! This is quite a slow burn otome game with a lot of gradual relationship building, so while neither boy is particularly romance material right now, we hope you stick around until the full game to see how that develops with the story!
i haven't had the chance to fully play through, but literally opening the screen and playing through a few logs of text i was genuinely blown away.
the UI layout is so slick and clean!! and the game as a whole is so aesthetically well done! i'm really looking forward to being able to play the demo through when i get the time now
We hope you enjoy the demo! We put a lot of work and time into making this game fit together visually, so we really appreciate you stopping to take notice of it-- Thank you so much!!
I loved the new chapters in the extended demo. Kuuderes and imps are my absolute favorite and I feel SO FED, though it seems I may need to bring a lasso for Faine. :)
I was really surprised how what I thought the "correct" choice for Hen's first major choice interaction ended up seeming like the option that distanced us, whereas the "other" option resulted in more fun scenes. Hen is still dominating the scene for me, but I am also so invested in cracking Faine's shy/distant exterior.
April's reactions and ambitions are still so, so relatable, which was honestly my favorite part. There are some flavor options that let us express our own style, which was awesome. I also like that you give us the warning when a choice matters re: relationships.
The interactions with April's family were also really good, and I was glad to see that they both have sprites! I couldn't help but think of my own hardworking mom during the scenes you get if April chooses to help her mother. <3
We have yet to hear Hen described as an imp----but you are also not wrong! lol We also had set out on this project wanting sprites for her parents because their relationships are such a core part of this story - we're glad people have enjoyed them as characters!!
I LOVE THIS GAME ALREADY CANT WAIT TO SEE HOW IT TURNS OUT AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA ITS SO PRETTY AND OMG DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE RAINY WEATHER <33333 I RELATE HEAVILY TO THE MAIN CHARACTER, WITH MY PASSION FOR PHOTOGRAPHY AND SUCH AND IOJSFKJAEHJUGFHESDKJFHEJKDHNFKJ I JUST LOVE IT SO FAR!! DEFINITELY GONNA SAVE MY MONEY TO BUY IT!!!!!
Thank you for giving the demo a try! We're glad you were able to relate to the MC, and hopefully you enjoy the journey we take her in the full game. Thank you so much for your support and we hope we do this project justice!
IM INLOVEEE WITH THIS GAME ALREADY HENDRIC HAS MY WHOLE HEART HIS SO AÑLDLÑA his my fav, everything about this game is so mesmerizing,the art is incredible, I reaally like the mc too, and the way everything conects(?? is rlly good, THE SPRITES, THE ITENERFACE ALL OF IT I SIMPLY AMAZING!!!
Also is gonna cost money when the entire game is released? for example,around 25?? or more or is gonna be completely free??either way im looking forward for it!!<33. Like I said before all of it is amazing,stunning and more 💞💞 Ty for making such a brilliant game
Thank you! We're glad you enjoyed the demo (and Hendric ;) )
As for your question, yes, the game will be commercial, though hopefully not $25. We will be funding for the game in our upcoming Kickstarter, if you'd like to check it out. Full game keys will be available through the campaign as well!
Just finished some playthroughs, and am looking forward to how this goes!
First of all, the art is AMAZING. From the title screen, character sprites, backgrounds, CGs, and overall interface, I am really really impressed. Other than the absolute skill, everything worked together really well. The way that there were rain marks on the save/load screens was such a nice touch! God, it's so pretty.
The music. The music! Ugh it's so nice at one point I stopped continuing the story just to listen to the music. They way I'm going to open up the game every time I need more of those sweet sweet songs-
Basically, the art + music = top tier atmosphere
The story so far is really interesting too! Hen is annoyingly charming (lol) and I am really curious about Faine. And I'm sure a lot of people can relate to April with having trouble finding a job in this economy :,). Not only that, but the fear of failed dreams and unreached potential as a young person. Hits hard.
I haven't tried out all the choices yet, but so far it's really interesting how character interactions change depending on player choice, like choosing to leave Hen after breaking his phone (understandable man, sorry about that) or choosing to make up something instead of being honest when finally catching up to Faine.
You are the first person - that we know of - that has noticed the raindrops on the in-game menus; very keen eyes!
But we also adore this thorough review, you clearly have taken the time to explore around in the game. As devs there is no better rewards than players that clearly have given a game a lot of thought, so thank you!
Besides that, we are glad you enjoyed the mini demo! We've been working away on the full demo, so hopefully it lives up to what you've seen so far.
I recently streamed me playing the mini demo a while ago (uploading a Youtube video soon!) and what an amazing introduction to a cozy and comfy game! I've been wanting to try this game out after Otome Jam ended since it caught my interest and I'm so glad I did!
So.... The ATMOSPHERE, the ART, THE UI???? Clean, gorgeous, amazing. Coincidentally, it rained when I played the game, so how fitting lol. The music, backgrounds and the art fit very well with each other and it created a nice and comfy atmosphere that I quite enjoy. I love how the UI is similar to a camera! The character designs are beautifully unique and stylish (pink hair MC :DDD) and their personalities so far are quite interesting! Totally not biased, but I love the MC, April, so much. I'm excited to see her development, hopefully help her reach her dreams and her dynamic with the two male leads!
Definitely following the development of this game! :) Thank you for your hard work and I wish you the best of luck!! <33
Really impressed with this demo and definitely following this project! The art is absolutely gorgeous. I love how the backgrounds really look suffused with rain, and the character designs are so crisp and lovely, and evocative of manwha style art. Both boys appeal to me, though I slightly prefer Mr. King of Gummies.
I also love the look of the UI, almost like a pathfinder, and how the weather and date display in the top. (Since the characters have different weather preferences, does that come into play...?)
Finally, the choices were really refreshing! I'm not usually one for choices purely for flavor, but I thought it was cool how much of an impact a choice could have. I played around with the different options for the first choice re: April zoning out on the recruiter, and found it hilarious how that choice continued to impact her other encounters. And I also played around with helping Hen first versus returning and thought it was interesting to see how much his behavior towards April changed, which totally makes sense.
The gummy king’s appeal is a very deep void we have all fallen in ahahah
To answer your question though, yes, the weather will have a part to play in the story telling and plot itself! (Not in the mini demo or eventual full demo but down the line)
And it’s incredibly humbling when players notice the little details - such as the background using watercolour styling for the rain-like atmosphere and the choice variations - so thank you so much for both playing and taking the time to review our work!!!!
Just played the mini demo and I really liked it. I tried all the choices out which i thought was interesting, because it gave you new scenes and more of the characters. I appreciate that they had made a difference, because in my experience they often don’t have any.
I absolutely love the art and found every frame to be so great. As for the characters, I’m currently interested in both:
- For Faine, I really like how we first see them in the opening and then their reunion later on. It made me curious on how their story will unfold, since Faine seems interesting and I've always liked the childhood friend trope.
- For Hen, his scenes were really fun and i really enjoyed them especially the whole candy scene. I'm interested in learning more about his character and seeing more of him.
I think they both add something interesting and their own touch, so that's why i can't currently choose but i am excited to play more.
This was honestly a fun game and I'm currently most interested in Hendric's route lolol, his interactions were very fun and I enjoyed his character a lot !! Faine was amazing too, its just funny how he hid under the picnic table pfftt. Overall, I can't wait to see any future and full games!!
Otome's aren't my usual genre of visual novels, but I decided to give Diffraction a try today. I was initially drawn in by the professionally designed characters, and stayed for the gloomy backgrounds that manage to have incredible depth in them.
You might think Faine and Hendric are the stars of the show, but truly it is Hat Boy and Purse Girl. These wonderful side characters shine in comparison to Guy Who Runs Away and Broken Phone Dude. In all seriousness though, I did enjoy the two main boys.
Going down one branch of options, Hendric was a fiend for candy and in another, he was confident and teasing April. Clearly the popular guy who has no trouble with money or women. I of course selected the option to suggest grabbing both gummies, like any normal person would. Hen agreed, and suggested he might regret it during the middle of the night if he didn't. A wise choice if you ask me.
Faine hiding under the table was peak comedy for me. He REALLY wanted to avoid running into us, perhaps something happened in the past that he's embarrassed about. Seems like the talented, but silent type. Doesn't want too much recognition for his achievements, but would rather do what he enjoys in peace. I could be totally off, but that was my impression of him. I think I needed to make some different dialogue choices, because we didn't get to chat as much as I'd like to.
My overall impression was quite positive. April is a great protagonist, who is given an extensive list of dialogue options to choose from. I don't likely belong to the intended audience for this, but I appreciate the love and quality put into this project. Great job on this, hope to see it finished in the future!
First off - THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PLAYING AND EVEN MAKING A PLAY THROUGH (Our little team watched it together and we had so much fun!) To directly answer some of your questions in the video:
You're correct, this is our first game we've ever made
None of us are Korean, but we do love the fashion and art styles from their media content
We definitely are hoping to continue on the game, though it might be a bit slow since our team is small
The fact that you don't generally play otomes and gave our little mini demo a try means a lot to us! We're glad you enjoyed all of the routes and we'll keep trying our best. Thank you for the support!
The atosphere you managed to create with this game is immaculate! everything works together so well, the art, the writing, the music, the GUI - it is all incredible!
I felt so immersed right from the start, the storyline hooked me right in! super looking forward to seeing how this game progresses ^^
(also April's "oh crap" face cracked me up so much hahaha)
Thank you so much for the support!!! We will keep trying our best! As of right now, we haven't decided what the full version will be since we need to make sure we have the resources to finish it first even :'D
I fell in love the moment I saw this game. I won't be playing the demo but I will wait till the full version is out! : DDD I hope your team will win through every obstacle that comes in the midst of developing the full version. All the best to you guys :))
i just finished the demo and i feel like this is a promising one!
the atmosphere was just so perfect.
everything about the vn was just so well done, but i feel like it was the art style and the bgs (i always appreciate it when devs put effort in the bgs!) that really tied it all together.
for the characters, it was faine that i got attracted to first. his character resembled a donghua i liked so i thought that was kinda nice :D i also like the rekindling-an-old-flame trope that the game hints, and that made him more of an intriguing character than the other... which is hen.
listen. i tried, really tried to like him, but his character just feels so... shallow (?) that i couldn't bring myself to be at least interested, or expect for his character development in the future. he just feels like another one of those guys in romance novels and otome games; the arrogant/flamboyant type that's guarantee to swoon anyone. but the thing that makes him different is that his attitude is just unappealing??? i mean, at least those men i mentioned have some sort of depth to their personality.
i guess he just felt off to me. with the way the demo presented his character, he just felt like a pretty face and was the obvious typical route anyone would go for. sorry not sorry. his fit is fire though, if that's any consolation.
despite all that, i'm still looking forward for the full version. everything else made it up for that one part i disliked, so it's all good :)
thank you for sharing this to us! goodluck with the game <3
Thank you so much for playing!! We're glad you enjoyed the Faine :) And no worries at all if you're not a fan of Hen, he's quite the character so that's completely fair!
Thank you very much for the support, we'll keep working away at this! <3
Hi! i'm a native spanish speaker and i was wondering if you are interested to do a translation to spanish of the demo, i'm a translator student looking for experience in the area of videogames, so, if you like the idea tell me and i pass you my email.
This is a fantastic mini demo, I loved it so much 🥰
The first thing to note is of course the beautiful art. The sprites, backgrounds and UI all look great together and really suit the rainy atmosphere. The vibes are on point. Even the art style of the BGs looks kind of watery??
Second thing is the care that was put into the choices. It was so much fun going back and trying out the different options, because they did make a difference!
I loved the characterization of April, and I'm really looking forward to seeing her development. I'm most intrigued by Hendric - the jacket. The confidence. The candy. I stayed LOL. Can't wait for more in the future!
AHHHHHH We're so honoured you gave the mini demo a try!! <3 Hendric is very compelling that it's hard not to stay ;) And we really should have expected fellow devs to try out all of the options - you all know too much now, you must go lol
But seriously, we're really glad you enjoyed the game and the characters as well! We'll keep trying our best!
Just finished the mini-demo and everything is amazing! Really looking forward to how it continues!! I end up running for Faine, I think he's cute...sorry Hen.
Whoaaa, what a wonderful demo! All the visuals here are absolutely stunning - the characters, the gui, the backgrounds... Everything works together really well to create a beautiful atmosphere. Love the music as well! Really relaxing, I kept it playing even after I was finished playing. I stayed for Gummy King Hen😌❤️
A very good choice with staying. But AHHHHH thank you, this is so sweet!!!! We put a lot of love into creating the atmosphere so we're incredibly happy to see people enjoying it!!
To echo everyone else - loved the art, the UI, the music!! Since you're asking - I stayed for Hen ;) The gummy king spoke to me and made me giggle. Excited to get a Faine playthrough in too!!
The gummy king's words are quite powerful hahaha. Thank you so much for playing and we're really glad you enjoyed it!! <3 We hope you have fun with the "Go" side too!!
We're so glad the GUI was worth it! Our GUI artist/coder worked so hard on it too. But AHHHHHHHHHHHH All of these comments are so lovely and it makes us so happy that you seemed to have enjoyed the game!!!
(P.s. Our entire team is waiting to play TeachersLP together and we are looking forward to it so much!)
The art in this game is insanely good, it captured my attention in a matter of seconds. After playing the demo, I can safely say that absolutely everything about it is on point - from the music and the dialogue to the characters. Great job, I can't wait to see more!
From the moment the title screen popped up I immediately gasped at the art cause ughh it just gave me that serene feeling with its minimalist design and music. I've always loved rainy weather. It's the perfect time to get cozy and this game captured that cozy feel. The mood was constant in showcasing both the comforting and cold side of any rainy weather.
The background, characters, and CGs were all well-drawn that I couldn't help but gasp whenever the scene changes or a CG pops up XD I especially loved the flashback CG of Faine. Also with the CGs of Faine and Hendric, I had to stare for a while to study how the art was made because I LOVE the artstyle X3 I'm so excited how this will turn out! Fighting!
The presentation through the art, the ui, the character bio and the itch io page itself is so well done! The MC is also relatable, going through the struggle of following a passion and having to face reality at a job fair. The length of the mini demo makes it a bit hard to grasp what to think about the male characters though. Nonetheless, I'm intrigued!
I think every single one of us devs have felt that before, so we're glad it resonates! Thank you for playing our mini demo, it's definitely shorter than what we wanted for jam, but we're glad we were able to at least be intriguing :)
I love rain so it such a joy to see a game with rainy theme (it's been so long to see another indie game with this kind of atmosphere after Kokorogawari), the atmosphere and the visual just so,,,! *chef kiss*
Can't wait for more, since the mini demo still too short for me to have a clear thought about our characters.
We definitely love rain too (which I guess is obvious). Thank you for playing! And the very important question we always ask players is, did you stay or did you go in-game?
You mean the scene where April run into Hendric? I run for Faine first (I have eye on Faine since the characters infor because of his fav weather lol). My sense screaming cuz normally I would have stay instead xD
This was a great demo, I really enjoyed Faine and Hen's character so far and can't wait to see more. The UI and general aesthetic is gorgeous! The art is really pretty too. There were a couple errors, though, such as the MC's portrait showing up mid-transition or some minor typing errors (the only one I can remember is "focussed"). Super excited to play the full game, I'll continue supporting y'all!
Thank you for playing and for the support!!! We're so glad you enjoy the incredibly brief introduction to the characters! (And thank you for pointing out the typos and errors, we'll keep debugging for sure)
love the art, love the music, but don't like the personality of the mc.
why was she so impulsive when seeing Faine? like, she ran after him while being in a crowd. gosh, running like that is so chaotic. dislike. then, she stumbled into a stranger but didn't even apologize to him. for me, that was an absolutely rude action.
besides, reading her meaningless thoughts is irritating. i just feel she was so immature.
to sum up, I will come back to play this game again just for the music and artwork.
I just finished the mini demo (and I believe I managed to look at every possible option combination!) My review is going to be thorough so, spoiler warning perhaps? Even if it is only chapter one.....
I was absolutely pulled in. The memory at the beginning that caused her to zone out to set up April's passion, and the rejections from multiple booths at the job fair created such a melancholy feeling. I feel like April is super relatable, even to those who may not be into photography since those feelings can be applied to many dreams. I also will admit I feel a bit anxious as to the conversation she'll have with her parents in the morning.
Now let us talk about characters --
April herself, as I said, feels really relatable. She has a dream, and it just feels like it's being shattered. It leaves her feeling empty, and longing, which is why I think seeing Faine compelled her to rush toward him, especially since it was the memory that made her zone out. I like how she feels relatable but at the same time, her own character. I also absolutely love her design!
Faine - he's mysterious, I do not quite know what to make of him yet, especially since we spend the least time with him in this demo but despite that the brief encounter was enough to make me drawn to know more. What he said to her in the past, if it has lingered in her mind, obviously holds a solid wait. I love when chosen to tell Faine she has no idea why she ran over, they were able to exchange contacts, which made the awkward opposite choice so painful when she lies and laughs it off, and when pushing for contacts -- he flat out says no. I felt so bad for April as it only added to the rejected feelings. So I can't wait to learn more about Faine and why he is so stand-offish.
Hendric - oh my, he is so funny! I honestly don't know if I can fully trust that April's stepping-on-$5,000-phone-debt could have been forgiven so easily, but the man clearly knows his candy, so who could be sure? His dialogue was absolutely hilarious, and despite the tense situation, he really seems like a cool guy that can come off a bit shady but perhaps is simply a little childish. I feel like getting to know his character will be an extremely fun and unpredictable adventure!
Now let's look at some technical aspects---
Artwork - it's absolutely gorgeous! I love the soft and dull coloring, which really fits with the whole rainy atmoshphere. Speaking of...
Atmosphere - I love how it has a rainy atmosphere. I personally LOVE rain, it exudes so many feelings. It can be melancholic, it can be fresh, hopeful, clean, cold, tragic. It can be hopes and dreams, it can be pain and misery. It just really fits with where April is right now!
Music - the soundtrack is very chill and fitting, blending extremely well with the game!
GUI - everything looks nice and clean!
Errors - the only issues I ran into were sometimes April's sprite would pop up briefly in the middle of transitions, as well as near the end of the demo, it switches from her yellow jacket to not having it on.
Overall experience - I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a neat introduction, and I can't wait to see more! The characters, including the MC, are all interesting in their own ways and I can't wait to learn more about them. There's just something really nice about stories like these, concerning dreams, and rain, and I also love that there's a little light-heartedness (namely concerning Hen) in the mix so things aren't too serious or gloomy,
Sorry my review was so long, but I just really enjoyed this piece! Your team's love and talent really show, congrats on making it for Otome Jam!
We want to say thank you again for playing - and trying all of the options, oh wow! Just reading this review makes everyone on the team so happy. <3
You clearly took a lot of time to think everything over from the characters to the components and we adore the analysis. If you keep looking at the game with such a critical eye, it will definitely help you in the future with how the story and characters are set up!
Also thank you for pointing out the bug, we will definitely look into it!!
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i love game
Thank you! And thank you for giving the game a try!
If I had the extra money, I would definitely back this story up.
I just played two different routes for the demo and I already love it. The UI is amazing and feels great. The characters and how they all interact with one another is great too. I love both of the boy's personalities with April too. I'm ready to see what you guys have in store for April in the coming updates!
No worries! We adore any and all support, money or otherwise!
The character interactions, though limited in the demo, is one of our favourite things about this story, so we're glad you enjoy it! We'll keep working away at this for sure.
I'm not very wordy but HOLY, this game looks and feels good. You could tell me this wasn't a demo and I'd believe you, there are so many things just nicely polished.
Aesthetic? YES.
Story? YES.
Fun choices? YES.
Hotel? Trivago.
Jokes aside, well done to the development team.
Thank you for giving the demo a try!! All four of us put our hearts into this demo so we're glad that it's coming through!
Hi oh my god, I check out otome demos and games for fun, and I think this is one of my favorite if not my favorite demo out of every one I've encountered. I ended up trying almost every combination of choices I could (after I realized that one choice would be mentioned/affect the others) and okay hi!! hello here are my thoughts
As said before, the UI is beautiful and never feels like I'm taking myself out of a scene whenever I take a stop to save. It doesn't feel like I'm pausing the game, just that I'm backing up a memory. The backgrounds are gorgeous and fit the styling of the characters who all have unique faces, color schemes, and personalities. The colors are dull but they aren't lifeless, not at all. The characters are so alive, they have their own worries, fears, and different ways of approaching them. Some are a bit more obvious than others (faine.) but it adds to their charm instead of making it annoying which is really impressive.
---- spoilers
I like how we're given choice on April's reactions to events, even if it doesn't affect much, it's nice that we can share our reaction and feelings on events through her and honestly, she's a lovely MC. Someone struggling to excel in her passion is such a mellow concept. I also am quite curious on how April only "succeeds" on the park picture when she takes inspiration from the mysterious cracked wall picture from the gallery(?). I've had my own endeavors with art/writing, and yeah, it did suck when I only succeeded when I had tried to imitate someone else's work(consciously or subconsciously), and It's so URGhSBS.
(I also happen to have a slight pink-girl bias)
Next, the choices.
(Oh this is really fucking good)This is one of my favorite parts of the demo! I'm the player who picks the less romantic-leading choices (or the ones that seem like it), I enjoy seeing how things go if I don't pursue someone specifically, and it led, and I mean it's soooo interesting seeing how you're rewarded in game, The option that seem to droveHenbae- I mean Hendrick away from April was the one where you'd try paying him back? I enjoy the shenaniganry of Hendrick (though I struggle a bit to see him as someone I can romance) The choices with Faine too, it was interesting to see how he'd react because it was all different if I just had one different choice. I like how a combination of choices could lead to a new bit of information. (I seriously love the picture scene.eeasd..)I like how everyone seems human (?), they feel like their own characters outside of the mc (which is a pitfall i see in a few games) and while I might be a little stand-offish to well honestly BOTH of the possible romanceable characters, It doesn't mean I'm willing to see both of their stories with April pull out.
- For now, I guess I don't prefer Hendrick over Faine or the other way around, They both have their own mysteries so I don't know how to feel /yet/. I like them equal amounts and don't lean one way or the other, I feel like the star of the show is April and honestly I don't mind! She's lovely as heck. Hendrick's teasing personality and Faine's ... well... yeah... It's interesting but I was drawn to the MC and how this felt like her story that just so happened to have two funny little guys involved.
Anyways, I'll see if I can support this on kickstarter, big congratulations on getting your goal in ... 2 days? (might support if I have enough spare money) Really excited for the full game q(≧▽≦q)
Hello! And thank you for giving the demo a try and for the support! We love reading long reviews <3
We're really glad you like the choice system in the game! This is quite a slow burn otome game with a lot of gradual relationship building, so while neither boy is particularly romance material right now, we hope you stick around until the full game to see how that develops with the story!
i haven't had the chance to fully play through, but literally opening the screen and playing through a few logs of text i was genuinely blown away.
the UI layout is so slick and clean!! and the game as a whole is so aesthetically well done! i'm really looking forward to being able to play the demo through when i get the time now
++ i really really love the aesthetic? did
We hope you enjoy the demo! We put a lot of work and time into making this game fit together visually, so we really appreciate you stopping to take notice of it-- Thank you so much!!
So excited to see an update today!!
I loved the new chapters in the extended demo. Kuuderes and imps are my absolute favorite and I feel SO FED, though it seems I may need to bring a lasso for Faine. :)
I was really surprised how what I thought the "correct" choice for Hen's first major choice interaction ended up seeming like the option that distanced us, whereas the "other" option resulted in more fun scenes. Hen is still dominating the scene for me, but I am also so invested in cracking Faine's shy/distant exterior.
April's reactions and ambitions are still so, so relatable, which was honestly my favorite part. There are some flavor options that let us express our own style, which was awesome. I also like that you give us the warning when a choice matters re: relationships.
The interactions with April's family were also really good, and I was glad to see that they both have sprites! I couldn't help but think of my own hardworking mom during the scenes you get if April chooses to help her mother. <3
Can't wait for your Kickstarter to drop!
We have yet to hear Hen described as an imp----but you are also not wrong! lol We also had set out on this project wanting sprites for her parents because their relationships are such a core part of this story - we're glad people have enjoyed them as characters!!
Thank you so much for your continued support! <3
I LOVE THIS GAME ALREADY CANT WAIT TO SEE HOW IT TURNS OUT AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA ITS SO PRETTY AND OMG DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE RAINY WEATHER <33333 I RELATE HEAVILY TO THE MAIN CHARACTER, WITH MY PASSION FOR PHOTOGRAPHY AND SUCH AND IOJSFKJAEHJUGFHESDKJFHEJKDHNFKJ I JUST LOVE IT SO FAR!! DEFINITELY GONNA SAVE MY MONEY TO BUY IT!!!!!
Thank you for giving the demo a try! We're glad you were able to relate to the MC, and hopefully you enjoy the journey we take her in the full game. Thank you so much for your support and we hope we do this project justice!
IM INLOVEEE WITH THIS GAME ALREADY HENDRIC HAS MY WHOLE HEART HIS SO AÑLDLÑA his my fav, everything about this game is so mesmerizing,the art is incredible, I reaally like the mc too, and the way everything conects(?? is rlly good, THE SPRITES, THE ITENERFACE ALL OF IT I SIMPLY AMAZING!!!
Also is gonna cost money when the entire game is released? for example,around 25?? or more or is gonna be completely free??either way im looking forward for it!!<33. Like I said before all of it is amazing,stunning and more 💞💞 Ty for making such a brilliant game
Thank you! We're glad you enjoyed the demo (and Hendric ;) )
As for your question, yes, the game will be commercial, though hopefully not $25. We will be funding for the game in our upcoming Kickstarter, if you'd like to check it out. Full game keys will be available through the campaign as well!
---possible spoilers below---
Just finished some playthroughs, and am looking forward to how this goes!
First of all, the art is AMAZING. From the title screen, character sprites, backgrounds, CGs, and overall interface, I am really really impressed. Other than the absolute skill, everything worked together really well. The way that there were rain marks on the save/load screens was such a nice touch! God, it's so pretty.
The music. The music! Ugh it's so nice at one point I stopped continuing the story just to listen to the music. They way I'm going to open up the game every time I need more of those sweet sweet songs-
Basically, the art + music = top tier atmosphere
The story so far is really interesting too! Hen is annoyingly charming (lol) and I am really curious about Faine. And I'm sure a lot of people can relate to April with having trouble finding a job in this economy :,). Not only that, but the fear of failed dreams and unreached potential as a young person. Hits hard.
I haven't tried out all the choices yet, but so far it's really interesting how character interactions change depending on player choice, like choosing to leave Hen after breaking his phone (understandable man, sorry about that) or choosing to make up something instead of being honest when finally catching up to Faine.
Ahh I cannot give enough praise to this!
10/6/22 edited because I misunderstood a CG lol
You are the first person - that we know of - that has noticed the raindrops on the in-game menus; very keen eyes!
But we also adore this thorough review, you clearly have taken the time to explore around in the game. As devs there is no better rewards than players that clearly have given a game a lot of thought, so thank you!
Besides that, we are glad you enjoyed the mini demo! We've been working away on the full demo, so hopefully it lives up to what you've seen so far.
I recently streamed me playing the mini demo a while ago (uploading a Youtube video soon!) and what an amazing introduction to a cozy and comfy game! I've been wanting to try this game out after Otome Jam ended since it caught my interest and I'm so glad I did!
So.... The ATMOSPHERE, the ART, THE UI???? Clean, gorgeous, amazing. Coincidentally, it rained when I played the game, so how fitting lol. The music, backgrounds and the art fit very well with each other and it created a nice and comfy atmosphere that I quite enjoy. I love how the UI is similar to a camera! The character designs are beautifully unique and stylish (pink hair MC :DDD) and their personalities so far are quite interesting! Totally not biased, but I love the MC, April, so much. I'm excited to see her development, hopefully help her reach her dreams and her dynamic with the two male leads!
Definitely following the development of this game! :) Thank you for your hard work and I wish you the best of luck!! <33
We know we already said thank you but we are still grateful you had a chance to try it and thank you so much for the support!
We had so much fun watching you and hearing your expanded thoughts here makes us super happy. Pink-haired people unite to reach their dream!
The mini demo is great so far, can't wait for more, but it's true what if you want something other than whale gummies at 3 am.
Hendric will be glad to have found a fellow comrade! But thank you, we are hopefully uploading a full demo soon, so we hope you enjoy it!
Already played the demo a while back, oops. Looking good so far and I'm interested to see more!
(We really need to get ourselves a youtube account vjjdjfkf)
But we did want to say thank you for playing through the mini demo and sharing it!!! We had so much fun watching this together!
nice, i loved the BGs :))
Thank you! ^^
Really impressed with this demo and definitely following this project! The art is absolutely gorgeous. I love how the backgrounds really look suffused with rain, and the character designs are so crisp and lovely, and evocative of manwha style art. Both boys appeal to me, though I slightly prefer Mr. King of Gummies.
I also love the look of the UI, almost like a pathfinder, and how the weather and date display in the top. (Since the characters have different weather preferences, does that come into play...?)
Finally, the choices were really refreshing! I'm not usually one for choices purely for flavor, but I thought it was cool how much of an impact a choice could have. I played around with the different options for the first choice re: April zoning out on the recruiter, and found it hilarious how that choice continued to impact her other encounters. And I also played around with helping Hen first versus returning and thought it was interesting to see how much his behavior towards April changed, which totally makes sense.
The gummy king’s appeal is a very deep void we have all fallen in ahahah
To answer your question though, yes, the weather will have a part to play in the story telling and plot itself! (Not in the mini demo or eventual full demo but down the line)
And it’s incredibly humbling when players notice the little details - such as the background using watercolour styling for the rain-like atmosphere and the choice variations - so thank you so much for both playing and taking the time to review our work!!!!
THE ART IS SO GOOD AAAAA ITS SO GORGEOUS I LOVE THE COLOURS AND THE ARTSTYLE 10/10
Ahaha, thank you! Our members work really hard on the visuals so we’re glad you enjoyed it!
sheeeeesh the art is so good! cant wait to play the full thing!
Thank you so much!
Just played the mini demo and I really liked it. I tried all the choices out which i thought was interesting, because it gave you new scenes and more of the characters. I appreciate that they had made a difference, because in my experience they often don’t have any.
I absolutely love the art and found every frame to be so great. As for the characters, I’m currently interested in both:
- For Faine, I really like how we first see them in the opening and then their reunion later on. It made me curious on how their story will unfold, since Faine seems interesting and I've always liked the childhood friend trope.
- For Hen, his scenes were really fun and i really enjoyed them especially the whole candy scene. I'm interested in learning more about his character and seeing more of him.
I think they both add something interesting and their own touch, so that's why i can't currently choose but i am excited to play more.
We hold your hand in solidarity because our whole team loves choices with wild consequences, which is why you find so many in here :)
Thank you for giving the mini demo a try!! We’re working hard on the full demo, so hopefully you get a chance to play that once released!
This was honestly a fun game and I'm currently most interested in Hendric's route lolol, his interactions were very fun and I enjoyed his character a lot !! Faine was amazing too, its just funny how he hid under the picnic table pfftt. Overall, I can't wait to see any future and full games!!
Thank you so much for playing! We’re glad you gave both boys a shot since they really are quite different in appeal.
Sending you all the love for your support as well!!! <3
Otome's aren't my usual genre of visual novels, but I decided to give Diffraction a try today. I was initially drawn in by the professionally designed characters, and stayed for the gloomy backgrounds that manage to have incredible depth in them.
You might think Faine and Hendric are the stars of the show, but truly it is Hat Boy and Purse Girl. These wonderful side characters shine in comparison to Guy Who Runs Away and Broken Phone Dude. In all seriousness though, I did enjoy the two main boys.Going down one branch of options, Hendric was a fiend for candy and in another, he was confident and teasing April. Clearly the popular guy who has no trouble with money or women. I of course selected the option to suggest grabbing both gummies, like any normal person would. Hen agreed, and suggested he might regret it during the middle of the night if he didn't. A wise choice if you ask me.
Faine hiding under the table was peak comedy for me. He REALLY wanted to avoid running into us, perhaps something happened in the past that he's embarrassed about. Seems like the talented, but silent type. Doesn't want too much recognition for his achievements, but would rather do what he enjoys in peace. I could be totally off, but that was my impression of him. I think I needed to make some different dialogue choices, because we didn't get to chat as much as I'd like to.
My overall impression was quite positive. April is a great protagonist, who is given an extensive list of dialogue options to choose from. I don't likely belong to the intended audience for this, but I appreciate the love and quality put into this project. Great job on this, hope to see it finished in the future!
First off - THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PLAYING AND EVEN MAKING A PLAY THROUGH (Our little team watched it together and we had so much fun!) To directly answer some of your questions in the video:
The fact that you don't generally play otomes and gave our little mini demo a try means a lot to us! We're glad you enjoyed all of the routes and we'll keep trying our best. Thank you for the support!
The atosphere you managed to create with this game is immaculate! everything works together so well, the art, the writing, the music, the GUI - it is all incredible!
I felt so immersed right from the start, the storyline hooked me right in! super looking forward to seeing how this game progresses ^^
(also April's "oh crap" face cracked me up so much hahaha)
Thank you for playing and all the kind words and support!! <3 Now the question is - did you "Stay", "Go", or both in-game?
(Our artist also cackled at you enjoying that face, it was a last minute add from her)
it's just so pretty. i love the character sprites, i love the backgrounds, hell, i love the gui.
We're glad you enjoyed all the visuals! We spent a lot of time figuring those aspects out, so we appreciate you appreciating it <3
Gorgeous visuals and just enough story to get me curious for more! I got Hen for my run and I greatly enjoyed my time with the gummy king :>
The gummy king gains another appreciator we see lol But thank you so much for playing! We're really glad you enjoyed it!
Ahhh I can't wait for the full thing
Thank you!! We hope you enjoyed the mini demo - and if you did, we have to ask, did you "Stay" or "Go" in-game?
OH! one more thing :)) will the full version be free?
Thank you so much for the support!!! We will keep trying our best! As of right now, we haven't decided what the full version will be since we need to make sure we have the resources to finish it first even :'D
I fell in love the moment I saw this game. I won't be playing the demo but I will wait till the full version is out! : DDD I hope your team will win through every obstacle that comes in the midst of developing the full version. All the best to you guys :))
i just finished the demo and i feel like this is a promising one!
the atmosphere was just so perfect.
everything about the vn was just so well done, but i feel like it was the art style and the bgs (i always appreciate it when devs put effort in the bgs!) that really tied it all together.
for the characters, it was faine that i got attracted to first. his character resembled a donghua i liked so i thought that was kinda nice :D i also like the rekindling-an-old-flame trope that the game hints, and that made him more of an intriguing character than the other... which is hen.
listen. i tried, really tried to like him, but his character just feels so... shallow (?) that i couldn't bring myself to be at least interested, or expect for his character development in the future. he just feels like another one of those guys in romance novels and otome games; the arrogant/flamboyant type that's guarantee to swoon anyone. but the thing that makes him different is that his attitude is just unappealing??? i mean,
at least those men i mentioned have some sort of depth to their personality.i guess he just felt off to me. with the way the demo presented his character, he just felt like a pretty face and was the obvious typical route anyone would go for. sorry not sorry. his fit is fire though, if that's any consolation.
despite all that, i'm still looking forward for the full version. everything else made it up for that one part i disliked, so it's all good :)
thank you for sharing this to us! goodluck with the game <3
Thank you so much for playing!! We're glad you enjoyed the Faine :) And no worries at all if you're not a fan of Hen, he's quite the character so that's completely fair!
Thank you very much for the support, we'll keep working away at this! <3
Hi! i'm a native spanish speaker and i was wondering if you are interested to do a translation to spanish of the demo, i'm a translator student looking for experience in the area of videogames, so, if you like the idea tell me and i pass you my email.
Have a good day :)
Hi there! We don't have any translation plans right now, but we'll be sure to keep this in mind!
This is a fantastic mini demo, I loved it so much 🥰
The first thing to note is of course the beautiful art. The sprites, backgrounds and UI all look great together and really suit the rainy atmosphere. The vibes are on point. Even the art style of the BGs looks kind of watery??
Second thing is the care that was put into the choices. It was so much fun going back and trying out the different options, because they did make a difference!
I loved the characterization of April, and I'm really looking forward to seeing her development. I'm most intrigued by Hendric - the jacket. The confidence. The candy. I stayed LOL. Can't wait for more in the future!
AHHHHHH We're so honoured you gave the mini demo a try!! <3 Hendric is very compelling that it's hard not to stay ;) And we really should have expected fellow devs to try out all of the options - you all know too much now, you must go lol
But seriously, we're really glad you enjoyed the game and the characters as well! We'll keep trying our best!
Just finished the mini-demo and everything is amazing! Really looking forward to how it continues!! I end up running for Faine, I think he's cute...sorry Hen.
Puchi!!!! Thank you for playing it <3 We'll keep working hard! We're happy you like Faine - Hen will understand lol
Whoaaa, what a wonderful demo! All the visuals here are absolutely stunning - the characters, the gui, the backgrounds... Everything works together really well to create a beautiful atmosphere. Love the music as well! Really relaxing, I kept it playing even after I was finished playing.
I stayed for Gummy King Hen😌❤️
A very good choice with staying. But AHHHHH thank you, this is so sweet!!!! We put a lot of love into creating the atmosphere so we're incredibly happy to see people enjoying it!!
To echo everyone else - loved the art, the UI, the music!! Since you're asking - I stayed for Hen ;) The gummy king spoke to me and made me giggle. Excited to get a Faine playthrough in too!!
The gummy king's words are quite powerful hahaha. Thank you so much for playing and we're really glad you enjoyed it!! <3 We hope you have fun with the "Go" side too!!
The art is stunning!!! omg I was so mesmerized by your GUI 😫 how can it be so satisfying?!??! 🥺❤️
Also…. MC is so cute 😭😭 she is so sweet and i love her hair color!!
The background art is so beautiful and relaxing. I was really wishing to visit a place like this while playing the game 🥺
Great job, guys! ❤️
I'm very interested in the story and how the boys will spice it up along the way. I'm looking forward to the full game 🥰🥰
We're so glad the GUI was worth it! Our GUI artist/coder worked so hard on it too. But AHHHHHHHHHHHH All of these comments are so lovely and it makes us so happy that you seemed to have enjoyed the game!!!
(P.s. Our entire team is waiting to play TeachersLP together and we are looking forward to it so much!)
The art in this game is insanely good, it captured my attention in a matter of seconds. After playing the demo, I can safely say that absolutely everything about it is on point - from the music and the dialogue to the characters. Great job, I can't wait to see more!
Ahhhhhhhh thank you kindly!! We tried our best to make it fun for players so we're glad it was enjoyable!!
From the moment the title screen popped up I immediately gasped at the art cause ughh it just gave me that serene feeling with its minimalist design and music. I've always loved rainy weather. It's the perfect time to get cozy and this game captured that cozy feel. The mood was constant in showcasing both the comforting and cold side of any rainy weather.
The background, characters, and CGs were all well-drawn that I couldn't help but gasp whenever the scene changes or a CG pops up XD I especially loved the flashback CG of Faine. Also with the CGs of Faine and Hendric, I had to stare for a while to study how the art was made because I LOVE the artstyle X3 I'm so excited how this will turn out! Fighting!
We are so glad you like the title screen! It's one of our favourite parts honestly.
And thank you so much for playing and loving the art, we will absorb your support and keep doing our best!
The presentation through the art, the ui, the character bio and the itch io page itself is so well done! The MC is also relatable, going through the struggle of following a passion and having to face reality at a job fair. The length of the mini demo makes it a bit hard to grasp what to think about the male characters though. Nonetheless, I'm intrigued!
I think every single one of us devs have felt that before, so we're glad it resonates! Thank you for playing our mini demo, it's definitely shorter than what we wanted for jam, but we're glad we were able to at least be intriguing :)
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I love rain so it such a joy to see a game with rainy theme (it's been so long to see another indie game with this kind of atmosphere after Kokorogawari), the atmosphere and the visual just so,,,! *chef kiss*
Can't wait for more, since the mini demo still too short for me to have a clear thought about our characters.
We definitely love rain too (which I guess is obvious). Thank you for playing! And the very important question we always ask players is, did you stay or did you go in-game?
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You mean the scene where April run into Hendric? I run for Faine first (I have eye on Faine since the characters infor because of his fav weather lol). My sense screaming cuz normally I would have stay instead xD
Ohhh you went for Faine, we see, we see! It seems to be a split of people that run after Faine and people that stay with Hendric instead
It was a good demo
Thank you so much for playing! <3
This was a great demo, I really enjoyed Faine and Hen's character so far and can't wait to see more. The UI and general aesthetic is gorgeous! The art is really pretty too. There were a couple errors, though, such as the MC's portrait showing up mid-transition or some minor typing errors (the only one I can remember is "focussed"). Super excited to play the full game, I'll continue supporting y'all!
Thank you for playing and for the support!!! We're so glad you enjoy the incredibly brief introduction to the characters! (And thank you for pointing out the typos and errors, we'll keep debugging for sure)
love the art, love the music, but don't like the personality of the mc.
why was she so impulsive when seeing Faine? like, she ran after him while being in a crowd. gosh, running like that is so chaotic. dislike. then, she stumbled into a stranger but didn't even apologize to him. for me, that was an absolutely rude action.
besides, reading her meaningless thoughts is irritating. i just feel she was so immature.
to sum up, I will come back to play this game again just for the music and artwork.
Thank you for playing, not everything is everyone's cup of tea and that's okay! :)
I just finished the mini demo (and I believe I managed to look at every possible option combination!) My review is going to be thorough so, spoiler warning perhaps? Even if it is only chapter one.....
I was absolutely pulled in. The memory at the beginning that caused her to zone out to set up April's passion, and the rejections from multiple booths at the job fair created such a melancholy feeling. I feel like April is super relatable, even to those who may not be into photography since those feelings can be applied to many dreams. I also will admit I feel a bit anxious as to the conversation she'll have with her parents in the morning.
Now let us talk about characters --
April herself, as I said, feels really relatable. She has a dream, and it just feels like it's being shattered. It leaves her feeling empty, and longing, which is why I think seeing Faine compelled her to rush toward him, especially since it was the memory that made her zone out. I like how she feels relatable but at the same time, her own character. I also absolutely love her design!
Faine - he's mysterious, I do not quite know what to make of him yet, especially since we spend the least time with him in this demo but despite that the brief encounter was enough to make me drawn to know more. What he said to her in the past, if it has lingered in her mind, obviously holds a solid wait. I love when chosen to tell Faine she has no idea why she ran over, they were able to exchange contacts, which made the awkward opposite choice so painful when she lies and laughs it off, and when pushing for contacts -- he flat out says no. I felt so bad for April as it only added to the rejected feelings. So I can't wait to learn more about Faine and why he is so stand-offish.
Hendric - oh my, he is so funny! I honestly don't know if I can fully trust that April's stepping-on-$5,000-phone-debt could have been forgiven so easily, but the man clearly knows his candy, so who could be sure? His dialogue was absolutely hilarious, and despite the tense situation, he really seems like a cool guy that can come off a bit shady but perhaps is simply a little childish. I feel like getting to know his character will be an extremely fun and unpredictable adventure!
Now let's look at some technical aspects---
Artwork - it's absolutely gorgeous! I love the soft and dull coloring, which really fits with the whole rainy atmoshphere. Speaking of...
Atmosphere - I love how it has a rainy atmosphere. I personally LOVE rain, it exudes so many feelings. It can be melancholic, it can be fresh, hopeful, clean, cold, tragic. It can be hopes and dreams, it can be pain and misery. It just really fits with where April is right now!
Music - the soundtrack is very chill and fitting, blending extremely well with the game!
GUI - everything looks nice and clean!
Errors - the only issues I ran into were sometimes April's sprite would pop up briefly in the middle of transitions, as well as near the end of the demo, it switches from her yellow jacket to not having it on.
Overall experience - I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a neat introduction, and I can't wait to see more! The characters, including the MC, are all interesting in their own ways and I can't wait to learn more about them. There's just something really nice about stories like these, concerning dreams, and rain, and I also love that there's a little light-heartedness (namely concerning Hen) in the mix so things aren't too serious or gloomy,
Sorry my review was so long, but I just really enjoyed this piece! Your team's love and talent really show, congrats on making it for Otome Jam!
We want to say thank you again for playing - and trying all of the options, oh wow! Just reading this review makes everyone on the team so happy. <3
You clearly took a lot of time to think everything over from the characters to the components and we adore the analysis. If you keep looking at the game with such a critical eye, it will definitely help you in the future with how the story and characters are set up!
Also thank you for pointing out the bug, we will definitely look into it!!