i really love this game. Ezra reminds me of my husband, we were friends for so long. He always been supportive of me, always be there for me and i developed feelings for him but he always treated me like a friend or a little sister. There was also a time where he was in a motorcycle accident and i cried so much like in the story where Ezra was hurt. i didnt give up and i confessed to him many times and I finally got him.
I'm so waiting for the next chapter, the story hooked me so much, and I love the settings, it's like Mad Max.
haha thanks. It was a fight keeping him close to me before we got married, and now we're expecting our 1st child so it was all worth it. Ugh i hope he doesn't read this, it would be so embarassing
I am hooked on this game! I believe in your created world, it feels real and colorful, full of life. All characters are well-ploted and deep. It's so interesting to interct with them. Oliver is totally my crash. Ezra is a sweetie bun. Elise (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡!!! I love them all and I'm torn between.
I often plays interactive text games from Choice of games and Hosted games, you did a great work. Please add an option for height, I feel so depressed when I reading I am much shorter than other characters. I imagine my MC same size as Sabine and Ezra but shorter than Oliver.
Oooh this is so good I didn't expect that 😂😂 the story is so much interesting and the characters I really liked Ezra he's so cute and supportive I wish I had a friend like him 💔 his friendship with the MC is so sweet they're supporting understanding be always with each other , Oliver too is so cute in his on way 😂 and by the way the MC (us 😂) is so hilarious 😂❤
a lot of the time in romance games i have to kind of force myself to pick someone because i equally dont care about everyone. this is NOT that kind of game. i genuinely think i will be worrying about who to romance up until the next chapter releases. this game is really, really great - the MC is hilarious and brave, and every single romance option has me excited and kind of blushing. the plot itself is fascinating and the world you've built feels incredibly real and vibrant. this game is like a fantasy sci-fi romance mystery ball of greatness and I LOVE IT.
I adore Ezra in every way. The sweetest and most loyal guy in all the world! But I also love Oliver. So protective, and considerate. But then you also gave us Gage, who's cheeky and friendly and super charming. I don't want to choose!!! Sabine I don't trust as much, but she seems well intentioned and could be a great bestie in the story... eventually.
Hey Anya! Congrats on your game. I played through all the available chapters in one sitting yesterday and I was hooked right from the beginning. You've created a cast of memorable, unique characters and I can't wait to see how their storylines play out . Elle is a sweetheart, Oliver fills that broody boy trope so wonderfully, Sabine's intriguing and Gage... I do not trust. (I am also so so so torn between Elle and Oliver! Ahh I DO NOT want to choose)
I love apocalyptic settings and I'm so fascinated by the world you've established here (it reminds me a little of Moira Young's Blood Red Road in terms of atmosphere and vibe). Your writing is entertaining, the MC has personality - I can't wait to see how things develop.
Your writing and characters are fabulous and sucked me in right away! I definitely look forward to more chapters, you've already built such a fleshed-out world inside my head that I can't wait to explore it more!
And I already love annoying Oliver, so thank you for that 😅
Okay, so I really love this story. I love the MCs personality, (especially their dynamic with Oliver), and I care about all these characters, and I feel strongly when things happen to them, which is a testament to your great writing ability that you can do that with a story that’s only three chapters in. I’m so grateful you took the time to write this, because it’s been one of my favorite stories recently ❤️ But there are some things in chapter three that felt weird to me, and I wanted to communicate those to you if you want to hear them? But only if you want to hear them, and I don’t want to post any criticisms on a public forum like Itch if you’d rather I message you privately ♥️
Thank you very much for your feedback! I'm happy to receive any comments you have either on this forum or privately. I'd only encourage you to read the other comments on this thread first and my replies as some of your concerns may already have been addressed. Thank you!
While the story is rather interesting, and characters well structured. I have to point out that you should add some more information to the save files ~ I mean "Slot x" does not really help, especially for someone that is used to save quite often and later wants to load the "last save file" ~ I can only see "slot x" ~ no date or time when it was saved.
This is currently a limitation of the coding software I use in Twine. Short of re-coding with a different software (which is still an option), I have to find a technical workaround. Believe me – it's on my to do list. Thanks for your input.
I just finished chapter three and I have to say this is amazing. I've been playing for hours without tiring at all. I love the writing and the way the mc behaves is very natural and believable. I often find with romance games that the mc's behavior and/or courses of action are so arbitrary and not relatable that it ruins the feeling of immersion, but this is a perfect example of the opposite. I truly enjoyed all of the characters as well. You gave all of them a distinctive charm. I'm surprised at how invested I already am with the story and all of the characters, including the mc. I truly love this! Thank you for sharing it <3
chapter 3 is great :D im really loving this i began to feel disoriented or a loss of immersion a few points (i think most during the scouting discussions and thought trains). mc can sometimes be so in their own head that i forget where we are, though that's probably intentional, i'd like more sensory detail- distracted observations, environmental awareness- casually mixed in with dialogue+progression to keep the long thought trains/exchanges grounded
Thank you for your review! I think this was the one that came in on Tumblr in pieces, so thanks for sending it in full! I love hearing that you like the setting and that the scouting missions feel dangerous.
In terms of the interactive part – I'm repeating myself from Tumblr a bit – but I hear you on the lack of interactive choice in some scenes. Particularly the Gage scene I think can be improved with another branch or making it clearer that his room is a romantic option. In terms of forgiving Sabine, I appreciate this commentary as I think it points out a weakness in my writing in terms of displaying why exactly the MC is such a forgiving personality (at least, in the beginning). The MC needs the social relationships in their life to be free of long-term conflict because they need them to survive. Making an "enemy" of Sabine or treating her openly badly is going to have some very serious consequences in this world, as opposed to a modern one. MC is forgiving (to Sabine and Oliver and Ezra/Elle) because they are required to be by their circumstances. At least...that is where we begin the story.
I'm attempting to strike a balance between being very open about the MC's motivations and personality arc and narrative and letting it unfold more naturally. I can completely understand how this can feel like railroading and not enough choice for the player. That's another balance I'm attempting to strike and hopefully improving on as I write and get more helpful reviews like yours!
I would love to answer your questions, but all of them have some if not all answers coming in the next few chapters so I will have to restrain myself for now. Thank you very much, again, for your comments and I haven't interpreted them as rude at all! Scout is a one woman project so I'm hoping for any and all feedback.
This story is super well-executed thus far! The MC is extremely relatable and all of the romance options are charming. The plot is also intriguing and I can’t wait for it to develop further! Seriously good job, I’d love to see more!
Thank you for making this interactive story, it is truly a delight to read and it makes me feel as if I am really going on an adventure with MC & the gang. You got the touch! Please keep creating for as long as you can! Stay safe out there!
Great new chapter! A lot of memorable scenes and moments in this one. Keep up the great work!
Published the prologue for my story, and it's certainly not as easy as it seems at first blush. Although, I do keep expanding the scope and the number of choices to be made which is making it quite complex. I certainly have a newfound level of respect for you doing so much of this by yourself.
It's posted here on Twitch, you should be able to find it under my profile, called 'Survival Games' as the working title. Mine has gotten crazy complex and I'm just in Chapter 1... I've lost track of the number of branches I've got to keep track of that split and intertwine several times over. I've even added in a framework for attributes and achievements, and a normal and "darker" world which has all added a bit more complexity to things. The Devlogs in the game break it all down.
I've got no hope of keeping up with your writing skills, so I've had to up my game in the GUI and interface. :-)
I loved the update! I absolutely adoooooreeeed Oliver's scene bc people grabbing a character's chin to make them look at them? It is a weakness of mine. Also, I found very curious that the MC did not write a letter for E, but that actually added more to the angst of doing their route. Can you imagine the angst after E basically turns their back on the MC's question about their feelings for them, only for the MC to be gone the next day without any explanation? E must be worried and feel guilty af. But yes, I live for that angst. OH AND GAGE?? I already love this man. Let the MC bite you again, please and thank.
How can you make me choose between Oliver and Gage T_T too cruel :( I love this game already, and it was such a nice surprise when I saw that it updated. The writing is amazing and so descriptive, I feel all the feels when I read through it, and I get such a vivid imagery in my head. I love you, keep going, and thank you for developing this game!
beautiful T_T I saw on tumblr that you'd updated and I rushed to play it. Gosh I'm being tugged in two directions between E and Gage. Like omg. E gives that best friend type of romance, they already know you and they're taking a step further. While Gage, observant Gage, wants to get to know everything about you, they wanna know your ins and outs, your dark gritty past, what makes you you. and i CANNOT. Gosh the fear of being known but craving it at the same time.
Question: will there come a point where we "lock in" to a romance path? Or is just kinda like points that stack the more we choose to hang out/think about a character?
Ahahaha so glad you liked Gage's introduction! Thank you so much for playing!!
You will be locked into a route next chapter! I wanted to give some time for everyone to get to know the characters and shape the narrative before making you choose.
I'm in love?? T_T this game is blissfully nostalgic for me. It's in the same genre and has a similar setting to Aloners, which was my first ever otome/visual novel/interactive fiction game when I was 15. It really set the bar high for me and only very rarely have any other games come close to that type of quality story-telling (not to mention where the characters are diverse).
Keep on writing! I'm sure there are many others out there like me who're thankful and excited to see your work and watch its progress unfold ^_^
On the page where you decide whether you are concerned with the electricity quota, does the Scout Profile jump ahead of itself? Bolded parts are for my emphasis.
If you select '“Don’t leave the pot on too long.” You don’t want to take more than your share.' then the Scout Profile updates to say "Scout <name> illustrates the value of a collectivist mindset in the Community. <Name> puts other Community members first and makes a significant effort to know and support all members.".
If you choose the oppose, '“Never mind.” You’ll be fine being over this month. Maybe next month too.' then the Scout Profile updates to say "Scout <Name> displays a worrying preference for individualist thought and behavior. Sometimes disconnected from the Community at large."
In the bolded parts, it feels to me like that part should be filled in based on your conversation with Grandpa Jones, or at least tweaked by it based on the three choices. On the one hand, it could be an odd mix to be individualistic and also support the community, but on the flip side, you could be community first, but just rule abiding and not wanting to go 'rogue' by doing something you aren't supposed to. I assume the conversation with Grandpa Jones is tracked for later, and just isn't shown as part of the character in the Scout Profile?
Anyways, as I said in my earlier post, great game!
Thanks for the feedback! The scout profile personality is based on general individualist vs. collectivist choices. As this is your first choice in the game, it's going to shift that personality trait even before you've necessarily talked to others in the Community yet.
The Scout profile changes on a dime, particularly in your first few choices, but it's based on general personality traits as opposed to specific actions.
Works for me! I really like watching the Profile develop as you begin to flesh out your character in-game. I also like that there are some conversations that just stay as conversations, even if you offer to do something (or Ezra/Elle does). There is no immediate requirements to do anything, it just gets lost/forgotten in the chaos and life of going on a scout.
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hell yea I've been waiting, this is a good one
Aw yissssssssssss I missed my bbs
oh HELL yeah
out of curosity coz there no update since july , is it abandoned ?
Sorry but it has been a while since the last update .
okay ;)
i really love this game. Ezra reminds me of my husband, we were friends for so long. He always been supportive of me, always be there for me and i developed feelings for him but he always treated me like a friend or a little sister. There was also a time where he was in a motorcycle accident and i cried so much like in the story where Ezra was hurt. i didnt give up and i confessed to him many times and I finally got him.
I'm so waiting for the next chapter, the story hooked me so much, and I love the settings, it's like Mad Max.
this is so cute omg
haha thanks. It was a fight keeping him close to me before we got married, and now we're expecting our 1st child so it was all worth it. Ugh i hope he doesn't read this, it would be so embarassing
This is so good!
I am hooked on this game!
I believe in your created world, it feels real and colorful, full of life. All characters are well-ploted and deep. It's so interesting to interct with them. Oliver is totally my crash. Ezra is a sweetie bun. Elise (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡!!!
I love them all and I'm torn between.
I often plays interactive text games from Choice of games and Hosted games, you did a great work. Please add an option for height, I feel so depressed when I reading I am much shorter than other characters. I imagine my MC same size as Sabine and Ezra but shorter than Oliver.
Oooh this is so good I didn't expect that 😂😂 the story is so much interesting and the characters I really liked Ezra he's so cute and supportive I wish I had a friend like him 💔 his friendship with the MC is so sweet they're supporting understanding be always with each other , Oliver too is so cute in his on way 😂 and by the way the MC (us 😂) is so hilarious 😂❤
I'm waiting for the update here ❤
a lot of the time in romance games i have to kind of force myself to pick someone because i equally dont care about everyone. this is NOT that kind of game. i genuinely think i will be worrying about who to romance up until the next chapter releases. this game is really, really great - the MC is hilarious and brave, and every single romance option has me excited and kind of blushing. the plot itself is fascinating and the world you've built feels incredibly real and vibrant. this game is like a fantasy sci-fi romance mystery ball of greatness and I LOVE IT.
I adore Ezra in every way. The sweetest and most loyal guy in all the world! But I also love Oliver. So protective, and considerate. But then you also gave us Gage, who's cheeky and friendly and super charming. I don't want to choose!!! Sabine I don't trust as much, but she seems well intentioned and could be a great bestie in the story... eventually.
Damn I couldn't stop playing once I started, the game is really interesting at this point and I can't wait to find more of the story on next chapters
can wait for chapter 4! any ideas when it will be released?
Hey Anya! Congrats on your game. I played through all the available chapters in one sitting yesterday and I was hooked right from the beginning. You've created a cast of memorable, unique characters and I can't wait to see how their storylines play out . Elle is a sweetheart, Oliver fills that broody boy trope so wonderfully, Sabine's intriguing and Gage... I do not trust. (I am also so so so torn between Elle and Oliver! Ahh I DO NOT want to choose)
I love apocalyptic settings and I'm so fascinated by the world you've established here (it reminds me a little of Moira Young's Blood Red Road in terms of atmosphere and vibe). Your writing is entertaining, the MC has personality - I can't wait to see how things develop.
Good luck on Chapter 4!
Hmm.. should I pick Gage or Oliver?? Other than that, We'll be waiting for the update in Mid Oct.
Hey when will the update come ?
Please tell :(
if you follow her on tumblr she has said it will most likely be out mid October. 🙂
okay
Is there any artwork for this game? Or is all text?
all text so far!
teamOliver-here!I-swear-that-i-will-never-stop-teasing-him
Ezra is a sweetheart. My MC just wants to protect him at all costs, lol!
AHHHH! Absolutely loved it! I'm so excited for any upcoming update c:
This was brilliant! Eagerly awaiting the next chapters
I am in love with this game. Hoping it would get an update soon.
Hey it's more than two weeks .
when will chapter 4 release ?
Check the author's Tumblr! She tends to post updates there. :)
Your writing and characters are fabulous and sucked me in right away! I definitely look forward to more chapters, you've already built such a fleshed-out world inside my head that I can't wait to explore it more!
And I already love annoying Oliver, so thank you for that 😅
I am obsessed with this.
I promise you I really said 'nooooooo' out loud when I reached the end of the last chapter.
You are awesome.
Okay, so I really love this story. I love the MCs personality, (especially their dynamic with Oliver), and I care about all these characters, and I feel strongly when things happen to them, which is a testament to your great writing ability that you can do that with a story that’s only three chapters in. I’m so grateful you took the time to write this, because it’s been one of my favorite stories recently ❤️ But there are some things in chapter three that felt weird to me, and I wanted to communicate those to you if you want to hear them? But only if you want to hear them, and I don’t want to post any criticisms on a public forum like Itch if you’d rather I message you privately ♥️
Thank you very much for your feedback! I'm happy to receive any comments you have either on this forum or privately. I'd only encourage you to read the other comments on this thread first and my replies as some of your concerns may already have been addressed. Thank you!
when is chapter five coming pleaseeeee
will you come back?
Hello,
While the story is rather interesting, and characters well structured. I have to point out that you should add some more information to the save files ~ I mean "Slot x" does not really help, especially for someone that is used to save quite often and later wants to load the "last save file" ~ I can only see "slot x" ~ no date or time when it was saved.
This is currently a limitation of the coding software I use in Twine. Short of re-coding with a different software (which is still an option), I have to find a technical workaround. Believe me – it's on my to do list. Thanks for your input.
The feels in elle's route. Cant wait for the next chapter ❤️
Thank you!
I just finished chapter three and I have to say this is amazing. I've been playing for hours without tiring at all. I love the writing and the way the mc behaves is very natural and believable. I often find with romance games that the mc's behavior and/or courses of action are so arbitrary and not relatable that it ruins the feeling of immersion, but this is a perfect example of the opposite. I truly enjoyed all of the characters as well. You gave all of them a distinctive charm. I'm surprised at how invested I already am with the story and all of the characters, including the mc. I truly love this! Thank you for sharing it <3
Thank you so much!!
chapter 3 is great :D im really loving this
i began to feel disoriented or a loss of immersion a few points (i think most during the scouting discussions and thought trains). mc can sometimes be so in their own head that i forget where we are, though that's probably intentional, i'd like more sensory detail- distracted observations, environmental awareness- casually mixed in with dialogue+progression to keep the long thought trains/exchanges grounded
Thank you for your feedback!
Thank you for your review! I think this was the one that came in on Tumblr in pieces, so thanks for sending it in full! I love hearing that you like the setting and that the scouting missions feel dangerous.
In terms of the interactive part – I'm repeating myself from Tumblr a bit – but I hear you on the lack of interactive choice in some scenes. Particularly the Gage scene I think can be improved with another branch or making it clearer that his room is a romantic option. In terms of forgiving Sabine, I appreciate this commentary as I think it points out a weakness in my writing in terms of displaying why exactly the MC is such a forgiving personality (at least, in the beginning). The MC needs the social relationships in their life to be free of long-term conflict because they need them to survive. Making an "enemy" of Sabine or treating her openly badly is going to have some very serious consequences in this world, as opposed to a modern one. MC is forgiving (to Sabine and Oliver and Ezra/Elle) because they are required to be by their circumstances. At least...that is where we begin the story.
I'm attempting to strike a balance between being very open about the MC's motivations and personality arc and narrative and letting it unfold more naturally. I can completely understand how this can feel like railroading and not enough choice for the player. That's another balance I'm attempting to strike and hopefully improving on as I write and get more helpful reviews like yours!
I would love to answer your questions, but all of them have some if not all answers coming in the next few chapters so I will have to restrain myself for now. Thank you very much, again, for your comments and I haven't interpreted them as rude at all! Scout is a one woman project so I'm hoping for any and all feedback.
This story is super well-executed thus far! The MC is extremely relatable and all of the romance options are charming. The plot is also intriguing and I can’t wait for it to develop further! Seriously good job, I’d love to see more!
Thank you for playing!!!
Thank you for making this interactive story, it is truly a delight to read and it makes me feel as if I am really going on an adventure with MC & the gang. You got the touch! Please keep creating for as long as you can! Stay safe out there!
Thank you SO much! Hope you're also staying safe and healthy!
Great new chapter! A lot of memorable scenes and moments in this one. Keep up the great work!
Published the prologue for my story, and it's certainly not as easy as it seems at first blush. Although, I do keep expanding the scope and the number of choices to be made which is making it quite complex. I certainly have a newfound level of respect for you doing so much of this by yourself.
Thank you so much! Would love to check out your story! Hoping (as with my experience) your coding gets easier as you go.
You can tell, I think, why my branching isn't crazy complex.
It's posted here on Twitch, you should be able to find it under my profile, called 'Survival Games' as the working title. Mine has gotten crazy complex and I'm just in Chapter 1... I've lost track of the number of branches I've got to keep track of that split and intertwine several times over. I've even added in a framework for attributes and achievements, and a normal and "darker" world which has all added a bit more complexity to things. The Devlogs in the game break it all down.
I've got no hope of keeping up with your writing skills, so I've had to up my game in the GUI and interface. :-)
Wow! The chapter 3 was excellent . Looking forward to chapter 4!!
Well please tell when it will be released ?
Thank you!!! I'm planning on 2-3 weeks, really aiming for that 2 week mark.
(Some spoilers up ahead <3)
I loved the update! I absolutely adoooooreeeed Oliver's scene bc people grabbing a character's chin to make them look at them? It is a weakness of mine. Also, I found very curious that the MC did not write a letter for E, but that actually added more to the angst of doing their route. Can you imagine the angst after E basically turns their back on the MC's question about their feelings for them, only for the MC to be gone the next day without any explanation? E must be worried and feel guilty af. But yes, I live for that angst. OH AND GAGE?? I already love this man. Let the MC bite you again, please and thank.
Keep up the good work, you are doing amazing!
Yes, definite angst incoming!! Thank you SO much for your support, it means the absolute world 💚
How can you make me choose between Oliver and Gage T_T too cruel :( I love this game already, and it was such a nice surprise when I saw that it updated. The writing is amazing and so descriptive, I feel all the feels when I read through it, and I get such a vivid imagery in my head. I love you, keep going, and thank you for developing this game!
Thank YOU so much for your support and lovely comment! So grateful you like the game and are keeping up with it!!!
beautiful T_T I saw on tumblr that you'd updated and I rushed to play it. Gosh I'm being tugged in two directions between E and Gage. Like omg. E gives that best friend type of romance, they already know you and they're taking a step further. While Gage, observant Gage, wants to get to know everything about you, they wanna know your ins and outs, your dark gritty past, what makes you you. and i CANNOT. Gosh the fear of being known but craving it at the same time.
Question: will there come a point where we "lock in" to a romance path? Or is just kinda like points that stack the more we choose to hang out/think about a character?
Ahahaha so glad you liked Gage's introduction! Thank you so much for playing!!
You will be locked into a route next chapter! I wanted to give some time for everyone to get to know the characters and shape the narrative before making you choose.
pls tell when will you release chapter 3 ?
this was the best visual novel i have played till now.
Thank you so much! Chapter 3 should be out by the end of July!
I'm in love?? T_T this game is blissfully nostalgic for me. It's in the same genre and has a similar setting to Aloners, which was my first ever otome/visual novel/interactive fiction game when I was 15. It really set the bar high for me and only very rarely have any other games come close to that type of quality story-telling (not to mention where the characters are diverse).
Keep on writing! I'm sure there are many others out there like me who're thankful and excited to see your work and watch its progress unfold ^_^
Thank you so much!! Aloners is also one of my favorites so I take even a slight comparison as a huge compliment.
Thank you for playing, and I am keeping up enough with my writing that Chapter 3 should be out by the end of July!
One bit of feedback/question:
On the page where you decide whether you are concerned with the electricity quota, does the Scout Profile jump ahead of itself? Bolded parts are for my emphasis.
If you select '“Don’t leave the pot on too long.” You don’t want to take more than your share.' then the Scout Profile updates to say "Scout <name> illustrates the value of a collectivist mindset in the Community. <Name> puts other Community members first and makes a significant effort to know and support all members.".
If you choose the oppose, '“Never mind.” You’ll be fine being over this month. Maybe next month too.' then the Scout Profile updates to say "Scout <Name> displays a worrying preference for individualist thought and behavior. Sometimes disconnected from the Community at large."
In the bolded parts, it feels to me like that part should be filled in based on your conversation with Grandpa Jones, or at least tweaked by it based on the three choices. On the one hand, it could be an odd mix to be individualistic and also support the community, but on the flip side, you could be community first, but just rule abiding and not wanting to go 'rogue' by doing something you aren't supposed to. I assume the conversation with Grandpa Jones is tracked for later, and just isn't shown as part of the character in the Scout Profile?
Anyways, as I said in my earlier post, great game!
Thanks for the feedback! The scout profile personality is based on general individualist vs. collectivist choices. As this is your first choice in the game, it's going to shift that personality trait even before you've necessarily talked to others in the Community yet.
The Scout profile changes on a dime, particularly in your first few choices, but it's based on general personality traits as opposed to specific actions.
Works for me! I really like watching the Profile develop as you begin to flesh out your character in-game. I also like that there are some conversations that just stay as conversations, even if you offer to do something (or Ezra/Elle does). There is no immediate requirements to do anything, it just gets lost/forgotten in the chaos and life of going on a scout.
Thank you!! I know I've said it before but your feedback has been really helpful!