Noooo I picked the 'right' option the first time but the game still punished me, how cruel ;-;
Haha in any case, this was a lovely little VN. I'm always impressed how much these short O2A2 VNs can fit into such a small wordcount. It really shows you can craft an interesting story with likeable characters and complex moral dilemmas in a short space if you can write concisely enough, and you really nailed it. There's even some worldbuilding here too, and some hints about the characters' backgrounds which flesh them and their relationship out.
The art is lovely, the track that plays is very pretty, and the VA is impeccable. The writing is also very solid all around, and I liked how you used the VN medium to tell a story to really hammer home Amelia's desire to get a redo. If only things were that easy haha ;;
I enjoyed this a lot, there's so much depth and pathos to it!
This was such a BEAUTIFULLY written game, and perfectly structured to deliver its message, which is as relatable as it is poignant.
The CG is absolutely gorgeous, with its vivid, sun-dappled colors, and the melancholic BGM perfectly fits the tone of the game. The dialogue is simultaneously poetic and raw. While this story takes place in a fantasy world, I think that the feelings of the characters are very relatable, even to a modern audience. The voice actress did a FANTASTIC job - I loved the kind of "rough" quality to her voice, where it sounded as if she had been crying, and the emotion that she delivered in the more tense moments was very moving.
===SPOILERS===
Here, you play the part of a princess who lays in the courtyard next to Ziri, the court jester. Ziri opens up about her past dreams - how she wanted to be a playwright, but she failed. She yearns for a "second chance."
There is only one choice, and, appropriately, only one save slot for the game as well. I actually played through the "good ending" first - but then it is clear that that wasn't the real story.
As you go back and play through the second choice, it becomes clear what the actual meaning of the title "Reflection" is. Amelia isn't experiencing this for the first time - rather, she's replaying the memories in her mind, reflecting on what occurred. And like Ziri, who didn't have a second chance, Amelia also doesn't get a second chance. Those hurtful words, no matter how well-intentioned they were, are eternal - and she has to live with the consequences.
After you play through the first time, the "right" choice is deleted on all of your subsequent playthroughs - and Amelia is forced to live with the choice that she made. I really loved how that theme of "living with the consequences of your choices" is reflected in both Ziri's story and Amelia's - it's kind of a "Matroshka doll" of intertwined stories all reflecting the same theme.
Overall I LOVED the concept of this game and it was impeccably executed, fantastic work!
Oh my goodness the way this is written I love this so much... Went with the clear bad ending choice first, and was blown away at how well it reflected Ziri's words for Amelia;; And then I went back and discovered that I was in a web of sadness the whole time, it all came back around to one truth and that one truth is that I'm so sad for them both!!!
I'll just say the title makes perfect sense by the end in a way that's worth playing all the way through again...
The art and the music were absolutely beautiful!!! Immersed in a beautiful, emotional moment, and the voice acting... That 'I've been crying and I'm right on the edge of crying, and slowly breaking down more and more...' Heart-wrenching and beautifully done!
Ooooooh my heart aches for both Ziri and Amelia ;-; Ziri for feeling like she's lost her chance at her dream, having it crushed just when she'd dared to hope. And Amelia for not realising the consequence of a careless moment until it was too late. I think a lot of us can relate to both of these fears, and the twist at the end really hit home for me.
The voice acting was brilliant and brought those raw emotions to life, and the wistful music is a beautiful touch. Love the art, the presentation, the writing! It was also very cool to see accessibility options included - a thoughtful and inclusive addition.
DAMN YOU, who's chopping onions while I'm playing...? 😭
For real though, amazing job!! Everything about the game, from the writing, the CG variants, the use of NVL mode, the GUI, the music... it all coalesces together into a beautifully orchestrated symphony of heartbreak. 💔
To convey all of that in only 1000 words, and create it all in just one week?! Hot damn... 👏👏👏
And as usual, you always include awesome accessibility options, even for such a short game jam.
also i really loved the touch of the menu art changing!! the va was amazing!! and the use of the NVL screen really gave me the interest court jester/screenplay vibes!
Oh my, this story is so heartbreaking and I connected so much with it!
First of all, I do write theatre plays, and tragedies in particular lol, so I could totally relate to Ziri in being interested in them! But the story of Ziri is really devastating, and the fact she had to abandon her own dreams to only experience it partly, and to become a laughingstock in the eyes of many, as if her not reaching her dream was something laughable... Of course, at first, I didn't have the cruelty to pick one of the two options but... then the plot twist caught me and the final conclusion to the game really solidified the message. It was sad, but so sincere and touching.
The voice actor did an amazing job painting her sorrow, the longing, the despair, it all felt very authentic, and it helped making the game very immersive and atmospheric!
On a technical standpoint, I really loved the art, which was GORGEOUS (Ziri's expressions were beautifully drawn, the backround was gorgeous), the GUI was stunning, and goodness, the music track was GRANDIOSE!!
Congrats to all the team, it was a very poignant story!
CHIMMMM!!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 I LOVE YOUR COMMENTS SO MUCH, THEY'RE LIKE A DELICIOUS SUNDAE!! SO MANY LAYERS OF GOODNESS TO THEM!
Yeee, theatre is so neat (though I'm a musical girlie so I don't know if I count lmao), and I've always wanted to create a character whose passion was that. Unfortunately for Ziri, she's my character so she's gotta go through some trauma XD
Beth did such a fantastic job with Ziri. Honestly, when I heard hear takes, I felt bad for putting Ziri through all this.
Thank you Chim for playing and for your kind words as always! <3
LMAOOOO my dream project's first inspiration literally is The Phantom of the Opera, OF COURSE MUSICALS COUNT! And I'm happy you enjoyed the comment, thanks for this great game!!
Omg... this is so heartbreaking yet beautiful. The plot twist at the end made me sad but it fitted the story so well. It's true, not every story has a happy ending, and unfortunately... sometimes the way you realize what you had was good is when you lose it.
I could relate a lot to Ziri and her despair over failure. It's devastating when you feel like you give it your all for something only to have that dream crashing down. But just like the hypothetical Amelia said, it's never too late to try again. Sometimes we feel like certain things are out of our reach because of our age or because we are afraid to fail again. I believe we can overcome that fear and try again 💕 And having someone who supports you in your dream definitely helps a whole lot!!
The art, writing, music, voice acting, GUI, everything from top to bottom was beautiful. Thank you for sharing this story with the world!! 💖
Yeah, failure really...fucking sucks. It's so hard to move on from it, but I think if you have the right support, it gets easier to do so. I don't know if someone can completely ever move on from it (maybe that's just me), but it definitely gets easier once you have that strong support system in place to reassure you that life isn't over.
I've already told you how much I appreciate your love towards this game, but I'll say it again here! Thank you so much for playing, I love ya girl. I'll make sure to tell the other team members you liked their work! <3
As someone who also feels like they've had many of their dreams end in failure, I really resonated with Ziri and her feelings of hopelessness and despair at what could have been... I was tearing up the by the end... 😢💕
Everything about the game was so beautifully done though ahhhhh!! The art of Ziri is so gorgeous, especially with the beautiful golden light... it makes her look so magical... And the GUI! From the menu work to the NVL frame, it was just really poetic and delicate and felt so perfect for the story and its themes.
GAHHH AND THE VOICE!!! My gosh there was so my EMOTION behind some of those lines... especially when Ziri was getting really emotional and crying... it made everything hit that much harder... just so well done... 😭
Ahhh everything was so well done and beautiful! And the music even now as I sit here and listen to it while writing this. So magical. Thank you for this poignant beautiful story... 💕
CHSDJKHKGJ CARRRRROOOOTTTT I LOVE YOUR COMMENTS SO MUCH!!!
First of all, sorry for the tears. It's a Kristi guarantee that my games will be emotionally-provoking in some way XD
Ziri's pain I feel like is something that so many of us can relate to, especially nowadays where dreams seem even further out of reach. And often, moving on from a dream is a lot like grief. It's difficult to process, and it's something you learn to cope with. It hits you every now and again out of nowhere, and you're reminded of the pain.
YESSS!!!! Mustache did a fantastic job with the art. I remember my jaw dropping when I saw the finalized cg!
AHHH THANK YOU!!! Beth hit it out of the park. When I heard her takes for some of the last few lines, I was like "Damn...I wrote this and I'm kinda getting emotional what the hell?" XD
THE MUSIC IS SO GOOD OH MY GOOOD! I gave Corinna a few notes on the story's tone and what emotion the music to invoke, but gave her free reign for the most part. I think it was a day or two after the jam began when she dropped THIS BEAUTIFUL TRACK ON ME AND I'M LIKE "TALENT. PURE TALENTTTTT!!!!
Thank you so much for your amazing comment, Carrot. I always find joy in reading them. I'll be sure to forward your compliments to the other team members! <3 <3 <3
Haha, sorry for breaking your heart Asthar! Thank you so much your kind words, I'll be sure to forward your compliments to the artist and voice actress! :) <3
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Noooo I picked the 'right' option the first time but the game still punished me, how cruel ;-;
Haha in any case, this was a lovely little VN. I'm always impressed how much these short O2A2 VNs can fit into such a small wordcount. It really shows you can craft an interesting story with likeable characters and complex moral dilemmas in a short space if you can write concisely enough, and you really nailed it. There's even some worldbuilding here too, and some hints about the characters' backgrounds which flesh them and their relationship out.
The art is lovely, the track that plays is very pretty, and the VA is impeccable. The writing is also very solid all around, and I liked how you used the VN medium to tell a story to really hammer home Amelia's desire to get a redo. If only things were that easy haha ;;
I enjoyed this a lot, there's so much depth and pathos to it!
god DAMN was the voice acting PHENOMENAL. I felt it, right in my heart, and it was twisted in pain :</pos
This was such a BEAUTIFULLY written game, and perfectly structured to deliver its message, which is as relatable as it is poignant.
The CG is absolutely gorgeous, with its vivid, sun-dappled colors, and the melancholic BGM perfectly fits the tone of the game. The dialogue is simultaneously poetic and raw. While this story takes place in a fantasy world, I think that the feelings of the characters are very relatable, even to a modern audience. The voice actress did a FANTASTIC job - I loved the kind of "rough" quality to her voice, where it sounded as if she had been crying, and the emotion that she delivered in the more tense moments was very moving.
===SPOILERS===
Here, you play the part of a princess who lays in the courtyard next to Ziri, the court jester. Ziri opens up about her past dreams - how she wanted to be a playwright, but she failed. She yearns for a "second chance."
There is only one choice, and, appropriately, only one save slot for the game as well. I actually played through the "good ending" first - but then it is clear that that wasn't the real story.
As you go back and play through the second choice, it becomes clear what the actual meaning of the title "Reflection" is. Amelia isn't experiencing this for the first time - rather, she's replaying the memories in her mind, reflecting on what occurred. And like Ziri, who didn't have a second chance, Amelia also doesn't get a second chance. Those hurtful words, no matter how well-intentioned they were, are eternal - and she has to live with the consequences.
After you play through the first time, the "right" choice is deleted on all of your subsequent playthroughs - and Amelia is forced to live with the choice that she made. I really loved how that theme of "living with the consequences of your choices" is reflected in both Ziri's story and Amelia's - it's kind of a "Matroshka doll" of intertwined stories all reflecting the same theme.
Overall I LOVED the concept of this game and it was impeccably executed, fantastic work!
Oh my goodness the way this is written I love this so much... Went with the clear bad ending choice first, and was blown away at how well it reflected Ziri's words for Amelia;; And then I went back and discovered that I was in a web of sadness the whole time, it all came back around to one truth and that one truth is that I'm so sad for them both!!!
I'll just say the title makes perfect sense by the end in a way that's worth playing all the way through again...
The art and the music were absolutely beautiful!!! Immersed in a beautiful, emotional moment, and the voice acting... That 'I've been crying and I'm right on the edge of crying, and slowly breaking down more and more...' Heart-wrenching and beautifully done!
Ooooooh my heart aches for both Ziri and Amelia ;-; Ziri for feeling like she's lost her chance at her dream, having it crushed just when she'd dared to hope. And Amelia for not realising the consequence of a careless moment until it was too late. I think a lot of us can relate to both of these fears, and the twist at the end really hit home for me.
The voice acting was brilliant and brought those raw emotions to life, and the wistful music is a beautiful touch. Love the art, the presentation, the writing! It was also very cool to see accessibility options included - a thoughtful and inclusive addition.
DAMN YOU, who's chopping onions while I'm playing...? 😭
For real though, amazing job!! Everything about the game, from the writing, the CG variants, the use of NVL mode, the GUI, the music... it all coalesces together into a beautifully orchestrated symphony of heartbreak. 💔
To convey all of that in only 1000 words, and create it all in just one week?! Hot damn... 👏👏👏
And as usual, you always include awesome accessibility options, even for such a short game jam.
Awesome job! 🎉🎊🥳
HEY???
DONT HURT MY FEELINGS LIKE THIS
also i really loved the touch of the menu art changing!! the va was amazing!! and the use of the NVL screen really gave me the interest court jester/screenplay vibes!
Oh my, this story is so heartbreaking and I connected so much with it!
First of all, I do write theatre plays, and tragedies in particular lol, so I could totally relate to Ziri in being interested in them! But the story of Ziri is really devastating, and the fact she had to abandon her own dreams to only experience it partly, and to become a laughingstock in the eyes of many, as if her not reaching her dream was something laughable... Of course, at first, I didn't have the cruelty to pick one of the two options but... then the plot twist caught me and the final conclusion to the game really solidified the message. It was sad, but so sincere and touching.
The voice actor did an amazing job painting her sorrow, the longing, the despair, it all felt very authentic, and it helped making the game very immersive and atmospheric!
On a technical standpoint, I really loved the art, which was GORGEOUS (Ziri's expressions were beautifully drawn, the backround was gorgeous), the GUI was stunning, and goodness, the music track was GRANDIOSE!!
Congrats to all the team, it was a very poignant story!
CHIMMMM!!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 I LOVE YOUR COMMENTS SO MUCH, THEY'RE LIKE A DELICIOUS SUNDAE!! SO MANY LAYERS OF GOODNESS TO THEM!
Yeee, theatre is so neat (though I'm a musical girlie so I don't know if I count lmao), and I've always wanted to create a character whose passion was that. Unfortunately for Ziri, she's my character so she's gotta go through some trauma XD
Beth did such a fantastic job with Ziri. Honestly, when I heard hear takes, I felt bad for putting Ziri through all this.
Thank you Chim for playing and for your kind words as always! <3
LMAOOOO my dream project's first inspiration literally is The Phantom of the Opera, OF COURSE MUSICALS COUNT! And I'm happy you enjoyed the comment, thanks for this great game!!
Omg... this is so heartbreaking yet beautiful. The plot twist at the end made me sad but it fitted the story so well. It's true, not every story has a happy ending, and unfortunately... sometimes the way you realize what you had was good is when you lose it.
I could relate a lot to Ziri and her despair over failure. It's devastating when you feel like you give it your all for something only to have that dream crashing down. But just like the hypothetical Amelia said, it's never too late to try again. Sometimes we feel like certain things are out of our reach because of our age or because we are afraid to fail again. I believe we can overcome that fear and try again 💕 And having someone who supports you in your dream definitely helps a whole lot!!
The art, writing, music, voice acting, GUI, everything from top to bottom was beautiful. Thank you for sharing this story with the world!! 💖
PRRIIIII <3 <3 <3 <3 ;~;
Yeah, failure really...fucking sucks. It's so hard to move on from it, but I think if you have the right support, it gets easier to do so. I don't know if someone can completely ever move on from it (maybe that's just me), but it definitely gets easier once you have that strong support system in place to reassure you that life isn't over.
I've already told you how much I appreciate your love towards this game, but I'll say it again here! Thank you so much for playing, I love ya girl. I'll make sure to tell the other team members you liked their work! <3
This was so beautiful yet sad...
As someone who also feels like they've had many of their dreams end in failure, I really resonated with Ziri and her feelings of hopelessness and despair at what could have been... I was tearing up the by the end... 😢💕
Everything about the game was so beautifully done though ahhhhh!! The art of Ziri is so gorgeous, especially with the beautiful golden light... it makes her look so magical... And the GUI! From the menu work to the NVL frame, it was just really poetic and delicate and felt so perfect for the story and its themes.
GAHHH AND THE VOICE!!! My gosh there was so my EMOTION behind some of those lines... especially when Ziri was getting really emotional and crying... it made everything hit that much harder... just so well done... 😭
Ahhh everything was so well done and beautiful! And the music even now as I sit here and listen to it while writing this. So magical. Thank you for this poignant beautiful story... 💕
CHSDJKHKGJ CARRRRROOOOTTTT I LOVE YOUR COMMENTS SO MUCH!!!
First of all, sorry for the tears. It's a Kristi guarantee that my games will be emotionally-provoking in some way XD
Ziri's pain I feel like is something that so many of us can relate to, especially nowadays where dreams seem even further out of reach. And often, moving on from a dream is a lot like grief. It's difficult to process, and it's something you learn to cope with. It hits you every now and again out of nowhere, and you're reminded of the pain.
YESSS!!!! Mustache did a fantastic job with the art. I remember my jaw dropping when I saw the finalized cg!
AHHH THANK YOU!!! Beth hit it out of the park. When I heard her takes for some of the last few lines, I was like "Damn...I wrote this and I'm kinda getting emotional what the hell?" XD
THE MUSIC IS SO GOOD OH MY GOOOD! I gave Corinna a few notes on the story's tone and what emotion the music to invoke, but gave her free reign for the most part. I think it was a day or two after the jam began when she dropped THIS BEAUTIFUL TRACK ON ME AND I'M LIKE "TALENT. PURE TALENTTTTT!!!!
Thank you so much for your amazing comment, Carrot. I always find joy in reading them. I'll be sure to forward your compliments to the other team members! <3 <3 <3
That was... heartbreaking. But the art is beautiful and the voice acting is supreme 💖Well done 💖💖💖
Haha, sorry for breaking your heart Asthar! Thank you so much your kind words, I'll be sure to forward your compliments to the artist and voice actress! :) <3