Wishes wrapped in Red String

Intertwine by Crescence Studio

Two souls, and an eternity to endlessly intersect. Intertwine lovingly takes the player's hand and leads them through glimpses of these souls' many lives.

You'd be hard pressed to find another game that feels uniquely special from the second the title screen pops up! It wasn't long before I felt a strong wave of emotion wash over, as noted during my first playthrough:

And it was gentle. Van and the player character's stories were worth every minute I spent playing (and replaying, and replaying...). How could anyone not latch onto that hope of finding your soulmate?

Intertwine is broken up into four short sections. Each one gives the player a satisfying taste, but it will leave you feeling greedy for so much more!

I love this game exactly how it exists, but I'd be lying if I didn't selfishly wish there were several more tales. For now, I'll just happily leave things to my wild imagination.

Reasons to Love:

- The writing reads like your new favorite book. The stories you'll find are charming, hopeful, laugh out loud funny, and romantic.

- Van might be my soulmate trapped in a visual novel for this lifetime...

I swiftly fell for his charm, and felt like a clown when the game called me out on my own cheesiness.

- I can't praise the voice acting enough! The subtle differences to each lifetime's Van was always filled with personality. The performance brought him to life and transformed these stories into very real feeling conversations.

- The replay loop mechanic was exciting. Each time back at the title screen felt like a treat. Where would Van and the playable character meet next?

- I adored the visual design of Intertwine's title screen from the start. As I learned the flow of the game it became clear that it also held a fun secret. That mechanic was delightful and unexpected. And also incredibly fun!

- As Van once said... "Fuck, this is embarrassing."

So, I think every CG scene got a surprised gasp out of me. The artwork is so lovely to stare at. There wasn't a single moment where I wasn't impressed!

- I know I already pointed out how special the writing is, but I need to throw extra confetti praise over the banter. This is probably my personal favorite aspect of Intertwine. The banter is so well done!

There's a lifetime where the player and Van are coworkers who hate each other, and then briefly worm their way into each other's hearts. I adored this change, and the chance at being a bit mean. There's something thrilling about a love that bloomed from a seed planted in frustration.

I would share some of my favorite lines from that lifetime, but I'm afraid that I would end up with 80% of that section posted here. I took so many screenshots.

~~~

Intertwine came out swinging and hit a home run. Now I could be biased as a hopeless romantic, but this is my blog. It's safe to say that Intertwine leaves a lasting impression and going straight onto my Best Games of 2023 list!

Taking a Bite out of Otome Jam 2023

Year after year, I compile lists of games I want to try and I often end up admiring the projects from afar. This time the stars have finally aligned and I'm able to dive headfirst into these hidden gems.

First up is Duskbound by nefferinthia:

This story orbits two characters that are bound together in the midst of a city shrouded in an endless night. How they navigate their meeting is decided by the player and results in five different endings.

Duskbound never overstays its welcome. The short nature of this game perfectly compliments the replayability and time loop nature of the plot. Each branching path allows for different facets of the overarching mystery to shine brilliantly.

Our starring characters, Pale One and Vergilius, manage to leave a lasting impression quickly. Pale One is controlled by the player, and with each choice Vergilius reacts accordingly. For example, if your lovestruck feelings coil and fall apart fearfully, his behavior sprints to a frightening territory. And alternatively, if you wave your own red flags...his won't seem so menacing in comparison.

Reasons to Love

- I personally really enjoyed Pale One's questionable actions. Understandably, the game's short length doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room. We need these two in the same place and interacting, and yet, Pale One running to this stranger's door felt natural. Impulsive, yes, but believable. Who hasn't daydreamed about chasing after a missed connection?

I love this for her! She can continue to lean into this fated love and turn a blind eye to the warning signs, or she can backtrack into reality.

No matter what, each path felt seamless and fit together for the final ending. And despite a few lingering questions, I walked away from Duskbound wonderfully satisfied with the story.

- This game quickly put me in a chokehold with it's sun and moon imagery. I'm a simple woman. If you evoke the sun, the moon, or the stars...I'm at your mercy.

On top of that, I adored the reversal of expectation. Our mortal woman is referred to as Pale One, like the moon. While Vergilius is a vampire, and he's her sun.

- From the moment you click Start the game presents you with an optional warning screen. This kind of thoughtful safety net is highly appreciated. It's easy to miss information and Duskbound made it incredibly simple to take a minute to either prepare yourself or choose to jump directly into the game.

- I can't praise the writing enough! I found myself constantly smiling to myself. There were so many lines I simply adored.

- The true ending. Who doesn't love unlockable secrets?

When this screen popped up I felt reinvigorated with excitement. I knew there was a secret ending, but I had no idea how to unlock it. So when the game told me it was ready for the next gameplay loop, I couldn't race back to the beginning fast enough.

~~~

Duskbound put me under it's spell, and I enjoyed every minute of my time spent in that trance.