I literally (five minutes ago, at 2:30AM UK time) just got done with all the epilogues of Arc 5. My God this whole visual novel (and its offshoots) is(/are) perfect, compelling, adorable, saddening, gladdening and enriching all at once. Amazing soundtrack work, fantastic motion sequences using the (usually static) character models, the amazingly done CGs and enchanting cutscenes. I literally played these games over the course of three days, and as soon as I get my PC fixed up, I want to do a proper narrated read-through of the series and generally give my own thoughts, too. Every character had a fantastic arc, everything flowed so well together, and my anxiety rose and crashed in waves throughout every single arc.
Thank you for this, Carrot. You truly are a master of your craft. Please do something I can actually pay for, somehow, because you really should have been charging for this. I can't wait for your next project, and will look forward to going through the remaster again, too--I might actually save the recorded playthrough for that...
I am curious though, do you have any frames of reference for character voices, headcanons or anything? I know everyone reading will have them sound different in their heads, but for some reason I picture Genzou as having a rough (due to his smoking) Brooklyn accent...despite not living anywhere near Brooklyn. Might just be the smoking and the fairly crude mouth, though.
Edit: I actually found an Ask response on your Tumblr about the characters' voice claims/ideas so no need to go over it again here!
Anyway--thank you again, and please take care of yourself.
This game surprised me in ever manner. I have so much to say, yet I find myself somewhat speechless.
Everything. This game has everything. A unique and pleasant artstyle, extremely well-written (and often more relatable than expected) characters, a nice flowing well-written narration, and not a single scene feels boring. Even throughout the timeloop of the first four arcs, the player is kept awaiting, observing each detail until they notice the changes that will change the character's fates from the previous timelines. The game is quite long, indicative of just how much WORK has been put into it.
I don't remember playing any visual novel before this one, or if so, never this actively. But "Our Wonderland" has made me realize that I actually really love this format.
I absolutely love every aspect of the character writing, as well as the writing of the relationship between them, and what changes over time. I had so much to say, and yet I am so shocked by how good this game is, that I stumble upon my own words.
I truly love the positive LGBT representation in this game, and having a sex-repulsed asexual main character is such a nice change from the scraps of good LGBT representation that mainstream media has used me to.
I was also quite surprised to find that most characters in this game had traits that were relatable to me, or at least hit too close to home. Personalitywise, identitywise, or even regarding a role among a friendgroup and how these things scar an individual. The evolution of the characters based on their personality and backstory is so well-defined and written that I am currently obsessing over this universe. I have binge played OW and its side games recently, and am honestly shocked at how little content I can find about it and the characters. I had to find this game out of boredom, looking around on this website (and made an account just now, because this game ABSOLUTELY does deserve a review). The soundtrack is straight fire and I cannot stop listening to it. The characters are quite lovable as well, and I always find myself playing the Genzou route first, in OW just like the side games. I can't help but find him the best match for Iggy! He's such a wholesome character as an adult, and I can't help but wonder how he seems to be the only somewhat "sane" character down in wonderland? Although I always find the other routes and endings interesting to explore as well.
The only issue I have is with the character of Gidget. Despite their radical behavior change after their "coming out" scene and their very obvious guilt shown if the Gidget ending is chosen, I just cannot erase what they have done to Iggy from my mind. The finale for arc 4 is by far the most messed up and hard to get over... I would love to guiltlessly appreciate Gidget, especially now that they feel like a whole new character when they're not repressed... But some things are downright unforgettable. Another point is how as a French person, I was nicely surprised by the accurate use of french words and expressions (especially by Orlam, he does seem like he enjoys using french a lot). That is NOT something you see a lot in english-speaking media. And believe me when I say it is refreshing to see.
This game did me so much good, and I don't understand how so few people have actually found this gem of a video game. It made me feel seen, I loved the aesthetics and the character design added with the character writing tops it off perfectly.
Congratulations Carrot, you have created one of the best pieces of artwork I have ever interacted with in my life.
absolutely fantastic game, i cant believe the entire thing is free??? i love what you did with gidget, the main character, genzou was my favorite character from the start (though thats just my archetype preference lol) im on arc 5 right now im not done but ive been actually just gushing about it to my friends
the way the arcs are is interesting, like its not just some otome where you choose a love interest but you HAVE to be in some sort of relationship with the characters and theyre all such interesting dynamics!!! kinda really love that, it honestly doesnt give the impression of a dating game at all because it isnt structured that way, but it easily could be, and im glad you didnt. you were able to cover so much ground of what being ace is like and the possible types of relationships that can be explored. genzou x iggy is otp ofc but i also really liked orlam x iggy?? the cg where iggy was just playing a game while orlam was...enjoying himself especially.10/10 each person gains their own satisfaction separately while being the closest bond to each other
sorry this is like disorganized im just straight up rambling, but iggy is such a good portrayal of a sex-averse ace i love him to pieces and i may be learning things about myself (?) because of him idk im literally playing the game to distract from my crisis but it might be making it worse but gaining clarity lmao
im going on about the acespec aspect of it which im really appreciative and excited about but it is also just. a fantastic story youve made. great storytelling, things feel purposeful, the cgs are impactful, im kept in suspense, and i was immediately hooked into the story when i booted it up. music is engaging and sound effects did their job. oh actually i really liked the swing music iggy was playing in the beginning of the story!!! impeccable vibes and mad skills
Part 1 of me playing this game. I am interested to see where this story goes cuz I'm hooked so far. So far the characters are pretty cool, I like the music the art style is really good. Shit got intense real quick lol. But I'm excited for this playthrough
This game changed my life holy shit. My friend made me play it and I wasn't expecting much, but I ended up sobbing my eyes out multiple times on call while I played. 2 times I cried so hard I gagged.
The friend in question is friends with someone who apparently play-tested the game for ya, so maybe my dramatics have already been brought to your attention, lol.
also.. LUPIN III REFERENCE? MY SPECIAL INTEREST MENTIONED BY GENZOU? That alone almost brought be to tears. Carrot, never feel bad about putting silly references in your games, I am living proof that someone out there will love it.
Without spoiling anything: I really relate to Gidget the most, and even though She's not EXACTLY what I am, it's still the closest most accurate and deep representation of that general group I've ever seen. The feelings and thoughts she expresses are on point, as well as the symbolism and metaphors. The game basically called me out.
This was more than a game, it was an experience. Right now I've searched the internet and found maybe 7 pieces of fanart and 10 fanfictions, and I've created a discord server to find more Our Wonderland fans and so far have 2 members besides myself. This game deserves way more fans than it has right now, I'm gonna do my best to spread the word.
I don't have twitter, but Carrot, if you're reading this, thank you for making this game.
I often feel like my life is as good as over as a 19-year-old (almost 20 in a few months) who hasn't made any kind of popular groundbreaking genre-defining media yet, I feel like I should just give up art. I already gave up my lifelong dream of becoming an artist and instead I'm in college for normal job stuff and can't turn back now (tons of debt). I've always wanted to make a visual novel or a game or some kind of interactive media and tell a story, but I feel like everything's been done and I really am embarrassingly defeatist about my own mortality, life, and what I'll leave behind.
This game was so utterly just.. AWESOME, that it makes me (...jealous. but also) slightly hopeful that maybe I'll be able to do something similar one day. obviously not as good as this, though.
Hi, as a 19 yo myself, I REALLY have to agree with you omfg. And for some reason, this game made me feel better about growing up. Less scared, in a way?
It made me a bit hopeful, but also a bit hopeless and underachieving.. so, all in all, just really hollow and envious that someone was able to put such complicated feelings that nobody has ever taken seriously from me into such a beautiful visual novel. like.. If I were to relate it back to the game somehow- I'm pretty sure the life I'm living and the timeline I'm in would be the first/original one, where they do everything for the first time in their lives, making mistakes and living with them and carrying the burdens of their choices into adulthood. Except there is no wonderland in real life, and I won't get to restart and correct my mistakes and live a better life. I won't get to live in a queer platonic relationship with a british butler and a greasy businessman (lol), I'm going to be desperately job searching, probably selling my body, and trying to do what I can with the womanly figure I was born in, because it's far too late for me to transition and enjoy life as a man (not to mention the reason I want to be a man is not scientifically possible to achieve yet). I guess if anything it's a pretty comforting glance into how things will continue to go for me, so it won't be a surprise at least.
or not idk maybe I'm just more hopeless now than when I wrote that comment.
I honestly understand what you mean. Finding media like this is always so bittersweet to me. I feel so connected to the characters and I can't stop thinking about it day and night. But at the same time, the pain. The pain is real, and the game gets it. It is extremely difficult to exist, for such a wide amount of different reasons, and we're all just doing our best to hold on and be something. I honestly wish you luck with your journey through life and I hope you will find your way into this mess. Nothing is lost, you're here. You got this. Whatever happens, you're here, making your way through things the best you can.
Man, if I could rate this higher than 5 stars, I would. Just play the game. Just do it(if you can deal with the content warnings ofc). Trust me, it is a deeply personal experience that tackles a whole RANGE of themes where there is atleast one that you are bound to relate to in some aspect, probably more! I really cannot do it justice by my word alone, no matter how hard I tried. All I can say is that I would wholeheartedly reccomend it to anyone in their late teens/early adulthood, as it is really a transformative experience; it's like a coming of age story, but executed perfectly for that age demographic instead. It is so extremely cinematic in both the sheer amount of deeply emotive cutscenes and the ost that backs the game so immensely(seriously, cheers to the people behind orchestrating original music and cheers to Carrot for picking pre-existing pieces that match the game's moments so well!). Truly, one of the most memorable experience I have had with a game. What else can I say...oh! It's extremely aspec friendly! Not to spoil anything but if you're aspec I think this game would resonate with you even deeper than with me. Lot's of other representation, too, and not just the LGBTQ+ type.
Also, for Carrot specifically, since I haven't been allat descriptive in my rating, I know you've been seeing my live reactions on Tumblr so. I really couldn't rephrase anything much better than I already did there ahaha
i've been gone from itch for half a year but i've been thinking about this game. idk if yk the SCREAM i screamt when i saw that this lovely masterpiece of a game was updated. i will replay all of it again. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK CARROT, im so proud of you!!!!!!!!!!
If you are unsure about getting this game, JUST GET IT!! This game is fantastic, and its free! Just try it, you'll be sucked in before you know it. Stop reading my damn comment and download it!
Schoolwork's been beating my butt for a long time and I ended up playing the finale way later than I would've liked... BUT HEY I'VE DONE IT NOW
I also decided to make a separate comment for me commenting on the finale because. Hey. It's special. I've like. Finished FINISHED the game !
Starting with the general stuff about the finale !
First I wanted too see if I had enough affection with everyone to do all their endings on the same save but. Well. I had affection too low with Gidget. BUT IT'S FINE I DID THE OTHER TWO FIRST.
Also little fun fact I only realized during the final that GIDGET HAS CECIL'S POCKET WATCH WITH THEM IN WONDERLAND ??? CRYING
During the fight with the monster, you know at the beginning I was like "Wait. The axe. The person who is supposed to be in the cabin in the first place. WAIT IS THAT BUCKS-" and then Iggy confirmed it and I felt like I have a genius haha /hj. Also reading Iggy saying that they had "no choice" but to fight was. Somehow terrifying like what do you mean we can't pacifist route this. AND THE OUR FANTASTIC WONDERLAND REFERENCE ??? I'M SO GLAD I PLAYED THE SIDE GAMES BECAUSE FINDING ALL THE LITTLE REFERENCES IS SO FUNNY. The Bucks flashbacks made me want to cry. Like children and teenagers can be so cruel without realizing it ToT And I couldn't help but think "wow Iggy you got shapeshifting abilities now" when he put on Hunar's necklace. Even though I knew I shouldn't take it too literally- And wow how Bucks turning into a monster is described as "judgement for our sins" by Iggy might have. Made me rethink my whole life and all the actions I have ever taken like oh wow
Whey they got to the tree... Like I knew Saydie was most probably dead (more or less). But oh. Seeing her in the sate she was in. That's harsh. AND THE TREE SAY THAT "From tragedy blooms joy. The joy of innocence" Had to sit in front of my laptop doing nothing for a minute there because. Damn. AND ANOTHER THING WHEN SHE SAYS " You abandoned me the day you abandoned your innocence" MA'AM THAT'S CALLED GROWING UP AND IT'S NORMAL. Also the way She described Iggy OH MY GOD THAT HURTS ? (especially as I relate to him. Like ma'am you're insulting me personally here I absorbed this man in my soul). In the green fields I thought it was so cool when Iggy made his own choice. AND I HAVE TO SAY WHEN I ACTUALLY SAW THAT CHOICE I WAS CONFUSED. LIKE WASN'T THE WHOLE POINT OF ALL OF THIS TO BREAK THE CYCLE. WHY DO I HAVE THE CHOICE
I also was slightly confused WHEN WE WENT BACK TO CHILDHOOD. Because I mean sure it kinda makes sense BUT IT STILL SURPRISED ME. WHAT A PLOTTWIST. (I also was really happy that Gidget was still referred to as they/them hehe
Also about some common things about the epilogues I was really happy to see Cecil again. My brain was like "CECIL. CECIIIIIIIIL." also IS THAT JERRY AS ORLAM'S EMPLOYEE. JERRY.
Oh one more thing. The music for the cutscenes was. Really really great. Chef's kiss even. If I may say.
Okay now first ending I did GENZOU ENDING !!!
Firstly the talk with him was very emotional. Aeugh. Like him saying he shouldn't take care of himself because of the wrong he has done or Iggy crying and saying he doesn't need to be his selfless knight and that "you (Genzou) were never fine, and I (Iggy) never knew" AHHHHHHHH I ALMOST CRIED. And then we finally got DA KISSSSSSSS and them hugging to sleep next to the stove and the little Iggy monologue AEUGH MY HEEEEEART
And their life afterwards in the epilogue uheuheuhe I love them so much
Secondly I did the Orlam ending !
I sadly don't have much to say, as much as I like Orlam's character haha... The only thing I could think was "Orlam you're such a brat but I love you still"
I also find it very fitting how their relationship isn't really defined. Like they're just them. Fits Orlam and the pairing he forms with Iggy very much.
And then I did the Gidget ending !
Man I Had to redo everything to get enough affection. I went through all the PAIN. AGAIN. GIDGET I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY.
Of course in the Gidget talk we had the whole apologizing session... LIKE GIDGET I KNOW IT WAS BAD YEAH BUT YOU WERE IN A BAD PLACE AND THIS PLACE FUCKS YOUR HEAD UP IT'S OKAY. UP TO A CERTAIN POINT. AND THEN THEY GO ON WITH SAYING"how can I expect anyone to accept me for who I am" THIS FELT LIKE A PUNCH IN THE GUT GIDGET NOOOOOO. AND AFTERWARDS THEY'RE CRYING AND IGGY SAYS "only you can decide who you are" THE TEARS WERE IN MY EYES. SECOND PUNCH IN THE GUT FOR REAL. And when they talk about about feeling different druring their childhood/teenagehood and not knowing what was "wrong" because no one talked about it AEURGH I AM PROBABLY PART OF THIS "younger generation" THEY'RE REFERRING TO BUT GIDGET BUT I STILL FEEL YOU BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE THE WHOLE INTERNET AT 10 YEARS OLD
Also I'm sorry to say that but when Iggy said "There's still time." I HAVE BEEN BRAINROTTED BY "I saw the TV glow" AND COULDN'T HELP BUT THINK ABOUT IT OMG
The epilogue was cool and Gidget kissing everyone hahaha. I also don't completely get what kind of relationship Iggy has with Gidget. Like are we dating with Gidget being polyamorous orrrrr. Do we have an ambiguous relationship like with Orlam orrrr. Is it something else. I'm a bit confused and I don't know if it's normal and you intended it that way kadhfkdjab
AND FINALLY. Neutral ending ! Last one :,)
I LOVE that the idea of this ending it not "I don't want to be with anyone" but rather "I wanna focus on myself"
AND IGGY'S LIFE NOT CHANGING MUCH EXCEPT HE'S MORE CONFIDENT AND CAN FIGURE HIMSELF OUT BETTER AEUGH I'M SO HAPPY FOR HIM. He also keeps up with his friends more uheuheuhe :,)
Also he loves hurt/comfort me too man me too we in this together
Very funny how Cecil's murderous glares to Iggy haven't changed haha
AND THEN THE OUR CINDERELLA REFERENCE AT THE END I LOVE THAT I PLAYED ALL THE SIDE GAMES YIPPEEEE
So. We're getting towards the end of this comment. My last comment on Our Wonderland... Uheuheuhe...
First of all I wanna say again that this is truly one of the best horror visual novels I've ever played in my life. It left a great impact on my soul and heart and it was so great even though it did very much make me cry haha. I will definitely NEVER forget it.
I really loved all the endings in general. As I am very much attached to Genzou and Iggy of course I'll say the best ending is the Genzou one... But I have to say that the neutral ending could be in this place too. Not because I don't like Orlam and Gidget, or because I think Iggy is better off without a partner but just... As I mentioned before, I feel like the idea of this ending is "I wanna focus on myself". And I find this very great hehe.
Anyway ! That's the last of my ramblings. Thank you again for making this absolutely amazing game. I'll be on the lookout if you ever develop anything else and will be sure to give it a try ! Take care Carrot :)
The tree was absolutely WILD for what it said. The things it accused Genzou Orlam Gidget and Bucks of were likely not even their fault. What... happened with Genzou was clearly not even his own doing, just his teen hormones kicking in. For Orlam, having this abusive of a father can't be any good. What did she expect, Orlam to just go "Wow, I love it when my dad beats me, I wanna be around him forever!" And Gidget?? They tried packing due to GENDER DYSPHORIA which, again is not their fault, obviously. They did horrendous things to Iggy in Wonderland but no, the problem is that time they were packing. And for Bucks?? The kid she sent to the hospital was probably a hardcore bully.
I'm having an issue with the startup and extraction, for some reason my antivirus quarantined the startup file so I deleted the previous download and tried to extract the file again but for some reason its asking for admin permission to copy the file to the extracted location but when I give it access it declines it and says I need permission to copy the file even though I already gave it permission I've downloaded the game before and it ran fine but now it wont work is there any solution? (ps: when i played the game before it was marvelous the first arc ending had me tearing up just sayin)
Oh gosh, I'm not really sure tbh π¦ I know that games made in Ren'Py can sometimes throw up false positives for Antivirus software and/or delete files. I'm not sure about the permissions part though, that sounds like something unique that your computer is doing that I've never heard of before, so I'm not really sure what to say π My suggestion if it's possible is to maybe download the other version (if you dl'd the 64bit one, download 32bit, and vice versa) to see if you can get that version to work as a fresh game since it will likely read it as a whole different game. But I am not super sure. There are forums posts and such out there for ppl with similar issues with Antivirus and quarantining that may also have some suggestions too, tho I've never seen anything about the permissions thing before... π¦
Okay its been seven days and twenty hours later lets hop into it.
FIRSTLY: anyone scrolling the comments looking for a reason to play this game(me, seven days and twenty hours ago) just get it. Your device can't play it? Buy one that can.
OKAY FR THO.
I love horror games, and I like games with a good blend of platonic and romantic relationships. Boom, perfect game. Now, really quickly, let me list the positives. Wait, no... sorry, thats not possible. There's just a few (36) too many for this to be quick.
To summarize the BIG positives-
-The music. OH. MY. GOD. AMAZING. Unironically one of the best scores I've ever listened to, with great attention to detail. Music changes how you perceive games, and I felt the music doing that, and more. I literally am just going to.
perfect
adjective
/ΛpΙΛfΙͺkt/
1.
having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics; as good as it is possible to be.
"life certainly isn't perfect at the moment"
Similar:
ideal
Flawless
Ultimate
Sublime
In case you cannot tell, it was good. Especially during act 5, it really came together. And while sometimes the slower, more motonteimous sections have more, well, slow and motonteimous music. But the second something high-stakes occurred, the INCREDIBLY unnerving music BLASTED OUT and it was honest to god, TERRIFYING.
-The characters. Spectacular. I especially love Iggy, he's genuinely such a great character, and I am SO happy that he's the protagonist. I especially liked that scene (MAJOR SPOILER) where he chose the option for you in the end of act 5. Actually really cool. And speaking of act 5, thats where we really saw some interesting ideas shine through- we control Iggy, kind of. And the tree kept saying how perfect he was as a vessel, because he has no character himself, he lacks personality and morals. I adore characters that have this... lack of self, and they learn to overcome it.
Which leads into my love of the our cinderella side game- I thought it was so lovely how it didn't feel like WE were the ones being romanced at all- (I don't enjoy romances involving 'me', or just a self insert.) it instead felt like we were helping Iggy, and pushing him into the right direction!
OKAY BACK TO THE CHARACTERS-
Final point on Iggy- (I could yap more, but I have plenty to say about everything else this game has to offer... [menacingly]) I LOVE ACE REP SM- I consider myself demi, and have felt this repulsion towards sexual activity. It's not like I hate it, I just need to trust the person. Which happens to take a lot of time. (Years.) That part of him I've found quite relatable?? Iggy is REALLY well written, and if you take the time to play the side games as well, you'll get and even BETTER written character (very hard, great achievement completed)
GENZOU.
I always choose to romance Genzou. Originally, I was going to go neutral- but. Ah. He's so fun. But before I confess why he's probably my (very close) second favorite character, I have to admit why I love ALL of these characters.
I normally choose what characters I like the most based on morality. Okay, I know, it's a bad way to pick out what characters you like based on just ethics. But like, my many hours worth of philosophy and ethics classes have made me a bit too weak to stan SERIAL KILLERS. And when I first started playing, I was like "Oh! Genzou is probably the best person here!" which turned into- "Oh, he's actually being kind of rude-" to "What the f--k did he say to Orlam-" to "DUDE WHAT THATS SO MESSED UP?!?"
And while I still think Genzou is the most ethical (he is the only one who didn't try to kill his friends!) it was odd. I knew no one in the game was good. Everyone there had some murderous intent or had done some terrible thing. (except the GOAT Hunar) And I didn't ever realize how much I needed that. I was SHOCKED at how quickly I found myself thinking more indepth about every character I saw. I found it harder and harder to hate characters solely on their actions and intent. Normally (spoiler) I would have HATED Gidget for what they did in act 5/act 4, and would NOT have enjoyed their presence AT ALL in the following scenes. But NOPE. I kind of understood it? Eh, this is a tangent. I will be yapping about Gidget, because they 100% have my favorite story.
GENZOUUU.
Honestly, I just liked him. Related to him ALOT.
You know, I got that legally blind s--t (I pray to whoever made contacts, they're my god.)
My collection of bikes >:) I will admit, I've crashed into the road more times than I can actually collect.
I DUNNO I HAVE THE ENTP ENERGY (I like to tell people they're wrong and then not give them a reason at all for why)
But I'm not short tho :) !!!
Okay but fr. His desperate pinning on Iggy was actually so horribly sad. And, no matter what Iggy said or did, he still loved him. He still trusted him. Especially how, if you did romance him, he was always accepting, always understanding. He was probably the most healthy relationship, at least in my opinion? (carrot was that your favorite couple?? I don't know there was just two side games for them...both are super cute btw <3)
AND HIS WISH ACTUALLY I WAS BAWLING.
cool guy
Gidget :)
Out of every character, Gidget is probably the most relatable to me? But the outcomes are quite different lmao
I adored their story, it was well written, understandable, and I loved the closure it had at the end. Even though I was throughly disgusted by what they did to Iggy through every act, via memories and flashbacks, it was quick to piece together the full picture- that of someone who changes for others, hurting themselves in the progress, ignoring their interests, their happiness, their selfhood.
I also did a similar thing, becoming vastly more feminine from the end of middle school to the beginning of high school, just so 'society' would consider me conventually attractive.
They really had, by far, the most visible growth, and the two timelines are, perhaps, the most different. And good for them >:) you ATE my liege!1!
Similarly, I was actually so happy seeing Cecil be... not impaled... in the epilogues, I thought he was actually pretty interesting!!!
orlam.
OKAY, I KNOW. A large portion of the comments are down-bad for Orlam- sure, he's a very interesting character, and I definitely didn't hate him. He was fun to see on screen! But, especially in the final timeline, he would be the worst for Iggy. And, while I don't think they'd be good together, in act 4, I thought Gidget and Iggy were cute, (NOTTHEENDNOTTHEEND) and genuinely had chemistry. I could see there being a slight draw to them. But Orlam...
Honestly, the relationship seemed uncomfortable to me. Maybe thats because Orlam makes me uncomfortable... but I just feel like he's a bit too sexual for Iggy? I can see Gidget, while being disheartened, still accepting Iggy. (And Genzou, being the KING he is ALWAYS accepts Iggy !!) I feel like Orlam would (Oh this is going to sound bad.) pressure Iggy into a sexual relationship?? I don't really know, I haven't gotten his ending, it could be the sweetest relationship ever!
Out of everyone, I feel the most bad for him. He's clearly dealing with immense mental health issues, and coping very poorly. How he acted without his heart was just... really heartbreaking. And when Genzou hugged him, I was actually sobbing.
I don't really have as much to say on Bucks? Her and Hunar were a good couple, and I am quite glad they handled their relationship very well the second time around.
-Art!
The art is really, really cute! Which was interesting, because I was like- wow, they look adorable! This is not scary at all!
(those rabbits those rabbits.)
But it took maybe 5 minutes for me to realize the absolute incredible versatility this style had. Not only were the character designs incredible, portraying everyone quite well, but the designs of the backgrounds and creatures were very impressive.
And OMG? There were so many CGs that it felt like half the time it wasn't a visual novel, it was a f--king movie! And that is 100% a compliment- the creator obviously invested a lot of time into the art, and it SHOWS! This kind of skill to be able to make so much quality art and writing is incredible.
Oh, I haven't even talked about the-
-Writing!
Really good. VERY good. I adored wonderland, its twistedness and nostalgia, dripping with hostility and facades of kindness. The setting itself is something we all know, and carrot could have easily just thrown us into a wonderland we know about already, just added some twists- but NO. They went all out, and created a very different, and very terrifying wonderland. Very few things feel reused, it feels fresh and lively.
My favorite part of the writing was everything surroding the tree, Saydie, and wishes. The concept of wishes fueling the wonderland, that what you want will be what you find- ITS SO GOOD. And the tree, desperately craving wishes, until She reached a breaking point? AMAZING. I actually felt almost bad for the tree. ...Okay, I wish I could burn the tree down-
My favorite part-
The end. 100%. Seeing all the kids saying their wishes, and then having it reset? It was unique, I truly did not think that was coming, but it made so much sense! Seeing what happened to everyone afterward was really satisfying, and as soon as I was done I instantly played every other game Carrots ever made <3
Do I have any complaints?
Mm. Eh. Not really? I suppose I found act 3 a bit boring, and sometimes the constant gore got excruciating (I had the censored mode on, I dislike gore a tad) but served its purpose quite well! When Iggy's fingers were chopped off, I physically flinched, and when Genzou and Iggy got slaughtered in act 2 I wanted to cry.
Probably the most enjoyable game I've played on Itch, and definitely the most well made- I have already drawn Iggy multiple times and have tried to force every living being I know to play the game so I can talk with people about it. GIVE THIS GAME THE FANDOM IT DESERVES!!!!!!!!!
okay!! lots of love,
-emeys
(this is possibly the longest comment ive ever given: to summarize, play the game, love Iggy, stan genzou, give orlam a hug, tell Gidget they matter, drop the soundtrack please)
As a demi person as well, I feel like it's a demi thing to ALWAYS pick Genzou first. Genzou route above all (It's just so HJGHJTDYJHKJHJYGU) AND REGARDING your opinion on Gidget, I absolutely must agree. I find that transmasc people overfeminizing and oversexualizing themselves for someone they like is a pretty common thing, even and often done subconsciously. It really adds a lot of depth to Gidget's character. Although it is pretty hard to shake off the thing Gidget has done to Iggy. Downright unforgivable. I'm well aware that wonderland twists an individual and pushes their struggles to the extreme but DAMN
Hey carrot, I've been silently looking and lurking on this page regarding this game for awhile now (I think arc 4 or 3 is when I discovered this gem?). My first exposure to your stuff was actually the dancing side game, UGH I BLOODY LOVE IT, THE FEELS, THE IMPLICATIONS, THE LORE BETWEENT THE CHARACTERS THAT I DON'T KNOW ABOUT, THE SWAYING TO MIMIC DANCING, THE SONG AAAA-- (man I wanna fangirl a lot more about it but right now isn't the time)!! After that, I played the short mobile game, as a queer lass it was really lovely to experience that game as I rarely see ace rep in video games (man I sure hope those two don't get traumatised in a separate game).
Now regrettably I haven't been able to play the main game yet as I have been going through my own character arc of sorts (and I am the sort of person to wait until a game is fully complete to play it as I wished to experience the whole plot with no pauses,,, apologies). All that is to say, my most exposure to the main game has been through your dev logs. As a current Games Design student, reading your logs has been a wonderful experience (which is probably really weird but oh well). It was lovely to see your progress with the game while I was also getting through developing my own stuff for assignments. I don't have as much experience as you when it comes to churning out banger games but I have dealt with similar feelings when finishing a game (highly relate to the depression and the feeling of emptiness that follows) and, in the weirdest way possible, reading your own experiences really helped me feel less alone in the process. Basically the point of all of this is to say, thank you for developing such amazing games for yourself and for us strangers on the internet. Heck you have even inspired me to do game development outside of my assignments for fun! Please stay safe and take as much time as you need to rest, your health and real life commitments are more important than game development.
Apologies for writing so much, this is my first time actually commenting on itch.io lol. I felt very compelled to just word vomit this out to you as a sign of thank you for what you have inadvertently done for me by just being you and working on this huge project.
TLDR - It's been lovely lurking around here and seeing your progression! Thank you for the much needed inspiration and please take care of yourself!! Hopefully I'll be able to play this game soon after my work is complete~.
Once In the game you can press V for self voicing. There is some music in some scenes and a few sound effects that may improve the experience. I'm not sure what other accessibility needs you have but i hope this is helpful.
Hello! Self-voicing is available in the game and image captions have been included where necessary in the story (the game is narrative-heavy so much of the description happens naturally in the narration, but additional image captions have been added for moments where something is not described).
Having said that, it hasn't been tested all the way through the entire game. I'd be happy to look into any potential bugs or oddities that may arise that I wasn't aware of though.
Mmm... yes and no. I would not categorize this as a "romance vn" first and foremost. It is mostly a horror drama with some tragedy. However, there is some romance in the vn as part of the story. If you are looking for a lot of romance or more of a standard romance/dating vn, this vn might not be what you want...
There is generally music throughout the whole game, yes, though there are some moments where the music stops or only an ambient sound is played instead of music for the sake of the narrative/dramatic effect.
I would like to start off by saying that today I have officially finished OW. I completed all of the LI endings last night, only to find myself drowning in tears as I tried to fall asleep. I finished the neutral ending this morning and started sobbing all over again. Yeah... thanks :{ But I was honestly very pleased with this game.
Let me to clarify that I am not accustomed to leaving comments on games; this is actually my first one. However, I felt compelled to share my thoughts, so please excuse any 'unprofessionalism' on my part.
When I discovered this game, I wasn't sure what to expect. I was simply exploring the many games (specifically VNs) that itch.io had to offer and happened to stumble upon OW, which I then played and, of course, am now currently leaving a comment on. :)
I'm someone who's easily moved, but evoking tears, especially from playing a game, is a rare feat for me. It's like two sides of the same coin.(Heh, get the reference?) Carrot incorporated both sides into their game by giving their characters diverse struggles to overcome. Comparing myself to the characters in the game, I'm considerably very young. Because of this, I don't have much personal experience with some of the struggles the characters have to endure—such as sexual assault, transitioning, and parental abuse. The way Carrot properly portrays these challenges is what I find incredibly inspiring. To watch these characters, of whom I've gotten so fond of, find themselves in devastating situations I could never find myself in is what really leaves me in tears. With this, me and many others can realize how fortunate some of us are and be grateful for what we have. I enjoy the chance to see from a new perspective of what others may have went through that I haven't. Thank you for incorporating this into your game; it means a lot. Great, now I'm sad.ππ
Now to the other side, what really resonates deep within me. I'd like to think I don't think of myself all that much. Although, that also means that I have to deal with constantly questioning myself, not knowing anything about me. This extends to my sexuality. It feels like it has a mind of its own, changing day to day. One day, I may be in love with everyone I make eye contact with, the next I'm curling up in a ball wondering if I'm actually just some unusual aroace specimen. Perhaps there's an explanation for this, but for now I don't know. Mostly, the questioning affects my regular life. Currently, I have no idea what career path I want to pursue when I'm forced to grow up and make a living. MY PREFERENCE IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING. IT'S SCARY. First, I think I want to be a doctor, then a lawyer, then a programmer, then an actor, then an entrepreneur, and suddenly, an artist??????? (Sounds silly, I know)πBut when I realize that other people feel this way too, it feels nice that I don't have to be completely alone in this ongoing battle. Heck, seems like enough of an issue that Carrot made a whole game about it! Thank you for creating a game that helped me realize I have a lot more to figure out about myself, yet somehow managed to make me feel less alone in the process.
Well, I've had about enough talking about myself and the game, I want to talk about Carrot! Why? Why not! The effort that Carrot put into this game is so evident, Genzou could see it! (Okay, bad joke, sorryπ ) My sibling is a programmer whom I've always looked up to, but my interest in programming is always on-and-off. As well as that, I am currently trying to delve into writing unique stories of my own. The fact that Carrot has checked the writing, programming, and drawing boxes is just SO impressive. The creator is also incredibly sweet, regarding how they treat fans and how much the characters they create mean to them. Additionally, I don't know if anyone else saw this, (probably not because I have a low IQ) but the creators vocabulary is incredibly advanced! There are many words that I was unfamiliar with, as embarrassing as it is to mention.π³I would be envious, or even annoyed, at the creator for this...BUT I JUST CANT BECAUSE THE CREATOR IS TOO NICE AND ADORABLY AWKWARD FOR THEIR OWN GOOD!!!!!!!!
This comment has been a trainwreck of emotions, and I'm honestly super nervous to even post this. But I spent quite a while trying to properly convey my feelings onto this post, so I hope it resonates.πYour characters currently reside rent free in my head and I'm not complaining--I'm taking good care of them. You can have them back for a day every 5 years.
Keep doing your thing, Carrot. Me, along with plenty others, will be eagerly awaiting your next project. I can confidently say that the next game you produce will be something truly amazing. π
i played this game like 2 months ago and it changed my life, like seriously sdjhsn
iggy, oh my god i have a few things to say. thanks to this AMAZING game i was able to fully confirm myself as asexual, i was just so mesmerized by how much i understood what he was going through. ive always seen the term asexual but i never paired it up to myself since i felt as if i didn't qualify but seeing iggy go through and talk about his situation, which were so similar to my own. it really helped my come out and fully accept myself as being asexual, just hearing him talk and react to things made me feel valid. i cried way too much while playing this, but it was all well needed crying so thank you for thank lol. i think i really changed when i finished the game, almost like a weight of uncertainty was lifted from my shoulders (if that makes sense sdgj) but i felt so valid and seen. i swear all 117 hours of me losing sleep to be playing and crying for this game were worth it in the end! never have i ever felt so similar to a character than i have with iggy, i thank you so much for making this game!
i also related to gidget in a way! though ive kinda always know i wasn't just my assigned gender, it was nice to see how they went through things that a lot of trans people, me included, went through. this whole game really made me feel a lot of things, hsdj. it was like a punch to the stomach that i never knew i needed!
so i just wanted to say thank you for making this amazing game that i love sm carrot! i hope i dont sound too weird by saying this but, in a way your game really saved me! i hope you're feeling better and i wish good things upon you <3
Hello, I would like to clarify a few things like I have known the game for quite some time but I did not have the opportunity to leave a comment or anything and well, I have played all the games in the OurWonderland Universe and I honestly LOVE EVERY GAME, I love them, the story , the characters, the design, your drawing style, I love everything and I would also like you to know that your game has reached areas like Latam but anyway xd, the point is that I love the game and I would love it if it could become more popular and host a larger famdon but I am happy with the content continuing to come out, Thank you very much for this piece of real art, I love it β€οΈβ€οΈβ€οΈ
Fantastic, life-changing experience that was clearly given lots of love and effort when created. :) Btw, may I ask what stories, if there are any, was this VN inspired by? Thereβs definitely Alice in Wonderland, but the story and setting also reminds me of It by Stephen King as it also tells the tale of a similar group of friends who come from troubled backgrounds and ultimately conveys the central theme of the loss of childhood innocence. (Although thereβs definitely stronger romantic tones to this one)
Once again, amazing work! I already know Iβm gonna be left sleepless trying to find another story that can fill up the void that Our Wonderland filled. :3
I feel like it's a coincidence but Orlam's haircut is giving Chuuya from BSD. And he's not beating the allegations with his whatsapp pfp, visible in the side game Our Cinderella, or with the "crazy angles" the camera takes so close to his face at times lmao
holy shit- i just finished ch.5 and this was just so f amazing! i was even sobbing at the end(actually i was crying from the moment orlam had held them hostages till the end but whatevs) omg i rlly need to check your other works too....also the way the characters were written was incredible.Great job<3
Only a few games have ever impacted my life, and this was one of them. The amount of joy I felt when I finished the story, and then seeing like a montage of what their lives had shaped them to be? I can't tell you how full my heart was when I read that. The way that you wrote these characters was so indulging, and I've already finished this game like a week ago but I still couldn't get them out of my head! You got me caring for each one of them and their loveable quirks and flaws, and their journey of self-discovery. And it's just so amazing and bizarre to me, of how much I relate to some of these characters (Iggy and Gidget, more specifically). To see that the feelings and thoughts I've kept to myself, that I sometimes feel silly or ashamed to even think about, were being reflected back to me. And all of it just feels so... validating, I guess? Idk lol I'm sorry if this is coming off across as weird already.
But anyway... I just wanna say that you have a talent for these and you're doing an amazing job, Carrot! I hope you know you have people who support you, and I wish you the very best! Stay safe and I hope you feel better soon!
hello, Carrot! we are all the ones here - who love your inspiring creativity and you, whose characters became related, and whose stories were remembered! please rest and gain strength in difficult times, and we, in turn of, will definitely wait for new releases of your creations, when you are full of strength and energy!πͺ
I'm so sorry that has been happening to you! You truly don't deserve that, and I hope you get better soon. It might be better to distance yourself from social media for awhile and be around your family if you're still going through the grief of losing your loved ones.
As for the hate, it's best to just ignore it and try to not get it through your head, as it will only drag you down further.
I wish I had more advice to offer, but I'm not good with advice in general. I can only wish you the very best.
I adore your game, however, and will continue to support you from afar!
Just read the latest devlog. Since I can't comment there, I'll say it here: you have people who care about you, Carrot, both online and offline. Find them, and ask for their help. That's what helped me in my darkest hours. I hope it will do the same for you.
AWHAHWHWHWHWHHWGHW2HWHWHW THIS GAME WAS AMAZING!!!
I literally made an account just to comment on this because woooooooow bro I just have to say SOMETHING BRO.
I really loved the endings of the story and the writing is sooooooo good bro, it ties in with previous lives that Iggy lived with stronger and stronger stages of deja vu the more you progress which I like, and the character writing makes them feel like true actual people who are suffering and dealing with their trauma in many ways. (It makes me so happy, I love seeing actual effort being put into characters and their backstories, It shows that you really do care about them and how well the moral messages of the characters are seen by the audience.)
I adore Igs so much, I need a stuffed animal of him right now. Genzou is my favorite as while he is much more of a funny douchebag trope, he does truly love his friends (Even Orlam, even if it's hard to say, it's the truth.) and cares more about Iggy's happiness than he does his feelings for him. (I can physically not go for another romantic ending for Iggy because I hate seeing Genzou heartbroken :(. ) Gidget's backstory was a tough one, and while I didn't like them that much in the beginning (For reasons I do NOT wish to discuss as it is painful to remember) I slowly started to kin them in arc 5. I have some mixed feelings about Orlam, but I guess it's more past-tense hate then it is now. I don't really like his type of sleezy-geezer personality, but I can understand how he thinks and feels looking back at his past now. Being through what he has gone through for a majority of his life would fuck anyone up really. Poor Buck's and Saydie bro, they didn't deserve what they went through :-( (tbh none of these characters do, but oh well.) Orlam and Genzou's relationship remind me of Cartman and Kyle's from South Park (their grown up personalities atleast) GO GIDGET!!! RUN FROM YOUR B*TCH OF A MOTHER!!!
I'm gonna be talking about what I think of Iggy's relationship paths and how I generally feel about them. (no hate of course, these are just my opinions.)
I LOOOOOOOOOVEEEEE GENZOU AND IGGY'S ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP!!! Or just their relationship in general is just super sweet and so accepting. I love how much they care for each other, and how deep their relationship runs in their souls. A true pair, if I do say so myself <3.
I don't mind if Gidget and Iggy were in a relationship, but after all of what happened between the two, I honestly think it would just be better If Gidget focused on themself for awhile. They need to grow and learn to accept themselves, to learn that it's impossible to achieve perfection and how to live with the fact that they are Non-Binary now and not a girl anymore.
Now, again, don't really mind if Orlam and Iggy being in a relationship, but I think they would be better off with eachother as friends. I feel like it would be hard with Orlam that Iggy doesn't like sexual experiences, and I don't really think Orlam is a romantic type of person (Which is what Iggy needs in a relationship to survive lmao).
I think thats It for my rant tho. LOVED YOUR GAME! I need more people to notice it, I really want atleast SOME sort of a small fandom to get by :(.
Carrot thanks for the game and experience. I haven't played a game that gave me this whole feeling in a while. Got the alone ending and am really glad it was given the care you gave it
Okay!! I finished all endings, so it's time to write a comment about it! I'm gonna talk mostly about finale part, since I already talked about how much I love previous arcs in my last comment, sooooo... (also sorry for my bad english ^^;;)
SPOILERS BELOW!!
IT WAS SUCH AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE, A TRUE JOURNEY OF A GAME-- NOT ONLY FINALE, WHOLE GAME AS WELL! IT IS INCREDIBLE, SO WELL WRITTEN, CHARACTERS, THEIR ARCS, THEIR BONDS, PLOT, DRAMA, EVERYTHING!! And finale was like a cherry on top of a delicious cake! Character's arc ending, the Bucks sequence, the tree, the epilogue... But my favorite of them all, the most emotional for me, the one which grasps my heart every time was the field scene.
It was... I don't have the words to describe how much I love it... When I saw the background, the tranquil and empty field, I knew this is gonna be amazing scene. But I didn't know how much,,, seeing all of them as kids and saying their wishes, Saydie guiding them with an understanding smile, but the most,,, scene that even now makes me emotional was Iggy's wish. It-- it was so much in tune with his character arc, and I haven't expected that his wish would be like this. Which is pretty silly of me, because obviously, it's Iggy!! Who else is so focused on making their friends happy? Of course it's him! BUT AT THE SAME TIME--- AT THE SAME TIME HIS WISH WAS SO SINCERE, SO SELFLESS--- LIKE I COULD FEEL HIS LOVE TO HIS FRIENDS-- AAAAAAAA I CAN'T,, I LOVE IT SO MUCH, THIS IS GONNA BE ONE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE SCENES FROM ANY MEDIUM I'VE EVER CONSUMED
Also as I mentioned before I got every ending, right? So everytime I didn't skip it, nah, I reread it over and over, these 4 times and haha, and everytime this scene made me cry :'> I won't get too personal, but the 3rd time I reread it, it made me realize how much I miss being a kid. I'm this kind of person who bottles everything up, but it made me feel like it's okay to miss old times or regret things and to cry for them. This really helped me, I'm feeling much better now, so thank you.
Moreover I made screenshots of other wishes, so I can read all of them. And the "I wish I could see my mom" which I assume was Orlam's made me cry once again ;w; (oh and btw! I love things that make me emotional and I think if something evokes this much emotions in someone it is kinda like a sign of how well written it is, so props for you, Carrot!!)
Okay but now let's go to other stuff I want to talk about! Like character's endings!
I've obtained only Gidget's one on my first try which suprised me. I thought I'll get others too, but it seems like I spent too much time with them in arc 5 haha! Later I just made a couple choices different and got everyone, yay! :> I went in Gidget>Genzou>Orlam>alone order! Which is kinda funny to me since my OC order was the same (tho I got there bad ending first) xD Anyway, I'm gonna talk about them in this order then!
Gidget first!! So... The direction this ending went made me really happy!! I loved how natural it was, with no romance forced! Since Gidget and Iggy went through so much in their relationship and in arc 4 they had... Maybe not forcing romance on each other per se, but forcing themselves to act like... Whatever Gidget's mother would say they should do as a normal couple, I guess? I don't know how to describe it better, but I Hope you know what I mean. So seeing them just talk things over, with no "acting" to please anybody, being vulnerable and sincere with each other was so good!!! AAAA I JUST LOVE HOW MUCH PROGRESS THEY HAVE MADE, IGGY, GIDGET, THEIR RELATIONSHIP SDVADWMAVVXFAFA I saw someone point out that unlike Orlam, Gidget considers their acts in wonderland as their own wrongdoings (I mean: not wonderland-messed-me-up-wrongdoings), because they don't have such a strong identity-- I love this interpretation so much, aaaaaaa-- Also cg where they lie and look at the stars was so cute, I love it <3 ALSO!! Their epilogue!! It was greaaaaat!! I love love love that they, Cecil and Iggy are roommates!! This idea of living with 2 best friends (or maybe even something more?) sounds so lovely to me! And the fact that they stay in contact with Orlam made me so happy!! Also, like I talked before I love that gidgy are just their own thing, not forcing romance or anything. I like to think they are more in qpr than just in typical romantic relationship (or somewhere in between) and it makes my aroace heart so happy <333
Next one Genzou!! GENZOUUUUU WAAAAAAAH-- I picked him as my second ending, because I knew this was gonna be very sweet <33 and was I wrong? Nope, cuz Genzy is always sweet! Even when they make me weep! I love all characters and ships equally, but genzy strikes me as the most possible one?? Just look how they care about each other and feel safe around the other one-- Ooh!! And let me go back to field scene! I found it pretty satysfying, because when I played arc 1 and Genzou wish was "revealed" I thought something like "Maybe he wished to see Iggy or something" anD IT WAS TRUE ALL ALONG!! I made such an assumption, because first game I played made by you was T2A2G, and it was so cool to have it confirmed! Also I'm curious what he was writing/drawing there as a kid... Hmmmmm... But anyway! Iggy telling him he needs to care for himself and try his best for himself , not to sacrifice himself for Iggy's sake was good as well (also, Iggy, look who is talking lol). They just feel so natural when it comes to understanding and caring for each other aaaaa-- And his epilogue was very sweet as well! I love their expressions in it-- Iggy looking like embarrassed, but happy shoujo anime schoolgirl after giving Genzou his "answer", I can't-- And they just living together, chilling on the couch and spending time in Genzou's workshop awwwww... Did I mention they are very sweet?! >83
Okie Dokie, it's time for our lovely rat king Orlam! Well, well, his ending was a very interesting one! I love how his relationship with Iggy differs from gidgly and genzy. They truely are making their own rules, with no need to label themselves. Just two people caring for each other. Also I was very curious how he will act, because his personality seemed to change once again? I thought he was more sarcastic and kinda tired or maybe just reserved there????? Sorry, I don't know how to describe it-- But it was reasonable, this guy didn't feel anything for probably months without his heart and now that it was beating once again in his chest, he was saved, it would be weird if he was still as playful(??) as in previous arcs. Oh or maybe just effect wonderland had over his emotions etc was abolished? Well, with all of it I couldn't wait to see how would he act with only Iggy around! It was so nice to see them dancing with Orlam more "normal"(???? Is this word even compatible with this man?? xDD) and relaxed. Also it was fascinating to see his perspective on his wrongdoings there! Like I said in Gidget's paragraph. It was so refreshing to see a character, maybe regretting what they had done, but saying that they wouldn't do it other way if they could. He knows what he had done was bad, but he would do it anyway, and he still isn't potrayed as a bad guy for that! Oh and also when they fought Bucks and he realized he sounded too harsh when telling Iggy. It's pretty cute that he cares for Iggy's feelings even in a situation like this <3 Also his epilogue seemed the funniest one to me-- Like they were just working on a projects together, helping each other etc so much, that Iggy didn't realize they are in some kind of a relationship LOL Also just seeing Orlam doing great with his career and life is so heartwarming when you know all things he went throught... I truely wish him all the best, he deserves all of his successes and he knows it! <33
And the last, but not least - alone ending! No matter how much I like all endings and even prefer other ones over this one, I feel like this one is the most, uh, "correct" one?? It just focuses on Iggy and I feel like Iggy needs that. To choose himself, to give himself more time and to just keep himself warm. He, alone, but it isn't a bad thing he is alone. It is something he chose himself. And that's good. This epilogue was gsdhbasd so sweet!!! I absolutely love the fact that it showed how he spent time with all of his friends-- not only it was very sweet, also it made me so happy to see him show them he cares more. I remember that when I played arc 1 I wished he tried to act like a better friend to them-- Not to get too into personal territory once again, but this is something that deeply resonates with me. When I was younger (but sometimes still now) I always made up any excuse to not ask my friends if they want to meet, I prefered to just stay in my home and play video games or watch cartoons, and I think I didn't show them I care about them as much as I should. So Iggy change made me (once again lol) emotional <333 ALSO ALSO!!! I love that his life isn't crossed out of any possibilities. He still has his future before him and he can... go... to a pretty particular Christmas party, maybe with a pretty particular person, hehe!
Some thoughts I wanted to say, but didn't:
waaaaah, Genzou seeing Iggy chose Orlam over him was so :(((( I mean it was good that it wasn't swept under the rug, of course he would react some way, but it was sad nonetheless-- I can't help but think that it made him feel more depressed that person who Iggy chose was the one he had tormented so much,, like... To hurt someone Iggy cared so much about? ;; (or maybe it is just me exaggerating drama)
Also!!!! Let me talk about Bucks! HER INTERACTIONS IN FLASHBACKS WITH HUNAR WERE SO CUUUUUUUUUUTE!! I LAUGHED EVERY TIME WHEN SHE YELLED ABOUT TOMATOS IN THE LIBRARY, I LOVED THIS SCENE!! Though it was sad that "the crew" (and later other people too) called her a monster throught all her life that she started to think she really is a one... I can't imagine how did it hurt her when even Hunar called her that,,,, Bucks,, it's so good that in the end she and Hunar could make their dreams come true and had a healthier relationship! The possibility that Saydie may be born someday in a family that wants her is very heartwarming as well! TwT
While replaying barbecue sequence after finishing some endings I noticed that Bucks herself calls Saydie "a little monster" or something of sorts-- Like she is saying "a monster daughter of a monster mother" or just calling her what she hates to be called. I wonder if it was planned all along??
Ooh and I wanted to tell you that I think I found something like a bug in new version?? In arc 4, when Bucks comes to cabin one or two cgs are replaced with black background and Bucks sprite!
And let me come back to endings for a little-- while I absolutely love them I feel like if I didn't talk with Gidget so much and they wouldn't get their conclusion in my run their redemption would be almost not visible?? And I can't make my mind how to think about this, because I feel like Gidget wanted to give Iggy the space, but also if I, as Iggy, avoided them until the end their character arc would be left so opened. They would never apologize and had to live with guilt/shame they couldn't even say sorry,,, I just think it would be heartbreaking :((
...But anyway!
I wanted to mention that I love some cgs in arc 5, I even made the one with Iggy, Genzou and Gidget lying on a grass my phone wallapaper! Overall your artstyle has grown on me so much, I love it!! How expressive, how pretty and how much atmosphere you can show with it! And songs choice, as always, very, very good I'm looking forward to arc 1-5 ost playlist to listen on repeat remembering all of horrible or sweet moments with every track! And can't wait to see what you are going to do in future! Either remaster or anything new - I wish you all the best!! Thank you for making this game, it is one of the best, if not the best stories I've had the pleasure of reading and it shall always live in my heart <3
Firstly, finally got to play through the whole, complete game, and MAN was it worth it! I can see how you grew in all ways, Carrot, as the arcs went on, and just how the characters evolved.
I loved the ending in which Iggy, after letting others dictate his whims, finally takes control, not just from others, but from me, the player. I also love how that gets foreshadowed when given a false choice as to whether to get on the boat. I also like how no, the characters keeping all their future knowledge and experience doesn't magically make everything better. The whole unintentional erection incident which led to Genzou's blinding still happens. Iggy still lashes out at Gidget for winning the coding challenge. But in all cases, they listen to each other. Iggy is WAY more of a true friend this time. Genzou finally learns how to let go of Iggy. Orlam, while it's clear he and Genzou will never get along, finally has friends, real connections. Bucks - oh man, how she busts herself and Hunar out of their wedding. SO in-character for her! Oh, and of COURSE Orlam is a businessman. (I could write up a whole fan-fic short about how Orlam brings in a misbehaving employee treating those under them like pigs for the slaughter and verbally rips them a new one as only Orlam can.)
I also like when Iggy enters...I dunno, the Wishing Tree's inner sanctum? We finally get to see what everyone wished for, what Iggy's first wish was, and while seeing Saydie die along with the Tree was quite sorrowful, given the bizarre, supernatural circumstances, and given how Sadie is effectively being kept in a strange sort of undeath, I'd do the same thing as Iggy. She needed to finally rest in peace.
Now my one big criticism is this: why is the Wishing Tree, a maternal entity as old as mankind itself, if not older, holding the same views as Gidget's mother? The story leading up to the Tree's proper introduction to the characters seemed like it was just sick and tired of its wishers' hypocrisy, among many other vices, to the point of madness (what with wishes being her life-blood), when it lashed out to the characters, she'd point out all the flaws in their wishes. Orlam? You wanna make the rules, but all you're doing is running is running from the rules meant to help you find happiness - not to mention sealing yourself off from all aspects of life, even the good parts. Gidget? Your true self is a man, but you sacrifice it all for your mother's flawed view of the world and a pointless, destructive obsession over a biological man who can never satisfy you the way you OR your mother wants. Genzou? You want to see with Iggy so badly, you're willing to be blinded by his own emptiness to the point of sharing it and its active harming those who truly care for you - like Orlam. Bucks? You want your daughter dead...how do you think you got into Wonderland these last six times (at least)?! Iggy, though? The Wishing Tree's diatribe against him fits perfectly (and is a nice fourth-wall break).
OK, with that out of the way, but before I get into my non-review questions: final verdict? My good carrot, this is a masterpiece. Full stop.
This is worthy of a commercial remake. Get the money and team you need to bring the rest of the arcs up to Arc 5's level, make original backgrounds, music, etc.; hire on voice actors, like asexual Michael Kovak and pansexual Elsie Lovelock (my personal choices for Iggy and Gidget, respectively); and get more semi-animated and animated scenes in.
Okay, for the question and one 'critique' that's so minor it's a nitpick:
Why are the scenes of Orlam's Event Horizon-level flesh-orgy and Sadie's mangled corpse censored even with censorship off? I realize these scenes can easily be EXTREMELY triggering, if not upsetting and/or disturbing, but I feel those who are willing to brave the depravity should be permitted to see the images in all their horrid detail as, in context, they cement, respectively, just how completely uncaring and unhinged Orlam has become without his heart, and just how far the Wishing Tree is willing to go to get her 'perfect' wish.
Also, I don't know if this is just a limitation of Ren'Py or what, but in the scenes with false choices, the player could still be made to think that they can make a decision, but no matter which they select, they get the same scene, complete with options in the background. Just something to enhance those scenes' bait-and-switch.
Thanks for reading, Carrot, and I look forward to your next endeavor!
(my sincerest apologies for the delayed reply π)
Ahhhh I'm really happy you enjoyed seeing everything get wrapped up! There was so much build-up leading up to this and so many different aspects that needed to converge... in some ways I feel as though I'm quite lucky that I was able to make everything come together as well as I did, especially considering how much the story and characters themselves evolved throughout production. (Perhaps a sign that I should actually outline things when crafting a larger story... but then again, I think I'd lose too much motivation then, as half the fun for me is discovery while I'm writing and being pleasantly (or sometimes not-so-pleasantly) surprised at the directions the story takes lol.) So much of myself also ended up coming out in surprising ways through the characters and their stories. And this made many parts of the ending quite emotional for me to work on.
Hahaha I wouldn't say the tree is exactly like Gidget's mom π€£ Gidget's mom would certainly not care about violence and drama and would actually very much encourage "non-innocent" behaviors if it meant Gidget would give her grandchildren and be her idea of a "perfect child." Though certainly some of the same ideals do carry over in that fashion. I think with the tree though it's more this idea of pure innocence, and with Gidget then its issue is less so Gidget's gender struggles and more so the focus this then brings on specific body parts, which in the tree's mind, automatically equates to lost innocence. At least that's what was going through my mind as I was working on that part π€£ Though I did keep quite of the ending sequences somewhat vague on purpose as I never want to force interpretations and would rather have people take away their own stories and ideas from it. I just enjoy when stories don't answer every single question and let you get lost in your own theories. I really love the "hot takes" you've written here that the tree could give each of them though. They all feel extremely on point hahaha.
"This is worthy of a commercial remake." --> Weep that's so incredibly kind... As much as I would love to be able to really go all out and do something like that, I think I just don't really have the heart or mental capacity... I am too anxious and easily overwhelmed of a person, so I don't really want to work with money and hiring people and having to manage all those things π¦ I think it might kill me LOL I feel like the only way something like that could ever happen is if someone else wants to do it and has the money and influence and know-how and then I could just be a consultant or something π€£π€£π€£ Maybe I am just too timid and weak LOL But I'm really happy you think the game is high enough quality that it would even be worthy of something like that. It really means a lot to hear π
Ahhhh... about the censored CGs yeah... for the first one in particular I received feedback that I should tone it down. And I was worried that completely redrawing a toned-down version wouldn't have the same effect, so I chose to hard-censor it instead. For the second one, I decided myself but for similar reasoning to hard-censor it, as it felt unnecessary to show the full extent of it for the impact to still be there, especially since I still have the written descriptions. I realize some people might not be happy with this decision, but I made the choices both from an idea of not wanting to just be extreme for extreme's sake, and also because of the audience I've cultivated around the game.
At any rate, I was really happy to hear your thoughts about everything and I'm glad that you've stuck through to the end of this and have enjoyed seeing it all play out! I've really enjoyed reading all your commentary along the way and hearing your thoughts and interpretations for all the different story beats. Thanks so much for playing and always leaving such long and wonderful comments! It means so much hearing from you again now that this thing has finally come to completion! π
I know that this is probably really obvious, but I STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT TRAIL BOMB IS?????? LIKE, I was so confused man when they first introduced it, now im replaying a still have no idea. help
It's just bits of gore taken from the humans that used to live in Wonderland (since the rabbits used to feed on them, so now when they smell it, they instinctively run towards it...)
I love this game so much, I had chills when I first played through it and I couldn't make myself stop. It's amazing and I feel so seen through Iggy. Orlam my beloved <3333
FOR EVERYONE HERE: Where is the fandom? Like, where y'all at? I searched up Our Wonderland and there was literally maybe ten people who had anything related to it, and there were only a couple hundred views for those. WHERE Y'ALL AT?! This game deserves so much more than a couple hundred fans!
Also Orlam is the most beautiful scraggly rat man I've ever seen and I'm in love with him. I ship Iggy with Genzou, obviously, but I keep playing the Orlam ending because I'm just obsessed.
I don't know if there are other places, I only know about the places where I also hang out and post stuff, but from what I can tell, most people are on Tumblr. There's also people on Twitter, though I think it feels like less of a community there?? But that's just my observation not as part of the fandom but as the creator lol. I don't really have a presence outside of those two places though so I can't say if there's anyone anywhere else.
There should be more people in the fandom! This game is so well made! It's not even behind a paywall, so everyone's just sleeping on this opportunity. The characters are developed perfectly, the interactions are both heart-wrenching and hilarious, there's not a single plot hole in the storyline, and so many other things that I can't even put to words.
I will replay the heck outta this game no matter how long it is! I fricking love this game!!!! The writing the characters! I rarely ever make comments but have to right now.
Like that's how good this game is.
Spoilers
This game is one i'll never forget. It made me cry and feel things. I cannot explain how good- no great this was. At the end where it told us what each of their wishes are and having a wall break where it says that Iggy's actions are being controlled by an out side force which is us the player. What struck even more is how Iggy got to make his own choice in the end. Letting us see the monsters and everything fade from wonderland. Also at first we never saw much of Bucks in the first half of the game and how she was like, she was just a big loud and excitable person at the start. Then when it showed the flashbacks of her and everyone saying she was a monster. Everyone was calling her a monster even her friends but Hunar didn't. He saw something beautiful, but when she said that she wanted their child dead he called her a monster. That hurt the most because the one who never called you a monster finally calling you one put her over the edge. I also love how we got to see Saydie. I love this game and the characters so much! They made me cry so much, and I will stay and happily see what you will do next!
Okay seeing as you seem to be as obsessed with this game as I am, I must ask you. Do you know where the fandom is? Because I looked up Our Wonderland on YouTube and TikTok and there were maybe three creators with only a couple hundred views and I definitely think know this game deserves more than that.
(my sincerest apologies for the delayed reply π)
Ahhhh your words are too kind! I'm really happy you enjoyed the finale (and just the game itself ofc) π
Hahaha yes the ending gets quite meta. That whole scene in the field and with all the wish reveals and Iggy's original wish still really gets me. It was a hard scene for me to work on as it hit quite close to home and also was just this massive culmination of everything... I kept crying while working on the scene π¦ I'm glad it could also have impact for you.
I'm glad you liked the Bucks and Hunar part, as well, and the flashbacks. Even though I obviously couldn't give them the same weight and time that I had given the other chars because of the structure of everything, I still wanted it to feel weighty and feel deserved and give them some closure and resolution, as well. So I really tried to go all out on their parts hahaha.
I'm so glad you enjoyed everything and it could mean so much! Hearing this makes me feel really touched and honored, and I really appreciate you taking the time to write up your thoughts like this and let me know how you felt about the game. Thank you so much for playing!! π
the best game that I'm sure I will never forget. it is emotional, heartwarming and heartbreaking! and its goreee!! when the scary magic tree brings the ugly true human nature out, there must be violence there!
it touches on many topics that are important to me, and which I have rarely seen before. i think i can relate with all of the big 5, especially with iggy
its such a bittersweet feeling, that this is the end of an ERA haha I've finished the game! now i guess i will patiently wait for your next works!!
i really loved the ending, i was in aweee the whole time hahah
SPOILERS:
so i went:
genzou - gidget - orlam - .......genzou again (I didn't feel good not ending with him looll, i had to see their happy end again...also their scene was so romantic omg??? i would die)
(also i forgot that neutral exist, i will do this maybe later haha)
I like that when they go back in time, they still make the same mistakes (i mean, most of them, and handle them better) i like to believe that they are all better friends to each other, especially genzou and orlam...their relationship was just so complicated and tragic ahhh i would like to see more of their friendly bickering <3
bucks and hunar took a break to fullfil their dreams??? BEAUTUFIL
im happy that they are happy in the end...lol, and GIDGET WITH CECIL AYEE GO BESTIES GO and ORLAM WORKING WITH JERRY?? OMGGG HHAHA
thank youu so muuuch and congratulations!! i wish you all the best!! <3
(my sincerest apologies for the delayed reply π)
This was incredibly touching for me to read, and I'm really happy you enjoyed the finale so much! (And also just the game in general π) Your words mean a lot, and I'm really honored that this game could mean so much to you.
Hahaha I loved seeing the order you went in (and also got a chuckle that you did Genzou's again at the end π€£) I hope you'll do the neutral as well in the future! Even though it's a bit shorter than the others, it has a cute little easter egg that ties it into the universe (and I also just like how it wraps up, too).
I also like to believe they are much better friends to each other. Like obviously they're not perfect. They never were. And they never will be. But their relationships won't be built on so much conflict and bitterness and won't evolve to the point of hate they way they did in the past. So even if they're still snarky to each other, it's not in the same vitriolic way and at its core, you can tell they do still mean something to each other. That's how I see it in the new timeline anyway.
I'm also happy they are happy in the end π₯Ί
Thank you so much for playing and letting me hear your wonderful thoughts! I really appreciate you taking the time to write everything out!! And I'm very happy you've enjoyed the game π
This is genuinely by far the BEST thing I've ever played. The writing, The characters, absolutely everything about Our Wonderland is so amazing that I'd sell my kidney, my legs, and half of my brain just to forget everything and play this all over again for the first time ever, I also finished all the other games and I am still so absolutely hooked!
Spoilers?
I sobbed with genuine tears of joy and happiness when Iggy said I love you to Genzou. Their relationship is so wholesome and adorable and I love how accepting and respectful Genzou is to Iggy, though I admit I may like Orlam and Iggy a tiny bit, nothing can top Genzy, ever.
The part where they gazed into each other's eyes?? Hello??? heart melted instantly.
Genzy has a special place in my heart and I will be playing Our Wonderland again from the start just because of them!
I hated Gidget honestly, but in the last arc? they were pretty cool so I guess I don't dislike them that much anymore now! also loved that they met Cecil, The two of them seems like the best friends ever
And Orlam? my thoughts of him are pretty mixed. but I can't lie, Him and Iggy are sort of cute? in a way. (Genzy still and forever will be the best though)
This game is the best ever, and to be honest? now that I've finished it.. I feel like I don't know what to do with my life anymore haha!
PLEASE DO NOT SELL ANY PARTS OF YOUR BODY?????????? THIS IS BAD???????? HELPDLKFJASLDKFJADSF
Weep I am touched by the sheer fervency though... ππ I'm really happy you enjoy the game so much! And all the other games too!! I always feel extra touched if people even go out of their way to play all the side games lkasdfasd
"Genzy has a special place in my heart and I will be playing Our Wonderland again from the start just because of them!" --> YOU'RE REALLY MAKING ME CRY HERE????
I'm so glad you liked the Genzy route ending... I also really liked how their scene turned out. It felt really cathartic and touching for me and I still get a bit weepy thinking about it lakjdfad They really mean so much to me. Maybe it's all my cathartic ace thoughts manifesting in them but they truly just make me feel so soft and warm when I think about them. This makes me doubly weepy if other people also like them π₯Ίπ I could write them finding each other in a thousand other universes and still never get tired I think LMAO I just want to create things about them forever maybe.
I'm glad the ending could also help you like Gidget a bit more!! I never blame anyone for any lingering uncomfortable thoughts they might have about them, at least in regards to Iggy. But I'm happy if by the end, even those that may have disliked them can still come to understand them and their struggles.
"Him and Iggy are sort of cute? in a way." --> KDFJADSF I don't know why but this made me laugh... π€£
"now that I've finished it.. I feel like I don't know what to do with my life anymore haha!" --> YOU AND ME BOTH LOLOLOL
But for real though, thank you so much for all these kind words!! And thank you for loving the game and the chars (and Genzy) and taking the time to write up all your thoughts like this. It really means so much!! And I'm really happy you enjoyed the game and its finale!! π₯°
Not me lowkey getting scared when it said "What do you want, Saydie?" because that's my deadname and I forgot it was the name of Bucks' child so I thought it knew something
lkdjfadkfasd I'm glad to hear your opinion has evolved π€£ (though I also don't fault anyone who still has reservations about them) They would indeed make a pretty cool friend.
God, this has been such a wonderful game from start to finish. I remember how hooked I got the first time I played the first 3 arcs. The characters feel all so human and distintic, with their own wishes and motivations, with their own flaws and things that pain them.
SPOILERS BELOW!
I loved the final message about how the story isn't a fairytale, so even when they all go back to when they were kids, they still make some of the same mistakes they did before but they react to them better and learn from them!!
Bucks story was really heartbreaking. People might not realize sometimes, but when you say something to a person enough times... they start to believe it themselves. It's so sad that she couldn't be honest with herself and admit she didn't like being called a monster and didn't want the life she had until it was too late. But I'm so glad that she got a second chance with the loop and Hunar and she achieved their dreams before marrying!! (Even if I'll miss Saydie, she's a sweetheart!! but I want to think that she'll appear again since they were considering having a child in the future)
The others' endings were really charming too. I love the fact that Gidget becomes more involved with the LGBTQ+ community and how she even meets Cecil!! Their relationship is super wholesome, they feel like siblings!!
I'm still missing Gidget's ending but of the other two I played I think my favorite is definitely Genzou's. As much as I love Orlam, I think (personally) Iggy's relationship with Gen makes a bit more sense because of all the hints and teasing that were going around for the whole game (plus it just hurts me too much to see Genzou sad dksjgbksjb).
The scenes between Iggy and Genzou were super sweet in Arc 5 and the future they build together warms my heart. I especially loved the part where Iggy mentions that Genzou respects his boundaries even when they're not always the same, 'cause sometimes he may feel like he could do more and sometimes less. It honestly made me so happy to read as an ace person myself!!
Overall, gosh, this game is so freaking fantastic. It will forever be one of my favorite games and I'm so happy to have played it and met the characters and read their story.
Thank you so much for this game, Carrot; and congratulations on the completion of it!! I'm looking forward to more of your stories!!
Ahhhhhh thank you so much for playing, Pri!! It really means so much! And I'm so happy you ended up enjoying the finale! ππ
Also that you liked the final message. It was something I was thinking about a lot even throughout production, both as how the ending in my head evolved a bit, but also like, how exactly I would handle everything afterwards (helped a lot by working on OC). But I felt like a big part, or maybe at least one of the themes of this game in general, is that 1) things aren't perfect, that's just not realistic, and even if you get close to all the things you want, it still won't be perfect, and 2) that life in general is oftentimes beyond our control, but we still have to just do what we can. And I thought that by showing that, even with them remembering small bits, they would still go on to make some of the same mistakes or have some of the same things happen is precisely because no matter what you do, you can't control everything. You can try to be as calm, as cool, and as levelheaded a person as you possibly can, but even then you might still snap at someone if you're stressed. You might still get flustered and make a mistake. And the idea behind life isn't to eliminate these mistakes but to figure out how to better respond to them and act after the fact. (Obviously this doesn't like... adhere the same to like, all things, but still.)
At any rate... I'm really happy you liked Genzou's ending (and Orlam's too but lol). "(plus it just hurts me too much to see Genzou sad dksjgbksjb)" --> LKDJFALDSKFA NO REAL SAME. It made parts of working on the finale a bit difficult for me tbh because I kept having to compartmentalize parts of it in my mind because I would feel too sad otherwise π€£ Maybe because as much as I love all the ships, Genzy will always hold a special place in my heart. And also the fact that I think Genzou hurts the most if Iggy doesn't choose him. And maybe also because I feel like the other two have like real strong supports and relationships with others in their own endings even if they're not chosen -- and Genzou does, too! Like I really wanted to show that him actually not focusing on Iggy and making more friends outside of the group and more general connections is what really helped him to be happier with his life. But at the same time his does feel the most like it's missing an Iggy-shaped piece lakdjfasdf π¦ (maybe that's just my heart talking though LOL)
I'm happy you liked the little ace themes woven into the endings, too sob π I included it in different ways no matter the ending. Whether in the form of Iggy coming to terms with himself or in the way he interacts with others. But I really enjoyed how it ended up taking shape in the Genzou ending. Maybe because thinking about the two of them like, having this really trusting way that they experiment with things, and like, Genzou just being always so kind and patient and understanding and never once judging Iggy for anything, and thinking about that kind of love and support, it just makes me really soft and weepy... ππ It makes me want to actually write about it in more detail and what it could look like and also with some silliness and warmth idk. I don't know if I ever will though.
"It will forever be one of my favorite games and I'm so happy to have played it and met the characters and read their story." --> WEEP this really means so much!! Thank you so much for all of your kindness and support and just wonderful friendship over the years, Pri! And thank you for playing the game and for always being so encouraging about everything! It means the world!! π₯Ίπ
i have words but uhh. it took me over a week to be able to play the finale and yeahh it do be hitting. i am so very tired. (minor spoilers) i really, really loved how this concluded. i adored the ending i got, the exploration of bucks' character was super interesting and cool, iggy finally making his own choice + the slight meta narrative/fourth wall breaking was so neat. carrot youre so incredibly cool and i love you. thank you for my favorite game. im gonna go scroll through the entirety of the blog now. thank you <3
"carrot youre so incredibly cool and i love you." --> WEEP??????
Ahhhh... I'm getting really teary-eyed!! Thank you for this lovely comment and the kind words! I'm so happy you ended up enjoying the finale and just the game in general!! It means so much hearing that the game means so much to you... ππ
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I literally (five minutes ago, at 2:30AM UK time) just got done with all the epilogues of Arc 5. My God this whole visual novel (and its offshoots) is(/are) perfect, compelling, adorable, saddening, gladdening and enriching all at once. Amazing soundtrack work, fantastic motion sequences using the (usually static) character models, the amazingly done CGs and enchanting cutscenes. I literally played these games over the course of three days, and as soon as I get my PC fixed up, I want to do a proper narrated read-through of the series and generally give my own thoughts, too. Every character had a fantastic arc, everything flowed so well together, and my anxiety rose and crashed in waves throughout every single arc.
Thank you for this, Carrot. You truly are a master of your craft. Please do something I can actually pay for, somehow, because you really should have been charging for this. I can't wait for your next project, and will look forward to going through the remaster again, too--I might actually save the recorded playthrough for that...
I am curious though, do you have any frames of reference for character voices, headcanons or anything? I know everyone reading will have them sound different in their heads, but for some reason I picture Genzou as having a rough (due to his smoking) Brooklyn accent...despite not living anywhere near Brooklyn. Might just be the smoking and the fairly crude mouth, though.
Edit: I actually found an Ask response on your Tumblr about the characters' voice claims/ideas so no need to go over it again here!
Anyway--thank you again, and please take care of yourself.
hello! I am new to this game and I was wondering if there was gonna be a walkthrough step by step on the different routes?
This game surprised me in ever manner. I have so much to say, yet I find myself somewhat speechless.
Everything. This game has everything. A unique and pleasant artstyle, extremely well-written (and often more relatable than expected) characters, a nice flowing well-written narration, and not a single scene feels boring. Even throughout the timeloop of the first four arcs, the player is kept awaiting, observing each detail until they notice the changes that will change the character's fates from the previous timelines. The game is quite long, indicative of just how much WORK has been put into it.
I don't remember playing any visual novel before this one, or if so, never this actively. But "Our Wonderland" has made me realize that I actually really love this format.
I absolutely love every aspect of the character writing, as well as the writing of the relationship between them, and what changes over time. I had so much to say, and yet I am so shocked by how good this game is, that I stumble upon my own words.
I truly love the positive LGBT representation in this game, and having a sex-repulsed asexual main character is such a nice change from the scraps of good LGBT representation that mainstream media has used me to.
I was also quite surprised to find that most characters in this game had traits that were relatable to me, or at least hit too close to home. Personalitywise, identitywise, or even regarding a role among a friendgroup and how these things scar an individual. The evolution of the characters based on their personality and backstory is so well-defined and written that I am currently obsessing over this universe. I have binge played OW and its side games recently, and am honestly shocked at how little content I can find about it and the characters. I had to find this game out of boredom, looking around on this website (and made an account just now, because this game ABSOLUTELY does deserve a review). The soundtrack is straight fire and I cannot stop listening to it.
The characters are quite lovable as well, and I always find myself playing the Genzou route first, in OW just like the side games. I can't help but find him the best match for Iggy! He's such a wholesome character as an adult, and I can't help but wonder how he seems to be the only somewhat "sane" character down in wonderland? Although I always find the other routes and endings interesting to explore as well.
The only issue I have is with the character of Gidget. Despite their radical behavior change after their "coming out" scene and their very obvious guilt shown if the Gidget ending is chosen, I just cannot erase what they have done to Iggy from my mind. The finale for arc 4 is by far the most messed up and hard to get over... I would love to guiltlessly appreciate Gidget, especially now that they feel like a whole new character when they're not repressed... But some things are downright unforgettable.
Another point is how as a French person, I was nicely surprised by the accurate use of french words and expressions (especially by Orlam, he does seem like he enjoys using french a lot). That is NOT something you see a lot in english-speaking media. And believe me when I say it is refreshing to see.
This game did me so much good, and I don't understand how so few people have actually found this gem of a video game. It made me feel seen, I loved the aesthetics and the character design added with the character writing tops it off perfectly.
Congratulations Carrot, you have created one of the best pieces of artwork I have ever interacted with in my life.
absolutely fantastic game, i cant believe the entire thing is free??? i love what you did with gidget, the main character, genzou was my favorite character from the start (though thats just my archetype preference lol) im on arc 5 right now im not done but ive been actually just gushing about it to my friends
the way the arcs are is interesting, like its not just some otome where you choose a love interest but you HAVE to be in some sort of relationship with the characters and theyre all such interesting dynamics!!! kinda really love that, it honestly doesnt give the impression of a dating game at all because it isnt structured that way, but it easily could be, and im glad you didnt. you were able to cover so much ground of what being ace is like and the possible types of relationships that can be explored. genzou x iggy is otp ofc but i also really liked orlam x iggy?? the cg where iggy was just playing a game while orlam was...enjoying himself especially.10/10 each person gains their own satisfaction separately while being the closest bond to each other
sorry this is like disorganized im just straight up rambling, but iggy is such a good portrayal of a sex-averse ace i love him to pieces and i may be learning things about myself (?) because of him idk im literally playing the game to distract from my crisis but it might be making it worse but gaining clarity lmao
im going on about the acespec aspect of it which im really appreciative and excited about but it is also just. a fantastic story youve made. great storytelling, things feel purposeful, the cgs are impactful, im kept in suspense, and i was immediately hooked into the story when i booted it up. music is engaging and sound effects did their job. oh actually i really liked the swing music iggy was playing in the beginning of the story!!! impeccable vibes and mad skills
HOW THE HELL DID YOU PUT IN A BOSS FIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A VISUAL NOVEL (im going to live react here now sorry for the notifications)
Part 1 of me playing this game. I am interested to see where this story goes cuz I'm hooked so far. So far the characters are pretty cool, I like the music the art style is really good. Shit got intense real quick lol. But I'm excited for this playthrough
This game changed my life holy shit. My friend made me play it and I wasn't expecting much, but I ended up sobbing my eyes out multiple times on call while I played. 2 times I cried so hard I gagged.
The friend in question is friends with someone who apparently play-tested the game for ya, so maybe my dramatics have already been brought to your attention, lol.
also.. LUPIN III REFERENCE? MY SPECIAL INTEREST MENTIONED BY GENZOU? That alone almost brought be to tears. Carrot, never feel bad about putting silly references in your games, I am living proof that someone out there will love it.
Without spoiling anything: I really relate to Gidget the most, and even though She's not EXACTLY what I am, it's still the closest most accurate and deep representation of that general group I've ever seen. The feelings and thoughts she expresses are on point, as well as the symbolism and metaphors. The game basically called me out.
This was more than a game, it was an experience. Right now I've searched the internet and found maybe 7 pieces of fanart and 10 fanfictions, and I've created a discord server to find more Our Wonderland fans and so far have 2 members besides myself. This game deserves way more fans than it has right now, I'm gonna do my best to spread the word. I don't have twitter, but Carrot, if you're reading this, thank you for making this game.
I often feel like my life is as good as over as a 19-year-old (almost 20 in a few months) who hasn't made any kind of popular groundbreaking genre-defining media yet, I feel like I should just give up art. I already gave up my lifelong dream of becoming an artist and instead I'm in college for normal job stuff and can't turn back now (tons of debt). I've always wanted to make a visual novel or a game or some kind of interactive media and tell a story, but I feel like everything's been done and I really am embarrassingly defeatist about my own mortality, life, and what I'll leave behind.
This game was so utterly just.. AWESOME, that it makes me (...jealous. but also) slightly hopeful that maybe I'll be able to do something similar one day. obviously not as good as this, though.
Hi, as a 19 yo myself, I REALLY have to agree with you omfg. And for some reason, this game made me feel better about growing up. Less scared, in a way?
haha, that's fantastic!
It made me a bit hopeful, but also a bit hopeless and underachieving.. so, all in all, just really hollow and envious that someone was able to put such complicated feelings that nobody has ever taken seriously from me into such a beautiful visual novel. like.. If I were to relate it back to the game somehow- I'm pretty sure the life I'm living and the timeline I'm in would be the first/original one, where they do everything for the first time in their lives, making mistakes and living with them and carrying the burdens of their choices into adulthood. Except there is no wonderland in real life, and I won't get to restart and correct my mistakes and live a better life. I won't get to live in a queer platonic relationship with a british butler and a greasy businessman (lol), I'm going to be desperately job searching, probably selling my body, and trying to do what I can with the womanly figure I was born in, because it's far too late for me to transition and enjoy life as a man (
not to mention the reason I want to be a man is not scientifically possible to achieve yet). I guess if anything it's a pretty comforting glance into how things will continue to go for me, so it won't be a surprise at least.or not idk maybe I'm just more hopeless now than when I wrote that comment.
I honestly understand what you mean. Finding media like this is always so bittersweet to me. I feel so connected to the characters and I can't stop thinking about it day and night. But at the same time, the pain. The pain is real, and the game gets it. It is extremely difficult to exist, for such a wide amount of different reasons, and we're all just doing our best to hold on and be something. I honestly wish you luck with your journey through life and I hope you will find your way into this mess. Nothing is lost, you're here. You got this. Whatever happens, you're here, making your way through things the best you can.
Man, if I could rate this higher than 5 stars, I would. Just play the game. Just do it(if you can deal with the content warnings ofc). Trust me, it is a deeply personal experience that tackles a whole RANGE of themes where there is atleast one that you are bound to relate to in some aspect, probably more! I really cannot do it justice by my word alone, no matter how hard I tried. All I can say is that I would wholeheartedly reccomend it to anyone in their late teens/early adulthood, as it is really a transformative experience; it's like a coming of age story, but executed perfectly for that age demographic instead. It is so extremely cinematic in both the sheer amount of deeply emotive cutscenes and the ost that backs the game so immensely(seriously, cheers to the people behind orchestrating original music and cheers to Carrot for picking pre-existing pieces that match the game's moments so well!). Truly, one of the most memorable experience I have had with a game. What else can I say...oh! It's extremely aspec friendly! Not to spoil anything but if you're aspec I think this game would resonate with you even deeper than with me. Lot's of other representation, too, and not just the LGBTQ+ type.
Also, for Carrot specifically, since I haven't been allat descriptive in my rating, I know you've been seeing my live reactions on Tumblr so. I really couldn't rephrase anything much better than I already did there ahaha
i've been gone from itch for half a year but i've been thinking about this game. idk if yk the SCREAM i screamt when i saw that this lovely masterpiece of a game was updated. i will replay all of it again. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK CARROT, im so proud of you!!!!!!!!!!
If you are unsure about getting this game, JUST GET IT!! This game is fantastic, and its free! Just try it, you'll be sucked in before you know it. Stop reading my damn comment and download it!
I HAVE FINISHED THE GAME FINALLYYYYYYYYYYYYY
Schoolwork's been beating my butt for a long time and I ended up playing the finale way later than I would've liked... BUT HEY I'VE DONE IT NOW
I also decided to make a separate comment for me commenting on the finale because. Hey. It's special. I've like. Finished FINISHED the game !
Starting with the general stuff about the finale !
First I wanted too see if I had enough affection with everyone to do all their endings on the same save but. Well. I had affection too low with Gidget. BUT IT'S FINE I DID THE OTHER TWO FIRST.
Also little fun fact I only realized during the final that GIDGET HAS CECIL'S POCKET WATCH WITH THEM IN WONDERLAND ??? CRYING
During the fight with the monster, you know at the beginning I was like "Wait. The axe. The person who is supposed to be in the cabin in the first place. WAIT IS THAT BUCKS-" and then Iggy confirmed it and I felt like I have a genius haha /hj. Also reading Iggy saying that they had "no choice" but to fight was. Somehow terrifying like what do you mean we can't pacifist route this. AND THE OUR FANTASTIC WONDERLAND REFERENCE ??? I'M SO GLAD I PLAYED THE SIDE GAMES BECAUSE FINDING ALL THE LITTLE REFERENCES IS SO FUNNY. The Bucks flashbacks made me want to cry. Like children and teenagers can be so cruel without realizing it ToT And I couldn't help but think "wow Iggy you got shapeshifting abilities now" when he put on Hunar's necklace. Even though I knew I shouldn't take it too literally- And wow how Bucks turning into a monster is described as "judgement for our sins" by Iggy might have. Made me rethink my whole life and all the actions I have ever taken like oh wow
Whey they got to the tree... Like I knew Saydie was most probably dead (more or less). But oh. Seeing her in the sate she was in. That's harsh. AND THE TREE SAY THAT "From tragedy blooms joy. The joy of innocence" Had to sit in front of my laptop doing nothing for a minute there because. Damn. AND ANOTHER THING WHEN SHE SAYS " You abandoned me the day you abandoned your innocence" MA'AM THAT'S CALLED GROWING UP AND IT'S NORMAL. Also the way She described Iggy OH MY GOD THAT HURTS ? (especially as I relate to him. Like ma'am you're insulting me personally here I absorbed this man in my soul). In the green fields I thought it was so cool when Iggy made his own choice. AND I HAVE TO SAY WHEN I ACTUALLY SAW THAT CHOICE I WAS CONFUSED. LIKE WASN'T THE WHOLE POINT OF ALL OF THIS TO BREAK THE CYCLE. WHY DO I HAVE THE CHOICE
I also was slightly confused WHEN WE WENT BACK TO CHILDHOOD. Because I mean sure it kinda makes sense BUT IT STILL SURPRISED ME. WHAT A PLOTTWIST. (I also was really happy that Gidget was still referred to as they/them hehe
Also about some common things about the epilogues I was really happy to see Cecil again. My brain was like "CECIL. CECIIIIIIIIL." also IS THAT JERRY AS ORLAM'S EMPLOYEE. JERRY.
Oh one more thing. The music for the cutscenes was. Really really great. Chef's kiss even. If I may say.
Okay now first ending I did GENZOU ENDING !!!
Firstly the talk with him was very emotional. Aeugh. Like him saying he shouldn't take care of himself because of the wrong he has done or Iggy crying and saying he doesn't need to be his selfless knight and that "you (Genzou) were never fine, and I (Iggy) never knew" AHHHHHHHH I ALMOST CRIED. And then we finally got DA KISSSSSSSS and them hugging to sleep next to the stove and the little Iggy monologue AEUGH MY HEEEEEART
And their life afterwards in the epilogue uheuheuhe I love them so much
Secondly I did the Orlam ending !
I sadly don't have much to say, as much as I like Orlam's character haha... The only thing I could think was "Orlam you're such a brat but I love you still"
I also find it very fitting how their relationship isn't really defined. Like they're just them. Fits Orlam and the pairing he forms with Iggy very much.
And then I did the Gidget ending !
Man I Had to redo everything to get enough affection. I went through all the PAIN. AGAIN. GIDGET I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY.
Of course in the Gidget talk we had the whole apologizing session... LIKE GIDGET I KNOW IT WAS BAD YEAH BUT YOU WERE IN A BAD PLACE AND THIS PLACE FUCKS YOUR HEAD UP IT'S OKAY. UP TO A CERTAIN POINT. AND THEN THEY GO ON WITH SAYING"how can I expect anyone to accept me for who I am" THIS FELT LIKE A PUNCH IN THE GUT GIDGET NOOOOOO. AND AFTERWARDS THEY'RE CRYING AND IGGY SAYS "only you can decide who you are" THE TEARS WERE IN MY EYES. SECOND PUNCH IN THE GUT FOR REAL. And when they talk about about feeling different druring their childhood/teenagehood and not knowing what was "wrong" because no one talked about it AEURGH I AM PROBABLY PART OF THIS "younger generation" THEY'RE REFERRING TO BUT GIDGET BUT I STILL FEEL YOU BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE THE WHOLE INTERNET AT 10 YEARS OLD
Also I'm sorry to say that but when Iggy said "There's still time." I HAVE BEEN BRAINROTTED BY "I saw the TV glow" AND COULDN'T HELP BUT THINK ABOUT IT OMG
The epilogue was cool and Gidget kissing everyone hahaha. I also don't completely get what kind of relationship Iggy has with Gidget. Like are we dating with Gidget being polyamorous orrrrr. Do we have an ambiguous relationship like with Orlam orrrr. Is it something else. I'm a bit confused and I don't know if it's normal and you intended it that way kadhfkdjab
AND FINALLY. Neutral ending ! Last one :,)
I LOVE that the idea of this ending it not "I don't want to be with anyone" but rather "I wanna focus on myself"
AND IGGY'S LIFE NOT CHANGING MUCH EXCEPT HE'S MORE CONFIDENT AND CAN FIGURE HIMSELF OUT BETTER AEUGH I'M SO HAPPY FOR HIM. He also keeps up with his friends more uheuheuhe :,)
Also he loves hurt/comfort me too man me too we in this together
Very funny how Cecil's murderous glares to Iggy haven't changed haha
AND THEN THE OUR CINDERELLA REFERENCE AT THE END I LOVE THAT I PLAYED ALL THE SIDE GAMES YIPPEEEE
So. We're getting towards the end of this comment. My last comment on Our Wonderland... Uheuheuhe...
First of all I wanna say again that this is truly one of the best horror visual novels I've ever played in my life. It left a great impact on my soul and heart and it was so great even though it did very much make me cry haha. I will definitely NEVER forget it.
I really loved all the endings in general. As I am very much attached to Genzou and Iggy of course I'll say the best ending is the Genzou one... But I have to say that the neutral ending could be in this place too. Not because I don't like Orlam and Gidget, or because I think Iggy is better off without a partner but just... As I mentioned before, I feel like the idea of this ending is "I wanna focus on myself". And I find this very great hehe.
Anyway ! That's the last of my ramblings. Thank you again for making this absolutely amazing game. I'll be on the lookout if you ever develop anything else and will be sure to give it a try ! Take care Carrot :)
The tree was absolutely WILD for what it said. The things it accused Genzou Orlam Gidget and Bucks of were likely not even their fault. What... happened with Genzou was clearly not even his own doing, just his teen hormones kicking in. For Orlam, having this abusive of a father can't be any good. What did she expect, Orlam to just go "Wow, I love it when my dad beats me, I wanna be around him forever!" And Gidget?? They tried packing due to GENDER DYSPHORIA which, again is not their fault, obviously. They did horrendous things to Iggy in Wonderland but no, the problem is that time they were packing. And for Bucks?? The kid she sent to the hospital was probably a hardcore bully.
I'm having an issue with the startup and extraction, for some reason my antivirus quarantined the startup file so I deleted the previous download and tried to extract the file again but for some reason its asking for admin permission to copy the file to the extracted location but when I give it access it declines it and says I need permission to copy the file even though I already gave it permission I've downloaded the game before and it ran fine but now it wont work is there any solution? (ps: when i played the game before it was marvelous the first arc ending had me tearing up just sayin)
Oh gosh, I'm not really sure tbh π¦ I know that games made in Ren'Py can sometimes throw up false positives for Antivirus software and/or delete files. I'm not sure about the permissions part though, that sounds like something unique that your computer is doing that I've never heard of before, so I'm not really sure what to say π My suggestion if it's possible is to maybe download the other version (if you dl'd the 64bit one, download 32bit, and vice versa) to see if you can get that version to work as a fresh game since it will likely read it as a whole different game. But I am not super sure. There are forums posts and such out there for ppl with similar issues with Antivirus and quarantining that may also have some suggestions too, tho I've never seen anything about the permissions thing before... π¦
Okay its been seven days and twenty hours later lets hop into it.
FIRSTLY: anyone scrolling the comments looking for a reason to play this game(me, seven days and twenty hours ago) just get it. Your device can't play it? Buy one that can.
OKAY FR THO.
I love horror games, and I like games with a good blend of platonic and romantic relationships. Boom, perfect game. Now, really quickly, let me list the positives. Wait, no... sorry, thats not possible. There's just a few (36) too many for this to be quick.
To summarize the BIG positives-
-The music. OH. MY. GOD. AMAZING. Unironically one of the best scores I've ever listened to, with great attention to detail. Music changes how you perceive games, and I felt the music doing that, and more. I literally am just going to.
perfect
adjective
/ΛpΙΛfΙͺkt/
Flawless
Ultimate
Sublime
In case you cannot tell, it was good. Especially during act 5, it really came together. And while sometimes the slower, more motonteimous sections have more, well, slow and motonteimous music. But the second something high-stakes occurred, the INCREDIBLY unnerving music BLASTED OUT and it was honest to god, TERRIFYING.
-The characters. Spectacular. I especially love Iggy, he's genuinely such a great character, and I am SO happy that he's the protagonist. I especially liked that scene (MAJOR SPOILER) where he chose the option for you in the end of act 5. Actually really cool. And speaking of act 5, thats where we really saw some interesting ideas shine through- we control Iggy, kind of. And the tree kept saying how perfect he was as a vessel, because he has no character himself, he lacks personality and morals. I adore characters that have this... lack of self, and they learn to overcome it.
Which leads into my love of the our cinderella side game- I thought it was so lovely how it didn't feel like WE were the ones being romanced at all- (I don't enjoy romances involving 'me', or just a self insert.) it instead felt like we were helping Iggy, and pushing him into the right direction!
OKAY BACK TO THE CHARACTERS-
Final point on Iggy- (I could yap more, but I have plenty to say about everything else this game has to offer... [menacingly]) I LOVE ACE REP SM- I consider myself demi, and have felt this repulsion towards sexual activity. It's not like I hate it, I just need to trust the person. Which happens to take a lot of time. (Years.) That part of him I've found quite relatable?? Iggy is REALLY well written, and if you take the time to play the side games as well, you'll get and even BETTER written character (very hard, great achievement completed)
GENZOU.
I always choose to romance Genzou. Originally, I was going to go neutral- but. Ah. He's so fun. But before I confess why he's probably my (very close) second favorite character, I have to admit why I love ALL of these characters.
I normally choose what characters I like the most based on morality. Okay, I know, it's a bad way to pick out what characters you like based on just ethics. But like, my many hours worth of philosophy and ethics classes have made me a bit too weak to stan SERIAL KILLERS. And when I first started playing, I was like "Oh! Genzou is probably the best person here!" which turned into- "Oh, he's actually being kind of rude-" to "What the f--k did he say to Orlam-" to "DUDE WHAT THATS SO MESSED UP?!?"
And while I still think Genzou is the most ethical (he is the only one who didn't try to kill his friends!) it was odd. I knew no one in the game was good. Everyone there had some murderous intent or had done some terrible thing. (except the GOAT Hunar) And I didn't ever realize how much I needed that. I was SHOCKED at how quickly I found myself thinking more indepth about every character I saw. I found it harder and harder to hate characters solely on their actions and intent. Normally (spoiler) I would have HATED Gidget for what they did in act 5/act 4, and would NOT have enjoyed their presence AT ALL in the following scenes. But NOPE. I kind of understood it? Eh, this is a tangent. I will be yapping about Gidget, because they 100% have my favorite story.
GENZOUUU.
Honestly, I just liked him. Related to him ALOT.
You know, I got that legally blind s--t (I pray to whoever made contacts, they're my god.)
My collection of bikes >:) I will admit, I've crashed into the road more times than I can actually collect.
I DUNNO I HAVE THE ENTP ENERGY (I like to tell people they're wrong and then not give them a reason at all for why)
But I'm not short tho :) !!!
Okay but fr. His desperate pinning on Iggy was actually so horribly sad. And, no matter what Iggy said or did, he still loved him. He still trusted him. Especially how, if you did romance him, he was always accepting, always understanding. He was probably the most healthy relationship, at least in my opinion? (
carrot was that your favorite couple?? I don't know there was just two side games for them...both are super cute btw <3)AND HIS WISH ACTUALLY I WAS BAWLING.
cool guy
Gidget :)
Out of every character, Gidget is probably the most relatable to me? But the outcomes are quite different lmao
I adored their story, it was well written, understandable, and I loved the closure it had at the end. Even though I was throughly disgusted by what they did to Iggy through every act, via memories and flashbacks, it was quick to piece together the full picture- that of someone who changes for others, hurting themselves in the progress, ignoring their interests, their happiness, their selfhood.
I also did a similar thing, becoming vastly more feminine from the end of middle school to the beginning of high school, just so 'society' would consider me conventually attractive.
They really had, by far, the most visible growth, and the two timelines are, perhaps, the most different. And good for them >:) you ATE my liege!1!
Similarly, I was actually so happy seeing Cecil be... not impaled... in the epilogues, I thought he was actually pretty interesting!!!
orlam.
OKAY, I KNOW. A large portion of the comments are down-bad for Orlam- sure, he's a very interesting character, and I definitely didn't hate him. He was fun to see on screen! But, especially in the final timeline, he would be the worst for Iggy. And, while I don't think they'd be good together, in act 4, I thought Gidget and Iggy were cute, (NOTTHEENDNOTTHEEND) and genuinely had chemistry. I could see there being a slight draw to them. But Orlam...
Honestly, the relationship seemed uncomfortable to me. Maybe thats because Orlam makes me uncomfortable... but I just feel like he's a bit too sexual for Iggy? I can see Gidget, while being disheartened, still accepting Iggy. (And Genzou, being the KING he is ALWAYS accepts Iggy !!) I feel like Orlam would (Oh this is going to sound bad.) pressure Iggy into a sexual relationship?? I don't really know, I haven't gotten his ending, it could be the sweetest relationship ever!
Out of everyone, I feel the most bad for him. He's clearly dealing with immense mental health issues, and coping very poorly. How he acted without his heart was just... really heartbreaking. And when Genzou hugged him, I was actually sobbing.
I don't really have as much to say on Bucks? Her and Hunar were a good couple, and I am quite glad they handled their relationship very well the second time around.
-Art!
The art is really, really cute! Which was interesting, because I was like- wow, they look adorable! This is not scary at all!
(those rabbits those rabbits.)But it took maybe 5 minutes for me to realize the absolute incredible versatility this style had. Not only were the character designs incredible, portraying everyone quite well, but the designs of the backgrounds and creatures were very impressive.
And OMG? There were so many CGs that it felt like half the time it wasn't a visual novel, it was a f--king movie! And that is 100% a compliment- the creator obviously invested a lot of time into the art, and it SHOWS! This kind of skill to be able to make so much quality art and writing is incredible.
Oh, I haven't even talked about the-
-Writing!
Really good. VERY good. I adored wonderland, its twistedness and nostalgia, dripping with hostility and facades of kindness. The setting itself is something we all know, and carrot could have easily just thrown us into a wonderland we know about already, just added some twists- but NO. They went all out, and created a very different, and very terrifying wonderland. Very few things feel reused, it feels fresh and lively.
My favorite part of the writing was everything surroding the tree, Saydie, and wishes. The concept of wishes fueling the wonderland, that what you want will be what you find- ITS SO GOOD. And the tree, desperately craving wishes, until She reached a breaking point? AMAZING. I actually felt almost bad for the tree. ...Okay, I wish I could burn the tree down-
My favorite part-
The end. 100%. Seeing all the kids saying their wishes, and then having it reset? It was unique, I truly did not think that was coming, but it made so much sense! Seeing what happened to everyone afterward was really satisfying, and as soon as I was done I instantly played every other game Carrots ever made <3
Do I have any complaints?
Mm. Eh. Not really? I suppose I found act 3 a bit boring, and sometimes the constant gore got excruciating (I had the censored mode on, I dislike gore a tad) but served its purpose quite well! When Iggy's fingers were chopped off, I physically flinched, and when Genzou and Iggy got slaughtered in act 2 I wanted to cry.
Probably the most enjoyable game I've played on Itch, and definitely the most well made- I have already drawn Iggy multiple times and have tried to force every living being I know to play the game so I can talk with people about it. GIVE THIS GAME THE FANDOM IT DESERVES!!!!!!!!!
okay!! lots of love,
-emeys
(this is possibly the longest comment ive ever given: to summarize, play the game, love Iggy, stan genzou, give orlam a hug, tell Gidget they matter, drop the soundtrack please)
As a demi person as well, I feel like it's a demi thing to ALWAYS pick Genzou first. Genzou route above all (It's just so HJGHJTDYJHKJHJYGU)
AND REGARDING your opinion on Gidget, I absolutely must agree. I find that transmasc people overfeminizing and oversexualizing themselves for someone they like is a pretty common thing, even and often done subconsciously. It really adds a lot of depth to Gidget's character. Although it is pretty hard to shake off the thing Gidget has done to Iggy. Downright unforgivable. I'm well aware that wonderland twists an individual and pushes their struggles to the extreme but DAMN
Hey carrot, I've been silently looking and lurking on this page regarding this game for awhile now (I think arc 4 or 3 is when I discovered this gem?). My first exposure to your stuff was actually the dancing side game, UGH I BLOODY LOVE IT, THE FEELS, THE IMPLICATIONS, THE LORE BETWEENT THE CHARACTERS THAT I DON'T KNOW ABOUT, THE SWAYING TO MIMIC DANCING, THE SONG AAAA-- (man I wanna fangirl a lot more about it but right now isn't the time)!! After that, I played the short mobile game, as a queer lass it was really lovely to experience that game as I rarely see ace rep in video games
(man I sure hope those two don't get traumatised in a separate game).Now regrettably I haven't been able to play the main game yet as I have been going through my own character arc of sorts (and I am the sort of person to wait until a game is fully complete to play it as I wished to experience the whole plot with no pauses,,, apologies). All that is to say, my most exposure to the main game has been through your dev logs. As a current Games Design student, reading your logs has been a wonderful experience (which is probably really weird but oh well). It was lovely to see your progress with the game while I was also getting through developing my own stuff for assignments. I don't have as much experience as you when it comes to churning out banger games but I have dealt with similar feelings when finishing a game (highly relate to the depression and the feeling of emptiness that follows) and, in the weirdest way possible, reading your own experiences really helped me feel less alone in the process. Basically the point of all of this is to say, thank you for developing such amazing games for yourself and for us strangers on the internet. Heck you have even inspired me to do game development outside of my assignments for fun! Please stay safe and take as much time as you need to rest, your health and real life commitments are more important than game development.
Apologies for writing so much, this is my first time actually commenting on itch.io lol. I felt very compelled to just word vomit this out to you as a sign of thank you for what you have inadvertently done for me by just being you and working on this huge project.
TLDR - It's been lovely lurking around here and seeing your progression! Thank you for the much needed inspiration and please take care of yourself!! Hopefully I'll be able to play this game soon after my work is complete~.
I just finished this and then i tore off all my skin and exploded and died thank you carrot
This is so incredibly real but like I died in a good way yknow
hi.
does this work with self-voicing and is it blind accessible?
Once In the game you can press V for self voicing. There is some music in some scenes and a few sound effects that may improve the experience. I'm not sure what other accessibility needs you have but i hope this is helpful.
you can use the accessibility tools on the profile pages of theo and npckc here on itch, to improove accessibility.
Hello! Self-voicing is available in the game and image captions have been included where necessary in the story (the game is narrative-heavy so much of the description happens naturally in the narration, but additional image captions have been added for moments where something is not described).
Having said that, it hasn't been tested all the way through the entire game. I'd be happy to look into any potential bugs or oddities that may arise that I wasn't aware of though.
that's great to here.
another unrelated question, is there music in the whole game?
sorry about this.
wanted to know, is this a romance vn
Mmm... yes and no. I would not categorize this as a "romance vn" first and foremost. It is mostly a horror drama with some tragedy. However, there is some romance in the vn as part of the story. If you are looking for a lot of romance or more of a standard romance/dating vn, this vn might not be what you want...
i was looking for a vn with little to no romance/nsfw.
There is generally music throughout the whole game, yes, though there are some moments where the music stops or only an ambient sound is played instead of music for the sake of the narrative/dramatic effect.
Hello!
I would like to start off by saying that today I have officially finished OW. I completed all of the LI endings last night, only to find myself drowning in tears as I tried to fall asleep. I finished the neutral ending this morning and started sobbing all over again. Yeah... thanks :{ But I was honestly very pleased with this game.
Let me to clarify that I am not accustomed to leaving comments on games; this is actually my first one. However, I felt compelled to share my thoughts, so please excuse any 'unprofessionalism' on my part.
When I discovered this game, I wasn't sure what to expect. I was simply exploring the many games (specifically VNs) that itch.io had to offer and happened to stumble upon OW, which I then played and, of course, am now currently leaving a comment on. :)
I'm someone who's easily moved, but evoking tears, especially from playing a game, is a rare feat for me. It's like two sides of the same coin.(Heh, get the reference?) Carrot incorporated both sides into their game by giving their characters diverse struggles to overcome. Comparing myself to the characters in the game, I'm considerably very young. Because of this, I don't have much personal experience with some of the struggles the characters have to endure—such as sexual assault, transitioning, and parental abuse. The way Carrot properly portrays these challenges is what I find incredibly inspiring. To watch these characters, of whom I've gotten so fond of, find themselves in devastating situations I could never find myself in is what really leaves me in tears. With this, me and many others can realize how fortunate some of us are and be grateful for what we have. I enjoy the chance to see from a new perspective of what others may have went through that I haven't. Thank you for incorporating this into your game; it means a lot. Great, now I'm sad.ππ
Now to the other side, what really resonates deep within me. I'd like to think I don't think of myself all that much. Although, that also means that I have to deal with constantly questioning myself, not knowing anything about me. This extends to my sexuality. It feels like it has a mind of its own, changing day to day. One day, I may be in love with everyone I make eye contact with, the next I'm curling up in a ball wondering if I'm actually just some unusual aroace specimen. Perhaps there's an explanation for this, but for now I don't know. Mostly, the questioning affects my regular life. Currently, I have no idea what career path I want to pursue when I'm forced to grow up and make a living. MY PREFERENCE IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING. IT'S SCARY. First, I think I want to be a doctor, then a lawyer, then a programmer, then an actor, then an entrepreneur, and suddenly, an artist??????? (Sounds silly, I know)πBut when I realize that other people feel this way too, it feels nice that I don't have to be completely alone in this ongoing battle. Heck, seems like enough of an issue that Carrot made a whole game about it! Thank you for creating a game that helped me realize I have a lot more to figure out about myself, yet somehow managed to make me feel less alone in the process.
Well, I've had about enough talking about myself and the game, I want to talk about Carrot! Why? Why not! The effort that Carrot put into this game is so evident, Genzou could see it! (Okay, bad joke, sorryπ ) My sibling is a programmer whom I've always looked up to, but my interest in programming is always on-and-off. As well as that, I am currently trying to delve into writing unique stories of my own. The fact that Carrot has checked the writing, programming, and drawing boxes is just SO impressive. The creator is also incredibly sweet, regarding how they treat fans and how much the characters they create mean to them. Additionally, I don't know if anyone else saw this, (probably not because I have a low IQ) but the creators vocabulary is incredibly advanced! There are many words that I was unfamiliar with, as embarrassing as it is to mention.π³I would be envious, or even annoyed, at the creator for this...BUT I JUST CANT BECAUSE THE CREATOR IS TOO NICE AND ADORABLY AWKWARD FOR THEIR OWN GOOD!!!!!!!!
This comment has been a trainwreck of emotions, and I'm honestly super nervous to even post this. But I spent quite a while trying to properly convey my feelings onto this post, so I hope it resonates.πYour characters currently reside rent free in my head and I'm not complaining--I'm taking good care of them. You can have them back for a day every 5 years.
Keep doing your thing, Carrot. Me, along with plenty others, will be eagerly awaiting your next project. I can confidently say that the next game you produce will be something truly amazing. π
Bye!
i played this game like 2 months ago and it changed my life, like seriously sdjhsn
iggy, oh my god i have a few things to say. thanks to this AMAZING game i was able to fully confirm myself as asexual, i was just so mesmerized by how much i understood what he was going through. ive always seen the term asexual but i never paired it up to myself since i felt as if i didn't qualify but seeing iggy go through and talk about his situation, which were so similar to my own. it really helped my come out and fully accept myself as being asexual, just hearing him talk and react to things made me feel valid. i cried way too much while playing this, but it was all well needed crying so thank you for thank lol. i think i really changed when i finished the game, almost like a weight of uncertainty was lifted from my shoulders (if that makes sense sdgj) but i felt so valid and seen. i swear all 117 hours of me losing sleep to be playing and crying for this game were worth it in the end! never have i ever felt so similar to a character than i have with iggy, i thank you so much for making this game!
i also related to gidget in a way! though ive kinda always know i wasn't just my assigned gender, it was nice to see how they went through things that a lot of trans people, me included, went through. this whole game really made me feel a lot of things, hsdj. it was like a punch to the stomach that i never knew i needed!
so i just wanted to say thank you for making this amazing game that i love sm carrot! i hope i dont sound too weird by saying this but, in a way your game really saved me! i hope you're feeling better and i wish good things upon you <3
Hello, I would like to clarify a few things like I have known the game for quite some time but I did not have the opportunity to leave a comment or anything and well, I have played all the games in the OurWonderland Universe and I honestly LOVE EVERY GAME, I love them, the story , the characters, the design, your drawing style, I love everything and I would also like you to know that your game has reached areas like Latam but anyway xd, the point is that I love the game and I would love it if it could become more popular and host a larger famdon but I am happy with the content continuing to come out, Thank you very much for this piece of real art, I love it β€οΈβ€οΈβ€οΈ
Fantastic, life-changing experience that was clearly given lots of love and effort when created. :) Btw, may I ask what stories, if there are any, was this VN inspired by? Thereβs definitely Alice in Wonderland, but the story and setting also reminds me of It by Stephen King as it also tells the tale of a similar group of friends who come from troubled backgrounds and ultimately conveys the central theme of the loss of childhood innocence. (Although thereβs definitely stronger romantic tones to this one)
Once again, amazing work! I already know Iβm gonna be left sleepless trying to find another story that can fill up the void that Our Wonderland filled. :3
I feel like it's a coincidence but Orlam's haircut is giving Chuuya from BSD. And he's not beating the allegations with his whatsapp pfp, visible in the side game Our Cinderella, or with the "crazy angles" the camera takes so close to his face at times lmao
holy shit- i just finished ch.5 and this was just so f amazing! i was even sobbing at the end(actually i was crying from the moment orlam had held them hostages till the end but whatevs) omg i rlly need to check your other works too....also the way the characters were written was incredible.Great job<3
I can't stop my eyes from waterfalling everytime I watch the "Genzou and Orlam" scene. AUGH HEARTWRENCHING.
i wish i could liked ur comment....ugh! IM NOT BLAMING U IT WAS TRULY HEARTWRECHING
Only a few games have ever impacted my life, and this was one of them. The amount of joy I felt when I finished the story, and then seeing like a montage of what their lives had shaped them to be? I can't tell you how full my heart was when I read that.
The way that you wrote these characters was so indulging, and I've already finished this game like a week ago but I still couldn't get them out of my head! You got me caring for each one of them and their loveable quirks and flaws, and their journey of self-discovery. And it's just so amazing and bizarre to me, of how much I relate to some of these characters (Iggy and Gidget, more specifically). To see that the feelings and thoughts I've kept to myself, that I sometimes feel silly or ashamed to even think about, were being reflected back to me. And all of it just feels so... validating, I guess? Idk lol I'm sorry if this is coming off across as weird already.
But anyway... I just wanna say that you have a talent for these and you're doing an amazing job, Carrot! I hope you know you have people who support you, and I wish you the very best! Stay safe and I hope you feel better soon!
just a question were you a geronimo stilton fan
I'm sorry, I don't even know what that is π€£π¦
love Geronimo stilton tbh
eventually, eventually, i got some time to sit down and play this game in its fullest form - which i KNOW is the best:))
I hope you'll enjoy it when you find the time to do so! ππ
hello, Carrot! we are all the ones here - who love your inspiring creativity and you, whose characters became related, and whose stories were remembered! please rest and gain strength in difficult times, and we, in turn of, will definitely wait for new releases of your creations, when you are full of strength and energy!πͺ
Thank you so much π
Hey Carrot, read your post.
I'm so sorry that has been happening to you! You truly don't deserve that, and I hope you get better soon. It might be better to distance yourself from social media for awhile and be around your family if you're still going through the grief of losing your loved ones.
As for the hate, it's best to just ignore it and try to not get it through your head, as it will only drag you down further.
I wish I had more advice to offer, but I'm not good with advice in general. I can only wish you the very best.
I adore your game, however, and will continue to support you from afar!
Stay safe.
Thank you so much for the kind words π
Just read the latest devlog. Since I can't comment there, I'll say it here: you have people who care about you, Carrot, both online and offline. Find them, and ask for their help. That's what helped me in my darkest hours. I hope it will do the same for you.
Thank you very much π
AWHAHWHWHWHWHHWGHW2HWHWHW THIS GAME WAS AMAZING!!!
I literally made an account just to comment on this because woooooooow bro I just have to say SOMETHING BRO.
I really loved the endings of the story and the writing is sooooooo good bro, it ties in with previous lives that Iggy lived with stronger and stronger stages of deja vu the more you progress which I like, and the character writing makes them feel like true actual people who are suffering and dealing with their trauma in many ways. (It makes me so happy, I love seeing actual effort being put into characters and their backstories, It shows that you really do care about them and how well the moral messages of the characters are seen by the audience.)
I adore Igs so much, I need a stuffed animal of him right now.
Genzou is my favorite as while he is much more of a funny douchebag trope, he does truly love his friends (Even Orlam, even if it's hard to say, it's the truth.) and cares more about Iggy's happiness than he does his feelings for him. (I can physically not go for another romantic ending for Iggy because I hate seeing Genzou heartbroken :(. )
Gidget's backstory was a tough one, and while I didn't like them that much in the beginning (For reasons I do NOT wish to discuss as it is painful to remember) I slowly started to kin them in arc 5.
I have some mixed feelings about Orlam, but I guess it's more past-tense hate then it is now. I don't really like his type of sleezy-geezer personality, but I can understand how he thinks and feels looking back at his past now. Being through what he has gone through for a majority of his life would fuck anyone up really.
Poor Buck's and Saydie bro, they didn't deserve what they went through :-( (tbh none of these characters do, but oh well.)
Orlam and Genzou's relationship remind me of Cartman and Kyle's from South Park (their grown up personalities atleast)
GO GIDGET!!! RUN FROM YOUR B*TCH OF A MOTHER!!!
I'm gonna be talking about what I think of Iggy's relationship paths and how I generally feel about them. (no hate of course, these are just my opinions.)
I LOOOOOOOOOVEEEEE GENZOU AND IGGY'S ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP!!! Or just their relationship in general is just super sweet and so accepting. I love how much they care for each other, and how deep their relationship runs in their souls. A true pair, if I do say so myself <3.
I don't mind if Gidget and Iggy were in a relationship, but after all of what happened between the two, I honestly think it would just be better If Gidget focused on themself for awhile. They need to grow and learn to accept themselves, to learn that it's impossible to achieve perfection and how to live with the fact that they are Non-Binary now and not a girl anymore.
Now, again, don't really mind if Orlam and Iggy being in a relationship, but I think they would be better off with eachother as friends. I feel like it would be hard with Orlam that Iggy doesn't like sexual experiences, and I don't really think Orlam is a romantic type of person (Which is what Iggy needs in a relationship to survive lmao).
I think thats It for my rant tho. LOVED YOUR GAME! I need more people to notice it, I really want atleast SOME sort of a small fandom to get by :(.
Genzou is legit so cute I LOVE him sm :(
Carrot thanks for the game and experience. I haven't played a game that gave me this whole feeling in a while. Got the alone ending and am really glad it was given the care you gave it
Thank you for playing π I'm really happy the game could mean so much to you. It means a lot to hear.
Okay!! I finished all endings, so it's time to write a comment about it! I'm gonna talk mostly about finale part, since I already talked about how much I love previous arcs in my last comment, sooooo... (also sorry for my bad english ^^;;)
SPOILERS BELOW!!
IT WAS SUCH AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE, A TRUE JOURNEY OF A GAME-- NOT ONLY FINALE, WHOLE GAME AS WELL! IT IS INCREDIBLE, SO WELL WRITTEN, CHARACTERS, THEIR ARCS, THEIR BONDS, PLOT, DRAMA, EVERYTHING!! And finale was like a cherry on top of a delicious cake! Character's arc ending, the Bucks sequence, the tree, the epilogue... But my favorite of them all, the most emotional for me, the one which grasps my heart every time was the field scene.
It was... I don't have the words to describe how much I love it... When I saw the background, the tranquil and empty field, I knew this is gonna be amazing scene. But I didn't know how much,,, seeing all of them as kids and saying their wishes, Saydie guiding them with an understanding smile, but the most,,, scene that even now makes me emotional was Iggy's wish. It-- it was so much in tune with his character arc, and I haven't expected that his wish would be like this. Which is pretty silly of me, because obviously, it's Iggy!! Who else is so focused on making their friends happy? Of course it's him! BUT AT THE SAME TIME--- AT THE SAME TIME HIS WISH WAS SO SINCERE, SO SELFLESS--- LIKE I COULD FEEL HIS LOVE TO HIS FRIENDS-- AAAAAAAA I CAN'T,, I LOVE IT SO MUCH, THIS IS GONNA BE ONE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE SCENES FROM ANY MEDIUM I'VE EVER CONSUMED
Also as I mentioned before I got every ending, right? So everytime I didn't skip it, nah, I reread it over and over, these 4 times and haha, and everytime this scene made me cry :'> I won't get too personal, but the 3rd time I reread it, it made me realize how much I miss being a kid. I'm this kind of person who bottles everything up, but it made me feel like it's okay to miss old times or regret things and to cry for them. This really helped me, I'm feeling much better now, so thank you.
Moreover I made screenshots of other wishes, so I can read all of them. And the "I wish I could see my mom" which I assume was Orlam's made me cry once again ;w; (oh and btw! I love things that make me emotional and I think if something evokes this much emotions in someone it is kinda like a sign of how well written it is, so props for you, Carrot!!)
Okay but now let's go to other stuff I want to talk about! Like character's endings!
I've obtained only Gidget's one on my first try which suprised me. I thought I'll get others too, but it seems like I spent too much time with them in arc 5 haha! Later I just made a couple choices different and got everyone, yay! :> I went in Gidget>Genzou>Orlam>alone order! Which is kinda funny to me since my OC order was the same (tho I got there bad ending first) xD Anyway, I'm gonna talk about them in this order then!
Gidget first!! So... The direction this ending went made me really happy!! I loved how natural it was, with no romance forced! Since Gidget and Iggy went through so much in their relationship and in arc 4 they had... Maybe not forcing romance on each other per se, but forcing themselves to act like... Whatever Gidget's mother would say they should do as a normal couple, I guess? I don't know how to describe it better, but I Hope you know what I mean. So seeing them just talk things over, with no "acting" to please anybody, being vulnerable and sincere with each other was so good!!! AAAA I JUST LOVE HOW MUCH PROGRESS THEY HAVE MADE, IGGY, GIDGET, THEIR RELATIONSHIP SDVADWMAVVXFAFA I saw someone point out that unlike Orlam, Gidget considers their acts in wonderland as their own wrongdoings (I mean: not wonderland-messed-me-up-wrongdoings), because they don't have such a strong identity-- I love this interpretation so much, aaaaaaa-- Also cg where they lie and look at the stars was so cute, I love it <3 ALSO!! Their epilogue!! It was greaaaaat!! I love love love that they, Cecil and Iggy are roommates!! This idea of living with 2 best friends (or maybe even something more?) sounds so lovely to me! And the fact that they stay in contact with Orlam made me so happy!! Also, like I talked before I love that gidgy are just their own thing, not forcing romance or anything. I like to think they are more in qpr than just in typical romantic relationship (or somewhere in between) and it makes my aroace heart so happy <333
Next one Genzou!! GENZOUUUUU WAAAAAAAH-- I picked him as my second ending, because I knew this was gonna be very sweet <33 and was I wrong? Nope, cuz Genzy is always sweet! Even when they make me weep! I love all characters and ships equally, but genzy strikes me as the most possible one?? Just look how they care about each other and feel safe around the other one-- Ooh!! And let me go back to field scene! I found it pretty satysfying, because when I played arc 1 and Genzou wish was "revealed" I thought something like "Maybe he wished to see Iggy or something" anD IT WAS TRUE ALL ALONG!! I made such an assumption, because first game I played made by you was T2A2G, and it was so cool to have it confirmed! Also I'm curious what he was writing/drawing there as a kid... Hmmmmm... But anyway! Iggy telling him he needs to care for himself and try his best for himself , not to sacrifice himself for Iggy's sake was good as well (also, Iggy, look who is talking lol). They just feel so natural when it comes to understanding and caring for each other aaaaa-- And his epilogue was very sweet as well! I love their expressions in it-- Iggy looking like embarrassed, but happy shoujo anime schoolgirl after giving Genzou his "answer", I can't-- And they just living together, chilling on the couch and spending time in Genzou's workshop awwwww... Did I mention they are very sweet?! >83
Okie Dokie, it's time for our lovely rat king Orlam! Well, well, his ending was a very interesting one! I love how his relationship with Iggy differs from gidgly and genzy. They truely are making their own rules, with no need to label themselves. Just two people caring for each other. Also I was very curious how he will act, because his personality seemed to change once again? I thought he was more sarcastic and kinda tired or maybe just reserved there????? Sorry, I don't know how to describe it-- But it was reasonable, this guy didn't feel anything for probably months without his heart and now that it was beating once again in his chest, he was saved, it would be weird if he was still as playful(??) as in previous arcs. Oh or maybe just effect wonderland had over his emotions etc was abolished? Well, with all of it I couldn't wait to see how would he act with only Iggy around! It was so nice to see them dancing with Orlam more "normal"(???? Is this word even compatible with this man?? xDD) and relaxed. Also it was fascinating to see his perspective on his wrongdoings there! Like I said in Gidget's paragraph. It was so refreshing to see a character, maybe regretting what they had done, but saying that they wouldn't do it other way if they could. He knows what he had done was bad, but he would do it anyway, and he still isn't potrayed as a bad guy for that! Oh and also when they fought Bucks and he realized he sounded too harsh when telling Iggy. It's pretty cute that he cares for Iggy's feelings even in a situation like this <3 Also his epilogue seemed the funniest one to me-- Like they were just working on a projects together, helping each other etc so much, that Iggy didn't realize they are in some kind of a relationship LOL Also just seeing Orlam doing great with his career and life is so heartwarming when you know all things he went throught... I truely wish him all the best, he deserves all of his successes and he knows it! <33
And the last, but not least - alone ending! No matter how much I like all endings and even prefer other ones over this one, I feel like this one is the most, uh, "correct" one?? It just focuses on Iggy and I feel like Iggy needs that. To choose himself, to give himself more time and to just keep himself warm. He, alone, but it isn't a bad thing he is alone. It is something he chose himself. And that's good. This epilogue was gsdhbasd so sweet!!! I absolutely love the fact that it showed how he spent time with all of his friends-- not only it was very sweet, also it made me so happy to see him show them he cares more. I remember that when I played arc 1 I wished he tried to act like a better friend to them-- Not to get too into personal territory once again, but this is something that deeply resonates with me. When I was younger (but sometimes still now) I always made up any excuse to not ask my friends if they want to meet, I prefered to just stay in my home and play video games or watch cartoons, and I think I didn't show them I care about them as much as I should. So Iggy change made me (once again lol) emotional <333 ALSO ALSO!!! I love that his life isn't crossed out of any possibilities. He still has his future before him and he can... go... to a pretty particular Christmas party, maybe with a pretty particular person, hehe!
Some thoughts I wanted to say, but didn't:
waaaaah, Genzou seeing Iggy chose Orlam over him was so :(((( I mean it was good that it wasn't swept under the rug, of course he would react some way, but it was sad nonetheless-- I can't help but think that it made him feel more depressed that person who Iggy chose was the one he had tormented so much,, like... To hurt someone Iggy cared so much about? ;; (or maybe it is just me exaggerating drama)
Also!!!! Let me talk about Bucks! HER INTERACTIONS IN FLASHBACKS WITH HUNAR WERE SO CUUUUUUUUUUTE!! I LAUGHED EVERY TIME WHEN SHE YELLED ABOUT TOMATOS IN THE LIBRARY, I LOVED THIS SCENE!! Though it was sad that "the crew" (and later other people too) called her a monster throught all her life that she started to think she really is a one... I can't imagine how did it hurt her when even Hunar called her that,,,, Bucks,, it's so good that in the end she and Hunar could make their dreams come true and had a healthier relationship! The possibility that Saydie may be born someday in a family that wants her is very heartwarming as well! TwT
While replaying barbecue sequence after finishing some endings I noticed that Bucks herself calls Saydie "a little monster" or something of sorts-- Like she is saying "a monster daughter of a monster mother" or just calling her what she hates to be called. I wonder if it was planned all along??
Ooh and I wanted to tell you that I think I found something like a bug in new version?? In arc 4, when Bucks comes to cabin one or two cgs are replaced with black background and Bucks sprite!
And let me come back to endings for a little-- while I absolutely love them I feel like if I didn't talk with Gidget so much and they wouldn't get their conclusion in my run their redemption would be almost not visible?? And I can't make my mind how to think about this, because I feel like Gidget wanted to give Iggy the space, but also if I, as Iggy, avoided them until the end their character arc would be left so opened. They would never apologize and had to live with guilt/shame they couldn't even say sorry,,, I just think it would be heartbreaking :((
...But anyway!
I wanted to mention that I love some cgs in arc 5, I even made the one with Iggy, Genzou and Gidget lying on a grass my phone wallapaper! Overall your artstyle has grown on me so much, I love it!! How expressive, how pretty and how much atmosphere you can show with it! And songs choice, as always, very, very good I'm looking forward to arc 1-5 ost playlist to listen on repeat remembering all of horrible or sweet moments with every track! And can't wait to see what you are going to do in future! Either remaster or anything new - I wish you all the best!! Thank you for making this game, it is one of the best, if not the best stories I've had the pleasure of reading and it shall always live in my heart <3
Firstly, finally got to play through the whole, complete game, and MAN was it worth it! I can see how you grew in all ways, Carrot, as the arcs went on, and just how the characters evolved.
I loved the ending in which Iggy, after letting others dictate his whims, finally takes control, not just from others, but from me, the player. I also love how that gets foreshadowed when given a false choice as to whether to get on the boat. I also like how no, the characters keeping all their future knowledge and experience doesn't magically make everything better. The whole unintentional erection incident which led to Genzou's blinding still happens. Iggy still lashes out at Gidget for winning the coding challenge. But in all cases, they listen to each other. Iggy is WAY more of a true friend this time. Genzou finally learns how to let go of Iggy. Orlam, while it's clear he and Genzou will never get along, finally has friends, real connections. Bucks - oh man, how she busts herself and Hunar out of their wedding. SO in-character for her! Oh, and of COURSE Orlam is a businessman. (I could write up a whole fan-fic short about how Orlam brings in a misbehaving employee treating those under them like pigs for the slaughter and verbally rips them a new one as only Orlam can.)
I also like when Iggy enters...I dunno, the Wishing Tree's inner sanctum? We finally get to see what everyone wished for, what Iggy's first wish was, and while seeing Saydie die along with the Tree was quite sorrowful, given the bizarre, supernatural circumstances, and given how Sadie is effectively being kept in a strange sort of undeath, I'd do the same thing as Iggy. She needed to finally rest in peace.
Now my one big criticism is this: why is the Wishing Tree, a maternal entity as old as mankind itself, if not older, holding the same views as Gidget's mother? The story leading up to the Tree's proper introduction to the characters seemed like it was just sick and tired of its wishers' hypocrisy, among many other vices, to the point of madness (what with wishes being her life-blood), when it lashed out to the characters, she'd point out all the flaws in their wishes. Orlam? You wanna make the rules, but all you're doing is running is running from the rules meant to help you find happiness - not to mention sealing yourself off from all aspects of life, even the good parts. Gidget? Your true self is a man, but you sacrifice it all for your mother's flawed view of the world and a pointless, destructive obsession over a biological man who can never satisfy you the way you OR your mother wants. Genzou? You want to see with Iggy so badly, you're willing to be blinded by his own emptiness to the point of sharing it and its active harming those who truly care for you - like Orlam. Bucks? You want your daughter dead...how do you think you got into Wonderland these last six times (at least)?! Iggy, though? The Wishing Tree's diatribe against him fits perfectly (and is a nice fourth-wall break).
OK, with that out of the way, but before I get into my non-review questions: final verdict? My good carrot, this is a masterpiece. Full stop.
This is worthy of a commercial remake. Get the money and team you need to bring the rest of the arcs up to Arc 5's level, make original backgrounds, music, etc.; hire on voice actors, like asexual Michael Kovak and pansexual Elsie Lovelock (my personal choices for Iggy and Gidget, respectively); and get more semi-animated and animated scenes in.
Okay, for the question and one 'critique' that's so minor it's a nitpick:
Why are the scenes of Orlam's Event Horizon-level flesh-orgy and Sadie's mangled corpse censored even with censorship off? I realize these scenes can easily be EXTREMELY triggering, if not upsetting and/or disturbing, but I feel those who are willing to brave the depravity should be permitted to see the images in all their horrid detail as, in context, they cement, respectively, just how completely uncaring and unhinged Orlam has become without his heart, and just how far the Wishing Tree is willing to go to get her 'perfect' wish.
Also, I don't know if this is just a limitation of Ren'Py or what, but in the scenes with false choices, the player could still be made to think that they can make a decision, but no matter which they select, they get the same scene, complete with options in the background. Just something to enhance those scenes' bait-and-switch.
Thanks for reading, Carrot, and I look forward to your next endeavor!
(my sincerest apologies for the delayed reply π)
Ahhhh I'm really happy you enjoyed seeing everything get wrapped up! There was so much build-up leading up to this and so many different aspects that needed to converge... in some ways I feel as though I'm quite lucky that I was able to make everything come together as well as I did, especially considering how much the story and characters themselves evolved throughout production. (Perhaps a sign that I should actually outline things when crafting a larger story... but then again, I think I'd lose too much motivation then, as half the fun for me is discovery while I'm writing and being pleasantly (or sometimes not-so-pleasantly) surprised at the directions the story takes lol.) So much of myself also ended up coming out in surprising ways through the characters and their stories. And this made many parts of the ending quite emotional for me to work on.
Hahaha I wouldn't say the tree is exactly like Gidget's mom π€£ Gidget's mom would certainly not care about violence and drama and would actually very much encourage "non-innocent" behaviors if it meant Gidget would give her grandchildren and be her idea of a "perfect child." Though certainly some of the same ideals do carry over in that fashion. I think with the tree though it's more this idea of pure innocence, and with Gidget then its issue is less so Gidget's gender struggles and more so the focus this then brings on specific body parts, which in the tree's mind, automatically equates to lost innocence. At least that's what was going through my mind as I was working on that part π€£ Though I did keep quite of the ending sequences somewhat vague on purpose as I never want to force interpretations and would rather have people take away their own stories and ideas from it. I just enjoy when stories don't answer every single question and let you get lost in your own theories. I really love the "hot takes" you've written here that the tree could give each of them though. They all feel extremely on point hahaha.
"This is worthy of a commercial remake." --> Weep that's so incredibly kind... As much as I would love to be able to really go all out and do something like that, I think I just don't really have the heart or mental capacity... I am too anxious and easily overwhelmed of a person, so I don't really want to work with money and hiring people and having to manage all those things π¦ I think it might kill me LOL I feel like the only way something like that could ever happen is if someone else wants to do it and has the money and influence and know-how and then I could just be a consultant or something π€£π€£π€£ Maybe I am just too timid and weak LOL But I'm really happy you think the game is high enough quality that it would even be worthy of something like that. It really means a lot to hear π
Ahhhh... about the censored CGs yeah... for the first one in particular I received feedback that I should tone it down. And I was worried that completely redrawing a toned-down version wouldn't have the same effect, so I chose to hard-censor it instead. For the second one, I decided myself but for similar reasoning to hard-censor it, as it felt unnecessary to show the full extent of it for the impact to still be there, especially since I still have the written descriptions. I realize some people might not be happy with this decision, but I made the choices both from an idea of not wanting to just be extreme for extreme's sake, and also because of the audience I've cultivated around the game.
At any rate, I was really happy to hear your thoughts about everything and I'm glad that you've stuck through to the end of this and have enjoyed seeing it all play out! I've really enjoyed reading all your commentary along the way and hearing your thoughts and interpretations for all the different story beats. Thanks so much for playing and always leaving such long and wonderful comments! It means so much hearing from you again now that this thing has finally come to completion! π
I know that this is probably really obvious, but I STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT TRAIL BOMB IS?????? LIKE, I was so confused man when they first introduced it, now im replaying a still have no idea. help
Given the loyal rabbits' rabid behavior and tastes, I would assume a trail bomb is made from humans or something they'd find similarly-irresistible.
It's just bits of gore taken from the humans that used to live in Wonderland (since the rabbits used to feed on them, so now when they smell it, they instinctively run towards it...)
I love this game so much, I had chills when I first played through it and I couldn't make myself stop. It's amazing and I feel so seen through Iggy. Orlam my beloved <3333
Oh, it's you!! kjdkafd Thank you so much π
I'm really happy you found the game and enjoyed it so much! And thank you for all the lovely artwork you've done. I always love it so much!
ASJNDWSINLXK HI? Thank you ^w^
FOR EVERYONE HERE: Where is the fandom? Like, where y'all at? I searched up Our Wonderland and there was literally maybe ten people who had anything related to it, and there were only a couple hundred views for those. WHERE Y'ALL AT?! This game deserves so much more than a couple hundred fans!
Also Orlam is the most beautiful scraggly rat man I've ever seen and I'm in love with him. I ship Iggy with Genzou, obviously, but I keep playing the Orlam ending because I'm just obsessed.
I don't know if there are other places, I only know about the places where I also hang out and post stuff, but from what I can tell, most people are on Tumblr. There's also people on Twitter, though I think it feels like less of a community there?? But that's just my observation not as part of the fandom but as the creator lol. I don't really have a presence outside of those two places though so I can't say if there's anyone anywhere else.
There should be more people in the fandom! This game is so well made! It's not even behind a paywall, so everyone's just sleeping on this opportunity. The characters are developed perfectly, the interactions are both heart-wrenching and hilarious, there's not a single plot hole in the storyline, and so many other things that I can't even put to words.
I will be on AO3, cause those are my true stomping grounds, but you can BET as soon as I improve my drawing skills, I'll be on Twitter!
umm hi u can follow my tumblr i post fanart n stuff :3 and im a huge orlam enjoyer too...
... Platonically and respectfully, I love you.
Hiii I post fanart on tiktok (apolloraysx) twitter and tumblr (axciea) if you like orlam I mostly draw him :3
REALLLL OMG CARROTS GAMES NEED MORE ATTENTIONNN
IM HERE BRO... I'm just on instagram and discord lol..
I will replay the heck outta this game no matter how long it is! I fricking love this game!!!! The writing the characters! I rarely ever make comments but have to right now.
Like that's how good this game is.
Spoilers
This game is one i'll never forget. It made me cry and feel things. I cannot explain how good- no great this was. At the end where it told us what each of their wishes are and having a wall break where it says that Iggy's actions are being controlled by an out side force which is us the player. What struck even more is how Iggy got to make his own choice in the end. Letting us see the monsters and everything fade from wonderland. Also at first we never saw much of Bucks in the first half of the game and how she was like, she was just a big loud and excitable person at the start. Then when it showed the flashbacks of her and everyone saying she was a monster. Everyone was calling her a monster even her friends but Hunar didn't. He saw something beautiful, but when she said that she wanted their child dead he called her a monster. That hurt the most because the one who never called you a monster finally calling you one put her over the edge. I also love how we got to see Saydie. I love this game and the characters so much! They made me cry so much, and I will stay and happily see what you will do next!
Okay seeing as you seem to be as obsessed with this game as I am, I must ask you. Do you know where the fandom is? Because I looked up Our Wonderland on YouTube and TikTok and there were maybe three creators with only a couple hundred views and I definitely
thinkknow this game deserves more than that.I haven't a lot of it on youtube and TikTok, but their is a lot more fans on tumblr you should check out.
(my sincerest apologies for the delayed reply π)
Ahhhh your words are too kind! I'm really happy you enjoyed the finale (and just the game itself ofc) π
Hahaha yes the ending gets quite meta. That whole scene in the field and with all the wish reveals and Iggy's original wish still really gets me. It was a hard scene for me to work on as it hit quite close to home and also was just this massive culmination of everything... I kept crying while working on the scene π¦ I'm glad it could also have impact for you.
I'm glad you liked the Bucks and Hunar part, as well, and the flashbacks. Even though I obviously couldn't give them the same weight and time that I had given the other chars because of the structure of everything, I still wanted it to feel weighty and feel deserved and give them some closure and resolution, as well. So I really tried to go all out on their parts hahaha.
I'm so glad you enjoyed everything and it could mean so much! Hearing this makes me feel really touched and honored, and I really appreciate you taking the time to write up your thoughts like this and let me know how you felt about the game. Thank you so much for playing!! π
(english isn't my first language)
the best game that I'm sure I will never forget. it is emotional, heartwarming and heartbreaking! and its goreee!! when the scary magic tree brings the ugly true human nature out, there must be violence there!
it touches on many topics that are important to me, and which I have rarely seen before. i think i can relate with all of the big 5, especially with iggy
its such a bittersweet feeling, that this is the end of an ERA haha I've finished the game! now i guess i will patiently wait for your next works!!
i really loved the ending, i was in aweee the whole time hahah
SPOILERS:
so i went:
genzou - gidget - orlam - .......genzou again (I didn't feel good not ending with him looll, i had to see their happy end again...also their scene was so romantic omg??? i would die)
(also i forgot that neutral exist, i will do this maybe later haha)
I like that when they go back in time, they still make the same mistakes (i mean, most of them, and handle them better) i like to believe that they are all better friends to each other, especially genzou and orlam...their relationship was just so complicated and tragic ahhh i would like to see more of their friendly bickering <3
bucks and hunar took a break to fullfil their dreams??? BEAUTUFIL
im happy that they are happy in the end...lol, and GIDGET WITH CECIL AYEE GO BESTIES GO and ORLAM WORKING WITH JERRY?? OMGGG HHAHA
thank youu so muuuch and congratulations!! i wish you all the best!! <3
(my sincerest apologies for the delayed reply π)
This was incredibly touching for me to read, and I'm really happy you enjoyed the finale so much! (And also just the game in general π) Your words mean a lot, and I'm really honored that this game could mean so much to you.
Hahaha I loved seeing the order you went in (and also got a chuckle that you did Genzou's again at the end π€£) I hope you'll do the neutral as well in the future! Even though it's a bit shorter than the others, it has a cute little easter egg that ties it into the universe (and I also just like how it wraps up, too).
I also like to believe they are much better friends to each other. Like obviously they're not perfect. They never were. And they never will be. But their relationships won't be built on so much conflict and bitterness and won't evolve to the point of hate they way they did in the past. So even if they're still snarky to each other, it's not in the same vitriolic way and at its core, you can tell they do still mean something to each other. That's how I see it in the new timeline anyway.
I'm also happy they are happy in the end π₯Ί
Thank you so much for playing and letting me hear your wonderful thoughts! I really appreciate you taking the time to write everything out!! And I'm very happy you've enjoyed the game π
This is genuinely by far the BEST thing I've ever played. The writing, The characters, absolutely everything about Our Wonderland is so amazing that I'd sell my kidney, my legs, and half of my brain just to forget everything and play this all over again for the first time ever, I also finished all the other games and I am still so absolutely hooked!
Spoilers?
I sobbed with genuine tears of joy and happiness when Iggy said I love you to Genzou. Their relationship is so wholesome and adorable and I love how accepting and respectful Genzou is to Iggy, though I admit I may like Orlam and Iggy a tiny bit, nothing can top Genzy, ever.
The part where they gazed into each other's eyes?? Hello??? heart melted instantly.
Genzy has a special place in my heart and I will be playing Our Wonderland again from the start just because of them!
I hated Gidget honestly, but in the last arc? they were pretty cool so I guess I don't dislike them that much anymore now! also loved that they met Cecil, The two of them seems like the best friends ever
And Orlam? my thoughts of him are pretty mixed. but I can't lie, Him and Iggy are sort of cute? in a way. (Genzy still and forever will be the best though)
This game is the best ever, and to be honest? now that I've finished it.. I feel like I don't know what to do with my life anymore haha!
PLEASE DO NOT SELL ANY PARTS OF YOUR BODY?????????? THIS IS BAD???????? HELPDLKFJASLDKFJADSF
Weep I am touched by the sheer fervency though... ππ I'm really happy you enjoy the game so much! And all the other games too!! I always feel extra touched if people even go out of their way to play all the side games lkasdfasd
"Genzy has a special place in my heart and I will be playing Our Wonderland again from the start just because of them!" --> YOU'RE REALLY MAKING ME CRY HERE????
I'm so glad you liked the Genzy route ending... I also really liked how their scene turned out. It felt really cathartic and touching for me and I still get a bit weepy thinking about it lakjdfad They really mean so much to me. Maybe it's all my cathartic ace thoughts manifesting in them but they truly just make me feel so soft and warm when I think about them. This makes me doubly weepy if other people also like them π₯Ίπ I could write them finding each other in a thousand other universes and still never get tired I think LMAO I just want to create things about them forever maybe.
I'm glad the ending could also help you like Gidget a bit more!! I never blame anyone for any lingering uncomfortable thoughts they might have about them, at least in regards to Iggy. But I'm happy if by the end, even those that may have disliked them can still come to understand them and their struggles.
"Him and Iggy are sort of cute? in a way." --> KDFJADSF I don't know why but this made me laugh... π€£
"now that I've finished it.. I feel like I don't know what to do with my life anymore haha!" --> YOU AND ME BOTH LOLOLOL
But for real though, thank you so much for all these kind words!! And thank you for loving the game and the chars (and Genzy) and taking the time to write up all your thoughts like this. It really means so much!! And I'm really happy you enjoyed the game and its finale!! π₯°
Spoilers maybe?
Not me lowkey getting scared when it said "What do you want, Saydie?" because that's my deadname and I forgot it was the name of Bucks' child so I thought it knew something
Oh god I'm sorry????? π΅βπ«
Don't apologize! I thought it was hilarious!
Okay, I literally hated Gidget. I hated them. But in that last arc? They're literally my best friend now.
lkdjfadkfasd I'm glad to hear your opinion has evolved π€£ (though I also don't fault anyone who still has reservations about them) They would indeed make a pretty cool friend.
New comment after having finished the game:
God, this has been such a wonderful game from start to finish. I remember how hooked I got the first time I played the first 3 arcs. The characters feel all so human and distintic, with their own wishes and motivations, with their own flaws and things that pain them.
SPOILERS BELOW!
I loved the final message about how the story isn't a fairytale, so even when they all go back to when they were kids, they still make some of the same mistakes they did before but they react to them better and learn from them!!
Bucks story was really heartbreaking. People might not realize sometimes, but when you say something to a person enough times... they start to believe it themselves. It's so sad that she couldn't be honest with herself and admit she didn't like being called a monster and didn't want the life she had until it was too late. But I'm so glad that she got a second chance with the loop and Hunar and she achieved their dreams before marrying!! (Even if I'll miss Saydie, she's a sweetheart!! but I want to think that she'll appear again since they were considering having a child in the future)
The others' endings were really charming too. I love the fact that Gidget becomes more involved with the LGBTQ+ community and how she even meets Cecil!! Their relationship is super wholesome, they feel like siblings!!
I'm still missing Gidget's ending but of the other two I played I think my favorite is definitely Genzou's. As much as I love Orlam, I think (personally) Iggy's relationship with Gen makes a bit more sense because of all the hints and teasing that were going around for the whole game (plus it just hurts me too much to see Genzou sad dksjgbksjb).
The scenes between Iggy and Genzou were super sweet in Arc 5 and the future they build together warms my heart. I especially loved the part where Iggy mentions that Genzou respects his boundaries even when they're not always the same, 'cause sometimes he may feel like he could do more and sometimes less. It honestly made me so happy to read as an ace person myself!!
Overall, gosh, this game is so freaking fantastic. It will forever be one of my favorite games and I'm so happy to have played it and met the characters and read their story.
Thank you so much for this game, Carrot; and congratulations on the completion of it!! I'm looking forward to more of your stories!!
Ahhhhhh thank you so much for playing, Pri!! It really means so much! And I'm so happy you ended up enjoying the finale! ππ
Also that you liked the final message. It was something I was thinking about a lot even throughout production, both as how the ending in my head evolved a bit, but also like, how exactly I would handle everything afterwards (helped a lot by working on OC). But I felt like a big part, or maybe at least one of the themes of this game in general, is that 1) things aren't perfect, that's just not realistic, and even if you get close to all the things you want, it still won't be perfect, and 2) that life in general is oftentimes beyond our control, but we still have to just do what we can. And I thought that by showing that, even with them remembering small bits, they would still go on to make some of the same mistakes or have some of the same things happen is precisely because no matter what you do, you can't control everything. You can try to be as calm, as cool, and as levelheaded a person as you possibly can, but even then you might still snap at someone if you're stressed. You might still get flustered and make a mistake. And the idea behind life isn't to eliminate these mistakes but to figure out how to better respond to them and act after the fact. (Obviously this doesn't like... adhere the same to like, all things, but still.)
At any rate... I'm really happy you liked Genzou's ending (and Orlam's too but lol). "(plus it just hurts me too much to see Genzou sad dksjgbksjb)" --> LKDJFALDSKFA NO REAL SAME. It made parts of working on the finale a bit difficult for me tbh because I kept having to compartmentalize parts of it in my mind because I would feel too sad otherwise π€£ Maybe because as much as I love all the ships, Genzy will always hold a special place in my heart. And also the fact that I think Genzou hurts the most if Iggy doesn't choose him. And maybe also because I feel like the other two have like real strong supports and relationships with others in their own endings even if they're not chosen -- and Genzou does, too! Like I really wanted to show that him actually not focusing on Iggy and making more friends outside of the group and more general connections is what really helped him to be happier with his life. But at the same time his does feel the most like it's missing an Iggy-shaped piece lakdjfasdf π¦ (maybe that's just my heart talking though LOL)
I'm happy you liked the little ace themes woven into the endings, too sob π I included it in different ways no matter the ending. Whether in the form of Iggy coming to terms with himself or in the way he interacts with others. But I really enjoyed how it ended up taking shape in the Genzou ending. Maybe because thinking about the two of them like, having this really trusting way that they experiment with things, and like, Genzou just being always so kind and patient and understanding and never once judging Iggy for anything, and thinking about that kind of love and support, it just makes me really soft and weepy... ππ It makes me want to actually write about it in more detail and what it could look like and also with some silliness and warmth idk. I don't know if I ever will though.
"It will forever be one of my favorite games and I'm so happy to have played it and met the characters and read their story." --> WEEP this really means so much!! Thank you so much for all of your kindness and support and just wonderful friendship over the years, Pri! And thank you for playing the game and for always being so encouraging about everything! It means the world!! π₯Ίπ
i have words but uhh. it took me over a week to be able to play the finale and yeahh it do be hitting. i am so very tired. (minor spoilers) i really, really loved how this concluded. i adored the ending i got, the exploration of bucks' character was super interesting and cool, iggy finally making his own choice + the slight meta narrative/fourth wall breaking was so neat. carrot youre so incredibly cool and i love you. thank you for my favorite game. im gonna go scroll through the entirety of the blog now. thank you <3
"carrot youre so incredibly cool and i love you." --> WEEP??????
Ahhhh... I'm getting really teary-eyed!! Thank you for this lovely comment and the kind words! I'm so happy you ended up enjoying the finale and just the game in general!! It means so much hearing that the game means so much to you... ππ