I dont think i have EVER been this attached to a game and its characters until i played Our Wonderland. Straight up when the game first started i seriously didnt expect to fall so in love with Genzou's character, its true he was never the best person as a kid and in his teen years, he did take things a bit too far when it came to Orlam and it does kill me that Iggy never/rarely stood up for him but either way Genzou had a HUGE attachment to Iggy and i just admire him so much for being able to finally tell him that he had been wanting to kiss him for so long. I mean, he had a chance at the after prom to tell him his feeling but oml of course gidget just had to ruin the moment -_- But the entire arc 2 will forever hold such a special place in my heart because of how many adorable moments Gen and iggy shared together. (On a side note, i also think it's so cute that Genzou is the only person that calls Iggy "Iggs" i just love the fact that hes the only one to have a nickname for him. <3 )
Switching over to Orlam's character, he's definitely been through so many bad things but i loved that there was a flashback to Iggy letting Orlam hang with him at his house, it shows that he really did care for him in a way but thats what also confuses me since he never actively stood up for him against Genzou when they were kids. I dont blame him for holding a grudge against him after all that time but DAMN it surprised me when Iggy found his 'slaughter room' and found out about him being a cannable. On another Genzou note i thought it was so sweet that he took so many hits from Orlam just because he didnt want him to go after Iggy, he literally has his whole heart. ANYWAY, back to Orlam, the concept of him being the king of wonderland suits him so well and he deserves to finally have some power. (also, his dancing skills are on point).
Moving on to Gidget, i dont particularly have a lot to say here other than i hated the way they acted when Iggy tried to reject them i mean, my man clearly dont wanna sleep with you but jesus there is no need to turn into a demon lmao. But it was very interesting to learn more about their past and how they got gender-shamed daily by their mother. I wish we got to see more about their struggles and im actually hoping that they will accept Iggy for who he is and eventually go on to figure out who they are as well. p.s #justiceforcecil
Iggy, bro i dont even know where to begin, i am personally not asexual but i sympathize with him so much, throughout the game he has such an interesting point of view and i am so glad that at least one character (my boy genz) accepts him for who he is. The Lgbtqia+ community has developed so much over the years, but it still takes a lot of pride (no pun intended) to come out and be 100% confident with who you are. I feel like everyone at one point in their live (myself included) struggles so much with gender and sexual identities and i just have so much respect for how hard he tries to tell Gidget about who he is, but even so it was much easier to tell Genzou since he felt so comfortable around him, more on this his reaction was the purest thing in the entire game, i couldnt help but smile as i was reading.
I am literally checking Itch.io every day until arc 5 comes out because i am so excited to see how it all ends and i am praying that there are more Genzou and Iggy moments because for real they are what kept me engaged with the storyline the most. Overall amazing game and im just gonna call it already #bestgameof2023 :)
THIS COMMENT. GOSH. KFJALKSDFJAD I'm not even sure what to say, this is just too nice. My heart is extremely squished! 😭💕
"I dont think i have EVER been this attached to a game and its characters until i played Our Wonderland." --> This is literally such high praise and it's doing things to my insides and I may or may not have smiled so hard I now have a mild headache LMAO DLKAFJD Thank you so much for playing the game and for taking the time to write up all these wonderful words!! I'm so glad that you like the game and characters so much???
Arc 2 also holds a special place in my heart,,,💕 I'm really happy you like the Genzou/Iggy dynamics. I legit love all the ships near and dear with every inch of my heart, but the Genzou/Iggy stuff has the most personal pang to it for me, so I always feel a bit weepy when people tell me they like the two of them.
"it shows that he really did care for him in a way but thats what also confuses me since he never actively stood up for him against Genzou when they were kids." --> S-something something complex interpersonal group dynamic complications.... or something... LDKAFJSD Honestly a-... a big part of what frustrates me about Iggy (and, in turn, myself) is an unwillingness to go against the grain and cause tension to the point of the detriment of those around him. It's something I personally also struggle a lot with... which I think is how it bled into Iggy's character. It's perhaps not one of his better characteristics but part of what ultimately makes him "him," I suppose... as frustrating as that is at times.
"(also, his dancing skills are on point)" --> LOL GOD SO TRUE. If only I could dance like that 🤣
"im actually hoping that they will accept Iggy for who he is and eventually go on to figure out who they are as well." --> I hope this, as well... 🥺 I feel like this is a big part of what Gidget needs. To figure out who they are and accept themself. And only after that will they be able to find a healthy relationship with someone else.
"I feel like everyone at one point in their live (myself included) struggles so much with gender and sexual identities" --> Indeed...😭 I'm really glad you could relate to/sympathize with him, that really means a lot. Especially since so much of this game is so personal to me. Iggy tries so hard, but sometimes there are just things that are very difficult,,, 💦 Particularly when one already has a hard time putting their thoughts and feelings into words and understanding people's expectations.
GOSH EVERY DAY DLAKFJSDLFK I-it will still take me a while, I think... I'm making good progress on Arc 5 but it will be the longest arc out of them all, and also I feel somewhat anxious about making sure I get things right, so I feel like my production process has gotten slower and more careful as a result dlkajfsd BUT I WILL KEEP WORKING HARD. And I am very grateful for your support 😭 Don't worry, there will indeed be more Genzou/Iggy moments. They've already done a number on my emotions multiple times just in what I've finished so far LOL Thank you so so much again for playing and for this comment! This was so lovely to read and really made my day!! 🥰
This game is just incredible! I don't know why I'm writing this just now, (I've been following the project since the second arc), but damn. I just can't describe how much this masterpiece influenced me. Initially, I was not attracted to this unusual drawing, but I am happy that I decided to go through it anyway. The music, the plot, the characters and yes, the drawing, I really liked it. Especially Orlam, (too strong passion for short crazy redheads))) All the characters are extremely interesting and multifaceted!!! It's very exciting to follow Iggy, it's not often you can meet an asexual main character (and I'm also an ace, so some of our thoughts coincide)))
I am also a foreigner who knows English at the level of "London is the capital of Great Britain" (by the way, I wonder if foreigners often leave comments to you 🤔) that I have to run every phrase through a translator, but I think it allowed me to get more attached to the characters)) This comment was also written through a translator, so I hope it is not very incomprehensible
I want to write so many things that everything gets confused in my head and falls out into a completely unrelated chain of praise, so I'll probably finish😅
I can only add that this game is one of several that helped me overcome the most difficult period of my life. This game was literally one of those things that kept me afloat and did not allow me to drown in the abyss of self-flagellation ahah
Thank you Carrot, you're so awesome (^///^)
(I just translated my comment again and damn, it's so bad 😅)
Oh gosh what a lovely comment!! This also must have taken you forever LDKAFJSDLKFA thank you so so much for taking the time to write up all your thoughts. And also for playing and supporting and loving the game!! This is too sweet and making me tear up a bit 🥺💕
LOLOL I'M SO HAPPY YOU LOVE ORLAM s-scrawny little people-eating redhead,,, I love him so,,, And hhhhhhhhh I'm so happy you could see parts of yourself/thoughts in Iggy, as well! I always get really happy and weepy when other aces tell me they like and can relate to Iggy. A lot of this story is very personal to me, as well, particularly a lot of Iggy's experiences and thoughts, so hearing that others can also relate really somehow makes me very emotional and happy.
IT MUST HAVE TAKEN YOU SO LONG TO PLAY IT THEN?? Omg using a translator, especially since this game has SO MUCH TEXT. Guhhh... I can't believe you stuck through it even through everything 🤣💦 Somehow that really means a lot,,, thank you for playing and loving it even though it was so much for difficult for you to experience it 😭 I only wish I could offer the game in more languages!! But I don't have any money to pay for translation, and it would cost so much because the game is so long,,, GUH. It would be such a dream though.
"This game was literally one of those things that kept me afloat and did not allow me to drown in the abyss of self-flagellation ahah" --> I HOPE EVERYTHING IS OK??? Omg,,, I'm really so sorry to hear that things haven't been good for you and you've been going through some tough times. I'm glad at least I could help in some way and that this game was able to give you a little bit of something to help you through. I also hope things are a bit better now for you. Making this game has also gotten me through some tough times, as well. Sometimes it has felt like one of the only things pushing me forward and keeping me going at times because it's so important to me.
Thank you again so much for this lovely and sweet comment. IT'S NOT BAD AT ALL. It's really beautiful and really touched me. Thank you so so much. I hope that you'll enjoy the rest of the game when I (finally manage to) finish it!! ldakfjasl 🥰
This game is absolutely, INCREDIBLE!!! I have never been this invested in a game before! and Iggy being ace?! I LOVE IT!!! I came across this game simply bc it looked neat, AND OMG!! Definitely an emotional roller coaster, but nonetheless, IT'S ABSOLUTELY REMARKABLE!! I ABSOULUTELY ADORE IT! The art for one, INCREDIBLE! The story? INCREDIBLE!! The characters? EVERY LAST ONE WRITTEN BEAUTIFLY!!! I cannot imagine all of the time and effort spent to make this, But holy HELL!! IT WAS DEFINITELY WORTH IT!!! EVERYTHING ABT IT IS JUST PHENMOMENAL!!! I absolutely love it!! I'm not done with it yet, but omg!! it's extraordinary!!! I absolutely adore it!! THANK U FOR MAKING THIS ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE OF A GAME!!!
This is too wonderful and nice of a comment, I don't even know what to say! 😭💦💕 Thank you so much for playing?? And for writing up all these lovely words AHHHHD LKFAJSDLFKA. I'm really really happy you're liking the game so much! GUH AND FOR THE LOVELY COMMENTS ABOUT THE CHARACTERS AND ART. You're seriously going to make me cry!! It means the world to me hearing from people who have played and enjoyed the game and gives me such motivation to work even harder to finish this thing 😤
I hope that you'll continue to enjoy it, and that you'll like the final part once it's finished! Thank you again SO MUCH!! I couldn't stop grinning while reading your comment. Really brightened my day 🥰
AHH!! OFC!! IT REALLY IS ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING AND GORGOUS GAMES I HAVE EVER PLAYED!!! I REALLY LOVE AND ADORE THE GAME, I'VE SHOWN IT TO SO MANY PPL AT THIS POINT SIMPLY BC I ADORE IT!!! This game seriously deserves more love and recognition!! And Ik for a certain I am going to continue to absolutely adore this game!!! (>∀<)
I finally had the time to play this game properly and I'm blown away!! It's so good! I had no idea what to expect from these characters but it's amazing ToT)
The first time on the lake was so impactful, I thought making Iggy feel shame for being cautious was pretty clever, especially bc I feel like it would work on me XD. And the end, the end was fantastic. The reveal???? The animation????? The feels????? omggg. I was left kicking, screaming and throwing up. I don't really look to self-insert or relate to characters but I Iggy feelings and struggles for being ace are so realistic and I felt so seen >.< I really like how we understand the characters and the balance between the horror and the cute scenes it just leaves us wishing some happiness for everyone just as Iggy. Arc 3 was my favorite just to fulfill my dreams of being an evil royal advisor. I'm just so excited for the last arc, I can't stop thinking about this game, it's amazing, so well constructed, so well presented. I love the UI, the sprites, the expressions and all the CGs??? They are 10/10 even though the situation is messed up the dancing scenes are so fun ç~ç Cecil will live in my heart until Orlam eats it I guess
I also just realized you made Easter too which I played a while back and it made a lot of sense XD it had the same vibe and the art was very charming.
Amazing game, I wish you all the best to complete the next arc, very excited to see it!
Oh my gosh, thank you so much???? I'm so touched that you would play the game and then also so happy that you enjoyed it so much and took the time to write all this up ahhHHHH dklajsdf 😭💕
GUHHHH I'M OVERJOYED YOU LIKE THE ENDING BIT. The arc endings always take me so long to do, tho Arcs 1 and 2 in particular were just grueling HAHAHA so I'm always really happy if people say they liked them.
"Iggy feelings and struggles for being ace are so realistic and I felt so seen" --> HHHHH THIS FILLS ME WITH SUCH JOY. I am so glad. I always hope that people will be able to relate to or see bits of themselves in Iggy if even just a bit. So much of this story is so personal, so hearing that others can also feel seen in some of what happens and his experiences really means so much. Thank you for telling me 💕
"Arc 3 was my favorite just to fulfill my dreams of being an evil royal advisor." --> HAHAHAH this cracked me up. Arc 3 is definitely,,, well,,, it's definitely something. I think it will forever be the most different of all the arcs thematically, as it really just goes off the rails LOL I am glad you enjoyed it 🤭
"I also just realized you made Easter too which I played a while back and it made a lot of sense XD it had the same vibe and the art was very charming." --> AKDJFLA oh my gosh you played that, too dlkajdlkfa Easter was my first foray into game dev and though there are things I don't like as much about it now, it will still always hold a special place in my heart, so that makes me rather giddy to hear that you also liked that. LOL HAD THE SAME VIBE. This is both unsurprising and surprising to me at the same time, as in my head, the two projects are quite different from each other,,, (and even my art style has changed and evolved since working on Easter). But I do feel like a lot of my inspirations for stories and game dev stuff come from similar places for both of the games, so it probably leads to similar vibes between the two of them. OW was even originally going to be an RPG Maker game just like Easter when I first started working on it.
At any rate, thank you so much again for playing and for writing up this lovely comment! What a wonderful thing to read! And thanks for the well wishes! I will keep working hard on Arc 5 🥰
Hello hello, I took a break from Our Wonderland because WHEW i kinda burned out from playing a whole three arcs in under a week!! Especially when it's a very emotionally grueling game LOL
I had to do a bit of a refresher and replay some parts first before i really jumped in. But uh. Yeah wow. Happy to be back
LOL NO BUT REALLY i know iggy meant well, but...i can't believe his solution was to be comphet. he's SEEN how gidget's been handling that for the last 3 arcs, like sir, that was never gonna work.
speaking of gidget, tbh even at the end of gidget's route i'm not sure how i feel about her. i think i pity her more than anything but other than that...i dont think we know gidget at all. we see glimpes of it, in the flashbacks and, just a little bit of it with iggy at the cafe towards the beginning but between all of that? I'm not sure who gidget is. And that's obviously the point lol because not even gidget really knows who she is! All throughout her route, it's all been about her beauty, how pretty and perfect and lovely but it feels wrong. like, of course she's pretty but what else is there? what's her favorite color? what's her favorite food? what are her hobbies? WHO is Gidget at the core of herself?
we know she had an interest in coding. she's good at it even, she loved it. and for a time she really seemed set on getting a degree for it. ....and then, in senior year it's all about modeling and beauty school etc etc
as it is now, i think gidget and iggy just aren't compatible. which sucks because i think they do like each other, in moments and glimpses. but gidget has so many issues surrounding her identity that she's not addressing that she needs to focus on herself and not a romantic relationship. because her fixation on iggy is not coming from a healthy place. that scene where iggy tells gidget that he's not interested in sex, was rough.
that scene where iggy tells gidget about not wanting sex was....bad. it was not Good lol. like her reaction was really shitty but more than that, that she's so fixating on there being something wrong, and obviously since she worked to fix herself, iggy should be willing to fix himself too right??? oof. girl no, that's not how it works,,,
Cecil was an interesting new addition that i was not expecting, i kinda wish we had more with him because he's such a mystery. i dont think he's a real person for one. i think gidget unconsciously willed him into being and just. poured all the parts of herself she didn't think were 'perfect' or suitable into him, and Cecil came into being. Which is interesting because Cecil is so grumpy and sullen. Like maybe this is a real part of gidget that she's just never shown before?
and another thing is that cecil nudges at gidget a little, asking her whether she really wanted any of this and if she wanted a different change of clothes etc. he wants to help and support her. have her be the real her.
part 2, because i still need to talk about the OTHER parts of Arc 4!
alright you know what time it is, i had to get my grubby lil hands ALL OVER more crumbs about After-Prom AND BOY OH BOY
look i know it's gidget's route but you KNOW i'm all about genzou and orlam's bullshit, MORE HINTS, that something happened there. gidget saying that genzou?? summoned orlam? god, the fact that genzou like. genzou shoves orlam's face into his crotch. which first off!!! fuckin rude my guy! second, "all he had to do was ask"
ouch. pls tell me that's not how it happened.
here's my theory, they for sure had sex. they were intimate of some kind. genzou mentions something about orlam 'getting whatever he wants' and from that, it insinuates that orlam had taken advantage of genzou's drunken state. and i can't say that it's not true...i do think orlam had taken the plunge with genzou and didn't think too deeply on the fact that genzou was too drunk to haev a clear mind for consent. but, i feel like that lays too much responsibility at orlam's feet and none at genzou's for how things ended up that way. i have an inkling that genzou used orlam just as much and he's just. too ashamed and disgusted with himself, and orlam to admit it. because orlam is his punching bag, his whipping boy and he's not who he /really/ wants.
which is uh, a messy situation all around.
like, can we PLEASE talk about that lil dialogue with Orlam during the. you know the scene, the genzou meal reveal with the "reprise our roles as heartbroken drunk and hopeless hopeful" like, genuinely what was all THAT about, it sorta gets swept away in the wake of "Gidget prays the ace away with some drugs and almost-nono touching" to the extreme.
which btw was highly upsetting, that was like. at that point i was glad bucks interrupted because if it'd continue any longer, there's no way gidget could've come back from that. which almost feels INSANE to say considering the cannibalism, the murder, the general lack of sexual boundaries
And finally, i guess, on that special note! i just wanted to highlight how special it was to have an asexual protagonist like Iggy. Especially when he's kinda had a way different experience than I did growing up?? Iggy doesn't have the knowledge or the words to describe it, but he knows he's different, but he's never seemed to truly examine that side of himself before. like maybe it was uncomfortable to think about or he was ashamed. he has a large amount of insecurity of not finding someone who could accept him despite not wanting the sexual aspects of a romantic relationship.
i knew i was asexual pretty early in my teens. but i was never really ashamed of it, or felt as if there was something 'wrong' with me or had the same insecurities of being different or broken, or that i felt like if i just waited, then maybe i would feel differently when i got older. i was 13 i think, and i accepted it pretty readily. and i guess...? it just. never occurred to me that this was weird or that i should want that with people.
and idk, it's interesting to see just how iggy deals with it, and views things, because some of it, i recognize and resonate with, and others that i do not. especially because iggy's sex repulsed. which i relate to, to an extent but also don't because i'm rather sex neutral leaning sex positive!
whenever iggy has to face the reality of touching bodies in any way that feels too intimate, he breaks out into a cold sweat, and i find that interesting because i was never like. uncomfortably aware of other people's bodies in that way, or conscious of touching someone intimately. i mean that might be because iggy also has a much firmer grasp of physical boundaries than i do because i do rather like hugs and cuddles with loved ones.
but i DO understand the experience of the uncomfortable possibility of like. someone being conscious of ME in that way?? like facing the possibility that someone might see me romantically that would then lead to sexually and i would have to withdraw. that fear that someone wants me, and i cannot give them what they want. that is uncomfortably familiar lol
and....and well. i guess that's my thoughts on Arc 4? i think i covered all of it. I'm eagerly awaiting Arc 5 and finally, FINALLY knowing what the fuck is bucks' deal and why we were all called to Wonderland
I DON'T BLAME YOU THAT'S A LOT TO TAKE IN IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME ALDFKJALSDKF Glad you are happy to return to it tho LOL I feel like this arc is definitely the most intense of them all,,, 💦 Always so happy to read your thoughts though!! They always make me re-analyze so much of my own stuff HAHAH
"And that's obviously the point lol because not even gidget really knows who she is!" --> That's such a great point. For so much of Gidget's life, they've put on an act of what they think those around them would prefer or like or what would make them feel more welcome (or in Iggy's case, what would get his attention/attraction). This is such a big reason why I feel like before any healthy relationship could happen between them Gidget needs to do some deep introspection and figure out things about themselves first—otherwise, their entire relationship will always be built on this fake reality,,,
"obviously since she worked to fix herself, iggy should be willing to fix himself too right???" --> Somebody else brought up this correlation too just a little bit ago and it feels so on the money, even tho I'm not sure myself if I consciously was thinking about that when I wrote things (I'm actually quite bad when it comes to not noticing sometimes very obvious things in my own writing dkaflsjd) But indeed that whole scene was,,, really tough for me to write. A lot of Arc 4 in general was, but that scene in particular.
"Cecil was an interesting new addition that i was not expecting" --> Really interested hearing your thoughts on Cecil 🤭 He's a character that kinda came out of nowhere while developing the game and now I have no idea how I could have ever made it without him, he's become quite Important™ Then again this game and characters have already surprised me in so many ways that I'm no longer surprised to be surprised.
"but gidget's not ready to hear it " --> y-yes,,,,,,,, 💦
"look i know it's gidget's route but you KNOW i'm all about genzou and orlam's bullshit" --> LOL I AM UNSURPRISED. Though indeed I feel like despite this being Gidget's route, in the end, it turned out to be a very intense and monumental route for all three of them since it really acts as the climax for the middle arcs, so it needs to push all of them past what they've experienced before and most of the build-up needs to be laid out on the table to prepare for the finale in Arc 5,,, ANYWAY. I am very intrigued and 👀 about all your thoughts. Admittedly, I don't really want to say too much in response given that Arc 5 is still to come and I also want to leave some of,,, well, EVERYthing about this game up to some interpretation. I feel like that's a lot more fun and interesting. Especially since this will always be a story told from Iggy's perspective, who obviously doesn't see everything that's going on beneath the surface. But yes, it is indeed "a messy situation all around" as you put it. For everyone involved alkdjfald
"reprise our roles as heartbroken drunk and hopeless hopeful" --> I AM EXTREMELY PROUD OF THIS LINE ALDKJFALSDKF I actually quite enjoy how Orlam's whole little monologue turned out in that part,,,
"i just wanted to highlight how special it was to have an asexual protagonist like Iggy. " --> Oh gosh, thank you so much for sharing your own thoughts and feelings?? 🥺 It's really interesting for me to hear the ways you both relate and don't relate. From my own perspective, being ace was something I found out relatively late in life after many years of not understanding why I couldn't seem to find someone, why I kept backing off as soon as I felt someone was getting too close too fast, and only after a Quite Horrible experience and some subsequent advice come to realize "oh,,,,,,,, I guess that's why." So a lot of those feelings of being lost and feeling broken without knowing why got translated into Iggy and his responses—along with probably my inner desires of wanting to be completely and wholly accepted by someone. But I know that all aces have their own different experiences of figuring themselves out or even just already knowing and never really questioning it. I know that not all aces will be able to relate to all the things Iggy experiences, but I hope there will be at least some parts others can see themselves in. Tbh sometimes I feel like this entire game has turned into a tragic play of all the things I wish I could have figured out about myself much earlier in life and how trying to navigate everything without that knowledge can make you feel really lost and screwed up. It perhaps wasn't the game I set out to make—but it's the game it seems to have become LOL 🤣💦 At any rate, thank you so much for sharing all that about yourself, it really means a lot to hear your thoughts and the ways you can personal relate (or not). I'm always incredibly interested in general hearing thoughts from other ace people regarding the game.
"but i DO understand the experience of the uncomfortable possibility of like. someone being conscious of ME in that way??" --> THIS SO MUCH.
OK, this comment is getting quite long LOL so I'm going to stop rambling and wrap things up. But really thank you so so much for taking all this time—for all four arcs!!—to write up your thoughts. I honestly love getting such detailed interpretations and reactions of the characters and story, whether it's things they like, didn't like, can relate to, can't relate to, or even just the things that Affected them lol It means so much! And I've really loved reading all your comments!! I hope I'll be able to live up to everything I've created so far with the final arc. I feel like my nervousness about this is one of the factors that's slowed down production a bit, as I really want to make sure I do things as well as I can dlkjafsldk Thank you again!!! 🥰
I was mostly just downloading games because I wanted to get invested in stories with complex characters and let myself FEEL their emotions.
I don't really know what I was expecting when I stumbled upon this game, but it was safe to say it did NOT disappoint.
(SPOILERS BELOW FOR MAIN & SIDE GAME) VVVVVVVVVVVVVV
Genzou was definitely my most favorite character from beginning to end. I liked how he didn't really care if Iggy had a partner (which immediately was a big plus because I am adamant about people not needing a partner to be happy in life) and his overall vibe. Of course, the biggest issue with him is his relentless bullying of Orlam, even going as far as joking about his mom's suicide (iirc). I'm sorta curious to know why Genzou never stopped bullying him, and if he ever caught on to the fact that Orlam had a crush on him (before Orlam finally told him). Act 2 really solidified my like for him, showing in the boat scene & bed scene how Genzou's the person that makes Iggy feel comfortable and safe. Their relationship is SO healthy, also emphasized by Act 4 with Genzou validating Iggy's asexuality...especially in contrast compared to Gidget's need to "fix" him. Act 3 was definitely really painful to watch: Iggy's anger & frustration not only at himself but also Genzou for bullying Orlam was understandable, considering how long it went on for and how he did essentially nothing to intervene. But it just felt like Genzou was facing constant negativity from him and reminders of the consequences of his actions in the worst way possible. He must have felt incredibly anguished in the boat scene because of Iggy's blatant aversion to him (and I can't help but think he probably felt like part of the reason was because of his homosexuality). I also loved his route in the side game aaaaaaa
Iggy being distant with the old friend group is heavily relatable, I struggle to connect with some of my old friends due to my hesitance in doing so. I relate to his awkwardness in social situations also. It's interesting to see what the arcs focus on: it starts with Arc 1 being about the overall chaos of the situation and introducing the mess that is their friend group, then Arc 2 being about how Iggy feels security when he's around Genzou. Arc 3 covers how he resents himself and feels guilt for not being there for Orlam when he needed it most, and finally Arc 4 focuses on the strain on his relationship with Gidget (as well as Genzou again being supportive of his asexuality). When the arcs started repeating, I was like "Is it really just gonna repeat the story over and over again??" But besides the setting and the things they encounter being relatively the same, I was surprised how it didn't feel that redundant. As an asexual person, I definitely relate to Iggy (just like me fr); I felt so much discomfort and repulsion for him in the scenes where he was sexually intimate with Gidget. At the same time, their need for him to compliment the body that they once hated is definitely a product of his actions. While Gidget still actively codes, their appearance has changed tremendously from when they were in their senior year. The addition of Iggy's comment that their assets (idk how to phrase it) were nice and his harsh disapproval of their lack of femininity was probably a huge blow to their self-esteem. It probably wasn't entirely his fault considering their mom also criticized their choices to present as androgynous/masculine, but he definitely was a big factor in how they changed.
Orlam... to be honest, I judged him in the beginning (and his comment about Genzou's sexuality didn't help). Though I do understand why his desires manifested the way they did in Wonderland: the constant abuse he faced from his dad and Genzou made him feel powerless, so the response would be to become powerful. In a world where he is shunned by basically everyone (with some of those people going as far as to say he should kill himself), no wonder he wanted to stay in the land where everyone will respect him as a monarch (though the cannibalism and stuff isn't exactly the right approach). He was shown to be pretty timid and fearful as a child, so it's interesting how he develops this sorta... flirty (??) persona as an adult. It's nice how he doesn't force himself on Iggy, despite Orlam's comments about how he's a very... "popular" guy. As others have mentioned, the scene with Iggy gaming and Orlam in the background with his special guests caught me off-guard LOL.
Gidget's definitely a character that I can't just say I like. They push themselves on Iggy despite his protests and attempt to "fix" his asexuality, but he did contribute to them becoming like how they're shown in the Wonderland in some way as I mentioned before. I'm assuming that since they "fixed" themselves for Iggy, they feel like he needs to "fix" himself for them too; that's probably why they're furious when he denies their advances and is uncomfortable with being more intimate with them. I also find myself relating to their exploration of their gender; as someone who is AMAB, I want to cast away the masculine parts of myself in order to present more androgynously/femininely. The desire to have their "assets" gone is also a mood. While this is a more insignificant situation compared to the mess they are in, I presented as a woman online for some time but I eventually felt that this isn't what's expected of me and that I should be ashamed of it. I also feel sad about how they represent themselves as a man in the side game but still maintain their feminine presentation for Iggy's validation (his reaction to them being a man was also Not Very Good). Ghent is probably what they wanted to be before they started forcing themselves to present femininely :(
With Bucks and her husband (I feel guilty for forgetting his name T_T), they don't get much screen time in the story but I find myself curious about how Arc 5 will portray Bucks. She seems to be pretty lively and friendly with everyone, but the marriage and the responsibility of taking care of a child definitely took a toll on her and her husband's mental health. The implication she murdered her child to get some peace and quiet was terrifying. She's hostile towards everyone when she encounters them in the end of each arc, but it feels as if Arc 4 was different somehow (she doesn't even follow Iggy in Arc 3 so I feel as if that arc doesn't count). Maybe it's because she only appears after Iggy says his wish and releases all of her stress and aggravation when she murders Gidget, but I noticed she simply says "Goodbye, Iggy" and follows that by immediately killing him. Perhaps it's the effects of the deja vu and her stubbornness on staying in the Wonderland ebbing? I'm not really sure what it means, but I hope it gets covered in Arc 5.
That being said, this comment has overstayed its welcome and it's probably way too long so I'm going to end it here. I loved playing Our Wonderland and I hope finishing Arc 5 goes well for you! :)
THIS DID NOT OVERSTAY ITS WELCOME AT ALL it was incredibly lovely and I've read it like five times already asldkfjaldsk 🥺💕 THANK YOU SO MUCH!! Not only for playing the game but also for taking all the time to write this whole thing up with your thoughts. I'm so glad you've enjoyed it so far??
Your thoughts on each of the characters are giving me life. I really love reading how you responded to each of them and your interpretations of some of the happenings. I'm happy that you like Genzou so much—he has a lot of issues and needs to work through some stuff and is definitely a huge asshole more often than not, but I just love him so in spite of everything ldkfjasd Some of the scenes in Arc 3 (and Arc 4) were really hard for me to write tbh. I sometimes feel like Genzou really ends up facing the worst out of any of them throughout all the arcs, the poor guy.
Guhhh also thank you for letting me know how much you relate to Iggy. That always makes me really happy to hear since so much of his story and experiences are so personal to me—I feel like a part of me when creating this was also to help others who might have similar thoughts or experiences be able to see themselves a bit in a character. I don't know, perhaps as some kind of way to feel like you're not necessarily alone. I DON'T KNOW. I have such a hard time when it comes to keeping friends and social situations in general. But I digress. I loved your little succinct summaries of the different arcs for him—they feel so on the money LOL I'm also really touched by you letting me know how you felt as a fellow ace, not only because I feel like so much of this game was a build-up of my feelings and experiences on coming to terms with being ace but also simply wanting to create more ace characters to throw out into the world since there's so few.
"the scene with Iggy gaming and Orlam in the background with his special guests caught me off-guard LOL." --> WHEEZING I'm so entertained whenever this gets brought up dklajfsldkfa I don't know why but I'm so in love with their chemistry despite how different they are from one another and I just love the idea of them having this deep love for each other while not needing to follow all the conventions of a typical couple. I really enjoyed exploring different types of relationships in this game. Like. Idk. Two people vibing with each other in a way that works for both of them and how it looks so different from person to person.
Gosh, I agree with you on so much of what you say of Gidget. I feel a lot of Gidget is based on my own dislike of ways that I saw myself becoming and my desire to fight back against that and my own annoyance at myself for giving in instead of holding my own and allowing myself to be who I know I am. So I also know that Gidget seriously needs to take some time to figure themself out before getting into any sort of relationship, especially one that would likely only exacerbate the issues they already are struggling with,,, GODDDD. Sorry, this is starting to get a bit meta LOL I will just say that yes I do love Gidget to bits the same as all the others and I relate to and struggle alongside them as a non-binary person but I also find them the hardest to forgive at times as an ace person and so my heart gets so conflicted fakdlsjf However, I hope that by the end of the game, they will have taken many of the necessary strides towards understanding themself better and both Iggy and them can find a place of understanding and caring for each other,,, (I say this as if I'm not the creator of the game LOL but also since I only have about half of Arc 5 written, I'm nervous as all heck about my ability to bring everything to a satisfactory close,,,)
Bucks and Hunar will definitely get more focus time in Arc 5 FINALLY. They do somewhat feel outside of a lot of the complications that are happening given that they're outside of the "love square." Their struggles aren't quite as entangled with direct things in Iggy's life, and when he's the POV protagonist, this makes it a bit harder to approach 🤔 But I hope that people will enjoy seeing how their story plays out in the end. They're perhaps more connected to Wonderland in general than any of the others considering the context,,, so that will also play a larger part in bringing this story to a close dkjafld
MMMMM OK WOW I ALSO WROTE QUITE A BIT. I was just really so excited by some of your comments and all your thoughts on all the chars!! I love talking about them so much with others. Thank you so much again for taking so much time to write all of this out!! Reading through everything was such a bright spot in my day! And I hope you'll enjoy Arc 5 when it (finally) is released!! 🥰
I love this game so much, all the characters have given me brain worms and are now living rent free in my head. God they all need therepy and wonderland is never going give them anything close to that.
I really relate to Iggy, got some of that good old anxiety and awkward mess feelings while also adoring my friends even though I don't talk to them for ages. Really love his going through different facets of his personality and how he gets warped along the way. Arc I is him just trying to figure out what's going on and coming to the conclusion that he messed up everyone’s life, Arc 2 is him being told No that's wrong and falling in love with Genzou (and god I hope a little with himself), Arc 3 is screw that love didn't work, I hate love, anyone heard of being mad at everyone and partaking in cannibalism with one horny rat man (Love him), and Arc 4 is just damn it none of those worked I wonder if conforming to Cis-Het-Allo-normativity will solve my problems WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG (so so much, god damn it Gidget).
Genzou is such a cool dude, genuinely think he’s the best boi out of the 3 potential people Iggy could be with. Just a wholesome accepting guy who hides all his emotions and self loathing behind a bunch of absolutely awful puns, am I right, am I right? Also very easy to feel conflicted about him cause he is definitely a bully, Orlam definitely deserves an apology for that. I wonder if he had been in wonderland as long as the other 3 what sort of warped personality he would have. Though to be honest I don’t think he would want to stay given the chance, it seems like he’s allergic to anything that could make his life easier. Also love his interactions with the flower, he needs to be called out more often for being a pining doofuss.
Orlam is such a slime ball and yet so sweet when he’s given even the barest amount of care or concern. Like the fact Iggy going to his house makes him want to throw a whole celebration for him and become partners in crime is so cute and tragic. He is definitely an egotistical cannibalistic tyrant but you’ve done an amazing job making me feel like he kinda deserves this win in his life. Also do find the final act CG with Iggy playing video games while he has an orgy both the horniest and aggressively asexual image I’ve ever seen, genuinely had me laughing the most of any route XD.
Gidget…
I’m kidding I love them a lot. I’m trans and can definitely relate to the feeling of having to be a certain way to impress or be accepted by people. It’s just that I do think they are the most frustrating and culturally poisoned of the group (like at least bucks had the awareness to run away from it instead of bringing all that nonsense with her). Gidget in my opinion needs to have at least one real life mental break down and gender identity crisis to maybe deconstruct a few of the things that are going on here. Like every time they appeared in the game I was like “here we go again!” and honestly it seemed like Iggy felt that too. Absolutely adored the dance scene with Iggy in Arc 4, really loved the images in time with the dramatic music. And also loved how much in that arc it felt like wonderland through the new character was trying to communicate with Gidget “Hey we know what you actually want, why don’t you try not doing the thing that makes you uncomfortable?” and Gidget was having none of that and leaning into the lovey dovey feelings as much as humanly possible. Like I definitely know wonderland is a whimsical nightmare but at least it isn’t transphobic.
I don’t have a huge opinion on bucks since she doesn’t get a lot of screen time other than at the start and every single arc murder ending XD. She definitely deserves some peace and quiet, I hope her and her hubby get a bit more focus in the next arc it’s really sad how marriage and a baby kinda ruined their lives.
I also really love your art style, like all the poses and little details you add are always leaving me thinking of how much work has been put into each scene.
Looking forwards to the final arc! Hoping these character can finally find a way to function for more than a few seconds and stop killing each other, but knowing this series it’s probably going to have a lot more trauma on the way XD
OH GOSH WHAT A LOVELY COMMENT 😭💕 Thank you so much for playing and writing all this up??? I was smiling the whole time I read this lsdkjfaklsd I really enjoyed reading all your thoughts on the characters.
It makes me really happy to hear that you could relate to Iggy so much. A lot of his struggles are based on my own and I really hoped I could share some of that with others who might also be able to relate and see parts of themselves in him. Gosh and I really love your little succinct summaries of each arc they are so on point HAHAHAHA 🤣💦
"Just a wholesome accepting guy who hides all his emotions and self loathing behind a bunch of absolutely awful puns, am I right, am I right? " --> SOBBING ALDKFJALSDKFJLAK
"I wonder if he had been in wonderland as long as the other 3 what sort of warped personality he would have." --> That's such a good question tbh I hadn't ever really thought of that before. I also am unsure if it would truly change him that much given all the context,,, gosh now this idea is going to plague me a few nights LOL Our Wonderland AU or something.
"Like the fact Iggy going to his house makes him want to throw a whole celebration for him and become partners in crime is so cute and tragic." --> SO CUTE AND TRAGIC I LOVE THAT. Also I'm literally dying at your description of the CG -- AGGRESSIVELY ASEXUAL -- what a hilarious choice of words I'm in stiches lkdfjasd
Gidget, goddd,,, Gidget also has a lot of me in them LOL which also has me feeling so conflicted about them, especially with how Iggy and them butt heads so much in their needs but underneath it both of them really just want to figure themselves out and find a place to belong (yet neither one really knows how to do so,,,). I'm so glad you enjoyed the Arc 4 dance scene tho I somehow ended up going super all out with that entire ballroom scene GOD. Also glad you picked up on the Cecil bit,,, 🤭💕
"I hope her and her hubby get a bit more focus in the next arc" --> THEY WILL DEFINITELY GET MORE SCREEN TIME IN THE NEXT ARC
Oh gosh tho thank you for the lovely words about the art and CGs that means so much dlkafjsd And thank you so much again for such a lovely comment—what a little bright spot in my day!!!! 🥺 I hope you'll enjoy the final arc once it's done! I'm rather nervous about literally everything about it as I just hope it will live up to everything before it and finish things in a way that leaves people feeling satisfied LOL W-we shall see, I guess,,, LOL
let's start at the beginning, that's easy. so after two whole timelines where iggy got slapped around, left stumbling confused and scared, it was both a surprise and a delight to see iggy begin this run with anger in his heart. it's like the unprocessed anger of dying a whole lot finally caught up in this timeline and iggy was just left in boiling rage at his own helplessness and at the others' actions. it's actually quite funny that because of how pissed off iggy was, we get to skip past the slog that was the beginning of our wonderland adventure. it felt a bit like a meta joke because we all know how tedious the repetition is by now lol iggy says 'fuck u' to the beginning bosses
and it's interesting that with iggy taking initiative quickly we sorta get a prolonged interaction with gidget that actually seemed to. i'm not sure how to word it, bring her back down a little bit? it didnt last very long but for a sec with iggy showing more loud emotion than he had ever before, it was gidget that had to be the calm voice at the table. like we were seeing a glimpse of gidget that was the regular her and not this caricature of wonderland that were were stuck dealing with the entire time
but then we get to the Choice. and wow, i honestly was not expecting it to go that way. i really tried to be the better person but iggy wasn't having it anymore
that boat ride with genzou was rough. the fact that it was the last interaction they had until the castle....ow. and that iggy never noticed he was missing? and then what happened after THAT. you can't just walk that back iggy! there's no "oops! my best friends meat hopped into my stomach, i didnt do that! he was tasty tho!"
for as much as this was orlams route, this really seemed more like iggy's corruption arc. like after denying and saying how wrong it was that gidget and orlam were in indulging in their wildest desires with hedonistic glee...iggy turned out to be no better
speaking of orlam tho, god i feel bad, this is supposed to be about him but ive literally been talking about iggy's villain origin story, my bad buddy
yanno i honestly wasn't sure what we were gonna get with orlam, i was expecting more backstory of course, more elaboration on the genzou&orlam train, but i didnt think orlam's route would unlock iggy's hedonistic side. and as fucked up as it is, i kinda liked it LOL. just iggy and orlam hanging out and being brofriends. i was pretty pleased that for as sleazy as orlam was acting, he wasn't keen on getting into iggy's pants but he also wasn't the same as genzou who was satisfied with just being with iggy. glad their system of cuddle buddies and orgies on the side works for them
speaking of orgies, god i was not expecting that cg of iggy gaming while orlam was getting boinked in the background like SIR in front of my unethically sourced ham??? anyway
it's different to the relationship between genzou and iggy. iggy said that his feelings for genzou made him feel warm and safe, an anchor to the storm. i guess with orlam being an even bigger mess, iggy gets to be the caretaker for once. which is actually almost? cute? okay the day after the suicide attempt was majorly fucked up but god, at least iggy was there. the idea of orlam waking up, surviving, to his small, dirty apartment just. yeah. so them just falling into hedonism in a world where nothing can touch them, they're powerful, comfortable, and they can play and rest to their hearts contents? yeah no wonder it's so tempting. it's easy to see why iggy lost himself so deeply
i will say tho, that lil memory of iggy and orlam as kids hanging out on iggy's bed breaks my heart a bit because. orlam asked about genzou and whether he talked about him and god, that just wrecks me. all the way back then? buddy...
i am taking both genzou and orlam by the shoulders, WHAT HAPPENED AT AFTER PROM...these lil crumbs of info are so good but i need MORE
and finally after all of that, just for orlam to perish at bucks hands. and iggy runs away. christ. all that righteous anger at the beginning, fizzling out because it wasn't enough. it wasn't the right option. iggy's denial of his actions is a bitter pill. dude, i've said all i had to say here, that was all you. it's you.
im sorry orlam, i wouldn't have minded doing imperialism a little longer but we're onto gidgets route now. fuck. onto Arc 4
GOSH IT'S TRUE, THIS ARC REALLY GOES IN SOME,,,,, DIRECTIONS lol I think it's the most different of all the arcs in that regard -- it kinda just veers off in its own trajectory for a lot of different reasons LOL I think because a lot of the whole idea is Iggy trying to fit the mold of someone who would make each person happy (and ultimately failing,,,), and when it comes to Orlam that requires the biggest change out of all of them, so he just really goes off the rails,,, lol
LOL I'M GLAD YOU STILL ENJOYED IT THO??? And yes hahaha. This is the first route where things really start to change re: early Wonderland happenings -- a combination of Iggy himself along with me not wanting to subject people to the same things again and again. Arc 4 goes even further in this regard, making it the most different out of all of them when it comes to structure I think. I feel like Arc 3 is the first arc where the story really started to evolve past what I had initially planned for it and just grew and changed as I was writing.
"i really tried to be the better person but iggy wasn't having it anymore" --> HAHAHAHA. There's only so much you can do, it's true 🤣💦 And that's a great point about Gidget. With Iggy being the one acting out of sorts for himself, it creates an opportunity for Gidget to revert back to her non-Wonderland-affected self, at least for a while,,,
THE BOAT SCENE IN THIS ARC STILL MAKES ME ILL. I shan't speak of it LOL
"for as much as this was orlams route, this really seemed more like iggy's corruption arc" --> THIS IS INDEED TRUE.
"i was pretty pleased that for as sleazy as orlam was acting, he wasn't keen on getting into iggy's pants but he also wasn't the same as genzou who was satisfied with just being with iggy." --> I'm actually really happy that you even mentioned this. I feel like a bit of what I've also been wanting to do with this (besides everything else or something,,, who knows,,,) is show different types of relationships?? And how they all can work in different ways?? Idk. Obviously in the RL Orlam and Iggy could not live this hedonistic lifestyle (and kill and eat people LAKDSJFLKAS); however, I wanted to within that still start to get at the crux of their relationship and how they can both be there for each other and support and need each other in a way that's different from for instance Genzou and Iggy or Gidget and Iggy, etc. I think I mentioned it somewhere else before but I kinda see Orlam and Iggy as a queerplatonic thing??? But ofc anyone who plays is free to interpret anything as they see fit (as they can with any of the aspects of the game and characters ldkajfsd)
"speaking of orgies, god i was not expecting that cg of iggy gaming while orlam was getting boinked in the background like SIR in front of my unethically sourced ham??? anyway" --> HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH ok I really just laughed out loud at that dlkfajds 😭💦
"orlam asked about genzou and whether he talked about him and god, that just wrecks me. all the way back then? buddy..." --> I-indeed,,, 🥺
"because it wasn't enough. it wasn't the right option" --> GUHHHH THIS IS SOMEHOW SO WELL-PUT AND ON THE NOSE LAKDJFALKSDJFALK
At any rate I AM GLAD YOU'RE STILL LIKING IT. And thank you so much for all your thoughts again, dang, I was smiling from ear to ear while reading these lakdjfalksd I really love hearing such detailed thoughts and feels and interpretations of things so much, this is such a delight LOL So thank you thank you thank you!!!! 😭💕 And I hope you'll enjoy Arc 4! It is,,, perhaps the most intense arc yet,,, for a lot of different reasons,,,
Hello hello! I am back with my thoughts about arc 2. So! So. ...a lot happened lmao.
The biggest highlight was Genzou and Iggy's relationship let's be real. It juxtaposed everything else that happened in the arc tbh. Genzou is so respectful of Iggy's comfort and personal space. Their kiss was so sweet especially when Genzou validated Iggy's feelings about his fear of sexual expectation and that Iggy's boundaries were important and heard.
It's a stark contrast to Gidget's actions in comparison.
Something going on with Gidget for real. She stomped all over Iggy's boundaries and forced herself onto him and invalidated his feelings of discomfort and that was terrible. Like, truly terrible, toxic behavior. Whatever feelings she has for Iggy it's not real love like Genzou, it's equal parts infatuation, lust and deeply held resentment.
Resentment in this case, for all the years that Gidget performed feminity for Iggy's approval, after he made several shitty lil comments about Gidget doing "boy things". And he still doesn't "want" her.
To be clear, that's not saying it's Iggys fault or that it excuses Gidgets actions! But we still don't have the full picture so this is me saying there's more going on than just "me woman ANGRY man don't want me!!"
And finally...Orlam. So I'm not even gonna touch the cannibalism that's nothing interesting, there's more important shit to focus on, like what the hell happened between Genzou and Orlam. I know, I just KNOW, something happened at prom. We didn't get much in the first arc, Orlam just seemed like a guy who let his resentment and rage fester for years until it boiled over, and Genzou didn't even give a shit and dismissed it as "dumb kid stuff"
And at this point now we know that's just not true. When they were on the boat ride there was that taunting voice in Iggy's ear about how Genzou blamed him and we know that it was false, but the interesting part to me is that the knowledge is implied to be true. So Genxou and Orlam from the time between him going blind and after prom had...something, brewing in the background while iggy was avoiding Genzou because of guilt.
And man, shit got real personal. That's the first time we really see Genzou uncomfortable. And tbf, Iggy is literally being tortured but I mean, when Orlam admitted something vulnerable, when he mentioned ~whatever~ it was that they almost were, that's the first time we see that it affected Genzou too. But it doesn't change the fact that their relationship is terrible and that's mostly genzou's fault.
So there's three things at play here, with Genzou and iggy in the middle. They have the best and healthiest dynamic. And on one side is gidget and iggy, with the worst dynamic because of her terrible treatment. And then on the other side is genzou and orlam, with Genzou with his horrible treatment.
I barely have anything left for bucks, by the end of it I was just sick of her shit LOL. Iggy went though SO much and then we had to deal with HER? And she killed genzou?? Hell no, I'm glad Iggy killed her fbdbfhfhhf after being slapped around he deserved a Lil wanton murder!!!
DJFJFHDHD THANK YOU FOR WRITING UP YOUR THOUGHTS AGAIN. I am enjoying these so much omg 🤭💕 I'm glad you liked Arc 2!!
There are still a lot of parts of Arc 2 that mean a lot to me,,, particularly the Genzou/Iggy scenes (I may have shed a few years in their creation fjdjdj). So I'm glad that you liked their relationship. Re: Gidget I'm also glad you're seeing something else there. Again, not wanting to get into anything that will spoil anything, but later arcs will reveal a lot more going on there, as well, particularly Arc 4, which focuses more on Gidget.
LOLOLOL I KINDA KNEW YOU'D BRING UP THE ORLAM AND GENZOU STUFF AGAIN. I actually forgot a bit what all I'd already included in Arc 2 (it feels so long ago now that I worked on it LOL). I'm so amused by all the little things you're picking up on 🤭💕
"So Genxou and Orlam from the time between him going blind and after prom had...something, brewing in the background while iggy was avoiding Genzou because of guilt." ---> FHFJDJDJD GODDD you're one of the only ones I've ever seen bring this up/latch onto this, I'm pretty entertained right now LOL I always wondered if anyone would pick up some of those little things in the river scene, since it goes by so quickly.
"That's the first time we really see Genzou uncomfortable." --> Indeed... It generally takes a lot for Genzou to be openly uncomfortably/affected like that fjfjdj I feel like this arc is probably the most intense when it comes to Genzou like that,,, (well,,, maybe,,,)
"So there's three things at play here, with Genzou and iggy in the middle." --> GOD THIS WHOLE PARAGRAPH THAT YOU WROTE. IT'S AFFECTING ME DEEPLY FHFJDJD Gosh this hits so much of what's going on so hard LOL Just reading this is making me grin something awful fjdjd
LIL WANTON MURDER HELPPPPPPPPPPPPP
Godddd this whole thing just made my morning 🤣💦💕 I'm loving reading your thoughts so much!!!! Thank you again for all the time taken to write these up, and I'm glad you're still enjoying it! Hope you'll enjoy Arc 3,,, I feel like with Arc 3 things really start to descend into,,, into,,, well they descend into something, that's for sure!! 😂 Thanks again!! 🥰
(first, english not my first language, i think i cant really speak/write well but i can read everything perfectly as it is! hehe so im sorry for my mistakes in this comment)
so, hey! im in love with this game, such a nice present for christmas week for me hehe, im so mad at myself that i didnt played it sooner! really interesting story, i couldnt take my eyes away from this game, i was so curious what happens next, at the same time i was playing it reeeallyyy slowly because i didnt want it to end heh i just love horrors about a group of friends where everybody needs professional mental health but maybe only one person actually reached for it at some point and its not really working that well huh
the music! absolutely amazing! (happy but creepy song in the most horryfying kinds of scenes??? wow, just wow) the music always fits and completed the scenes, that really hit me
art! im gonna be honest, at the beginning, even before playing i was kinda, idk, sceptical im gonna like it? maybe because i was used to different styles, nevermind, but i was really curious about this game so i played anyway and im thankful for that haha i was just stupid, a few minutes passed and i was loving your artstyle as i should! i think its perfectly fits the story, and it gives the characters a lot of expression, you can really feel their emotions. and the CGs?? beautiful! and so many! amazing, sweet, sad and - wow, these horror scenes!
HEAVY SPOILERS:
im not able to express how happy and seen i feel seeing asexual main character. a lot of his thoughts really hit close to home and his talk with Genzou in Arc 2 about it? and after Gidget kissed Iggy and he was afraid to let her down? really beautiful and ofc that made me love Genzou even more (his reaction should be bare minumum, but thats why its perfect, am i right or am i right?)
+ Iggy and Genzou are so sweet together, i love their interactions, they have good chemistry and the end of Arc 2 and entire Arc 3 aaanddd end of Arc 4 had me lamenting, it was so painful to read but in the good way ofc haha
i love all the characters, i love that all of them has flaws. big flaws. and thats fucking beautiful because its human. of course im mad at Genzou for bullying Orlam so ruthlessly, ofc im mad at Iggy for saying these things to young Gidget, to Bucks, not defending Orlam and for a lot of other things heh, im not gonna forgive Gidget for sexually assaulting Iggy and shaming him about not wanting her, Bucks killing(?) her child, and Orlam just....playing hannibal lecter, like cmon bro, im sorry for you but making ham out of your ex friend is kinda overdramatic, but revenge is revenge i guess.
neverthless, as i was saying, i love them all and i want to see them happy so bad, ahh, but everyone will never be happy, huh? well, im gonna wait for the last Arc for answer haha.
i have so much to say about this game but i have to stop myself already before im gonna start babbling haha
so merry christmas and happy new year, thank you so much for this game!!
YOUR COMMENT IS LOVELY AND WONDERFUL AND GREAT DO NOT APOLOGIZE FOR ANYTHING??? Thank you so much ahhhHHHHHH this comment has honestly made my morning!! It's so sweet! Thank you for playing and for taking all the time to write this up! It's honestly touched my heart so much 🥺💕
I'm so glad you liked the music and art!! The music in this game has been such a deep inspiration to me while working on the game. Even though I can't compose music myself, I spend a lot of time searching for and listening to tons and tons of music to find stuff I feel matches the scenes. Also the music even sometimes inspires new scenes!!
GUHHH YOUR WORDS ABOUT IGGY ARE LITERALLY GOING TO MAKE ME CRY. Thank you especially for writing up your thoughts about that. As an ace person myself, I think that a lot of my deep thoughts and feels ended up making their way into this game LOL and a lot of the different scenes and convos ended up being super cathartic for me to write. I'm incredibly happy and moved that the scenes could also mean something to you. Honestly sometimes I think that is one of my biggest hopes for this game -- that ppl can relate to some of what happens and it can mean something to others and ppl can feel seen, especially since so much is inspired by my own experiences fhcbd. So thank you so much for telling me that 💕
Heheheh yes I know what you mean about the characters LOL I love them all to bits but gosh do they all have major things they need to work through 🤣💦 But tbh that's part of why I love them. I just really like flawed characters and complicated dynamics and gray areas where there isn't a right or a wrong. Wh-who can say if they'll ever all actually be happy,,, we'll have to see if I can actually do a good job wrapping this whole disaster up in Arc 5!! LOL
Hope you will have a very lovely holiday, as well!! Thank you so much again for playing the game and leaving your thoughts! This comment felt very special and really made my heart squish. I'm glad you could get so much out of the story and chars 🥰
LOVE this game! It's no exaggeration for me when I say this is one of the most well-written VNs I've had the joy of reading! Not only does each individual arc have me guessing (and screaming and awww-ing and freaking me out) but the characters just feel so REAL. They're intriguing and relatable! (...some aspects being more relatable than others but ANYWAY) .
Can't wait to see what you do next! Happy Holidays!
(Oh and I love your animation style--it's really nice and cute!)
OH GOSH HELP. THAT IS LITERALLY BEYOND NICE??? What an absolutely lovely compliment and such high praise, I don't even know quite how to respond to this dhdhdhdh 😭💕
Thank you so so much for playing the game and for letting me know your thoughts! Gosh my heart is squishing so much right now LOL I'm really glad especially that you enjoyed the characters so much, this game and story really depend so much on them so I always feel really happy when ppl say they enjoyed the chars or related to them or things like that. GUHHH AND I'M GLAD YOU LIKE THE ART, TOO 🥺
I hope you'll end up enjoying the final part when it comes out!! I'll keep working hard! And hope you'll have a lovely holiday, too!! Thank you so much again for taking the time to write this up and sharing your thoughts with me -- it means so much!! 🥰💕
You are very welcome 😊❤️. Ahahaa, apologies for the heart squishing!! And i looove well-written character driven plots and stories (such as this one)!!
I'm eager to see Act 5! I believe I'll enjoy it immensely, and it'll be a day 1 download for me 🤞🤞 please take care and stay hydrated + take breaks!!
Hi hello. Recently downloaded this game just a couple hours earlier and i just finished act 1. I feel kinda like that one meme "and they dont stop comi g and they dont stop coming and they dont stop coming-
And then Act 2 came up and that's when the game went from good to great.
Where do I even begin? Well I guess. First off, Iggy and I might be built different because I might just go on with my life and pretend none of this happened. Go back to the tree???? Sorry lads, enjoy Wonderland I'll just be here posting your Missing ads around and living my life.
This group of friends are a hot fuckin mess. The only one I remotely trust atm is Genzou and even THEN I'm. Idk. After Orlam...even after what he had done, I felt so wretched for him.
also theory here, call me crazy but. Is it weird to think Orlam has or had a messy crush on Genzou?? That flashback where Genzou shoves Orlam off the table and Iggu just silently sits down at his spot (BTW I actually gasped and sat with my mouth open because Jesus christ Iggy.)
Idk that Lil detail where Orlam was so desperate for some approval or some sense of affection from Genzou and just. Not getting it. His earlier pointed commented about Genzou's sexuality I thought was like homophobic but now like??? Did something happen between them aside from the bullying because shit is fuckin charged with the energy of a jilted ex and "He's just not that into you"
I'm sorry lemme go back to that cafeteria scene because OMG that was abysmal. Iggy really just sat the fuck down I had to take a sec to be like "yanno what, Orlam did nothing wrong. Hes justified in doing this" and then I remember "nvm he could've stuck to revenge murder and not cannibalism"
TBF on Iggy, marginally the other two girls could've totally said something too but they didn't even though ultimately the conflict is between Genzou and Orlam, it still involves the whole group because. Why,,
I had more to say but I think I'll save it after Act 2 because I think I'll know kore about the girls to give more definitive thoughts on them
AhhhHHHHH thank you so much for playing!! And for writing up this comment! 🥺💕I'm glad that you're enjoying it so far??? I hope you'll continue to enjoy it as you finish up the rest of the arcs heheh. I think it gets a bit more intense as it goes,,, things just really start going off the rails more and more LOL
"This group of friends are a hot fuckin mess. " --> GOD THEY REALLY ARE. This is extremely true... 😭 Th-they all have a lot of things they need to work through... AND THEY NEED TO BE BETTER AT TALKING TO EACH OTHER? MAYBE??? Who can say.
"Is it weird to think Orlam has or had a messy crush on Genzou?" --> LOLOLOL GOSH I-... I can't really answer this without giving away spoilers hahaha. But I will just say that a lot more will slowly come to light about them in later arcs, particularly Arcs 3 and 4. I'm really loving reading your observations though. There's a lot of stuff I always wonder about how people interpret or respond to especially some of the stuff in the earlier arcs as they play through, so I'm always like 👀!!! whenever someone shares with me their thoughts while playing for the first time alkdjfas
"nvm he could've stuck to revenge murder and not cannibalism" --> OK THIS JUST MADE ME LAUGH OUT LOUD HAHAHAH
Yeah the cafeteria scene is really awful,,, it's one of those scenes that still makes me sad just thinking about it (among others, but,,, lol)
At any rate, I'll be really interested in seeing how you end up liking the later arcs and your thoughts on them!! This was so lovely to read -- thank you so much for typing up your thoughts!! And I'm so glad you're enjoying the game so far!! 🥰💕
AAAA hello hello it's the next day and i do have more to say about act 1 actually turns out i am a liar lol
so thinking on everything that happened now, it sure snowballed into a shitshow, and that's all thanks to the terrible communication skills that this group of 5 have. and that was never more apparent to me than when iggy concluded that the others would've led better lives if he had never existed to them. and to me that speaks how he stayed self absorbed and self centered to the very end.
maybe that sounds surprising or weird that i came to this conclusion but truly! that's so amazingly small minded assuming that his presence in their lives was so damaging that they would be better off without him. when it's so apparent that the others had their issues before and without him there, so it's just his self-loathing and guilt (and probably blood loss) thats talking
as someone whose asexual, neurodivergent and also, absolutely terrible at keeping in touch with people in my life i see a lot of myself in iggy. and tbh it's not a pretty picture LOL. it's uncomfortable to see my flaws reflected out at me so starkly. when you're so stuck in the rut of your life, you've got your baggage and your mess and it's easier to shut your mouth and just not talk to people you care about because it's been too long, or you're all too busy to make plans, or you can't bring yourself to take initiative to meet up etc etc all these excuses because of reasons that are too complicated to untangle and you're too deep to break the cycle
i felt that.
but im not here to dunk on iggy (not entirely smh) my point was, that's just the mental illness talking lol. iggy is not the worst thing that ever happened to his friends and the further i go into the game im assuming he's going to come to understand that himself. sure, some of the things he had done were not great, and were even downright harmful, but his choices are not more or less worse than anything that the others have done themselves. iggy may have turned a blind eye to genzous horrible treatment of orlam but iggy isn't at fault for genzou's shitty behavior itself, and bucks being unhappy in her marriage has nothing to do with iggy even when iggy convinced her to go through with the wedding.
they've all hurt each other i bet, there's no one singular cause. i just wonder how they're all gonna get past this lmao
Omg,,, I'm honestly having a hard time figuring out how to reply to this because you've really hit so many nails on the head, it feels (and some of those nails being ones I didn't even necessarily know existed FHFJDJR). Especially you saying how much you see yourself in Iggy,,, Iggy is very much heavily based on me and my own ways that I approach things and my own past experiences and my own thoughts, etc. So I can definitely agree and say that's it's not a pretty picture. Many of the scenes in the game have taken a lot out of me to write as it really does feel like forcing myself to look and think critically about some of this stuff. It's been quite an eye-opening journey at times, and I've felt so many things. It really means a lot that you would tell me all that and that you relate to him like that. I get the feeling that you and I are probably pretty similar LOL One of my hopes with this game has honestly always been that others can also relate to some of what happens and see parts of themselves in the chars, as well.
"iggy is not the worst thing that ever happened to his friends and the further i go into the game im assuming he's going to come to understand that himself" --> Yes I would definitely say that's a big thing that he needs to learn to understand and confront fjfjdjd 🥺 Though I just hope my skills in writing are enough to pull off everything in a way that works LOL we shall see once I actually finish this whole thing hahahaha 🤣💦
Gosh this is such a great hard look at the characters and the various things going on. I really love reading your thoughts and interpretations of the dynamics!!! Thank you so much for writing them up! 😭💕
OK! SO! At first i thought that this game would be pretty awful. idk why i just had the feeling, oh boy was i wrong. I LOVED IT!! LIKE, I CANNOT EXPRESS HOW MUCH I LOVED IT. I also need therapy after all this... i spilled gallons of tears every time genzou and iggy had a moment, I LITERALLY CAN'T WITH THESE TWO- The amount of effort you put into this game is just unreal. idk if you are a solo dev, but if you are: HELLO????? HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS?? I honestly don't know how to write a fancy review/comment but let me tell you that i am now obsessed with your game. the story, the cgs, the characters, the chemistry?!? i love them ALL. Every second of this game (after arc 1) i was on edge (in both good and bad way) I can't wait for the final arc :))) there a billion things i wanna talk about but it'll make this comment too long, so in short, THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS GAME!!!! I LOVED IT SO FAR!! (Also, if you can, please make a walkthrough when you finished the game :') i will literally be depressed if i get the bad ending after all this)
GUHHHHHHHHHH THANK YOU VERY MUCH??? I'm so glad you ended up liking it!! Thanks so much for giving it a try despite your initial expectations hahahaha. It means so much that you would take the time to write up this lovely comment 🥺💕
LOL THE GENZOU AND IGGY SCENES AFFECT ME THE MOST TOO. Many of my own tears were spilt during production kadlfjasdk
"idk if you are a solo dev" --> Yes, it's just me LOL though I don't do absolutely everything. For instance, I'm not a composer or sound designer, so I use royalty free music and sound effects. But the writing, art, and scripting is just me. (It's also why it takes me so long sometimes ldkajfldk)
"I honestly don't know how to write a fancy review/comment" --> THIS COMMENT IS ALREADY WONDERFUL AND LOVELY AND MAKING ME TEAR UP 😭💕
Thank you thank you thank you again!!! This really made my day waking up to read this this morning. I'm just really so happy you like the chars and story! And LOLOL don't worry -- there isn't really a *bad* ending per se? The main/core ending of the game will be the same no matter what, but based on your choices, you can influence who Iggy will end up with at the end essentially, which in turn will give you some different scenes/moments in Arc 5 and will affect the final epilogue. But I will probably still write up at least something to give more hints etc. in case anyone has any difficulties getting the ending they want (there will be 5 different endings total). So I will keep that on my list as something to do in the future for sure! 🥰
first of all, thank YOU for making such awesome game despite BEING A SOLO DEV?? AND thank YOU for being so NICE!!! (Yes, i just had to compliment how lively and wholesome you reply to the comments)
HELP FJFHDJDJD YOU ARE TOO SWEET YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE ME DISSOLVE INTO GOO
I love replying to comments fhfjfjf ppl take their time to write such sweet and thoughtful things and it means so much to me I want to gush all over the page and also cry a million tears LOLOL 😭💦💕
Hey Carrot. I couldn't resist any longer. I had to make me an itch.io account and pay you a little something for your and your team's work. It's hard to begin, also, with a review about this game, that could add on what's already been said by other players.
In short, I'm and advocate of your game. On all of its elements: the humor, the drama, the bravery of writing about the themes you do, amidst other aspects here... and I'm purposely short, because I could write a whole essay about the value this game has. It is special, above others, even when having some other jewels in itch.io. I have been invested in every arc, and the characters, with all their personal demons to struggle with, are spot on for telling your story. It's astounding the high quality of your game in every aspect, from coding to music arrangements. And the artwork... it sticks to you along the gameplay, to the point you can't even imagine a better way of drawing them for your story. I'm impressed.
About the plot, I know it was not easy to write as piece like this. You have my respects on that regard since games like Easter. I suspect some odd tear came in the process. Thank you for this effort. And hope you and team to enjoy a beautiful holidays. Sorry for bad English, not my language. And, as a last comment I'll say, this game, a glint of your own courage, made me a bit braver to write my own stuff the way I want. I'll remember it forever with gratitude.
P.S.: spoiler: Cecil for Best Boy. Genzou for Best Lover :)
Oh gosh,,, this comment made me tear up a little bit 🥺💦 Thank you so much not only for playing the game but also to go out of your way to make an account and write down your lovely words and thoughts. It honestly brings me so much joy just hearing from people who have played it, and even more so people who say they got something out of the experience.
"I suspect some odd tear came in the process" ---> YES LOLOL this is a very accurate suspicion dhchdhd I have definitely shed more than a few tears on this game, especially the parts that were either closely inspired by my own experiences or were kind of,,, mmm deep rooted wishes I'd been perhaps bottling up a bit. So many parts of this story mean so much to me.
"made me a bit braver to write my own stuff the way I want" --> OH GOSH FHFHDHDDU now I am really going to cry! It can definitely be difficult to write things that are very important to you. I hope that you'll be able to get all your own words and stories out onto paper 💕 And I'm extremely touched that my story could help give you some courage and confidence??? 😭
Thank you so so much again! This was absolutely the sweetest comment to get and you really made me smile! I'm so glad that you enjoyed the game and took time out of your day to tell me!! 🥰💕
I finally finished arc 4 and I have so many thoughts and feelings about this game...I love the character exploration and interactions, how horrifying the bad ends are and the way Iggy progressively remembers more and more with each arc. There's never a dull moment and I keep telling people about this game because it's so crazy. Genzou and Iggy's relationship breaks my heart in every arc but I also love Gidget and Orlam because of the moments where they're true selves come through. It just builds up really well but at the same time I want to shake my screen because I need these characters to have an honest conversation with each other. Anyways, I could say more but these characters are already living in my head rent free and they don't need more real estate. I love your game and seeing your progress, best of luck with act 5 Carrot!!!
OH GOSH. Thank you so much for this comment and for sharing your thoughts!! I'm so happy that you like the characters, they are truly so near and dear to my heart. So whenever I hear that ppl enjoy them and their interactions, it fills my heart with so much joy 😭💕
"at the same time I want to shake my screen because I need these characters to have an honest conversation with each other" --> GOD I FEEL THIS SO MUCH EVEN WHILE I'M WRITING THEM LOLOLOL
"these characters are already living in my head rent free and they don't need more real estate" --> this is such high praise and literally turning me into a pile of mush help dlfkajdlkfajsd
GUHHHHHHH THANK YOU. This was such a little bright spot to my day reading this! Thank you for playing and for taking the time to write this, it means so so so much 🥺 I WILL KEEP WORKING HARD. POWER THROUGH TO THE FINISH LINE OR SOMETHING DFKJALKD 💕
Just finished Arc 3 and this game is messing me up in the best kind of ways. I’m been scared, I’ve cried, Ive raged at every single character and wanted to hug them at the same time. Friggin bravo you beautiful b words. <3
MESSING YOU UP ASDLKFJALSDK I am glad,,, 😈 LOL Gosh don't I feel that though. The characters do the same thing to me, loving them as they simultaneous drive me up a wall hahahaha. I'M REALLY HAPPY YOU'RE LIKING IT THOUGH. Thank you so much for playing and writing this lovely comment!! This gave me a little laugh 🤭 I hope you'll like Arc 4 and the rest of the game, too, once it's done!! 💕
HELPPPPP THANK YOU SO MUCH??? LITERAL TEARS IN MY EYEBALLS 😭💦💕
I am very glad you enjoy it heheh. Thank you so much for playing and for letting me know!! I love that you love the chars so much my heart is squishing very much right now ahhhhh... 🥺 (please do eat and breathe more than this game though that doesn't sound healthy FJDJDJD)
HHHHHHHHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH??? 😭💕 That means a lot! Thanks so much for playing and for letting me know! I hope that you'll like the final arc when it comes out! I will keep working hard 🥰
Well, they are fucked up. Like really fucked up and multiplieded by 1000 thanks to this realm feading their most distorted drives both created by this white haired moron. It is imposible to cure those wounds by now, and by what I belive the only resort is to amputate most of it and go for the little what is left. And by that I mean:
-The blind jackass who cannot give up on past and because of what he is ruining lives of weakers by feasting on their suffering. Numb to any pain, util it is his own, yet the second most blind.
-An egocentric weakling, a mess in every aspect. Who dream of power and success by which he has become mad, soon felt to monstrous acts.
-Unfit mother and wife that was not ready for said responsibility. Draged into this by someone who was just prettending a friend who know who she was, but in the end he knew ass.
-The girl that shaped her body and mind around a person that was not worth it, destroying everything until there was nothing left of her but a husk of once beautiful person, trying to be something that she is not and part that she is not meant to be. I pity this one the most.
-And the last the catalyst of all, who could have prevent this all form happening but instead he ignore all the consequences and marched forward, stomping on those who he called friends, blind to their needs. The failure that spoke when he were suppose to be silent, an Imbecile who said nothing when he were suppose to, an Idiot that laid back in the time of need, an moron who pushed people to their worst.
Pick your poison is it not? None of those can be "fixed", none can be helped, none can be trully saved. Unless the child is yet not gone, but I doubt it... We were shown all by now, guilt and regrets of the one who is guilty, the love between the two abusers, obsession and the madness of the abused!, the mangled reality of way towards perfection. So what now? Give us a choice that lead to "Happy ending"?!
Hey!! Thank you so much for playing the game and for writing all this up! It really means so much to me when people take the time to write out their thoughts and let me know 🥺💕
Hahahaha it sounds like you really dislike Iggy 🤣💦I will be the first to admit that he's not always the most likeable character—and can probably be downright frustrating and annoying at times, particularly in the decisions he makes and things he does. A lot of Iggy's general struggles, especially when it comes to dealing with people, are based on a lot of my own experiences and struggles (and sometimes frustrations at myself). He's in no way meant to be perfect or even "good" tbh,,, he's just,,, himself. As are all the characters, really. None of them are "good," they're just people with a lot of issues they're all struggling with hacking it out against each other as they try to figure each other out. So it is, indeed, exactly as you say, a lot of really fucked up people with things made 1,000x worse because of the horrific situation happening 😂
At any rate, I hope that despite your general distaste for Iggy (and most of them??? LOL) you're still at least getting some enjoyment out of the story. It's definitely a frustrating and oftentimes infuriating and hopeless story in many ways, and though I'll never be able to make it so every character can fix every single one of those problems, I do hope the final ending will still be satisfying in a hopeful way that's leading towards a better situation than what they all have now lkdjaflsdkfja
At any rate, thank you so much again for writing up your thoughts and for playing the game!! If you do end up playing the final arc when it comes out, I hope you'll be able to enjoy it! 💕
Nah, I would not say I "dislike" any of them, in fact it was pretty nice expirience so far (exen when I was pretty tired of seeing the same story for the 3 time and started to adding "fucking" before every noun... quite fitting to arc 3 accually). I just see who they are and what direction they are going. But the roads of life one can go in two ways, never to late to give up on things not worth the trouble, go back a little and change things for better. Ok maybe except Iggy he killed the flower, the only sense speaking guy in the story, for that he needs to pay In blood or in deeds and for that I look forwards.
The final choice shall be up to you heheh. The epilogue + some various scenes leading up the ending will be determined based on your choices throughout the game. Pretty much so long as you're mostly friendly to Genzou you should get the choice to have Iggy end up with him LOL 😊 My idea behind the choices was to give people some influence over the story based on their own prefs (and also because I just love all of them too much fnfjdjfjs).
Thank you for playing the game and for writing this lovely comment! 🥺 People saying they like Genzou/Iggy always make me smile and want to cry 😭💕
HHHHHHHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS COMMENTWONDERFULLY PHRASED ESSAY. This is too lovely, ahhhh, I'm gonna cry! 😭💕I'm touched that you took all the time to write this up and that you enjoy the game and the chars so much! Thank you for playing the game and for letting me know your thoughts!!
Tbh I'm actually kinda surprised (and a bit delighted) to hear you even talking about this game mostly in terms of the romance and the LI aspects of it—when I first began thinking about and making this game, I wasn't thinking in terms of romance at all and simply wanted to tell an overarching horrific/dramatic/semi-tragic story based a lot on some of my own experiences and struggles. I did know that I wanted there to be some influence over endings and such, which is kind of how each of the characters naturally took on the role of an LI in that aspect, since the different endings/epilogues will really revolve around Iggy's final choice in that matter. Though I consider each of the individual epilogues to be more on top of the final unchanging core ending rather than endings on their own. So more like a linear overarching story that just so happens to have romance in it that you as the player get to influence rather than a romance story in and of itself.
At any rate, I'm rambling a bit now, but the lean towards integrating more romance and romantic drama and romantic complications happened somewhat on its own as I worked on each subsequent arc and further fleshed out the chars and their relationships. So I'm really happy that you enjoy them all as chars and the different dynamics they bring (both in the story itself, as well as in their relationships/interactions with Iggy) 🤭💕One thing for sure I have always wanted to show is how varied and different the idea of a "relationship" can be and how it can mean things to different people. Even in my head, the Genzou/Iggy, Orlam/Iggy, and Gidget/Iggy relationships are all soooooooo different in vibe and dynamics and how they interact and how they approach what their relationship means, and I really love that about them (and for them sdlkfjalsdkf 💕) I literally love all of them so muchhhhhh 😭
GOD OK SORRY I ALSO WROTE AN ESSAY IN RESPONSE DLKJAFSLDK But I just really loved your comment so much! And I'm really glad you enjoy all the complexities! I'm such a sucker for convoluted and complex chars and dynamics and relationships (mostly because I love the pain guhhhhh). Thank you so much again for your lovely words and for playing the game! I'll keep doing my best and chugging along LOL. I hope that you'll enjoy the final arc when it comes out!! 🥰
Wow this game was a ride and a half! I’m new to VNs and made an itch account just to comment on this! Downloaded it randomly two days ago and now I have been glued to it for hours. There’s just so much tension and the way you show the dysfunctional character dynamics is intriguing, particularly the dynamics of people who have had long-term flaws in their relationships that are driving them apart. There’s just something so visceral and unique about this VN, something about the combination of the violence/gore, but also the plain fracturing of each member of the group as they get the chance to have the wishes they wanted all along. The themes about corrupted innocence really hit hard as you get Iggy’s flashbacks along with what Wonderland transformed into. You took common motifs like the rabbits, the idea of a childhood paradise, and made them quite bizarre and eerie in a way that set the tone for the rest of the story.
Questions and Spoilers below.
I’m kind of confused though about the way this game is structured? In specific are the 4 cinematic ending sequences for Arc 4, or are there cinematic sequences at the end of each arc? I don’t really get how the Arcs work.
For an explanation - I was super invested in what was going on, but then Iggy made a wish to -disappear- after realizing what he did to his friends in the past and I got a sequence of him disappearing and a credits scene. For context, Bucks and Gidget died?? Is that the end of the game entirely? Or if I replay I can get a different ending? Do I have to choose to call somebody else in the intro? I am just reeling from that sudden ending and am curious what happened!
Also,, I would really love to know if there is a walkthrough for this VN too! I really want to see all the possibilities for scenes and endings if there are multiple, but am not sure how to get each of them.
////
All that aside, this is truly a wonderful and special game. Hope that things go well for the future writing of it! :)
Ahhhhhh, thank you SO much!!! I'm super jazzed that you not only decided to play the game, but then also to create an account to comment and type up your thoughts is too sweet, I can't! Thank you thank you—I'm so happy that you've enjoyed the game and chars and story so far!! 😭💕
LOL YOUR QUESTION. It sounds like you've completed Arc 1! If you watch through the credits after Arc 1 is over, a new scene will start up. It'll seem similar to a scene you've already seen, but just slightly different. And then when the scene is over, Iggy will call Genzou and after that you'll get a big ol' "Arc 2" screen and Arc 2 will officially start. I'm realizing it's perhaps not clear enough that you need to wait after the credits once Arc 1 is complete 💦 I'm going to try to think of a way to make it more clear that even though the credits appear, the game isn't over yet guhhh. I'll give this some thought and try to come up with something ldkjlajkdaf
But yes, you still have 3 more arcs to play! (one for each of the friends) and each one has its own accompanying cinematic ending sequence. Re: the choices and such—none of the choices you make affect the individual endings for each arc (each arc will always end the same way); however, they will slowly add up to influence the final ending and epilogue of Arc 5 once it's out (I'm still working on that one!). So no matter what choices you make, you're not missing anything super integral within each arc except for just some different dialogue for the most part (and game overs, but game overs don't affect gameplay at all!). My general advice when it comes to the choices is to just be relatively friendly(?) towards the char(s) you like the most and you should end up being able to get the ending for the char you like 🤭💕 (there will be a total of 5 different possible endings / epilogues at the end of Arc 5).
At any rate, I hope this explanation helps!!! Just keep watching after the credits and Arc 2 will start (and Arc 3 and Arc 4 subsequently after the credits for each previous arc, as well). But let me know if anything is still unclear or if you have any other questions!! I am happy to answer them! Thank you again so much for playing and for your lovely words!! And I hope if you continue to play the rest of the arcs, you'll enjoy them, too!! 🥰
Omg,,, now I'm curious what made you change your mind 🤭💕
And ohhhh I get music from a bunch of different places! However, the place where I've gotten the most is called Dova Syndrome: https://dova-s.jp/ There's a whole bunch of different music from different artists on there. Other places I have gotten music from include individual artist websites, Audiostock, and Storyblocks, among others. If you look in the "About" section of the game, there are links to where I got all the music! So you can find some different sites there.
This games is so good! Its just extravagant! I have no words to how much i love this game, i even have a whole 2 pages of fanart in my sketchbook for it. Ahem anyway, I found this game by picking out random games to download because I was bored. At first when i looked at your page I just download the game without thinking to even read the description, when i finally got to this game and played this I was amazed! What went through my mind was how can someone's writing be so WONDERFUL! I played it non stop for the past 3 days, with taking breaks of course. I love this game and it now has a place in my heart! Your art style? I think it great! It matches everything so well, the music and the character designs with each of them feeling like they are a real person. Now I'm inspired to go write my own stories lol. I related to all of these characters in some ways, it actually scary. I wanted to know if you have any other stories you would share after Our wonderland? Or were you gonna take a break afterward? (breaks are always okay every now and then) I didn't want to ask when Arc 5 was gonna come out because I would feel like I'm rushing you, and I would never want to make you or anyone feel like they need to rush or anything. Um, sorry I wrote a lot. This is my first time commenting on a itch.io page, so sorry. I hope you have a great day or night. Also I'm sorry if there are spelling mistakes and stuff but English is hard even if its my first language. Anyway, bye!
OHHHHHHH THANK YOU??? This is such a lovely and sweet comment 🥺💕 And GAHHHHH omg you even drew fanart?? That is making me melt!! I would love to be able to see it DKAFJLSDKJF
Oh, gosh, I can't even imagine diving into this thing without having any idea what to expect LOLOL I am really glad you enjoyed it though!! And I'm so happy it could also be an inspiration to you for both drawing and writing! 🥰
LOL I do have other ideas, though I don't have anything set in stone yet. Arc 5 will probably come out sometime first half of next year barring anything urgent / unexpected in my life. I'm currently hard at work on it! As for what would come after, I'm not sure yet. I've considered making another short side game similar to OFW to have one last little fun thing with the chars before moving on to something else... but unsure. I also have another story idea that's been tumbling about in my head for a few years that I might decide to turn into a game. Honestly, though, I mostly haven't thought that far ahead yet since I like to just focus on one thing at a time or I get too overwhelmed LDFKJASDK
Thank you so so much again for this lovely comment and I'm just tickled to death that you would enjoy the story and chars so much! It really means so much that you would take the time to share your thoughts and words with me!!! 😭💕
5/5 - 10/10 Character-driven Fantasy Horror Game ( with Romance?! )
Must play! As a game dev myself, this game has amazed and inspired me a whole LOT! <3
And~ Spoiler-ish comments for Carrot's eyeballs:
Tbh, I'm not in the right head space to give proper feedback right now ( when will I ever be at this point tho honestly *sobs* ), so I'll just leave you with the most important message~
Whoo! The ending of Arc 4 had me CLAPPING!!
Great job, Carrot!! SO looking forward to Arc 5! >v<)/
Will it also reveal deEp things about Bucks, I wonder~ ;3
Anyways, I find it interesting that Iggy recoils from touching someone ( that scene with the sunscreen ) whilst I'm the other way around, lol. As you know, I'm not ace or anything, but it does truly make me question whether I'm at least a little bit sex-repulsed. Then again, I prefer to not be touched, period. So maybe it's just me, lmao xDD
But hey, it makes me sorta understand the ace perspective, so all good to me ^v^)b ( But if I am, goes to show that you don't have to be ace to experience some repulsion, lol )
Secondly, the scene with Iggy and Genzou-- THAT ONE SCENE-- It breaks my heart, yo. Cuz even whilst I don't agree with it, I understand why he had to do it and that's just AAAAA ;v;
And that scene at the party with Gidget being shown in all their glory? That legit made me awed! I pictured it all moving perfectly in my head all anime-esque! <3 xD
All in all, my personal favorite still remains to be Arc 3 ( SO many nuanced things I love about it, I don't even know where to start ), but! Arc 4 isn't bad either! It's great and I can see the ways you've improved throughout the arcs~ Especially in terms of cinematic moments! Just *chef's kiss*! <3
So hyped for Arc 5! Best of luck and have fun! <3
In the meantime, I'mma go play your other games~ ;D
Oh, gosh, thank you, L!!! This is such a lovely comment gahhhHHHHHhhhhhhh!! 🥺💕 Thank you so much?? For taking the time to play and write all this out?? It means so much!! And I'm really happy you enjoyed Arc 4!! LOL UNSURPRISED ARC 3 IS STILL YOUR FAV most people I know that like Orlam best enjoy Arc 3 the most lakdjalsdfk Arc 3 in general has the biggest Indescribable Vibe of all of them I feel LOL
Oh, yeah the sunscreen scene LOL That one was directly inspired by experiences I've had in my own life (actually Arc 4 probably has the most Scenes Like That of all the arcs now that I'm thinking about it,,,) For me at least, I don't know if it's fully just an Ace Thing™ or a combination of things, since on top of the weird intimate energy of doing something like that, I also just get uncomfortable at the idea of that tangible feeling, like, on my skin or under my hands—I'm squicked in general by lotions or putting things on my skin/body DKAFJSLDKFA so the scene probably has a lot of that type of feels going on, too, that you might be able to relate with, as well 🤣💦
"I pictured it all moving perfectly in my head all anime-esque!" --> OMG WHAT A COMPLIMENT. Thank you??? 😭💕 I ended up really going to town with that whole ballroom scene, perhaps because I wanted everything to feel as close as I could to the Movie of My Mind using what I could actually accomplish with my skills adklfjasldk Hearing that it had this kind of effect makes me really happy!!!
Guhhh thank you again so much!! It really means so much that you played it and took the time to write up these words!! What a lovely little bright spot in my day. Really glad that you enjoyed it!! I will keep working hard on Arc 5 dlkjafsldkfjasd 🥰
HHHH I LOVE THIS GAAAAME! Finished Arcs 1-3 in one sitting, but I had to take a break as Gidget has a crappy track record of turning to murder when rejected (also 'cause I love Genzou and any other romantic route brings me pain). All of the characters are so well written. For a brief moment in Arc 3 I felt genuine sympathy for Orlam. Not that it lasted long, but you know. The plot too?! Mwah. Perfect. Gives off vibes of games like Hello Charlotte and early 2000s JRPGs while still being totally original, so that's super dope!
A few thoughts on characters -
First off I hope that Iggy ends up with Genzou. First because I love the both of them and also because Genzou seems like the only one of the romance options who genuinely likes Iggy for who he is. I think Gidget is trying to use Iggy to justify their life choices or fill a gap. Like, "see I got with the guy I like, I can't be a failure" and Orlam I keep wanting to call him Oswald lmao is a flaming train wreck. I don't dislike Gidget, especially because I think without Wonderland they wouldn't have become as twisted, but I can't really come to like them as a pairing with Iggy. They need to sort through their identity issues (in regards to both gender and sense of self) before they can be in a healthy relationship. From what I've seen, maybe Cecil is a facet of their identity they wanna express freely? While I do dislike Orlam, I do feel for him. As much as I love Genzou, he went waaaay to far on many occasions with Orlam, not to mention Orlam's shitty home life. However, as much as I sympathise with Orlam, he grosses me out. His personality gives me goosebumps lmao. I'm not sure how to feel about Buxley after learning what she did to Saydie. Iggy is on of my favorite characters. I feel like I can relate to him a lot which might not be so good for me. It's interesting to see how he changes and grows. Genzou is my other favorite. He's funny and the only character who is consistently kind to Iggy even in Wonderland. I guess it doesn't hurt his case that I love the childhood friend trope. Over all though, Iggy and Genzou are my absolute favorites.
Thoughts on story-
I love the whole corrupted world concept. Especially when the world used to be an escape that was filled with innocence AAAAH!!! The interactions between the characters bring the story to life. Not only the interactions between the characters themselves, but also between the characters and their environment and thought processes. Love it. I'm curious, though, if the reason that adults aren't allowed in Wonderland is because their presence is what corrupts it. As the door requires the blood of a child, that would most likely mean that said adult spilled a child's blood (the child who Wonderland most likely expected to welcome instead of the adult). Either that or an adults wishes are not as pure as a child's and would result in some type of corruption.
(Random) Final Thoughts/Questions-
Because I'm trying to influence your subconscious to give me what I want I'll say it again. Iggy and Genzou are the best pairing. I don't think any of the other RO measure up to Genzou TBH. I hope the story has a happy ending. I happy ending in that it makes me happy. You know how to do it (jk). I did want to ask if you would be comfortable sharing your writing process for developing both characters and plots/story concepts. I really like your style of writing, but I wouldn't want you to feel pressured. I apologize for writing an entire essay, but I really like your game! Thank you so much for putting your work out there!
OMG WHAT A WONDERFUL AND LOVELY COMMENT HELP??? You have got me in tears here 😭💕
Thank you so so much for playing the game and for taking all this time to write up your thoughts! I can't even put into words how much it means to me to hear things like this and how people relate to or connect to the chars 🥺 Also I have to say that a lot of your general observations about the chars and their feels / motivations are pretty spot on teehee 🤭 So that all made me really tickled to read. I'M GLAD YOU LIKE GENZOU/IGGY?? They hold such a soft and sweet spot in my heart and just make me so happy in general, so it turns me into goo hearing that others like them, too. As for the happy ending, I will just say that there IS light at the end of the tunnel for all of this, and also that your choices have a major impact on Iggy's final Decision™ sooooOOOOooooo... I only hope that I can live up to your expectations DLKAFJSDLKF
I'm glad you like the story and writing!!! Some of your questions about wonderland will def come up in Arc 5. I think in general Arc 5 will have a lot of answers. I hope, at least LOL I've never been a huge fan of having absolutely every little thing perfectly tied up at the end concrete solid locked up tight as I love allowing some room for thoughts and interpretations, but there will definitely be some deep dives into the core questions behind the world and chars 🤭
"I did want to ask if you would be comfortable sharing your writing process for developing both characters and plots/story concepts." --> Oh gosh! Ummmm,,, I definitely don't mind at all! I feel like my process is simultaneously unremarkable while at the same time overly complicated LOL I don't know how to describe it really. Mostly in that I tend to just let ideas simmer for long periods of time developing in my head before I even decide to do anything with them. Also a huge number of inspirations go into them, particularly music-wise. I talked a little bit about some of it in an interview I did a few months ago, but I can also look into writing something more in-depth as a devlog at some point???
"I apologize for writing an entire essay, but I really like your game!" --> DON'T APOLOGIZE, I LOVE THIS SO MUCHHHHHHH. I've read your comment at least 5 times already because it made me smile so much. I just really love hearing thoughts from people and I can't thank you enough for sharing your lovely words! 🥺💕
Thank you again so much! And I'm always down to answering any questions you may have! This really brightened my day!!! 🥰
OMG TYSM FOR REPLYING!!!!! I'm happy you liked my comment :)! I wanted to ask rq if you would be open to making a discord server or smth? I'm sorry if I'm being a bit much, but I find your content super-duper intresting and would love toask you more questions/interact with you!
I have been thinking about creating, like, an Official Discord Server™ for updates and news for a while, especially with the fiasco happening on Twitter, but it's just quite a lot of work to set one up and it would send my anxiety through the roof having to manage it (I don't really do well mentally in situations where I have to moderate people...)💦
I will keep thinking about it 💦💦 In the meantime, I am always open for questions and discussion either on my Twitter or my Tumblr! Tumblr in particular I'm trying to figure out ways where I might be able to use it for more discussion-type stuff in the future... tho I'm still working on it LOL But you can shoot me stuff in either of those places either as an @ or DMs / Asks if you want! I'm def up for any and all questions (so long as it's not asking for outright spoilers LOL 🤭)!
Arc 4 is definitely the darkest (and most sob-inducing, at least for me dlkfjasldkfa). I am really happy that you liked it (if "like" is even the right word LOL). Thank you very much for playing and for sharing your thoughts with me!! 🥺💕
2nd comment today and holy hell...AHHHHHHHH this made me SO emotional ...seeing Gunzou end up in all those situations just hurt so much man. especially in the 3rd one when we were so mean. ARGHHHH hes really just like a cuddly teddybear. Iggy can't get anymore oblivious and it hurts. Least favorite would have to be Gidget and Ogram, im sorry but yea..#1 is Gunzou. Hes the only person who actually genuinely likes Iggy for who he is. But UGHHH this HURTSSS, im just going to assume everytime we split apart from gunzou while in Ogram castle Gunzou is being sliced up.
Overall, this is a really really good vn. I love it. Also whats the music that was used in arcs 2-3
OH GOSH. I'm so glad you're enjoying everything so far!!! GUHHH AND THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME KNOW AND FOR YOUR LOVELY WORDS! I always love seeing how people react to the different characters and the different parts of the story heheh. And I'm really happy you love Genzou, he's honestly so near and dear to my heart 🥺💕 It is true—at least at this point in The Story, I would say the one out of all of them that truly is like, in love with Iggy for who he is, is Genzou. WRITING PARTS OF ARC 3 TRULY WRENCHED AT MY HEART, I WILL HAVE YOU KNOW. It was quite difficult even for me at times 🤣💦
Thank you so much for telling me your lovely thoughts and for playing the game! I'm so happy you like it!! And I hope you'll like the rest of the arcs, too! 🥰
OH! You mean like the whole OST kinda thing? I don't have anything official like... written down anywhere, since all of the music is royalty-free that I've gotten from various composers. However, I did make a playlist on YouTube that contains all of the music up through the end of Arc 3 (I will add Arc 4 stuff eventually). It's here! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLonikYhSCXlhGOG-eSLPKB9lo7kPnW52f (though if you want to know what a specific song is or something you can ask!)
Ah thank you for the link also at the time i thought arc 3 was the saddest...till i was slapped with the ending of arc 4. Now THAT..hurt. Especially when we ran away with Gidget who Iggy doesn't truly even like T^T. Im really excited for the next arc especially since Iggy remembers EVERYTHING. Maybe even the confessions...? Anddd maybe Gunzou also remembers everything too :O ?!
I meant to ask, is there any way i can support you or anything? patreon or something?
SORRY FOR THE DELAYED REPLY I had a busy couple of days lsdkjafsldkf LOLOL YES I CONSIDER ARC 4 THE WORST WHEN IT COMES TO SHEER TRAGEDY. I feel like with each arc it just gets darker and darker and worse and worse 😂 I needed things to just really reach their deepest darkest pit before I could get everyone to the final arc. HOHOHOHO. INDEED. IGGY REMEMBERS. Perchance they all remember, hmmmm... we shall see... 🤭💕 I hope that the final arc will be a fitting end to the whole story! It'll probably take me a while to finish though as it will probably end up being the largest arc kadjlaksd
OH! uHHHH... I don' t have a Ko-fi or a Patreon or anything. You can donate directly on itch if you want. But also I really don't ever expect anything honestly. To me, just the fact that you would play and take the time to write up such a lovely comment and that you would enjoy the chars and story so much is enough akdfjalsdk 😭💕
dude i thought i finished the whole game when i finished arc 1...the whole credit scene and such...then i see big arc 2 words LOL. thankfully i didnt x out oh my god. welp ah shit here we go again.
LOLOLOL IT IS TRUE—each arc feels like a complete "story" in a way, so I can imagine especially at the end of Arc 1 it would feel like the end 🤣💦BUT THERE IS STILL SO MUCH MORE HORROR LEFT TO EXPERIENCE SKDJFALSDK I hope you'll enjoy the rest of the arcs!! 💕
HOLY CRAP, THIS GAME IS AMAZING!! I'm sitting here just thinking... FOR FREE??? JESUS!!! YOU'VE IMPRESSED ME THIS TIME, ITCH.IO!!!!!! I'll definitely be recommending this game to all of my friends!!
HELP LOLOLOL DKJAFSDLKFAJSDFD THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I'm really glad you enjoyed the game!!! Thank you for playing and for your lovely comment 🥰 LOL IT'S FREE BECAUSE THIS IS JUST A HOBBY FOR ME. Maybe in the future I'll consider commercial games, but right now I'm just doing it because I have stories and characters that I want to share!! 💕 Thank you so much again!
Jesus christ how come I haven't played this masterpiece until now?! I'm still on Arc 2 but I already love it so much!!! Definitely became one of my favorite indies ever. The characters??? Hello??? They have so much personality, interesting dynamics between them, they're morally grey, they're so human I can't even ksjgbksbgkr, I care for them so much. The story is super interesting, filled with mysteries and a really cool horror adaptation of what Wonderland looks like (and of course Orlam is the fucking king, I love it 😂). I'm just so over the moon with this game, the art is unique and cool, the story is just fantastic, the characters are really well explored, THERE'S EVEN GOOD ROMANCE WITH THAT SWEET SWEET SLOW BURN AND I CAN'T GET ENOUGH I'M SO INVESTED AAHHHH (I'M KINDA SHIPPING A LOT OF CHARACTERS TOGETHER DSBGJKB)!!! Thank you so much for making this game, I'm looking forward to seeing your Spooktober entry soon!! <3
Omg this comment just made my whole day!! AHHHHH! YOU'RE MAKING ME CRY! 😭💕 Thank you so so so much for playing and for your lovely words!! Hearing you say that about the chars is turning me into a literal pile of goo. I always really hope that people will like the characters and their dynamic since I feel like that really becomes so much of the crux of everything lol.
"I'm just so over the moon with this game" --> HELP NO ONE HAS EVER SAID ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE YOU'RE KILLING ME KAJDFLKADJF💕
ALSO I TOTALLY GET YOU omg... I also pretty much ship all of them. Even with all their problems and issues, I just love them all to bits and want all of them to somehow be happy and they all fill me with so much simultaneous ANGST and JOY. So that actually makes me 50 shades of weepy to hear GUHHH thank you thank you 🥺
And ahhh thank youuuuu!!! Having tons of fun trying to get it finished up! I hope that people will like it!! 🥰 Thank you again for this comment! It really lifted my spirits!!!
Hehe, of course!! You're a great storyteller, I hope as many people as possible play your game and see how captivating it is!! ❤️
I also just finished all arcs!! And aaahhh I'm so excited for arc 5!!! Hope at least one of them has a happy ending, they suffered so much 😭
Honestly after arc 4 I was just like "why don't they do a poly already" 😂 the love triangle (love square??) is djshbgjshbg aaaahh!!! This is wishful thinking but I wish Genzou and Orlam would reconcile, I love Genzou but it hurts so much when he treats Orlam so badly ;___; babies why (Orlam is probably my favorite character but Iggy and Genzou are very close too!!). Also really excited to meet Ghent in your Spooktober game after seeing what happened in arc 4 with Gidget!!
Again, thank you so much for this gem, so excited for the conclusion!!! ❤️💕
Btw, if it's alright to ask, I really like the music theme you used for whenever the rabbits appear! I was trying to see if I could find it but the game has a lot of music xD may I ask what theme it is and from which artist? 🙏
That really means so much, AHHHHHH!!! Your words are seriously making me so happy right now. I'm really glad that you've enjoyed it and the characters so much!!!! 😭💕
"Hope at least one of them has a happy ending, they suffered so much" --> THERE IS LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL. Or at least in my mind LOL I do still actually need to write Arc 5. But I promise that is the goal at least hahahahahahaha
"Honestly after arc 4 I was just like "why don't they do a poly already"" --> HELP I AM THE SAME LMAO. Everything is just so complicated HAHAHA it would fix so much. I feel the same about Genzou and Orlam. I love Genzou to bits but freely admit that he is an asshole that needs to come to terms with himself. Also in my mind sometimes I just need the two of them to be OK for the sake of my heart LOL I hope Arc 5 will be able to do them justice once it's finished 😭
GAH, THANK YOU!! I've been floating on air a bit even since your first comment LOL And I'm glad you liked the rest of the arcs so far after you played them, too!! 🥰
OH!! That song! I can give you a link: https://amachamusic.chagasi.com/image_ayashii3.html (it's the second song on this page) THERE IS A LOT OF MUSIC YES, LOL. I actually do want to make a devlog at some point with a music list describing where the music is in the game along with links so people can easily find any songs they like, but I keep forgetting LOL
I THINK THATS MY FIRST COMMENT ON ITCH IO BUT THAT GAME IS FUCKIN AAAAAAAGH I JUST FINISHED 4 ARC MY FUCKIN GOD IM SO HAPPY I FOUND THIS GAME THIS IS THE BEST SHIT I PLAYED FOR A WHILE THE DRAWING THE SCRIPT EVERYTHING IS FUCKING AWESOME AUTHOR MADE SO MUCH WORK ON THIS AND ITS SO BEAUTIFUL WELL DONE CARROT NOW IM GOING TO CRY
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!! I am honored that you would leave your first comment on my little game 🥺💕 And I'm so glad that you like it!!!! GUHHHHHHHH. YOU'RE MAKING ME ALL WEEPY AND TEARY-EYED, I WANNA CRY. Thank you thank you thank you so much for playing and for your lovely words (AND INTENSITY). This comment really made my day!!!!! 🥰
Hey!! Sorry, I have absolutely no idea what Joiplay is, so I can't explain why or why not it wouldn't work. I may make an actual mobile port in the future, but because my skills in the "dev" side of game dev are pretty much non-existent, I will likely need to find someone with more experience in mobile to help me, as I would want to make sure it's all properly optimized and is actually a good port people would be able to enjoy (in its current form, I can't imagine it would work on mobile well as the text and buttons, etc., would be too small). This is something I would probably look into after I actually finish creating the rest of the game tho! I am just a small solo dev so unfortunately I can't do everything right away.
Oh, Our Wonderland, Our Wonderland...where do I start with this game?
When I first spotted this game while browsing Itch, I was immediately drawn in by its cute art style, but its page made me hesitant. I don't mind games that cover heavy topics, I enjoy darker stories from time to time. But I'm often wary of games and stories like that, because sometimes, even with warnings, I'm still caught off guard by things that are too much even for me, or the author doesn't handle certain topics with the...care...that they deserve.
But Carrot? You did not disappoint me. I'm so glad I took a chance on this game. My only regret is coming in right right towards the end, before the story has a chance to be finished and I get to see how this whole heartbreaking, twisted tale ends.
The game doesn't disappoint with its storybook-like visuals, and everyone looking like cute little mice people only adds to the fairytale-like atmosphere that surrounds the story. Granted, it's a fairytale that's gone horribly wrong. But it gives the story a specific feeling, like I'm watching a cartoon I might have caught on TV late at night as a child and traumatized myself. It's the uneasy yet familiar feeling that drew me in, and the cast is what kept me hooked.
I've never seen a group of such complicated individuals that works so well together.
Carrot does such a good job at laying out everyone's flaws, their darkest moments, the times where they've hurt each other and done things that make me wonder why they stayed friends in the first place (although I also know now there's quite a few reasons as to why), but also throws you enough bones to show you that these people are worth caring about, worth trying to make them happy and hoping everything will work out in the end. Despite the times where I was deeply uncomfortable and reminded of things I'd rather not think about, I couldn't be upset about it. Or upset at the one who made me feel that way. Because if I want to denounce A and write them off as irredeemable, I'd have to toss away everything that makes them sympathetic, and ignore the waving red flag in my face screaming "Something is very wrong here! They're not supposed to be doing this! This isn't them!" I'd have to acknowledge that B had a hand in making them that way. If I want to be angry at C for what they've done, I have to acknowledge their complicated dynamic with D too and acknowledge that it's also very much their fault, and A and B certainly didn't do much to help back then either. What could they have done, really? They were just kids. They didn't know better.
And...I rarely get that in groups with those dynamics. It's very refreshing. It stops me from becoming apathetic to the grim setting even though I always know how each arc is going to end. Each arc, no matter how painfully it ends, gives me just a tiny glimmer of hope that everyone can be saved from themselves, and each other.
So, in summary, if you're like me and looking at this page, wondering if you should give this experience (I can't even call it a game really, this is something else entirely) a try, at least play the first arc to give you a chance to dip your toes into the setting, the hypnotic writing that keeps you hanging off every word, and to get to know its strange, but endearing cast. If you make the same choice I did, then you definitely won't be disappointed.
And Carrot? Thank you for putting this out there and sharing it with everyone. And thank you for being willing to break down some things I had...concerns about, I'm not sure I could've finished Arc 4 without knowing what was waiting for me. But even then, I'm so glad I did it. Visual novels like this don't come around very often, and I'm glad I didn't miss out.
That's enough rambling from me, now I need to lay down, maybe cry a bit, and curse myself for not just waiting until Arc 5 came along so I could binge this whole thing and not leave myself on a huge cliffhanger.
(P.S. If there's a Discord or something for this I'd love to get in on that, I'd love to have other people to talk about this hidden gem with)
Where do I start with this COMMENT more like! OMG. WOW. THANK YOU??? I am so glad you took the chance even despite everything and also that you played it and also that you left these wonderful words that are TEARING ME APART INSIDE.
"everyone looking like cute little mice people" --> CHOKING AND CRYING no one has ever described them like that before and now it's sending me into giggles
" like I'm watching a cartoon I might have caught on TV late at night as a child and traumatized myself" --> NO, I TOTALLY GET THIS. I also have memories of animated stuff that's done this to me, just, that weird feeling that's hard to explain but that feels like an anxious cold stone in your gut or something idek
"I've never seen a group of such complicated individuals that works so well together." --> DYING A MILLION DEATHS your words are cutting straight to the core of me 😭💕
"I rarely get that in groups with those dynamics." --> your description of the character dynamics has me weepy because that's exactly the type of thing I was hoping to kinda get across I THINK?? that no one person is all right or all wrong and everything is extremely connected and convoluted and MESSY. So I'm extremely happy that you've said this and described it this way, I wanna cry... /pos
"the hypnotic writing that keeps you hanging off every word" --> CRYING AGAIN
"And thank you for being willing to break down some things I had...concerns about" --> I AM SO GLAD I COULD HELP and thank you for coming to me and asking about it, too!!!!!
"That's enough rambling from me, now I need to lay down, maybe cry a bit" --> PLEASE BE OK DKAFJSLDKJAFFFADF
GUHHHH. ONCE AGAIN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH. I am a wibbling pile of jello-y jello melting off my chair LOL. Thank you for playing and giving my little game a chance and for your absolutely lovely words!! I hope I'll be able to live up to everything with Arc 5 as I attempt to try and wrap all of this messiness up!! 💕
YOU CAN DO IT CARROT I BELIEVE IN YOU!! I honestly really never leave reviews for games I just kinda enjoy things in my own bubble but I had SO MANY thoughts about this lovely little game you put together than I had to get them out as soon as I finished Act 4. I'm looking forward to seeing the conclusion to Our Wonderland, and I'm sure it'll be worth the wait!
GUHHHHHHHH THANK YOU. I will definitely try my best!! Your belief fuels my beta-carotene-filled heart 😭💕And thank you so much again for taking the time to leave your review, especially if it's not something you do often—reading people's thoughts about the game truly fills me with so much motivation and love!!
I tend to not play games with an extensive list of trigger warnings. They often disappoint me, playing purely with out of place gore thrown there for pure shock value. I almost didn't try that game out because of the expectations, or lack thereof, that I had when I saw the sheer number of warnings on this page.
Almost.
Thank fucking gods I did.
I wasn't ready for what was thrown at me at all. I certainly wasn't ready for emotional storylines, dialogues that hit way too hard, compelling characters, choices that aren't always as good as you think, dying and rewinding, dying and rewinding, dying and rewinding, genuinely cringing in terror, swearing (in two languages) and gasping at the screen whenever a particularly heavy scene or plot twist came... I wasn't ready. And I couldn't look away. I couldn't stop reading. My spacebar started squeaking from the constant impatient tapping. I can't remember when was the last time I fell this deep into a storyline. I can't believe I almost missed all of this.
Well, here we are. 5 star experience, probably one of the rare times where I don't have any doubts about it at all. I want arc 5 to come now, but I also dread it, because that'll be the end of it. Keep up the good work.
SOBBING FR. This is the loveliest and nicest comment ever 🥺💕 The CWs are, indeed, a bit overwhelming... but I just want to make sure I don't miss anything!! And I'm glad that you still played it despite everything!! AND I'M EVEN MORE GLAD THAT YOU ENJOYED IT.
"I couldn't stop reading. My spacebar started squeaking from the constant impatient tapping." ---> GUHHHHHH THIS IS LIKE, TURNING ME INTO AN EMOTIONAL PILE OF GOO. One of the highest compliments I've ever gotten ahhh. I am absolutely honored and emotionally overwhelmed to have you say that about the game!!
Thank you thank you THANK YOU. Not only for playing but also for your lovely words that are making me 50 shades of verklempt. And thank you also for the rating!! Ahhhh!! I only hope I'll be able to finish this chaotic mess in a way that doesn't let anyone down in Arc 5! SO MUCH PRESSURE LMAO.
(NOTE FOR PLAYERS: I'll try to keep this review spoiler-free but I'm not sure to manage!)
Okay, so I played the fourth arc and OH MY GOD
I think this arc is my favourite so far. Seeing the characters interact that much with each other was really great, and we really did have some heartfelt moments with Gidget and Genzou. I have to say the scene during which Gidget shows Iggy their website has to be my favourite from the whole game so far... So warm, so comforting, so nice friendly interactions... Aaaah...
The Wonderland part is also very great: it was a really interesting take on how comformity eventually makes everyone unable to be themselves and therefore unhappy. Cecil was a nice addition, especially since I think he might embody... well, some "truer" side to Gidget, to say the least.
I also appreciated the interaction between Iggy and Bucks. In my last review, I explained we knew so little about her... Well, it was a small interaction, but it really felt like I started understanding her.
The art, as usual, was great, and I especially liked it in this chapter: I took a billion screenshots, it was extremely well-done.
Now, I'm looking forward to the final chapter. I know you're going to make great things, but no pressure: just work with the care you usually put in your game, and it will turn out amazing. After playing arc 1, I was curious. After playing arc 2, I was moved. After playing arc 3, I was... weirded out. After playing arc 4, I realised this game is speaking to me in many more ways than just the asexual themes. It was truly amazing, thank you.
HHHHHHHHHHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PLAYING AND FOR YOUR THOUGHTS AHHHH. Really want to cry now. You always leave such sweet and thoughtful comments (that sometimes even show me new things about my own game LMAO!!!).
"the scene during which Gidget shows Iggy their website has to be my favourite from the whole game so far" --> OH I'm really happy to hear this!!! I had definitely hoped it would help give new insight into not only Gidget but also their relationship with Iggy and be like... a nice little interlude, so I'm very glad it resonated with you!!
"Cecil was a nice addition, especially since I think he might embody... well, some "truer" side to Gidget, to say the least." --> HEHEH. OH, THIS IS VERY INSIGHTFUL. I am glad you picked up on this 🤭
"The art, as usual, was great, and I especially liked it in this chapter: I took a billion screenshots, it was extremely well-done." --> Literally weeping, you don't know how much this is making me die a thousand (good) deaths. Thank you so much guhhhhh 😭💕
"After playing arc 3, I was... weirded out. " --> Legit cracking up LOL
"It was truly amazing, thank you." --> Thank YOU!!! AHHHHHH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. This has definitely made my whole day reading this. I'm so honored it would resonate so much with you. Hearing that my characters and story could mean so much is really turning me into a pile of goo. Thank you so much for writing up your thoughts and letting me know! It really means the world!!!! 💕
(NOTE FOR PLAYERS: I'll try to keep this review spoiler-free but not sure I'll manage, so maybe play it first before reading???? But for an overall opinion: it's excellent and probably will be a masterpiece when the game is fully done, just make sure to read the trigger warnings if necessary)
Okay, I finally played Arc 3 and can leave a comment about everything made so far! The reactions I had at the end of each arc:
Arc 1: oh, I wish we got a happier ending after everything we went through... (then, realising the concept before starting arc 2): oh, now we'll get happy endings! Arc 2: well, nope but... something bigger is going on, just go with the game Arc 3: what-the-hell?????
Okay, let's provide a more-refined account of what I think of your game! The first point I'd like to mention are the characters: they torment me! They make me feel a million of different things, going from love to horror. You managed to give them a lot of nuances, and in that regard, I'm really excited to see Arc 4 to see Gidget, especially considering what is suggested during arc 3. Same goes with Genzou: I loved him in arc 2 and had more twisted feelings about him in arc 3 (although I called out his attitude towards Orlam as soon as I started arc 1). Orlam really moved me during the "real-world" phase of arc 3 and horrified me at all the other moments. Regarding Bucks, we still know so little about her, but I can't help theorising about her. I also like Iggy's evolution, and really curious what arc 4 is going to be like. So, you really made a great job of the characters. Also, the story, so far, is good. The lack of control we have over it is frustrating, but this is inteded frustration, which shows the struggles and the pains of fixing problems or issues that have been going on for years. Also, the fact that we don't really have a choice and that, no matter what, we face death, reminds me of Greek tragedies' concept of fatum, and I'm really into... well, French classical tragedy, but it is inspired for Greek tragedy, so... in short, that's really my type of stuff and I loved it. The horror was a nice touch too. The way childhood is twisted by desires that come later... I think, the game really offers a real reflexion on sexuality, and you're clearly not kidding when you call it an "asexual horror game". It is really horrifying, and as an ace person, I was really disgusted and unsettled at some points (inn scene, Arc 2...). I really mean it: in terms of writing, you tackle the topic of sexuality in a way only an asexual person could and that really got me in. Of course, the art is amazing, at the same time cute and unsettling, which is perfect for a game about a twister wonderland.
So far, I'm loving it and really got into the game! Excited to see what's next!
(Also, I think you posted a tweet about wheter letting the player choose which arc to play or making them play in the inteded order: I really think the evolution of Iggy's character would be less striking if the game weren't played in the inteded order, if you need some feedback on that).
OMG??? This is such a wonderful and kind review ahhHHHHHhhh dkfjaldkfjas thank you so so so SO much for writing this up and for your lovely words and GNNNNNHH.😭💕 I'm so so so happy that you've enjoyed it so far (even despite being horrified ahahahah adksjflasd)
I'm really glad you like the characters, especially as, at this point, I think the chars need to be what really carry this whole thing hahaha. I've been having a lot of fun trying to interweave all these bits and pieces about them into the story to reveal more as it goes on. Also, like, every single one of them is also so problematic, and I like exploring that aspect, as well, much as it pains me at times.
Omg, I had never really thought about it that way with the Greek tragedy stuff... but you're right in that it does end up feeling quite helpless like that. Like destined for doom no matter what Iggy tries (for now, at least... 🤭)
NNNNNGH. This really just made my day, guh. Thank you so much!! And ah! Thank you for that bit of feedback. I am indeed at this point about 99.9% certain that I'm going to solidify the order of the arcs with the release of Arc 4, especially since Arc 4 really feels like the climax of all the middle arcs and will need that build-up from 2 to 3 to 4, so... at any rate, yeah! I'm glad to hear you are also of the same mind hahaha.
Great game, finished it in two nights, didn't really care for the art style at first, with all the character having big ears, but it did grow on me and eventually I started to like it a lot. I did kind of get a bit concern when I reached the first ending I guess you call it, do to it steering a little bit too close of justifying suicide to me, with the whole everyone is better off with me and then showing everyone (seemly) being happier because of it. Though once I got to act 2 those worries did disappear. Also was wondering how many acts you plan to have.
djfadklfja thank you very much!! 😍 And thank you for playing! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Lol you aren't the first to say similar things about the art style 🤣 I honestly think it's the biggest turn-off for this game. I'm glad you ended up liking it more eventually though 💕
Mrmrmrmrm, yeah, Arc 1 finishes on a very low, concerning note, I think mostly because I need to pick Iggy back up and get him to grow and develop leading into Arc 5 (with the arcs in between helping him reach that point). Well, at least that's my goal. Whether I'm successful in accomplishing that by the time this is all over, I'll leave up to the players to decide 😅
There will be five total arcs! So there will be one more "middle" arc (Arc 4), followed by the final arc (Arc 5).
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I dont think i have EVER been this attached to a game and its characters until i played Our Wonderland. Straight up when the game first started i seriously didnt expect to fall so in love with Genzou's character, its true he was never the best person as a kid and in his teen years, he did take things a bit too far when it came to Orlam and it does kill me that Iggy never/rarely stood up for him but either way Genzou had a HUGE attachment to Iggy and i just admire him so much for being able to finally tell him that he had been wanting to kiss him for so long. I mean, he had a chance at the after prom to tell him his feeling but oml of course gidget just had to ruin the moment -_- But the entire arc 2 will forever hold such a special place in my heart because of how many adorable moments Gen and iggy shared together. (On a side note, i also think it's so cute that Genzou is the only person that calls Iggy "Iggs" i just love the fact that hes the only one to have a nickname for him. <3 )
Switching over to Orlam's character, he's definitely been through so many bad things but i loved that there was a flashback to Iggy letting Orlam hang with him at his house, it shows that he really did care for him in a way but thats what also confuses me since he never actively stood up for him against Genzou when they were kids. I dont blame him for holding a grudge against him after all that time but DAMN it surprised me when Iggy found his 'slaughter room' and found out about him being a cannable. On another Genzou note i thought it was so sweet that he took so many hits from Orlam just because he didnt want him to go after Iggy, he literally has his whole heart. ANYWAY, back to Orlam, the concept of him being the king of wonderland suits him so well and he deserves to finally have some power. (also, his dancing skills are on point).
Moving on to Gidget, i dont particularly have a lot to say here other than i hated the way they acted when Iggy tried to reject them i mean, my man clearly dont wanna sleep with you but jesus there is no need to turn into a demon lmao. But it was very interesting to learn more about their past and how they got gender-shamed daily by their mother. I wish we got to see more about their struggles and im actually hoping that they will accept Iggy for who he is and eventually go on to figure out who they are as well. p.s #justiceforcecil
Iggy, bro i dont even know where to begin, i am personally not asexual but i sympathize with him so much, throughout the game he has such an interesting point of view and i am so glad that at least one character (my boy genz) accepts him for who he is. The Lgbtqia+ community has developed so much over the years, but it still takes a lot of pride (no pun intended) to come out and be 100% confident with who you are. I feel like everyone at one point in their live (myself included) struggles so much with gender and sexual identities and i just have so much respect for how hard he tries to tell Gidget about who he is, but even so it was much easier to tell Genzou since he felt so comfortable around him, more on this his reaction was the purest thing in the entire game, i couldnt help but smile as i was reading.
I am literally checking Itch.io every day until arc 5 comes out because i am so excited to see how it all ends and i am praying that there are more Genzou and Iggy moments because for real they are what kept me engaged with the storyline the most. Overall amazing game and im just gonna call it already #bestgameof2023 :)
THIS COMMENT. GOSH. KFJALKSDFJAD I'm not even sure what to say, this is just too nice. My heart is extremely squished! 😭💕
"I dont think i have EVER been this attached to a game and its characters until i played Our Wonderland." --> This is literally such high praise and it's doing things to my insides and I may or may not have smiled so hard I now have a mild headache LMAO DLKAFJD Thank you so much for playing the game and for taking the time to write up all these wonderful words!! I'm so glad that you like the game and characters so much???
Arc 2 also holds a special place in my heart,,,💕 I'm really happy you like the Genzou/Iggy dynamics. I legit love all the ships near and dear with every inch of my heart, but the Genzou/Iggy stuff has the most personal pang to it for me, so I always feel a bit weepy when people tell me they like the two of them.
"it shows that he really did care for him in a way but thats what also confuses me since he never actively stood up for him against Genzou when they were kids." --> S-something something complex interpersonal group dynamic complications.... or something... LDKAFJSD Honestly a-... a big part of what frustrates me about Iggy (and, in turn, myself) is an unwillingness to go against the grain and cause tension to the point of the detriment of those around him. It's something I personally also struggle a lot with... which I think is how it bled into Iggy's character. It's perhaps not one of his better characteristics but part of what ultimately makes him "him," I suppose... as frustrating as that is at times.
"(also, his dancing skills are on point)" --> LOL GOD SO TRUE. If only I could dance like that 🤣
"im actually hoping that they will accept Iggy for who he is and eventually go on to figure out who they are as well." --> I hope this, as well... 🥺 I feel like this is a big part of what Gidget needs. To figure out who they are and accept themself. And only after that will they be able to find a healthy relationship with someone else.
"I feel like everyone at one point in their live (myself included) struggles so much with gender and sexual identities" --> Indeed...😭 I'm really glad you could relate to/sympathize with him, that really means a lot. Especially since so much of this game is so personal to me. Iggy tries so hard, but sometimes there are just things that are very difficult,,, 💦 Particularly when one already has a hard time putting their thoughts and feelings into words and understanding people's expectations.
GOSH EVERY DAY DLAKFJSDLFK I-it will still take me a while, I think... I'm making good progress on Arc 5 but it will be the longest arc out of them all, and also I feel somewhat anxious about making sure I get things right, so I feel like my production process has gotten slower and more careful as a result dlkajfsd BUT I WILL KEEP WORKING HARD. And I am very grateful for your support 😭 Don't worry, there will indeed be more Genzou/Iggy moments. They've already done a number on my emotions multiple times just in what I've finished so far LOL Thank you so so much again for playing and for this comment! This was so lovely to read and really made my day!! 🥰
This game is just incredible! I don't know why I'm writing this just now, (I've been following the project since the second arc), but damn. I just can't describe how much this masterpiece influenced me. Initially, I was not attracted to this unusual drawing, but I am happy that I decided to go through it anyway. The music, the plot, the characters and yes, the drawing, I really liked it. Especially Orlam, (too strong passion for short crazy redheads))) All the characters are extremely interesting and multifaceted!!! It's very exciting to follow Iggy, it's not often you can meet an asexual main character (and I'm also an ace, so some of our thoughts coincide)))
I am also a foreigner who knows English at the level of "London is the capital of Great Britain" (by the way, I wonder if foreigners often leave comments to you 🤔) that I have to run every phrase through a translator, but I think it allowed me to get more attached to the characters)) This comment was also written through a translator, so I hope it is not very incomprehensible
I want to write so many things that everything gets confused in my head and falls out into a completely unrelated chain of praise, so I'll probably finish😅
I can only add that this game is one of several that helped me overcome the most difficult period of my life. This game was literally one of those things that kept me afloat and did not allow me to drown in the abyss of self-flagellation ahah
Thank you Carrot, you're so awesome (^///^)
(I just translated my comment again and damn, it's so bad 😅)
Oh gosh what a lovely comment!! This also must have taken you forever LDKAFJSDLKFA thank you so so much for taking the time to write up all your thoughts. And also for playing and supporting and loving the game!! This is too sweet and making me tear up a bit 🥺💕
LOLOL I'M SO HAPPY YOU LOVE ORLAM s-scrawny little people-eating redhead,,, I love him so,,, And hhhhhhhhh I'm so happy you could see parts of yourself/thoughts in Iggy, as well! I always get really happy and weepy when other aces tell me they like and can relate to Iggy. A lot of this story is very personal to me, as well, particularly a lot of Iggy's experiences and thoughts, so hearing that others can also relate really somehow makes me very emotional and happy.
IT MUST HAVE TAKEN YOU SO LONG TO PLAY IT THEN?? Omg using a translator, especially since this game has SO MUCH TEXT. Guhhh... I can't believe you stuck through it even through everything 🤣💦 Somehow that really means a lot,,, thank you for playing and loving it even though it was so much for difficult for you to experience it 😭 I only wish I could offer the game in more languages!! But I don't have any money to pay for translation, and it would cost so much because the game is so long,,, GUH. It would be such a dream though.
"This game was literally one of those things that kept me afloat and did not allow me to drown in the abyss of self-flagellation ahah" --> I HOPE EVERYTHING IS OK??? Omg,,, I'm really so sorry to hear that things haven't been good for you and you've been going through some tough times. I'm glad at least I could help in some way and that this game was able to give you a little bit of something to help you through. I also hope things are a bit better now for you. Making this game has also gotten me through some tough times, as well. Sometimes it has felt like one of the only things pushing me forward and keeping me going at times because it's so important to me.
Thank you again so much for this lovely and sweet comment. IT'S NOT BAD AT ALL. It's really beautiful and really touched me. Thank you so so much. I hope that you'll enjoy the rest of the game when I (finally manage to) finish it!! ldakfjasl 🥰
This game is absolutely, INCREDIBLE!!! I have never been this invested in a game before! and Iggy being ace?! I LOVE IT!!! I came across this game simply bc it looked neat, AND OMG!! Definitely an emotional roller coaster, but nonetheless, IT'S ABSOLUTELY REMARKABLE!! I ABSOULUTELY ADORE IT! The art for one, INCREDIBLE! The story? INCREDIBLE!! The characters? EVERY LAST ONE WRITTEN BEAUTIFLY!!! I cannot imagine all of the time and effort spent to make this, But holy HELL!! IT WAS DEFINITELY WORTH IT!!! EVERYTHING ABT IT IS JUST PHENMOMENAL!!! I absolutely love it!! I'm not done with it yet, but omg!! it's extraordinary!!! I absolutely adore it!! THANK U FOR MAKING THIS ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE OF A GAME!!!
HELP OH MY GOSH
This is too wonderful and nice of a comment, I don't even know what to say! 😭💦💕 Thank you so much for playing?? And for writing up all these lovely words AHHHHD LKFAJSDLFKA. I'm really really happy you're liking the game so much! GUH AND FOR THE LOVELY COMMENTS ABOUT THE CHARACTERS AND ART. You're seriously going to make me cry!! It means the world to me hearing from people who have played and enjoyed the game and gives me such motivation to work even harder to finish this thing 😤
I hope that you'll continue to enjoy it, and that you'll like the final part once it's finished! Thank you again SO MUCH!! I couldn't stop grinning while reading your comment. Really brightened my day 🥰
AHH!! OFC!! IT REALLY IS ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING AND GORGOUS GAMES I HAVE EVER PLAYED!!! I REALLY LOVE AND ADORE THE GAME, I'VE SHOWN IT TO SO MANY PPL AT THIS POINT SIMPLY BC I ADORE IT!!! This game seriously deserves more love and recognition!! And Ik for a certain I am going to continue to absolutely adore this game!!! (>∀<)
JDLKASDJFD GODDDDDDDDDD thank youuuuuu,,, 🥺💕I am really touched ahhhhh. Your words are too kind aldkjfalsd 💦
hah~ patiently waiting for next arc
OHHHHH THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'm glad 🥺💕
I am working hard and trying my best!
I finally had the time to play this game properly and I'm blown away!! It's so good! I had no idea what to expect from these characters but it's amazing ToT)
The first time on the lake was so impactful, I thought making Iggy feel shame for being cautious was pretty clever, especially bc I feel like it would work on me XD. And the end, the end was fantastic. The reveal???? The animation????? The feels????? omggg. I was left kicking, screaming and throwing up.
I don't really look to self-insert or relate to characters but I Iggy feelings and struggles for being ace are so realistic and I felt so seen >.<
I really like how we understand the characters and the balance between the horror and the cute scenes it just leaves us wishing some happiness for everyone just as Iggy.
Arc 3 was my favorite just to fulfill my dreams of being an evil royal advisor.
I'm just so excited for the last arc, I can't stop thinking about this game, it's amazing, so well constructed, so well presented. I love the UI, the sprites, the expressions and all the CGs??? They are 10/10 even though the situation is messed up the dancing scenes are so fun ç~ç
Cecil will live in my heart until Orlam eats it I guessI also just realized you made Easter too which I played a while back and it made a lot of sense XD it had the same vibe and the art was very charming.
Amazing game, I wish you all the best to complete the next arc, very excited to see it!
Oh my gosh, thank you so much???? I'm so touched that you would play the game and then also so happy that you enjoyed it so much and took the time to write all this up ahhHHHH dklajsdf 😭💕
GUHHHH I'M OVERJOYED YOU LIKE THE ENDING BIT. The arc endings always take me so long to do, tho Arcs 1 and 2 in particular were just grueling HAHAHA so I'm always really happy if people say they liked them.
"Iggy feelings and struggles for being ace are so realistic and I felt so seen" --> HHHHH THIS FILLS ME WITH SUCH JOY. I am so glad. I always hope that people will be able to relate to or see bits of themselves in Iggy if even just a bit. So much of this story is so personal, so hearing that others can also feel seen in some of what happens and his experiences really means so much. Thank you for telling me 💕
"Arc 3 was my favorite just to fulfill my dreams of being an evil royal advisor." --> HAHAHAH this cracked me up. Arc 3 is definitely,,, well,,, it's definitely something. I think it will forever be the most different of all the arcs thematically, as it really just goes off the rails LOL I am glad you enjoyed it 🤭
"I also just realized you made Easter too which I played a while back and it made a lot of sense XD it had the same vibe and the art was very charming." --> AKDJFLA oh my gosh you played that, too dlkajdlkfa Easter was my first foray into game dev and though there are things I don't like as much about it now, it will still always hold a special place in my heart, so that makes me rather giddy to hear that you also liked that. LOL HAD THE SAME VIBE. This is both unsurprising and surprising to me at the same time, as in my head, the two projects are quite different from each other,,, (and even my art style has changed and evolved since working on Easter). But I do feel like a lot of my inspirations for stories and game dev stuff come from similar places for both of the games, so it probably leads to similar vibes between the two of them. OW was even originally going to be an RPG Maker game just like Easter when I first started working on it.
At any rate, thank you so much again for playing and for writing up this lovely comment! What a wonderful thing to read! And thanks for the well wishes! I will keep working hard on Arc 5 🥰
Hello hello, I took a break from Our Wonderland because WHEW i kinda burned out from playing a whole three arcs in under a week!! Especially when it's a very emotionally grueling game LOL
I had to do a bit of a refresher and replay some parts first before i really jumped in.
But uh. Yeah wow. Happy to be back
LOL NO BUT REALLY i know iggy meant well, but...i can't believe his solution was to be comphet. he's SEEN how gidget's been handling that for the last 3 arcs, like sir, that was never gonna work.
speaking of gidget, tbh even at the end of gidget's route i'm not sure how i feel about her. i think i pity her more than anything but other than that...i dont think we know gidget at all. we see glimpes of it, in the flashbacks and, just a little bit of it with iggy at the cafe towards the beginning but between all of that? I'm not sure who gidget is. And that's obviously the point lol because not even gidget really knows who she is! All throughout her route, it's all been about her beauty, how pretty and perfect and lovely but it feels wrong. like, of course she's pretty but what else is there? what's her favorite color? what's her favorite food? what are her hobbies? WHO is Gidget at the core of herself?
we know she had an interest in coding. she's good at it even, she loved it. and for a time she really seemed set on getting a degree for it. ....and then, in senior year it's all about modeling and beauty school etc etc
as it is now, i think gidget and iggy just aren't compatible. which sucks because i think they do like each other, in moments and glimpses. but gidget has so many issues surrounding her identity that she's not addressing that she needs to focus on herself and not a romantic relationship. because her fixation on iggy is not coming from a healthy place. that scene where iggy tells gidget that he's not interested in sex, was rough.
that scene where iggy tells gidget about not wanting sex was....bad. it was not Good lol. like her reaction was really shitty but more than that, that she's so fixating on there being something wrong, and obviously since she worked to fix herself, iggy should be willing to fix himself too right??? oof. girl no, that's not how it works,,,
Cecil was an interesting new addition that i was not expecting, i kinda wish we had more with him because he's such a mystery. i dont think he's a real person for one. i think gidget unconsciously willed him into being and just. poured all the parts of herself she didn't think were 'perfect' or suitable into him, and Cecil came into being. Which is interesting because Cecil is so grumpy and sullen. Like maybe this is a real part of gidget that she's just never shown before?
and another thing is that cecil nudges at gidget a little, asking her whether she really wanted any of this and if she wanted a different change of clothes etc. he wants to help and support her. have her be the real her.
but gidget's not ready to hear it :/
part 2, because i still need to talk about the OTHER parts of Arc 4!
alright you know what time it is, i had to get my grubby lil hands ALL OVER more crumbs about After-Prom AND BOY OH BOY
look i know it's gidget's route but you KNOW i'm all about genzou and orlam's bullshit, MORE HINTS, that something happened there. gidget saying that genzou?? summoned orlam? god, the fact that genzou like. genzou shoves orlam's face into his crotch. which first off!!! fuckin rude my guy! second, "all he had to do was ask"
ouch. pls tell me that's not how it happened.
here's my theory, they for sure had sex. they were intimate of some kind. genzou mentions something about orlam 'getting whatever he wants' and from that, it insinuates that orlam had taken advantage of genzou's drunken state. and i can't say that it's not true...i do think orlam had taken the plunge with genzou and didn't think too deeply on the fact that genzou was too drunk to haev a clear mind for consent. but, i feel like that lays too much responsibility at orlam's feet and none at genzou's for how things ended up that way. i have an inkling that genzou used orlam just as much and he's just. too ashamed and disgusted with himself, and orlam to admit it. because orlam is his punching bag, his whipping boy and he's not who he /really/ wants.
which is uh, a messy situation all around.
like, can we PLEASE talk about that lil dialogue with Orlam during the. you know the scene, the genzou meal reveal with the "reprise our roles as heartbroken drunk and hopeless hopeful" like, genuinely what was all THAT about, it sorta gets swept away in the wake of "Gidget prays the ace away with some drugs and almost-nono touching" to the extreme.
which btw was highly upsetting, that was like. at that point i was glad bucks interrupted because if it'd continue any longer, there's no way gidget could've come back from that. which almost feels INSANE to say considering the cannibalism, the murder, the general lack of sexual boundaries
And finally, i guess, on that special note! i just wanted to highlight how special it was to have an asexual protagonist like Iggy. Especially when he's kinda had a way different experience than I did growing up?? Iggy doesn't have the knowledge or the words to describe it, but he knows he's different, but he's never seemed to truly examine that side of himself before. like maybe it was uncomfortable to think about or he was ashamed. he has a large amount of insecurity of not finding someone who could accept him despite not wanting the sexual aspects of a romantic relationship.
i knew i was asexual pretty early in my teens. but i was never really ashamed of it, or felt as if there was something 'wrong' with me or had the same insecurities of being different or broken, or that i felt like if i just waited, then maybe i would feel differently when i got older. i was 13 i think, and i accepted it pretty readily. and i guess...? it just. never occurred to me that this was weird or that i should want that with people.
and idk, it's interesting to see just how iggy deals with it, and views things, because some of it, i recognize and resonate with, and others that i do not. especially because iggy's sex repulsed. which i relate to, to an extent but also don't because i'm rather sex neutral leaning sex positive!
whenever iggy has to face the reality of touching bodies in any way that feels too intimate, he breaks out into a cold sweat, and i find that interesting because i was never like. uncomfortably aware of other people's bodies in that way, or conscious of touching someone intimately. i mean that might be because iggy also has a much firmer grasp of physical boundaries than i do because i do rather like hugs and cuddles with loved ones.
but i DO understand the experience of the uncomfortable possibility of like. someone being conscious of ME in that way?? like facing the possibility that someone might see me romantically that would then lead to sexually and i would have to withdraw. that fear that someone wants me, and i cannot give them what they want. that is uncomfortably familiar lol
and....and well. i guess that's my thoughts on Arc 4? i think i covered all of it. I'm eagerly awaiting Arc 5 and finally, FINALLY knowing what the fuck is bucks' deal and why we were all called to Wonderland
I DON'T BLAME YOU THAT'S A LOT TO TAKE IN IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME ALDFKJALSDKF Glad you are happy to return to it tho LOL I feel like this arc is definitely the most intense of them all,,, 💦 Always so happy to read your thoughts though!! They always make me re-analyze so much of my own stuff HAHAH
"And that's obviously the point lol because not even gidget really knows who she is!" --> That's such a great point. For so much of Gidget's life, they've put on an act of what they think those around them would prefer or like or what would make them feel more welcome (or in Iggy's case, what would get his attention/attraction). This is such a big reason why I feel like before any healthy relationship could happen between them Gidget needs to do some deep introspection and figure out things about themselves first—otherwise, their entire relationship will always be built on this fake reality,,,
"obviously since she worked to fix herself, iggy should be willing to fix himself too right???" --> Somebody else brought up this correlation too just a little bit ago and it feels so on the money, even tho I'm not sure myself if I consciously was thinking about that when I wrote things (I'm actually quite bad when it comes to not noticing sometimes very obvious things in my own writing dkaflsjd) But indeed that whole scene was,,, really tough for me to write. A lot of Arc 4 in general was, but that scene in particular.
"Cecil was an interesting new addition that i was not expecting" --> Really interested hearing your thoughts on Cecil 🤭 He's a character that kinda came out of nowhere while developing the game and now I have no idea how I could have ever made it without him, he's become quite Important™ Then again this game and characters have already surprised me in so many ways that I'm no longer surprised to be surprised.
"but gidget's not ready to hear it " --> y-yes,,,,,,,, 💦
"look i know it's gidget's route but you KNOW i'm all about genzou and orlam's bullshit" --> LOL I AM UNSURPRISED. Though indeed I feel like despite this being Gidget's route, in the end, it turned out to be a very intense and monumental route for all three of them since it really acts as the climax for the middle arcs, so it needs to push all of them past what they've experienced before and most of the build-up needs to be laid out on the table to prepare for the finale in Arc 5,,, ANYWAY. I am very intrigued and 👀 about all your thoughts. Admittedly, I don't really want to say too much in response given that Arc 5 is still to come and I also want to leave some of,,, well, EVERYthing about this game up to some interpretation. I feel like that's a lot more fun and interesting. Especially since this will always be a story told from Iggy's perspective, who obviously doesn't see everything that's going on beneath the surface. But yes, it is indeed "a messy situation all around" as you put it. For everyone involved alkdjfald
"reprise our roles as heartbroken drunk and hopeless hopeful" --> I AM EXTREMELY PROUD OF THIS LINE ALDKJFALSDKF I actually quite enjoy how Orlam's whole little monologue turned out in that part,,,
"i just wanted to highlight how special it was to have an asexual protagonist like Iggy. " --> Oh gosh, thank you so much for sharing your own thoughts and feelings?? 🥺 It's really interesting for me to hear the ways you both relate and don't relate. From my own perspective, being ace was something I found out relatively late in life after many years of not understanding why I couldn't seem to find someone, why I kept backing off as soon as I felt someone was getting too close too fast, and only after a Quite Horrible experience and some subsequent advice come to realize "oh,,,,,,,, I guess that's why." So a lot of those feelings of being lost and feeling broken without knowing why got translated into Iggy and his responses—along with probably my inner desires of wanting to be completely and wholly accepted by someone. But I know that all aces have their own different experiences of figuring themselves out or even just already knowing and never really questioning it. I know that not all aces will be able to relate to all the things Iggy experiences, but I hope there will be at least some parts others can see themselves in. Tbh sometimes I feel like this entire game has turned into a tragic play of all the things I wish I could have figured out about myself much earlier in life and how trying to navigate everything without that knowledge can make you feel really lost and screwed up. It perhaps wasn't the game I set out to make—but it's the game it seems to have become LOL 🤣💦 At any rate, thank you so much for sharing all that about yourself, it really means a lot to hear your thoughts and the ways you can personal relate (or not). I'm always incredibly interested in general hearing thoughts from other ace people regarding the game.
"but i DO understand the experience of the uncomfortable possibility of like. someone being conscious of ME in that way??" --> THIS SO MUCH.
OK, this comment is getting quite long LOL so I'm going to stop rambling and wrap things up. But really thank you so so much for taking all this time—for all four arcs!!—to write up your thoughts. I honestly love getting such detailed interpretations and reactions of the characters and story, whether it's things they like, didn't like, can relate to, can't relate to, or even just the things that Affected them lol It means so much! And I've really loved reading all your comments!! I hope I'll be able to live up to everything I've created so far with the final arc. I feel like my nervousness about this is one of the factors that's slowed down production a bit, as I really want to make sure I do things as well as I can dlkjafsldk Thank you again!!! 🥰
(Me making an account to comment on this-)
I was mostly just downloading games because I wanted to get invested in stories with complex characters and let myself FEEL their emotions.
I don't really know what I was expecting when I stumbled upon this game, but it was safe to say it did NOT disappoint.
(SPOILERS BELOW FOR MAIN & SIDE GAME)
VVVVVVVVVVVVVV
Genzou was definitely my most favorite character from beginning to end. I liked how he didn't really care if Iggy had a partner (which immediately was a big plus because I am adamant about people not needing a partner to be happy in life) and his overall vibe. Of course, the biggest issue with him is his relentless bullying of Orlam, even going as far as joking about his mom's suicide (iirc). I'm sorta curious to know why Genzou never stopped bullying him, and if he ever caught on to the fact that Orlam had a crush on him (before Orlam finally told him). Act 2 really solidified my like for him, showing in the boat scene & bed scene how Genzou's the person that makes Iggy feel comfortable and safe. Their relationship is SO healthy, also emphasized by Act 4 with Genzou validating Iggy's asexuality...especially in contrast compared to Gidget's need to "fix" him. Act 3 was definitely really painful to watch: Iggy's anger & frustration not only at himself but also Genzou for bullying Orlam was understandable, considering how long it went on for and how he did essentially nothing to intervene. But it just felt like Genzou was facing constant negativity from him and reminders of the consequences of his actions in the worst way possible. He must have felt incredibly anguished in the boat scene because of Iggy's blatant aversion to him (and I can't help but think he probably felt like part of the reason was because of his homosexuality). I also loved his route in the side game aaaaaaa
Iggy being distant with the old friend group is heavily relatable, I struggle to connect with some of my old friends due to my hesitance in doing so. I relate to his awkwardness in social situations also. It's interesting to see what the arcs focus on: it starts with Arc 1 being about the overall chaos of the situation and introducing the mess that is their friend group, then Arc 2 being about how Iggy feels security when he's around Genzou. Arc 3 covers how he resents himself and feels guilt for not being there for Orlam when he needed it most, and finally Arc 4 focuses on the strain on his relationship with Gidget (as well as Genzou again being supportive of his asexuality). When the arcs started repeating, I was like "Is it really just gonna repeat the story over and over again??" But besides the setting and the things they encounter being relatively the same, I was surprised how it didn't feel that redundant. As an asexual person, I definitely relate to Iggy (just like me fr); I felt so much discomfort and repulsion for him in the scenes where he was sexually intimate with Gidget. At the same time, their need for him to compliment the body that they once hated is definitely a product of his actions. While Gidget still actively codes, their appearance has changed tremendously from when they were in their senior year. The addition of Iggy's comment that their assets (idk how to phrase it) were nice and his harsh disapproval of their lack of femininity was probably a huge blow to their self-esteem. It probably wasn't entirely his fault considering their mom also criticized their choices to present as androgynous/masculine, but he definitely was a big factor in how they changed.
Orlam... to be honest, I judged him in the beginning (and his comment about Genzou's sexuality didn't help). Though I do understand why his desires manifested the way they did in Wonderland: the constant abuse he faced from his dad and Genzou made him feel powerless, so the response would be to become powerful. In a world where he is shunned by basically everyone (with some of those people going as far as to say he should kill himself), no wonder he wanted to stay in the land where everyone will respect him as a monarch (though the cannibalism and stuff isn't exactly the right approach). He was shown to be pretty timid and fearful as a child, so it's interesting how he develops this sorta... flirty (??) persona as an adult. It's nice how he doesn't force himself on Iggy, despite Orlam's comments about how he's a very... "popular" guy. As others have mentioned, the scene with Iggy gaming and Orlam in the background with his special guests caught me off-guard LOL.
Gidget's definitely a character that I can't just say I like. They push themselves on Iggy despite his protests and attempt to "fix" his asexuality, but he did contribute to them becoming like how they're shown in the Wonderland in some way as I mentioned before. I'm assuming that since they "fixed" themselves for Iggy, they feel like he needs to "fix" himself for them too; that's probably why they're furious when he denies their advances and is uncomfortable with being more intimate with them. I also find myself relating to their exploration of their gender; as someone who is AMAB, I want to cast away the masculine parts of myself in order to present more androgynously/femininely. The desire to have their "assets" gone is also a mood. While this is a more insignificant situation compared to the mess they are in, I presented as a woman online for some time but I eventually felt that this isn't what's expected of me and that I should be ashamed of it. I also feel sad about how they represent themselves as a man in the side game but still maintain their feminine presentation for Iggy's validation (his reaction to them being a man was also Not Very Good). Ghent is probably what they wanted to be before they started forcing themselves to present femininely :(
With Bucks and her husband (I feel guilty for forgetting his name T_T), they don't get much screen time in the story but I find myself curious about how Arc 5 will portray Bucks. She seems to be pretty lively and friendly with everyone, but the marriage and the responsibility of taking care of a child definitely took a toll on her and her husband's mental health. The implication she murdered her child to get some peace and quiet was terrifying. She's hostile towards everyone when she encounters them in the end of each arc, but it feels as if Arc 4 was different somehow (she doesn't even follow Iggy in Arc 3 so I feel as if that arc doesn't count). Maybe it's because she only appears after Iggy says his wish and releases all of her stress and aggravation when she murders Gidget, but I noticed she simply says "Goodbye, Iggy" and follows that by immediately killing him. Perhaps it's the effects of the deja vu and her stubbornness on staying in the Wonderland ebbing? I'm not really sure what it means, but I hope it gets covered in Arc 5.
That being said, this comment has overstayed its welcome and it's probably way too long so I'm going to end it here. I loved playing Our Wonderland and I hope finishing Arc 5 goes well for you! :)
THIS DID NOT OVERSTAY ITS WELCOME AT ALL it was incredibly lovely and I've read it like five times already asldkfjaldsk 🥺💕 THANK YOU SO MUCH!! Not only for playing the game but also for taking all the time to write this whole thing up with your thoughts. I'm so glad you've enjoyed it so far??
Your thoughts on each of the characters are giving me life. I really love reading how you responded to each of them and your interpretations of some of the happenings. I'm happy that you like Genzou so much—he has a lot of issues and needs to work through some stuff and is definitely a huge asshole more often than not, but I just love him so in spite of everything ldkfjasd Some of the scenes in Arc 3 (and Arc 4) were really hard for me to write tbh. I sometimes feel like Genzou really ends up facing the worst out of any of them throughout all the arcs, the poor guy.
Guhhh also thank you for letting me know how much you relate to Iggy. That always makes me really happy to hear since so much of his story and experiences are so personal to me—I feel like a part of me when creating this was also to help others who might have similar thoughts or experiences be able to see themselves a bit in a character. I don't know, perhaps as some kind of way to feel like you're not necessarily alone. I DON'T KNOW. I have such a hard time when it comes to keeping friends and social situations in general. But I digress. I loved your little succinct summaries of the different arcs for him—they feel so on the money LOL I'm also really touched by you letting me know how you felt as a fellow ace, not only because I feel like so much of this game was a build-up of my feelings and experiences on coming to terms with being ace but also simply wanting to create more ace characters to throw out into the world since there's so few.
"the scene with Iggy gaming and Orlam in the background with his special guests caught me off-guard LOL." --> WHEEZING I'm so entertained whenever this gets brought up dklajfsldkfa I don't know why but I'm so in love with their chemistry despite how different they are from one another and I just love the idea of them having this deep love for each other while not needing to follow all the conventions of a typical couple. I really enjoyed exploring different types of relationships in this game. Like. Idk. Two people vibing with each other in a way that works for both of them and how it looks so different from person to person.
Gosh, I agree with you on so much of what you say of Gidget. I feel a lot of Gidget is based on my own dislike of ways that I saw myself becoming and my desire to fight back against that and my own annoyance at myself for giving in instead of holding my own and allowing myself to be who I know I am. So I also know that Gidget seriously needs to take some time to figure themself out before getting into any sort of relationship, especially one that would likely only exacerbate the issues they already are struggling with,,, GODDDD. Sorry, this is starting to get a bit meta LOL I will just say that yes I do love Gidget to bits the same as all the others and I relate to and struggle alongside them as a non-binary person but I also find them the hardest to forgive at times as an ace person and so my heart gets so conflicted fakdlsjf However, I hope that by the end of the game, they will have taken many of the necessary strides towards understanding themself better and both Iggy and them can find a place of understanding and caring for each other,,, (I say this as if I'm not the creator of the game LOL but also since I only have about half of Arc 5 written, I'm nervous as all heck about my ability to bring everything to a satisfactory close,,,)
Bucks and Hunar will definitely get more focus time in Arc 5 FINALLY. They do somewhat feel outside of a lot of the complications that are happening given that they're outside of the "love square." Their struggles aren't quite as entangled with direct things in Iggy's life, and when he's the POV protagonist, this makes it a bit harder to approach 🤔 But I hope that people will enjoy seeing how their story plays out in the end. They're perhaps more connected to Wonderland in general than any of the others considering the context,,, so that will also play a larger part in bringing this story to a close dkjafld
MMMMM OK WOW I ALSO WROTE QUITE A BIT. I was just really so excited by some of your comments and all your thoughts on all the chars!! I love talking about them so much with others. Thank you so much again for taking so much time to write all of this out!! Reading through everything was such a bright spot in my day! And I hope you'll enjoy Arc 5 when it (finally) is released!! 🥰
I love this game so much, all the characters have given me brain worms and are now living rent free in my head. God they all need therepy and wonderland is never going give them anything close to that.
I really relate to Iggy, got some of that good old anxiety and awkward mess feelings while also adoring my friends even though I don't talk to them for ages. Really love his going through different facets of his personality and how he gets warped along the way. Arc I is him just trying to figure out what's going on and coming to the conclusion that he messed up everyone’s life, Arc 2 is him being told No that's wrong and falling in love with Genzou (and god I hope a little with himself), Arc 3 is screw that love didn't work, I hate love, anyone heard of being mad at everyone and partaking in cannibalism with one horny rat man (Love him), and Arc 4 is just damn it none of those worked I wonder if conforming to Cis-Het-Allo-normativity will solve my problems WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG (so so much, god damn it Gidget).
Genzou is such a cool dude, genuinely think he’s the best boi out of the 3 potential people Iggy could be with. Just a wholesome accepting guy who hides all his emotions and self loathing behind a bunch of absolutely awful puns, am I right, am I right? Also very easy to feel conflicted about him cause he is definitely a bully, Orlam definitely deserves an apology for that. I wonder if he had been in wonderland as long as the other 3 what sort of warped personality he would have. Though to be honest I don’t think he would want to stay given the chance, it seems like he’s allergic to anything that could make his life easier. Also love his interactions with the flower, he needs to be called out more often for being a pining doofuss.
Orlam is such a slime ball and yet so sweet when he’s given even the barest amount of care or concern. Like the fact Iggy going to his house makes him want to throw a whole celebration for him and become partners in crime is so cute and tragic. He is definitely an egotistical cannibalistic tyrant but you’ve done an amazing job making me feel like he kinda deserves this win in his life. Also do find the final act CG with Iggy playing video games while he has an orgy both the horniest and aggressively asexual image I’ve ever seen, genuinely had me laughing the most of any route XD.
Gidget…
I’m kidding I love them a lot. I’m trans and can definitely relate to the feeling of having to be a certain way to impress or be accepted by people. It’s just that I do think they are the most frustrating and culturally poisoned of the group (like at least bucks had the awareness to run away from it instead of bringing all that nonsense with her). Gidget in my opinion needs to have at least one real life mental break down and gender identity crisis to maybe deconstruct a few of the things that are going on here. Like every time they appeared in the game I was like “here we go again!” and honestly it seemed like Iggy felt that too. Absolutely adored the dance scene with Iggy in Arc 4, really loved the images in time with the dramatic music. And also loved how much in that arc it felt like wonderland through the new character was trying to communicate with Gidget “Hey we know what you actually want, why don’t you try not doing the thing that makes you uncomfortable?” and Gidget was having none of that and leaning into the lovey dovey feelings as much as humanly possible. Like I definitely know wonderland is a whimsical nightmare but at least it isn’t transphobic.
I don’t have a huge opinion on bucks since she doesn’t get a lot of screen time other than at the start and every single arc murder ending XD. She definitely deserves some peace and quiet, I hope her and her hubby get a bit more focus in the next arc it’s really sad how marriage and a baby kinda ruined their lives.
I also really love your art style, like all the poses and little details you add are always leaving me thinking of how much work has been put into each scene.
Looking forwards to the final arc! Hoping these character can finally find a way to function for more than a few seconds and stop killing each other, but knowing this series it’s probably going to have a lot more trauma on the way XD
OH GOSH WHAT A LOVELY COMMENT 😭💕 Thank you so much for playing and writing all this up??? I was smiling the whole time I read this lsdkjfaklsd I really enjoyed reading all your thoughts on the characters.
It makes me really happy to hear that you could relate to Iggy so much. A lot of his struggles are based on my own and I really hoped I could share some of that with others who might also be able to relate and see parts of themselves in him. Gosh and I really love your little succinct summaries of each arc they are so on point HAHAHAHA 🤣💦
"Just a wholesome accepting guy who hides all his emotions and self loathing behind a bunch of absolutely awful puns, am I right, am I right? " --> SOBBING ALDKFJALSDKFJLAK
"I wonder if he had been in wonderland as long as the other 3 what sort of warped personality he would have." --> That's such a good question tbh I hadn't ever really thought of that before. I also am unsure if it would truly change him that much given all the context,,, gosh now this idea is going to plague me a few nights LOL Our Wonderland AU or something.
"Like the fact Iggy going to his house makes him want to throw a whole celebration for him and become partners in crime is so cute and tragic." --> SO CUTE AND TRAGIC I LOVE THAT. Also I'm literally dying at your description of the CG -- AGGRESSIVELY ASEXUAL -- what a hilarious choice of words I'm in stiches lkdfjasd
Gidget, goddd,,, Gidget also has a lot of me in them LOL which also has me feeling so conflicted about them, especially with how Iggy and them butt heads so much in their needs but underneath it both of them really just want to figure themselves out and find a place to belong (yet neither one really knows how to do so,,,). I'm so glad you enjoyed the Arc 4 dance scene tho I somehow ended up going super all out with that entire ballroom scene GOD. Also glad you picked up on the Cecil bit,,, 🤭💕
"I hope her and her hubby get a bit more focus in the next arc" --> THEY WILL DEFINITELY GET MORE SCREEN TIME IN THE NEXT ARC
Oh gosh tho thank you for the lovely words about the art and CGs that means so much dlkafjsd And thank you so much again for such a lovely comment—what a little bright spot in my day!!!! 🥺 I hope you'll enjoy the final arc once it's done! I'm rather nervous about literally everything about it as I just hope it will live up to everything before it and finish things in a way that leaves people feeling satisfied LOL W-we shall see, I guess,,, LOL
Anyways, have a lovely day and thanks again! 💕
*stumbles in* ....what the fuck happened here
let's start at the beginning, that's easy. so after two whole timelines where iggy got slapped around, left stumbling confused and scared, it was both a surprise and a delight to see iggy begin this run with anger in his heart. it's like the unprocessed anger of dying a whole lot finally caught up in this timeline and iggy was just left in boiling rage at his own helplessness and at the others' actions. it's actually quite funny that because of how pissed off iggy was, we get to skip past the slog that was the beginning of our wonderland adventure. it felt a bit like a meta joke because we all know how tedious the repetition is by now lol iggy says 'fuck u' to the beginning bosses
and it's interesting that with iggy taking initiative quickly we sorta get a prolonged interaction with gidget that actually seemed to. i'm not sure how to word it, bring her back down a little bit? it didnt last very long but for a sec with iggy showing more loud emotion than he had ever before, it was gidget that had to be the calm voice at the table. like we were seeing a glimpse of gidget that was the regular her and not this caricature of wonderland that were were stuck dealing with the entire time
but then we get to the Choice. and wow, i honestly was not expecting it to go that way. i really tried to be the better person but iggy wasn't having it anymore
that boat ride with genzou was rough. the fact that it was the last interaction they had until the castle....ow. and that iggy never noticed he was missing? and then what happened after THAT. you can't just walk that back iggy! there's no "oops! my best friends meat hopped into my stomach, i didnt do that! he was tasty tho!"
for as much as this was orlams route, this really seemed more like iggy's corruption arc. like after denying and saying how wrong it was that gidget and orlam were in indulging in their wildest desires with hedonistic glee...iggy turned out to be no better
speaking of orlam tho, god i feel bad, this is supposed to be about him but ive literally been talking about iggy's villain origin story, my bad buddy
part 2 so my comment doesnt get too long
yanno i honestly wasn't sure what we were gonna get with orlam, i was expecting more backstory of course, more elaboration on the genzou&orlam train, but i didnt think orlam's route would unlock iggy's hedonistic side. and as fucked up as it is, i kinda liked it LOL. just iggy and orlam hanging out and being brofriends. i was pretty pleased that for as sleazy as orlam was acting, he wasn't keen on getting into iggy's pants but he also wasn't the same as genzou who was satisfied with just being with iggy. glad their system of cuddle buddies and orgies on the side works for them
speaking of orgies, god i was not expecting that cg of iggy gaming while orlam was getting boinked in the background like SIR in front of my unethically sourced ham??? anyway
it's different to the relationship between genzou and iggy. iggy said that his feelings for genzou made him feel warm and safe, an anchor to the storm. i guess with orlam being an even bigger mess, iggy gets to be the caretaker for once. which is actually almost? cute? okay the day after the suicide attempt was majorly fucked up but god, at least iggy was there. the idea of orlam waking up, surviving, to his small, dirty apartment just. yeah. so them just falling into hedonism in a world where nothing can touch them, they're powerful, comfortable, and they can play and rest to their hearts contents? yeah no wonder it's so tempting. it's easy to see why iggy lost himself so deeply
i will say tho, that lil memory of iggy and orlam as kids hanging out on iggy's bed breaks my heart a bit because. orlam asked about genzou and whether he talked about him and god, that just wrecks me. all the way back then? buddy...
i am taking both genzou and orlam by the shoulders, WHAT HAPPENED AT AFTER PROM...these lil crumbs of info are so good but i need MORE
and finally after all of that, just for orlam to perish at bucks hands. and iggy runs away. christ. all that righteous anger at the beginning, fizzling out because it wasn't enough. it wasn't the right option. iggy's denial of his actions is a bitter pill. dude, i've said all i had to say here, that was all you. it's you.
im sorry orlam, i wouldn't have minded doing imperialism a little longer but we're onto gidgets route now. fuck. onto Arc 4
GOSH IT'S TRUE, THIS ARC REALLY GOES IN SOME,,,,, DIRECTIONS lol I think it's the most different of all the arcs in that regard -- it kinda just veers off in its own trajectory for a lot of different reasons LOL I think because a lot of the whole idea is Iggy trying to fit the mold of someone who would make each person happy (and ultimately failing,,,), and when it comes to Orlam that requires the biggest change out of all of them, so he just really goes off the rails,,, lol
LOL I'M GLAD YOU STILL ENJOYED IT THO??? And yes hahaha. This is the first route where things really start to change re: early Wonderland happenings -- a combination of Iggy himself along with me not wanting to subject people to the same things again and again. Arc 4 goes even further in this regard, making it the most different out of all of them when it comes to structure I think. I feel like Arc 3 is the first arc where the story really started to evolve past what I had initially planned for it and just grew and changed as I was writing.
"i really tried to be the better person but iggy wasn't having it anymore" --> HAHAHAHA. There's only so much you can do, it's true 🤣💦 And that's a great point about Gidget. With Iggy being the one acting out of sorts for himself, it creates an opportunity for Gidget to revert back to her non-Wonderland-affected self, at least for a while,,,
THE BOAT SCENE IN THIS ARC STILL MAKES ME ILL. I shan't speak of it LOL
"for as much as this was orlams route, this really seemed more like iggy's corruption arc" --> THIS IS INDEED TRUE.
"i was pretty pleased that for as sleazy as orlam was acting, he wasn't keen on getting into iggy's pants but he also wasn't the same as genzou who was satisfied with just being with iggy." --> I'm actually really happy that you even mentioned this. I feel like a bit of what I've also been wanting to do with this (besides everything else or something,,, who knows,,,) is show different types of relationships?? And how they all can work in different ways?? Idk. Obviously in the RL Orlam and Iggy could not live this hedonistic lifestyle (and kill and eat people LAKDSJFLKAS); however, I wanted to within that still start to get at the crux of their relationship and how they can both be there for each other and support and need each other in a way that's different from for instance Genzou and Iggy or Gidget and Iggy, etc. I think I mentioned it somewhere else before but I kinda see Orlam and Iggy as a queerplatonic thing??? But ofc anyone who plays is free to interpret anything as they see fit (as they can with any of the aspects of the game and characters ldkajfsd)
"speaking of orgies, god i was not expecting that cg of iggy gaming while orlam was getting boinked in the background like SIR in front of my unethically sourced ham??? anyway" --> HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH ok I really just laughed out loud at that dlkfajds 😭💦
"orlam asked about genzou and whether he talked about him and god, that just wrecks me. all the way back then? buddy..." --> I-indeed,,, 🥺
"because it wasn't enough. it wasn't the right option" --> GUHHHH THIS IS SOMEHOW SO WELL-PUT AND ON THE NOSE LAKDJFALKSDJFALK
At any rate I AM GLAD YOU'RE STILL LIKING IT. And thank you so much for all your thoughts again, dang, I was smiling from ear to ear while reading these lakdjfalksd I really love hearing such detailed thoughts and feels and interpretations of things so much, this is such a delight LOL So thank you thank you thank you!!!! 😭💕 And I hope you'll enjoy Arc 4! It is,,, perhaps the most intense arc yet,,, for a lot of different reasons,,,
Hello hello! I am back with my thoughts about arc 2. So! So. ...a lot happened lmao.
The biggest highlight was Genzou and Iggy's relationship let's be real. It juxtaposed everything else that happened in the arc tbh. Genzou is so respectful of Iggy's comfort and personal space. Their kiss was so sweet especially when Genzou validated Iggy's feelings about his fear of sexual expectation and that Iggy's boundaries were important and heard.
It's a stark contrast to Gidget's actions in comparison.
Something going on with Gidget for real. She stomped all over Iggy's boundaries and forced herself onto him and invalidated his feelings of discomfort and that was terrible. Like, truly terrible, toxic behavior. Whatever feelings she has for Iggy it's not real love like Genzou, it's equal parts infatuation, lust and deeply held resentment.
Resentment in this case, for all the years that Gidget performed feminity for Iggy's approval, after he made several shitty lil comments about Gidget doing "boy things". And he still doesn't "want" her.
To be clear, that's not saying it's Iggys fault or that it excuses Gidgets actions! But we still don't have the full picture so this is me saying there's more going on than just "me woman ANGRY man don't want me!!"
And finally...Orlam. So I'm not even gonna touch the cannibalism that's nothing interesting, there's more important shit to focus on, like what the hell happened between Genzou and Orlam. I know, I just KNOW, something happened at prom. We didn't get much in the first arc, Orlam just seemed like a guy who let his resentment and rage fester for years until it boiled over, and Genzou didn't even give a shit and dismissed it as "dumb kid stuff"
And at this point now we know that's just not true. When they were on the boat ride there was that taunting voice in Iggy's ear about how Genzou blamed him and we know that it was false, but the interesting part to me is that the knowledge is implied to be true. So Genxou and Orlam from the time between him going blind and after prom had...something, brewing in the background while iggy was avoiding Genzou because of guilt.
And man, shit got real personal. That's the first time we really see Genzou uncomfortable. And tbf, Iggy is literally being tortured but I mean, when Orlam admitted something vulnerable, when he mentioned ~whatever~ it was that they almost were, that's the first time we see that it affected Genzou too. But it doesn't change the fact that their relationship is terrible and that's mostly genzou's fault.
So there's three things at play here, with Genzou and iggy in the middle. They have the best and healthiest dynamic. And on one side is gidget and iggy, with the worst dynamic because of her terrible treatment. And then on the other side is genzou and orlam, with Genzou with his horrible treatment.
I barely have anything left for bucks, by the end of it I was just sick of her shit LOL. Iggy went though SO much and then we had to deal with HER? And she killed genzou?? Hell no, I'm glad Iggy killed her fbdbfhfhhf after being slapped around he deserved a Lil wanton murder!!!
Onto arc 3, God help my soul
DJFJFHDHD THANK YOU FOR WRITING UP YOUR THOUGHTS AGAIN. I am enjoying these so much omg 🤭💕 I'm glad you liked Arc 2!!
There are still a lot of parts of Arc 2 that mean a lot to me,,, particularly the Genzou/Iggy scenes (I may have shed a few years in their creation fjdjdj). So I'm glad that you liked their relationship. Re: Gidget I'm also glad you're seeing something else there. Again, not wanting to get into anything that will spoil anything, but later arcs will reveal a lot more going on there, as well, particularly Arc 4, which focuses more on Gidget.
LOLOLOL I KINDA KNEW YOU'D BRING UP THE ORLAM AND GENZOU STUFF AGAIN. I actually forgot a bit what all I'd already included in Arc 2 (it feels so long ago now that I worked on it LOL). I'm so amused by all the little things you're picking up on 🤭💕
"So Genxou and Orlam from the time between him going blind and after prom had...something, brewing in the background while iggy was avoiding Genzou because of guilt." ---> FHFJDJDJD GODDD you're one of the only ones I've ever seen bring this up/latch onto this, I'm pretty entertained right now LOL I always wondered if anyone would pick up some of those little things in the river scene, since it goes by so quickly.
"That's the first time we really see Genzou uncomfortable." --> Indeed... It generally takes a lot for Genzou to be openly uncomfortably/affected like that fjfjdj I feel like this arc is probably the most intense when it comes to Genzou like that,,, (well,,, maybe,,,)
"So there's three things at play here, with Genzou and iggy in the middle." --> GOD THIS WHOLE PARAGRAPH THAT YOU WROTE. IT'S AFFECTING ME DEEPLY FHFJDJD Gosh this hits so much of what's going on so hard LOL Just reading this is making me grin something awful fjdjd
LIL WANTON MURDER HELPPPPPPPPPPPPP
Godddd this whole thing just made my morning 🤣💦💕 I'm loving reading your thoughts so much!!!! Thank you again for all the time taken to write these up, and I'm glad you're still enjoying it! Hope you'll enjoy Arc 3,,, I feel like with Arc 3 things really start to descend into,,, into,,, well they descend into something, that's for sure!! 😂 Thanks again!! 🥰
(first, english not my first language, i think i cant really speak/write well but i can read everything perfectly as it is! hehe so im sorry for my mistakes in this comment)
so, hey! im in love with this game, such a nice present for christmas week for me hehe, im so mad at myself that i didnt played it sooner! really interesting story, i couldnt take my eyes away from this game, i was so curious what happens next, at the same time i was playing it reeeallyyy slowly because i didnt want it to end heh i just love horrors about a group of friends where everybody needs professional mental health but maybe only one person actually reached for it at some point and its not really working that well huh
the music! absolutely amazing! (happy but creepy song in the most horryfying kinds of scenes??? wow, just wow) the music always fits and completed the scenes, that really hit me
art! im gonna be honest, at the beginning, even before playing i was kinda, idk, sceptical im gonna like it? maybe because i was used to different styles, nevermind, but i was really curious about this game so i played anyway and im thankful for that haha i was just stupid, a few minutes passed and i was loving your artstyle as i should! i think its perfectly fits the story, and it gives the characters a lot of expression, you can really feel their emotions. and the CGs?? beautiful! and so many! amazing, sweet, sad and - wow, these horror scenes!
HEAVY SPOILERS:
im not able to express how happy and seen i feel seeing asexual main character. a lot of his thoughts really hit close to home and his talk with Genzou in Arc 2 about it? and after Gidget kissed Iggy and he was afraid to let her down? really beautiful and ofc that made me love Genzou even more (his reaction should be bare minumum, but thats why its perfect, am i right or am i right?)
+ Iggy and Genzou are so sweet together, i love their interactions, they have good chemistry and the end of Arc 2 and entire Arc 3 aaanddd end of Arc 4 had me lamenting, it was so painful to read but in the good way ofc haha
i love all the characters, i love that all of them has flaws. big flaws. and thats fucking beautiful because its human. of course im mad at Genzou for bullying Orlam so ruthlessly, ofc im mad at Iggy for saying these things to young Gidget, to Bucks, not defending Orlam and for a lot of other things heh, im not gonna forgive Gidget for sexually assaulting Iggy and shaming him about not wanting her, Bucks killing(?) her child, and Orlam just....playing hannibal lecter, like cmon bro, im sorry for you but making ham out of your ex friend is kinda overdramatic, but revenge is revenge i guess.
neverthless, as i was saying, i love them all and i want to see them happy so bad, ahh, but everyone will never be happy, huh? well, im gonna wait for the last Arc for answer haha.
i have so much to say about this game but i have to stop myself already before im gonna start babbling haha
so merry christmas and happy new year, thank you so much for this game!!
YOUR COMMENT IS LOVELY AND WONDERFUL AND GREAT DO NOT APOLOGIZE FOR ANYTHING??? Thank you so much ahhhHHHHHH this comment has honestly made my morning!! It's so sweet! Thank you for playing and for taking all the time to write this up! It's honestly touched my heart so much 🥺💕
I'm so glad you liked the music and art!! The music in this game has been such a deep inspiration to me while working on the game. Even though I can't compose music myself, I spend a lot of time searching for and listening to tons and tons of music to find stuff I feel matches the scenes. Also the music even sometimes inspires new scenes!!
GUHHH YOUR WORDS ABOUT IGGY ARE LITERALLY GOING TO MAKE ME CRY. Thank you especially for writing up your thoughts about that. As an ace person myself, I think that a lot of my deep thoughts and feels ended up making their way into this game LOL and a lot of the different scenes and convos ended up being super cathartic for me to write. I'm incredibly happy and moved that the scenes could also mean something to you. Honestly sometimes I think that is one of my biggest hopes for this game -- that ppl can relate to some of what happens and it can mean something to others and ppl can feel seen, especially since so much is inspired by my own experiences fhcbd. So thank you so much for telling me that 💕
Heheheh yes I know what you mean about the characters LOL I love them all to bits but gosh do they all have major things they need to work through 🤣💦 But tbh that's part of why I love them. I just really like flawed characters and complicated dynamics and gray areas where there isn't a right or a wrong. Wh-who can say if they'll ever all actually be happy,,, we'll have to see if I can actually do a good job wrapping this whole disaster up in Arc 5!! LOL
Hope you will have a very lovely holiday, as well!! Thank you so much again for playing the game and leaving your thoughts! This comment felt very special and really made my heart squish. I'm glad you could get so much out of the story and chars 🥰
LOVE this game! It's no exaggeration for me when I say this is one of the most well-written VNs I've had the joy of reading! Not only does each individual arc have me guessing (and screaming and awww-ing and freaking me out) but the characters just feel so REAL. They're intriguing and relatable! (...some aspects being more relatable than others but ANYWAY) .
Can't wait to see what you do next! Happy Holidays!
(Oh and I love your animation style--it's really nice and cute!)
OH GOSH HELP. THAT IS LITERALLY BEYOND NICE??? What an absolutely lovely compliment and such high praise, I don't even know quite how to respond to this dhdhdhdh 😭💕
Thank you so so much for playing the game and for letting me know your thoughts! Gosh my heart is squishing so much right now LOL I'm really glad especially that you enjoyed the characters so much, this game and story really depend so much on them so I always feel really happy when ppl say they enjoyed the chars or related to them or things like that. GUHHH AND I'M GLAD YOU LIKE THE ART, TOO 🥺
I hope you'll end up enjoying the final part when it comes out!! I'll keep working hard! And hope you'll have a lovely holiday, too!! Thank you so much again for taking the time to write this up and sharing your thoughts with me -- it means so much!! 🥰💕
You are very welcome 😊❤️. Ahahaa, apologies for the heart squishing!! And i looove well-written character driven plots and stories (such as this one)!!
I'm eager to see Act 5! I believe I'll enjoy it immensely, and it'll be a day 1 download for me 🤞🤞 please take care and stay hydrated + take breaks!!
Hi hello. Recently downloaded this game just a couple hours earlier and i just finished act 1. I feel kinda like that one meme "and they dont stop comi g and they dont stop coming and they dont stop coming-
And then Act 2 came up and that's when the game went from good to great.
Where do I even begin? Well I guess. First off, Iggy and I might be built different because I might just go on with my life and pretend none of this happened. Go back to the tree???? Sorry lads, enjoy Wonderland I'll just be here posting your Missing ads around and living my life.
This group of friends are a hot fuckin mess. The only one I remotely trust atm is Genzou and even THEN I'm. Idk. After Orlam...even after what he had done, I felt so wretched for him.
also theory here, call me crazy but. Is it weird to think Orlam has or had a messy crush on Genzou?? That flashback where Genzou shoves Orlam off the table and Iggu just silently sits down at his spot (BTW I actually gasped and sat with my mouth open because Jesus christ Iggy.)
Idk that Lil detail where Orlam was so desperate for some approval or some sense of affection from Genzou and just. Not getting it. His earlier pointed commented about Genzou's sexuality I thought was like homophobic but now like??? Did something happen between them aside from the bullying because shit is fuckin charged with the energy of a jilted ex and "He's just not that into you"
I'm sorry lemme go back to that cafeteria scene because OMG that was abysmal. Iggy really just sat the fuck down I had to take a sec to be like "yanno what, Orlam did nothing wrong. Hes justified in doing this" and then I remember "nvm he could've stuck to revenge murder and not cannibalism"
TBF on Iggy, marginally the other two girls could've totally said something too but they didn't even though ultimately the conflict is between Genzou and Orlam, it still involves the whole group because. Why,,
I had more to say but I think I'll save it after Act 2 because I think I'll know kore about the girls to give more definitive thoughts on them
AhhhHHHHH thank you so much for playing!! And for writing up this comment! 🥺💕I'm glad that you're enjoying it so far??? I hope you'll continue to enjoy it as you finish up the rest of the arcs heheh. I think it gets a bit more intense as it goes,,, things just really start going off the rails more and more LOL
"This group of friends are a hot fuckin mess. " --> GOD THEY REALLY ARE. This is extremely true... 😭 Th-they all have a lot of things they need to work through... AND THEY NEED TO BE BETTER AT TALKING TO EACH OTHER? MAYBE??? Who can say.
"Is it weird to think Orlam has or had a messy crush on Genzou?" --> LOLOLOL GOSH I-... I can't really answer this without giving away spoilers hahaha. But I will just say that a lot more will slowly come to light about them in later arcs, particularly Arcs 3 and 4. I'm really loving reading your observations though. There's a lot of stuff I always wonder about how people interpret or respond to especially some of the stuff in the earlier arcs as they play through, so I'm always like 👀!!! whenever someone shares with me their thoughts while playing for the first time alkdjfas
"nvm he could've stuck to revenge murder and not cannibalism" --> OK THIS JUST MADE ME LAUGH OUT LOUD HAHAHAH
Yeah the cafeteria scene is really awful,,, it's one of those scenes that still makes me sad just thinking about it (among others, but,,, lol)
At any rate, I'll be really interested in seeing how you end up liking the later arcs and your thoughts on them!! This was so lovely to read -- thank you so much for typing up your thoughts!! And I'm so glad you're enjoying the game so far!! 🥰💕
AAAA hello hello it's the next day and i do have more to say about act 1 actually turns out i am a liar lol
so thinking on everything that happened now, it sure snowballed into a shitshow, and that's all thanks to the terrible communication skills that this group of 5 have. and that was never more apparent to me than when iggy concluded that the others would've led better lives if he had never existed to them. and to me that speaks how he stayed self absorbed and self centered to the very end.
maybe that sounds surprising or weird that i came to this conclusion but truly! that's so amazingly small minded assuming that his presence in their lives was so damaging that they would be better off without him. when it's so apparent that the others had their issues before and without him there, so it's just his self-loathing and guilt (and probably blood loss) thats talking
as someone whose asexual, neurodivergent and also, absolutely terrible at keeping in touch with people in my life i see a lot of myself in iggy. and tbh it's not a pretty picture LOL. it's uncomfortable to see my flaws reflected out at me so starkly. when you're so stuck in the rut of your life, you've got your baggage and your mess and it's easier to shut your mouth and just not talk to people you care about because it's been too long, or you're all too busy to make plans, or you can't bring yourself to take initiative to meet up etc etc all these excuses because of reasons that are too complicated to untangle and you're too deep to break the cycle
i felt that.
but im not here to dunk on iggy (not entirely smh) my point was, that's just the mental illness talking lol. iggy is not the worst thing that ever happened to his friends and the further i go into the game im assuming he's going to come to understand that himself. sure, some of the things he had done were not great, and were even downright harmful, but his choices are not more or less worse than anything that the others have done themselves. iggy may have turned a blind eye to genzous horrible treatment of orlam but iggy isn't at fault for genzou's shitty behavior itself, and bucks being unhappy in her marriage has nothing to do with iggy even when iggy convinced her to go through with the wedding.
they've all hurt each other i bet, there's no one singular cause. i just wonder how they're all gonna get past this lmao
Omg,,, I'm honestly having a hard time figuring out how to reply to this because you've really hit so many nails on the head, it feels (and some of those nails being ones I didn't even necessarily know existed FHFJDJR). Especially you saying how much you see yourself in Iggy,,, Iggy is very much heavily based on me and my own ways that I approach things and my own past experiences and my own thoughts, etc. So I can definitely agree and say that's it's not a pretty picture. Many of the scenes in the game have taken a lot out of me to write as it really does feel like forcing myself to look and think critically about some of this stuff. It's been quite an eye-opening journey at times, and I've felt so many things. It really means a lot that you would tell me all that and that you relate to him like that. I get the feeling that you and I are probably pretty similar LOL One of my hopes with this game has honestly always been that others can also relate to some of what happens and see parts of themselves in the chars, as well.
"iggy is not the worst thing that ever happened to his friends and the further i go into the game im assuming he's going to come to understand that himself" --> Yes I would definitely say that's a big thing that he needs to learn to understand and confront fjfjdjd 🥺 Though I just hope my skills in writing are enough to pull off everything in a way that works LOL we shall see once I actually finish this whole thing hahahaha 🤣💦
Gosh this is such a great hard look at the characters and the various things going on. I really love reading your thoughts and interpretations of the dynamics!!! Thank you so much for writing them up! 😭💕
*Warning: potential spoilers?*
OK! SO! At first i thought that this game would be pretty awful. idk why i just had the feeling, oh boy was i wrong. I LOVED IT!! LIKE, I CANNOT EXPRESS HOW MUCH I LOVED IT.
I also need therapy after all this... i spilled gallons of tears every time genzou and iggy had a moment, I LITERALLY CAN'T WITH THESE TWO-
The amount of effort you put into this game is just unreal. idk if you are a solo dev, but if you are: HELLO????? HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS??
I honestly don't know how to write a fancy review/comment but let me tell you that i am now obsessed with your game. the story, the cgs, the characters, the chemistry?!? i love them ALL. Every second of this game (after arc 1) i was on edge (in both good and bad way)
I can't wait for the final arc :))) there a billion things i wanna talk about but it'll make this comment too long, so in short, THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS GAME!!!! I LOVED IT SO FAR!!
(Also, if you can, please make a walkthrough when you finished the game :') i will literally be depressed if i get the bad ending after all this)
GUHHHHHHHHHH THANK YOU VERY MUCH??? I'm so glad you ended up liking it!! Thanks so much for giving it a try despite your initial expectations hahahaha. It means so much that you would take the time to write up this lovely comment 🥺💕
LOL THE GENZOU AND IGGY SCENES AFFECT ME THE MOST TOO. Many of my own tears were spilt during production kadlfjasdk
"idk if you are a solo dev" --> Yes, it's just me LOL though I don't do absolutely everything. For instance, I'm not a composer or sound designer, so I use royalty free music and sound effects. But the writing, art, and scripting is just me. (It's also why it takes me so long sometimes ldkajfldk)
"I honestly don't know how to write a fancy review/comment" --> THIS COMMENT IS ALREADY WONDERFUL AND LOVELY AND MAKING ME TEAR UP 😭💕
Thank you thank you thank you again!!! This really made my day waking up to read this this morning. I'm just really so happy you like the chars and story! And LOLOL don't worry -- there isn't really a *bad* ending per se? The main/core ending of the game will be the same no matter what, but based on your choices, you can influence who Iggy will end up with at the end essentially, which in turn will give you some different scenes/moments in Arc 5 and will affect the final epilogue. But I will probably still write up at least something to give more hints etc. in case anyone has any difficulties getting the ending they want (there will be 5 different endings total). So I will keep that on my list as something to do in the future for sure! 🥰
first of all, thank YOU for making such awesome game despite BEING A SOLO DEV?? AND thank YOU for being so NICE!!! (Yes, i just had to compliment how lively and wholesome you reply to the comments)
HELP FJFHDJDJD YOU ARE TOO SWEET YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE ME DISSOLVE INTO GOO
I love replying to comments fhfjfjf ppl take their time to write such sweet and thoughtful things and it means so much to me I want to gush all over the page and also cry a million tears LOLOL 😭💦💕
Hey Carrot. I couldn't resist any longer. I had to make me an itch.io account and pay you a little something for your and your team's work. It's hard to begin, also, with a review about this game, that could add on what's already been said by other players.
In short, I'm and advocate of your game. On all of its elements: the humor, the drama, the bravery of writing about the themes you do, amidst other aspects here... and I'm purposely short, because I could write a whole essay about the value this game has. It is special, above others, even when having some other jewels in itch.io. I have been invested in every arc, and the characters, with all their personal demons to struggle with, are spot on for telling your story. It's astounding the high quality of your game in every aspect, from coding to music arrangements. And the artwork... it sticks to you along the gameplay, to the point you can't even imagine a better way of drawing them for your story. I'm impressed.
About the plot, I know it was not easy to write as piece like this. You have my respects on that regard since games like Easter. I suspect some odd tear came in the process. Thank you for this effort. And hope you and team to enjoy a beautiful holidays. Sorry for bad English, not my language. And, as a last comment I'll say, this game, a glint of your own courage, made me a bit braver to write my own stuff the way I want. I'll remember it forever with gratitude.
P.S.: spoiler: Cecil for Best Boy. Genzou for Best Lover :)
Oh gosh,,, this comment made me tear up a little bit 🥺💦 Thank you so much not only for playing the game but also to go out of your way to make an account and write down your lovely words and thoughts. It honestly brings me so much joy just hearing from people who have played it, and even more so people who say they got something out of the experience.
"I suspect some odd tear came in the process" ---> YES LOLOL this is a very accurate suspicion dhchdhd I have definitely shed more than a few tears on this game, especially the parts that were either closely inspired by my own experiences or were kind of,,, mmm deep rooted wishes I'd been perhaps bottling up a bit. So many parts of this story mean so much to me.
"made me a bit braver to write my own stuff the way I want" --> OH GOSH FHFHDHDDU now I am really going to cry! It can definitely be difficult to write things that are very important to you. I hope that you'll be able to get all your own words and stories out onto paper 💕 And I'm extremely touched that my story could help give you some courage and confidence??? 😭
Thank you so so much again! This was absolutely the sweetest comment to get and you really made me smile! I'm so glad that you enjoyed the game and took time out of your day to tell me!! 🥰💕
*Spoilers below*
I finally finished arc 4 and I have so many thoughts and feelings about this game...I love the character exploration and interactions, how horrifying the bad ends are and the way Iggy progressively remembers more and more with each arc. There's never a dull moment and I keep telling people about this game because it's so crazy. Genzou and Iggy's relationship breaks my heart in every arc but I also love Gidget and Orlam because of the moments where they're true selves come through. It just builds up really well but at the same time I want to shake my screen because I need these characters to have an honest conversation with each other. Anyways, I could say more but these characters are already living in my head rent free and they don't need more real estate. I love your game and seeing your progress, best of luck with act 5 Carrot!!!
OH GOSH. Thank you so much for this comment and for sharing your thoughts!! I'm so happy that you like the characters, they are truly so near and dear to my heart. So whenever I hear that ppl enjoy them and their interactions, it fills my heart with so much joy 😭💕
"at the same time I want to shake my screen because I need these characters to have an honest conversation with each other" --> GOD I FEEL THIS SO MUCH EVEN WHILE I'M WRITING THEM LOLOLOL
"these characters are already living in my head rent free and they don't need more real estate" --> this is such high praise and literally turning me into a pile of mush help dlfkajdlkfajsd
GUHHHHHHH THANK YOU. This was such a little bright spot to my day reading this! Thank you for playing and for taking the time to write this, it means so so so much 🥺 I WILL KEEP WORKING HARD. POWER THROUGH TO THE FINISH LINE OR SOMETHING DFKJALKD 💕
Just finished Arc 3 and this game is messing me up in the best kind of ways. I’m been scared, I’ve cried, Ive raged at every single character and wanted to hug them at the same time. Friggin bravo you beautiful b words. <3
MESSING YOU UP ASDLKFJALSDK I am glad,,, 😈 LOL Gosh don't I feel that though. The characters do the same thing to me, loving them as they simultaneous drive me up a wall hahahaha. I'M REALLY HAPPY YOU'RE LIKING IT THOUGH. Thank you so much for playing and writing this lovely comment!! This gave me a little laugh 🤭 I hope you'll like Arc 4 and the rest of the game, too, once it's done!! 💕
In Arc4, ViolinCecil is simultaneously amazing and the stuff of friggin nightmares 😭
VIOLIN CECIL DLKFAJDLKFAD
I admit I had a lot of fun with Cecil in general. Some of his scenes are quite... 🤭 I am glad you enjoy him though LOLOL
I LOVE THIS GAME SO MUCH I SLEEP EAT AND BREATHE THIS GAME I LOVE ALL OF THE SILLY LITTLE GAYS
HELPPPPP THANK YOU SO MUCH??? LITERAL TEARS IN MY EYEBALLS 😭💦💕
I am very glad you enjoy it heheh. Thank you so much for playing and for letting me know!! I love that you love the chars so much my heart is squishing very much right now ahhhhh... 🥺 (please do eat and breathe more than this game though that doesn't sound healthy FJDJDJD)
God this game. Can't really put my thoughts into words but I love it a lot. Looking forrward to the last part.
HHHHHHHHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH??? 😭💕 That means a lot! Thanks so much for playing and for letting me know! I hope that you'll like the final arc when it comes out! I will keep working hard 🥰
Do not read if you have not played.
Seriously...
Well, they are fucked up. Like really fucked up and multiplieded by 1000 thanks to this realm feading their most distorted drives both created by this white haired moron. It is imposible to cure those wounds by now, and by what I belive the only resort is to amputate most of it and go for the little what is left. And by that I mean:
-The blind jackass who cannot give up on past and because of what he is ruining lives of weakers by feasting on their suffering. Numb to any pain, util it is his own, yet the second most blind.
-An egocentric weakling, a mess in every aspect. Who dream of power and success by which he has become mad, soon felt to monstrous acts.
-Unfit mother and wife that was not ready for said responsibility. Draged into this by someone who was just prettending a friend who know who she was, but in the end he knew ass.
-The girl that shaped her body and mind around a person that was not worth it, destroying everything until there was nothing left of her but a husk of once beautiful person, trying to be something that she is not and part that she is not meant to be. I pity this one the most.
-And the last the catalyst of all, who could have prevent this all form happening but instead he ignore all the consequences and marched forward, stomping on those who he called friends, blind to their needs. The failure that spoke when he were suppose to be silent, an Imbecile who said nothing when he were suppose to, an Idiot that laid back in the time of need, an moron who pushed people to their worst.
Pick your poison is it not? None of those can be "fixed", none can be helped, none can be trully saved. Unless the child is yet not gone, but I doubt it... We were shown all by now, guilt and regrets of the one who is guilty, the love between the two abusers, obsession and the madness of the abused!, the mangled reality of way towards perfection. So what now? Give us a choice that lead to "Happy ending"?!
Welp we will see.
Hey!! Thank you so much for playing the game and for writing all this up! It really means so much to me when people take the time to write out their thoughts and let me know 🥺💕
Hahahaha it sounds like you really dislike Iggy 🤣💦I will be the first to admit that he's not always the most likeable character—and can probably be downright frustrating and annoying at times, particularly in the decisions he makes and things he does. A lot of Iggy's general struggles, especially when it comes to dealing with people, are based on a lot of my own experiences and struggles (and sometimes frustrations at myself). He's in no way meant to be perfect or even "good" tbh,,, he's just,,, himself. As are all the characters, really. None of them are "good," they're just people with a lot of issues they're all struggling with hacking it out against each other as they try to figure each other out. So it is, indeed, exactly as you say, a lot of really fucked up people with things made 1,000x worse because of the horrific situation happening 😂
At any rate, I hope that despite your general distaste for Iggy (and most of them??? LOL) you're still at least getting some enjoyment out of the story. It's definitely a frustrating and oftentimes infuriating and hopeless story in many ways, and though I'll never be able to make it so every character can fix every single one of those problems, I do hope the final ending will still be satisfying in a hopeful way that's leading towards a better situation than what they all have now lkdjaflsdkfja
At any rate, thank you so much again for writing up your thoughts and for playing the game!! If you do end up playing the final arc when it comes out, I hope you'll be able to enjoy it! 💕
Nah, I would not say I "dislike" any of them, in fact it was pretty nice expirience so far (exen when I was pretty tired of seeing the same story for the 3 time and started to adding "fucking" before every noun... quite fitting to arc 3 accually). I just see who they are and what direction they are going. But the roads of life one can go in two ways, never to late to give up on things not worth the trouble, go back a little and change things for better. Ok maybe except Iggy he killed the flower, the only sense speaking guy in the story, for that he needs to pay In blood or in deeds and for that I look forwards.
*Possible Spoiler Below*
Please let Gen end up with Iggy! The second arc was my favorite, and the two of them have the best chemistry!
FHFJDJFJDJFJDHFFJFJDJD
I AM GLAD YOU LIKE THEM??? 🤭💕
The final choice shall be up to you heheh. The epilogue + some various scenes leading up the ending will be determined based on your choices throughout the game. Pretty much so long as you're mostly friendly to Genzou you should get the choice to have Iggy end up with him LOL 😊 My idea behind the choices was to give people some influence over the story based on their own prefs (and also because I just love all of them too much fnfjdjfjs).
Thank you for playing the game and for writing this lovely comment! 🥺 People saying they like Genzou/Iggy always make me smile and want to cry 😭💕
HHHHHHHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS
COMMENTWONDERFULLY PHRASED ESSAY. This is too lovely, ahhhh, I'm gonna cry! 😭💕I'm touched that you took all the time to write this up and that you enjoy the game and the chars so much! Thank you for playing the game and for letting me know your thoughts!!Tbh I'm actually kinda surprised (and a bit delighted) to hear you even talking about this game mostly in terms of the romance and the LI aspects of it—when I first began thinking about and making this game, I wasn't thinking in terms of romance at all and simply wanted to tell an overarching horrific/dramatic/semi-tragic story based a lot on some of my own experiences and struggles. I did know that I wanted there to be some influence over endings and such, which is kind of how each of the characters naturally took on the role of an LI in that aspect, since the different endings/epilogues will really revolve around Iggy's final choice in that matter. Though I consider each of the individual epilogues to be more on top of the final unchanging core ending rather than endings on their own. So more like a linear overarching story that just so happens to have romance in it that you as the player get to influence rather than a romance story in and of itself.
At any rate, I'm rambling a bit now, but the lean towards integrating more romance and romantic drama and romantic complications happened somewhat on its own as I worked on each subsequent arc and further fleshed out the chars and their relationships. So I'm really happy that you enjoy them all as chars and the different dynamics they bring (both in the story itself, as well as in their relationships/interactions with Iggy) 🤭💕One thing for sure I have always wanted to show is how varied and different the idea of a "relationship" can be and how it can mean things to different people. Even in my head, the Genzou/Iggy, Orlam/Iggy, and Gidget/Iggy relationships are all soooooooo different in vibe and dynamics and how they interact and how they approach what their relationship means, and I really love that about them (and for them sdlkfjalsdkf 💕) I literally love all of them so muchhhhhh 😭
GOD OK SORRY I ALSO WROTE AN ESSAY IN RESPONSE DLKJAFSLDK But I just really loved your comment so much! And I'm really glad you enjoy all the complexities! I'm such a sucker for convoluted and complex chars and dynamics and relationships (mostly because I love the pain guhhhhh). Thank you so much again for your lovely words and for playing the game! I'll keep doing my best and chugging along LOL. I hope that you'll enjoy the final arc when it comes out!! 🥰
Wow this game was a ride and a half! I’m new to VNs and made an itch account just to comment on this! Downloaded it randomly two days ago and now I have been glued to it for hours. There’s just so much tension and the way you show the dysfunctional character dynamics is intriguing, particularly the dynamics of people who have had long-term flaws in their relationships that are driving them apart. There’s just something so visceral and unique about this VN, something about the combination of the violence/gore, but also the plain fracturing of each member of the group as they get the chance to have the wishes they wanted all along. The themes about corrupted innocence really hit hard as you get Iggy’s flashbacks along with what Wonderland transformed into. You took common motifs like the rabbits, the idea of a childhood paradise, and made them quite bizarre and eerie in a way that set the tone for the rest of the story.
Questions and Spoilers below.
I’m kind of confused though about the way this game is structured? In specific are the 4 cinematic ending sequences for Arc 4, or are there cinematic sequences at the end of each arc? I don’t really get how the Arcs work.
For an explanation - I was super invested in what was going on, but then Iggy made a wish to -disappear- after realizing what he did to his friends in the past and I got a sequence of him disappearing and a credits scene. For context, Bucks and Gidget died?? Is that the end of the game entirely? Or if I replay I can get a different ending? Do I have to choose to call somebody else in the intro? I am just reeling from that sudden ending and am curious what happened!
Also,, I would really love to know if there is a walkthrough for this VN too! I really want to see all the possibilities for scenes and endings if there are multiple, but am not sure how to get each of them.
////
All that aside, this is truly a wonderful and special game. Hope that things go well for the future writing of it! :)
Ahhhhhh, thank you SO much!!! I'm super jazzed that you not only decided to play the game, but then also to create an account to comment and type up your thoughts is too sweet, I can't! Thank you thank you—I'm so happy that you've enjoyed the game and chars and story so far!! 😭💕
LOL YOUR QUESTION. It sounds like you've completed Arc 1! If you watch through the credits after Arc 1 is over, a new scene will start up. It'll seem similar to a scene you've already seen, but just slightly different. And then when the scene is over, Iggy will call Genzou and after that you'll get a big ol' "Arc 2" screen and Arc 2 will officially start. I'm realizing it's perhaps not clear enough that you need to wait after the credits once Arc 1 is complete 💦 I'm going to try to think of a way to make it more clear that even though the credits appear, the game isn't over yet guhhh. I'll give this some thought and try to come up with something ldkjlajkdaf
But yes, you still have 3 more arcs to play! (one for each of the friends) and each one has its own accompanying cinematic ending sequence. Re: the choices and such—none of the choices you make affect the individual endings for each arc (each arc will always end the same way); however, they will slowly add up to influence the final ending and epilogue of Arc 5 once it's out (I'm still working on that one!). So no matter what choices you make, you're not missing anything super integral within each arc except for just some different dialogue for the most part (and game overs, but game overs don't affect gameplay at all!). My general advice when it comes to the choices is to just be relatively friendly(?) towards the char(s) you like the most and you should end up being able to get the ending for the char you like 🤭💕 (there will be a total of 5 different possible endings / epilogues at the end of Arc 5).
At any rate, I hope this explanation helps!!! Just keep watching after the credits and Arc 2 will start (and Arc 3 and Arc 4 subsequently after the credits for each previous arc, as well). But let me know if anything is still unclear or if you have any other questions!! I am happy to answer them! Thank you again so much for playing and for your lovely words!! And I hope if you continue to play the rest of the arcs, you'll enjoy them, too!! 🥰
I lied, I do like Orlam ;-;
Side note:
where do you get your music from? I wanna make a VN but I'm having a hard time w/ resource.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Omg,,, now I'm curious what made you change your mind 🤭💕
And ohhhh I get music from a bunch of different places! However, the place where I've gotten the most is called Dova Syndrome: https://dova-s.jp/ There's a whole bunch of different music from different artists on there. Other places I have gotten music from include individual artist websites, Audiostock, and Storyblocks, among others. If you look in the "About" section of the game, there are links to where I got all the music! So you can find some different sites there.
This games is so good! Its just extravagant! I have no words to how much i love this game, i even have a whole 2 pages of fanart in my sketchbook for it. Ahem anyway, I found this game by picking out random games to download because I was bored. At first when i looked at your page I just download the game without thinking to even read the description, when i finally got to this game and played this I was amazed! What went through my mind was how can someone's writing be so WONDERFUL! I played it non stop for the past 3 days, with taking breaks of course. I love this game and it now has a place in my heart! Your art style? I think it great! It matches everything so well, the music and the character designs with each of them feeling like they are a real person. Now I'm inspired to go write my own stories lol. I related to all of these characters in some ways, it actually scary. I wanted to know if you have any other stories you would share after Our wonderland? Or were you gonna take a break afterward? (breaks are always okay every now and then) I didn't want to ask when Arc 5 was gonna come out because I would feel like I'm rushing you, and I would never want to make you or anyone feel like they need to rush or anything. Um, sorry I wrote a lot. This is my first time commenting on a itch.io page, so sorry. I hope you have a great day or night. Also I'm sorry if there are spelling mistakes and stuff but English is hard even if its my first language. Anyway, bye!
OHHHHHHH THANK YOU??? This is such a lovely and sweet comment 🥺💕 And GAHHHHH omg you even drew fanart?? That is making me melt!! I would love to be able to see it DKAFJLSDKJF
Oh, gosh, I can't even imagine diving into this thing without having any idea what to expect LOLOL I am really glad you enjoyed it though!! And I'm so happy it could also be an inspiration to you for both drawing and writing! 🥰
LOL I do have other ideas, though I don't have anything set in stone yet. Arc 5 will probably come out sometime first half of next year barring anything urgent / unexpected in my life. I'm currently hard at work on it! As for what would come after, I'm not sure yet. I've considered making another short side game similar to OFW to have one last little fun thing with the chars before moving on to something else... but unsure. I also have another story idea that's been tumbling about in my head for a few years that I might decide to turn into a game. Honestly, though, I mostly haven't thought that far ahead yet since I like to just focus on one thing at a time or I get too overwhelmed LDFKJASDK
Thank you so so much again for this lovely comment and I'm just tickled to death that you would enjoy the story and chars so much! It really means so much that you would take the time to share your thoughts and words with me!!! 😭💕
5/5 - 10/10 Character-driven Fantasy Horror Game ( with Romance?! )
Must play! As a game dev myself, this game has amazed and inspired me a whole LOT! <3
And~ Spoiler-ish comments for Carrot's eyeballs:
Tbh, I'm not in the right head space to give proper feedback right now ( when will I ever be at this point tho honestly *sobs* ), so I'll just leave you with the most important message~
Whoo! The ending of Arc 4 had me CLAPPING!!
Great job, Carrot!! SO looking forward to Arc 5! >v<)/
Will it also reveal deEp things about Bucks, I wonder~ ;3
Anyways, I find it interesting that Iggy recoils from touching someone ( that scene with the sunscreen ) whilst I'm the other way around, lol. As you know, I'm not ace or anything, but it does truly make me question whether I'm at least a little bit sex-repulsed. Then again, I prefer to not be touched, period. So maybe it's just me, lmao xDD
But hey, it makes me sorta understand the ace perspective, so all good to me ^v^)b ( But if I am, goes to show that you don't have to be ace to experience some repulsion, lol )
Secondly, the scene with Iggy and Genzou-- THAT ONE SCENE-- It breaks my heart, yo. Cuz even whilst I don't agree with it, I understand why he had to do it and that's just AAAAA ;v;
And that scene at the party with Gidget being shown in all their glory? That legit made me awed! I pictured it all moving perfectly in my head all anime-esque! <3 xD
All in all, my personal favorite still remains to be Arc 3 ( SO many nuanced things I love about it, I don't even know where to start ), but! Arc 4 isn't bad either! It's great and I can see the ways you've improved throughout the arcs~ Especially in terms of cinematic moments! Just *chef's kiss*! <3
So hyped for Arc 5! Best of luck and have fun! <3
In the meantime, I'mma go play your other games~ ;D
With all the love,
Nameless L.W. of WingedHares
Oh, gosh, thank you, L!!! This is such a lovely comment gahhhHHHHHhhhhhhh!! 🥺💕 Thank you so much?? For taking the time to play and write all this out?? It means so much!! And I'm really happy you enjoyed Arc 4!! LOL UNSURPRISED ARC 3 IS STILL YOUR FAV most people I know that like Orlam best enjoy Arc 3 the most lakdjalsdfk Arc 3 in general has the biggest Indescribable Vibe of all of them I feel LOL
Oh, yeah the sunscreen scene LOL That one was directly inspired by experiences I've had in my own life (actually Arc 4 probably has the most Scenes Like That of all the arcs now that I'm thinking about it,,,) For me at least, I don't know if it's fully just an Ace Thing™ or a combination of things, since on top of the weird intimate energy of doing something like that, I also just get uncomfortable at the idea of that tangible feeling, like, on my skin or under my hands—I'm squicked in general by lotions or putting things on my skin/body DKAFJSLDKFA so the scene probably has a lot of that type of feels going on, too, that you might be able to relate with, as well 🤣💦
"I pictured it all moving perfectly in my head all anime-esque!" --> OMG WHAT A COMPLIMENT. Thank you??? 😭💕 I ended up really going to town with that whole ballroom scene, perhaps because I wanted everything to feel as close as I could to the Movie of My Mind using what I could actually accomplish with my skills adklfjasldk Hearing that it had this kind of effect makes me really happy!!!
Guhhh thank you again so much!! It really means so much that you played it and took the time to write up these words!! What a lovely little bright spot in my day. Really glad that you enjoyed it!! I will keep working hard on Arc 5 dlkjafsldkfjasd 🥰
HHHH I LOVE THIS GAAAAME! Finished Arcs 1-3 in one sitting, but I had to take a break as Gidget has a crappy track record of turning to murder when rejected (also 'cause I love Genzou and any other romantic route brings me pain). All of the characters are so well written. For a brief moment in Arc 3 I felt genuine sympathy for Orlam. Not that it lasted long, but you know. The plot too?! Mwah. Perfect. Gives off vibes of games like Hello Charlotte and early 2000s JRPGs while still being totally original, so that's super dope!
A few thoughts on characters -
First off I hope that Iggy ends up with Genzou. First because I love the both of them and also because Genzou seems like the only one of the romance options who genuinely likes Iggy for who he is. I think Gidget is trying to use Iggy to justify their life choices or fill a gap. Like, "see I got with the guy I like, I can't be a failure" and Orlam
I keep wanting to call him Oswald lmaois a flaming train wreck. I don't dislike Gidget, especially because I think without Wonderland they wouldn't have become as twisted, but I can't really come to like them as a pairing with Iggy. They need to sort through their identity issues (in regards to both gender and sense of self) before they can be in a healthy relationship. From what I've seen, maybe Cecil is a facet of their identity they wanna express freely? While I do dislike Orlam, I do feel for him. As much as I love Genzou, he went waaaay to far on many occasions with Orlam, not to mention Orlam's shitty home life. However, as much as I sympathise with Orlam, he grosses me out. His personality gives me goosebumps lmao. I'm not sure how to feel about Buxley after learning what she did to Saydie. Iggy is on of my favorite characters. I feel like I can relate to him a lotwhich might not be so good for me. It's interesting to see how he changes and grows. Genzou is my other favorite. He's funny and the only character who is consistently kind to Iggy even in Wonderland. I guess it doesn't hurt his case that I love the childhood friend trope. Over all though, Iggy and Genzou are my absolute favorites.Thoughts on story-
I love the whole corrupted world concept. Especially when the world used to be an escape that was filled with innocence AAAAH!!! The interactions between the characters bring the story to life. Not only the interactions between the characters themselves, but also between the characters and their environment and thought processes. Love it. I'm curious, though, if the reason that adults aren't allowed in Wonderland is because their presence is what corrupts it. As the door requires the blood of a child, that would most likely mean that said adult spilled a child's blood (the child who Wonderland most likely expected to welcome instead of the adult). Either that or an adults wishes are not as pure as a child's and would result in some type of corruption.
(Random) Final Thoughts/Questions-
Because I'm trying to influence your subconscious to give me what I want I'll say it again. Iggy and Genzou are the best pairing. I don't think any of the other RO measure up to Genzou TBH. I hope the story has a happy ending. I happy ending in that it makes me happy. You know how to do it (jk). I did want to ask if you would be comfortable sharing your writing process for developing both characters and plots/story concepts. I really like your style of writing, but I wouldn't want you to feel pressured. I apologize for writing an entire essay, but I really like your game! Thank you so much for putting your work out there!
OMG WHAT A WONDERFUL AND LOVELY COMMENT HELP??? You have got me in tears here 😭💕
Thank you so so much for playing the game and for taking all this time to write up your thoughts! I can't even put into words how much it means to me to hear things like this and how people relate to or connect to the chars 🥺 Also I have to say that a lot of your general observations about the chars and their feels / motivations are pretty spot on teehee 🤭 So that all made me really tickled to read. I'M GLAD YOU LIKE GENZOU/IGGY?? They hold such a soft and sweet spot in my heart and just make me so happy in general, so it turns me into goo hearing that others like them, too. As for the happy ending, I will just say that there IS light at the end of the tunnel for all of this, and also that your choices have a major impact on Iggy's final Decision™ sooooOOOOooooo... I only hope that I can live up to your expectations DLKAFJSDLKF
I'm glad you like the story and writing!!! Some of your questions about wonderland will def come up in Arc 5. I think in general Arc 5 will have a lot of answers. I hope, at least LOL I've never been a huge fan of having absolutely every little thing perfectly tied up at the end concrete solid locked up tight as I love allowing some room for thoughts and interpretations, but there will definitely be some deep dives into the core questions behind the world and chars 🤭
"I did want to ask if you would be comfortable sharing your writing process for developing both characters and plots/story concepts." --> Oh gosh! Ummmm,,, I definitely don't mind at all! I feel like my process is simultaneously unremarkable while at the same time overly complicated LOL I don't know how to describe it really. Mostly in that I tend to just let ideas simmer for long periods of time developing in my head before I even decide to do anything with them. Also a huge number of inspirations go into them, particularly music-wise. I talked a little bit about some of it in an interview I did a few months ago, but I can also look into writing something more in-depth as a devlog at some point???
"I apologize for writing an entire essay, but I really like your game!" --> DON'T APOLOGIZE, I LOVE THIS SO MUCHHHHHHH. I've read your comment at least 5 times already because it made me smile so much. I just really love hearing thoughts from people and I can't thank you enough for sharing your lovely words! 🥺💕
Thank you again so much! And I'm always down to answering any questions you may have! This really brightened my day!!! 🥰
OMG TYSM FOR REPLYING!!!!! I'm happy you liked my comment :)! I wanted to ask rq if you would be open to making a discord server or smth? I'm sorry if I'm being a bit much, but I find your content super-duper intresting and would love toask you more questions/interact with you!
Oh, gosh, Discord,,,
I have been thinking about creating, like, an Official Discord Server™ for updates and news for a while, especially with the fiasco happening on Twitter, but it's just quite a lot of work to set one up and it would send my anxiety through the roof having to manage it (I don't really do well mentally in situations where I have to moderate people...)💦
I will keep thinking about it 💦💦 In the meantime, I am always open for questions and discussion either on my Twitter or my Tumblr! Tumblr in particular I'm trying to figure out ways where I might be able to use it for more discussion-type stuff in the future... tho I'm still working on it LOL But you can shoot me stuff in either of those places either as an @ or DMs / Asks if you want! I'm def up for any and all questions (so long as it's not asking for outright spoilers LOL 🤭)!
.... Arc 4 was amazing.... Wow I'm so speechless...
It literally brought me to tears
Ahhhhhhhhhh, thank you so much!!! 😭💕
Arc 4 is definitely the darkest (and most sob-inducing, at least for me dlkfjasldkfa). I am really happy that you liked it (if "like" is even the right word LOL). Thank you very much for playing and for sharing your thoughts with me!! 🥺💕
Spoilers
2nd comment today and holy hell...AHHHHHHHH this made me SO emotional ...seeing Gunzou end up in all those situations just hurt so much man. especially in the 3rd one when we were so mean. ARGHHHH hes really just like a cuddly teddybear. Iggy can't get anymore oblivious and it hurts. Least favorite would have to be Gidget and Ogram, im sorry but yea..#1 is Gunzou. Hes the only person who actually genuinely likes Iggy for who he is. But UGHHH this HURTSSS, im just going to assume everytime we split apart from gunzou while in Ogram castle Gunzou is being sliced up.
Overall, this is a really really good vn. I love it. Also whats the music that was used in arcs 2-3
OH GOSH. I'm so glad you're enjoying everything so far!!! GUHHH AND THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME KNOW AND FOR YOUR LOVELY WORDS! I always love seeing how people react to the different characters and the different parts of the story heheh. And I'm really happy you love Genzou, he's honestly so near and dear to my heart 🥺💕 It is true—at least at this point in The Story, I would say the one out of all of them that truly is like, in love with Iggy for who he is, is Genzou. WRITING PARTS OF ARC 3 TRULY WRENCHED AT MY HEART, I WILL HAVE YOU KNOW. It was quite difficult even for me at times 🤣💦
Thank you so much for telling me your lovely thoughts and for playing the game! I'm so happy you like it!! And I hope you'll like the rest of the arcs, too! 🥰
OH! You mean like the whole OST kinda thing? I don't have anything official like... written down anywhere, since all of the music is royalty-free that I've gotten from various composers. However, I did make a playlist on YouTube that contains all of the music up through the end of Arc 3 (I will add Arc 4 stuff eventually). It's here! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLonikYhSCXlhGOG-eSLPKB9lo7kPnW52f (though if you want to know what a specific song is or something you can ask!)
Ah thank you for the link also at the time i thought arc 3 was the saddest...till i was slapped with the ending of arc 4. Now THAT..hurt. Especially when we ran away with Gidget who Iggy doesn't truly even like T^T. Im really excited for the next arc especially since Iggy remembers EVERYTHING. Maybe even the confessions...? Anddd maybe Gunzou also remembers everything too :O ?!
I meant to ask, is there any way i can support you or anything? patreon or something?
SORRY FOR THE DELAYED REPLY I had a busy couple of days lsdkjafsldkf LOLOL YES I CONSIDER ARC 4 THE WORST WHEN IT COMES TO SHEER TRAGEDY. I feel like with each arc it just gets darker and darker and worse and worse 😂 I needed things to just really reach their deepest darkest pit before I could get everyone to the final arc. HOHOHOHO. INDEED. IGGY REMEMBERS. Perchance they all remember, hmmmm... we shall see... 🤭💕 I hope that the final arc will be a fitting end to the whole story! It'll probably take me a while to finish though as it will probably end up being the largest arc kadjlaksd
OH! uHHHH... I don' t have a Ko-fi or a Patreon or anything. You can donate directly on itch if you want. But also I really don't ever expect anything honestly. To me, just the fact that you would play and take the time to write up such a lovely comment and that you would enjoy the chars and story so much is enough akdfjalsdk 😭💕
dude i thought i finished the whole game when i finished arc 1...the whole credit scene and such...then i see big arc 2 words LOL. thankfully i didnt x out oh my god. welp ah shit here we go again.
LOLOLOL IT IS TRUE—each arc feels like a complete "story" in a way, so I can imagine especially at the end of Arc 1 it would feel like the end 🤣💦BUT THERE IS STILL SO MUCH MORE HORROR LEFT TO EXPERIENCE SKDJFALSDK I hope you'll enjoy the rest of the arcs!! 💕
HOLY CRAP, THIS GAME IS AMAZING!! I'm sitting here just thinking... FOR FREE??? JESUS!!! YOU'VE IMPRESSED ME THIS TIME, ITCH.IO!!!!!! I'll definitely be recommending this game to all of my friends!!
HELP LOLOLOL DKJAFSDLKFAJSDFD THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I'm really glad you enjoyed the game!!! Thank you for playing and for your lovely comment 🥰 LOL IT'S FREE BECAUSE THIS IS JUST A HOBBY FOR ME. Maybe in the future I'll consider commercial games, but right now I'm just doing it because I have stories and characters that I want to share!! 💕 Thank you so much again!
Jesus christ how come I haven't played this masterpiece until now?! I'm still on Arc 2 but I already love it so much!!! Definitely became one of my favorite indies ever. The characters??? Hello??? They have so much personality, interesting dynamics between them, they're morally grey, they're so human I can't even ksjgbksbgkr, I care for them so much. The story is super interesting, filled with mysteries and a really cool horror adaptation of what Wonderland looks like (and of course Orlam is the fucking king, I love it 😂). I'm just so over the moon with this game, the art is unique and cool, the story is just fantastic, the characters are really well explored, THERE'S EVEN GOOD ROMANCE WITH THAT SWEET SWEET SLOW BURN AND I CAN'T GET ENOUGH I'M SO INVESTED AAHHHH (I'M KINDA SHIPPING A LOT OF CHARACTERS TOGETHER DSBGJKB)!!! Thank you so much for making this game, I'm looking forward to seeing your Spooktober entry soon!! <3
Omg this comment just made my whole day!! AHHHHH! YOU'RE MAKING ME CRY! 😭💕 Thank you so so so much for playing and for your lovely words!! Hearing you say that about the chars is turning me into a literal pile of goo. I always really hope that people will like the characters and their dynamic since I feel like that really becomes so much of the crux of everything lol.
"I'm just so over the moon with this game" --> HELP NO ONE HAS EVER SAID ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE YOU'RE KILLING ME KAJDFLKADJF💕
ALSO I TOTALLY GET YOU omg... I also pretty much ship all of them. Even with all their problems and issues, I just love them all to bits and want all of them to somehow be happy and they all fill me with so much simultaneous ANGST and JOY. So that actually makes me 50 shades of weepy to hear GUHHH thank you thank you 🥺
And ahhh thank youuuuu!!! Having tons of fun trying to get it finished up! I hope that people will like it!! 🥰 Thank you again for this comment! It really lifted my spirits!!!
Hehe, of course!! You're a great storyteller, I hope as many people as possible play your game and see how captivating it is!! ❤️
I also just finished all arcs!! And aaahhh I'm so excited for arc 5!!! Hope at least one of them has a happy ending, they suffered so much 😭
Honestly after arc 4 I was just like "why don't they do a poly already" 😂 the love triangle (love square??) is djshbgjshbg aaaahh!!! This is wishful thinking but I wish Genzou and Orlam would reconcile, I love Genzou but it hurts so much when he treats Orlam so badly ;___; babies why (Orlam is probably my favorite character but Iggy and Genzou are very close too!!). Also really excited to meet Ghent in your Spooktober game after seeing what happened in arc 4 with Gidget!!
Again, thank you so much for this gem, so excited for the conclusion!!! ❤️💕
Btw, if it's alright to ask, I really like the music theme you used for whenever the rabbits appear! I was trying to see if I could find it but the game has a lot of music xD may I ask what theme it is and from which artist? 🙏
That really means so much, AHHHHHH!!! Your words are seriously making me so happy right now. I'm really glad that you've enjoyed it and the characters so much!!!! 😭💕
"Hope at least one of them has a happy ending, they suffered so much" --> THERE IS LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL. Or at least in my mind LOL I do still actually need to write Arc 5. But I promise that is the goal at least hahahahahahaha
"Honestly after arc 4 I was just like "why don't they do a poly already"" --> HELP I AM THE SAME LMAO. Everything is just so complicated HAHAHA it would fix so much. I feel the same about Genzou and Orlam. I love Genzou to bits but freely admit that he is an asshole that needs to come to terms with himself. Also in my mind sometimes I just need the two of them to be OK for the sake of my heart LOL I hope Arc 5 will be able to do them justice once it's finished 😭
GAH, THANK YOU!! I've been floating on air a bit even since your first comment LOL And I'm glad you liked the rest of the arcs so far after you played them, too!! 🥰
OH!! That song! I can give you a link: https://amachamusic.chagasi.com/image_ayashii3.html (it's the second song on this page) THERE IS A LOT OF MUSIC YES, LOL. I actually do want to make a devlog at some point with a music list describing where the music is in the game along with links so people can easily find any songs they like, but I keep forgetting LOL
I THINK THATS MY FIRST COMMENT ON ITCH IO BUT THAT GAME IS FUCKIN AAAAAAAGH I JUST FINISHED 4 ARC MY FUCKIN GOD IM SO HAPPY I FOUND THIS GAME THIS IS THE BEST SHIT I PLAYED FOR A WHILE THE DRAWING THE SCRIPT EVERYTHING IS FUCKING AWESOME AUTHOR MADE SO MUCH WORK ON THIS AND ITS SO BEAUTIFUL WELL DONE CARROT NOW IM GOING TO CRY
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!! I am honored that you would leave your first comment on my little game 🥺💕 And I'm so glad that you like it!!!! GUHHHHHHHH. YOU'RE MAKING ME ALL WEEPY AND TEARY-EYED, I WANNA CRY. Thank you thank you thank you so much for playing and for your lovely words (AND INTENSITY). This comment really made my day!!!!! 🥰
some rpg maker and renpy games ca be run on mobile with joiplay, for the games without a proper mobile version to be enjoyed on.
this isn't one of them 😔
Hey!! Sorry, I have absolutely no idea what Joiplay is, so I can't explain why or why not it wouldn't work. I may make an actual mobile port in the future, but because my skills in the "dev" side of game dev are pretty much non-existent, I will likely need to find someone with more experience in mobile to help me, as I would want to make sure it's all properly optimized and is actually a good port people would be able to enjoy (in its current form, I can't imagine it would work on mobile well as the text and buttons, etc., would be too small). This is something I would probably look into after I actually finish creating the rest of the game tho! I am just a small solo dev so unfortunately I can't do everything right away.
Oh, Our Wonderland, Our Wonderland...where do I start with this game?
When I first spotted this game while browsing Itch, I was immediately drawn in by its cute art style, but its page made me hesitant. I don't mind games that cover heavy topics, I enjoy darker stories from time to time. But I'm often wary of games and stories like that, because sometimes, even with warnings, I'm still caught off guard by things that are too much even for me, or the author doesn't handle certain topics with the...care...that they deserve.
But Carrot? You did not disappoint me. I'm so glad I took a chance on this game. My only regret is coming in right right towards the end, before the story has a chance to be finished and I get to see how this whole heartbreaking, twisted tale ends.
The game doesn't disappoint with its storybook-like visuals, and everyone looking like cute little mice people only adds to the fairytale-like atmosphere that surrounds the story. Granted, it's a fairytale that's gone horribly wrong. But it gives the story a specific feeling, like I'm watching a cartoon I might have caught on TV late at night as a child and traumatized myself. It's the uneasy yet familiar feeling that drew me in, and the cast is what kept me hooked.
I've never seen a group of such complicated individuals that works so well together.
Carrot does such a good job at laying out everyone's flaws, their darkest moments, the times where they've hurt each other and done things that make me wonder why they stayed friends in the first place (although I also know now there's quite a few reasons as to why), but also throws you enough bones to show you that these people are worth caring about, worth trying to make them happy and hoping everything will work out in the end. Despite the times where I was deeply uncomfortable and reminded of things I'd rather not think about, I couldn't be upset about it. Or upset at the one who made me feel that way. Because if I want to denounce A and write them off as irredeemable, I'd have to toss away everything that makes them sympathetic, and ignore the waving red flag in my face screaming "Something is very wrong here! They're not supposed to be doing this! This isn't them!" I'd have to acknowledge that B had a hand in making them that way. If I want to be angry at C for what they've done, I have to acknowledge their complicated dynamic with D too and acknowledge that it's also very much their fault, and A and B certainly didn't do much to help back then either. What could they have done, really? They were just kids. They didn't know better.
And...I rarely get that in groups with those dynamics. It's very refreshing. It stops me from becoming apathetic to the grim setting even though I always know how each arc is going to end. Each arc, no matter how painfully it ends, gives me just a tiny glimmer of hope that everyone can be saved from themselves, and each other.
So, in summary, if you're like me and looking at this page, wondering if you should give this experience (I can't even call it a game really, this is something else entirely) a try, at least play the first arc to give you a chance to dip your toes into the setting, the hypnotic writing that keeps you hanging off every word, and to get to know its strange, but endearing cast. If you make the same choice I did, then you definitely won't be disappointed.
And Carrot? Thank you for putting this out there and sharing it with everyone. And thank you for being willing to break down some things I had...concerns about, I'm not sure I could've finished Arc 4 without knowing what was waiting for me. But even then, I'm so glad I did it. Visual novels like this don't come around very often, and I'm glad I didn't miss out.
That's enough rambling from me, now I need to lay down, maybe cry a bit, and curse myself for not just waiting until Arc 5 came along so I could binge this whole thing and not leave myself on a huge cliffhanger.
(P.S. If there's a Discord or something for this I'd love to get in on that, I'd love to have other people to talk about this hidden gem with)
!!!!!!
Where do I start with this COMMENT more like! OMG. WOW. THANK YOU??? I am so glad you took the chance even despite everything and also that you played it and also that you left these wonderful words that are TEARING ME APART INSIDE.
"everyone looking like cute little mice people" --> CHOKING AND CRYING no one has ever described them like that before and now it's sending me into giggles
" like I'm watching a cartoon I might have caught on TV late at night as a child and traumatized myself" --> NO, I TOTALLY GET THIS. I also have memories of animated stuff that's done this to me, just, that weird feeling that's hard to explain but that feels like an anxious cold stone in your gut or something idek
"I've never seen a group of such complicated individuals that works so well together." --> DYING A MILLION DEATHS your words are cutting straight to the core of me 😭💕
"I rarely get that in groups with those dynamics." --> your description of the character dynamics has me weepy because that's exactly the type of thing I was hoping to kinda get across I THINK?? that no one person is all right or all wrong and everything is extremely connected and convoluted and MESSY. So I'm extremely happy that you've said this and described it this way, I wanna cry... /pos
"the hypnotic writing that keeps you hanging off every word" --> CRYING AGAIN
"And thank you for being willing to break down some things I had...concerns about" --> I AM SO GLAD I COULD HELP and thank you for coming to me and asking about it, too!!!!!
"That's enough rambling from me, now I need to lay down, maybe cry a bit" --> PLEASE BE OK DKAFJSLDKJAFFFADF
GUHHHH. ONCE AGAIN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH. I am a wibbling pile of jello-y jello melting off my chair LOL. Thank you for playing and giving my little game a chance and for your absolutely lovely words!! I hope I'll be able to live up to everything with Arc 5 as I attempt to try and wrap all of this messiness up!! 💕
YOU CAN DO IT CARROT I BELIEVE IN YOU!! I honestly really never leave reviews for games I just kinda enjoy things in my own bubble but I had SO MANY thoughts about this lovely little game you put together than I had to get them out as soon as I finished Act 4. I'm looking forward to seeing the conclusion to Our Wonderland, and I'm sure it'll be worth the wait!
GUHHHHHHHH THANK YOU. I will definitely try my best!! Your belief fuels my beta-carotene-filled heart 😭💕And thank you so much again for taking the time to leave your review, especially if it's not something you do often—reading people's thoughts about the game truly fills me with so much motivation and love!!
I tend to not play games with an extensive list of trigger warnings. They often disappoint me, playing purely with out of place gore thrown there for pure shock value. I almost didn't try that game out because of the expectations, or lack thereof, that I had when I saw the sheer number of warnings on this page.
Almost.
Thank fucking gods I did.
I wasn't ready for what was thrown at me at all. I certainly wasn't ready for emotional storylines, dialogues that hit way too hard, compelling characters, choices that aren't always as good as you think, dying and rewinding, dying and rewinding, dying and rewinding, genuinely cringing in terror, swearing (in two languages) and gasping at the screen whenever a particularly heavy scene or plot twist came... I wasn't ready. And I couldn't look away. I couldn't stop reading. My spacebar started squeaking from the constant impatient tapping. I can't remember when was the last time I fell this deep into a storyline. I can't believe I almost missed all of this.
Well, here we are. 5 star experience, probably one of the rare times where I don't have any doubts about it at all. I want arc 5 to come now, but I also dread it, because that'll be the end of it. Keep up the good work.
SOBBING FR. This is the loveliest and nicest comment ever 🥺💕 The CWs are, indeed, a bit overwhelming... but I just want to make sure I don't miss anything!! And I'm glad that you still played it despite everything!! AND I'M EVEN MORE GLAD THAT YOU ENJOYED IT.
"I couldn't stop reading. My spacebar started squeaking from the constant impatient tapping." ---> GUHHHHHH THIS IS LIKE, TURNING ME INTO AN EMOTIONAL PILE OF GOO. One of the highest compliments I've ever gotten ahhh. I am absolutely honored and emotionally overwhelmed to have you say that about the game!!
Thank you thank you THANK YOU. Not only for playing but also for your lovely words that are making me 50 shades of verklempt. And thank you also for the rating!! Ahhhh!! I only hope I'll be able to finish this chaotic mess in a way that doesn't let anyone down in Arc 5! SO MUCH PRESSURE LMAO.
At this point I'm not even sure if you can disappoint, don't worry about that
THANK YOU FOR HAVING SO MUCH FAITH IN ME GUHHHH 💕
(NOTE FOR PLAYERS: I'll try to keep this review spoiler-free but I'm not sure to manage!)
Okay, so I played the fourth arc and OH MY GOD
I think this arc is my favourite so far. Seeing the characters interact that much with each other was really great, and we really did have some heartfelt moments with Gidget and Genzou. I have to say the scene during which Gidget shows Iggy their website has to be my favourite from the whole game so far... So warm, so comforting, so nice friendly interactions... Aaaah...
The Wonderland part is also very great: it was a really interesting take on how comformity eventually makes everyone unable to be themselves and therefore unhappy. Cecil was a nice addition, especially since I think he might embody... well, some "truer" side to Gidget, to say the least.
I also appreciated the interaction between Iggy and Bucks. In my last review, I explained we knew so little about her... Well, it was a small interaction, but it really felt like I started understanding her.
The art, as usual, was great, and I especially liked it in this chapter: I took a billion screenshots, it was extremely well-done.
Now, I'm looking forward to the final chapter. I know you're going to make great things, but no pressure: just work with the care you usually put in your game, and it will turn out amazing. After playing arc 1, I was curious. After playing arc 2, I was moved. After playing arc 3, I was... weirded out. After playing arc 4, I realised this game is speaking to me in many more ways than just the asexual themes. It was truly amazing, thank you.
HHHHHHHHHHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PLAYING AND FOR YOUR THOUGHTS AHHHH. Really want to cry now. You always leave such sweet and thoughtful comments (that sometimes even show me new things about my own game LMAO!!!).
"the scene during which Gidget shows Iggy their website has to be my favourite from the whole game so far" --> OH I'm really happy to hear this!!! I had definitely hoped it would help give new insight into not only Gidget but also their relationship with Iggy and be like... a nice little interlude, so I'm very glad it resonated with you!!
"Cecil was a nice addition, especially since I think he might embody... well, some "truer" side to Gidget, to say the least." --> HEHEH. OH, THIS IS VERY INSIGHTFUL. I am glad you picked up on this 🤭
"The art, as usual, was great, and I especially liked it in this chapter: I took a billion screenshots, it was extremely well-done." --> Literally weeping, you don't know how much this is making me die a thousand (good) deaths. Thank you so much guhhhhh 😭💕
"After playing arc 3, I was... weirded out. " --> Legit cracking up LOL
"It was truly amazing, thank you." --> Thank YOU!!! AHHHHHH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. This has definitely made my whole day reading this. I'm so honored it would resonate so much with you. Hearing that my characters and story could mean so much is really turning me into a pile of goo. Thank you so much for writing up your thoughts and letting me know! It really means the world!!!! 💕
Well, I've cried after first arc.... That is awesome game!
Omg........... I AM SORRY. I HOPE YOU'RE OK. But also thank you!!!! I'm glad you're enjoying the game so far! It really means a lot! 🥺💕
(NOTE FOR PLAYERS: I'll try to keep this review spoiler-free but not sure I'll manage, so maybe play it first before reading???? But for an overall opinion: it's excellent and probably will be a masterpiece when the game is fully done, just make sure to read the trigger warnings if necessary)
Okay, I finally played Arc 3 and can leave a comment about everything made so far! The reactions I had at the end of each arc:
Arc 1: oh, I wish we got a happier ending after everything we went through...
(then, realising the concept before starting arc 2): oh, now we'll get happy endings!
Arc 2: well, nope but... something bigger is going on, just go with the game
Arc 3: what-the-hell?????
Okay, let's provide a more-refined account of what I think of your game!
The first point I'd like to mention are the characters: they torment me! They make me feel a million of different things, going from love to horror. You managed to give them a lot of nuances, and in that regard, I'm really excited to see Arc 4 to see Gidget, especially considering what is suggested during arc 3. Same goes with Genzou: I loved him in arc 2 and had more twisted feelings about him in arc 3 (although I called out his attitude towards Orlam as soon as I started arc 1). Orlam really moved me during the "real-world" phase of arc 3 and horrified me at all the other moments. Regarding Bucks, we still know so little about her, but I can't help theorising about her. I also like Iggy's evolution, and really curious what arc 4 is going to be like. So, you really made a great job of the characters.
Also, the story, so far, is good. The lack of control we have over it is frustrating, but this is inteded frustration, which shows the struggles and the pains of fixing problems or issues that have been going on for years. Also, the fact that we don't really have a choice and that, no matter what, we face death, reminds me of Greek tragedies' concept of fatum, and I'm really into... well, French classical tragedy, but it is inspired for Greek tragedy, so... in short, that's really my type of stuff and I loved it.
The horror was a nice touch too. The way childhood is twisted by desires that come later... I think, the game really offers a real reflexion on sexuality, and you're clearly not kidding when you call it an "asexual horror game". It is really horrifying, and as an ace person, I was really disgusted and unsettled at some points (inn scene, Arc 2...). I really mean it: in terms of writing, you tackle the topic of sexuality in a way only an asexual person could and that really got me in.
Of course, the art is amazing, at the same time cute and unsettling, which is perfect for a game about a twister wonderland.
So far, I'm loving it and really got into the game! Excited to see what's next!
(Also, I think you posted a tweet about wheter letting the player choose which arc to play or making them play in the inteded order: I really think the evolution of Iggy's character would be less striking if the game weren't played in the inteded order, if you need some feedback on that).
OMG??? This is such a wonderful and kind review ahhHHHHHhhh dkfjaldkfjas thank you so so so SO much for writing this up and for your lovely words and GNNNNNHH.😭💕 I'm so so so happy that you've enjoyed it so far (even despite being horrified ahahahah adksjflasd)
"Arc 3: what-the-hell?????" --> LOLOL I mean...... yeah....... Arc 3 certainly goes places hahaha.
I'm really glad you like the characters, especially as, at this point, I think the chars need to be what really carry this whole thing hahaha. I've been having a lot of fun trying to interweave all these bits and pieces about them into the story to reveal more as it goes on. Also, like, every single one of them is also so problematic, and I like exploring that aspect, as well, much as it pains me at times.
Omg, I had never really thought about it that way with the Greek tragedy stuff... but you're right in that it does end up feeling quite helpless like that. Like destined for doom no matter what Iggy tries (for now, at least... 🤭)
NNNNNGH. This really just made my day, guh. Thank you so much!! And ah! Thank you for that bit of feedback. I am indeed at this point about 99.9% certain that I'm going to solidify the order of the arcs with the release of Arc 4, especially since Arc 4 really feels like the climax of all the middle arcs and will need that build-up from 2 to 3 to 4, so... at any rate, yeah! I'm glad to hear you are also of the same mind hahaha.
Thank you thank you again!! 💕
Great game, finished it in two nights, didn't really care for the art style at first, with all the character having big ears, but it did grow on me and eventually I started to like it a lot. I did kind of get a bit concern when I reached the first ending I guess you call it, do to it steering a little bit too close of justifying suicide to me, with the whole everyone is better off with me and then showing everyone (seemly) being happier because of it. Though once I got to act 2 those worries did disappear. Also was wondering how many acts you plan to have.
djfadklfja thank you very much!! 😍 And thank you for playing! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Lol you aren't the first to say similar things about the art style 🤣 I honestly think it's the biggest turn-off for this game. I'm glad you ended up liking it more eventually though 💕
Mrmrmrmrm, yeah, Arc 1 finishes on a very low, concerning note, I think mostly because I need to pick Iggy back up and get him to grow and develop leading into Arc 5 (with the arcs in between helping him reach that point). Well, at least that's my goal. Whether I'm successful in accomplishing that by the time this is all over, I'll leave up to the players to decide 😅
There will be five total arcs! So there will be one more "middle" arc (Arc 4), followed by the final arc (Arc 5).