What a good game! I have yet to finish it (I have issues with heart pain that require me to pace myself in more emotional titles) but I've gotten pretty far in and wow, it's amazing! The minigames are well thought-out and fun, the story is engaging and has so many twists and turns, the characters are all believably written and engaging, and the art is simply stunning! The last part might actually be my favorite aspect of the game-- everything is gorgeous and the CGs are so, so stunning.
This game has been on my backlog for some time and I'm glad I've finally taken the time to play it! Thank you for making this 💖
Ohhhh thank you so much! This makes me very happy 🥺💕
I'm delighted that the art left a good impression! I tend to be a bit harsh on myself when it comes to visuals, so I always appreciate it when people like them. It's a little confidence boost 🤭
Hope you enjoy the rest of it, too! 🫶 (at your own pace ofc, there are some intense moments down the road haha)
I'm in the middle of the game, and I am looking for a way to punch a character through a screen because T is an insecure, toxic, b/tch boy. The game is amazing so far. I love the name Milo, and I'm happy an angel like them has the name.
I just got to the "Kiss Them" option and can't thank you enough!! Milo is so cute, I feel like I'm making them happy by making the right decisions for Q. Also, I noticed how characters sometimes look at us instead of Q throughout the game 😂
I just got all the endings. It's one of the best games I've played so far. I got the ending "A" on the first try, and it's my best ending. Thank you so much for the game! I hope your pillow is always cold and you get the most delicious cakes ever.
In all honesty, I started this game with a lot of doubts abut it's quality. But never have I ever seen and/or played such a good game on itch.io before! Nor do I believe I will find anything comparable anytime soon, that was a piece of art, and I think it might have changed my life in the better (might be overreacting but it's partially true). LOVED YOUR WORK!!! wish to see another game from you soon. <3
I AM TAKING AND WHEN I SAY I AM TAKING IT WORD FROM WORD BRICK BY BRICK ATOM BY ATOM.
im taking Milo's "vows" if thats what you want to call it. It was short but beautiful, I felt like he was saying it to me. Im going to incorporate this into my own wedding vows when I have one AND (hopefully i dont forget) I WILL BE SENDING PICTURES AND MBY A VIDEO OF ME SAYING THOSE VOWS.
I SWEAR. Especially since it explains how I truly feel about my partner (i don't have one but ik their out there somewhere loll) ( i can feel it in my bBONESSS)
PLEASE CONTINUE UR GREAT WORK. EVEN IF SOME PROJECTS NEED FUNDING. ID GREATLY GIVE YOU ALL OF MY MONEY.
fdjflksjlfksjdlf you put the biggest grin on my face with these comments, i loved reading through everything 🥺💕
omg i'd be so honored if you made those lines into vows kflsdkflsskf this makes me so happy fr 😭💕 and honestly, comments like yours are payment enough, no money necessary 👌 (also, please get some rest if you need it 🙏)
archivist is pretty scary when angry hehe. i think ill stick to the coffee and pastries for now.......
OKAY i got ONE good ending but lets talk about the details but not in detail loll (i need to finish the game IM TOO INVESTED) Q's shirt is 9 IN JAPANESE (OMG DUOLINGO LESSONS HAVE BEEN PAYING OFF) also Q=kyu (THE PRONOUNCIATION|Im so smart... :D) their numbers are totaling 9. I wondered why milo picked 135 as his number.
how many days has T been gone (love that detail witht he days) i was so shocked to go back to day 1 and all of the other days at that.
im too lazy to go in dept with all the details lol (im running off of no sleep here)
anyways, milo and Q are such a great match: Even tho their lives are quiet different from each other, they're also very similar which compliments them. (i did have more to say but I forgot lolll)
AH YES
even tho i havent finished the game (yet)
i really feel like bad ending 4 is the true ending of the game. i dont think any other endings can top it as heartbreaking as it is. I reall do wish the best for Q and Milo, but that ending just feels right.
Even though that tragic event had to happen to Q. I'd gladly take Milo's hand in marriage. ;)
ALSO IM SO GLAD I GOT MY HANDS ON THAT MICRO DUDE. I KNEW I HAD A REASON TO NOT LIKE HIM AND WELL WELL WELL....he got what was coming. even tho i promised milo, i had to do it for my sake.
okay done rambling for now :D
HEY
It's also quite funny how I was planning to do wren's ending first but ended up doing milo's because he took me by first glance (even tho i wanted to do transmutation without knowing he'd be the one over it from the start. I guess you could say his powers worked their way through the screen.
enough of my yapping. im going back to get the rest of the endings.
Spoilers if you havent read content warnings: PLEASE GO READ THEM. Ik some ppl don't. I did so i knew what was coming but it gets you in your feelings and trigger some things (for me it did| still a great game tho) GO READ!!!!
|More serious business below
Not done with the game yet but...mannn "fate worse than death" ending just. wow. reminded me of three songs: Billie Eillish: What was I made for. Billie Eillish: Everything I wanted. And Rex Orange County: Best Friend.
So far I've gotten most of the bad endings (on purpose ofc). I believe I have one more left. Then on to happier endings...hopefully.
I love each of these characters and I can mostly relate to Milo.
Love Your work!!!
Please make more like this one. Very interesting and I like how it doesn't only focus on 18+ things like most visual novels. <3
|Billie Eillish: Everything I wanted
Line from this song which perfectly explains this ending:
If I knew it all then would I do it again...would I do it again?
My soul absolutely crushed for Q at the graveyard scene.
Anyways...Great Job!!! Dev team! 100000000000/10
Maybe I'll come back and talk about the Good endings or one of them like this one..idk. This one just hit hard for me since I can relate. :)
Edit: HEY I FORGOT ABOUT THE DETAILSSS:
like the load/save screen when the time changes...its a bar code and back to the snakes on the sword during present times... sooo cool. Can't wait to spot more!
Aw, thank you for the sweet words and your thoughts about the game, I'm happy you're enjoying it ^^
So you're doing the bad endings first, I like that! And THAT ending in particular, yeah 😅 I'm very fond of that one, despite how soul-crushing it is (and even with such a bad ending, things can still be fixed so I hope that's what can be taken away from the game 🥺)
I'm glad you like the changing menus! The Organization and the Society have such different vibes that I felt they deserved different interfaces. ^^ (and there's definitely more little details to find 👌)
Anyway, thank you for the comment, it really brightened my day 🥰
Hi! Okay, so what have you tried so far? Typing in 'get_server_status' should get the first task off the list and as for the others, you should put whatever you're looking for in place of the [resource] (without the parenthesis). (you also don't have to do them in order, btw)
Quaint covers a lot of concepts, but overall it's a story of healing - about recovering from abuse, about overcoming grief, about learning to love yourself. One thing that I especially liked about it was how NECESSARY and intertwined the romance was with these themes. Q was conditioned at a young age to unconditionally obey the organization in a twisted, toxic relationship (by his OWN FATHER, no less). Moreover, while in the Organization, Q's relationship with T was wholesome, but it was a bit twisted too, as T used him purely for physical purposes (at least initially). In the current time period, Q is introduced to a friendly group (the Society) that teaches him how to use magic with kindness and understanding, and Milo, unlike T, openly expresses his care and affection for Q.
The romance is VERY necessary for Q's character arc, since so much of his development is about accepting that he can and deserves to be loved, just as he is - without having to "earn it." When Q finally accepts Milo's love, he also forgives himself - overcoming his guilt and insecurities.
I also like how perfect of a love interest Milo is for Q. Like I mentioned before, their personalities are a good match - but their backgrounds are also similar. They're both struggling to recover from the loss of a loved one, unable to move past it. Milo spends years trying to bring their teacher back to life, and Q counts the days since T's death, trying to keep him alive. Although Milo appears to be self-confident and is no stranger to romantic entanglements, it becomes clear later on that they doubt they will ever experience genuine love, both because of their gender identity and their quirk, which "charms" the people around them. Milo's fragility is really apparent in Bad Ending 4, when they close themself off completely after experiencing rejection. In this way, Milo heals Q, but Q also heals Milo. It's a heartwarming reciprocity that plays well into the themes of the story.
A lot of the bad endings are really fleshed out and play into the themes of guilt, love, and forgiveness in thought-provoking ways. In particular I enjoyed the ending where Q ends up killing Milo (Ending 1, I believe?) and Ending 4. In both cases, Q's guilt (either at killing Milo or rejecting them) leads to his self-destruction. In Ending 4 in particular, Q's denial of his feelings leads them both down a downward, self-destructive spiral of self-hatred. (Although I found the ending with Milo quite touching, where they remembered all the little things they loved about Q, which reignites their emotions. And of course, Bad Ending 4 leads to Ending S!)
I really enjoyed how intricately themes of identity and sexuality were weaved into the story. Q was abused and groomed to be a killer, but at the same time the Organization shamed him for his sexuality and stripped him of his identity (referring to him only by a number). When he rebelled against the Organization to pursue a relationship with T, that was also Q accepting his own sexuality and desires. At the same time, while Milo isn't defined by their identity, it is an integral part of their character and the way they view their relationships and the world around them. They're used to being judged and being put into "categories" - that, combined with their charm quirk, causes them to suspect people's interest in them, which has prevented them from forming meaningful romantic relationships. Their previous partner, Lawrence, tried to force them to be a "girl," after all - and they're only able to trust again when they meet Q, who accepts them wholly without judgment.
Ending S
I'll admit, at first I was a little torn on Ending S. In a lot of ways, it feels too good to be true. T arrives back in Q's life, fixes his problems, and whisks him away to a life where he doesn't need to deal with anything - including Milo's emotional lobotomy, the Organization, and June and Wren's newfound hatred. T urges Q to prioritize and love himself, and Q just...drops everything to focus on himself. In the end, Q and T are still on good terms with the Society, so I suppose that everything worked out - the Society somehow dealt with the Organization, June (at least) forgave Q, and Q is at least on speaking terms with Milo.
Initially I thought that this ending was just too easy - Q doesn't have to take any accountability, he doesn't need to face any consequences for his actions or deal with the abusers from his past. However, the more I thought about it, the more I liked this ending. In a way, it's just another reflection of how someone can deal with their trauma/abuse. You don't always need to confront your abuser/directly confront your past (like in the Milo endings) - sometimes you just need to forget and move on, to live your life freely without being burdened by the things that happened to you. So in that way, I found Ending S to be a satisfying conclusion! Moreover, it's meaningful that you need to play through the game once and see Q's suicide to get it - it hammers home how terrible Q's mental state is, and how much he really just needs a break, to put it mildly. (And I assume the S simultaneously stands for Secret and Sunshine, which is very cute! It's also the letter before T, so it's almost like Q is "going back in time" - to before a time where the grief over T's death consumed his life.)
Other Stuff???
I'm not really sure where to put this, but I guess I'll group this as clever "naming" details? There's so much thought put into Q's numbering and his name. Q wears a T-shirt with the Japanese kanji for "9" - which is pronounced "kyu" (Q). Q's number, 162, adds up to 9. Later on, when Milo infiltrates the Organization with Q - Milo's number is 135, totaling to 9, the same as Q! And T's number, 82, adds up to "Ten" - for "T," I assume!
I also really liked the usage of the "Day XXX" format. It does a fantastic job of emphasizing how deeply Q's grief runs (as he literally "counts" his life based on how many days have passed since T's death). From the very beginning, you're interested - why is it Day 1700? Why doesn't it start from Day 1? What happened 1700 days ago? And then when you get to the flashbacks and it goes from 1700 to -300, and you're even MORE excited as you realize "Oh, this is where we'll start seeing WHY it's Day 1700!" It's really something you wouldn't expect to be used as a narrative tool (a simple DATE marker), and its usage was SO clever. For instance, I really liked the quick flash between Day 1800-something and Day 3 after you kill Milo - it shows how Q's grief rekindled itself anew and how Q's grief over Milo paralleled his grief over T. I also like the few instances when it changes from "Day XX" to an actual date (February 16th, for instance). I noticed this happened in two places: once after Q's death in Bad Ending 4, when it plays out from Milo's POV - so it's almost as if the date is "narrated" from Milo's POV instead of Q's now. The other time was during Ending S, after Q has reunited with T - after that, the change to a normal date signifies how Q stops grieving since T comes back to him.
I'm quite fond of the title, Quaint! I'm not sure if there's hidden meaning that I missed, but the Qu is similar to Q's name (and his chosen alias, Quentin). Moreover, "quaint" means "attractive for being unusual," or "pleasantly old-fashioned." I do think it can refer to the Society, this healing, calming home that Q finds, and it can also refer to Milo - this unusual person that Q nonetheless finds very attractive. And Q himself is also quaint in a way - unusual in his upbringing, but likeable all the same.
And for some random, myriad of other details I liked:
-I really liked how every time June and Q text, there's history/previous texts - it doesn't just pop up out of the blue. It's really realistic and reading the previous texts is fun in and of itself - it does a good job of fleshing out the friendship that June and Q have
-When June messaged about her "kids," the entire time I was wondering, "JUNE HAS KIDS???" and I was SO confused, so when it was revealed that they were cats all along, I was like "AHHHH" - I'm not sure if this was intentional but it ended up being a very fun plot twist for me...
-I quite enjoyed the minigames! They helped to immerse you in the story (especially the action "QTEs") and broke up certain parts of the text. I especially liked the minigame section where Q transforms the body (it drives in how LONG and extended the process was) and the "main server" typing minigame (which felt a lot like a text adventure).
-The handling of the drunk scene with Milo and Q was very good. Q is extremely courteous the entire time, communicating as best he can and making sure not to do anything that Milo can't consent to, even though they're speaking quite lucidly.
-For some reason I really liked the meeting with the leaders of the other magical societies? The exposition was seamlessly woven into the character interactions with the Luminary and the Grand Dean, and you can see how the Snake and Saber Society is viewed by the other magical societies as they talk down on the youth of its leadership. I also like the detail that the "head" of each society has a different title. The Wren and Milo variations of that scene were also interesting bits of characterization for the two; while Wren compliments and flatters the Luminary and the Grand Dean even when they're insulting him, Milo holds their ground. It's a good bit showing how different these two are as leaders.
-After the destruction end, the society invites the mercenaries back to join them. I think this is a good conclusion - after all, they were manipulated, just as Q was, and I like that they're opening up the road to healing for ALL of the Organization members, not just Q.
I won't make this any longer because I already babbled too much, but I REALLY enjoyed this. There was so much attention to detail in everything, the characters were nuanced, the story and themes were thoughtful and heartfelt. I'm looking forward to the seeing more from these characters in any potential spinoff games! Thank you for making this! :)
Thank you so much for playing through everything (!) and taking the time to write it all out, I'm astonished by the sheer length of your review 😵 (and the level of analysis is, once again, outstanding! It's all very accurate and some things didn't quite occur to me until you put them into words 🤔)
[SPOILERS BELOW]
To be honest, you're the first person to notice the numbers thing (or at least the first to point it out lol) so I'm very tickled about it.🤭
The 'ten for T' wasn't something I planned but I guess it fits??? ('T' does come from '82' tho…) But it warms my heart just how many little details you were able to spot in the game 🥺💕 (I'm glad the effort of putting them in wasn't in vain lol)
Just a few comments to address some stuff:
1) first off, I wanted to give credit where it's due because the music wasn't just 'chosen' but specifically composed for the game by my very talented partner! it wouldn't be the same without it so I wanted to make that clear 🫠
2) i can see why you'd think that but Reed is NOT Q's father flsdkfsl he does use 'son' while talking to Q but it's in the vein of him wanting to be more likable and/or approachable as Q's superior, in a 'I want what's best for you' way (even though it's not entirely true)
3) re: S ending - I'll admit I also had the feeling of 'this seems too good and too easy' as I was writing it but it's like you said: it's okay to step away from stuff when it gets too much. And I realize that's not very exciting from the story's perspective but it felt right for Q's character - I just couldn't imagine him taking on the burden of fighting the organization while he was so mentally drained (I also wanted them to have a happy ending so it's a bit of a band-aid route 🫠)
Thank you again, this was a pleasure to read and it means a lot! I'm very happy you liked it! 🥰
AHHHHH I FINISHED IT, and what an enjoyable ride it was! This ended up being insanely long...I'm very sorry in advance T_T (also OMG THIS WAS BEYOND ITCH'S COMMENT LENGTH LIMIT, so I'll separate this into two comments...I'm sorry...)
I'll cover the technical aspects first. The art is really well done, and there are SO many CGs, characters, and sprite variations. The character art has a very slick and clean style that pairs well with the stylized backgrounds. The backgrounds also have very dramatic palettes that really help with setting the mood of a particular scene (for instance, the really saturated, dark, contrasting colors used for some of the more "tense" scenes and the light, pastel-colors used for the slice of life scenes). There are a LOT of really creative uses of sprites and little changes to the CGs that make everything very dynamic and lively, and I can't possibly cover them all (in particular, I really liked the hugging sprites and the inventive way the CG with Q lying in bed was reused to varying effects each time).
I really love the little "squishy" effect that the characters have when they talk sometimes - it's very satisfyingly animated and pleasing to watch, and it makes them look quite lively! The "blips" add a lot of life and help characterize who's talking (it was a clever effect that reminded me a lot of Phoenix Wright). The GUI is attractive and readable, and I was VERY impressed at the two GUI variations for the Organization and the Society (the GUI changes persisted through all the screens, which was such good attention to detail). I also really loved the updates to the title screen as the characters were introduced, and it looks VERY nice when all of the characters are presented on either side (and I do love the composition of it, with the Organization on one side and the Society on the other).
I'll cover the characters in broad strokes here, and in greater detail below. All of the characters were really well-written, from the main characters to the side characters. Q is a really compelling, sympathetic, and nuanced protagonist, and I found Milo to be a really good counterpart for him. Milo's quiet, mature confidence is a good contrast to Q's severe insecurities/self-consciousness, and Milo's coy flirtations ended up being really good for getting Q out of his shell. I also loved how comforting Milo's presence is, and how secure Q feels with them. I enjoyed June and Wren's characters and their complex, platonic friendships with Q and Milo. I'll cover the more spoilery side characters below, but the side characters were VERY well conceived. One less spoilery one that I enjoyed was Mrs. Connell - although she's very pushy and a bit nosy and doesn't QUITE know what she's talking about, it's clear that she is at the very least, trying to be open-minded and accepting, despite being set in her ways. She's flawed in a very realistic, human way, and I could see her worldview in lots of older people that I know.
The writing was really clean and well-done! I especially liked how natural and heartfelt the dialogue was. The writing also does an EXCELLENT job of dripfeeding information as the reader needs it, slowly fleshing out the world. The background music was also well-chosen, and I can still replay multiple tracks in my head depending on the mood of the scene - which is probably a testament to how well-selected they were.
===============SPOILERS====================
The opening with the Organization is really intriguing. It perfectly drops hints as to what the larger narrative will be before shifting to a more grounded, "slice of life" scene. It really makes you wonder, "What is going on?" The story starts off relatively slowly as it introduces you to the world, the mechanics of the magic, and details about the magic societies. I was really impressed with how much thought was put into the details of the magic system, and the minigames helped to reinforce what was explained in the text.
Q:
I'll address Q first. Honestly the twist caught me completely off guard - at first I thought that the Organization was targeting HIM for whatever reason, so when it was revealed that he had actually known about them the entire time and was acting under their orders, I was very surprised! However, I liked that throughout, Q's characterization is very consistent - he doesn't have a dramatic "heel-face-turn" or something like that before/after the reveal. I enjoyed his kind of casual ruthlessness - he doesn't really care about killing others (if they're not people he cares for), and he definitely has a "willingness to die for the cause" that most people don't share. However, despite his unique background, he's characterized by his deep insecurities, which make him sympathetic and humanize him a lot (and make sense considering how his father treated and dehumanized him).
It was quite interesting, comparing Q's character in the present day and in flashbacks. There are a lot of similarities, of course. In both times, Q suffers from deep insecurities and an almost unhealthy need to be loved - to the point that he'll do anything for the person that he loves. This is really apparent in the past, where Q actively solicits T for sex because that's the only way Q can see to get closer to/engage in the relationship that he wants with T, and after that Q continues with that relationship despite knowing how shallow it is. Similarly, after Q switches sides, he decides to basically do anything for Milo, even putting himself in danger to save them. However, the difference is that, in the past, Q was clearly growing as a person. He was building himself up - although he accepted most of T's casual cruelty, he also asserted his desires to spend time with T, to kiss him. He rebels against the Organization when they tell him to break up with T, believing that he DOES deserve to be happy and loved. It's rather heartbreaking seeing Q in the present day, where he's so insistent that he's undeserving of love or any affection at all (and needs to heal and build himself up again).
I won't go into too much detail regarding Q's arc because I think it's pretty clearly outlined in the game, but I found it to be quite a powerful one. After being ground down by the abusive Organization for years and especially after the loss of T, Q's self-esteem is at an all-time low. He doesn't believe that he deserves love, and years of special agent upbringing have taught him to be dishonest with those he cares about. Over the course of the story, as the people around him show their appreciation and love for him (especially Milo), Q learns to value himself, to fight for what he wants. At the same time, he also learns to be more honest (depending on the player's choices). However, Q has also done bad things. While he doesn't get "punished" for his "unlawful acts" (killing people), he does have to take responsibility for lying to the people he cares about. I found Q's arc to be quite nuanced in its execution - it's a story of healing, but also a story about taking accountability.
Milo:
Milo grew on me a lot over the course of the playthrough. At the beginning they're a bit of an enigma, other than the fact that they're clearly interested in Q, and I really like how different aspects of their character slowly unfold over the course of the game. The first hint towards their character really comes when Milo nearly kills Q - it's a clever way to foreshadow Milo's egotism/overconfidence (which is later expounded upon when Milo recounts their lack of care for basic safety). They really seem perfect at first glance, and they only start to seem human when the cracks in the facade start to show. And there are a LOT of cracks. It's implied that Milo treats others VERY differently from how they treat Q, for instance, and they disregard the rules despite being in a position of responsibility (studying Void Magic by stealing books from the Archivist). There's a particularly ironic part later on where Milo criticizes the Reader for sealing her heart off with void magic, when Milo does the EXACT same thing in Bad Ending 4, too. They're overconfident, egotistical, and reckless at times. At the same time you also see a lot of Milo's insecurities - their desire to be loved, their suspicions, their fear of being betrayed...and honestly all of this just made Milo much more likable, and I became very invested in their relationship with Q as they mutually support one another. Moreover, Milo has a lot of positive qualities as well: for instance, they're active in getting what they want (hence they pursue Q very openly), and they're honest and straightforward in their communication - which are a good counterbalance for Q (and help Q to grow as a person).
I'll talk a bit about the Masquerade scene here since it mainly relates to Milo - I really loved it, and besides some of the flashback sequences it was maybe my favorite scene/sequence of scenes in the game. It expertly weaves exposition, comedy, and characterization for Milo and Q's relationship into a single sequence, with Q able to recognize Milo at every turn. Of course, this is due to Q's quirk, but it's also a good metaphor for how Q is able to see the "essence" of a person and is especially able to appreciate Milo for who they are, and not their surface appearance. Milo's different identities - their different genders and ways they choose to present themselves - were interesting (and fun to see!), and their inclusion expertly wove into their discussion of identity with Q later on. Milo was, I assume, AFAB- and then proceeded to reject their "feminine" side due to the expectations cast upon them. However, later on, they realized that they enjoyed those feminine aspects as well and thought they suited them, and they decided that they could present however they like as long as they're comfortable on the inside. It was nice to see that Milo only made this "realization" last year - as it does show that explorations of identity such as this are really lifelong experiences.
In general, I also like how Milo reacted to Q's deceptions. Even if Q chooses to be honest, Milo doesn't accept Q right away - they need time, and they talk it over with June before accepting Q. There's a big emphasis on clear and open communication, and Milo forgives Q for what he does/has done without overlooking it/diminishing the seriousness. This persists in the endings where Q kills the commander, as Milo disapproves of the act but nonetheless forgives Q because of the extenuating circumstances.
(Side note, but I do like the pattern of Milo learning to cook once they get together with Q. It really shows how they're moving past their obsession with magic, instead choosing something "genuine" and real.)
(Interestingly enough, while Milo and T seem VERY different, I think they actually have a lot of similarities! They both have a strong rebellious streak and sense of self-confidence that balance Q out well.)
T:
T is...hmm...polarizing, to say the least. T is scummy for sure (T for trash), and without outside knowledge (knowing there were side games centered around him), I would have assumed that T was just meant to be a villain after the first 1 or 2 recollections. Like the Organization, T was Q's abusive romantic past that put him down and made him feel small and undeserving of love. T's casual, DELIBERATE cruelty towards Q is hard to bear at times - for instance, saying "might as well spend time with you" and refusing the hug. However, this does quickly change over the course of the next recollections. There is genuine affection there, as T acknowledges Q's autonomy and respects his decisions, despite his jealousy. Moreover, he's disciplined for protecting Q, and there's actual growth in his relationship with Q - he goes from refusing a hug at all to kissing Q when Q asks for it.
I'll admit that the side games do a LOT of work in characterizing T beyond what you see in Quaint itself. T, like Q, does some terrible things, and admittedly he's not 100% forgivable in the content presented in Quaint. However, I think that the side games flesh him out a lot more, giving much needed characterization for him in the "gaps" that Q doesn't see - particularly TXXX, covering (I assume) the gap between Bad Ending 4 and Ending S. I think that T's attitude is pretty clearly a result of a lot of internalized homophobia as a result of his upbringing, and while I can't excuse him for his actions, he does a lot to make up for them and grows as a person. It's pretty clear, both from Ending S and TXXX - how much T has changed, now genuinely appreciating and showing Q the love he deserves (to the point of enduring the pain of death for him).
T's arc mirrors Q's arc in a lot of ways. Q obviously deals with a lot more grief and self-hatred, but T and Q both grew up in the same oppressive environment. As a result, T rejects his own identity in order to conform to the "standard" (rejecting Q in order to continue playing the ladies' man), and his dishonesty about himself hurts the people he loves (like how Q's dishonesty about his identity hurts June and Milo). After that, T needs to take responsibility for his wrongdoings and communicate openly, like Q.
Other Characters:
I thought Wren and June were fantastic "main" side characters. Wren's no-nonsense, serious, rule-abiding personality was a good balance for Milo's rebellious streak, while June's open candidness made her a good influence for Q. I liked June and Q's friendship - the supportiveness, but also how it underwent some rockiness when Q's betrayal was revealed. It all felt realistic - like how real friends would act. Wren being in love with Milo was COMPLETELY unexpected, but I liked the twist as an exploration of his character. It really emphasizes how, above all else, he defines himself by his responsibilities - to the point that he wouldn't allow himself into a relationship with Milo because he knew he wouldn't be able to prioritize them the way they deserve.
Actually, some of my favorite side characters were Iris and Lawrence, the "barely allies" members of the Society. At first they're quite prickly - Iris is openly hostile to Milo, although she understands their importance to the Society, and Lawrence is...well, basically an abusive ex. However, you get a chance to learn about them. Iris is a member of a wealthy family who agreed to be married off to some guy as part of an arranged marriage, so it makes sense that she's snobby about Milo mingling with "commoners" and them refusing to make concessions for their partner. While I didn't LIKE Lawrence by the end, I did appreciate that his problems with his relationship with Milo didn't just boil down to his problems with Milo's gender identity, but also his own insecurities and his problems with Milo's quirk. And he was quite self-aware that his family would never accept Milo as a boy, only as a girl. While the story doesn't excuse their behavior, their backgrounds explained a lot about why they acted the way they did.
This game was absolute masterpiece... the endings, the story, even the characters, every last detail is great and i wouldnt change a thing about this game. Respect to the creator cuz this was one of the greatest games ive every played...
In the interests of leaving a fair review, I feel like it's worth saying that at the beginning of the game, it didn't really grab me - not in an "It's bad" way by any means, but more of a "Maybe it's just not for me" way. Something just didn't click for me. I decided to stick it out a bit longer because of a recommendation from someone I follow, though, and I am SO glad I did.
I've not gotten every ending yet, but I'm gonna hit up the guide and work through them all, because I can tell it's going to be worth it. From the endings I've gotten so far, I've been delighted and devastated, uplifted and crushed. For all that it was a slow start for me to actually get invested, the pay-off has been superb. The story built into something bigger and better than I ever expected, the growth of the characters and their backstories and relationships (for better and for worse) has been a joy to behold, and before I'd even hit the first proper ending I was cheering along with them and feeling the gutpunch of disappointment like it'd happened to me personally. The 'Rose-Coloured' ending left me grinning like an idiot all the rest of the day, 'Broken Trust' made my jaw drop, and 'Kintsurugi' had me tearing up in joy and relief after everything that it took for them to get there.
This game's a true gem, and the amount of effort and love poured into it is clear to see. As already said, I'm gonna take great delight in working through all of the endings, and I can already tell this is gonna be a title that I'll end up revisiting months down the line too, just to enjoy all over again.
Hi, thank you so much for the wonderful words! My heart feels very full right now. 🥰
I'll be the first to admit that the story starts slow and that might not be everyone's cup of tea. But I'm all the more tickled that you gave it a chance AND found it enjoyable in the end. I appreciate it very much. 💕
Thank you again, I hope the other endings do not disappoint! 😇
Finished off all the other endings, played with some of the other route options etc, and I loved every minute of it 🥰 Milo's reaction and everything that follows after the "I can't" choice absolutely destrOYED ME HOW DARE YOU-- ...but I was all signed up for an emotional rollercoaster and it absolutely delivered, I loved it and honestly the narrative and delivery were SUPERB. I anticipated something drastic, and as soon as Milo re-appeared I had that dawning chain of realisation - "Why do they look so... wait, they look like... ohhhh no no no-- 😨"
Definitely a title I'll come back to again in future - you did an amazing job with this!
Awww, im delighted to hear that! 🤭💕 (there's no higher praise than 'how dare you' in my book kslfdskfls) That particular ending is definitely one of my favorites despite the emotional damage it does lol. 😇
Thank you again for playing and for the wonderful feedback! I appreciate it very much. 🥰
OMG I LOVED THE GAME A LOT I got all the ending my favorite has to be the S ending , ok but like is it bad i prefer quaint with T[In the S- ending=>w<=] .I LOVE MILO TOO THEY ARE SO ADORABLE >w< . Ngl the character was SOO AMAZING LIKE AND THE EMOTIONS WERE SHOWN SO WELL LIKE AWKEFKQWOEFGWEFG. . I CANT HELP BUT KEEP PLAYING THE GAME AGAIN AND AGAINNN AHHHJWEFHEWJF I LOVE THIS GAME SMHHH!!!
klfsdjlssfdls Thank you so much for playing! Your comment really brightened my day 🥰
Honestly, I don't think it's bad at all if you prefer T! He does have a very special relationship with Q and I find myself going back and forth between him and Milo all the time, haha. 😅 That's why I felt like they deserved to have a happy ending, too. (once T gets his stuff together, of course…)
AHHHH its not just them tho I LOVED ALL THE CHARECTERS LIKE JUNE AND WREN AND AHJJWDHF LIKE THE PLOT WAS GOOD I KEEP COMING BACK AND PLAYING THE GAME PLUS THE ART WAS SO AMAZING AND I CANT ITS SO GOOD LIKE I WAS SO INTO THE STORY AND I GOT ALL ENDINGS WHICH WAS FUN , after playing the main game i did play the side game like T break which was SO GOOD like the concept of the game was interesting i was confused at first but when i hang of it i realized IT WAS SO adorable like wait WAIT I LOVED HOW LIKE when u type T or his number in the name box the DIALOG IS SO ADORABLE I just love your games JSDHQKJWEHDJ!!!
dsflsdjlfs i'm so incredibly flattered and touched 😭 thank you for all the sweet words, it really means a lot 🥺💕
i'm delighted you took the time to play through everything, T Break included! (that scene with just T is actually one of the easter eggs, so good job on finding it ^^) i definitely want to make more games (some more Quaint-adjacent, some less) so i hope that's something to look forward to ✨
Took me a bit because my progress has been annoyingly slow but I finally managed to reach one of the (several, I see, looking at that funny little guide you posted recently) endings!
shoving this underneath the cut off bc i learned my lesson with spoilers lol
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And man! I really feel like you nailed the feeling of "finale"! This was a nice way of wrapping up all the remaining questions and loose ends of the first parts before it. Getting answers to the truth of T's death (damn it makes sense in hindsight but at the same time, ouch) as well as seeing Q reveal himself to Milo (and the subsequent fallout of that) was so neat to see! Milo is such a fun character too,, i loved seeing more of their relationship with some of the other characters (and their petty vexation towards the Reader was just fghjgfhjf). And also Iris!! Man am I weak for mean characters (and characters named Iris, apparently). She's rude as hell but man does that make her fun whenever she's on-screen gfhgjgjf
I like the Reader scene too!! The Reader looks so cool (i love the design so much,,, pink characters are so pretty) and I loved her scene with doing the funny little mind trick on Q to test his loyalty (i live for those types of scenes in fantasy stuff ngl). And the exploration scenes were really interesting too! I loved the addition of them to progress the story, really made it feel as if i was exploring around alongside Q and Milo (and seeing the way the silhouettes moved alongside the player as you progressed in that last exploration minigame,,, gosh i couldn't help but wonder how you managed to parallax that).
And then also!!!! the little cutscenes!! Especially the one with Q going after a certain somebody who revealed a certain truth,,, damn that was very cinematic,,, and also the relationship with Milo and Q!! they're very baby!! and seeing how much effort you put into drawing all their variations of sprites is just!!! so cute and sweet!!!
Definitely was nice to see the ending to this!! You've definitely worked so hard on Quaint and it's cool to see everything come to an end!! I'm def gonna try and see if i can get the rest of the endings with your guide and see what more lies in store that i missed~
Also as a note, I found a couple of errors too while playing: when going to the data base/after killing Phelps the game gave me errors (that i got around by hitting the "ignore" button on the error screen leading to the "entering words to delete"/Q talking to Wren after the Phelps aftermath). I got ending A if that helps anything too ahaha
I'm happy you enjoyed the ending! I wanted to wrap things up in a satisfying way but still leave hints about how things may unfold in the future for the Society and the characters. I also wanted to make sure each ending would add a bit more to the big picture so I'd definitely encourage you to get the others if you have the time. 😇
And thank you again for reporting the bugs! Everything should be fixed now. 😅
Hey. Thank you for this game. The effort put in it quite palpable. Also, I'm glad that you decided to put route/ending S in it; I get that more than a couple of people might struggle with it or not find it too enticing, but for some others it might be quite meaningful. So again, thanks.
If Quaint has a million fans, then I'm one of them. If Quaint has one fan, then I'm THAT ONE. If Quaint has no fans, that means I'm dead.
NO BUT REAL, I JUST LOVE THIS GAME SO MUCH.
And now that it's finally complete I can fully disperse my love about this game and its characters. The final part that just got released will not disappoint if you've been following along with the releases so far, and if you haven't played any of it yet.... WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR???? Lol I kid (not) but YOU SHOULD PLAY IT ESPECIALLY NOW THAT IT'S COMPLETE.
This game is so polished, so immersive, and so delightful to play. The story is just wonderful! I love the how we're introduced to this mysterious intriguing set of conflicts straight from the very beginning, only being given small tastes of what's going on, to then have more and more slowly be revealed over the course of the game to culminate in this giant clash at the end, bringing both of Q's worlds (literally) in direct conflict. It's got magic!! Secret societies!! BUT ALSO THIS MYSTERIOUS GOVERNMENT PLOT??? You will be on the edge of your seat wondering how it's all going to come together right until the very end. Especially with the whole secret hidden identity thing going on that I won't spoil in case you haven't played any of it yet but GODDDD. Like as soon as you know about that, everything just gets like 50 millions times more convoluted and you're just waiting for it all to come crashing down AND THEN IT DOESSSSS AND I KNEW IT WOULD AND I WAS SO ANXIOUS AND SOBBED A LITTLE BIT but it was so so good /loves pain
AND HAVE I TALKED ABOUT??? THE ROMANCE???? BECAUSE I'TS SO GOOD???? I will die for Q and Milo. BUT THEN YOU THROW THE THIRD WRENCH IN THERE WITH T (wait is that the right analogy...) and you get to explore so much of Q's vulnerability so that by the end of the game you're just hoping to god he can be happy (EXCEPT JOKE'S ON YOU IF YOU GET ANY OF THE BAD ENDINGS BECAUSE THEY WILL STAB YOU STRAIGHT IN THE HEART). Seriously though, I am in love with how Q and Milo's relationship is portrayed and they are just so sweet and I love how it gradually builds over the course of the game and every time something cute happens between them I just wanted to DIE. Which then makes some of the final endings THAT MUCH MORE satisfying and made my heart so happy I seriously love them. (AND OFC THE SECRET ENDING TOO WHICH IS HAPPY IN A DIFFERENT WAY BUT I WON'T SAY ANYTHING MORE TO SPOIL ITTTTTTTTT)
Um what else what else. THE ART OF COURSE. THERE'S SO MUCH ART IN THIS BABY IT'S BASICALLY CHOCK-FULL OF GORGEOUS ART. From the delightful sprites to all the gorgeous CGs! Especially towards the end when they're just coming at you BAM BAM BAM so fast you have to hold your breath! I feel like all of my favorites are the soft dark ones, like the ones in Q's bed or the ones where Q is sad (OR THE VERY CUTE ONES WITH Q AND MILO) they're just so beautiful and expressive and make the characters come to life so much. EXCEPT THEY'RE ALREADY SO ALIVE BECAUSE OF ALL THE WONDERFUL EXPRESSIONS AND ANIMATION OF THE SPRITES????
Then of course. THE MUSIC. THE MUSIC IS AN ABSOLUTE DELIGHT. It's all original and all adds so much energy and intensity to every single scene. AND THE CINEMATOGRAPHY. AND THE MINI GAMES??? There's so many unique little aspects in here, like the magic mini games, the parts where you have to walk through buildings with maps. They all add so much and really pull you into the world (and sometimes make you so scared for the chars at the same time laksdjfa).
SOME OF THE CHOICES ARE SO INTENSE like... literally some of the choices you make will send the game down completely different paths that will have your heart breaking ESPECIALLY ONE CERTAIN ONE THAT MADE ME WANT TO LIE DOWN ON MY COUCH AND SOB. I highly recommend after you play through to the end in one version you go back and try a variety of other options, because there's so much other content buried in here and more story to unlock and more character lore and tidbits. From a completely different way path you can take (WILL YOU CONFESS OR NOT??? YOU BETTER CHOOSE RIGHT) to also things like being able to choose a different area of magic to focus on, which will introduce you to new characters, etc. There's just so much!!!
GUH. I COULD TALK ABOUT THIS FOREVER.
But truly. The final part of this game is just like, the final icing on top of this masterpiece. And it brings everything together so well while also introducing all these fun new little paths. I couldn't stop thinking about it for weeks after I played through everything lakdjfasd
SO PLEASE JUST PLAY THIS. IT'S SUCH A WONDERFUL GAME. And you can tell so much heart and soul and love and passion was put into it. Its characters are just so wonderful and so complex and make you feel like you want to just dive in and be a part of this world and be their friends. ALSO JUST WANNA DIVE IN SO I CAN DO MAGIC?? HELLO???? Sign me up for a secret society of magic!! (And then I can say hello to Penny lakdjfaksd)
WEEP I'M RAMBLING NOW
But seriously. Just an absolutely fantastic VN and one of my all-time favs!! I'm ecstatic that it's finished now and I was able to see how all these chars that I've come to know and love were able to finish their stories!! 🥰
Awwww, that's such a sweet comment, I couldn't dream of a better review 😭💕 Thank you so much for sticking around throughout this journey, it wouldn't be the same without you 🤧💦💦💕
Finally finished part 1 and 2!! I wanted to wait until I was done playing both parts to leave a comment. I'm glad I could do it before the end of 2023, hehe.
BOY, WHERE DO I EVEN BEGIN???? This is such a wonderful game in so many ways!!!
First of all, the art is GORGEOUS and don't even get me started on the animations and programming!!! Everything feels so cinematic, it's as if I was watching a movie, at times!! It makes the story so much more immersive and captivating, I honestly can't stress this enough, it's SO GOOD!!!
I especially love how you added tables at certain times, so that the characters' sprites would sit and eat together (or even just chat, like when Q is at the cafe working on his laptop and chatting with June). The spells and portals showing up was FUCKING AWESOME as well and, gosh, don't even get me started on the flying broom scene, it's so MAGICAL!!!
Something that I also love to death about this game is how it's mostly dialogue and there aren't as many descriptive parts; only when Q's describing a part of a flashback. I love when games AND books do this. It reminds me of this book called "The kiss of the spider woman", which is essentially a book that only has dialogue save for the last part. But when a visual novel does this? Gosh, it's even better. I just LOVE when visual novels make the most of the medium and make things so cinematic. It adds a certain flavor that's usually not there but, when it is, it makes everything better. I admit I'm biased, though lmao.
Now, let's talk about the characters. GOD, THE CHARACTERS. I love them SO MUCH!! They are all so unique, I love how you can tell who's talking even if you don't look at their sprites!! Their personalities are very distinct and, no pun intended, enchanting!! Even the characters that aren't supposed to be likeable are interesting; the lore is so rich that I want to know more about everyone!! Q, Milo and June are definitely my favorites, though. They're just too wonderful not to love.
Even with some things that would obviously not be possible for me to relate to, because SPOILERS, I found Q and Milo to still be really relatable in a whole lot of ways.
When it comes to Q, his social awkwardness, his struggles with self-confidence, his hate for crowded places and annoying people who pester him about being in a relationship and his fear of rejection rang very close to home.
When it comes to Milo, what can I say, I'm a big sucker for alchemy LMAO so I can't help but relate to their love of transmutation magic andtheir love of cheesecake! But I felt especially close to their wish for someone to love them as they are instead of forcing ideals and fantasies onto them. It's so true, sometimes people just want you to be someone you're not and I share Milo's view about preferring to be alone rather than with someone who can't accept them as they are.
Now, for the story... just, WOW. They had us on the first half, not gonna lie LMAO. I expected some drama but I was NOT prepared for what I experienced (and I mean this in the best way possible). It started all pretty wholesome with a little bit of magic here and there, a liiiitle big of drama... and then BOOM the first plot twist came around and I was just like "DID IT REALLY JUST WENT THAT ROUTE???". A lot of things started to make so much more sense after that and dksbgdksjgbjks words are not enough to express just how invested I am in the story because HOLY SHIT.
[WARNING, HUGE SPOILERS BELOW]
I love the way the 1st plot twist was done 'cause it's not out of nowhere. There were little hints given here and there throughout all of part 1 but not in a way that screams "I'm intentionally avoiding mentioning stuff to appear more mysterious" but rather "I'm just going to make you think Q's an introverted and stressed out programmer that's also most definitely going through grief and use awkward silences to make it seem like he's just nervous and clueless, but he actually knows more than he lets on". I FELL IN THE TRAP.
Now, T's introduction!!! Gosh, I won't deny that the cute interactions between him and Q made me smile a lot, but I also felt really bad for Q. As much as they loved each other, their relationship had a couple of red flags... especially on T's part. I feel like T most definitely loved Q in the same way Q loved him, but T seemed to be ashamed of how being seen as gay or bi might "damage his reputation", which, yeah... that's no bueno, T, my dude.
It's also so tragic how that's the last conversation they had too. It's no wonder Q fell into such deep despair. The way he also loses the "anime shine" in his eyes when he, presumably, falls into depression... god, it broke my heart in a million pieces.
Not to mention the OTHER plot twist about what the DATES meant all along!!! I was a bit confused about them, at first, but when it's revealed that it's the days that went by since T's death... jesus christ, I feel so bad for Q and want to hug him forever.
Also, this is probably obvious from the tweets I made of this game but, gosh, I'm all on board for the Q and Milo ship!!! I love them so much, their chemistry is so good!!! Their romantic scenes just put a huge smile on my face and I'm really looking forward to seeing how their relationship develops further!!
Not gonna lie, I'm usually not a big fan of the "will they won't they" trope when it's from BOTH sides; especially since it makes me react similar to June xD BUT, I think it works here because of Q's real identity and because of Milo's fear of people wanting them for someone they aren't.
I'm a bit crushed on the note that Q was basically hit like a ton of bricks when Milo said the word 'abominable'. I hope he still finds the courage to tell them the truth... though it's looking more and more like the big reveal will be accidental and I'm scared aaaaahhhh sdkjgbskjgb!!!
ANYWHO, this was a mega long comment LMAO but I just couldn't help but ramble on and on because of how much I loved the game. I'm looking forward to part 3!!
kkfsldkf;sd; what a wonderful comment, thank you so much for taking the time to write all of this, I'm so happy you enjoyed the story and found the characters relatable. 🥺💕 I've put a lot of my own experiences into the game so it always means a lot when they resonate with players. ^^
I'm glad you liked the animations! I'll admit I dropped the narration because I wasn't confident I could write it well and I've always felt a little self-conscious about it. 😅 So it warms my heart that you considered the lack of it something positive. ^^ It did force me to show all relevant actions and items on the screen (and it's a lot more work to draw and program all the additional assets) but I do like this format and I think it works well for the setting (with all the floating items and brooms and stuff).
Ah yes, the trap! 🤭 I always love reading about people's reactions when they first experience the twist lol. The best thing about Part One (IMO) is there are a lot of things that can be read differently based on how much you know about the plot. (so if you played it again, you could see some lines or even scenes in a completely different light) It was both a treat and a challenge to write, and I was constantly worried about slipping in too much info. 😅
Anyway! Thank you again for playing and for the sweet words, I can't express how happy it made me. 🥺💕 (and I hope you'll enjoy Part Three, too)
I finally caught up to the end of part 2!! I had to restart from the beginning because apparently I didn't save when i finished part 1???? which i don't quite understand bc i feel like i WOULD have saved when i finished part 1 but whatever lol I caught up eventually
Gotta say though! As little as she appears Iris is my favorite character now lol! Asshole characters are easy for me to glom on to (and the fact that she's named Iris certainly helps: she's the second character named Iris I've look at and gone "i like you despite knowing nothing greatly substantial about you") and her brief appearances were both funny but also I would so love to learn more about her haha (and I get the feeling she's related to Lawrence? which would make me side-eye her a little bc of Lawrence's, uh, conservative bratty behavior, but im hoping she doesn't share those sentiments based on what little i saw of her)
I love the bad endings you've got set-up! It was really interesting to see how far you'd take them! The scene of Milo's blood being shown under the ruins of Q's trap was also pretty impactful. Really felt like a "oh shit this is the consequence of my actions" kind of moment. Also Q doing questionable things like killing the homeless guy (I see where he comes into the plot now, RIP random NPC :'D) in order to keep his former allies from coming after him and protecting Milo a little more,,, very much like the intrigue and guilt on Q's conscience and how he struggles with that around those who've been treating him relatively decently
The quicks thing was interesting! I love that little world-building detail and how that explains Milo's butterfly attraction! I know it was discussed in canon a little but I wonder if Q's quirk relates to the bad endings and that's why he can't really realize the quick he has? Because his quirk is to pull himself back in time or something? Granted, I think that's stuff that's too OP to be a quirk based on how the cast described it but if Q DOES have a quirk im not sure what else to guess as i can't recall him activating anything out of the ordinary (except maybe the ability to get people to trust him even when he's doing and saying shady things gfjfgj)
and then T!! It was good to learn more about him! He was a question I had in my mind since part 1 so it was great to see more on him and his relationship with Q (and the fact their ship name could potentially be Q-T cracks me up). I think Milo is a much better partner for Q then T was, but definitely I can see why Q fell for T and why he was drawn to T and so heartbroken over his death. I was honestly expecting to end part 2 with seeing T somehow pop up and be like "hey guess what i've been in the magical society all this time and just disguised my body the same way you did so no one would guess im still alive" but alas TwT.
All things considered, at least Q is slowly getting a new home with June + Wren and the rest and finding love with Milo (as messy as it's been so far with his, uh, previous employment). Very curious to see how you're going to wrap up the confrontation of Q vs. the very people he ran away from! Also,,, I'm so curious to know if there's a deeper reason why Milo is targetted (And why do I think it has to do with the fact they want to bring their teacher back to life? and - on that note - is that teacher actually Q's mother and it's actually his former leader (whom I noticed calls Q his "son") who has a vendetta against Milo for getting Q's mom/his wife killed? Maybe that's just a conspiracy theory but that would kind of answer a lot of the reoccurring questions I've had on why it's Milo in particular that got targeted (and on another note...maybe T's death has something to do with Milo's teacher and her death? Thoughts are being had here...))
Anyways!! Part 2 left me with a lot of thoughts as to the deeper workings of the plot but i loved the deeper look we got at Q and his former employment in particular! It was very fascinating to look at him and his rather flawed relationship with T and how to happens to reflect on Milo as his new love interest (and Milo's def a better match for Q in my mind haha), hope to see more :Dc
Thank you so much for playing and for the kind words 🥺💕 (you could've told me about the save, i'd have sent you a file to load 😅)
Aww, I'm happy to see some Iris appreciation 🥰 I had a lot of fun writing her bickering with Milo and some of her lines still crack me up every time. And the thing about Iris is, yes, she's mean but she also usually has a point. (and yes, she'll be back with more mean comments and some backstory) (though how much will depend on your school choice 🤔) (also, good eye, that's all I'm going to say 😏)
I'm happy you liked the bad endings! There'll be more (and worse 💕) ^^ I feel like the bad choices shape the story just as much as the good ones and they help you see a broader picture. I know most people don't want to see the bad endings for various reasons, but I love mine very much 🫠 (and I recommend getting at least a few to get a taste of what could've been ^^)
Wow, these are some THEORIES, i love them 🤭💕 I can't confirm nor deny if you're right or not, everything will be resolved in Part Three ^^ (hopefully, in a satisfying way) I will say though, that Reed calling Q 'son' has more to do with their positions than anything else (I think it's not uncommon for superiors to use it with their subordinates to shorten the gap or seem more compassionate).
Thank you again for taking the time to play and write this up, I'm happy you liked it 🥰 (also, could you put a spoiler warning on the comment? just in case someone wants to take a peek before playing 😅)
"WTF YOU DIDN'T TELL ME [REDACTED] WAS A JERKFACE????"
"HELP HOW CAN YOU MAKE US MAKE THIS CHOICE RIGHT OFF THE BAT???"
"Well ofc I am not making THAT choice"
"Omg Q really is so intense isn't he GOSH??? lkdjfads"
"OK this part is pretty cool"
"STOP BEING A JERKFACE SERIOUSLY"
"kiss them kiss them kiss them kiss them NOOOOO"
"DO I ASK FOR JUNE'S HELP??? I DON'T KNOW??? I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO???"
"I need her help ljdsfkasd"
"OK warming up slight to [REDACTED] but still don't like how he treats Q,,,,,,,"
"Ummmmmmm ofc I will choose transmutation AS IF THERE'S ANOTHER CHOICE?"
"Omg who is this dude-bro dkljafsld"
"UM ofc I will pet the kitty"
"WHO IS THIS JERKFACE???"
"SOBBING SOBBING SOBBING DRUNK MILO"
"hlkdjflaksdjfLKFEJWLAKFJSDLKFjldskfjasldkfjadkj MILO IS SO CUTE IN THE HELP OMG MY HEART IS BEATING OS FAST????"
"Ohhhh the cute picture from Milo's past <3"
"OK I did kinda assume something like this would happen with [REDACTED]............. unsure how I feel. I feel very sad for Q but also that last scene was so heartbreaking so I am so conflicted adlkjfald"
"THAT'S THE END NOOOO????'
"WHAT ABOUT THE BALL??? I WANT TO SEE THE BALL??? fine make me wait... WEEP"
OK but seriously more actually coherent notes.
AND JUST IN CASE THERE WILL BE SOME VAGUE SPOILERS BELOW FOR ANYONE READING though I will try to keep from mentioning anything directly/in detail where possible to still keep it more vague:
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....
....
....
OK. I did take my time with it a bit more as I wanted to make sure I didn't rush anything alkdjfad AND I LOVED IT SO MUCH??? Gosh this took me on so many trips. Ups and downs all over the place. MILO IS SERIOUSLY SUCH A CUTIE?? HOW COULD YOU MAKE US MAKE THOSE KINDS OF DECISIONS?? I really enjoyed the choices that popped up in this part and am also so curious now how much things WOULD actually affect the story if I had picked other ones?? (but also I would be too heartbroken to choose some of them I think dlakfjds) I really enjoyed the further build up of Q's feelings for Milo. Especially like, how he also questions so much, especially after learning about the quirk, since it's true, he did make quite a big life-altering decision based on these feelings of his???? I thought the cover-up was so clever and I really enjoyed how you set all of that up, while also giving us so many more details about the world and magic in the process.
THE FLASHBACKS. Because of course we need to talk about those. I still cannot decide how I feel about T. On the one hand, some of the scenes with him and Q were quite cute, but on the other hand, it feels like he's just using Q, especially in some of the lines where he made Q promise not to see anyone else... it just felt a bit smarmy jdkfajda but maybe that's just me feeling very protective of Q. Though it makes complete sense to me why Q is so attached to him. Learning more about how isolated and cold their life is and how they really only have each other as any form of connection... I really enjoy these glimpses into all this stuff that's happening, THOUGH I STILL HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS?? LIKE WHAT IS EVEN THEIR ULTIMATE GOAL? WHAT ARE THEY TRYING TO DO? WHY DO THEY HAVE THESE RECRUITS?? So I'm getting more and more curious about when a lot of these questions will finally be revealed lkadjfads and I definitely feel like this is not the last time that T will come up in general, especially given some of the vague-ness about what might have actually happened to him. Makes me all Curious and Piqued LKDAJFLSAD Mostly though I just really want to protect and love Q ------ AND LET HIM AND MILO BE HAPPY TOGETHER BECAUSE THEY'RE SERIOUSLY SO CUUUUUTE. I LITERALLY ALMOST DIED AND HAD TO STOP AND BRING MY HANDS TO MY MOUTH DURING THE BED SCENE. MILO WAS LITERALY SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO CUTE IN THE BED I WEPT. godddddddddddd HAVING A MOMENT. I just. I think they are Neat LOL And of course I will use all my Power of Choice to ensure they are able to live Happily with each other as much as possible LOL
Loved also getting more insight into some of the other students and teachers and general goings-on in the society!! For instance, uh.... CRAP I forgot his name. The dude-bro in the transmutation lab LOL I enjoyed him (despite apparently not remembering his name...) I really want to learn and see even more of this behind-the-scenes type stuff as you've got this really amazing world and I'm just SO INTRIGUED about all of it AHHHHHHH.
Ok ok ok ,,,,, UMMMM THE PARTY. LOVED THE PARTY. Loved the cat. LOVED BEATING UP THAT GUY??? The mini games were a lot of fun in this part. Using the power of my Fingers to land punches HAHAH that was so great. Felt very justified (I will do anything in my power to protect Milo dlkajdslfka). The CGs were absolutely LOVELY in this part. I loved every single one of them. Music was EXCELLENT. Pacing was AMAZING. Godd I need to stop just shouting out random words or something I JUST REALLY LOVED IT OK???
I will try to bring this rambling to a stop.
EVERYONE SHOULD PLAY THIS. The characters are just absolutely lovable and your heart will get pulled from one way to the next. Some of the most amazing art I've ever seen. Gorgeous level of immersion. You will not want to stop the story and will cry when you reach the end of part 2 screen!! I'm really so so curious how my decisions are going to affect everything and I'm really hoping that I chose the right ones AHHHHHH. OH YEAH I LOVED WREN'S LITTLE PART IN THIS. The scene with him and Q in the chairs at the party was somehow very nice and I enjoyed it a lot. Also some of the lines there made me like.... ???? There is some history here??? That got me very Piqued, as well. (AND THEN I ALMOST DIED WHEN MILO SAT IN Q'S LAP ALDKJFALKSD)
Ok ok ok I kept rambling but seriously. Just an absolutely excellent new chapter and I'm SO SO SO EXCITED for the next (and last??? i will weep). I love these characters and story and world SO much!! 💕
Ghhhhhhghgh I loved the reactions, thank you for the laugh
🤭💕
I admit T is a bit of a jerk but I love him very much nonetheless, haha. 😅 He does care about Q (which I hope is evident in the game) but he's got his reasons for acting like he does. (and that includes being young and stupid lol) (Also, believe it or not, he used to be A LOT worse in the first versions of the script 🫠)
But I'm delighted that you enjoyed all the Milo content 🥺 Quaint is a love story at its core and what love story would it be if there were no moments that made your heart go "!!!!", right? ^^ So this is reassuring and it makes me very happy that you liked those scenes 💕
And don't worry, once you get past the cover-up thing, there are no objectively bad choices that would backfire later on. (not in part two, at least) The school choice is the most weighty of them all, and affects a lot of things along the way, some of the endings included. (and fun fact: I wouldn't call it canon, but I'd personally choose practical magic for Q ^^) (Also, I would encourage you to make those bad choices in a separate file if you have the time ^^ I like my bad endings just as much as the good ones 😏🤭)
Thank you for playing and for the wonderful comment, I'm very happy you liked it 🥰
Hi! I just played part 2 and wanted to leave my feedback!
So, first of all, I still enjoyed how interactive everything was (the fight was a particularly fun moment), how polished everything was: the music was great, the illustrations were beautiful (you outdid yourself with the lighting!), and the way the plot developed was very interesting too (literally, you set up the stalker during part 1 and I wasn't expecting this pay-off, it was so great and interesting)!
Now, I'll try to mention more things, but for anyone reading this, it's spoilers, haha! But for anyone reading this, PLAY IT, IT'S SO GOOD, IT'S AMAZING, IT'S POLISHED, IT'S BEAUTIFUL, AND THE PLOT!!!!!!!!! THE PLOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So:
- I really love how you tackled Milo's gender identity, and I enjoyed the way their backstory developed. Their conflict between a past they want to fix and a present in which they are whom they've been wanting to be was very interesting to read and play! You tackled the topic with grace and intelligence. I'll go further on LGBTQ+ issues when we tackle T's case!
- Regarding Milo, I have so many conflicted feelings about them as a love interest, aaaaah!!!! They make me squeak and giggle, but sometimes, they make me sometimes feel uncomfortable for some reason with the way they act with Q (the exam thing sends shivers down my spine frvgfb), and yet I want to protect them because they are precious and wholesome and charming and yet I wonder why they are a target, what have they done??????????
- Similar thoughts for T, gosh, I was so tormented!!!! I could tell he sincerely loved Q but that social norms prevent him to embrace this love. And YET, he is so horrible with him!! By never reciprocating his feelings, by being possessive because he still loves him and yet he would allow himself to sleep around and yet he stops doing so because he realises it's not the kind of relationship he wants with Q and that he wants more and yet he won't accept it?? I think you pinpointed perfectly the complications of "bi-curious" relationships!! You really twisted my feelings in the most painful yet relevant way!
- I LOVED Q. I can't emphasise it enough. I loved the reflections about blindly following orders you brought thanks to him in the bad endings! But, god???? The way he falls in love? It was so touching!!!! Really, his dedication to those he has feelings for, the way he perceives himself unworthy because of his indeed questionable actions... So, congrats, I do LOVE him!!!!!
- Special mention to June, I kinda enjoyed seeing her being mad at Q for not taking her advice. It kinda reminded me of my frustration when some friends would vent about the same problems and never actually apply the advice I give... I'll admit I never spoke as harshly as June, so it was kinda cathartic haha! And another mention for Vale, I r-really like him...
Overall, it was a STELLAR experience, and I had a lot of fun!!! The mystery goes broader, the tension is SO HIGH, I want to know more, I want to see all the endings! I explored all the scenes, all the variations because I was hooked, and didn't want to give up on the story and the characters already!!!!!!! And the conclusion wasn't as plot-twisty as the conclusion of the first part, but it was so sad (in a good way)!!!!!!!!! Aaaaah, congrats Hiro!!!!!!! If I could give a second 5-star rating for this, I would, but itch won't let me somehow which is unfair!!!!!!!! A steal, for all I can say!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for releasing this!!
EDIT: Also, I forgot to mention, but the mirroring between Q's fake death and T's death... Interesting... And now I have theories, aaah!!!!
I'm so glad you enjoyed the characters! I love them all dearly but I feel like it's sometimes hard to convey the exact reasons in writing. Especially with Q, I'm always worried if he's likable enough as an MC (and Part One didn't have much room to really show him as a character for obvious reasons). So I'm delighted by your feedback 💕
(And on the other hand, i wouldn't want to make them too perfect, either, because perfect characters aren't interesting, right? But the fact that you felt conflicted about some aspects of them probably means that I succeeded ^^)
I really appreciate that you took the time to explore the different choices, too! I wanted to make sure that each alternative path adds a little something to the story (even if most people won't see it). ^^
Thank you so much again for the wonderful words, it really means a lot 🥰
I didn't expect the plot twist at the end of part 1 👀 And I have to say, as cute as Milo is, when I first saw Wren I wished he was romanceable (I still somewhat do), I like him as a character, but I understand that the plot needs otherwise.
Well, you have me fully invested in the game! You do make awesome stories 💖
Yeah, the story kinda limits who Q can end up with 😅 (and Wren is very much married to his job, too). BUT there will be a chance to get closer to him as a friend later on, so I hope that's something at least. ^^
Hey! I downloaded the first part a while ago but, hey, my computer being what it is, I had bugs with it! So, I took the matter in my own hands, finally fixed my computer and now I can review this first part of Quaint!
First of all, I have to APPLAUDE how polished everything is! The art, the GUI, the animations (!!!!!!), this game really is a treat! Really, that was great! Also, I have to say the world-building is excellent!!!! The spellcasting system is simple enough for us to understand yet it seems flexible enough to create a variety of spells. It was very consistent and it really worked extremely well! Also, a "spy/sci-fi" universe mixed with a "wizarding school" one is a surprisingly good mix!
Now, regarding the characters, I really loved June! She's a funny support character, and I loved reading her text discussions with Q! Also, Milo was adorable (I'll admit I've been put off by the "touching hands to discharge" although not necessary and them withholding this information from us, but hypersensitivity, hehe). But I really grew attached to them, to their quirks (the "escape my date" scene was funny) and to their objectives regarding what we learn towards the end of the part. Now, Quentin. Q. I'll admit I've had a bit of trouble with his consistency at first: he kinda seemed to be the skeptical one, but he didn't question June regarding magical stuff and so on. I think I told you that when I review your demo a while ago? But now that I've been SHAKEN by the plot twist at the end of the first part (I screamed "OH NO!!!!!!! PLEASE, NO!!!!!!!!!"), him not questioning it makes MUCH more sense! I also enjoyed his hard-working yet easily-flustered personality. Thematically, I also liked how you treated the confusion created by non-binarism (to say that it's normal to be confused at first, but being confused isn't an excuse not to be respectful) and how you treated the matter of homosexual folks being assumed heterosexual (and therefore forced into heteronormativity). Q's discomfort really sounded true to me. Also, I really didn't see the plot twist come. I'm trying to leave this review relatively spoiler-free so I won't expand too much, but it has made me VERY excited and it really raises the stakes for what will happen! Gosh, I wish I already knew frhur"jenjzrsj
So, this was a great first part, very polished and very professional! You did an amazing work and I'm more than eager to play more of Quaint! (but of course, take all your sweet time, we do not condone crunch here!!!!)
EDIT: it seems like the first part was release a month ago... WHAT HAVE I BEEN FIGHTING WITH THIS WHOLE TIME THEN???????
Aww, thank you so much for the sweet comment, I'm happy you enjoyed the game and liked the characters! 🥹💕 (The whole thing kinda hinges on whether you care what happens to them or not lol. 😅)
Q is a bit of a funny character because he puts on this mask when talking to others so the lines between how he presents and his actual personality are a little blurred. (But I hope the other things he says and does make more sense now, too. There are many little hints scattered throughout the game. ^^)
As for Part Two, it's already in the advanced stages of completion and should be ready to launch in the next two-three months. (ideally in time for Pride, but no promises here 😅) I can only hope it lives up to the hype, haha. ^^
Thank you so much once again, it makes me happy that you've found a moment to play despite the hurdles in your way. 🤭
Finally finished reading today! Here's some thoughts.
I can tell how much love you've been pouring into this... The attention to detail is like, genuinely heartwarming. The butterflies landing on Milo are probably my favorite example ahaha. That one sky scene was really beautiful as well! I was also really surprised that the load screen changes as you progress through the story!! It's a really nice touch.
I figured out the plot twist about 60% in, and was so excited to be right! I feel like you left just the right amount of clues that it was solvable, but not too obvious.
Milo ended up being my favorite. Them talking about reviving the dead while wearing the most stone-cold expression was probably the exact moment they really won me over haha.
I had an issue with fullscreen mode that caused the background to flicker to black at the end of every dialogue blip, almost like it was forcibly reloading it. I switched over to windowed mode and it went away. Just letting you know!
I can't wait to see where the story goes; I'll be looking forward to it!! :D
Thank you so much for giving it a try! I really did put a lot of work into it, so I really appreciate it. 🥰
So you figured it out, then! That's good, it probably means I did it right, haha. 😄 I think the balance between 'it's blatantly obvious what's going on' and 'that came out of the left field' is pretty hard to nail. (though I do love it when people are surprised by the end 🤭)
As for the screen flickering, it's most likely because of the display refresh rate of your pc. Some Ren'py games just cause this issue when in full-screen. Thank you for letting me know, though!
Anyway, thank you for the sweet comment, I hope that Part Two will not disappoint. 💕
Took me a bit more than I expected to finish the demo but man that plot twist. I was just about wondering if the guy outside of Q's window was the agent guy they were talking about when /that/ popped up as the last line instead and it's like,,, ahhHHHH I GET IT NOW
that poses the question though,,, who is Mr. Stalker I wonder??? One of the guys who can use magic and is sus of Q? Or a neutral party neither super secret government faction nor local magic gang? im curious of him now,,, esp. since i always tend to have a soft spot for potential neutral/third party factions,,,,,,,,,
there were definitely a lot of questions brought up in this that i can't wait to get answers for. Like why Milo in particular? Because they're trying to resurrect the dead? Also, T seems to be a past lover of Q's who's maybe dead? Or perhaps he was like Milo - someone Q had feels for but was his target in the end? gotta say it sounds like Q's job is less programmer and more a secret government agent which,,, in hindsight that all clicks together but not until after the reveal did i really guess that fjhfgjhgf
It was nice to see your cast in context though! Milo was different than I expected (i thought they'd be more of an outright prankster but instead they're pretty chill which, nice). I can't help but wonder if their butterfly attraction motif is a result of them having their teacher's magic since butterflies are commonly associated with life or if that passive ability has a deeper meaning (like perhaps being used to scout information as creations they made?). Wren was very fun to see! For some reason I thought Penny was going to be capable of communicating with the cast so i was surprised to see her hiss instead gfjhfghj but I def do love her and Wren and his little threat to Q not to hurt Milo (which, oof,, OOF,,, Q's screwed isn't he if he goes through with The Plan). And poor June too,,, dealing with all those Karens,,,
I really find it curious though that Milo seems to be, for lack of better words here, the star of the society,, like everyone loves them and wants to see the best for them but then there's Q with that kill order and it's like,,, oh,,,, if Q kills Milo he's going to get quite the reckoning lmao
a bit of rambling but i like the set-up you've got going here for the ramifications of what will happen if Q decides to kill Milo (meanwhile, I wonder what the repercussions will be for failing his job? Perhaps part 2 will explore that??) and also a little glimpse into what might be a bigger plot with magic society vs. Q's employers?
regardless,,, this was a very fun playthrough and i enjoyed all the art and work you put into it! It definitely feels like something you put your heart and soul into and I can't wait to see more of how the plot unravels now that the reason for Q's dilemma is out of the bag ^^
Thank you so much for playing and for writing this all out! It makes me very happy that you enjoyed it. 🥰
I'm delighted you've picked up on so many things in the plot and I can say you're on the right track for quite a few. 👀 (Part Two will address the majority of it, too, with different consequences for whatever choices are made along the way. 😏)
I'm glad you liked the cast! Milo is definitely not much of a prankster but rather someone who causes trouble by doing whatever the heck they want. (And they get away with it, too. 🤭)(At least most of the time.)
Anyway, thank you again, and I hope Part Two can meet your expectations when it comes out. 💕
I honestly love everything about this. The story? Fun! Intriguing! Cute! The characters? Extremely lovable! Adorable! Full of personality! This is like... everything you could want in a queer fantasy story tbh GODDDDD.
I had the pleasure of playing the demo before this, so I already had an idea of what I was diving into character-wise, but with part 1, it goes so much further, and I really got to learn more about the world and the characters (AND THE CUTE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN Q AND MILO). I love the setup of a mysterious secret magic society so much. And watching Q struggle but slowly learn things was so much fun, especially given his general belligerence to most things.
Favorite character is Milo hands down. THEY ARE SIMPLY TOO ADORABLE?? Every scene with them made me want to weep giant salty tears. And I love love LOVE the slow build-up of what's going on with them and Q. Also love that they're just so mysterious, too? Part 1 finally started to give us a few more details about them and their backstory, though I feel like there's still a whole lot left (and a whole lot of compliCATIONS left) in future parts djalfkdaj
The artwork is honestly gorgeous. The sprites are so full of life and emotion. They move so much! And all the expressions fit so perfectly well with the timed dialogue. It made it feel super immersive as I was reading. AND THE CGS!! God, they were so beautiful. I loved each and every one of them! Especially the ones with Milo,,, ;-; Like, overall, I would just say this whole game seeps with immersion. From the use of the sprites and their movements, to the sound effects, to the music—everything just feels very cinematic.
The mini games were also tons of fun!! I thought they were a really fun and creative way to bring in some interaction and actually feel like WE were learning some magic, too, which was really cool. (There's also a certain one I felt worked SO WELL as a surprise lead-in to a specific scene—it was done super well, especially after the way the previous mini games had gone. Just another aspect of how the game really immerses you!)
AND GAHHHHHH THE ENDING TO PART 1 I CAN'TTTTT. I was left slightly with my jaw agape, I will admit. WHAT A CLIFFHANGER LKADJFALSKD Gosh, now I'm already on pins and needles waiting to see what part 2 holds and what could possibly happen because it already feels like DRAMA CENTRAL (BUT DEAR GOD I WANT Q AND MILO TO BE ALL RIGHT ALDKJAFLD).
Anyway.... LOVE IT. ALL OF IT. EVERYONE SHOULD PLAY. If you like queer stories and magic and adorable fun characters, this will be right up your alley!!
Thank you so so so much for all the wonderful praise, it makes me happy beyond words that you found it fun and immersive, and that you liked the characters! 🥹💕
As for Part Two, I can say that there's still a lot to story to cover (and a lot to discover about Milo, so you're right about that ^^) and that it's probably my favorite among the three. There will be choices to be made and I promise that at least SOME of them will let both Milo and Q get out of it unscathed. ^^
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What a good game! I have yet to finish it (I have issues with heart pain that require me to pace myself in more emotional titles) but I've gotten pretty far in and wow, it's amazing! The minigames are well thought-out and fun, the story is engaging and has so many twists and turns, the characters are all believably written and engaging, and the art is simply stunning! The last part might actually be my favorite aspect of the game-- everything is gorgeous and the CGs are so, so stunning.
This game has been on my backlog for some time and I'm glad I've finally taken the time to play it! Thank you for making this 💖
Ohhhh thank you so much! This makes me very happy 🥺💕
I'm delighted that the art left a good impression! I tend to be a bit harsh on myself when it comes to visuals, so I always appreciate it when people like them. It's a little confidence boost 🤭
Hope you enjoy the rest of it, too! 🫶 (at your own pace ofc, there are some intense moments down the road haha)
Spoilers??
I'm in the middle of the game, and I am looking for a way to punch a character through a screen because T is an insecure, toxic, b/tch boy. The game is amazing so far. I love the name Milo, and I'm happy an angel like them has the name.
fjslkfjsflsk that's a very valid response to T, i respect that 😆 (maybe there's a demand for a T punching simulator? 🤔)
i'm happy you're enjoying the game tho! 💕
I just got to the "Kiss Them" option and can't thank you enough!! Milo is so cute, I feel like I'm making them happy by making the right decisions for Q. Also, I noticed how characters sometimes look at us instead of Q throughout the game 😂
Oh, never mind. Iris just had to be there 😭
YES, Iris will be Iris haha (but everything in due time! 😇)
I just got all the endings. It's one of the best games I've played so far. I got the ending "A" on the first try, and it's my best ending. Thank you so much for the game! I hope your pillow is always cold and you get the most delicious cakes ever.
In all honesty, I started this game with a lot of doubts abut it's quality. But never have I ever seen and/or played such a good game on itch.io before! Nor do I believe I will find anything comparable anytime soon, that was a piece of art, and I think it might have changed my life in the better (might be overreacting but it's partially true). LOVED YOUR WORK!!! wish to see another game from you soon. <3
10/10 game i love the sillies but
HOW DO YOU SAVE HOLY SHOES IM STUPID
EDT: IT'S THE ESCAPE BUTTON, GANG
You can also right-click on the mouse! ^^
HOW COULD I FORGET!!!
I AM TAKING AND WHEN I SAY I AM TAKING IT WORD FROM WORD BRICK BY BRICK ATOM BY ATOM.
im taking Milo's "vows" if thats what you want to call it. It was short but beautiful, I felt like he was saying it to me. Im going to incorporate this into my own wedding vows when I have one AND (hopefully i dont forget) I WILL BE SENDING PICTURES AND MBY A VIDEO OF ME SAYING THOSE VOWS.
I SWEAR. Especially since it explains how I truly feel about my partner (i don't have one but ik their out there somewhere loll) ( i can feel it in my bBONESSS)
PLEASE CONTINUE UR GREAT WORK. EVEN IF SOME PROJECTS NEED FUNDING. ID GREATLY GIVE YOU ALL OF MY MONEY.
okay bye bye loll <3
fdjflksjlfksjdlf you put the biggest grin on my face with these comments, i loved reading through everything 🥺💕
omg i'd be so honored if you made those lines into vows kflsdkflsskf this makes me so happy fr 😭💕 and honestly, comments like yours are payment enough, no money necessary 👌 (also, please get some rest if you need it 🙏)
Yeah this game is honestly great, haven't seen anything worthwhile in a minute other than a game called mannequin academy. Props to you!
Even though its gonna be some years b4 i get married (gotta deal with college 1st) , i promise to use these lines. i even have it wrote down lol.
I was gonna say sleep is for the weak, but imma have to be weak today LOL. I'll just save where im at and continue tonight haha. <3
PLEASE DONT MIND MY SPELLING <3
archivist is pretty scary when angry hehe. i think ill stick to the coffee and pastries for now.......
OKAY i got ONE good ending but lets talk about the details but not in detail loll (i need to finish the game IM TOO INVESTED) Q's shirt is 9 IN JAPANESE (OMG DUOLINGO LESSONS HAVE BEEN PAYING OFF) also Q=kyu (THE PRONOUNCIATION|Im so smart... :D) their numbers are totaling 9. I wondered why milo picked 135 as his number.
how many days has T been gone (love that detail witht he days) i was so shocked to go back to day 1 and all of the other days at that.
im too lazy to go in dept with all the details lol (im running off of no sleep here)
anyways, milo and Q are such a great match: Even tho their lives are quiet different from each other, they're also very similar which compliments them. (i did have more to say but I forgot lolll)
AH YES
even tho i havent finished the game (yet)
i really feel like bad ending 4 is the true ending of the game. i dont think any other endings can top it as heartbreaking as it is. I reall do wish the best for Q and Milo, but that ending just feels right.
Even though that tragic event had to happen to Q. I'd gladly take Milo's hand in marriage. ;)
ALSO IM SO GLAD I GOT MY HANDS ON THAT MICRO DUDE. I KNEW I HAD A REASON TO NOT LIKE HIM AND WELL WELL WELL....he got what was coming. even tho i promised milo, i had to do it for my sake.
okay done rambling for now :D
HEY
It's also quite funny how I was planning to do wren's ending first but ended up doing milo's because he took me by first glance (even tho i wanted to do transmutation without knowing he'd be the one over it from the start. I guess you could say his powers worked their way through the screen.
enough of my yapping. im going back to get the rest of the endings.
Spoilers if you havent read content warnings: PLEASE GO READ THEM. Ik some ppl don't. I did so i knew what was coming but it gets you in your feelings and trigger some things (for me it did| still a great game tho) GO READ!!!!
|More serious business below
Not done with the game yet but...mannn "fate worse than death" ending just. wow. reminded me of three songs: Billie Eillish: What was I made for. Billie Eillish: Everything I wanted. And Rex Orange County: Best Friend.
So far I've gotten most of the bad endings (on purpose ofc). I believe I have one more left. Then on to happier endings...hopefully.
I love each of these characters and I can mostly relate to Milo.
Love Your work!!!
Please make more like this one. Very interesting and I like how it doesn't only focus on 18+ things like most visual novels. <3
|Billie Eillish: Everything I wanted
Line from this song which perfectly explains this ending:
If I knew it all then would I do it again...would I do it again?
My soul absolutely crushed for Q at the graveyard scene.
Anyways...Great Job!!! Dev team! 100000000000/10
Maybe I'll come back and talk about the Good endings or one of them like this one..idk. This one just hit hard for me since I can relate. :)
Edit: HEY I FORGOT ABOUT THE DETAILSSS:
like the load/save screen when the time changes...its a bar code and back to the snakes on the sword during present times... sooo cool. Can't wait to spot more!
Aw, thank you for the sweet words and your thoughts about the game, I'm happy you're enjoying it ^^
So you're doing the bad endings first, I like that! And THAT ending in particular, yeah 😅 I'm very fond of that one, despite how soul-crushing it is (and even with such a bad ending, things can still be fixed so I hope that's what can be taken away from the game 🥺)
I'm glad you like the changing menus! The Organization and the Society have such different vibes that I felt they deserved different interfaces. ^^ (and there's definitely more little details to find 👌)
Anyway, thank you for the comment, it really brightened my day 🥰
got a problem with the main server access during the inflitration, no matter what I type it always give a unknown command reply and I can't go forward
Hi! Okay, so what have you tried so far? Typing in 'get_server_status' should get the first task off the list and as for the others, you should put whatever you're looking for in place of the [resource] (without the parenthesis). (you also don't have to do them in order, btw)
Thanks I was using the parenthesis/bracket. and Thank you for the amazing game too!
Ahhhh, I see. 😅 Glad I could help tho! And thank YOU for playing! 🥺💕
Part 2/2 because I wrote too much:
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Overall Themes/Concepts
Quaint covers a lot of concepts, but overall it's a story of healing - about recovering from abuse, about overcoming grief, about learning to love yourself. One thing that I especially liked about it was how NECESSARY and intertwined the romance was with these themes. Q was conditioned at a young age to unconditionally obey the organization in a twisted, toxic relationship (by his OWN FATHER, no less). Moreover, while in the Organization, Q's relationship with T was wholesome, but it was a bit twisted too, as T used him purely for physical purposes (at least initially). In the current time period, Q is introduced to a friendly group (the Society) that teaches him how to use magic with kindness and understanding, and Milo, unlike T, openly expresses his care and affection for Q.
The romance is VERY necessary for Q's character arc, since so much of his development is about accepting that he can and deserves to be loved, just as he is - without having to "earn it." When Q finally accepts Milo's love, he also forgives himself - overcoming his guilt and insecurities.
I also like how perfect of a love interest Milo is for Q. Like I mentioned before, their personalities are a good match - but their backgrounds are also similar. They're both struggling to recover from the loss of a loved one, unable to move past it. Milo spends years trying to bring their teacher back to life, and Q counts the days since T's death, trying to keep him alive. Although Milo appears to be self-confident and is no stranger to romantic entanglements, it becomes clear later on that they doubt they will ever experience genuine love, both because of their gender identity and their quirk, which "charms" the people around them. Milo's fragility is really apparent in Bad Ending 4, when they close themself off completely after experiencing rejection. In this way, Milo heals Q, but Q also heals Milo. It's a heartwarming reciprocity that plays well into the themes of the story.
A lot of the bad endings are really fleshed out and play into the themes of guilt, love, and forgiveness in thought-provoking ways. In particular I enjoyed the ending where Q ends up killing Milo (Ending 1, I believe?) and Ending 4. In both cases, Q's guilt (either at killing Milo or rejecting them) leads to his self-destruction. In Ending 4 in particular, Q's denial of his feelings leads them both down a downward, self-destructive spiral of self-hatred. (Although I found the ending with Milo quite touching, where they remembered all the little things they loved about Q, which reignites their emotions. And of course, Bad Ending 4 leads to Ending S!)
I really enjoyed how intricately themes of identity and sexuality were weaved into the story. Q was abused and groomed to be a killer, but at the same time the Organization shamed him for his sexuality and stripped him of his identity (referring to him only by a number). When he rebelled against the Organization to pursue a relationship with T, that was also Q accepting his own sexuality and desires. At the same time, while Milo isn't defined by their identity, it is an integral part of their character and the way they view their relationships and the world around them. They're used to being judged and being put into "categories" - that, combined with their charm quirk, causes them to suspect people's interest in them, which has prevented them from forming meaningful romantic relationships. Their previous partner, Lawrence, tried to force them to be a "girl," after all - and they're only able to trust again when they meet Q, who accepts them wholly without judgment.
Ending S
I'll admit, at first I was a little torn on Ending S. In a lot of ways, it feels too good to be true. T arrives back in Q's life, fixes his problems, and whisks him away to a life where he doesn't need to deal with anything - including Milo's emotional lobotomy, the Organization, and June and Wren's newfound hatred. T urges Q to prioritize and love himself, and Q just...drops everything to focus on himself. In the end, Q and T are still on good terms with the Society, so I suppose that everything worked out - the Society somehow dealt with the Organization, June (at least) forgave Q, and Q is at least on speaking terms with Milo.
Initially I thought that this ending was just too easy - Q doesn't have to take any accountability, he doesn't need to face any consequences for his actions or deal with the abusers from his past. However, the more I thought about it, the more I liked this ending. In a way, it's just another reflection of how someone can deal with their trauma/abuse. You don't always need to confront your abuser/directly confront your past (like in the Milo endings) - sometimes you just need to forget and move on, to live your life freely without being burdened by the things that happened to you. So in that way, I found Ending S to be a satisfying conclusion! Moreover, it's meaningful that you need to play through the game once and see Q's suicide to get it - it hammers home how terrible Q's mental state is, and how much he really just needs a break, to put it mildly. (And I assume the S simultaneously stands for Secret and Sunshine, which is very cute! It's also the letter before T, so it's almost like Q is "going back in time" - to before a time where the grief over T's death consumed his life.)
Other Stuff???
I'm not really sure where to put this, but I guess I'll group this as clever "naming" details? There's so much thought put into Q's numbering and his name. Q wears a T-shirt with the Japanese kanji for "9" - which is pronounced "kyu" (Q). Q's number, 162, adds up to 9. Later on, when Milo infiltrates the Organization with Q - Milo's number is 135, totaling to 9, the same as Q! And T's number, 82, adds up to "Ten" - for "T," I assume!
I also really liked the usage of the "Day XXX" format. It does a fantastic job of emphasizing how deeply Q's grief runs (as he literally "counts" his life based on how many days have passed since T's death). From the very beginning, you're interested - why is it Day 1700? Why doesn't it start from Day 1? What happened 1700 days ago? And then when you get to the flashbacks and it goes from 1700 to -300, and you're even MORE excited as you realize "Oh, this is where we'll start seeing WHY it's Day 1700!" It's really something you wouldn't expect to be used as a narrative tool (a simple DATE marker), and its usage was SO clever. For instance, I really liked the quick flash between Day 1800-something and Day 3 after you kill Milo - it shows how Q's grief rekindled itself anew and how Q's grief over Milo paralleled his grief over T. I also like the few instances when it changes from "Day XX" to an actual date (February 16th, for instance). I noticed this happened in two places: once after Q's death in Bad Ending 4, when it plays out from Milo's POV - so it's almost as if the date is "narrated" from Milo's POV instead of Q's now. The other time was during Ending S, after Q has reunited with T - after that, the change to a normal date signifies how Q stops grieving since T comes back to him.
I'm quite fond of the title, Quaint! I'm not sure if there's hidden meaning that I missed, but the Qu is similar to Q's name (and his chosen alias, Quentin). Moreover, "quaint" means "attractive for being unusual," or "pleasantly old-fashioned." I do think it can refer to the Society, this healing, calming home that Q finds, and it can also refer to Milo - this unusual person that Q nonetheless finds very attractive. And Q himself is also quaint in a way - unusual in his upbringing, but likeable all the same.
And for some random, myriad of other details I liked:
-I really liked how every time June and Q text, there's history/previous texts - it doesn't just pop up out of the blue. It's really realistic and reading the previous texts is fun in and of itself - it does a good job of fleshing out the friendship that June and Q have
-When June messaged about her "kids," the entire time I was wondering, "JUNE HAS KIDS???" and I was SO confused, so when it was revealed that they were cats all along, I was like "AHHHH" - I'm not sure if this was intentional but it ended up being a very fun plot twist for me...
-I quite enjoyed the minigames! They helped to immerse you in the story (especially the action "QTEs") and broke up certain parts of the text. I especially liked the minigame section where Q transforms the body (it drives in how LONG and extended the process was) and the "main server" typing minigame (which felt a lot like a text adventure).
-The handling of the drunk scene with Milo and Q was very good. Q is extremely courteous the entire time, communicating as best he can and making sure not to do anything that Milo can't consent to, even though they're speaking quite lucidly.
-For some reason I really liked the meeting with the leaders of the other magical societies? The exposition was seamlessly woven into the character interactions with the Luminary and the Grand Dean, and you can see how the Snake and Saber Society is viewed by the other magical societies as they talk down on the youth of its leadership. I also like the detail that the "head" of each society has a different title. The Wren and Milo variations of that scene were also interesting bits of characterization for the two; while Wren compliments and flatters the Luminary and the Grand Dean even when they're insulting him, Milo holds their ground. It's a good bit showing how different these two are as leaders.
-After the destruction end, the society invites the mercenaries back to join them. I think this is a good conclusion - after all, they were manipulated, just as Q was, and I like that they're opening up the road to healing for ALL of the Organization members, not just Q.
I won't make this any longer because I already babbled too much, but I REALLY enjoyed this. There was so much attention to detail in everything, the characters were nuanced, the story and themes were thoughtful and heartfelt. I'm looking forward to the seeing more from these characters in any potential spinoff games! Thank you for making this! :)
WHAT ARE YOU APOLOGIZING FOR THIS IS AMAZING 😭💕
Thank you so much for playing through everything (!) and taking the time to write it all out, I'm astonished by the sheer length of your review 😵 (and the level of analysis is, once again, outstanding! It's all very accurate and some things didn't quite occur to me until you put them into words 🤔)
[SPOILERS BELOW]
To be honest, you're the first person to notice the numbers thing (or at least the first to point it out lol) so I'm very tickled about it.🤭
The 'ten for T' wasn't something I planned but I guess it fits??? ('T' does come from '82' tho…) But it warms my heart just how many little details you were able to spot in the game 🥺💕 (I'm glad the effort of putting them in wasn't in vain lol)
Just a few comments to address some stuff:
1) first off, I wanted to give credit where it's due because the music wasn't just 'chosen' but specifically composed for the game by my very talented partner! it wouldn't be the same without it so I wanted to make that clear 🫠
2) i can see why you'd think that but Reed is NOT Q's father flsdkfsl
he does use 'son' while talking to Q but it's in the vein of him wanting to be more likable and/or approachable as Q's superior, in a 'I want what's best for you' way (even though it's not entirely true)
3) re: S ending - I'll admit I also had the feeling of 'this seems too good and too easy' as I was writing it but it's like you said: it's okay to step away from stuff when it gets too much. And I realize that's not very exciting from the story's perspective but it felt right for Q's character - I just couldn't imagine him taking on the burden of fighting the organization while he was so mentally drained (I also wanted them to have a happy ending so it's a bit of a band-aid route 🫠)
Thank you again, this was a pleasure to read and it means a lot! I'm very happy you liked it! 🥰
You both make me want to play the game again 😂🥰💖
I mean, there are things you can only notice on your second playthrough, so… 😊
You are teasing me now 😏 But I'll bite 😂
Part 1/2:
AHHHHH I FINISHED IT, and what an enjoyable ride it was! This ended up being insanely long...I'm very sorry in advance T_T (also OMG THIS WAS BEYOND ITCH'S COMMENT LENGTH LIMIT, so I'll separate this into two comments...I'm sorry...)
I'll cover the technical aspects first. The art is really well done, and there are SO many CGs, characters, and sprite variations. The character art has a very slick and clean style that pairs well with the stylized backgrounds. The backgrounds also have very dramatic palettes that really help with setting the mood of a particular scene (for instance, the really saturated, dark, contrasting colors used for some of the more "tense" scenes and the light, pastel-colors used for the slice of life scenes). There are a LOT of really creative uses of sprites and little changes to the CGs that make everything very dynamic and lively, and I can't possibly cover them all (in particular, I really liked the hugging sprites and the inventive way the CG with Q lying in bed was reused to varying effects each time).
I really love the little "squishy" effect that the characters have when they talk sometimes - it's very satisfyingly animated and pleasing to watch, and it makes them look quite lively! The "blips" add a lot of life and help characterize who's talking (it was a clever effect that reminded me a lot of Phoenix Wright). The GUI is attractive and readable, and I was VERY impressed at the two GUI variations for the Organization and the Society (the GUI changes persisted through all the screens, which was such good attention to detail). I also really loved the updates to the title screen as the characters were introduced, and it looks VERY nice when all of the characters are presented on either side (and I do love the composition of it, with the Organization on one side and the Society on the other).
I'll cover the characters in broad strokes here, and in greater detail below. All of the characters were really well-written, from the main characters to the side characters. Q is a really compelling, sympathetic, and nuanced protagonist, and I found Milo to be a really good counterpart for him. Milo's quiet, mature confidence is a good contrast to Q's severe insecurities/self-consciousness, and Milo's coy flirtations ended up being really good for getting Q out of his shell. I also loved how comforting Milo's presence is, and how secure Q feels with them. I enjoyed June and Wren's characters and their complex, platonic friendships with Q and Milo. I'll cover the more spoilery side characters below, but the side characters were VERY well conceived. One less spoilery one that I enjoyed was Mrs. Connell - although she's very pushy and a bit nosy and doesn't QUITE know what she's talking about, it's clear that she is at the very least, trying to be open-minded and accepting, despite being set in her ways. She's flawed in a very realistic, human way, and I could see her worldview in lots of older people that I know.
The writing was really clean and well-done! I especially liked how natural and heartfelt the dialogue was. The writing also does an EXCELLENT job of dripfeeding information as the reader needs it, slowly fleshing out the world. The background music was also well-chosen, and I can still replay multiple tracks in my head depending on the mood of the scene - which is probably a testament to how well-selected they were.
===============SPOILERS====================
The opening with the Organization is really intriguing. It perfectly drops hints as to what the larger narrative will be before shifting to a more grounded, "slice of life" scene. It really makes you wonder, "What is going on?" The story starts off relatively slowly as it introduces you to the world, the mechanics of the magic, and details about the magic societies. I was really impressed with how much thought was put into the details of the magic system, and the minigames helped to reinforce what was explained in the text.
Q:
I'll address Q first. Honestly the twist caught me completely off guard - at first I thought that the Organization was targeting HIM for whatever reason, so when it was revealed that he had actually known about them the entire time and was acting under their orders, I was very surprised! However, I liked that throughout, Q's characterization is very consistent - he doesn't have a dramatic "heel-face-turn" or something like that before/after the reveal. I enjoyed his kind of casual ruthlessness - he doesn't really care about killing others (if they're not people he cares for), and he definitely has a "willingness to die for the cause" that most people don't share. However, despite his unique background, he's characterized by his deep insecurities, which make him sympathetic and humanize him a lot (and make sense considering how his father treated and dehumanized him).
It was quite interesting, comparing Q's character in the present day and in flashbacks. There are a lot of similarities, of course. In both times, Q suffers from deep insecurities and an almost unhealthy need to be loved - to the point that he'll do anything for the person that he loves. This is really apparent in the past, where Q actively solicits T for sex because that's the only way Q can see to get closer to/engage in the relationship that he wants with T, and after that Q continues with that relationship despite knowing how shallow it is. Similarly, after Q switches sides, he decides to basically do anything for Milo, even putting himself in danger to save them. However, the difference is that, in the past, Q was clearly growing as a person. He was building himself up - although he accepted most of T's casual cruelty, he also asserted his desires to spend time with T, to kiss him. He rebels against the Organization when they tell him to break up with T, believing that he DOES deserve to be happy and loved. It's rather heartbreaking seeing Q in the present day, where he's so insistent that he's undeserving of love or any affection at all (and needs to heal and build himself up again).
I won't go into too much detail regarding Q's arc because I think it's pretty clearly outlined in the game, but I found it to be quite a powerful one. After being ground down by the abusive Organization for years and especially after the loss of T, Q's self-esteem is at an all-time low. He doesn't believe that he deserves love, and years of special agent upbringing have taught him to be dishonest with those he cares about. Over the course of the story, as the people around him show their appreciation and love for him (especially Milo), Q learns to value himself, to fight for what he wants. At the same time, he also learns to be more honest (depending on the player's choices). However, Q has also done bad things. While he doesn't get "punished" for his "unlawful acts" (killing people), he does have to take responsibility for lying to the people he cares about. I found Q's arc to be quite nuanced in its execution - it's a story of healing, but also a story about taking accountability.
Milo:
Milo grew on me a lot over the course of the playthrough. At the beginning they're a bit of an enigma, other than the fact that they're clearly interested in Q, and I really like how different aspects of their character slowly unfold over the course of the game. The first hint towards their character really comes when Milo nearly kills Q - it's a clever way to foreshadow Milo's egotism/overconfidence (which is later expounded upon when Milo recounts their lack of care for basic safety). They really seem perfect at first glance, and they only start to seem human when the cracks in the facade start to show. And there are a LOT of cracks. It's implied that Milo treats others VERY differently from how they treat Q, for instance, and they disregard the rules despite being in a position of responsibility (studying Void Magic by stealing books from the Archivist). There's a particularly ironic part later on where Milo criticizes the Reader for sealing her heart off with void magic, when Milo does the EXACT same thing in Bad Ending 4, too. They're overconfident, egotistical, and reckless at times. At the same time you also see a lot of Milo's insecurities - their desire to be loved, their suspicions, their fear of being betrayed...and honestly all of this just made Milo much more likable, and I became very invested in their relationship with Q as they mutually support one another. Moreover, Milo has a lot of positive qualities as well: for instance, they're active in getting what they want (hence they pursue Q very openly), and they're honest and straightforward in their communication - which are a good counterbalance for Q (and help Q to grow as a person).
I'll talk a bit about the Masquerade scene here since it mainly relates to Milo - I really loved it, and besides some of the flashback sequences it was maybe my favorite scene/sequence of scenes in the game. It expertly weaves exposition, comedy, and characterization for Milo and Q's relationship into a single sequence, with Q able to recognize Milo at every turn. Of course, this is due to Q's quirk, but it's also a good metaphor for how Q is able to see the "essence" of a person and is especially able to appreciate Milo for who they are, and not their surface appearance. Milo's different identities - their different genders and ways they choose to present themselves - were interesting (and fun to see!), and their inclusion expertly wove into their discussion of identity with Q later on. Milo was, I assume, AFAB- and then proceeded to reject their "feminine" side due to the expectations cast upon them. However, later on, they realized that they enjoyed those feminine aspects as well and thought they suited them, and they decided that they could present however they like as long as they're comfortable on the inside. It was nice to see that Milo only made this "realization" last year - as it does show that explorations of identity such as this are really lifelong experiences.
In general, I also like how Milo reacted to Q's deceptions. Even if Q chooses to be honest, Milo doesn't accept Q right away - they need time, and they talk it over with June before accepting Q. There's a big emphasis on clear and open communication, and Milo forgives Q for what he does/has done without overlooking it/diminishing the seriousness. This persists in the endings where Q kills the commander, as Milo disapproves of the act but nonetheless forgives Q because of the extenuating circumstances.
(Side note, but I do like the pattern of Milo learning to cook once they get together with Q. It really shows how they're moving past their obsession with magic, instead choosing something "genuine" and real.)
(Interestingly enough, while Milo and T seem VERY different, I think they actually have a lot of similarities! They both have a strong rebellious streak and sense of self-confidence that balance Q out well.)
T:
T is...hmm...polarizing, to say the least. T is scummy for sure (T for trash), and without outside knowledge (knowing there were side games centered around him), I would have assumed that T was just meant to be a villain after the first 1 or 2 recollections. Like the Organization, T was Q's abusive romantic past that put him down and made him feel small and undeserving of love. T's casual, DELIBERATE cruelty towards Q is hard to bear at times - for instance, saying "might as well spend time with you" and refusing the hug. However, this does quickly change over the course of the next recollections. There is genuine affection there, as T acknowledges Q's autonomy and respects his decisions, despite his jealousy. Moreover, he's disciplined for protecting Q, and there's actual growth in his relationship with Q - he goes from refusing a hug at all to kissing Q when Q asks for it.
I'll admit that the side games do a LOT of work in characterizing T beyond what you see in Quaint itself. T, like Q, does some terrible things, and admittedly he's not 100% forgivable in the content presented in Quaint. However, I think that the side games flesh him out a lot more, giving much needed characterization for him in the "gaps" that Q doesn't see - particularly TXXX, covering (I assume) the gap between Bad Ending 4 and Ending S. I think that T's attitude is pretty clearly a result of a lot of internalized homophobia as a result of his upbringing, and while I can't excuse him for his actions, he does a lot to make up for them and grows as a person. It's pretty clear, both from Ending S and TXXX - how much T has changed, now genuinely appreciating and showing Q the love he deserves (to the point of enduring the pain of death for him).
T's arc mirrors Q's arc in a lot of ways. Q obviously deals with a lot more grief and self-hatred, but T and Q both grew up in the same oppressive environment. As a result, T rejects his own identity in order to conform to the "standard" (rejecting Q in order to continue playing the ladies' man), and his dishonesty about himself hurts the people he loves (like how Q's dishonesty about his identity hurts June and Milo). After that, T needs to take responsibility for his wrongdoings and communicate openly, like Q.
Other Characters:
I thought Wren and June were fantastic "main" side characters. Wren's no-nonsense, serious, rule-abiding personality was a good balance for Milo's rebellious streak, while June's open candidness made her a good influence for Q. I liked June and Q's friendship - the supportiveness, but also how it underwent some rockiness when Q's betrayal was revealed. It all felt realistic - like how real friends would act. Wren being in love with Milo was COMPLETELY unexpected, but I liked the twist as an exploration of his character. It really emphasizes how, above all else, he defines himself by his responsibilities - to the point that he wouldn't allow himself into a relationship with Milo because he knew he wouldn't be able to prioritize them the way they deserve.
Actually, some of my favorite side characters were Iris and Lawrence, the "barely allies" members of the Society. At first they're quite prickly - Iris is openly hostile to Milo, although she understands their importance to the Society, and Lawrence is...well, basically an abusive ex. However, you get a chance to learn about them. Iris is a member of a wealthy family who agreed to be married off to some guy as part of an arranged marriage, so it makes sense that she's snobby about Milo mingling with "commoners" and them refusing to make concessions for their partner. While I didn't LIKE Lawrence by the end, I did appreciate that his problems with his relationship with Milo didn't just boil down to his problems with Milo's gender identity, but also his own insecurities and his problems with Milo's quirk. And he was quite self-aware that his family would never accept Milo as a boy, only as a girl. While the story doesn't excuse their behavior, their backgrounds explained a lot about why they acted the way they did.
This game was absolute masterpiece... the endings, the story, even the characters, every last detail is great and i wouldnt change a thing about this game. Respect to the creator cuz this was one of the greatest games ive every played...
dsladkalkdsakl Thank you so much for playing and for the sweet comment! I'm very flattered and very happy that you enjoyed it! 🥰
Maybe a stupid question, but does this game have an auto mode? Help section doesn't list a hotkey for that, so I'm curious.
Yes, in the options menu! Hope this helps! ^^
In the interests of leaving a fair review, I feel like it's worth saying that at the beginning of the game, it didn't really grab me - not in an "It's bad" way by any means, but more of a "Maybe it's just not for me" way. Something just didn't click for me. I decided to stick it out a bit longer because of a recommendation from someone I follow, though, and I am SO glad I did.
I've not gotten every ending yet, but I'm gonna hit up the guide and work through them all, because I can tell it's going to be worth it. From the endings I've gotten so far, I've been delighted and devastated, uplifted and crushed. For all that it was a slow start for me to actually get invested, the pay-off has been superb. The story built into something bigger and better than I ever expected, the growth of the characters and their backstories and relationships (for better and for worse) has been a joy to behold, and before I'd even hit the first proper ending I was cheering along with them and feeling the gutpunch of disappointment like it'd happened to me personally. The 'Rose-Coloured' ending left me grinning like an idiot all the rest of the day, 'Broken Trust' made my jaw drop, and 'Kintsurugi' had me tearing up in joy and relief after everything that it took for them to get there.
This game's a true gem, and the amount of effort and love poured into it is clear to see. As already said, I'm gonna take great delight in working through all of the endings, and I can already tell this is gonna be a title that I'll end up revisiting months down the line too, just to enjoy all over again.
Genuinely superb work, massive kudos to you!
Hi, thank you so much for the wonderful words! My heart feels very full right now. 🥰
I'll be the first to admit that the story starts slow and that might not be everyone's cup of tea. But I'm all the more tickled that you gave it a chance AND found it enjoyable in the end. I appreciate it very much. 💕
Thank you again, I hope the other endings do not disappoint! 😇
Finished off all the other endings, played with some of the other route options etc, and I loved every minute of it 🥰 Milo's reaction and everything that follows after the "I can't" choice absolutely destrOYED ME HOW DARE YOU-- ...but I was all signed up for an emotional rollercoaster and it absolutely delivered, I loved it and honestly the narrative and delivery were SUPERB. I anticipated something drastic, and as soon as Milo re-appeared I had that dawning chain of realisation - "Why do they look so... wait, they look like... ohhhh no no no-- 😨"
Definitely a title I'll come back to again in future - you did an amazing job with this!
Awww, im delighted to hear that! 🤭💕 (
there's no higher praise than 'how dare you' in my book kslfdskfls) That particular ending is definitely one of my favorites despite the emotional damage it does lol. 😇Thank you again for playing and for the wonderful feedback! I appreciate it very much. 🥰
OMG I LOVED THE GAME A LOT I got all the ending my favorite has to be the S ending , ok but like is it bad i prefer quaint with T[In the S- ending=>w<=] .I LOVE MILO TOO THEY ARE SO ADORABLE >w< . Ngl the character was SOO AMAZING LIKE AND THE EMOTIONS WERE SHOWN SO WELL LIKE AWKEFKQWOEFGWEFG. . I CANT HELP BUT KEEP PLAYING THE GAME AGAIN AND AGAINNN AHHHJWEFHEWJF I LOVE THIS GAME SMHHH!!!
klfsdjlssfdls Thank you so much for playing! Your comment really brightened my day 🥰
Honestly, I don't think it's bad at all if you prefer T! He does have a very special relationship with Q and I find myself going back and forth between him and Milo all the time, haha. 😅 That's why I felt like they deserved to have a happy ending, too.
(once T gets his stuff together, of course…)Anyway, thank you again! This means a lot! 🥺💕
AHHHH its not just them tho I LOVED ALL THE CHARECTERS LIKE JUNE AND WREN AND AHJJWDHF LIKE THE PLOT WAS GOOD I KEEP COMING BACK AND PLAYING THE GAME PLUS THE ART WAS SO AMAZING AND I CANT ITS SO GOOD LIKE I WAS SO INTO THE STORY AND I GOT ALL ENDINGS WHICH WAS FUN , after playing the main game i did play the side game like T break which was SO GOOD like the concept of the game was interesting i was confused at first but when i hang of it i realized IT WAS SO adorable like wait WAIT I LOVED HOW LIKE when u type T or his number in the name box the DIALOG IS SO ADORABLE I just love your games JSDHQKJWEHDJ!!!
dsflsdjlfs i'm so incredibly flattered and touched 😭 thank you for all the sweet words, it really means a lot 🥺💕
i'm delighted you took the time to play through everything, T Break included! (that scene with just T is actually one of the easter eggs, so good job on finding it ^^) i definitely want to make more games (some more Quaint-adjacent, some less) so i hope that's something to look forward to ✨
Took me a bit because my progress has been annoyingly slow but I finally managed to reach one of the (several, I see, looking at that funny little guide you posted recently) endings!
shoving this underneath the cut off bc i learned my lesson with spoilers lol
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And man! I really feel like you nailed the feeling of "finale"! This was a nice way of wrapping up all the remaining questions and loose ends of the first parts before it. Getting answers to the truth of T's death (damn it makes sense in hindsight but at the same time, ouch) as well as seeing Q reveal himself to Milo (and the subsequent fallout of that) was so neat to see! Milo is such a fun character too,, i loved seeing more of their relationship with some of the other characters (and their petty vexation towards the Reader was just fghjgfhjf). And also Iris!! Man am I weak for mean characters (and characters named Iris, apparently). She's rude as hell but man does that make her fun whenever she's on-screen gfhgjgjf
I like the Reader scene too!! The Reader looks so cool (i love the design so much,,, pink characters are so pretty) and I loved her scene with doing the funny little mind trick on Q to test his loyalty (i live for those types of scenes in fantasy stuff ngl). And the exploration scenes were really interesting too! I loved the addition of them to progress the story, really made it feel as if i was exploring around alongside Q and Milo (and seeing the way the silhouettes moved alongside the player as you progressed in that last exploration minigame,,, gosh i couldn't help but wonder how you managed to parallax that).
And then also!!!! the little cutscenes!! Especially the one with Q going after a certain somebody who revealed a certain truth,,, damn that was very cinematic,,, and also the relationship with Milo and Q!! they're very baby!! and seeing how much effort you put into drawing all their variations of sprites is just!!! so cute and sweet!!!
Definitely was nice to see the ending to this!! You've definitely worked so hard on Quaint and it's cool to see everything come to an end!! I'm def gonna try and see if i can get the rest of the endings with your guide and see what more lies in store that i missed~
Also as a note, I found a couple of errors too while playing: when going to the data base/after killing Phelps the game gave me errors (that i got around by hitting the "ignore" button on the error screen leading to the "entering words to delete"/Q talking to Wren after the Phelps aftermath). I got ending A if that helps anything too ahaha
Aww, this is all so sweet, thank you so much 🥰
I'm happy you enjoyed the ending! I wanted to wrap things up in a satisfying way but still leave hints about how things may unfold in the future for the Society and the characters. I also wanted to make sure each ending would add a bit more to the big picture so I'd definitely encourage you to get the others if you have the time. 😇
And thank you again for reporting the bugs! Everything should be fixed now. 😅
Hey. Thank you for this game. The effort put in it quite palpable.
Also, I'm glad that you decided to put route/ending S in it;
I get that more than a couple of people might struggle with it or not find it too enticing, but for some others it might be quite meaningful.
So again, thanks.
Cheers
Awhh, I might've teared up a little. Thank you! I'm happy the story resonated with you. Comments like yours make all that effort worth it. 🥺💕
If Quaint has a million fans, then I'm one of them.
If Quaint has one fan, then I'm THAT ONE.
If Quaint has no fans, that means I'm dead.
NO BUT REAL, I JUST LOVE THIS GAME SO MUCH.
And now that it's finally complete I can fully disperse my love about this game and its characters. The final part that just got released will not disappoint if you've been following along with the releases so far, and if you haven't played any of it yet.... WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR???? Lol I kid (not) but YOU SHOULD PLAY IT ESPECIALLY NOW THAT IT'S COMPLETE.
This game is so polished, so immersive, and so delightful to play. The story is just wonderful! I love the how we're introduced to this mysterious intriguing set of conflicts straight from the very beginning, only being given small tastes of what's going on, to then have more and more slowly be revealed over the course of the game to culminate in this giant clash at the end, bringing both of Q's worlds (literally) in direct conflict. It's got magic!! Secret societies!! BUT ALSO THIS MYSTERIOUS GOVERNMENT PLOT??? You will be on the edge of your seat wondering how it's all going to come together right until the very end. Especially with the whole secret hidden identity thing going on that I won't spoil in case you haven't played any of it yet but GODDDD. Like as soon as you know about that, everything just gets like 50 millions times more convoluted and you're just waiting for it all to come crashing down AND THEN IT DOESSSSS AND I KNEW IT WOULD AND I WAS SO ANXIOUS AND SOBBED A LITTLE BIT but it was so so good /loves pain
AND HAVE I TALKED ABOUT??? THE ROMANCE???? BECAUSE I'TS SO GOOD???? I will die for Q and Milo. BUT THEN YOU THROW THE THIRD WRENCH IN THERE WITH T (wait is that the right analogy...) and you get to explore so much of Q's vulnerability so that by the end of the game you're just hoping to god he can be happy (EXCEPT JOKE'S ON YOU IF YOU GET ANY OF THE BAD ENDINGS BECAUSE THEY WILL STAB YOU STRAIGHT IN THE HEART). Seriously though, I am in love with how Q and Milo's relationship is portrayed and they are just so sweet and I love how it gradually builds over the course of the game and every time something cute happens between them I just wanted to DIE. Which then makes some of the final endings THAT MUCH MORE satisfying and made my heart so happy I seriously love them.
(AND OFC THE SECRET ENDING TOO WHICH IS HAPPY IN A DIFFERENT WAY BUT I WON'T SAY ANYTHING MORE TO SPOIL ITTTTTTTTT)Um what else what else. THE ART OF COURSE. THERE'S SO MUCH ART IN THIS BABY IT'S BASICALLY CHOCK-FULL OF GORGEOUS ART. From the delightful sprites to all the gorgeous CGs! Especially towards the end when they're just coming at you BAM BAM BAM so fast you have to hold your breath! I feel like all of my favorites are the soft dark ones, like the ones in Q's bed or the ones where Q is sad
(OR THE VERY CUTE ONES WITH Q AND MILO)they're just so beautiful and expressive and make the characters come to life so much. EXCEPT THEY'RE ALREADY SO ALIVE BECAUSE OF ALL THE WONDERFUL EXPRESSIONS AND ANIMATION OF THE SPRITES????Then of course. THE MUSIC. THE MUSIC IS AN ABSOLUTE DELIGHT. It's all original and all adds so much energy and intensity to every single scene. AND THE CINEMATOGRAPHY. AND THE MINI GAMES??? There's so many unique little aspects in here, like the magic mini games, the parts where you have to walk through buildings with maps. They all add so much and really pull you into the world (and sometimes make you so scared for the chars at the same time laksdjfa).
SOME OF THE CHOICES ARE SO INTENSE like... literally some of the choices you make will send the game down completely different paths that will have your heart breaking ESPECIALLY ONE CERTAIN ONE THAT MADE ME WANT TO LIE DOWN ON MY COUCH AND SOB. I highly recommend after you play through to the end in one version you go back and try a variety of other options, because there's so much other content buried in here and more story to unlock and more character lore and tidbits. From a completely different way path you can take (WILL YOU CONFESS OR NOT??? YOU BETTER CHOOSE RIGHT) to also things like being able to choose a different area of magic to focus on, which will introduce you to new characters, etc. There's just so much!!!
GUH. I COULD TALK ABOUT THIS FOREVER.
But truly. The final part of this game is just like, the final icing on top of this masterpiece. And it brings everything together so well while also introducing all these fun new little paths. I couldn't stop thinking about it for weeks after I played through everything lakdjfasd
SO PLEASE JUST PLAY THIS. IT'S SUCH A WONDERFUL GAME. And you can tell so much heart and soul and love and passion was put into it. Its characters are just so wonderful and so complex and make you feel like you want to just dive in and be a part of this world and be their friends. ALSO JUST WANNA DIVE IN SO I CAN DO MAGIC?? HELLO???? Sign me up for a secret society of magic!! (And then I can say hello to Penny lakdjfaksd)
WEEP I'M RAMBLING NOW
But seriously. Just an absolutely fantastic VN and one of my all-time favs!! I'm ecstatic that it's finished now and I was able to see how all these chars that I've come to know and love were able to finish their stories!! 🥰
Awwww, that's such a sweet comment, I couldn't dream of a better review 😭💕
Thank you so much for sticking around throughout this journey, it wouldn't be the same without you 🤧💦💦💕
Finally finished part 1 and 2!! I wanted to wait until I was done playing both parts to leave a comment. I'm glad I could do it before the end of 2023, hehe.
BOY, WHERE DO I EVEN BEGIN???? This is such a wonderful game in so many ways!!!
First of all, the art is GORGEOUS and don't even get me started on the animations and programming!!! Everything feels so cinematic, it's as if I was watching a movie, at times!! It makes the story so much more immersive and captivating, I honestly can't stress this enough, it's SO GOOD!!!
I especially love how you added tables at certain times, so that the characters' sprites would sit and eat together (or even just chat, like when Q is at the cafe working on his laptop and chatting with June). The spells and portals showing up was FUCKING AWESOME as well and, gosh, don't even get me started on the flying broom scene, it's so MAGICAL!!!
Something that I also love to death about this game is how it's mostly dialogue and there aren't as many descriptive parts; only when Q's describing a part of a flashback. I love when games AND books do this. It reminds me of this book called "The kiss of the spider woman", which is essentially a book that only has dialogue save for the last part. But when a visual novel does this? Gosh, it's even better. I just LOVE when visual novels make the most of the medium and make things so cinematic. It adds a certain flavor that's usually not there but, when it is, it makes everything better.
I admit I'm biased, though lmao.Now, let's talk about the characters. GOD, THE CHARACTERS. I love them SO MUCH!! They are all so unique, I love how you can tell who's talking even if you don't look at their sprites!! Their personalities are very distinct and, no pun intended, enchanting!! Even the characters that aren't supposed to be likeable are interesting; the lore is so rich that I want to know more about everyone!! Q, Milo and June are definitely my favorites, though. They're just too wonderful not to love.
Even with some things that would obviously not be possible for me to relate to, because SPOILERS, I found Q and Milo to still be really relatable in a whole lot of ways.
When it comes to Q, his social awkwardness, his struggles with self-confidence, his hate for crowded places
and annoying people who pester him about being in a relationshipand his fear of rejection rang very close to home.When it comes to Milo, what can I say, I'm a big sucker for alchemy LMAO so I can't help but relate to their love of transmutation magic
andtheir love of cheesecake! But I felt especially close to their wish for someone to love them as they are instead of forcing ideals and fantasies onto them. It's so true, sometimes people just want you to be someone you're not and I share Milo's view about preferring to be alone rather than with someone who can't accept them as they are.Now, for the story... just, WOW. They had us on the first half, not gonna lie LMAO. I expected some drama but I was NOT prepared for what I experienced (and I mean this in the best way possible). It started all pretty wholesome with a little bit of magic here and there, a liiiitle big of drama... and then BOOM the first plot twist came around and I was just like "DID IT REALLY JUST WENT THAT ROUTE???". A lot of things started to make so much more sense after that and dksbgdksjgbjks words are not enough to express just how invested I am in the story because HOLY SHIT.
[WARNING, HUGE SPOILERS BELOW]
I love the way the 1st plot twist was done 'cause it's not out of nowhere. There were little hints given here and there throughout all of part 1 but not in a way that screams "I'm intentionally avoiding mentioning stuff to appear more mysterious" but rather "I'm just going to make you think Q's an introverted and stressed out programmer that's also most definitely going through grief and use awkward silences to make it seem like he's just nervous and clueless, but he actually knows more than he lets on". I FELL IN THE TRAP.
Now, T's introduction!!! Gosh, I won't deny that the cute interactions between him and Q made me smile a lot, but I also felt really bad for Q. As much as they loved each other, their relationship had a couple of red flags... especially on T's part. I feel like T most definitely loved Q in the same way Q loved him, but T seemed to be ashamed of how being seen as gay or bi might "damage his reputation", which, yeah... that's no bueno, T, my dude.
It's also so tragic how that's the last conversation they had too. It's no wonder Q fell into such deep despair. The way he also loses the "anime shine" in his eyes when he, presumably, falls into depression... god, it broke my heart in a million pieces.
Not to mention the OTHER plot twist about what the DATES meant all along!!! I was a bit confused about them, at first, but when it's revealed that it's the days that went by since T's death... jesus christ, I feel so bad for Q and want to hug him forever.
Also, this is probably obvious from the tweets I made of this game but, gosh, I'm all on board for the Q and Milo ship!!! I love them so much, their chemistry is so good!!! Their romantic scenes just put a huge smile on my face and I'm really looking forward to seeing how their relationship develops further!!
Not gonna lie, I'm usually not a big fan of the "will they won't they" trope when it's from BOTH sides; especially since it makes me react similar to June xD BUT, I think it works here because of Q's real identity and because of Milo's fear of people wanting them for someone they aren't.
I'm a bit crushed on the note that Q was basically hit like a ton of bricks when Milo said the word 'abominable'. I hope he still finds the courage to tell them the truth... though it's looking more and more like the big reveal will be accidental and I'm scared aaaaahhhh sdkjgbskjgb!!!
ANYWHO, this was a mega long comment LMAO but I just couldn't help but ramble on and on because of how much I loved the game. I'm looking forward to part 3!!
Awesome work, Hiro!!
kkfsldkf;sd; what a wonderful comment, thank you so much for taking the time to write all of this, I'm so happy you enjoyed the story and found the characters relatable. 🥺💕 I've put a lot of my own experiences into the game so it always means a lot when they resonate with players. ^^
I'm glad you liked the animations! I'll admit I dropped the narration because I wasn't confident I could write it well and I've always felt a little self-conscious about it. 😅 So it warms my heart that you considered the lack of it something positive. ^^ It did force me to show all relevant actions and items on the screen (
and it's a lot more work to draw and program all the additional assets) but I do like this format and I think it works well for the setting (with all the floating items and brooms and stuff).Ah yes, the trap! 🤭 I always love reading about people's reactions when they first experience the twist lol. The best thing about Part One (IMO) is there are a lot of things that can be read differently based on how much you know about the plot. (so if you played it again, you could see some lines or even scenes in a completely different light) It was both a treat and a challenge to write, and I was constantly worried about slipping in too much info. 😅
Anyway! Thank you again for playing and for the sweet words, I can't express how happy it made me. 🥺💕 (and I hope you'll enjoy Part Three, too)
[Spoiler warning below]
I finally caught up to the end of part 2!! I had to restart from the beginning because apparently I didn't save when i finished part 1???? which i don't quite understand bc i feel like i WOULD have saved when i finished part 1 but whatever lol I caught up eventually
Gotta say though! As little as she appears Iris is my favorite character now lol! Asshole characters are easy for me to glom on to (and the fact that she's named Iris certainly helps: she's the second character named Iris I've look at and gone "i like you despite knowing nothing greatly substantial about you") and her brief appearances were both funny but also I would so love to learn more about her haha (and I get the feeling she's related to Lawrence? which would make me side-eye her a little bc of Lawrence's, uh, conservative bratty behavior, but im hoping she doesn't share those sentiments based on what little i saw of her)
I love the bad endings you've got set-up! It was really interesting to see how far you'd take them! The scene of Milo's blood being shown under the ruins of Q's trap was also pretty impactful. Really felt like a "oh shit this is the consequence of my actions" kind of moment. Also Q doing questionable things like killing the homeless guy (I see where he comes into the plot now, RIP random NPC :'D) in order to keep his former allies from coming after him and protecting Milo a little more,,, very much like the intrigue and guilt on Q's conscience and how he struggles with that around those who've been treating him relatively decently
The quicks thing was interesting! I love that little world-building detail and how that explains Milo's butterfly attraction! I know it was discussed in canon a little but I wonder if Q's quirk relates to the bad endings and that's why he can't really realize the quick he has? Because his quirk is to pull himself back in time or something? Granted, I think that's stuff that's too OP to be a quirk based on how the cast described it but if Q DOES have a quirk im not sure what else to guess as i can't recall him activating anything out of the ordinary (except maybe the ability to get people to trust him even when he's doing and saying shady things gfjfgj)
and then T!! It was good to learn more about him! He was a question I had in my mind since part 1 so it was great to see more on him and his relationship with Q (and the fact their ship name could potentially be Q-T cracks me up). I think Milo is a much better partner for Q then T was, but definitely I can see why Q fell for T and why he was drawn to T and so heartbroken over his death. I was honestly expecting to end part 2 with seeing T somehow pop up and be like "hey guess what i've been in the magical society all this time and just disguised my body the same way you did so no one would guess im still alive" but alas TwT.
All things considered, at least Q is slowly getting a new home with June + Wren and the rest and finding love with Milo (as messy as it's been so far with his, uh, previous employment). Very curious to see how you're going to wrap up the confrontation of Q vs. the very people he ran away from! Also,,, I'm so curious to know if there's a deeper reason why Milo is targetted (And why do I think it has to do with the fact they want to bring their teacher back to life? and - on that note - is that teacher actually Q's mother and it's actually his former leader (whom I noticed calls Q his "son") who has a vendetta against Milo for getting Q's mom/his wife killed? Maybe that's just a conspiracy theory but that would kind of answer a lot of the reoccurring questions I've had on why it's Milo in particular that got targeted (and on another note...maybe T's death has something to do with Milo's teacher and her death? Thoughts are being had here...))
Anyways!! Part 2 left me with a lot of thoughts as to the deeper workings of the plot but i loved the deeper look we got at Q and his former employment in particular! It was very fascinating to look at him and his rather flawed relationship with T and how to happens to reflect on Milo as his new love interest (and Milo's def a better match for Q in my mind haha), hope to see more :Dc
Thank you so much for playing and for the kind words 🥺💕 (you could've told me about the save, i'd have sent you a file to load 😅)
Aww, I'm happy to see some Iris appreciation 🥰
I had a lot of fun writing her bickering with Milo and some of her lines still crack me up every time. And the thing about Iris is, yes, she's mean but she also usually has a point. (and yes, she'll be back with more mean comments and some backstory) (though how much will depend on your school choice 🤔) (also, good eye, that's all I'm going to say 😏)
I'm happy you liked the bad endings! There'll be more (and worse 💕) ^^
I feel like the bad choices shape the story just as much as the good ones and they help you see a broader picture. I know most people don't want to see the bad endings for various reasons, but I love mine very much 🫠 (and I recommend getting at least a few to get a taste of what could've been ^^)
Wow, these are some THEORIES, i love them 🤭💕
I can't confirm nor deny if you're right or not, everything will be resolved in Part Three ^^ (hopefully, in a satisfying way)
I will say though, that Reed calling Q 'son' has more to do with their positions than anything else (I think it's not uncommon for superiors to use it with their subordinates to shorten the gap or seem more compassionate).
Thank you again for taking the time to play and write this up, I'm happy you liked it 🥰
(also, could you put a spoiler warning on the comment? just in case someone wants to take a peek before playing 😅)
Rough summary of my reactions for Part 2:
"OMG FLASHBACKS. FINALLY SEEING [REDACTED.]"
"WTF YOU DIDN'T TELL ME [REDACTED] WAS A JERKFACE????"
"HELP HOW CAN YOU MAKE US MAKE THIS CHOICE RIGHT OFF THE BAT???"
"Well ofc I am not making THAT choice"
"Omg Q really is so intense isn't he GOSH??? lkdjfads"
"OK this part is pretty cool"
"STOP BEING A JERKFACE SERIOUSLY"
"kiss them kiss them kiss them kiss them NOOOOO"
"DO I ASK FOR JUNE'S HELP??? I DON'T KNOW??? I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO???"
"I need her help ljdsfkasd"
"OK warming up slight to [REDACTED] but still don't like how he treats Q,,,,,,,"
"Ummmmmmm ofc I will choose transmutation AS IF THERE'S ANOTHER CHOICE?"
"Omg who is this dude-bro dkljafsld"
"UM ofc I will pet the kitty"
"WHO IS THIS JERKFACE???"
"SOBBING SOBBING SOBBING DRUNK MILO"
"hlkdjflaksdjfLKFEJWLAKFJSDLKFjldskfjasldkfjadkj MILO IS SO CUTE IN THE HELP OMG MY HEART IS BEATING OS FAST????"
"Ohhhh the cute picture from Milo's past <3"
"OK I did kinda assume something like this would happen with [REDACTED]............. unsure how I feel. I feel very sad for Q but also that last scene was so heartbreaking so I am so conflicted adlkjfald"
"THAT'S THE END NOOOO????'
"WHAT ABOUT THE BALL??? I WANT TO SEE THE BALL??? fine make me wait... WEEP"
OK but seriously more actually coherent notes.
AND JUST IN CASE THERE WILL BE SOME VAGUE SPOILERS BELOW FOR ANYONE READING though I will try to keep from mentioning anything directly/in detail where possible to still keep it more vague:
...
....
....
....
OK. I did take my time with it a bit more as I wanted to make sure I didn't rush anything alkdjfad AND I LOVED IT SO MUCH??? Gosh this took me on so many trips. Ups and downs all over the place. MILO IS SERIOUSLY SUCH A CUTIE?? HOW COULD YOU MAKE US MAKE THOSE KINDS OF DECISIONS?? I really enjoyed the choices that popped up in this part and am also so curious now how much things WOULD actually affect the story if I had picked other ones?? (but also I would be too heartbroken to choose some of them I think dlakfjds) I really enjoyed the further build up of Q's feelings for Milo. Especially like, how he also questions so much, especially after learning about the quirk, since it's true, he did make quite a big life-altering decision based on these feelings of his???? I thought the cover-up was so clever and I really enjoyed how you set all of that up, while also giving us so many more details about the world and magic in the process.
THE FLASHBACKS. Because of course we need to talk about those. I still cannot decide how I feel about T. On the one hand, some of the scenes with him and Q were quite cute, but on the other hand, it feels like he's just using Q, especially in some of the lines where he made Q promise not to see anyone else... it just felt a bit smarmy jdkfajda but maybe that's just me feeling very protective of Q. Though it makes complete sense to me why Q is so attached to him. Learning more about how isolated and cold their life is and how they really only have each other as any form of connection... I really enjoy these glimpses into all this stuff that's happening, THOUGH I STILL HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS?? LIKE WHAT IS EVEN THEIR ULTIMATE GOAL? WHAT ARE THEY TRYING TO DO? WHY DO THEY HAVE THESE RECRUITS?? So I'm getting more and more curious about when a lot of these questions will finally be revealed lkadjfads and I definitely feel like this is not the last time that T will come up in general, especially given some of the vague-ness about what might have actually happened to him. Makes me all Curious and Piqued LKDAJFLSAD Mostly though I just really want to protect and love Q ------ AND LET HIM AND MILO BE HAPPY TOGETHER BECAUSE THEY'RE SERIOUSLY SO CUUUUUTE. I LITERALLY ALMOST DIED AND HAD TO STOP AND BRING MY HANDS TO MY MOUTH DURING THE BED SCENE. MILO WAS LITERALY SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO CUTE IN THE BED I WEPT. godddddddddddd HAVING A MOMENT. I just. I think they are Neat LOL And of course I will use all my Power of Choice to ensure they are able to live Happily with each other as much as possible LOL
Loved also getting more insight into some of the other students and teachers and general goings-on in the society!! For instance, uh.... CRAP I forgot his name. The dude-bro in the transmutation lab LOL I enjoyed him (despite apparently not remembering his name...) I really want to learn and see even more of this behind-the-scenes type stuff as you've got this really amazing world and I'm just SO INTRIGUED about all of it AHHHHHHH.
Ok ok ok ,,,,, UMMMM THE PARTY. LOVED THE PARTY. Loved the cat. LOVED BEATING UP THAT GUY??? The mini games were a lot of fun in this part. Using the power of my Fingers to land punches HAHAH that was so great. Felt very justified (I will do anything in my power to protect Milo dlkajdslfka). The CGs were absolutely LOVELY in this part. I loved every single one of them. Music was EXCELLENT. Pacing was AMAZING. Godd I need to stop just shouting out random words or something I JUST REALLY LOVED IT OK???
I will try to bring this rambling to a stop.
EVERYONE SHOULD PLAY THIS. The characters are just absolutely lovable and your heart will get pulled from one way to the next. Some of the most amazing art I've ever seen. Gorgeous level of immersion. You will not want to stop the story and will cry when you reach the end of part 2 screen!! I'm really so so curious how my decisions are going to affect everything and I'm really hoping that I chose the right ones AHHHHHH. OH YEAH I LOVED WREN'S LITTLE PART IN THIS. The scene with him and Q in the chairs at the party was somehow very nice and I enjoyed it a lot. Also some of the lines there made me like.... ???? There is some history here??? That got me very Piqued, as well. (AND THEN I ALMOST DIED WHEN MILO SAT IN Q'S LAP ALDKJFALKSD)
Ok ok ok I kept rambling but seriously. Just an absolutely excellent new chapter and I'm SO SO SO EXCITED for the next (and last??? i will weep). I love these characters and story and world SO much!! 💕
Ghhhhhhghgh I loved the reactions, thank you for the laugh 🤭💕
I admit T is a bit of a jerk but I love him very much nonetheless, haha. 😅 He does care about Q (which I hope is evident in the game) but he's got his reasons for acting like he does. (and that includes being young and stupid lol) (Also, believe it or not, he used to be A LOT worse in the first versions of the script 🫠)
But I'm delighted that you enjoyed all the Milo content 🥺 Quaint is a love story at its core and what love story would it be if there were no moments that made your heart go "!!!!", right? ^^ So this is reassuring and it makes me very happy that you liked those scenes 💕
And don't worry, once you get past the cover-up thing, there are no objectively bad choices that would backfire later on. (not in part two, at least) The school choice is the most weighty of them all, and affects a lot of things along the way, some of the endings included. (and fun fact: I wouldn't call it canon, but I'd personally choose practical magic for Q ^^) (Also, I would encourage you to make those bad choices in a separate file if you have the time ^^ I like my bad endings just as much as the good ones 😏🤭)
Thank you for playing and for the wonderful comment, I'm very happy you liked it 🥰
Hi! I just played part 2 and wanted to leave my feedback!
So, first of all, I still enjoyed how interactive everything was (the fight was a particularly fun moment), how polished everything was: the music was great, the illustrations were beautiful (you outdid yourself with the lighting!), and the way the plot developed was very interesting too (literally, you set up the stalker during part 1 and I wasn't expecting this pay-off, it was so great and interesting)!
Now, I'll try to mention more things, but for anyone reading this, it's spoilers, haha! But for anyone reading this, PLAY IT, IT'S SO GOOD, IT'S AMAZING, IT'S POLISHED, IT'S BEAUTIFUL, AND THE PLOT!!!!!!!!! THE PLOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So:
- I really love how you tackled Milo's gender identity, and I enjoyed the way their backstory developed. Their conflict between a past they want to fix and a present in which they are whom they've been wanting to be was very interesting to read and play! You tackled the topic with grace and intelligence. I'll go further on LGBTQ+ issues when we tackle T's case!
- Regarding Milo, I have so many conflicted feelings about them as a love interest, aaaaah!!!! They make me squeak and giggle, but sometimes, they make me sometimes feel uncomfortable for some reason with the way they act with Q (the exam thing sends shivers down my spine frvgfb), and yet I want to protect them because they are precious and wholesome and charming and yet I wonder why they are a target, what have they done??????????
- Similar thoughts for T, gosh, I was so tormented!!!! I could tell he sincerely loved Q but that social norms prevent him to embrace this love. And YET, he is so horrible with him!! By never reciprocating his feelings, by being possessive because he still loves him and yet he would allow himself to sleep around and yet he stops doing so because he realises it's not the kind of relationship he wants with Q and that he wants more and yet he won't accept it?? I think you pinpointed perfectly the complications of "bi-curious" relationships!! You really twisted my feelings in the most painful yet relevant way!
- I LOVED Q. I can't emphasise it enough. I loved the reflections about blindly following orders you brought thanks to him in the bad endings! But, god???? The way he falls in love? It was so touching!!!! Really, his dedication to those he has feelings for, the way he perceives himself unworthy because of his indeed questionable actions... So, congrats, I do LOVE him!!!!!
- Special mention to June, I kinda enjoyed seeing her being mad at Q for not taking her advice. It kinda reminded me of my frustration when some friends would vent about the same problems and never actually apply the advice I give... I'll admit I never spoke as harshly as June, so it was kinda cathartic haha! And another mention for Vale, I r-really like him...
Overall, it was a STELLAR experience, and I had a lot of fun!!! The mystery goes broader, the tension is SO HIGH, I want to know more, I want to see all the endings! I explored all the scenes, all the variations because I was hooked, and didn't want to give up on the story and the characters already!!!!!!! And the conclusion wasn't as plot-twisty as the conclusion of the first part, but it was so sad (in a good way)!!!!!!!!! Aaaaah, congrats Hiro!!!!!!! If I could give a second 5-star rating for this, I would, but itch won't let me somehow which is unfair!!!!!!!! A steal, for all I can say!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for releasing this!!
EDIT: Also, I forgot to mention, but the mirroring between Q's fake death and T's death... Interesting... And now I have theories, aaah!!!!
Ahhhh, thank you so much for the sweet comment 🥺💕
I'm so glad you enjoyed the characters! I love them all dearly but I feel like it's sometimes hard to convey the exact reasons in writing. Especially with Q, I'm always worried if he's likable enough as an MC (and Part One didn't have much room to really show him as a character for obvious reasons). So I'm delighted by your feedback 💕
(And on the other hand, i wouldn't want to make them too perfect, either, because perfect characters aren't interesting, right? But the fact that you felt conflicted about some aspects of them probably means that I succeeded ^^)
I really appreciate that you took the time to explore the different choices, too! I wanted to make sure that each alternative path adds a little something to the story (even if most people won't see it). ^^
Thank you so much again for the wonderful words, it really means a lot 🥰
I didn't expect the plot twist at the end of part 1 👀 And I have to say, as cute as Milo is, when I first saw Wren I wished he was romanceable (I still somewhat do), I like him as a character, but I understand that the plot needs otherwise.
Well, you have me fully invested in the game! You do make awesome stories 💖
Ahh, thank you, it really means a lot 🥰
Yeah, the story kinda limits who Q can end up with 😅 (and Wren is very much married to his job, too). BUT there will be a chance to get closer to him as a friend later on, so I hope that's something at least. ^^
Hey! I downloaded the first part a while ago but, hey, my computer being what it is, I had bugs with it! So, I took the matter in my own hands, finally fixed my computer and now I can review this first part of Quaint!
First of all, I have to APPLAUDE how polished everything is! The art, the GUI, the animations (!!!!!!), this game really is a treat! Really, that was great!
Also, I have to say the world-building is excellent!!!! The spellcasting system is simple enough for us to understand yet it seems flexible enough to create a variety of spells. It was very consistent and it really worked extremely well! Also, a "spy/sci-fi" universe mixed with a "wizarding school" one is a surprisingly good mix!
Now, regarding the characters, I really loved June! She's a funny support character, and I loved reading her text discussions with Q! Also, Milo was adorable (I'll admit I've been put off by the "touching hands to discharge" although not necessary and them withholding this information from us, but hypersensitivity, hehe). But I really grew attached to them, to their quirks (the "escape my date" scene was funny) and to their objectives regarding what we learn towards the end of the part.
Now, Quentin. Q. I'll admit I've had a bit of trouble with his consistency at first: he kinda seemed to be the skeptical one, but he didn't question June regarding magical stuff and so on. I think I told you that when I review your demo a while ago? But now that I've been SHAKEN by the plot twist at the end of the first part (I screamed "OH NO!!!!!!! PLEASE, NO!!!!!!!!!"), him not questioning it makes MUCH more sense! I also enjoyed his hard-working yet easily-flustered personality.
Thematically, I also liked how you treated the confusion created by non-binarism (to say that it's normal to be confused at first, but being confused isn't an excuse not to be respectful) and how you treated the matter of homosexual folks being assumed heterosexual (and therefore forced into heteronormativity). Q's discomfort really sounded true to me.
Also, I really didn't see the plot twist come. I'm trying to leave this review relatively spoiler-free so I won't expand too much, but it has made me VERY excited and it really raises the stakes for what will happen! Gosh, I wish I already knew frhur"jenjzrsj
So, this was a great first part, very polished and very professional! You did an amazing work and I'm more than eager to play more of Quaint! (but of course, take all your sweet time, we do not condone crunch here!!!!)
EDIT: it seems like the first part was release a month ago... WHAT HAVE I BEEN FIGHTING WITH THIS WHOLE TIME THEN???????
Aww, thank you so much for the sweet comment, I'm happy you enjoyed the game and liked the characters! 🥹💕 (The whole thing kinda hinges on whether you care what happens to them or not lol. 😅)
Q is a bit of a funny character because he puts on this mask when talking to others so the lines between how he presents and his actual personality are a little blurred. (But I hope the other things he says and does make more sense now, too. There are many little hints scattered throughout the game. ^^)
As for Part Two, it's already in the advanced stages of completion and should be ready to launch in the next two-three months. (ideally in time for Pride, but no promises here 😅) I can only hope it lives up to the hype, haha. ^^
Thank you so much once again, it makes me happy that you've found a moment to play despite the hurdles in your way. 🤭
Can someone please explain HOW to get 8th CG,?
The CGs unlock as you progress the story. There are nine slots, but the last one is empty. Sorry for the confusion. 😅
Oh... Okay. Good luck with this project, we will wait for the whole story :3
Thank you, I appreciate it 💕
Finally finished reading today! Here's some thoughts.
I can tell how much love you've been pouring into this... The attention to detail is like, genuinely heartwarming. The butterflies landing on Milo are probably my favorite example ahaha. That one sky scene was really beautiful as well! I was also really surprised that the load screen changes as you progress through the story!! It's a really nice touch.
I figured out the plot twist about 60% in, and was so excited to be right! I feel like you left just the right amount of clues that it was solvable, but not too obvious.
Milo ended up being my favorite. Them talking about reviving the dead while wearing the most stone-cold expression was probably the exact moment they really won me over haha.
I had an issue with fullscreen mode that caused the background to flicker to black at the end of every dialogue blip, almost like it was forcibly reloading it. I switched over to windowed mode and it went away. Just letting you know!
I can't wait to see where the story goes; I'll be looking forward to it!! :D
Thank you so much for giving it a try! I really did put a lot of work into it, so I really appreciate it. 🥰
So you figured it out, then! That's good, it probably means I did it right, haha. 😄
I think the balance between 'it's blatantly obvious what's going on' and 'that came out of the left field' is pretty hard to nail. (though I do love it when people are surprised by the end 🤭)
As for the screen flickering, it's most likely because of the display refresh rate of your pc. Some Ren'py games just cause this issue when in full-screen. Thank you for letting me know, though!
Anyway, thank you for the sweet comment, I hope that Part Two will not disappoint. 💕
(obligatory spoilers warning here but !!!)
Took me a bit more than I expected to finish the demo but man that plot twist. I was just about wondering if the guy outside of Q's window was the agent guy they were talking about when /that/ popped up as the last line instead and it's like,,, ahhHHHH I GET IT NOW
that poses the question though,,, who is Mr. Stalker I wonder??? One of the guys who can use magic and is sus of Q? Or a neutral party neither super secret government faction nor local magic gang? im curious of him now,,, esp. since i always tend to have a soft spot for potential neutral/third party factions,,,,,,,,,
there were definitely a lot of questions brought up in this that i can't wait to get answers for. Like why Milo in particular? Because they're trying to resurrect the dead? Also, T seems to be a past lover of Q's who's maybe dead? Or perhaps he was like Milo - someone Q had feels for but was his target in the end? gotta say it sounds like Q's job is less programmer and more a secret government agent which,,, in hindsight that all clicks together but not until after the reveal did i really guess that fjhfgjhgf
It was nice to see your cast in context though! Milo was different than I expected (i thought they'd be more of an outright prankster but instead they're pretty chill which, nice). I can't help but wonder if their butterfly attraction motif is a result of them having their teacher's magic since butterflies are commonly associated with life or if that passive ability has a deeper meaning (like perhaps being used to scout information as creations they made?). Wren was very fun to see! For some reason I thought Penny was going to be capable of communicating with the cast so i was surprised to see her hiss instead gfjhfghj but I def do love her and Wren and his little threat to Q not to hurt Milo (which, oof,, OOF,,, Q's screwed isn't he if he goes through with The Plan). And poor June too,,, dealing with all those Karens,,,
I really find it curious though that Milo seems to be, for lack of better words here, the star of the society,, like everyone loves them and wants to see the best for them but then there's Q with that kill order and it's like,,, oh,,,, if Q kills Milo he's going to get quite the reckoning lmao
a bit of rambling but i like the set-up you've got going here for the ramifications of what will happen if Q decides to kill Milo (meanwhile, I wonder what the repercussions will be for failing his job? Perhaps part 2 will explore that??) and also a little glimpse into what might be a bigger plot with magic society vs. Q's employers?
regardless,,, this was a very fun playthrough and i enjoyed all the art and work you put into it! It definitely feels like something you put your heart and soul into and I can't wait to see more of how the plot unravels now that the reason for Q's dilemma is out of the bag ^^
Thank you so much for playing and for writing this all out! It makes me very happy that you enjoyed it. 🥰
I'm delighted you've picked up on so many things in the plot and I can say you're on the right track for quite a few. 👀 (Part Two will address the majority of it, too, with different consequences for whatever choices are made along the way. 😏)
I'm glad you liked the cast! Milo is definitely not much of a prankster but rather someone who causes trouble by doing whatever the heck they want. (And they get away with it, too. 🤭)(At least most of the time.)
Anyway, thank you again, and I hope Part Two can meet your expectations when it comes out. 💕
woah, this looks awesome!! I love the art style!!!
thank you, it means a lot 😊
Oooh, been a while
It sure has! ^^ This game is already three years in the making so I'm very happy I can finally show it off. 🥰
looks neat so far!
Thank you very much! 🥰
ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC GAME!
I honestly love everything about this. The story? Fun! Intriguing! Cute! The characters? Extremely lovable! Adorable! Full of personality! This is like... everything you could want in a queer fantasy story tbh GODDDDD.
I had the pleasure of playing the demo before this, so I already had an idea of what I was diving into character-wise, but with part 1, it goes so much further, and I really got to learn more about the world and the characters (AND THE CUTE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN Q AND MILO). I love the setup of a mysterious secret magic society so much. And watching Q struggle but slowly learn things was so much fun, especially given his general belligerence to most things.
Favorite character is Milo hands down. THEY ARE SIMPLY TOO ADORABLE?? Every scene with them made me want to weep giant salty tears. And I love love LOVE the slow build-up of what's going on with them and Q. Also love that they're just so mysterious, too? Part 1 finally started to give us a few more details about them and their backstory, though I feel like there's still a whole lot left (and a whole lot of compliCATIONS left) in future parts djalfkdaj
The artwork is honestly gorgeous. The sprites are so full of life and emotion. They move so much! And all the expressions fit so perfectly well with the timed dialogue. It made it feel super immersive as I was reading. AND THE CGS!! God, they were so beautiful. I loved each and every one of them! Especially the ones with Milo,,, ;-; Like, overall, I would just say this whole game seeps with immersion. From the use of the sprites and their movements, to the sound effects, to the music—everything just feels very cinematic.
The mini games were also tons of fun!! I thought they were a really fun and creative way to bring in some interaction and actually feel like WE were learning some magic, too, which was really cool. (There's also a certain one I felt worked SO WELL as a surprise lead-in to a specific scene—it was done super well, especially after the way the previous mini games had gone. Just another aspect of how the game really immerses you!)
AND GAHHHHHH THE ENDING TO PART 1 I CAN'TTTTT. I was left slightly with my jaw agape, I will admit. WHAT A CLIFFHANGER LKADJFALSKD Gosh, now I'm already on pins and needles waiting to see what part 2 holds and what could possibly happen because it already feels like DRAMA CENTRAL (BUT DEAR GOD I WANT Q AND MILO TO BE ALL RIGHT ALDKJAFLD).
Anyway.... LOVE IT. ALL OF IT. EVERYONE SHOULD PLAY. If you like queer stories and magic and adorable fun characters, this will be right up your alley!!
This comment has turned me to mush, help 😭
Thank you so so so much for all the wonderful praise, it makes me happy beyond words that you found it fun and immersive, and that you liked the characters! 🥹💕
As for Part Two, I can say that there's still a lot to story to cover (and a lot to discover about Milo, so you're right about that ^^) and that it's probably my favorite among the three. There will be choices to be made and I promise that at least SOME of them will let both Milo and Q get out of it unscathed. ^^
Thank you again, this really means a lot! 💕