T Break
82 is one of those people you either love or hate.
He's charming, confident, and a bit of a rebel, which makes him naturally popular with girls (and he's aware of it, too). He's also a self-centered jerk, breaking hearts just as easily as he steals them.
So you're more than a little surprised when he asks you for love advice.
*
HOW TO PLAY (click here)
Use what you learn from the conversation to progress the story.
The game was originally made for the O2A2 VN Jam 2023, a micro Visual Novel jam with strict asset limitations and a 1000-word limit. The extended version (1.1) contains around 1400 words. For the jam-compliant version, download the jam build listed below.
Content warning for swearing and mild homophobia.
Download for best performance. The web version is not optimized for mobile devices.
Please leave a rating if you liked it! It helps the game's visibility on Itch. 💚
*
This short story is set in the world of my main game Quaint, but you don't need to know anything about it to play. (it adds more flavor though 👌)
Download
Development log
- Release: Extended version 1.1Aug 26, 2023
- Behind the naming mechanicAug 05, 2023
Comments
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
I'm feeling really sad and this made me feel a bit better. I like the name mechanic. I like the characters. I like the art and the music. I like how it feels.
Hi! I'm sorry you're feeling sad, I hope things get better for you soon 🫂 I appreciate the sweet words, thank you for playing 💕
I hadn't checked out this game before, but after playing your newest O2A2 entry I decided to give it a try, and I actually really like it? The whole concept of changing your name to change the scene accordingly is so cool, honestly! I loved that! And also the art and UI is gorgeous!
I waited until I had some familiarity with Quaint's characters to play this, and I'm VERY glad that I did! I tried to play this around the section of Quaint when the dev released it to get a better experience of what was intended (so somewhat in the middle, after the main character of T Break has been introduced and developed with a few scenes).
I'll cover the technical aspects first. First, of course, is the game mechanic, which is endlessly clever and a perfect usage of the O2A2 restrictions, and it really helps to flesh out T in different conversations that he has with the people around him. The sprite is very cute (T is very cute) and the GUI is really impressive - clean and stylish with an attractive color palette that gives a very sci-fi vibe. The music is pleasant to listen to, and I enjoyed all the little Easter eggs for the different names that you could input.
===SPOILERS FOR T BREAK AND MINOR SPOILERS FOR QUAINT BELOW===
T, from the start, is a pretty polarizing character. I'll go into more detail in my Quaint review, but while he is Q's best friend, confidante, and lover, he's also dismissive, possessive, insensitive, and at times borderline abusive in his behavior. Despite Q's rather vocal desire for reciprocation for his affections, T rebuffs him at every turn, keeping Q solely in the position of "friends with benefits" (and, at times, taking advantage of Q for his own pleasure). However, there are pretty clear indications that T genuinely cares for Q (and is even in love with him); still, with how dishonest he is, it's pretty hard to root for him.
This game, presented from T's point of view, really skyrocketed him in terms of likeability. Here, unlike in Quaint, you get inside T's head, you understand what he's thinking - his own uncertainties regarding his feelings, his fear of losing his friendship with Q if he lets it go too far. You also see how much he treasures Q and thinks of him; if you look in the mirror, then T reminisces about Q's sleeping face, recounting how he kisses him when Q is asleep. He confronts bullies on Q's behalf. The majority of the game is spent talking with his friend Dio about Q and his feelings for him. When seeing Q, T even calls him his LOVER. Here it becomes clear how much of a show that T puts on with Q to mask his real feelings about the matter (though, in turn, that also makes the situation all the more frustrating).
This game was brilliantly set up to offer more insight into this character, who really strikes me as one of the more mysterious of the bunch - a person whose portrayal is constantly clouded both by Q's rosy glasses and T's own dishonesty. Seeing him interact with enemies, friends, and Q himself really fleshed out T's character in ways that were hinted at in Quaint (so far).
The changes in the start menu were also INCREDIBLY adorable!
Really great job on this one; perfect companion piece for Quaint!
kfklsfls;dksl;kf thank you so much for the wonderful review, i'm FLOORED with how deep you went with your analysis (pretty much spot on about everything, too) 🥺💕💕💕
(Just for the record, this game happens between the fourth and fifth flashback.)
[MORE SPOILERS]
Just like you said, the story in Quaint is shown from Q's point of view, so you can only see the front T puts on to hide his real feelings. And to be fair, I first wrote their relationship to be a little toxic and manipulative as a sort of counter-balance to Q's relationship with Milo.
But while working on the game i started exploring T's character a little bit more and that made me wonder why he'd treat Q like that. (i didn't like the idea that he was just cruel for the sake of it) And by the time part two of Quaint came out, the image of T in the game and the T in my head were very, VERY different lol. 😅 So with this game, I wanted to show the situation from T's perspective to maybe give his character a little more nuance. (though whether or not that justifies his actions, i'll leave to the player's judgment ^^)
Thank you again for playing, I'm delighted that you enjoyed it 🥰
First time I've seen such a game mechanic, very nice
y'all whats the name you're supposed to put in, I've been having the same dialogue for thirty minutes plz help :(
Edit: I am so fucking stupid lmao. I figured it out
The names you're supposed to put in are written in green in the dialogue. ^^
Which conversation are you stuck on? The very first one? (82 is looking for someone, that's who you're supposed to put in)
throughout my struggles, I have realized there is no character limit on the naming mechanic.
Wicked clever programming and game mechanic. Love the sprite expressions. For such a short game with restrictions, you really packed a punch. Super impressive. Thanks so much!
I love this little precious thing you made here (this game) it's just so sweet! I haven't actually played Quaint, it's been on my list for a while now. The little change at the end I didn't expect that one (can't go into it without spoilers) and it was a very sweet addition considering that this done under a very limiting game jam (in a good way).
P.S. did a dumb and kept entering random names in the beginning ending up with the same dialogue lol
Thank you, this makes me very happy 🤭💕
Glad you liked the change at the end, too, I feel like little details like these go a long way, especially with restricted assets (and you actually get a different screen depending on the choice you make ^^).
I'd love to know what you think of Quaint if you end up playing it, too ^^
Will let you know my thoughts once I play Quaint! :)
This game is absolutely so sweet! I really like the art style and the way you have to enter in specific names is very intuitive in continuing the story. I'll definitely be playing "Quaint" soon!
Thank you for playing and for the kind words, I'm extra tickled when people enjoy the art 💕
Hope you'll enjoy Quaint, too ^^
I am always in awe when I come across a short game that doesn't feel like it. This was so cleverly written and I truly enjoyed it. I am glad I gave your work a try; Quaint is already downloading as I write. Can't wait to see more of 82!
Aw, thank you so much! It always warms my heart when people enjoy my work 💕
As for Quaint, 82 appears quite a bit into the story, but I hope it'll be worth the wait ^^
YO YOU PROBABLY GET THIS A LOT BUT THE NAME MECHANIC IS SO SICK TO ME?? made me feel mega clever for getting that, so thank you for starters. this is making me real interested in quaint now.
Yeah, it seems to be the highlight of the game, haha ^^
But thank you! It was a fun little idea and I'm happy with how it turned out 😊
(also, Quaint is a bit different but it also has minigames, and 82 is there, too, so you might like it ^^)
OH MY GOSH! THE NAMING MECHANIC IS GENIUS!!! AAAAHHHH I AM IN AWE OF THIS MECHANIC AND HOW CLEVER IT WAS TO USE IT AS A WAY TO SHOWCASE DIFFERENT PARTS OF 82!!!
It took me a few tries to actually get it right as I tried different names first , but oh! when it finally dawned on me on what to do it was such as spectacular aha! moment and wow, I do love how the story flowed because of this, while still being able to make use of the O2A2 limitation!!! This was truly a pleasant experience!!! Good job!
Also! Side note! I also loved your other O2A2 entry from last year TXXX! As a HUGE time travel fan who also loves to see characters from multiple dimensions, more so if they kind of have a tint of star-crossed lovers, I really enjoyed it! Especially the push and pull of the decision! I'm so happy chim recommended it to me! But my problem though is that I can't seem to find where to rate it?
Anyways I really do love your O2A2 entries! <3
Thank you so much for playing, Butter, I'm happy you enjoyed them both 🥺💕
It was a bit of a challenge to fit four different conversations within the limit, but I really wanted to show the differences in people's impressions of 82 so I'm glad I succeeded in that ^^
As for TXXX, I had to turn off ratings because it kept getting bad ones after the jam and it was making me depressed. 😅 But it warms my heart that you liked it! I love exploring different scenarios with my characters and this is a pretty extreme example of that, haha. My favorite part about it is that there's really no correct choice there and the consequences look bad no matter what you pick. ^^
Aaaaww I'm really so sorry to hear that about TXXX! It was quite lovely to me! And I did like how no matter the choice someone was always going to get hurt, so it was a matter of choosing between your duty and responsibility, and the one who loves you. It honestly was painful to choose either option because of the lingering what ifs!
(Personally, I'd freeze at such a decision. I would rather choose the option where I am hurt rather than one where somebody is hurt, but in this case, you always end up hurting someone, so it was extra-painful! More so, in this case, the one being hurt is a version of the MC's beloved , so +++ angsty, Aaaahh!)
(On a more positive note though, I LOVED the music from TXXX so much!!! It's so melancholic and sad and AAAHHHHHHH so beautiful! I actually had it on loop while I was drawing my Background and Sprite for my own O2A2 entry, which I guess added to the angst I felt while making it!)
That's the risk of submitting jam games, I guess. People don't know about the limitations, go in expecting more, and express their disappointment with low ratings. 🥲
I like to think of choices as separate timelines, so there's no 'canon' choice and they can all exist in parallel to each other. ^^
Ahhhhh, I'll let my composer know that you liked the music! And honestly, out of all the tracks they've made for my games, this one is easily my favorite, too. 🤭 (And I already wanted to play your entry, but now i just have to hbhdsaadsjka)
Great lil' experience. :) Definitely amplified my need to finally get around to playing Quaint as well!
Great job! <3
Thank you, Tyme, glad you liked it 🥰
Not sure Quaint would be something up your alley but do let me know if you try it ^^
I haven't played Quaint (yet) but I think this game serves as a good introduction to No. 82! I loved the POV mechanic, it's a very good game!
Thank you, Banya, it means a lot 🥺💕
I'm glad I could show a bit of 82's character, he's very dear to me and plays an important role in Quaint ^^
I love that naming mechanic, so clever. (And yes, I had to read the comments to get it.) And it's a tender and heartfelt little conversation. I felt like setting it in your other game's universe was a little distracting, though, because it's clearly an interesting setting but I don't know anything about it.
OMG im literally the dumbest person on earth!! i was so confused on how to play the game cause of me getting stuck on the naming mechanic UNTIL I FINALLY GOT IT! the game is amazing! i give it a 10/10! mwah mwah i loved this game, im now going to go play quaint!
I'm glad you eventually figured it out ^^
What kind of hint would've been helpful? I might put it in the description for the future players 🤔
maybe put a hint that says to pay attention to the conversations!
This game was very well made! I'll admit that I was stumped on the naming mechanic until I checked the comments, but after that, all went smoothly! I'm impressed by how many scenes were included within 1000 words :)
The naming mechanic was so cool, I could definitely see this concept expanded into a larger game!!
The naming aspect of this was so neat!! It took me a couple tries before I actually figured out what I was supposed to be doing ahaha. Got a laugh out of the game asking me not to name myself "82"
Anyway, really nice little polished story!!! Enjoyed it :) Can't wait until I'm a little less busy and can catch up on Quaint!
Thank you so much for playing, I'm happy you enjoyed it! 🥰
I kinda wanted to make a scene with '82' where he'd be looking in a mirror and thinking 'looking good' or something but I ran out of words (because of jam limitations). 🤭
(also, this game may hit different once you play part two, just saying 😅)
I'm so surprised at how fun the mechanic is! I love 82's expressions and how cute he is, especially when he blushes! I enjoyed the experience, now I want to check Quaint more! ^^
Ahhhh, thank you, I'm happy you think so! 🥰
Quaint is a bit different than this but it also has fun little minigames, so you might like it, too? ^^
Aw, thank you! Quaint has a slightly different vibe but I hope you like it, too ^^
i'm sorry…? 😅 i love your reaction though, i'm happy you liked it 💕
Oh! the game mechanic it's so cool!!!
Seeing different sides of the character (as how he acts and what "you" think of him) depending of "who you are" it's great even if it's a short game it really feels like you get to know him, it shows how someone can feel like totally different people depending of who it's looking!
Also the sprite it's so expressive and charming!!
Thank you, Taumi, I'm happy you liked it! 🥰
That was my goal, I wanted to show a different perspective with each little conversation. ^^ (the word limit was really acting against me this time lol)
LOVE LOVE LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS.
Going into this having a... hrm... I wouldn't say "bad" impression of T, but I will say kind of a "neutral" impression, this certainly did warm me up to him a lot more (though I still don't especially like how he treats Q 💦 even though I can understand it more now)
I loved the most how this gave us a look more into T's side of things, if even for a little glimpse. Since in the main story we're really only privy to Q's side of things. We know that Q is extremely attached to T. We know that it took T a long time to warm up to Q and was rather rude to him more often than not when it came to like... their relationship. But we never really learned anything about where T was coming from in all of this... UNTIL NOW????
As a jam game, it's ofc very short, but I feel it was the perfect amount to give us this little behind-the-scenes snapshot into T's head while also not like, hitting us over the head with it lakdjflaskd Like it still leaves a lot open to our own interpretations and whims (and incessant obsessive thinking LAKSDJFLAKDSF) which I love, while also like... softening things so to speak. Honestly I couldn't resist T at all in this HE WAS VERY CUTE. And I loved seeing him get all confused and flustered and seeking out advice (LIKE SERIOUSLY? T SEEKING OUT ADVICE FOR ONCE??? WHODATHUNK???) And my heart squished quite a bit seeing him try to get out these complex feelings that he's having and work through things. BECAUSE IT'S TRUE. WE DON'T ALL HAVE IT FIGURED OUT. AND WE'RE OFTEN SCARED. And so that really did help me warm up to T's situation and where he was coming from (even if it didn't make me feel any better about The Big Argument™ that happens in the main game... 💦).
Gorgeous art AS ALWAYS. Literally always in awe of your beautiful sprites and BGs. AND THE TITLE SCREEN VARIANTS. GUHHHHHHHH. BE STILL MY HEART, THEY ARE SO CUTE. I loved how those gave like a... a little cherry on top for the feels already accumulated in-game. (AND THE EASTER EGG ONE IS MY FAVORITE IT LITERALLY MAKES MY HEART GO GUHHHHHHHHHHH.) Also I thought the mechanic was REALLY COOL AND UNIQUE???? I like how it's something you can figure out with a bit of thinking and it adds this little extra element of like, interactivity, that's just really cool and something I've never seen done like this before. JUST EXCELLENT. And ye gods, everything else, too! Like the music?? GORGEOUS?? Very peaceful and warming of the heart. The little bits of animation to help bring everything to life? The fantastic GUI that really emphasized the world and the situation? LITERALLY SO MUCH TO LOVE HERE.
Overall just a really fantastic little game -- one that can be enjoyed standalone as a poignant little conversation about someone working out a lot of new feelings they're not sure they understand -- but also one that help bring a lot of new insight (AND UNDERSTANDING AND FEELS) to a character you may or may not have mildly conflicting feelings about alskdjfaldskf I came away with the biggest smile on my face after playing it. Just absolutely lovelyyyyyyyyyy 😭💕
(EDITED TO FIX MY TYPOS GOD I CAN'T EVEN TYPEEEEE see that's the effect this had on me)
Thank you so much, Carrot, I might be tearing up a bit 🥲💕
I'm glad you warmed up to T, even if just a little. ^^ The way he handles things in the main game is… not ideal, to say the least, but I wanted to show that there are reasons for this and it's not just that he's an ass. (I mean, he kinda is, but it's not as clear-cut as it may seem) And I think this mix of fear and uncertainty was the worst possible advisor in navigating this very complicated situation.
Anyway, thank you for playing and I'm happy you liked it! 🥰
Hi, Hiro! You know my thoughts about it, but I’m still going to share them to the future players!
So, the game is once again very polished: the art is neat, the GUI is pretty, the coding is clean per usual! The main menu changing depending on the choice made was a nice touch (and I CANNOT GET OVER the horizontal parallax effect, it looks so good!!)! Even the loading screen for the web version is personalised (gotta look up how to do that, haha)!
Game design wise, using the name input as a gameplay mechanic was so clever! Perfect for something like O2A2, and definitely stealing the idea for future games!!!
The music track really suited the game and was amazing, and the Easter egg for those who played Quaint is appreciated!
And story wise, let’s say it portrays “82” in a whole new light, which helps a lot in characterising him as a complex character! No wonder 162 is in love with him, when he looks at him like he does at the end of the game!
It was a great entry Hiro, congrats!
(Bonus: I was surprised to see me credited as playtester, haha, guess I can add the game to the collection of games I worked on, although I literally just did have fun playing it early!)
Thank you so much for the sweet words, Chim 💕
It was a fun little project, and the mechanic was basically me wanting to try something new. ^^ This is the first time I've used the input command and the idea kinda evolved from there. (but also, please at least give me a shout-out if you make something inspired by this? 😅)
(And of course I credited you, I appreciate your help 🙌)
Ha ha, if I find a way to use it, of course I will!!!