what is it like to taste

Lovely little story with a soft touch in spite of all the difficulties. As a disabled person with many of the same issues as Aiyana I was a bit afraid of how potentially triggering it could get but I was drawn in by how real and empathetic her portrayal was, as well as Emma's understandably limited perception. The note at the credits touched me, I know exactly what that kind of situation feels like and likewise I was glad for this jam being the one thread keeping my sanity together through difficult times. You managed to make something really cool and touching with the time you had. Also I love the color palette! 

I also just saw it was your birthday as I scrolled down to post this comment. Happy birthday! I didn't grow up in the South or anything but I had friends who did, and I absolutely caught the vibe. 

My friends and I loved this VN!! I think there's a fundamental kindness at the heart of it that reminds me of Naoko Yamada's work or the anime move Look Back. I think you need this quality to appreciate the ephemerality of the world and to love other people so wistfully. I think that kindness makes it so different than all the other yuri games that I've played for this jam. It's not to say that I didn't enjoy the rest, but I think your perspective was refreshing. 

Also, we spent so much time in Aiyana's house, that I felt like paying special attention to all the times we spent outdoors. For whatever reason, it reminded me of the South, or at least what I know of it from the time I spent in Virginia when I was younger. (I live in a major NE city now). The way the backyard was so overgrown and choked with the past, the rapeseed field, the rural emptiness, the fact that there's nothing to do and nowhere to go except to sit outside some store. The way that life and love persists in spite of it all. 

ok maybe i am just dumm, but the toughts on the blackscreen where emmas, right?

i dont have anything special to say this was a nice vn!

There is something about a Mala game that just hits right in the way that hurts (positive). I can't quite put my thoughts about the game and how things played out into words because everything felt so messed up but also inevitable in a way due to the naivety of Emma and the way Aiyana clearly doesn't view herself in a positive light at all. And the complicated feelings of Adelaide being one of the only people willing to actually make sure Aiyana is actually okay and has paid attention to her because she understands that Aiyana needs someone despite the fact that she was also abusive towards Aiyana and god the character dynamics are so tightly written.

Injects Mala games directly into my veins with great speed.

I do want to say though, I don't know whether the piano piece was composed for the game or was part of the creative commons licensed tracks but I feel like maybe just throwing the track into something and adding a bit of a reverb plugin to tame the harshness of the higher notes of the piano because that was a bit too loud compared to a lot of the other tracks used throughout the game.

This was a really lovely read. The characters are all charming oddballs and the art is so soft and cute. Really enjoyed my time with it!

This was a really interesting look at mentally ill characters, and how relationships with them can be damaging but also loving. It's a really complicated topic and I feel like this game handled it pretty well. I like how Emma felt simultaneously human and inhuman - she fits the mentally ill group pretty well in all honesty, given how often robots in media wind up feeling autism-coded. I really liked that the way she was toxic felt...innocent? It felt almost childlike - she had gotten a lot of new information and didn't have a framework in place to process it with, so she tried to apply it in ways that turned out to be harmful.

The tags seemed a bit scary but very happy that I read it. It was very lulling to read the daily mundane life of these lovey, special but also very normal people.

Very popping and adorable art for the cast and a very charming graphic overlay gives this all your usual style of sweet.

I adored reading this so much. I was genuinely captivated from start to finish by the stylistic design,  the characters, and their struggles as well. I really like the entire cast, and I could empathize with all of them, despite their actions or thoughts sometimes seeming unreasonable or downright hard to justify. Being human is "messy"/complicated and relationships are even more so, and all of them reflect this aspect really well, including Emma, despite the fact that she isn't human. How can a robot take care of someone who thinks the very act of Existing is hard? I think your story asks and answers that question in a very compelling way, and I love it for that. Reading this has reminded me to embrace having "messy" characters and dynamics and not feel like I have to censure myself for the sake of conforming to "normalcy". Thank you for creating this, and good luck to you with the Game Jam!❤️❤️❤️

really lovely. we love the messiness of it. everything is just so complicated and grey. we don't like Adelade but we're simultaneously drawn to her and she may be our favorite. shes also very pretty lol.

the story feels like it has a lot of love put into it. like others have said there's a lot of empathy for the characters. it feels like a reminder that even if you've done bad things to people or carry guilt, you still have to live. i'm not sure if i'm wording that correctly but i hope it makes sense. 

also yayy Calliope! it's nice to see her again :>. we're glad she's doing well and that hopefully Eleanor is as well. it's cool that they're engaged now :>. we also did enjoy the length. not the type of thing you can just pop on and play in one sitting, but that's not a bad thing. it was long enough that we were able to rlly get sucked into it and let ourselves enjoy wherever the story went.

-Melodica system

This visual novel was so, so good. I really love how you write characters, how in depth and matter of fact you go into discussing their mental illnesses, and how they're never demonized even when they mess up or act in ways that upset/harm others. The humanity that your characters have and are treated with is so comforting to read. Seeing how much Emma loves Aiyana for who she is, mental illness and disorders and all, just made my heart swell... Even when things started to get toxic, everything Emma did still felt like it was coming from a place of genuine love, of just being someone without a lot of experience desperate to protect the one person they love the most...

Your art is gorgeous, and the character designs were so pretty. I loved seeing all the different hair styles and outfits. I also loved all of the little anime and yuri references, and Aiyana being a translator for yuri works, it was just a really great little bit of the story that added to the atmosphere of it in a way that's hard to explain.

I really loved this, though. I had it open in a tab and had been planning to read it, but I missed how long it was and started playing thinking it would be a short read- but I was so gripped that I just read through the whole thing in one go. I'm glad you were able to create this, and I look forward to more works from you!!

very good read!! i love how strong the characters' voices are, and the art is really cute. i felt like with the panels popping up it was like reading a comic at times, which worked well with aiyana's hobbies hehehe~ also, oh my gooosh adelaide. she stole the show for me, i love her, even if she is a little problematic with what she tells emma it's an iconic way ok #adelaidedidnothingwrong. im being silly ofc, but i really did enjoy this! also, i know at the end there's a note about the word count and how the game asks for more time but personally i really enjoy things at this pace, i feel more immersed in the story and world! good job :)

This is kinda outside of things that I've experienced and people I know so I don't feel I can relate to things as hard as the other commenters but I enjoyed the VN, the characters, the art, and the story.

Out of what I've played so far in the jam, I'd call this an oddball pick but that is not saying that it's bad in the slightest and I doubt this will be the only one.

Might have to take a look at what else you've made, see how it stacks up :P

In short: 9/10, it looks like it's really hit the mark for a lot of people and I enjoyed it with my not completely relating and understanding brain

This was so so beautiful. Each character feels so well written and nuanced. Emma’s perspective was fascinating and there are so many vivid and sensual observations that she makes throughout the story. I was wondering how dark it would get at times but I really like how you handled all of it. The art and music is also so good, it’s gonna stick with me for a while. The side story is also amazing and really does feel like a nice dessert at the end of it.

Also, I somehow never knew about ricecooker pancakes? Those look so good lol

i absolutely love how you write autistic characters, I really felt seen through aiyana and emma.  Adelaide kind of pissed me off at first but I see that she also just wants whats best for aiyana.

Edit: actually no I dont like adelaide she reminds me of my ex gf and that thought process of oh she wants whats best is actually what kept me stuck in that toxic relationship for so long

As a mentally ill enben with lots of mentally ill and neurodivergent queer friends, I could relate to a lot that happened in the story. I emphasized and related to pretty much every character in one way or another, and I LOVED the side story.

Aiyana is such a sweetheart, absolutely adore her. My heart broke for her, knowing how hard it is to Do Things and... everything. Yeah. Very relatable, glad she has a caregiver.

I'm not quite in as bad as shape as Aiyana, but I can't live alone either and need a caregiver myself. A robot aid would be SO useful.

The characterization was brilliant and I mean - well, okay. I've played enough of your games by now that I know it's lesbians and mental illness and people struggling and it's just going to be pretty and aesthetic and a little bit sad and a little bit happy. I always get excited when you come out with a new game.

I also noticed that the mental illnesses were discussed but never named. While I was able to pretty much conclude what neurodivergence/mental illness was what because I deal with some/have friends with  them, it was nice to see... I mean, saying you have this disorder or that disorder, it doesn't really help. It leaves people assuming things and people are so much more than their diagnoses. But saying what people ACTUALLY dealt with... the things they ACTUALLY needed...

Idk it was just nice and I was fond of that fact.

Also you're fantastic at writing nonhumans with nonhuman experiences.

this was so good... aiyana is such a unique and interesting character and i really loved everything about her

I thought that was swell! I'm not terribly eloquent in comments but I liked the slow slice of life feel and the revealing characterization. 

This was delightful. I adore the inclusion of fashion in your games. Adelaide ruled, loved how firm she was. Emma's desperation to properly take care of Aiyana was delicious, and the way Aiyana responded to it was good. All in all very enjoyable, thank you for sharing.

A lovely, complete experience, it's amazing this is a game jam game. The pacing and characters are great and I will be thinking about them for a while <3