Oh, drat it all, in my sleepless state I marked the Mac demo with a penguin, sorry! It's been properly tagged now and has been there all along. I just checked the wrong button.
I can't bring myself to try out the demo because I want to experience it entirely when the early access releases. Ugh, the painful waiting but I know this will be good just by first glance. :>
Totally valid! We're excited to get the Early Access out to y'all, hopefully this fall (as long as my town doesn't get flooded off the map or something, please don't flood us off the map, climate change).
The demo version is** amazing** …can`t wait for the full release must be even better . Its the money worth i swear. ALL IN ALL Stunning, pretty and interesting
I'll be doing a soft launch for discounted pre-orders here and on Backerkit sometime in the next few months. I'll be sure to announce it, so give us a follow to get notified!
Loving this so far. The art is gorgeous, the story fun!
In the final version, will we be able to set alternate keys for going back a bit? My Mac laptop (which runs the demo great otherwise) does not have page up/page down keys, so I cannot page back. It gets frustrating because sometime my thumb gets spacebar happy, and I don't catch everything before moving forward.
If you lack page up/page down and a mouse wheel, Ren'py has an option for you. Go into Preferences and choose "Rollback Side" either right or left. Then if you need to go back, move your mouse to that side of the screen and click anywhere outside the text box. It'll take you back.
Thank you! I will check that out. Eventually I discovered (by keysmashing, basically) that function + the up arrow would also work. Wanted to mention it for other Mac laptop people!
I've played through the Sherwood side and am playing through the Nottingham side now -- I really love it. The art is so lovely, the backgrounds are perfect, and I want to romance absolutely everyone!
I enjoyed the demo! I was very impressed with the manipulation of movement (like the dance scenes). Congrats on meeting all the Kickstarter goals, looking forward to buying the finished project.
Looking good so far! I enjoyed the beautiful artwork and the music worked well for me. I too feel that Marion is attracted to the LIs too easily, though it didn't bother me as much, just thought it odd. But what bothered me more was the use of word "dias". Shouldn't it be "dais"..? English isn't my first language, so I might be mistaken. Anyway, I'll be sure to back the Kickstarter. Looking forward to the finished game! :)
Apologies! We discovered a small but very annoying bug in the 1.1 demo that prevents menu access in Sherwood after a certain point. I've uploaded a fixed version of the demo, so if you downloaded the buggy version before 1pm Pacific today (Feb 12), you can replace it with the current version of the game.
Thoroughly enjoyed the demo - I didn't want it to end! The art style is beautiful and the theme is right up my alley. MC is not only among the most beautiful I've ever seen, but she's the perfect balance between fair lady and tomboy tough-arse. I love every character, but oh my goodness... Gui *swoon* and Will *SIGHFAINT!*
I love how the writing is mature yet comical. The part where you choose to climb over with Meisse. It actually genuinely made me LOL - quite a feat considering I'm pretty inanimate by nature.
Can't wait for the full release whenever that may be. I definitely plan on buying this game.
WOW! this demo was just fantastic- i love all the gorgeous details like the horn sounds at the title cards and the weaving/knot motifs throughout the menu etc etc. I couldn't stop appreciating the art, and I'm in love? with all ? the ? characters? and just the world- all the 'arthur's ass' and little quirks were utterly charming. I'm not one who often is curious enough to play through every single decision/route, but I definitely was here- many thanks to the dev team and I'm excited for the Kickstarter:)
I was waiting for "second" demo and when I finally played it... WOW! Ekhem, John may be a little in danger... Because Meissa just took my heart from me. I will protect them no matter the cost, lol! And Geoffrey... 😳 Oh my... This dance with him was amazing... The art and music as always - wonderful! You have very talented team! And the characters? I'm melting.. They are written soo good! I seriously can't choose who I like the most. Although I don't trust Gui a little... I'm watching you, handsome!
Looking forward for KS!
Btw, Alexander was on my spotify for a couple of days after I played the demo... <3
Came back for more to check out everything and oh my gosh move over Robin.. Meissa is a whole just... *chefs kiss* YES PLEASE haha they are so cool and adorable and I love the representation in these romance options.
Hey, I'm back as I said I'll do after playing the Sherwood demo. Took a bit longer than I thought since I was busy - well, if I knew it was shorter I would have played before haha - but oh well.
Only played through it once so far, but that's fine.
So... yeah... well...
I like it less than the Nottingham path, that much is obvious... but.. oh... my... god... Like... I fell utterly in love with Layton. So much that it was hard to even LOOK at anyone else once he appeared. He shouldn't even BE my type to begin with! I'm kind of agonizing that he's not a LI and at the same time praying that he'll actually be, considering his dialogue / scene, and the fact there's an uneven amount of romances for the paths, so far.
And yes, I only played once with no reloading and had his night scene. I feel like I actually SENSED I had to pick the option to spend some time alone, because I didn't even hesitate for a moment. And considering I was interested in Will, by all means I should have gone with his scene...
I have a hard time dealing with my trepidation right now... I'm kind of... baffled... like... I didn't expect that... UGH - it's hard to make an actual review of the route rigth now...
I can't say if I like him even more than Geoffrey, but clearly just as much.
How comes I hate (and really HATE) beards, and here I am, gushing about the two only bearded characters in your game...
Anyway so... Trying to concentrate...
First of, I'm SO GLAD for the premature ending that allows Marion to decide she'll agree to Robin's offer and go back home. You see, the Sherwood path made me a bit mad because of how it starts. While in theory I DO think it's clever that the Nottingham path actually starts with refusing to submit to the mariage, and the Sherwood path starts with agreeing, in practice I was bothered by it on Sherwood path. Made me really angry at Robin & co that they kidnapped Marion and forced her to change her plans, when she ended up gathering the strenght to actually accept. I guess it's a weird way to think about it, but oh well... I found myself wishing for a way to somehow escape and go onto the Nottingham route from there (with circumstances that would make it impossible to reappear officially or something) - or even for another early ending where Marion would go there and go on with the mariage, though it would be less interesting. It was basically a "I'm willing to do anything to cross these jerks" kind of thinking! And no, I don't hate any of them (well, I guess I dislike Robin, but I don't hate him and he doesn't creep me out like Gui either). It's mere retaliation, let's say it that way haha!
So yeah, basically, while I like this path less, I'm now officially obsessed with a character that is - as far as I know - unromanceable, and that makes me feel very conflicted. I didn't expect that to be my conclusion for this path!
The good news is that Layton will be one of two love interests in the post release DLC, Made Marion: Light and Shadow (the other has not yet been revealed).
The bad news is that you might not like him quite as much about five minutes after the end of the Sherwood demo.
And if it helps, Marion and Geoffrey's marriage would not have gone well if she'd made it to Nottingham on the Sherwood route. They need the events of the Nottingham Route in order to be compatible.
I have a good intuition about characters I like or not, actually. The way Layton is right now, I shouldn't like him, and yet I am crazily attracted. So I'm assuming it'll be the way he'll evolve or truly is more than the way he is now (or well, what he showed to Marion, rather). I'm 99% certain I'll only love him more in the future haha!
And yeah, I assumed the mariage wouldn't have gone well as it is. As I said, I only wished for such an ending in opposition to the "kidnappers" rather than because I tought it would be good!
But yeah, I'm very happy with the news then! Thank you for being kind enough and revealing it to me!
I've played the first chapters in each half of the demo and now I'm forcing myself to stop so I can experience the rest in the finished game. I've been following this project for a while on Tumblr and it was already my most anticipated upcoming visual novel, but now I'm doubly excited for it. The setting is so rich, the characters are so distinctive (Meissa and Geoffrey have each stolen half my heart already), the writing is so fluid, and the art is some of the best I've seen in a VN. I'm looking forward to your Kickstarter, and my fingers are crossed that it will be a smashing success!
I completed the demo, and thought to offer the thoughts of a future customer, as I definitely appreciate Indie Otome and support appropriately.
1. Why would an Agendered person assume the gender of Marion? They should similarly ask for Marion's pronouns as well if we're going through the trouble of having the conversation.
2. It takes me out of the role of the character for MC to be automatically written as attracted to all the love interests. If I the player are not attracted to certain characters, why isn’t the couple of lines about attraction a quick choice?
3. I really object to the over familiarity. Non consensual touching is a big dislike of mine. A stranger playing with my hair makes me feel like an object, and kissing hands in greeting or goodbye is almost appropriate but kissing it in the middle is just kinda weird.
4. The dancing transitions should slide more slowly. It’s meant to mimic a dance and I felt more “jerked around" than fluidic dancing and maybe going more slowly would help.
5. Not a fan of the greensleeves voice work but music is super subjective.
6. Writing wise, I have no idea why Marion would tell someone right off the bat about their situation. What was the point of the disguise if you tell someone you're wearing a mask within days of donning it?
Anyway, as much as I just complained, it's in my follow list and it'll be a buy when it comes out. I'll probably just ignore the stuff I don't like like I always do, but I hope my comments help anyway.
Thanks for the feedback! There are narrative reasons for a few of the things you're wondering about, so they'll become more clear once you get into the characters' routes.
Marion is not meant to be a 100% self-insert character. She's more like a pre-created character that you're able to role-play through in-game choices to a certain extent. She is canon bi/pansexual, for example, and though that doesn't play much of a role in the routes in which she romances men, it's still who she is.
I wanted to write a story with a protagonist who has a strongly-expressed personality and a clear background. Because of this, she will have interests and preferences that differ from the player's. This is true of every visual novel, even the ones that actively encourage self-insert characters. It's impossible to write a narrative that works for the preferences of every player, so the best I can do is try to be true to Marion and her story.
The dancing transitions are definitely something I'm still working on, as I'll be working with another coder who is more skilled at Ren'py animations than I am during full development.
excellent. Thank you for taking what I said as only helpful comments, I've given feedback before and the response was really mean so I appreciate that you were quite kind to me while standing in for your integrity of art.
Just finished playing the Nottingham demo a second time. I am so, so excited about this project.
There are certain LIs I knew I'd be into—and I very much still am—but Meissa completely and unexpectedly stole my heart. I assumed they'd be a bit of a cinnamon roll, which isn't my usual type in otome games. While they're clearly adorable, they're so nicely balanced with some sexy mischievousness. I love them a lot.
Every character seems to have so many hidden sides and I can't wait to learn more of their stories. I find myself wondering which ones I can trust (even Meissa)! I admit I find Gui... disturbing. He gives me unromanceable-but-hot villain vibes. I'm unnerved yet intrigued.
Looking forward to continuing to watch development!
Okay, yeah, I was right about the good feeling I had about the Sheriff - oh man! I cannot wait to romance Geoffrey - his route seems the most intriguing so far. In fact, the Nottingham route in general is very interesting. Great demo! :D
SPOILER!!!---- Not gonna lie though, at first I was a bit turned off by Marion's 'changing appearance' thing, despite it making perfect sense and adding lots of drama and opportunity to the game. That initial feeling was mainly due to the implications of the guys falling for a Marion that isn't 'fully' Marion, and not knowing it, but hopefully Geoffrey and Gui will discover the true Marion -- at least in their respective paths -- with a nice chunk of 1-on-1 time to spend with that version of her before the end of the game.
My favorite LIs remain Geoffrey and John. Tall, dark, handsome and protective. But, now I can fully say, I will be playing every one of those paths. ;)
Don't worry, I'm quite aware of the issues around Marion's altered appearance. It'll all come out quite nicely in the wash (and is only an active issue in Geoffrey and Gui's route).
I’m so interested in this game! The art is gorgeous, the story is intriguing, and I’m really loving the chatacters! And while I like the Sherwood side, the Nottingham side has stolen my heart completely lol. The fact that Meissa is my favorite love interest so far certainly contributes to that haha; they’re so my type personality-wise and looks-wise. I love them sm already. I’m definitely planning on being a backer 💖
I just did my first run of the demo - Nottingham route, and I can only say I'm hooked.
The character art should not be my style, but somehow it works and I really like it, and I love the backgrounds. Music choices are very nice too. One of the most notable qualities, aesthetically speaking, is the GUI though. A good UI adds a lot to the general ambience of a game, and it's important not to neglect it. And well, it IS gorgeous.
It was clever to skip the prologue in the demo - not only it leaves a bit of mystery about the general situation, but it also allows the players to check out the meat of the story without being too lost or getting heavily spoiled. It has also a very decent lenght for a demo, honestly! Especially considering it has two routes.
Also, it's always a pleasure when you can encounter sudden (and narrated) game overs even so early on! I'm a sucker for that!
I can't say anything about the Sherwood route for now, obviously (I'll comment later about it - probably tomorrow since I'm not going to play it now), but I'll share my thoughts about the Nottingham one.
Well, what can I say - you used one of my favorite tropes in fiction, so it was hard to resist. That trope being a protagonist that escapes (or at least loathes) an arranged marriage and then still finds themself "stuck" with said fiancé/e and ends up falling genuinely in love with them. Not only that, but I always wished for a Robin Hood inspired game that would allow the player to romance the Sheriff. The fact it's both at the same time (and that the trope is about the right character) is almost uncanny, but it makes me so happy. Though, because of that, it IS likely I'll only ever play Geoffrey's route - at least on the Nottingham path - I may still play the Sherwood one for Will, as I love the character in the legend, and he seems to be my type in your game too. It's not much of an issue though - I regularly play romance game and only do one of the routes.
That being said, I liked most characters that appeared on this path (not a huge fan of Gui so far). Marion herself is charming and witty, Alanna is fascinating (even if I'm not interested in romancing female characters), Meissa is an unexpected cutie and well Geoffrey himself is everything I love and more.
The world seems interesting too, and I'm eager to learn more about it. Though, again, I have that uncanny thought that our minds are connected, because of Nibiru and the cat-like features of it's inhabitants, considering in one of my own works I have a cat character whose name is Nibiru.
I don't think I can say much more, so far - and it was already long! Not to mention I'll be back for the other path.
Wow, what lovely compliments from a fellow writer, thank you! I hope I can tempt you to read beyond Geoffrey's route, because every route reveals a bit more about what's going on in Sherwood/Nottingham... and Alanna's is particularly unique so I'm hoping it'll be compelling even to readers who aren't romantically interested in women (you can always use the explicit text filter to skip the sexy bits). But hey, even if not, I won't fault anyone for succumbing to the siren song of the Sheriff.
Sadly, routes for female characters are really not my thing. In rare occasions, I CAN play games where you romance girls or a girl's route in a game with mixed romances, but only when the protagonist is male - I really don't like GxG content, basically. I don't mind that much not discovering every secret of a game, and playing a route I really don't want to play easily dampens my entire experience of a game - to the point that if it's needed for an unlock I simply check out the "correct" answers in a walkthrough and skip the entire thing. So yeah, not worth it.
Skipping explicit content won't change anything. I don't like any form of censorship, so playing the "soft" version would be more irritating than anything else, to be honest. It's the fact that GxG romances (some veeeeeery rare exceptions aside) aren't compelling to me from a romantic point of view. Alanna and Marion simply don't have the type of personalities I can like in a GxG couple.
As for the guys and Meissa, I guess I'll see. As I said, I will probably play Will's route in addition to Geoffrey's, if nothing more, so I can experience the Sherwood path too. Some games compell me to play all or at least most of the routes, while in others I stick to a single one - it's too early for me to say which one it'll be in this case. Basically, if I like too much the first route I play, or if I find it too perfect, and mostly if said romance was really a lifesaver for the love interest (be it literally or on an emotional level), then I simply feel too guilty to play other routes. Weird, I know. In this case I'll probably be able to see the two paths as alternative realities happening at the same time, but I don't know if I'll be able to do more than one route on a single path.
Love the demo!! I especially loved the line "Why did I keep meeting beautiful people in these ridiculous circumstances?". Can't wait for the full release!
Oooh, the new screenshots look great! Just a question, do we get to customize Marion at the start or something? I just assumed because she looks different in the Nottingham part, and has a different hair color (or is the blond in the screenshots not her?). In any case, still adoring the character art, and the new backgrounds are superb. My most anticipated characters are still John and dark and sexy Geoffrey. So looking forward to this game, and the next demo! Gimme Gimme! :D
I still think this game is gorgeous and well done. I am still slightly bothered by Robin's character joking with her when he should realize why she is afraid of them. But I assume it's within Robin's character to joke and within Will's not to care. I would be terrified and not nearly as witty if a group of guys stopped my car and tried to ride off with me saying "no worries you'll be fine lol calm down".... I still love what all it has going for it though.
Robin's refusal to take things too seriously and the giant chip on Will's shoulder are indeed meant to be character flaws. You'll get to know them both more in-depth in the full game. Also, Marion lives in a much more dangerous world than we do and has dealt with bandits regularly over the last few years. So she's better at keeping her head in this situation than you or I, though she's still pretty scared.
That makes sense. I'm sure it will become more apparent as her background and things come to light. I guess in the 1938 Robin Hood with Errol Flynn he (Robin) does initially kidnap her and her party and joke with them before telling her what he's all about.
I downloaded one of the earlier demos and didn't realize there was a new one, my god the backgrounds are gorgeous!! I may come back with a real review of the new demo but this is a treat!
I'm very excited for the full release! John is my fav so far. The art is beautiful, and they look like adults which I love. The writing is well done, and I feel like the characters all have dimension. I greatly enjoy the personality given to the MC. Thank you!
Hey! Definitely a good start! Gorgeous art, handsome men, promising story. The MC is so far a good balance of vulnerable feminity and some backbone and skill. If the plot further down the line has some depth to it, the game will be truly awesome!
My goodness this was truly a treat and then some, somebody raided the cabinets of sweets and stuffed them all into this game haha Robins looking really good in this game not gonna lie
Man, I usually avoid demos, because I'm too impatient, but this one caught my attention. I'm so excited for this game, I think about it literelly every day, the characters? the art? the story? the time period? the sountrack? just *chef's kiss* exquisite
I come back ever week or so to see if any update has been posted for this game. I am soooo excited you have no idea. Like, not to put pressure on you guys, but my hype is unreal. I haven't been this excited for a full VN in... years. So thank you for reigniting my interest in this genre of game. I appreciate the clear craft, love, and passion that is put into this visual novel. And that is the main reason why I'm obsessed. Because it feels like ya'll actually care about your work. <3
Edit: Oh, also Will is my babe. (Tuck is, too, but I have to wait a little longer before I start simping there x'D)
Aww, thanks! We'll be saving itch.io updates for major release news, so if you'd like to read more, check out our Tumblr. I've been getting a ton of asks since the demo came out so you can read plenty of things, both serious and silly, about the Made Marion characters.
We also have a Patreon that posts development sneak peeks at least once a week.
Thanks so much for your hype and support! Will may not show it at first, but he appreciates your support too. ;)
Man, normally when playing a demo or VN i have a pretty clear hint on who I'm going to like most, and I don't really know this time.
(okay thats a lie I obviously love Tuck the most but since he doesn't count atm i'm going to pretend i'm unbiased)
I thought I was going to dislike Will, despite his beautiful design, but damnit the cheeky mf pretending not to know how to dance, I'm not sure why it was so cute to me.
John is just such a sweetheart, and I love that all the guys so far have a little mischievous streak, it makes their personalities seem more rounded. He's probably the character I most love aesthetically, but I just don't have a favorite yet ;~;
Robin I thought was going to be kind of a standard prince character, but he's ALSO a cheeky mf lol I think he's so endearing, I can't wait to follow the development a little more and meet the other characters. Sorry if this was a little too wordy, I'm super excited /o/
Played the demo a few times now and man, is it a joy. It already feels very romantic.
I love Marion's inner voice and I'm very excited to experience the world's events through her eyes. Her clever wit and sense of humour is fun and it's believable that others would fall for her.
I always like to see strong female characters who aren't written as though their emotions signal weakness (see the first scene she has alone with John near the river). Humanity does not belie badassery.
Each LI seems very distinctive so far. I had a hard time picking a favourite. Looking forward to uncovering the hidden depths of the characters as the game progresses. I expect each will be quite nuanced.
Art is beautiful. The style is lovely and clean and the character design is little more mature than other otome games I've played, particularly Eastern ones. It's a welcome change. My favourite aspect is the wonderful facial expressions. I found myself scrolling back to check out the looks on each character's face throughout different scenes! The artist did an amazing job.
Music choices are good and set the tone well.
Good luck with the rest of development! I can't wait to meet the Nottingham LIs. Particularly excited for Lord Geoffrey.
PS I've been following your Tumblr as well and your references are on point.
Beautiful art (even more beautiful LIs and honestly? i just turned gay for the MC), interesting demo, perfect soundtrack that fits perfectly with the situation and scenario, and i'm super pumped for the full complete game! Which begs the question of when will the full completed game be out? Or if you have any estimates of when will that be?
Edit: idk why but Layton Tuck has been stuck on my mind for some unknown reason *cough* definitely not because of his devilishly handsome smirk *cough*, is there a possibility of him being..... oh idk.... a secret RO in the future? 👀👀👀👀
Our crowdfunding campaign is tentatively scheduled for October, when our second demo is coming out. We'll have a better estimate of the final completion date at that time.
Layton Tuck will be a love interest in the game's DLC, which has a bit of a different structure from the main campaign and features two routes (Tuck and a yet-unannounced character) that are intertwined. The DLC will be a bit darker than the main game and is fully adults-only, because the story simply won't work with the explicit text filter.
Oh my goodness! I remember a dev for this game talking on the otome reddit about it a couple years back, I loved the idea. Glad to see it's come to fruition with such lovely art! I had fun with the demo, looking forward to the full thing!
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I really liked demo when I played it for the first time, but the new LI sprites just meeeh. Don't think I will buy this game after all, sadly
Hi! I love this game so much and when trying to download the extended version, I noticed there wasn't a Mac version. Will this be fixed?
Oh, drat it all, in my sleepless state I marked the Mac demo with a penguin, sorry! It's been properly tagged now and has been there all along. I just checked the wrong button.
I can't bring myself to try out the demo because I want to experience it entirely when the early access releases. Ugh, the painful waiting but I know this will be good just by first glance. :>
Totally valid! We're excited to get the Early Access out to y'all, hopefully this fall (as long as my town doesn't get flooded off the map or something, please don't flood us off the map, climate change).
Still very excited for this game! Thank you so much :)
Thank you! We had a rough 2022 with much of the team facing health and geopolitical challenges, but things are looking up for 2023!
Hello... This is my 1st time commenting on my itchio acc 😬
Bcs the story just really captivating i cant even comprehend my words ahahah ;_;
And I must say, I shamelessly love Lord Geoffrey hahahaashakj
The dev team probably won't read this, but I hope when the full version available, they will put this game on Steam...
ok sorry i just checked on my steam acc... and yeah... there is!
thank you game dev!
You're welcome, glad you found it! And we do check our itch comments. ;)
Sadly, I feel I would easily fall for the Sheriff. xD
Not only you😂
The demo version is** amazing** …can`t wait for the full release must be even better . Its the money worth i swear. ALL IN ALL Stunning, pretty and interesting
I just found this. It looks so good. Missed the kickstarter but did I miss the backerkit store as well? If so sad otome fan noises.
I'll be doing a soft launch for discounted pre-orders here and on Backerkit sometime in the next few months. I'll be sure to announce it, so give us a follow to get notified!
Loving this demo!
Looking forward to the full game release. :) Keep up the good work and look after yourselves.
Must say, I fell in-love with Tuck!!! Love how all the characters are so interesting.
Thank you! I'm happy we have a solid Tuck fanbase and I hope you all will love the DLC where he gets to be a love interest.
The game is lovely! and so is the artwork! (although I 'see' Meissa little diffrently in my mind's-eye ;PP)
I really, really hope this game gets developed fully and a lot of ppl will get to enjoy it^^
It's not that easy to come by sth well made and thoug out ;D
So thank you very much for all your hard work and do keep it up! (don't get discouraged and after Lady Marion make more games^^)
Thanks! We're working hard on it!
Loving this so far. The art is gorgeous, the story fun!
In the final version, will we be able to set alternate keys for going back a bit? My Mac laptop (which runs the demo great otherwise) does not have page up/page down keys, so I cannot page back. It gets frustrating because sometime my thumb gets spacebar happy, and I don't catch everything before moving forward.
If you lack page up/page down and a mouse wheel, Ren'py has an option for you. Go into Preferences and choose "Rollback Side" either right or left. Then if you need to go back, move your mouse to that side of the screen and click anywhere outside the text box. It'll take you back.
Glad you're enjoying it so far!
Thank you! I will check that out. Eventually I discovered (by keysmashing, basically) that function + the up arrow would also work. Wanted to mention it for other Mac laptop people!
I've played through the Sherwood side and am playing through the Nottingham side now -- I really love it. The art is so lovely, the backgrounds are perfect, and I want to romance absolutely everyone!
I enjoyed the demo! I was very impressed with the manipulation of movement (like the dance scenes). Congrats on meeting all the Kickstarter goals, looking forward to buying the finished project.
Thank you!
Looking good so far! I enjoyed the beautiful artwork and the music worked well for me. I too feel that Marion is attracted to the LIs too easily, though it didn't bother me as much, just thought it odd. But what bothered me more was the use of word "dias". Shouldn't it be "dais"..? English isn't my first language, so I might be mistaken. Anyway, I'll be sure to back the Kickstarter. Looking forward to the finished game! :)
Thanks! You're right about dais, not sure why my spell-checker didn't flag that. I'll fix it in the script!
Fabulous game! I'm so excited. I backed you and can't wait to play! <3
Thanks so much for your support!
Apologies! We discovered a small but very annoying bug in the 1.1 demo that prevents menu access in Sherwood after a certain point. I've uploaded a fixed version of the demo, so if you downloaded the buggy version before 1pm Pacific today (Feb 12), you can replace it with the current version of the game.
Thoroughly enjoyed the demo - I didn't want it to end! The art style is beautiful and the theme is right up my alley. MC is not only among the most beautiful I've ever seen, but she's the perfect balance between fair lady and tomboy tough-arse. I love every character, but oh my goodness... Gui *swoon* and Will *SIGHFAINT!*
I love how the writing is mature yet comical. The part where you choose to climb over with Meisse. It actually genuinely made me LOL - quite a feat considering I'm pretty inanimate by nature.
Can't wait for the full release whenever that may be. I definitely plan on buying this game.
Thanks so much! Our Kickstarter is launching on Feb. 15 if you'd like to get in on things early!
WOW! this demo was just fantastic- i love all the gorgeous details like the horn sounds at the title cards and the weaving/knot motifs throughout the menu etc etc. I couldn't stop appreciating the art, and I'm in love? with all ? the ? characters? and just the world- all the 'arthur's ass' and little quirks were utterly charming. I'm not one who often is curious enough to play through every single decision/route, but I definitely was here- many thanks to the dev team and I'm excited for the Kickstarter:)
I was waiting for "second" demo and when I finally played it... WOW!
Ekhem, John may be a little in danger... Because Meissa just took my heart from me. I will protect them no matter the cost, lol! And Geoffrey... 😳 Oh my... This dance with him was amazing...
The art and music as always - wonderful! You have very talented team! And the characters? I'm melting.. They are written soo good! I seriously can't choose who I like the most. Although I don't trust Gui a little... I'm watching you, handsome!
Looking forward for KS!
Btw, Alexander was on my spotify for a couple of days after I played the demo... <3
Came back for more to check out everything and oh my gosh move over Robin.. Meissa is a whole just... *chefs kiss* YES PLEASE haha they are so cool and adorable and I love the representation in these romance options.
Hey, I'm back as I said I'll do after playing the Sherwood demo. Took a bit longer than I thought since I was busy - well, if I knew it was shorter I would have played before haha - but oh well.
Only played through it once so far, but that's fine.
So... yeah... well...
I like it less than the Nottingham path, that much is obvious... but.. oh... my... god... Like... I fell utterly in love with Layton. So much that it was hard to even LOOK at anyone else once he appeared. He shouldn't even BE my type to begin with! I'm kind of agonizing that he's not a LI and at the same time praying that he'll actually be, considering his dialogue / scene, and the fact there's an uneven amount of romances for the paths, so far.
And yes, I only played once with no reloading and had his night scene. I feel like I actually SENSED I had to pick the option to spend some time alone, because I didn't even hesitate for a moment. And considering I was interested in Will, by all means I should have gone with his scene...
I have a hard time dealing with my trepidation right now... I'm kind of... baffled... like... I didn't expect that... UGH - it's hard to make an actual review of the route rigth now...
I can't say if I like him even more than Geoffrey, but clearly just as much.
How comes I hate (and really HATE) beards, and here I am, gushing about the two only bearded characters in your game...
Anyway so... Trying to concentrate...
First of, I'm SO GLAD for the premature ending that allows Marion to decide she'll agree to Robin's offer and go back home. You see, the Sherwood path made me a bit mad because of how it starts. While in theory I DO think it's clever that the Nottingham path actually starts with refusing to submit to the mariage, and the Sherwood path starts with agreeing, in practice I was bothered by it on Sherwood path. Made me really angry at Robin & co that they kidnapped Marion and forced her to change her plans, when she ended up gathering the strenght to actually accept. I guess it's a weird way to think about it, but oh well... I found myself wishing for a way to somehow escape and go onto the Nottingham route from there (with circumstances that would make it impossible to reappear officially or something) - or even for another early ending where Marion would go there and go on with the mariage, though it would be less interesting. It was basically a "I'm willing to do anything to cross these jerks" kind of thinking! And no, I don't hate any of them (well, I guess I dislike Robin, but I don't hate him and he doesn't creep me out like Gui either). It's mere retaliation, let's say it that way haha!
So yeah, basically, while I like this path less, I'm now officially obsessed with a character that is - as far as I know - unromanceable, and that makes me feel very conflicted. I didn't expect that to be my conclusion for this path!
I've got good news and bad news for you!
The good news is that Layton will be one of two love interests in the post release DLC, Made Marion: Light and Shadow (the other has not yet been revealed).
The bad news is that you might not like him quite as much about five minutes after the end of the Sherwood demo.
And if it helps, Marion and Geoffrey's marriage would not have gone well if she'd made it to Nottingham on the Sherwood route. They need the events of the Nottingham Route in order to be compatible.
I have a good intuition about characters I like or not, actually. The way Layton is right now, I shouldn't like him, and yet I am crazily attracted. So I'm assuming it'll be the way he'll evolve or truly is more than the way he is now (or well, what he showed to Marion, rather). I'm 99% certain I'll only love him more in the future haha!
And yeah, I assumed the mariage wouldn't have gone well as it is. As I said, I only wished for such an ending in opposition to the "kidnappers" rather than because I tought it would be good!
But yeah, I'm very happy with the news then! Thank you for being kind enough and revealing it to me!
I've played the first chapters in each half of the demo and now I'm forcing myself to stop so I can experience the rest in the finished game. I've been following this project for a while on Tumblr and it was already my most anticipated upcoming visual novel, but now I'm doubly excited for it. The setting is so rich, the characters are so distinctive (Meissa and Geoffrey have each stolen half my heart already), the writing is so fluid, and the art is some of the best I've seen in a VN. I'm looking forward to your Kickstarter, and my fingers are crossed that it will be a smashing success!
Thanks so much!
I completed the demo, and thought to offer the thoughts of a future customer, as I definitely appreciate Indie Otome and support appropriately.
1. Why would an Agendered person assume the gender of Marion? They should similarly ask for Marion's pronouns as well if we're going through the trouble of having the conversation.
2. It takes me out of the role of the character for MC to be automatically written as attracted to all the love interests. If I the player are not attracted to certain characters, why isn’t the couple of lines about attraction a quick choice?
3. I really object to the over familiarity. Non consensual touching is a big dislike of mine. A stranger playing with my hair makes me feel like an object, and kissing hands in greeting or goodbye is almost appropriate but kissing it in the middle is just kinda weird.
4. The dancing transitions should slide more slowly. It’s meant to mimic a dance and I felt more “jerked around" than fluidic dancing and maybe going more slowly would help.
5. Not a fan of the greensleeves voice work but music is super subjective.
6. Writing wise, I have no idea why Marion would tell someone right off the bat about their situation. What was the point of the disguise if you tell someone you're wearing a mask within days of donning it?
Anyway, as much as I just complained, it's in my follow list and it'll be a buy when it comes out. I'll probably just ignore the stuff I don't like like I always do, but I hope my comments help anyway.
Thanks for the feedback! There are narrative reasons for a few of the things you're wondering about, so they'll become more clear once you get into the characters' routes.
Marion is not meant to be a 100% self-insert character. She's more like a pre-created character that you're able to role-play through in-game choices to a certain extent. She is canon bi/pansexual, for example, and though that doesn't play much of a role in the routes in which she romances men, it's still who she is.
I wanted to write a story with a protagonist who has a strongly-expressed personality and a clear background. Because of this, she will have interests and preferences that differ from the player's. This is true of every visual novel, even the ones that actively encourage self-insert characters. It's impossible to write a narrative that works for the preferences of every player, so the best I can do is try to be true to Marion and her story.
The dancing transitions are definitely something I'm still working on, as I'll be working with another coder who is more skilled at Ren'py animations than I am during full development.
excellent. Thank you for taking what I said as only helpful comments, I've given feedback before and the response was really mean so I appreciate that you were quite kind to me while standing in for your integrity of art.
Just finished playing the Nottingham demo a second time. I am so, so excited about this project.
There are certain LIs I knew I'd be into—and I very much still am—but Meissa completely and unexpectedly stole my heart. I assumed they'd be a bit of a cinnamon roll, which isn't my usual type in otome games. While they're clearly adorable, they're so nicely balanced with some sexy mischievousness. I love them a lot.
Every character seems to have so many hidden sides and I can't wait to learn more of their stories. I find myself wondering which ones I can trust (even Meissa)! I admit I find Gui... disturbing. He gives me unromanceable-but-hot villain vibes. I'm unnerved yet intrigued.
Looking forward to continuing to watch development!
Okay, yeah, I was right about the good feeling I had about the Sheriff - oh man! I cannot wait to romance Geoffrey - his route seems the most intriguing so far. In fact, the Nottingham route in general is very interesting. Great demo! :D
SPOILER!!!----
Not gonna lie though, at first I was a bit turned off by Marion's 'changing appearance' thing, despite it making perfect sense and adding lots of drama and opportunity to the game. That initial feeling was mainly due to the implications of the guys falling for a Marion that isn't 'fully' Marion, and not knowing it, but hopefully Geoffrey and Gui will discover the true Marion -- at least in their respective paths -- with a nice chunk of 1-on-1 time to spend with that version of her before the end of the game.
My favorite LIs remain Geoffrey and John. Tall, dark, handsome and protective. But, now I can fully say, I will be playing every one of those paths. ;)
Looking forward to the Kickstarter! :)
Don't worry, I'm quite aware of the issues around Marion's altered appearance. It'll all come out quite nicely in the wash (and is only an active issue in Geoffrey and Gui's route).
I’m so interested in this game! The art is gorgeous, the story is intriguing, and I’m really loving the chatacters! And while I like the Sherwood side, the Nottingham side has stolen my heart completely lol. The fact that Meissa is my favorite love interest so far certainly contributes to that haha; they’re so my type personality-wise and looks-wise. I love them sm already. I’m definitely planning on being a backer 💖
Aww, I love when people enjoy Meissa.
Well, that's an interesting game in the making!
I just did my first run of the demo - Nottingham route, and I can only say I'm hooked.
The character art should not be my style, but somehow it works and I really like it, and I love the backgrounds. Music choices are very nice too. One of the most notable qualities, aesthetically speaking, is the GUI though. A good UI adds a lot to the general ambience of a game, and it's important not to neglect it. And well, it IS gorgeous.
It was clever to skip the prologue in the demo - not only it leaves a bit of mystery about the general situation, but it also allows the players to check out the meat of the story without being too lost or getting heavily spoiled. It has also a very decent lenght for a demo, honestly! Especially considering it has two routes.
Also, it's always a pleasure when you can encounter sudden (and narrated) game overs even so early on! I'm a sucker for that!
I can't say anything about the Sherwood route for now, obviously (I'll comment later about it - probably tomorrow since I'm not going to play it now), but I'll share my thoughts about the Nottingham one.
Well, what can I say - you used one of my favorite tropes in fiction, so it was hard to resist. That trope being a protagonist that escapes (or at least loathes) an arranged marriage and then still finds themself "stuck" with said fiancé/e and ends up falling genuinely in love with them. Not only that, but I always wished for a Robin Hood inspired game that would allow the player to romance the Sheriff. The fact it's both at the same time (and that the trope is about the right character) is almost uncanny, but it makes me so happy. Though, because of that, it IS likely I'll only ever play Geoffrey's route - at least on the Nottingham path - I may still play the Sherwood one for Will, as I love the character in the legend, and he seems to be my type in your game too. It's not much of an issue though - I regularly play romance game and only do one of the routes.
That being said, I liked most characters that appeared on this path (not a huge fan of Gui so far). Marion herself is charming and witty, Alanna is fascinating (even if I'm not interested in romancing female characters), Meissa is an unexpected cutie and well Geoffrey himself is everything I love and more.
The world seems interesting too, and I'm eager to learn more about it. Though, again, I have that uncanny thought that our minds are connected, because of Nibiru and the cat-like features of it's inhabitants, considering in one of my own works I have a cat character whose name is Nibiru.
I don't think I can say much more, so far - and it was already long! Not to mention I'll be back for the other path.
Wow, what lovely compliments from a fellow writer, thank you! I hope I can tempt you to read beyond Geoffrey's route, because every route reveals a bit more about what's going on in Sherwood/Nottingham... and Alanna's is particularly unique so I'm hoping it'll be compelling even to readers who aren't romantically interested in women (you can always use the explicit text filter to skip the sexy bits). But hey, even if not, I won't fault anyone for succumbing to the siren song of the Sheriff.
You're welcome!
Sadly, routes for female characters are really not my thing. In rare occasions, I CAN play games where you romance girls or a girl's route in a game with mixed romances, but only when the protagonist is male - I really don't like GxG content, basically. I don't mind that much not discovering every secret of a game, and playing a route I really don't want to play easily dampens my entire experience of a game - to the point that if it's needed for an unlock I simply check out the "correct" answers in a walkthrough and skip the entire thing. So yeah, not worth it.
Skipping explicit content won't change anything. I don't like any form of censorship, so playing the "soft" version would be more irritating than anything else, to be honest. It's the fact that GxG romances (some veeeeeery rare exceptions aside) aren't compelling to me from a romantic point of view. Alanna and Marion simply don't have the type of personalities I can like in a GxG couple.
As for the guys and Meissa, I guess I'll see. As I said, I will probably play Will's route in addition to Geoffrey's, if nothing more, so I can experience the Sherwood path too. Some games compell me to play all or at least most of the routes, while in others I stick to a single one - it's too early for me to say which one it'll be in this case. Basically, if I like too much the first route I play, or if I find it too perfect, and mostly if said romance was really a lifesaver for the love interest (be it literally or on an emotional level), then I simply feel too guilty to play other routes. Weird, I know. In this case I'll probably be able to see the two paths as alternative realities happening at the same time, but I don't know if I'll be able to do more than one route on a single path.
Love the demo!! I especially loved the line "Why did I keep meeting beautiful people in these ridiculous circumstances?". Can't wait for the full release!
Oooh, the new screenshots look great! Just a question, do we get to customize Marion at the start or something? I just assumed because she looks different in the Nottingham part, and has a different hair color (or is the blond in the screenshots not her?).
In any case, still adoring the character art, and the new backgrounds are superb. My most anticipated characters are still John and dark and sexy Geoffrey. So looking forward to this game, and the next demo! Gimme Gimme! :D
We don't have customization for Marion, and the blonde is a big reason why we don't. You'll see when you play the demo... going live tomorrow! :D
I still think this game is gorgeous and well done. I am still slightly bothered by Robin's character joking with her when he should realize why she is afraid of them. But I assume it's within Robin's character to joke and within Will's not to care. I would be terrified and not nearly as witty if a group of guys stopped my car and tried to ride off with me saying "no worries you'll be fine lol calm down".... I still love what all it has going for it though.
Robin's refusal to take things too seriously and the giant chip on Will's shoulder are indeed meant to be character flaws. You'll get to know them both more in-depth in the full game. Also, Marion lives in a much more dangerous world than we do and has dealt with bandits regularly over the last few years. So she's better at keeping her head in this situation than you or I, though she's still pretty scared.
That makes sense. I'm sure it will become more apparent as her background and things come to light. I guess in the 1938 Robin Hood with Errol Flynn he (Robin) does initially kidnap her and her party and joke with them before telling her what he's all about.
I downloaded one of the earlier demos and didn't realize there was a new one, my god the backgrounds are gorgeous!! I may come back with a real review of the new demo but this is a treat!
The new demo isn't out yet, but will be soon! The new backgrounds in the featured screenshots will indeed be there.
Oh whoops haha thanks for letting me know! I'm excited for the new demo :^)
I'm very excited for the full release! John is my fav so far. The art is beautiful, and they look like adults which I love. The writing is well done, and I feel like the characters all have dimension. I greatly enjoy the personality given to the MC. Thank you!
Hey! Definitely a good start! Gorgeous art, handsome men, promising story. The MC is so far a good balance of vulnerable feminity and some backbone and skill. If the plot further down the line has some depth to it, the game will be truly awesome!
My goodness this was truly a treat and then some, somebody raided the cabinets of sweets and stuffed them all into this game haha Robins looking really good in this game not gonna lie
Thank you!
Man, I usually avoid demos, because I'm too impatient, but this one caught my attention. I'm so excited for this game, I think about it literelly every day, the characters? the art? the story? the time period? the sountrack? just *chef's kiss* exquisite
can't wait to see more!!
Thank you so much! We're working hard to get the Nottingham demo done so we can get ourselves crowdfunded and pump out the full game!
I come back ever week or so to see if any update has been posted for this game. I am soooo excited you have no idea. Like, not to put pressure on you guys, but my hype is unreal. I haven't been this excited for a full VN in... years. So thank you for reigniting my interest in this genre of game. I appreciate the clear craft, love, and passion that is put into this visual novel. And that is the main reason why I'm obsessed. Because it feels like ya'll actually care about your work. <3
Edit: Oh, also Will is my babe. (Tuck is, too, but I have to wait a little longer before I start simping there x'D)
Aww, thanks! We'll be saving itch.io updates for major release news, so if you'd like to read more, check out our Tumblr. I've been getting a ton of asks since the demo came out so you can read plenty of things, both serious and silly, about the Made Marion characters.
We also have a Patreon that posts development sneak peeks at least once a week.
Thanks so much for your hype and support! Will may not show it at first, but he appreciates your support too. ;)
Man, normally when playing a demo or VN i have a pretty clear hint on who I'm going to like most, and I don't really know this time.
(okay thats a lie I obviously love Tuck the most but since he doesn't count atm i'm going to pretend i'm unbiased)
I thought I was going to dislike Will, despite his beautiful design, but damnit the cheeky mf pretending not to know how to dance, I'm not sure why it was so cute to me.
John is just such a sweetheart, and I love that all the guys so far have a little mischievous streak, it makes their personalities seem more rounded. He's probably the character I most love aesthetically, but I just don't have a favorite yet ;~;
Robin I thought was going to be kind of a standard prince character, but he's ALSO a cheeky mf lol I think he's so endearing, I can't wait to follow the development a little more and meet the other characters. Sorry if this was a little too wordy, I'm super excited /o/
Happy to be able to subvert your expectations a bit! :D
Played the demo a few times now and man, is it a joy. It already feels very romantic.
I love Marion's inner voice and I'm very excited to experience the world's events through her eyes. Her clever wit and sense of humour is fun and it's believable that others would fall for her.
I always like to see strong female characters who aren't written as though their emotions signal weakness (see the first scene she has alone with John near the river). Humanity does not belie badassery.
Each LI seems very distinctive so far. I had a hard time picking a favourite. Looking forward to uncovering the hidden depths of the characters as the game progresses. I expect each will be quite nuanced.
Art is beautiful. The style is lovely and clean and the character design is little more mature than other otome games I've played, particularly Eastern ones. It's a welcome change. My favourite aspect is the wonderful facial expressions. I found myself scrolling back to check out the looks on each character's face throughout different scenes! The artist did an amazing job.
Music choices are good and set the tone well.
Good luck with the rest of development! I can't wait to meet the Nottingham LIs. Particularly excited for Lord Geoffrey.
PS I've been following your Tumblr as well and your references are on point.
Thank you so much! I'm glad you're enjoying it.
marion is so pretty, i honestly spent more time staring at her sprite than the LIs
Beautiful art (even more beautiful LIs and honestly? i just turned gay for the MC), interesting demo, perfect soundtrack that fits perfectly with the situation and scenario, and i'm super pumped for the full complete game! Which begs the question of when will the full completed game be out? Or if you have any estimates of when will that be?
Edit: idk why but Layton Tuck has been stuck on my mind for some unknown reason
*cough* definitely not because of his devilishly handsome smirk *cough*, is there a possibility of him being..... oh idk.... a secret RO in the future? 👀👀👀👀Our crowdfunding campaign is tentatively scheduled for October, when our second demo is coming out. We'll have a better estimate of the final completion date at that time.
Layton Tuck will be a love interest in the game's DLC, which has a bit of a different structure from the main campaign and features two routes (Tuck and a yet-unannounced character) that are intertwined. The DLC will be a bit darker than the main game and is fully adults-only, because the story simply won't work with the explicit text filter.
Oh my goodness! I remember a dev for this game talking on the otome reddit about it a couple years back, I loved the idea. Glad to see it's come to fruition with such lovely art! I had fun with the demo, looking forward to the full thing!
Hi, that was me! The otome reddit has been a great community of support for me as a dev, so thanks for being part of that!