Cinders

Cinders is a visual novel with gorgeous art, a main character who actually has a brain and ambitions of her own, and many decisions which influence both the ending and your relationships with the other characters. After the death of her father, Cinder is left as an orphan living with her despotic stepmother and her two stepsisters. She's treated like a servant in her own house and has pretty much had enough of that. What's interesting is that if you don't bother trying to get to know Cinders' family, they remain cruel and entirely unlikeable, but if you do make an effort, it turns out every one of them has their reasons for being the way they are, and they may even change for the better. Other than that there are small mysteries to uncover and either dismiss or use to your own advantage while you try to make a better life for Cinders. Unlike many VNs, this one's focus isn't on romance. There are three potential love interests along the way, but I have to say neither of them is very deep or interesting which is fine, since Cinders' main "objective" is to turn her life around. They are not unlikeable, at least. A single playthrough is somewhat short at about 4-5 hours. While the art style is honestly beautiful and very detailed, there is not much variety to it. It's not a problem that Cinders doesn't have special scenes, just a bit disappointing. There are only 8 save slots which seems low for a VN, but it's not a huge issue since it is fairly short and skipping scenes you have already seen is very quick. In-game options are somewhat limited. There's no volume slider and the highest resolution to choose is 1280x800, full-screen or windowed. Getting all achievements does not mean you've seen all there is to see in the game; to see whether something is missing, the endings that have been unlocked can be reviewed from the menu. Overall, Cinders is a fun little VN with some shortcomings that do not diminish the enjoyment.

I can't say that Visual Novels are my cup of tea in general. I did enjoy most of Taleworlds' games, but have not been actively looking for anything new in that genre. I bought Cinders right after Solstice, and bought Solstice mostly because I admired the work clearly put into the artwork. Enough to take a "two Starbucks coffee" risk on a game, anyway. The storytelling of Solstice was enough to buy Cinders in turn. I was not disappointed. While the game formula ends up being a few choice-making points in the game (the actual number varies depending on your selection), this is mostly a game based on reading. If you are bothered by having to read dialogues in RPG games... well, this probably is not a good pick for you. The storytelling is excellent. The characters are well crafted, and the ability to see several of their sides depending on your choices along made me replay the game twice immediately after finishing it for the first time. I absolutely love the graphical presentation (the amount of details that went into each background scene genuinely deserves calling them a work of art). There are enough plot twists to keep one interested (especially in alternative playthroughs), and it's a solid and fitting re-imagining of the old folk tale. My only disappointment was the (understandably, from technical point of view) limited amount of branching. I'd love to see even more possibilities, but even without those I already found Cinders experience highly engaging and pleasant. Though I refuse to play for the "bad" endings. I came to like the characters too much. Definitely recommend for people who enjoy reading, a well crafted plot and strong characterization, even if a single playthrough is a rather short experience.

If I'd had a friend describe this one to me ahead of time I probably wouldn't have bought it, but I'm glad I did. As the game blurb says, this visual novel is ABOUT THE WOMEN. Romance takes a backseat, here, in favor of explicit discussions about motivations, perceptions, and how our behavior influences others. The blurb is mostly on point about what this game is, except for the slightly misleading, "Distancing itself from the judgmental simplicity of the original." This game is definitely judgmental, though certainly in a more complex way than the original fairytale. (Important note: many choices determine the main character's personality while you play. So if your first time she's a hypocritical brat, don't despair: if you make other choices she may tend toward clever, goodhearted, or manipulative.) The artwork is lush, with a few weird touches that contribute to a very atmospheric whole. The body of the visual novel is meaty, and though the endings/epilogues feel way more bare-bones than I'd like, some people will be excited by the number of little variations in them. (This game is a completionist's dream/nightmare. If you need help, there's a Cinders Wiki.) For me, the "beautiful and strange" aspect outweighs the fact that the game can feel a bit preachy at times. I'm glad I waited for a sale since I'm unlikely to play this again in the future, but I'm glad I did give some money for this weird little gem. And I'll be keeping my eye on MoaCube.

I really enjoyed a lot about this game - the beautiful visuals, the interesting dialogue, the deviation from the classic Cinderella story and the way that your choices not only shape the ending but also the relationships between the characters and your character's personality. I am a completionist, so the game definitely has me coming back to get all the different endings. Some constructive criticism - the dialogue can be a bit stilted in parts and is repetitive (luckily the game let's you skip stuff that you've seen before on 'skip mode'). The game kind of hits you over the head with exposition in parts - like weirdly long-winded discussions about morality, maturation, empathy, etc. I wish that had been left for us, as the Reader, to figure out, rather than having it stated so blatantly. One or two options also do not make sense - for example, if you are pursuing two certain love interests in the game, you are still able to flirt with / woo the Prince at the ball. Another weird thing is how quickly things escalate with one of the potential love interests. If these aspects were refined, I believe the game would be perfect.