#friendly type

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(((Each character only has one ending, and it's very intuitive (be nice to them and spend time with them, and you'll get their ending). To get the 6th secret ending, the creator made a walkthrough here.)))

Nacira is an interesting visual novel by ngareci. I really enjoyed the way that the creator managed to weave some education about Javanese culture and history into the game without making it feel forced. I actually have a lot of high praise for this game; the artwork (including the abundant supply of chibi CGs and expressive sprites), the writing, and the plot was all great. I'm also not about to complain about the fan-service in all the male character's sprites (ah, to live in a world where all guys were perpetually shirtless with glistening six-pack abs). If I were pressed to name an area that could be improved, the game has a lot of seemingly meaningless choices; for example, even if you decide not to accompany Werkudara on his journey, the character changes her mind independently and asks to come anyway, and even if you decide not to investigate the lump under her mattress it bothers Nacira so much that she finds it anyway. Additionally, the endings are not overly romantic and are typically highly open-ended. Overall, though, I was just very impressed with the quality of this game and I encourage others to try it out.

The premise of the game is that the protagonist, Nacira, is a dancer who has been called to perform at the king's palace. When she arrives, she finds out that she is replacing a former royal dancer, Nyikara, who disappeared suddenly. Underneath her bed, she finds a box and a letter from Nyikara to her unnamed lover. Arjuna challenges her to discover the identity of the items' recipient, and she spends her remaining time in the palace researching the other princes' relationships to the missing girl. The mechanics of the game are conventional for a visual novel. Click to advance the story, and make choices from a list to impact the plot.

There is basically no objectionable content in this game; a tremendously insignificant amount of swearing, no sexual content or even kissing, and no serious or illustrated violence.

Werkudara: Protective Type

Werkudara is the only prince who spends most of his time outside of the castle, and is protective towards everyone in the city. He is constantly getting into fights to protect people, sometimes becoming injured in the process. He swore he would protect Nyikara, and is torn up by the fact that she disappeared. Of course, he is also protective of the protagonist. For example, after she attempts to help him in a fight against several thugs, he literally picks her up and carries her to safety. He is also hesitant to allow her to come on his journey with him as he is worried that it might be dangerous. Werkudara is friendly towards the protagonist from very early on, but only becomes at all flirtatious very near the end of the game.

Sadewa: Friendly Type

Sadewa is a herbalist who spends his time growing herbs to help heal people. He is very friendly to Nacira, even from the start of the game, and acts as a foil to his twin Nakula. His dedication to healing proves that he is a kindhearted person who does his best to help others. Of course, Sadewa's dedication to healing seems outside his archetype; after all, he's behaving very responsibly by working so hard in the gardens. However, friendly types are generally kind and helpful, so in some sense Sadewa simply takes that trait to an extreme. His treatment of the protagonist fits the protagonist very well regardless, with his cheerful joking conversations and lack of flirtatious dialog.

Arjuna: Prince Type

Arjuna is unquestionably a prince type. He is charming and eloquent, causing countless women to fall for him. He easily compliments the protagonist, on everything from her name to the fact that she "glows," even claiming to have mistaken her for an angel. So, why isn't he a player type? Simple; he never renounces his flirtatious ways. Arjuna is polygamous.

Puntadewa: Responsible Type

Puntadewa is being crowned king at the ceremony Nacira was called to perform for. Puntadewa spent much of his time up to his coronation studying for his position, and even in his downtime he can generally be found in the library. Although he has a lot of responsibility as the heir to the throne, he never seems bitter or upset by all the requirements put upon him. One of Puntadewa's greatest sacrifices is, unfortunately, a bit spoilery. However, I believe it is enough to mention that he willingly gave up one of the most important things to him for the sake of his kingdom.

Nakula: Jerk Type

Link

Walkthrough

Reverie is a --yes, unusual -- sim dating game by Amiralo. Amiralo has a penchant for making unsettling "romance" games that are more focused on evoking feelings of horror or depression than love, and this game is not an exception. Now, I'm not complaining; I thought this was a fascinating game with an interesting and well-executed premise. However, if you're looking for a cute otome game with kisses and bashful confessions you should turn around right now. The game has very stylized artwork, especially for the backgrounds, which suits the dreamlike quality of the game. I also thought the writing was very good, and didn't run into any coding problems. If I had one issue with the game, it was navigation. I had a lot of trouble making my way around the castle, and often stumbled into the wrong room. However, if anything this was a feature, as the protagonist is supposed to be disoriented and confused by this strange house she finds herself in.

The premise of the game is that the protagonist, Asuka, wakes up in an unfamiliar house. A note from the "Prince of the Broken Throne" informs her that she has been taken to Reverie, a place made up of her dreams. Unsurprisingly, she attempts to escape, but cannot find any way out and seems to be running in circles. Only when she runs into a monster in the halls does she realize that the "Prince" might not just be a crazy kidnapper. The mechanics of the game are conventional for a dating simulation. Performing actions and talking to romanceable characters decreases HP, while sleeping advances the game one day while increasing HP.

As a warning, there is violence and death in the game, but it's so stylized and undetailed that I don't think it's anything too disturbing to witness.

Duke: Prince Type

Just by the way that the Duke dresses, you can tell he's refined. His language, especially the fact that he refers to Asuka as "my lady," make it clear that he falls under the prince archetype. He is also very wealthy, and regularly gives Asuka roses as presents. I will tell you right now, however, there is not such thing as a "happy ending" with the Duke; although he does deliver on his seemingly chivalrous promise of safety and freedom from responsibilities if you give him your heart, there is more than a small catch. However, I liked this about him, especially after it is revealed what real-life man the dream character is based on. Even some of the most seemingly charming people can be horrible deep down.

White: Mysterious Type

I really liked White's character, especially how his relationship with the protagonist directly foiled the Duke's. White is an enigma from the start, and much of his path is simply figuring out just who or what he is, so it's sort of hard to explain him without being too spoilery. However, to be as vague as possible, White's path is so interesting because while the Duke is the possessive and controlling character in his path, the protagonist is on White's path. As with the Duke, White doesn't really have a "good" end, although one might argue that it is better in terms of the protagonist's character development.

Joker: Friendly Type