Nacira
Download Link
(((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
To be fair, Nakula and Nacira start out on the wrong foot because Nacira unknowingly eats food Nakula prepared for his twin. However, the extent of his reaction and length of his grudge do, in fact, make him kind of a jerk. He teases the (fairly gullible) protagonist mean-spiritedly, telling her that the food he made was poisoned and there was no cure. The next day, he calls her a "greedy monster" and refuses to share his food with her again, although she helped all day in the gardens. Although the two continue to bicker and insult each other all the way through the end of the game, they ultimately still grow closer and it's clear that Nakula simply does not know how to express his emotions.
