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Marcel Weyers, a very kind writer from Germany, took a closer look at Tales From Windy Meadow and since he found our story to be worth spreading, he decided to help us by translating it into German! In result, I started working on all the useful tools that could make this translation come true. And since we’re doing it, it will also help us create other language versions, so we already made the first steps into creating the Polish version of the game. ^^ So yeah, I'm already after the game’s release, but I'm not resting yet! : D Are there any other languages supported by Tales From Windy Meadow that you would like to see?

In my case I gravitated towards Erika because she was most in line with the way I thought and felt about things. Also yes, you were the only one that liked that ending, but don't worry Shou's winter will come at some point, be sure to check back in the next three years. I go for a certain type of character I guess you can say, and if they are in whatever weird parameters I set for myself I'll probably always have intense thoughts and feelings associated with them. The characters I'm most interested in remind me of someone I'll probably always hold close to my heart. In the end I'm a bit sad when their story ends like I would after having finished a really good book. I think it would be more interesting to think of taking over the mind of a protag and living out their ambitions rather than just bringing said waifu to your world. But for that it's less out of my intense love of a character but my intense hate or apathy for the dense and stupid protag. I just know I could do it better. Watch out which one you choose though cuz those dense fuckers have no idea what birth control is.

The New Year is just a few days away, so why not take a look today at another appropriately-themed VN? Ebi-hime is probably best known for both yuri romances and horror VNs, but in reality created a huge variety of slice-of-life and mystery titles, both borrowing from different formulas and simultaneously breaking their rules, ultimately escaping any kind of easy classification. Games like Empty Horizons or Asphyxia are clearly identified with common labels such as “otome” or “yuri”, but they pretty much never cater to the reader’s expectations taken from reading other visual novels within those genres. There are also certain elements extremely common for ebi’s work, regardless of topics or conventions she’s trying to tackle. Deeply flawed, painfully realistic characters, extensive internal monologues of the protagonists and a nostalgic aura are almost constant elements of her writing, making most of her stories fairly easily recognizable and differentiating them from the typical Western-produced VNs. Ebi’s latest release, A Winter’s Daydream, while at first glance might look like a silly comedy, can be accurately described in only one way. It’s an ebi-hime VN through and through: slow-paced, introspective and handling serious, existential topics despite any humorous elements and the wacky premise. And, as you can easily expect from this particular author, it does all those things in a thoroughly satisfying way. Read the full article at evnchronicles.blogspot.com

Glad to hear Bloom Into You would not be my thing. Something about the first episode made me hesitate and nothing I've heard of the show since has lead me to regain interest. On the other hand, I've enjoyed Goblin Slayer. It has ultimately just been about slaying evil, without being all shounen about it. Fairly up my alley. The Bunny Senpai show started well enough with those first three episodes, and I've only heard good things since. However, at the time I felt the plot was being unnecessarily confusing, and given what I've seen some people mention, I'm starting to suspect the translation was to blame. I'm holding off on this to investigate further. The Slime anime is the greatest thing that has graced me in a while. And a whole 26 episodes of it, to boot! I am excited to see it continue. In my eyes, it is like all the other power fantasies where a nice guy does nice things, but I guess this one uses his head more and works with people more. It tends to be good at its core, which is great. Zombieland Saga had an hilarious start that really drew me in, but by episodes 3 and 4 started to turn into the idol show that it was meant to be. Unfortunately, I'm really averse to these for reasons I can't understand, which is weird, because I really like Shining Song Starnova. I fully intend on finishing this anime, but I can't quite muster the strength to do it all at once. There's this one about a magician in the modern world that's kind of about Colours, and I'm liking that. Magic in modern settings is always interesting to some degree. Also, I like stoic protagonists. Then there's Gakkou no Juliet which seemed like a fun comedy that immediately establishes the couple and avoids my immediate concern. Until the first new girl showed up. I stopped before that episode in fear of what was to come, and haven't restarted it since. I've also heard it doesn't go much of anywhere, but I think I'll still find out for myself. I also watched a single episode of that Vampire anime, and while amusing, I suspect it wouldn't be able to keep it up for too long.

And here came the last episode of Bloom Into You. I guess this season is over already, only the last episode of Goblin Slayer left, when it goes to stuff with any kind of meaning... Bloom Into You was rather brilliant and also nearly drove me to an emotional breakdown. The emotional self-harm that Touko inflicts on herself and the way she hurts others by extension is excruciating, exactly because it's not as overdramatized or convoluted as it would be in many other shows. It's still slightly over-the-top, but for the most part, I really believed those characters. And I was seriously anxious before the last episode, because it would make sense for Yuu to lose and for Touko to stay with her toxic ambition, instead of embracing the bond that grew between them. Because of all this, it wasn't really a relaxing show to watch, even with its slow pacing and relatively gentle drama. But it had more emotional impact than most of the yuri media I've seen so far and I appreciate it a lot. I'm even completely ok with the subtle, somewhat open-ended conclusion - it told me enough to make me at peace with the story, even though I would really love to see a special showing a bit more of Touko and Yuu truly accepting each other and their mutual feelings. 9/10, but I think I need a healing anime now to detox myself from the drama. Aria, here I come?

Yep, exactly this.

Ah, it's roughly translated guide from seiya-saiga. For it to make sense, you have to play it in "strange" order. (different than the flow of the text - save numbers give some hints). The order for this walkthrough to work is: Ayame -> Chiho -> Yuuki -> Mahiru -> Rinka (for example - going with this walkthrough, you create Save #6, which makes branch for Rinka's route, during Yuuki's "reverse confession" route)

I did misread the year as 1999, so my apologise here. Anyway, happy 23rd birthday to you then and once again hope that you'll have another good year ahead.

Newton no Ringo has one, It's not that bad but don't expect it to be top tier

I've definitely had or in some ways still do I guess, the feeling of wanting a character/loving them even if they are fictional. If I could spend a day with them that would be cool, the rest of my life amazing, but yeah. Kurisu jumps to mind for that though at the same time I also wouldn't want to come between her and Okabe if he also existed. But, it also isn't mutually exclusive to the visual novel medium or 'love' interests in general. There are characters from all sorts of mediums I wish I could interact with, either in their story or outside of it. Victor Frankenstein from the original novel jumps to mind, Okabe in Steins;Gate jumps to mind, Micaiah and Sothe from Fire Emblem or Minato from Persona 3, Shepard from Mass Effect, Link and Zelda from any number of their incarnations, all jump to mind as well. All character who've impacted me growing up that I'd love to meet.

Previous Dieselmine games on Steam/ DLsite have been done with MTLs, so they might very well continue doing that, sadly. (I mean, just look at the summary... that reeks of a MTL)

I doubt anybody here knows for sure. But looking at the reviews for Dieselmine's other Steam titles, that sounds like a definite possibility. Regardless, it's an H-game with a shota protagonist. My guess is that Steam will give it the axe.

On the "games for girls" side of things, I think 2018 was a pretty solid year. We got the localization of both Psychedelica games, and Sweet Pool recently. For Japanese releases, there were Cendrillon Palika as a Switch exclusive (as the Vita is dying in the West because Sony itself is trying to kill it, it's a good thing to expand the market), Piofiore no Banshou, a fandisk for Collar x Malice, and some great BL games from first-time developers, like Mahoutsukai to Tenshi to Akuma and Nie no Machi.

Here's all your hatless avatars back. Personally, I'm going to change mine back when the liturgical Christmas season ends, because I'm not a heathen. @1P1A @Akshay @alpacaman @bakauchuujin @Canicheslayer @Dergonu @Dreamysyu @Emi @Funyarinpa @Happiness+ @LemiusK @MaggieROBOT @mitchhamilton @SeniorBlitz @Silvz @tahu157 @Thyndd @UnlimitedMoeWorks @wei123 @Zakamutt (Man, the @ function is buggy in every way imaginable. Fix that shizzle, Tay.)

I don't get why you are playing Sakura freaking Dungeon instead of Umineko. I mean, what's the point? On topic, ADV is the best for me, although I don't mind when a game switches to NVL in some specific scenes. What I really hate are floating text boxes.

Aiess from Majikoi A2 is legendary. It's perfectly ok to skip the entire 75 hour series and go straight to her route.

Maybe I should have stressed the Slice of Life elements of SeaBed more when I recommended it... For me SeaBed is very special because how mundane and noncommittal it is. Slice of Life to it's logical extreme. It's sometimes boring and nothing happens, because life is like that. There's lots of random flashbacks to old vacations and other events, because remembering fun times of past helps to forget the what ails you at the moment. Many of the conversations are pointless, because that's what conversations usually are and people still like to talk to each other. And like I've said before, there is hardly any explicit drama, because no-one wants to make a huge show of themselves. It's easier to suffer inside, downplay own problems, smile and assure to people around you that you are fine. Isn't that what most people do in their lives? But I can understand that for many people this might feel like a betrayal, or why they would find it hopelessly uninteresting. Even the narration is passive, dry, and lacks emotion, and while that can be attributed to Sachiko's mental state, it doesn't make it very exiting. SeaBed challenges many of the traditional rules storytelling and writing, so it's no wonder that everyone doesn't like. But criticising it for not fitting with your expectations or usual norms, is kind of besides the point. SeaBed wants portray the lives of the characters in all their mundaneness (what else would life be?), and I think it does that effectively and well, even if it's not what is normally expected. Not that this is going to make the story any less boring for someone who already finds it so, but I think it is important to understand. I feel it's really encouraging to have a touching story about loss and living with your problems to be so mundane. Why does every story have to be exciting? Are you not allowed to grieve without being dramatic about it? Even something like character development is questioned. No-one is going to stay exactly the same, but the changes are often subtle, ambiguous. Traumatic event doesn't mean you have to change as person. It's okay to be you. "Mystery being not the point", is maybe too strongly worded, but SeaBed isn't interested in taking delight in plot-twist or grand conclusions, like mysteries usually are. For the most the characters aren't even really interested in solving or chasing it either. The mystery is more like a basic framework for the story to function. There's still interesting revelations, subtle hints and foreshadowing if look closely enough (I'm pretty sure I missed some), but on a grand scale of things the mystery is not what matters. But that doesn't mean the story of Sachiko's silent anguish, Takako struggling with losing her memories, and Narasaki's tragic burden is less meaningful. On the contrary, I think SeaBed is effective and important because of it's life-likeness, for better or worse. Anyways, that's just how I feel. If you have questions about unanswered mysteries, I can try to help.

This video does a pretty good job of explaining why people, namely yuri fans, like SeaBed.

Yuma as heroine in To Heart 2 fits into that category, though the competition is all trivial slice of life stuff like gaming.