Out of the Suitcase

(Play and rate the game! It'll only be about 10-15 minutes of your time, and this is worth 10x's that!)

[Spoilers]

Gosh, I really love how simple and well executed this little game is! I love the speech bubbles and def think you should bring them back at some point!

The message of this VN was clear to me, but I have a suspicion that won't be true for most people. Just because it's such a common issue in modern relationships. Man oh man.

Anthony is a capital 'C' Cutie! Love that he's part of the "Namida" story line and I can see both him and Katekyo again! Eeeeeh!

Your themes always resonate with me, Idk if it's because you and I are were separated at birth, have a lot of similar experience as both writers/queer people or you write them all so well. (It's probably all 3)

I love stories about exes in a more positive light, and you were able to accomplish both the positive and the negative here in a satisfying way!

This is like an appetizer so good you don't even need an entree' I swear you've been able to make me feel so good in under 10 mins when it takes most triple A VN devs like actual weeks to make me feel as attached to their characters as I do to yours. No lie!

Your stories are just equally creative and beautiful as they are raw and human.

I detail a lot more of my one to one silly thoughts in the video I sent you <3 thank you for this, I've had so much fun going through your catalogue!

"This game isn't meant to be played on phone" well I disregarded that completely, it's definitely not the optimal experience but it's doable, so, just reporting on that.

To the game itself, I really like the "ex experience" when both of the parties aren't jumping at each others' throats, as it's often portrayed, so this storyline was a treat. Really nice bittersweet flavor, which I enjoyed as well. Good bite-sized dish, I recommend this restaurant and I will be coming back.

I finally got around to playing this (been a little,,, overwhelmed,,, these last few days alas) but i really like the sentiment of this!! You do a really good job setting up the MC's relationship with Anthony and conveying just what exactly fractured their dynamic in the first place (and also how things in life aren't perfect, especially in romance, and bonds between people can easily be fractured by things like society's expectations or one's own journey to better understand themselves in spite of maybe finding out they've still ended up going against those expectations).

The use of Renpy's speech bubbles was interesting but so fluid I didn't even really think about their inclusion until now (that is: i was so immersed i just realized in hindsight that you used them because they flowed so naturally into the game lol). 

I definitely felt like Anthony was very human in this. He's still finding himself, still trying to own up to mistakes he's made and people he's hurt. I find that really endearing in characters - the ability to recognize one's own faults and act on resolving 'em - and I think you nailed it perfectly. So good job!!! And thanks for making this game!!

This was beautiful. Sometimes a story is poetic enough that it pulls you into the moment and you just enjoy the raw emotions of it. That is what this game was. 

A moment in humanity and genuine feelings between two people. And it warmed my heart to play through. 

Thank you for making this game <3 I'm glad I played it!

Ugh, this was very good!! There's so much emotion and history between the MC and Anthony conveyed in the short runtime. You can really tell how Anthony has struggled with his identity. His inability to connect with anyone (hence running to his ex in his time of need) is sad, but completely understandable.

From a production standpoint, I loved the way this looked?! The animation on the start menu is so smooth and satisfying, and I love how the dark red/purple hues on Anthony contrast so well with the dark blue of the background. The rendering/shading on Anthony looked so good as well! And I loved the incorporation of the Renpy speech bubbles; it fit this game and made it feel more immersive. 

I also really enjoyed the difference between the endings! As the player, it's tempting to be extremely proactive, but in the end giving Anthony the space and the ear that he needs is what gives you the "good" ending. (This story is SO sweet but also I absolutely cried with laughter at how Anthony's short-shorts and his crop-top somehow became plot relevant. I thought it was just fanservice...)

GUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

THIS IS VERY GOOD.

HELP.

This has affected me greatly. There's something so short and poignant about it. Dripping with this sort of bittersweet nostalgia and ending with either a hopeful outlook or the dreadful realization that you've just ruined things. I enjoyed both endings I will admit -- the melancholy one because I'm a sucker for having my heart ripped in two, and the hopeful one because I'm a sucker for bittersweet optimism mixed with convoluted feelings.

I quite enjoyed how simple this all was -- on the outside. But that once you start talking to Anthony and uncovering all these bits and pieces of the past, not only about your relationship with him but his relationship with his parents and friends, his struggles to figure himself out, of fighting against who he really is, and how that ended up ruining what he had with his fiance. And just... how Anthony himself feels so lost and confused and guilty about all of this. About everything. You can tell even just from the responses he gives and the way he carries himself how much built-up guilt he carries and these feelings that he's the one responsibility for all the lost relationships he's had over the years.

My heart hurt so much for him and everything that he's been through. And especially that feeling of just... not knowing where to go from here. Or what to do next.

I found it quite fitting that rushing to return to the idea of love is what ultimately sends him packing (yet again). And instead, not judging him, not rushing him, not pushing him into anything -- literally just giving him space, giving him room to talk, is what ultimately keeps him there and makes him feel secure enough that the thought of a renewed relationship is even within the realm of possibility. It was really nice and very sweet.

Just overall really really lovely. I assume this is just a quick one-shot and you probably won't be returning to these chars, but I really enjoyed this little glimpse into their lives and how much we came to understand them even despite the short length. I enjoyed this a lot!!! 💕