When The Wind Blew You Away

I absolutely love this game. Peter was ngl so relatable, the story was so moving, and the art was gorgeous. I loved every second of playing this, and I know a lot of hard work was poured into this game. Y'all did a wonderful job on it! You should be proud :)

I rated this 5/5. I love a good and heartwarming vn. It's so pure and the dialogues are so good! I am so happy that I found this vn! 

Such a heartwarming game I was crying at the good ending so beautiful great job on the game I love it!

I got the good ending ~ 🤧🫶 Ha ha! 

I really don’t want to spoil anything so I'll just say this. I literally screamed when Evan said  something along the lines "I need you to be at peace." that got me ~! I would definitely like a side story to see our life after with him.

I was kinda eyeing Max for some reason. He’s a bully yeah, I get it, but listen I can change him I swear 😪☝🏾. 

But more seriously this was a well written story. I especially like that we could choses the sprites. That's why I played it three different times to get different endings and to see it through different sprites! I totally recommend it if you're looking for something short but impactful. 

Thanks to everybody on the team that helped make this~!

amazing. just amazing! i already made fanart of amanda

Dear Chimeriquement,
Wow, you're amazing.
My first impressions:
* The story is so beautiful and heart wrenching that I cried and couldn't play anymore. I'll come back to this when my heart calms down. There's something about losing someone you love and then the process when you get that someone you love back. You captured this so beautifully and masterfully that I applaud you.  
* The art sprites and ability to choose between styles is very cool.
* Programming "helper" at the start of the game is super cool and professional.

Overall, I absolutely loved this. Chim - well done!

This game is so so soo cute. I kept rooting for Amanda the whole time and I'm glad that the wind blew them back together. Also, I really like being able to switch from the painterly and shoujo style. I switched as I played and I love both art styles! Such a good game.

Kawaii-chan took me out in the beginning. That was so funny.

An absolutely magnificent game! Really like the art and the typewriter effect, it's so cool!

By the way, I have a question.

Are there multiple endings to the game, or there is only 1, the good ending?

Just finished playing the game and i have to say it was really well done! The music really fit the scene and the characters were cute.

I had a great time playing it. I actually found Peter rater relatable and i thought the option to choose your sprite was pretty cool

It took a while to make a review, but who doesn't like a friend to lovers story and I'm honestly impressed how peter and amanda compliments each other, and I find that really sweet the romance was very wholesome and sweet. I want more more plss lol and I can say I guess the wind did blew me away ;)

OH MY GOD?! This game is so good I love Peter so much. The writing is amazing, the options for different art styles is such a good idea, and the concept of the story overall is so sweet. 

I'm serious Peter is so perfect literally my favorite type of character T_T. Thank you for such a fun game (also the implied autism representation is appreciated!)

I love, love what you've accomplished with this game! The UI, the setting, the atmosphere, the story, the art variations, the music choices, the pain, the suffering? Everything tugged at my heartstrings and I adored all of it! I especially enjoyed the introspective writing--it's a superb fleshing out of Amanda's character and how she sees Peter. This game is such a cohesive package, and I'm absorbed in it. Well done, Chim! 

It is a story about a girl who grew up with a friend who was close to her as a child who suddenly left her, leaving her heartbroken, and she is reunited with a boy who has grown up.

It was very touching and romantic!

Amanda's mind was so carefully and beautifully portrayed, and every word was lovely.

Amanda, who is gradually opening up to him, is also adorable, and I loved the way they played together.I love the scene which they have picnic in the woods together, and Peter tried to surprise Amanda!

I won't reveal any details, but Peter's difficulties brought tears to my eyes.

The ending is very romantic that they both felt the same way.

10/10 game, copious amounts of WIND and TREES, would recommend to anyone who loves wind and trees - Okay I'm joking...

Unfortunately, this game peaked in its first few moments with the introduction of Kawaii-chan, and it never reached those heights again - OKAY I'M STILL JOKING.

In WTWBYA, we are introduced to Peter and Amanda, two childhood friends who become estranged. When Peter reappears suddenly, the two slowly reconcile.

First of all, the character writing is impeccable, as always. If you know me, you know that I'm a sucker for childhood friends, and Amanda and Peter are no different. However, even more than that, I love how both parties are characterized. I related SO much to Peter's struggles with social interactions, and I found Amanda's desire to "fit in" very relatable as well. 

Amanda's character and subsequent character arc are perfectly encapsulated in the game design. For instance - Amanda and Peter are the only ones with visible sprites, while the others are depicted merely as black silhouettes, highlighting the distance that Amanda feels from them. Furthermore, even while talking with her friends (whose names are mentioned in the script), in the speaker box the friends are still referred to as "Classmate 1/2," reinforcing that Amanda does not feel close to others, even people that she calls her friends.

As the story is fundamentally one about miscommunication, many of the choices are similar at first glance, but are actually very different in context. While Amanda is saying the same things in both options, HOW she phrases the answer is critical. For instance, "I would love going with you" vs. "I wouldn't mind going with you." I love this detail; it really makes you pay attention to the choices while also perfectly reflecting the themes of communication - you need to listen to Peter and communicate the way that he understands.

I won't spoil anything, but the romance is an absolutely sweet and wholesome story that ticked ALL the right boxes for me. I love it when characters in a romance learn about themselves and grow through their interactions with each other!

Can I say that this game just screams polish? From the UI design, to the text animations, to the sprite animations, there's so much care and detail added into everything that makes the experience so much more dynamic and fun. I especially loved the design of the UI. The muted colors and watercolor aesthetic of the backgrounds really give a nostalgic but melancholic vibe, like autumn, reflecting how Amanda has moved past her "bright spring" into a slightly more depressing adolescence. The cut paper design of the text boxes brings to mind love letters, or childhood diaries. I also really appreciated how both the backgrounds and the sprites of the past scenes were depicted with a slightly more monochromatic, red-tinged palette, which evoked a 'sepia" feel, like looking at old photographs. The music tracks were beautiful, fitting the story perfectly while also being incredibly pleasant to listen to on their own.

I was really looking forward to this, and it certainly did not disappoint! There were enough wind/tree references to sate my appetite, and I loved the experience overall! Peter is the sweetest LI ever...

What a heartwarming little game! Congratulations and thank you for the experience!!!

I don't think it's easy to put on word why I like this game so much. You did an amazing job at directing, programming, writing all of this! I loved the filters, the typewriter effect, the painterly sprites, the CGs but above all the simple story.  Peter is so relatable to me in the little things and it made me feel less alone, more understood. Thank you for making this game, Chimerique!

If you're wondering why I'm commenting this only now it's because I was preparing a little present <3 I hope you'll like it!

SUCH a deeply tender experience from top to bottom, getting to parse my way through this pairs shared youth and reconcile the distance thats since grown between them was incredibly heartwarming. its a story theme im quite fond of, the idea of forced separation and a later reconciliation full of a bittersweet entwining of comfort and angst at how they've grown further apart yet only closer to the other despite the lack of presence.

im not sure if it was intentional, but the character designs of either character leaning into autumnal (peter) or springtime (amanda) themes was a total cherry on top for me. amanda, growing and blossoming out of her bud into peters sunshine, while peter stands tall as his big oak tree self, forever himself no matter how the wind may blow (see what i did there) his leaves. im a total sucker for things like that. 🍃🍂

just a wonderfully tender, heartfelt little story i am so happy to see finally released and receive the love it deserves! the love and care you and your team have put into this project oozes off of it in every corner. thank you all for the friday morning fluffiness. 🤎

moment of appreciation for T.M. Bach's music too! i found myself humming along to the opening menu theme anytime i stepped away from my computer for a moment.

[BAD END SPOILER!]

the bad ending is so heartbreaking, to abandon peter the same way we assume he must have abandoned us all those years ago, letting the harsh winds of an unforgiving world crash against his branches until they break, tearing his gentility apart and replacing it with a harsh aggression so unlike his otherwise calm, soft demeanour. gah. im forever a sucker for a bad ending but i cant deny the heartbreak they give me nonetheless...

so glad i did the bad ending first, because if i had to go back afterwards and break these two squishes hearts id be devastated... 🥲

This game was so heartwarming and sweet! I found Peter to be very relatable and cute. His candid nature is endearing and when he came out with the Proust questionnaire, I was sold haha

The idea of having two different sprite styles is really fun, though I imagine it's a lot of work. All the art was lovely, I especially like the main menu piece!

All in all, you did a great job and I really enjoyed my time with the game.

This game is SO sweet, and the writing style is fantastic and very romantic in the descriptions. It's hard to make me tear up when reading anything, but I definitely did - with happy tears.  The game gives you two art styles to choose from and features amazing sprite animations to make the story feel alive. The animation alone makes this story feel much more well-made than many I've played in the past. (EVEN THE GUI IS AMAZINGGGGG, the art is so good!)

It's a story that will warm your heart, and I highly recommend everyone give it a try!

(On a less professional note...I love Peter so much and I just want to give him hugs and tell him everything will be okay T-T <3  )

Just overall -- PLAY IT! Give it a try!! It's not super long, and it's 100% worth your time - Chim is a very talented dev, and you won't find someone who makes stories come alive like he does!

This game is so BEAUTIFUL in every way!! From the art, the GUI and the music to the story, the characters and the way it's coded!! I loved Amanda's and Peter's story: two childhood friends who are unfortunately separated but meet again with a chance to reconnect once again!! It's really well-written and narrated, and I just love how we can feel closer to Amanda not only through her words but through the way the game is coded as well by making the words on the screen tremble when she's anxious, and flow naturally when she's feeling good. It's a real treasure to find someone in your life who you feel you can be yourself around with, so I completely understand Amanda's and Peter's grief when they were apart for so long and they felt like they lost themselves. Peter's circumstances are also really heartbreaking but completely understandable, and I loved seeing autism representation!

Honestly, it's immensely beautiful and poetic how, in order to get the good ending, you need to explore the way in which Amanda and Peter reconnect again with nothing more and nothing less than the virtues they value the most in people: patience and sincerity. 

Amazing work, this one is definitely going to my favorites <3

Man, that was just the right amount of cute and wholesome with a dash of nostalgia. (okay, i lied. the cute went off the scale in the good ending and I might have teared up a bit) (they're adorable 💕)

Love the estranged friends-to-lovers set-up with all the implications. You've got the hope of regaining something lost on one hand and the fear of being abandoned again on the other. And that creates a real conflict for Amanda and makes her a relatable protagonist (imo). I also like what you did with Peter's reasons for leaving; the build-up was there and it fell into place in a satisfying way. 👌

Also, I really feel that true romance lies in the comfort of being able to be yourself around the other person without the fear of judgment and you captured that with Amanda and Peter's special interests. (and the way they talked about combining both was very entertaining 🤭)

The art, music, and the GUI are all lovely (and the option to choose between the sprite styles! what a cool feature 👌). Very charming overall!

This is a beautiful game. Even though I played it on my phone, I had no real issues.

Peter is a sweetheart, and he didn't deserve to have such a terrible childhood. I'm so happy that Amanda could be together with him in the end.

As for Amanda, I know what it is like to want to fit in, and be normal, and I know how hard it is to be yourself. I also got bullied like Peter, but I got through it, and I'm glad he did too.

This is truly an amazing love story, and the songs, and artwork make it even better. I love the shoujo style, and moving images, as well as what I assume to be fireflies on the homescreen. 

This game has a deep story, and message that I will remember for a long time. Thank you for creating it, and sharing it with everyone! :)

First go play this game if you haven't already! Then you can read this review, the game is 5/5 stars! Go play it nowwwwwwww

(Spoilers below)

First off, jumpscare Kawaii-chann! But it was pleasant and a fun use of her character!

I have already played the good end at the time of writing this, I will eventually play the bad end, and cry most likely- when I do that, I'll reach out to you directly and give you my thoughts (and tears).

I love how cohesive this story is, everything is! I love how earthy all the characters and how down to earth all the characters are (except Max ofc)

Amanda is such a sweetheart, I like being inside of her head and navigating the feelings associated with reuniting with a childhood friend. (it's only cliche cause it works) 

Peter really is up there in your catalogue of characters, it's easy to see why you love him so much! Like Amanda, I fell in love right alongside her. He feels so real, and super likeable in a way that makes total sense without him being a Mary ?Stew?Stu? (whatever)

I will say I predicted a lot of things, but that's probably just writer brain. I don't think it's bad, I think you just foreshadowed and set all the details up well.

I love how devilish Amanda can be sometimes, I hope more of that side comes out when she gets older and grows more confident in herself.

I loved the natural progression of their relationship and Peter getting her corndogs! They are just so precious, I hope they are always happy! Ignoring the bad end.

The art is gorgeous, every single bit of it, I loveeeee the music, you always pick the perfect pieces, and music is severely underrated in indie visual novels.

My favorite detail was tying this into the High School Lolita Universe (or just the contemporary universe you have lolol) I don't want to live in the Highschool Lolita Universe even though we technically do.... ANYWAY with Social worker Chloe' was super happy to read it, as if I couldn't love Peter more! I will def be replaying again! I wish I could leave another rating on it, (but that's cheating lol)

I'm still making my way through all your games, and I'm so happy to have played this game on release day! Wooo! Godspeed for your future projects, I know they'll be amazing!

So, that was a pretty sweet story. I can't deny that Peter's a charming guy in some places, very huggable for sure. I also really liked the highlighting of the fact that people change from their childhood selves, usually in stories like these people are static and almost never change their tastes, so, thanks for not doing that. I rate it "the perceptible natural movement of the air, especially in the form of a current of air blowing from a particular direction"/13

PS omg Kawaii-Chan haiiii

HOW DO YOU ALWAYS MANAGE TO MAKE ME CRY????

GOD.

Definitely teared up at least.......... four times I think at various points while playing LOL and then the end I just kinda had to sit there and watch the credits scene for a while to let all the intense emotions settle back down in my heart lakdfasd

This was absolutely lovely and I enjoyed every bit of it!! I will always be impressed at how many different types of stories, vibes, feelings you can manifest with your games. How they're all so different?? (YET THEY ALL SOMEHOW MAKE ME CRY??) And yet somehow I feel like they have this almost... soft emotional quality tying them all together despite the vastly different themes. Like when I think about your games as a whole I feel this strong emotive attachment to them and they all have A Vibe even though they all made me feel such different things.

At any rate.

I chose the painterly style for my first playthrough and ended up getting the good ending (because I cannot choose anything but the good options??? it pains me otherwise LKDJAFDS) though now I want to go back through with the shoujo style and try some different options despite my inner conflict. I loved Peter so much GOD. I'd already mentioned from some of your lead-up posts how much I felt like we were similar/I could relate to him, but playing the game itself only made this even stronger (and I figured out that he was probably autistic the first time it mentioned his headphones so maybe that explains it 💦 a few of my teary moments were definitely because of this) . He is just such a sweet and likeable character and I really felt for him, especially with his stuttering and need for calm and quiet.

But I could also understand and empathize with Amanda because it's true -- when you experience a loss like that, you're instinctively going to be worried that it'll happen again?? And as she didn't know why it had happened in the first place, of course she was going to worry that literally anything could come about and lead to him leaving again. So I really appreciate like, hm, her emotional struggle. That even while she was gradually opening up to Peter again, some part of her just couldn't let go and was always there not allowing the final bit of her to be free. I thought that the pacing leading to the end and the slow build-up of both of them finally being able to say what they needed to so well done. It was the perfect mix of heartwarming moments with inner conflict and a few funny and sweet bits along the way -- just really well done!! I DON'T WANT TO GET THE WORSE ENDINGS THO??? I JUST WANT THEM TO BE HAPPY????? But I will... force myself.... for curiosity's sake alskdjfas

The art and GUI and everything was so soft and lovely and just filled me with such warm vibes. In love with the color palette it just feels so cozy??? The music was also lovely!! And the CGs were so cute?? And I really liked a lot of the little sprite animations you included! Really helped a lot of the little moments come alive. Just. Honestly. This whole game feels like a warm hug -- LIKE WARM SOUP, JUST LIKE PETER'S HUG -- and I'm still feeling all fuzzy now even as I write this. So thank you so much for this lovely little piece of cozy happiness 💕 These two are going to live in my heart rent-free for a while alskdfjalds