[b]Note:[/b] I purchased the game via another site and redeemed a Steam key for it. ^^
[h1]Finding Your Muse[/h1]
[h2]Introduction[/h2]
[i]A Marble's Muse[/i] is a cute, comedical, romantic, albeit with some dramatic and emotional moments, visual novel developed and published by Kristi Jimenez. You take on the role of Clarke, a non-binary marble (yes, a marble XD) who's an artist living on the island of Liliana. Clarke is having artist's block, so they're hoping that finding a muse will inspire them to create art again. As Clarke is going about the city, they meet up with several marbles, such as Lilco (Clarke's best friend who wants to be a star athlete performing at Marble Palooza, a gigantic sporting event) and Tony (a single dad who works at home to support his daughter). Will Clarke be able to find their muse and create art again? Perhaps, along the way, Clarke may find friendship or even romance. ^^
With the gameplay, plenty of choices are presented throughout the story. While early choices determine whether Clarke gets on any particular route (since there is the possibility that Clarke can get an alone ending), later choices determine whether Clarke gets a best, normal, or bad ending. There are a total of 5 individual routes (Lilco, Cotton, Deadlock, Tony, and Echo), and plenty of CGs (unlocked ones can be viewed in the Gallery area on the Main Menu) as well as a full-on soundtrack are available. Also, plenty of Steam achievements are present, but they won't count towards a user's global total until the game is out of "Steam is learning about this game".
[h2]Review[/h2]
[i]A Marble's Muse[/i] caught my attention, especially after reading the store page description. After all, marbles falling in love is certainly a new concept. XD Thus, I purchased a copy of the game for myself to satiate my curiosity and to support the developer.
Of course, I was immediately drawn to the story, which establishes the setting of Liliana quite nicely. I liked Clarke as the main character, trying to find their inspiration to create art again. Creative types out there have probably encountered this problem at some point, and in Clarke's case, it definitely doesn't help to be weighed down by the memory of their university professor trashing their art because it wasn't up to the professor's standards or it wasn't like that of world-renowned artists. Anyway, I enjoyed reading Clarke's personal journey as they try to find inspiration. Along the way, they meet various characters whom they can befriend and possibly romance. Some routes are more fleshed out than others, such as Lilco's, who has a long history with Clarke and has secretly harbored a crush on them. However, I enjoyed reading all of their routes and getting to discover the characters' backstories. I'm quite conflicted on choosing a favorite route or character since I liked them all, but if I had to choose one, I'd go with Tony since it broke my heart when I found out why he became a single dad and yet, he still works hard to provide a good life for his daughter. Also, there's a puppy on his route, so yeah. XD At any rate, all the routes tie things up nicely, with the best endings resulting in romance and Clarke finding their inspiration, the normal endings being in the middle, and the bad endings being... Well, you can take a good guess although they're nothing too tragic.
As for the writing, the pacing is good. I noticed the occasional typo, but they didn't distract me from enjoying the story. With the gameplay, I didn't encounter any major technical issues. I was able to obtain all of the Steam achievements, and I obtained all the CGs, albeit with a bit of help from the developer in getting a particular one. XD
With the art, it has this beautiful, cutesy style, which is pretty appropriate, considering the name of this visual novel. The sprites and backgrounds are drawn and colored well. Especially, the CGs are well done, capturing the pivotal story moments well.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3408376083
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3408376181
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3408376257
In regards to the music, the tracks are quite varied, ranging from the more light-hearted tone to the deeper, emotional ones. Like the CGs, the tracks capture those important story moments, and they really help to bring the stories of all the major characters to life.
[h2]Conclusion[/h2]
Overall, would I recommend [i]A Marble's Muse[/i]? If you're a visual novel fan who's looking for a cute, comedical, romantic story with some emotional moments, don't mind the occasional touch on sensitive topics (like self-confidence or the death of a loved one), and/or want to obtain Steam achievements, then you should totally give this game a look. It's worth the asking price, and I feel like it's gone under the radar, so I hope that others will give it a try. Also, there's a free demo. ^^
[quote]For more detailed, fully complete, high quality reviews like this, please follow [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/44702020/]The Introverted Gamer[/url], prioritizing heart and soul always. ^^[/quote]
