Amadeus: A Riddle for Thee ~ Episode 1 ~ Waltz

Soooo so good! The game has such a lovely aesthetic, not just visually but musically as well (the music is BEAUTIFUL, eerie, serene, emotional). You're learning most of this world through Amadeus's perspective and his relationship to it, and I'm finding that method of delivering the narrative is executed very well in this story. The writing is great, I love the comedic beats, the subtle teases of connections that may or may not exist. Also the fact that the game is technically in 4:3, while I imagine some people might be baffled by it, actually works in this game's favor. Not only does it help condense the text boxes to make them easier to read, but it also allows for environments to have more headroom, giving you a better look at the skies and the mountains, which really enhances the mood. The auto text scroll option is also something I very much appreciated. I know this is a thing other visual novels have done, but it's really nice for a lot of the longer cutscenes. It feels more like watching a movie, and it helped me be even more immersed. I also appreciate that you can turn it off at any time, and there's a bit Tab button on the HUD so you know whether it's on and how to turn it off at all times. If I was to make a couple of (very minor) QoL suggestions, 1. A global volume slider in the options. The game seems quite loud by default. I can simply turn down the audio on my computer, so it's not a huge deal, but it would be nice as an option. 2. A sort of adaptive for auto-advance text (i.e. auto-advance during cutscenes, but turned off during the point-and-click sections). I fully acknowledge that this is probably a pain-in-the-ass to program and I know this game is a passion project made primarily by one developer so I'm not expecting this at all but it is something I thought of while playing the game. Overall, VERY cool experience, I can't wait for future episodes!

Now that's the ♥♥♥♥ I do like

Game-wise, it doesn't take too long to complete the episode and discover all the little clickable secrets. Narrative wise, it is exactly as long as it needs to be to present the world and set up intriguing hooks for things to come eventually. Combined with the completely custom art and music, it's a very immersive experience that will leave theorycrafters thinking for quite a while

Art: 100/10 Music: 1000/10 Werewolf transformation: 100000/10 This is such a cool game and the love and passion that went into its development is so incredibly clear. I was extremely impressed by the impact of the more emotional scenes, and one scene in particular (not going to spoil, but if you've played you know the one) is going to stick with me for a long time. It's beautifully done and makes me want to replay again and again. I can't wait to see the future episodes come to life!!

This is the exactly the kind of VN I love to stumble into! Truly reaffirms my love of this unique medium! I have absolutely no clue where it is going with all these ideas, and I mean that in the most positive way possible, because I trust it and I'm locked in. This game -earned- that trust through solid pacing, and careful hooks. A hundred questions are given for every answer, but the payoffs to the littler mysteries are exciting and inventive. What I find so delightful about Amadeus is the clear intention in the writing. It encourages curiosity and theory-crafting, but is not interested in wasting your time to do so. With all the love in my heart I am begging other VN writers to take notes. The gameplay is brisk, yet intentional -- it doesn't overstay. The reader is encouraged to actively participate and theorize, and is given plenty of fascinating things to think about. Beginnings are always challenging and there's clearly tons to exposit in world-building, characterization, and general VN storytelling quirks. The fact that I was -never bored- is an act of wizardry on the part of the Dev. The music's incredible and stands out. There's a real heart here. I have no doubt in my mind that this is all leading somewhere strange, specific, and totally unique. This episode alone was such a wild and fun experience that clearly could have only been crafted by one person working their ass off to tell a narrative only they can tell. And, man! Isn't that the best kind of story there is!? Thanks for this one, truly, what a treat.

Indie game not afraid to be its own thing compared to most corporate capitalist driven games.

[i]Amadeus: A Riddle for Thee ~ Episode 1 ~ Waltz[/i] is, above all else, creatively dense. Seemingly unique music for every scene plays for the entire ~1.5 hour runtime, changing and shifting along with the tone of the scene (absurd). Highly stylized art with many backdrops, portraits, and fullscreen event illustrations layer the screen at any given moment. The writing is simultaneously straightforward, impenetrable, and steeped in metaphor. Unique events with their own distinct layouts try their best to break up the breakneck narrative into arcs. There is so much to digest at such a relentless pace that it can be difficult to keep up with. This pacing, however, might just be Episode 1's greatest strength, as it sets it apart from almost any other visual novel I have played. This key difference in pacing appears to be an intentional decision too, based on how the author ArcanaXIX makes reference to numerous visual novels, references which are somehow buried throughout this very brisk game's dialogue, mechanics, and soundtrack. I came out of it all feeling a bit overwhelmed and confused, even if impressed. It's because of that confusion that [i]Amadeus: A Riddle for Thee ~ Episode 1 ~ Waltz[/i] strikes me as an incredibly ambitious game made [i]by[/i] the creator [i]for[/i] the creator, not necessarily for an audience. It's exactly because of that focus that Amadeus is a visual novel that challenges the viewer and expresses novel design ideas, pun intended. I look forward to seeing not just what happens in future episodes, but how their presentation develops.

Solid point and click adventure with a story that intrigues right from the get go. I loved the writing, from the witty narration to the way our main character is portrayed: he clearly wants to be seen as self-assured and composed as he takes fate into his own hands, but he's also a traumatised sixteen-year-old werewolf who is neither of those things yet. I'm excited to see what's in store for him. The music is fantastic, using a mostly instrumental chamber sound layered with interesting harmonies and textures that fit the mood and is genuinely nice to listen to. It can be gentle and melancholy or completely Dramatic and Extra depending on the scene. I am so glad this game exists and that I got to play it. You can tell the developer put so much joy into making this and I hope I get to play the future instalments too.

Amadeus Episode 1 was a fun way to spend 3ish hours of my night. The art style isn't really something I've seen in other games that I've played, but it managed to look pretty good all the way through. I think ArcanaXIX made some really cool character designs, Solea and the Tourist ended up being my favorites. The music is the strongest part of the game. Most of the tracks are rather somber to reflect the tone of the story, but there's a really beautiful piano piece in the middle that really stuck with me. Overall, the music is really chill and helps immerse you into the story. Speaking of the story, the plot of the game so far is pretty interesting. It has a strong beginning, but I ended up liking the second half more, once I had a bit more freedom to choose where I explore. There are two bad endings you can get, but luckily they're labeled appropriately and you get rewarded for doing them. I didn't experience any glitches or notice any issues during my playthrough. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is on the fence about getting this. It really is a hidden gem. Looking forward to the next episode!

I've been watching the development of Amadeus Episode 1 for a while now on Bluesky and am happy to be able to play it! (I played the game mostly using my mouse. You're able to click the keyboard-style buttons visible on the screen to navigate, which is great news if you dread the pain that comes with a WASD hand-formation.) This game is a delight, it's clear to me the dev had a blast making it bc you can see it in the way Amadeus talks and thinks. It's fun running your mouse over the scenery at suspicious spots, asking yourself if you find a seedy secret or Amadeus judging inanimate objects for being anything short of perfect. Hearing what Amadeus has to say about things is great, he's a stroppy wee sourpuss and I wouldn't have him any other way. B) Excellent environments, fun characters and real nice music that makes you stop in your tracks so you can sit with it longer. In my first playthrough I was taking my time, oogling at the environments and poking around. I'm just shy of 2 hours playtime at the time of writing this, which I'd say was time well spent! Very much looking forward to Episode 2 (and fountain guzzle, Amadeus needs his sink-drink).