Everlasting: Tomorrow

First of all, this is not the type of game I typically play but it served to be a great introduction for me to the genre of story driven puzzle/horror games. [h3] Visuals [/h3] The game is very visually appealing for those who like pixel art (you can see a preview from the screenshots of the game). Especially from a solo indie developer, the amount of art assets along with attention to details was great. I love the color schemes and lighting. The art also really helps set the tone for the game along with some more intense body horror art. The game gives me retro and experimental vibes, at some points later on in the game reminding me of Neon Genesis Evangelion. [h3] Sound [/h3] Along with the art, the sound effects and background music are consistent throughout. The sound effects were generally satisfying and there were some outstanding pieces in the background music. A couple of the background tracks though put me on edge, although this may be intentional for a horror game. [h3] Story [/h3] As for the story, overall I think this had a great mystery which unfolds slowly over the first few chapters in a satisfying way with some unexpected twists which were subtly hinted at throughout, though not so much that it spoiled the reveals. I find that this balance is usually difficult to achieve and it impressed me. The pacing of this also felt on point. In the later chapters, the game takes more of a shift to the characters and exploring their inner worlds and traumas. For me the highlight of this game's story was the characters so for me this latter part of the game was my favorite (happening in chapter 4 and going full force in chapter 5). The game builds up a connection to the character over the first chapters and once you are invested delves deeper into character exploration. The characters themselves, including the side characters, are all personable and likable and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them in more detail. [h3] Gameplay [/h3] In terms of game play, the first few chapters have puzzles which I enjoyed a lot. There was good variation and a good amount of challenge to them, though this will definitely depend from player to player. As someone with a lot of gaming experience but not having played a lot of these types of games before, the level seemed about right for me. The last two parts of the game switch more to timed events and a visual novel type game. I think this seems appropriate given that the game shifts to more character focus but if you are just there for the puzzle aspect then you may not enjoy it as much. I would say though for anyone who enjoys character exploration of deeply troubled characters who you have grown fondness for over the course of the first chapters but do not know the history and inner world of, I would say these chapters do a great job of this. The story is not entirely like a visual novel in the end though and includes some exploration and walking sections which I feel are nice to break up the exposition. Also spread throughout the game are different chase sequences which are nicely done and scary with some amazing monster art. There are many places you can die in the game including these chase events and timed events, many of which have unique death screen art which I found to be pretty cool. [h3] UI [/h3] In terms of UI there can be some parts where it is clunky and I believe these may be patched in the future. For example, I think it would be great to be able to close the inventory and the menu with the escape button. This is the one main part about the game that I would change. [h3] Additional Thoughts [/h3] Some additional things I enjoyed about the game were as follows. I enjoyed the spread of Steam achievements in the game which reward deeper exploration and multiple playthroughs. On a related note, there are a lot of little easter eggs you can find by exploring and interacting with the game a little deeper. I also really enjoyed all of the lighting effects and the colors thoughout the game. There are a lot of surreal locations in the game with a great range of themes that I enjoyed exploring. I also thought that the backstories of the characters were very though provoking and relatable. The ending of the game, which I will not spoil, was also very enjoyable and satisfying for me and I feel like it wrapped things up nicely. [h3] Summary [/h3] Overall, this is a great game from a solo indie developer with some great art and characterization along with a fun mystery/horror plot and puzzles and timed events scattered throughout. Would recommend!

For lovers of puzzle & visual novel horror games, Everlasting: Tomorrow has you absolutely covered. The first half of the game is focused on exploration and slowly unraveling the mysteries of a sleepy, creepy town; solving puzzles and investigating as you dive deeper into the mystery unfolding. By the 4th chapter however, much of the exploration and puzzle solving takes a backseat as the game shifts into more of a visual novel, diving deep into the characters and their psyche. Though the gameplay is lessened in these later chapters, the story and character writing really shine and are thoroughly engaging. I did admittedly find myself longing for a bit more gameplay to break up some of the longer sections of dialogue, I wouldn't say it was boring in the slightest precisely because of how invested I was in the characters. What truly blew me away though, was the amount of care and detail injected into every aspect of this game. The pixel art is detailed and genuinely beautiful, the music though mainly blending into the background set the tone perfectly, and the depth of lore and mystique of the world had me captivated. Shining above the rest though, was the character writing. These characters feel like genuine people, with natural character arcs and believable flaws, so seeing them interact felt like hearing a story right from the mouth of a friend. Being all done by a solo developer, I think this is an impressive game and well worth your time.

what the hell. I LOVE THIS GAME the story. the music. the art. amazing atmosphere of a dying town. plenty to explore. truthful to its description: there are puzzles, but they're easy enough not to frustrate the player (although i'd like them to be harder) and disrupt the story. the mass of information in the last chapters was... well, massive, but the game doesn't drag on and it's so interesting and SO up my alley that i don't even care. maybe there's a charm to those longer chapters. great game. worth a try. thank u, slugstart <3

GOAT AF

ㅈㄴ 재밌습니다 딱 제 취향입니다 이 게임이 더 많은 사람들에게 알려졌으면 좋겠습니다 * 패치에 버그가 있어, 후반부부터 진행이 안되는 경우가 있습니다. 이때는 영어 버전으로 진행한다음 자동 저장을 확인하시고 다시 한글 패치를 먹이는 식으로 하면 진행 가능합니다. (현재 2회 정도 그렇게 한거같습니다.) *2 후반부에 이를러서 캐릭터들의 내면 서사 묘사가 굉장히 긴데 살짝 빡세네요

one of the best indie games i've ever played. this game hit me like a truck and it's vibes are immaculate. the dev is insane for making a playable final 2 episodes of evangelion, it's insanely well written. will be a game i think about for a very very very long time

It's decent! Even if the writing is heavy-handed at points, where it ends up reading more like a Wikipedia article or self-help book than anything, I still enjoyed playing it. The story was nice, it didn't feel like it dragged on for too long, and overall it hit the right notes for me. Worth a shot. You'll enjoy it for its art and the [spoiler] mild yaoi [/spoiler] anyway.

Everlasting: Tomorrow is an interesting experience of a game. It brings forth nostalgia of the 2010's past, of little indie games found in the corners of the internet that maybe you and ten other people have played through to completion. Its art direction is charming and purposeful, and I enjoy the town that exists as our main hub of operations. The people around town and the mystery surrounding it builds a good amount of intrigue, and I enjoyed each time I got to meet a member of the town. It felt very lived in and connected, coming from someone who has lived in a town as small as Mildew Meadows myself. Shoutout to Suzzie, who, if I may be so frank, is best girl. vague spoilers below! My personal issues with E:T come from the way the story is presented to us. While Chapters 1-3 are slow burns, Chapter 4 begins to rare up FAST with sudden plot stuff that felt as if it came out of nowhere. Chapter 5 is essentially a visual novel with minimal gameplay interspersed, more of a cinematic experience than a video game in those last few hours. This game's story is MASSIVE, and I fear that despite the intrigue its contexts hold, its presentation feels overinflated, as if it's simply too much for a game of its size. While this is insinuated to be Alice's story - and it is, but I'll get there - the focus abruptly shifts for hours at a time to focus on the deuteragonist, Adrian, alongside a third main player in the story who I won't name, but is abruptly revealed in a later chapter. While he's insinuated to be around the whole game (which I liked, and could pinpoint where I'd seen him before), his sudden presence and great importance feels as if everything grinds to a halt to introduce him and Adrian's history. That is probably my biggest holdup with the game. In the late hours, everything stops to information dump all at once. From backstories to exposition to world lore to everything in between, it is all dumped upon us at once, leaving us little room to breathe and absorb. both of our protagonists hold very deep, very serious trauma, and while I can tell that the creator tried very hard to present them in a respectful way, the pacing of the way it is told to us inherently makes all of the exposition feel a bit lesser. There's a lot of love put into this game, and I can tell. The ideas are massive, spanning from the beginning to the end, and the art oozes with personal touches. It's very much a mixed bag, and one that might leave you a bit frustrated with how much exposition is given to us despite very little answers of the previously established plot being provided. It completely focuses on Alice and Adrian's personal stories - which is fine, however, the sudden shift left for an unsatisfactory final two chapters for me, and the repetitive button mashing gameplay (though i acknowledge the limitations) grew to be more than a little grating. I believe that E:T is worth the play. It's supporting an indie developer, you get to see some really cool art and story, and you see what I believe could have been a masterpiece if only it had a little bit of refining. There's passion oozing at the seams from every inch of this game, and that alone is worth the price of admission. I just think that the pacing and storytelling could be tighter is all. It has a lot to say and doesn't seem to have the room that it needs. I look forward to whatever this developer creates in the future- I'll certainly be playing it!