Every Hue of You

Before writing this review I had to sit back and honestly put into words how to go about writing it. It took me 7 hours for one play through and it was a wonderful experience, however it will not be that for everyone. Let me explain. This game has great art, and a great concept. The concept is what drew me in at the start. However it has a complex, deep narrative not found in most other visual novel games. It is a game that, if you're like me, gets you thinking critically and at times makes you feel like you're talking to a psychologist. I honestly have played a lot of visual novels in my time and this one is in a class by itself in terms of the narrative. It really took me by surprise. The game embraces concepts about how we view our feelings and emotions and how they are dealt with in various ways by society. It delves into the structures of Stoicism, Materialism and the more modern problems of our society surrounding the internet, dis-connection and isolation. This game is not a fun, casual visual novel, not at all. It engages you to think. At times it can get a bit overwhelming so maybe playing a full play through all at once was a bit much. However I am a sucker for loving critical thinking and this game really was on a level I did not expect. It keeps you thinking after you're done playing, gives you food for thought. There is some fun elements to the game (don't get me wrong). I mean making the jewellery for each client was fun and unique, it is just the core of the game is is more complex. So if you are looking for a fun game to relax with, this is not the game for you. If you're looking for a mindless game to sink some time into, this is not for you. I applaud the devs and everyone who worked on this game at Cactus Jam. Truly a great experience. The art was lovely and the game truly inspiring and thought provoking. I look forward to any projects they put out in the future. 💠

I think the best compliment I can give this game is that I played through the first two 'arcs' without getting bored once. The writing is engaging, and the art style complements the themes of the game perfectly. Characters actually feel like people, and even though I've only played through a small portion of the game, I'm already invested in the story. The little mini-games dotted throughout are just the cherry on top. also i want lao to step on me

[h1]Overview[/h1] In the fantasy city-state of Zenoa, our heroine Twyla is in a perennial state of grief over the early loss of her mother to illness, and now finds herself trying to maintain “The Twilight Jeweller” without anywhere near the level of skills her mother possessed. And so begins [b]Every Hue Of You[/b]. We quickly learn that in this land, emotions are tied to one's spirit, and deep emotional [i]outbursts[/i] can have severe and long lasting effects with very negative consequences upon the greater populace. Twyla's own grief is causing continuous rain to fall over the city; so a “tracer” is despatched to find the cause of this outburst – which introduces our first NPC, and potential romance interest, Lao, into the game as the man who identifies Twyla as the source. [h1]Features and presentation[/h1] - Graphically, overall the game scores very well. Sprites are large and alter pose frequently to reflect where they are within a conversation – barely a step short of being fully animated. My only disappointment is with Twyla's primary portrait itself. Her shoulders are drawn too high, so she looks like she has no neck and this gives her the appearance of being constantly hunched over. This may prove to be an entirely personal distaste; but it was enough to prevent me from being able to immerse myself as the protagonist. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3052839482 - Most of the game is in the form of customers arriving in the store and describing an event in their lives in order to bring out a certain emotion, which Twyla, as a [i]conduit[/i], can then draw out and enchant jewellery she makes for them with it – this then leads to brief mini-games (which are more like little observation tests which you can get wrong without fear of any punishment) which fit the design very well. - The in-store and jewellery making presentation are both very reminiscent in style of the game [b]Coffee Talk[/b]. If you liked that, you'll probably like this, too. Outside of the store (the primary location), there is weather (always raining, some storm effects), and regular pedestrian and vehicular traffic going by. This brings the scene to life. - During customer tales we get to visit other, differently styled locations which add a large dose of bright and vibrant colours. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3052838701 - In between customer visits, Twyla and Lao get to chat in her rest room and this sees the graphic presentation get another twist, as the characters appear within the backdrop, interacting with it, and still with multiple poses. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3052841071 - There is voice acting present of all reactive expressions, eg. “Mhm, Ooh, Ah!” and so on, but not of any actual dialogue. - Sound effects, where used, are good. - The game is split into (large) chapters, and autosaves periodically within each one. There is a chapter replay function. - The narrative features a number of unique terms, for which there is a full glossary. However, by hovering over any words which require explanation, this is then presented within the game screen in tooltip form, so that you don't have to leave your position to check it out. - It is still worth going into the glossary section for a look, as there are also pen-pictures of all of the characters to be found there. - There is a history log which is possibly the quickest and most efficient to go in and out of that I've ever come across. A quick press of the tab key brings up the most recent dialogue, and a second press removes it and returns directly to where you left off. [h1]Negatives[/h1] - It's what is missing from the game which lets the side down somewhat. There is no gallery, but there are plenty of CGs and locations which do stand admiring separately to their appearance within the story. - Text speed choice is limited to slow/default/fast. Not instant. Which means you will often be waiting for a caption to complete printing – unless you press space or the mouse button to hurry it along – and then of course it will turn out to be a brief caption and you'll nudge it on to the next one unintentionally. I did this countless times. Just as well that the history log is so good. - There is no back step – so forget those ideas of making a choice, and then nipping back to see how an alternative one would have played out. - And no, you can't use the manual save function to do that either, because there isn't one. The single slot, fixed progress points autosave is your lot. - Perhaps most frustrating of all, there is NO skip function! Whilst you can replay a chapter, they are all quite long, so if you find yourself replaying to check out an alternative or find a missing achievement, be prepared for an awful lot of frustrated space bar bashing. [h1]Experience and verdict[/h1] The story here obviously has an underlying focus upon mental health, how we can be affected by different emotional states, and dares to touch upon possible methods for handling them. If this all sounds very serious or too negative for your tastes, hold on there. This isn't all about preaching awareness or sending you into a spiral of doom and gloom or even keeping you up all night thinking about it. Yes, the latter is certainly an option [u]if you choose to take it that way[/u]. But I want to also highlight the other side to this game. I do not “do” miserable, dark, gloomy or depressive subjects in my games. I'm just not interested. There is more than enough of that in real life, so I don't want it in my entertainment, too. If you've read the reviews posted before this one, you would be fully entitled to think of this as only a deep and thought-provoking narrative with little else to offer, and you'd be wrong. I would like to state categorically that [b]this game can also be enjoyed as a very well written visual novel with an engaging story attached, without having a subsequent ongoing impact on your own state of mind.[/b] The way the game has been designed strongly leads me to suspect that it is intended as a single play through experience with a fixed conclusion, and as such, the negatives I've highlighted aren't going to cause much of an issue, and the reward is worth the time investment. I'm amazed to find the longest play time of reviews pre-dating this one is only 7 hours, there is a lot of material within and it took me 11.7 hours to complete a full run, with no idle time. You do get value for money. The story is quite slow paced throughout, following Twyla's development as she discovers and learns to master her newly unveiled enchanting skill whilst battling to come to terms with the loss of her mother; but is kept interesting by all the other characters' side stories (again, think [i]Coffee Talk[/i] with a more serious mindset.) As such, I think it is better suited to a series of smaller play sessions rather than one or two long ones – which was perfect for my own availability, and which probably makes it easier to read solely as a piece of quality fiction. It would be a shame if a work of this standard continued to remain under the radar of VN fans. It's well worth a look. [quote] Please follow our curator page, [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/4680120/]Otome Lovers[/url], if you'd like to see more reviews like this one! [/quote]

This game was less of a romance and more of an expression of going through the grieving process. I recommend it, but make sure you're in the right head space.

Only Just Started Playing it But I Am Really Enjoying the Deep Storyline Miles Ahead of Most Visual Novels. Really Good Game.

Every Hue of You is a very interesting game. It's a visual novel where emotions can take physical form, and it explores different societies' (and people's) ways of dealing with this phenomenon. I learned about psychology and philosophy alongside enjoying the characters' interactions. The presentation (in terms of the art and music, but also the crafting and enchanting) was really pleasant. That said, some of the characters and conceits didn't quite work from me. Story spoilers: [spoiler]I wasn't sure how happy I was with the focus on stoicism. I'm glad to have learned more about it, and that Twyla's change occurred over time and using different tools, but given how often emotions are framed as a weakness in many societies, I felt like I wanted to explore other avenues/tools in a bit more detail. There were also some concerning things that I'm glad were tackled in the game, but I felt should have happened sooner, such as enchanting jewellery for someone who wasn't there/without their consent. Also, and this is more of a personal thing, but given Monovi's questioning of the default life path, I would have enjoyed seeing more queerness on screen (beyond passing comments). I really thought Odella's student was struggling with their gender identity, hence the difficulties acting in this new play![/spoiler] I want to see more games like this, whether I agree with every character/story/theme or not. I can tell they want to make the world a better place (and if you needed more proof, they donate some of the game's revenue to charity).

[h1]A well-written story about processing grief.[/h1] The game is a short (for a VN) philosophical visual novel where you help various characters through their current hardships. Every experience helps Twyla (the MC) piece together how she can process her grief. It has made me (and many other players/reviewers) think a lot, as many of those stories touched various spheres of my own life. That has made me uncomfortable at times, but I am grateful to have been prompted and guided to reflect on those things. [h2]My highlights:[/h2] - The art is beautiful; - It is very well-written, with every character having their own touching stories and relationships. The game even has a glossary explaining the various terms (some in-universe, some being real); - Sound design: Every character has their own music variation, and I love the writing sound (very soothing); - The lore is engrossing. In the game, emotions are associated with elements, and they can even lead to natural phenomena/disasters. This is kind of the core of the story, as there are now stigmas associated with being too emotional, and it has even lead to people repressing their emotions, but it is all deeply tied to the next point; - Philosophical: The game'll hopefully make you think, but you do need to be in the right headspace. The next paragraphs of this review are more for my future self for when I revisit this review, but feel free to read. The stories and philosophy are all intertwined with the main story that teaches Twyla how things themselves aren't good or bad, only our judgement of them have moral value. This can help lead to a morally virtuous life. This, among other lessons, helps her make more rational decisions. - How too much acceptance can lead to complacency (not necessarily bad in itself), but not enough to denial, - How the unexamined life can lead to happiness, but also to not being true to oneself, vs the overexamined life, which can lead to decision paralysis - How you can turn negative situations via the Wand of Hermes experiment into a positive experience/lesson. The game has helped me. I do want to practice many of these philosophies more. Try to lead a more examined, virtuous and intentional life, and I will definitely revisit this game. Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of them. - Epictetus

It's cute. The uplifting message when facing struggles is kinda what I needed right now.

This is not a cozy thoughtless visual novel! Prepare to face philosophy, emotions and societal norms. There's a lot of talking and interesting exposition and exploration of experiences and emotions, and each session I've played so far has been really interesting. The minigames are engaging too! A pretty and expressive game, thank you devs <3