Night and Day

Paris, France – 1950 A young artist moves from the country to the City of Light, full of hope to become a famous artist. He quickly learns that talent alone will not be enough to accomplish his dream in a city full of competition. [u]Information[/u] • Gameplay involves stat raising. There are also mini-games, but they aren’t important, so if you don’t want to play them, you don’t have to. • 4 male romance options, each with a good and bad ending. • Sexual content (yaoi only) can be censored in menu options. [u]Praises[/u] • Acknowledges France’s unjust colonization of Haiti and treatment of Haitians in France. • Acknowledges France’s unjust treatment of Romani people. • Criticisms of French colonization of “Indochina.” • Anti-capitalism remarks. • Romance scenes are cute. • Sex scenes are thrilling. • Lovely background art. Nice CGs. Cute chibi art. [u]Complaints[/u] • While OpenDyslexic font is available, they failed to adjust the size to fit the text windows. I’ve seen this same mistake done by other devs, because the font is wider/bulkier. • The stats screen’s bars are [i]way[/i] too small. I have to squint my eyes so hard to count how many points there are in a stat. • Several typos. • “Extras” is an image gallery, but a “return” button is in the way of a full view of the image. The H key doesn’t hide it. (So, if you take screenshots, like I do, and you don’t want an ugly “return” button on the image, press H during the story and take it then.) • The age gap between the protagonist and Emile is icky; Emile is 36 years old and Paul (the protagonist) is 18 years old. An 18-year-old is absolutely still a kid in that it isn’t like someone magically transforms into an adult on their 18th birthday. An 18-year-old still lacks experience and wisdom, which makes them naive and vulnerable. No mentally healthy 30-year-old (or older) would want to be with a kid. • While talking to Emile, if both a date prompt and training prompt comes up, the game gets “stuck.” The choices overlap and glitchy stuff happens. • (Sexual content spoilers) Inaccurate BDSM play. [spoiler]The CGs showing Paul strangling Bernard is inaccurate for BDSM play. Paul’s thumbs are over the front of the throat. To safely choke someone during sex, the thumbs are supposed to be placed over the sides of the neck to stimulate ([i]not cut off[/i]) the carotid artery. Putting pressure on the front of the throat is dangerous and can seriously hurt someone. I advise the devs to do more research on BDSM in the future and, if possible, correct the CGs.[/spoiler] • During Bernard’s route, after the sex scene mentioned above, no location on the map was clickable the next day. I had to start over because I have a habit of saving at the start of new days. I tried restarting the game; didn’t work. This occurred on March 23rd in-game (the next day - unclickable day - being the 24th). Don’t know if that’s relevant to the devs, but that’s all the info I got. This issue didn’t occur the second time I did his route. • During Gilles’s route, after talking with Emile about having dinner with Bernard, the text goes from “Enough work for today” to a random text about Paul visiting Bernard. It takes up the evening as though Paul visited Bernard. This occurred in the afternoon on March 27th in-game. • While following the guide provided by the dev, I couldn’t finish Gilles’s route because it just randomly stopped giving the option to visit him. It doesn’t even lead to his bad ending or anything. Even weirder, it began talking about something related to Ferdindand’s route, which I hadn’t played yet. Then, eventually gave the message, “Test, a ver dónde leches está el error.” Given the long list of complaints and technical errors, I think it’s rather obvious why I’m marking this as a negative review. It’s a promising slice-of-life yaoi romance VN, but it needs a lot more work and should’ve been more thoroughly tested before being released. I guess my recommendation is that if you’re interested in this VN, follow the game’s page and wait for patches. [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]

[I] Night and Day [/i] could be such a great, relaxing yaoi \o/ visual novel if it weren't stat-raising (｀□′)╯┴┴ I was so frustrated I promised myself it's gonna be my last stat-raising game ever. Sorry, but I just can't recommend it after all my suffering T_T Plus, it's still buggy. I've wasted so much precious time but still couldn't finish the game:( The collection of bugs I came across is immense. --quite often I was just stuck. Like in the last route, I followed diligently the guide, it was so slow and tedious, I'm 100% sure I did everything the way I was supposed to do but... stuck:( no option on the map was clickable(( https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2968856699 --mini-games ⋋_⋌ I always disliked them in the stories, though here I admit some of them were fun, but there was one in all my countless attempts I just couldn't win T_T That's always such a blow on my self-esteem :( I hate it when games make me feel this way. I play to relax, not to feel enraged:( btw there're options just to skip minigames BUT they give points, that damn 'confidence', for example, which I truly lacked after those games(( --several times one route just switched into the other one. Like, for example, I got the good ending with one char and immediately began dating the other, mmm my naughty MC xD Sometimes I had the scenes from the two routes simultaneously. I always loved poly routes and here I kinda got this unique opportunity buut it felt like cheating:( --"Testing label: something seems to have gone wrong"once appeared, smth went wrong too often and in so many different ways :( --”An exception has occurred.” --sometimes some chars moved suddenly behind the backs of the other characters, so I had double chars to interact:) --skipping of the read text didn't work after I've read LOTS of text in those bugged parts, so I had to reread again and again the same story:( --stats:( were annoying(( it's not like I need 10 points, for example, naaahhhhh there were dozenS of them, shown with tiny lines, I had to count all the time if I have enough and there were toooooo many different stats to raise. I had to replay so many times because I just failed to get the necessary points:( --once the calendar just didn't stop at the supposed week, there were MONTHS of the same routine choices( I thought I was going crazy in that eternal circle of samsara:( --to follow the guide I had to check the calender all the time, and it's not very convenient(( Plus, I still don't understand what is meant by weeks in the guide:( When do they even start?! On Monday, like in my country? On Sunday, like in some foreign countries? On the day MC comes to Paris(Thursday)? On the day I actually have to choose smth(Friday)? The guide says 'First week' and?! T_T Too confusing:(( --sometimes backgrounds didn't match the conversation( --once I played one route, switched to another, had the same option I've had in the very playthrough, then returned to the current state. I felt like a time traveler skipping though dif time periods, having affair with dif chars at the same time:( --screenshots have to be done in the very game, not from the gallery because of the 'return' button:( --I wish chibi CGs were in the gallery as well, they are so cute, plus the real photos are a great feature, I'd like to gaze at them there. --not enough save slots T_T I had to rewrite them so often( Once I had to start the game again because I just couldn't find my latest save T_T there's no indicator for it, or a date when the save was made:( plus, quite often it's the same identical map:( --typos --the text in the letters sometimes outside the limits( --the dyslexic font was big enough to fit the text box, though the normal one was convenient too. Btw it took me soooo much time to finish the game, perhaps some issues were already fixed xD https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2991106132 Anyway, despite being annoyed to no end I managed to enjoy the game at some moments: +art is pretty as usual in Ertal Games, chibi images were adorable; +MC is an artist, so it was both entertaining and kinda educational to read and watch about art. I felt an urge to visit picture galleries reading this novel. +nsfw scenes are nnnice, made some juicy private screenshots; +achievements. It felt rewarding to finally achieve the goal after all the struggle. +official guide buut it didn't help me. I couldn't get two bad endings :( And the only hint there was to fail...for example, to organize literary meetings. Yeah, awesome BUT the question remains HOW?! In one route there were two choices, it was obvious which one led to happy or bad ending. That was easy but in other routes:(( +the story IS fun. It could be relaxing and lighthearted, or in some routes it depicted some significant sensitive topics. +all love options were versatile in appearance and character, all of them were fun to date +it's yaoi \0/ I can't believe I'm writing a negative review for such kind of game(((( I'd never have thought such a day would come T_T I'm very sorry but I just can't recommend the game in this state. [table] [tr] [th]More thoughts about the game in a [url=https://steamcommunity.com/groups/readingnook/discussions/0/3725071443035111266/] Reading Nook [/url][/th] [/tr] [/table]

I only finished Emile's route at the moment but I can say that the game is worth it: The art is really cute and the characters are so charming that it's kinda hard to choose one at first. Story-wise the plot is quite straightforward but engaging at the same time: you end up rooting for the MC's success pretty easily. The only downside you should take into account: the game has only been released a few days ago there are some issues at the moment, but the devs are working on those so they should be solved pretty soon. I definitely recommend this game!!!

I really wanted to like this game as I've been following development since last year. Game release was postponed due to developer needing more time to code which is understandable. After I bought it, I got a game crashing error - contacted developer to let them know and was told that would be fixed in about 4 days. It didn't happen. I now read from the community that developer is still coding another week in the game and that's why error keeps popping up. If this was an early access game, I could understand - but it was sold as a full game. I unfortunately had to ask for refund (almost didn't get it as it took over 2 hours to get to error). I understand that bugs might occur, but lack of transparency should not be accepted . It's a pity, the art does look good so kudos for that.

I supported this game on Kickstarter and played a NSFW version on itch.io and I also decided to buy it on Steam so I can leave a positive review: Night & Day sure as hell deserves it! [h2]Things I loved:[/h2] 1. The sprites! They are SOOO gorgeous! I love Marimo's art so much, the wonderful painting style is such a pleasure to look at. All the different expressions are so varied and beautifully done! I was playing and just couldn't stop from taking screenshots of them! 10/10 2. The music! Loved that soothing and pleasant vibe. There's innocence to it, which was unique and uplifting. Huge highlight of my gaming experience. Sometimes I would leave the game running and do other stuff...while listening to the tracks on repeat... 3. The writing of relationships and characters. I'm picky with my BL VNs, really picky. I get bored so easily. The relationship development felt truly believable in Night & Day (So far I only played Bernard's route and Emile's). I enjoyed seeing how things progressed and how the romance slowly flourished with these guys. The dialogue was interesting enough to keep my interest; I really wanted to see what happens next. I like realistic relationship writing, and authentic character speech where characters act their age (Emile was 36, and talked like a 36 yo - I appreciated that). 4. The backgrounds were pretty nice: particularly the flower shop which was drawn with love, river bank, and Natalie's living room. [h2]Things I didn't like as much:[/h2] 1. I'm not a fan of the stats raising personally, so to me it felt a bit tedious. However, it's still doable. You just need to make sure you follow the dev's stat raising guide to a T. (it's free on itch.io) 2. The interface design. I'm picky with my interfaces, but it didn't help with stat raising where you had to manually count bars (poking your computer screen with your fingers) to make sure you got enough "Charisma" or "Shading" to be able to properly romance Bernard XD (aka get in his pants). I know for most people it's not a big deal though. 3. The game had some bugs when I played it a few days after release. From what I know the dev has fixed them up since then. [h2]Bottom line[/h2] VN game dev is hard, good BL games in English are hard to come by. IMO this is one of the good ones! I'm glad it got made! If you think you wanna experience some sweet and believable romance with gorgeous sprites and soothing music - I definitely recommend it! There are NSFW scenes too, which are the icing on the cake of any romantic vn! <3

Provisional review, I'll edit it later when I'm fully done with the game: I don't have much experience with reading BL visual novels, but I must say I like what I've read on this one so far. The art is also quite pleasing and all the boys are so PRETTY. It shows the devs put a lot of love and effort in this game. The only downside I see so far is the bug I've found when trying to follow Bernard's route: I reached a point in where the game doesn't let me choose a place to go so I can't continue with the route! Literally tried clicking everywhere in the map and it doesn't let me choose any of the options available. I'll try to start again and follow another route to check if I find the same issue again.

I have fallen in love with this story. I am not one much for visual novels usually (I only came across them when looking for something else/getting into gaming just a few months ago) but was curious and tried the demo and found it intriguing. There is great care taken in all of the dynamics of advancing the character with skills but also earning money, socializing, etc. The historical context helps make the story especially rich. There is a lot more depth here than I initially expected, and I'm still meandering my way through seeing what comes of interacting with various characters. I also appreciate - especially now that I've gotten to a certain part that would probably be a bit of a spoiler - that there is a completely separate (more or less), rather internal and emotional story line the character follows writing letters to a dear friend. All in all, a very interesting story that I'm excited to get to explore further now that the full game has been released. EDIT: Now that I've played longer and have gotten a little farther in (it may show 7 hours now, but I was going slowly and had all of them up to 2/3 hearts), I'm afraid I'm running into a few of the issues others have mentioned. Not changing my recommendation - it's still a beautiful game, and I've now gotten clarification that the following error has to do with how much time is available to get to the endings. First and foremost, I've run into a bug where I'm stuck in a constant loop, only able to select one location, which then gives me an error in Spanish and takes me back to the map. If you see this: Stick to one guy, don't meander thinking you have all year. I've also noticed the translations getting more and more disjointed the more you progress, but that is a minor quibble for me, and I'm impressed with any small developer who can get a game in multiple languages regardless. What really made the game appear to be rushed/undertested in later phases was simultaneously following a dramatic storyline where two main characters have disappeared and may be in serious trouble and a different storyline where I visited the characters' house later the same day, and they were just fine and dandy. (Coming back to my review, I can see where this is probably a nonissue if you play it through as intended - sticking to one storyline/guy - but it would have been nice to know that ahead of time.) It's rough, I know they worked so hard on this and had to delay it a time or two, but after that it looks like there are still some gaps in some parts of the game. Still love the game and Ertal Games!

[url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/34294631/] Follow Far2close - Visual Novel Playthroughs Curator Page [/url] [b]Night and Day[/b] Developer: Ertal Games Publisher: Ertal Games [h1]Intro:[/h1] Having the dream to become a successful artist along with his village not possessing a strong sense of belonging for him, Paul takes the risk and travels to Paris find his place. As soon as he gets there, he is greeted by painters along the Seine River including Emile Girardon; a well renowned artist. After that he meets Nathalie and Denis, a flower shop owner and a musician whom are also Paul's flatmates. They are not love interests but the remaining ones who can be romanced are the Romani guitarist Gilles, Haitian bartender Ferdinand, and former model Bernard. [h1]Pros:[/h1] [b]1.[/b] The story is good and I totally understand Paul and the cast's frustrations. Paul wants to fulfill his dreams and find someone to love. Ferdinand wants a good life for his sister. Emile wants to be understood for who he is and not what he does. All the characters have their vulnerabilities and how they rotate their lives around it. [b]2.[/b] I also liked how since it takes place in the 1950's, it possesses some historical events like mistreatment of Romanis, post-WWII effects, and the Indochina War. I'm not saying I like these certain things, but I do approve how this story tries to fit itself into real world history. [b]3.[/b] The art is great from the lovely backgrounds to the characters. It's all bright and vibrant, doing a fine job in showing the beauties of Paris. The CG art is great too with a balance of both sexual and non-sexual. Artists are [url=https://twitter.com/Aliennnnia0012]Aielia Poot[/url], Ayra Isaac, marimo, [url=https://twitter.com/riiyaamaru]Pham Thai Chau[/url] and [url=https://twitter.com/saedee_]Saedee[/url]. [b]4.[/b] The music by [url=https://fricochet.carrd.co/]fricochet[/url] fits in well with the aesthetics of Paris along with the somber moments of the characters' issues. [h1]Cons:[/h1] [b]1.[/b] If the story is fine and the characters are fine, then what's wrong? It's all in the technicals on this one. JUST A DISCLAIMER, THIS REVIEW IS AFTER THINGS GOT FIXED. My first complaint is the stat building. It's fine the first couple of times but it get's horrendously tedious for further sessions. Checking stats is also horrendously tedious as they're tiny little bars and there's a large number of them. I thought the circle at the end of each trait was a zero and that the numbers are bugged. That is not the case here, it just fills in when you fully max out a trait. It'd be better if it displayed your trait's level in a numerical fashion than just a visual bar. [b]2.[/b] There is a key feature where you can give your love interest a gift or invite them out on a date. The problem is that this is a temporary pop up. If you miss it, you lose it. Of course you can backtrack or you can put in a save; but you can skip over it. That is one of the problems. Why is such an important choice prone to being skipped over? A good change for this would be to make it like a normal choice but in a way as [b](A: Give Gift/Go on Date)[/b] or [b](B: Don't Give Gift/Don't Ask for Date)[/b]. The other issue is that there is a lack of a default ending. I didn't get enough affection points for Emile and I went past April, so I just went on an endless loop. [b]3.[/b] Another problem is that there is a bug that you can't progress when viewing the Area Select screen. You simply can't select a place to go to. Some remedies were backtracking and choosing a different place on the prior day, some were going for an old save and maybe doing something different. It happens frequently and does get annoying. [b]4.[/b] There are still some misspellings and some grammar mistakes. [h1]Conclusion:[/h1] The story, characters, and art are good, but the heavy technical issues made me lose my desire to continue playing. [b]Score:[/b] 5/10 NOT RECOMMENDED

This game is broken AF. At some point you can't click anything anymore, and can't progress - WTF!!!! Great job devs.