Nonorelia

I've played nonogram games for years now and I find this game accessible for newcomers and challenging for experienced players alike. I've played the currently available campaign multiple times to articulate a thorough review. The TLDR is that the story is interesting so far, the nonograms are unique and fun, there's difficulty selection and optional hints, and there's a lot of quality of life functions that make the unique shapes of the puzzles very manageable. I think it's a quality game worth giving a try with only a few minor things holding it back. In the state I played it, there isn't an awful lot of story content so my perspective is limited in that regard. Nonogram wise, I'm having a blast and there's a ton of nonogram content in the game. (The level detail is mostly for the devs but feel free to read to compare to your own experience with the game. I don't have any story spoilers, just brief mentions of characters for clarity's sake.) First, the visual novel elements: - There's full voice acting, which I thought was pretty good. I didn't find myself getting taken out of it by any of the voices and I could sit back and enjoy the story. - The drawback was that the audio balance was all over the place. The announcements and sound effects were extremely loud while the other voices were very quiet (except for the daughters who were probably the best balanced, if a bit loud as well at times). I tried to mess around in the settings but even with voices maxed out, it didn't make much of a dent. - You also can't adjust the settings in-game and have to go to the menu. It's easy to do, but it feels a bit clunky if you're trying to do small increments. - Other than that, I was impressed by the quality of the sound. The visuals were very polished and there were great cut scenes. - The choices haven't felt too significant just yet, but they do actually effect your stats and change the way other characters interact with you. - Speaking of stats, I can infer them based on the icons, but I think a quick explanation of what they are would be helpful. I really can't describe them because I don't know exactly what they're for, but I think it effects how other characters talk to you. - I also wanted to mention that the radio section was extremely quiet so I couldn't tell what they were talking about. There was no subtitling for them, which can be an accessibility issue for some. They actually had important context for the story so I was surprised when I adjusted the volume and found out I missed some story. As for the nonogram sections, I am naturally biased as an enthusiast and had a blast with it: - I enjoyed the unique shape and size of the puzzles. I thought it would feel clunky, but the zooming was very intuitive (it displays the numbers even when you're zoomed in)! I was a big fan. - I went back to replay so many times because I was curious if the difficulty selection was actually noticeable, and good news; it has a little something for everyone. The story mode was a breeze, the normal mode was a good experience even with my experience level, and expert was a great challenge. - I appreciated that the tutorial was optional. That being said, I can't comment on the quality of it so I'll leave that to the learners to comment on. - If you're intimidated by the complexity, I wouldn't worry. The story mode wasn't baby mode or anything, but I thought it was reasonably simple for beginners. - I put more emphasis on the easy mode because I think the store page speaks for itself on the challenge this game is capable of. I was enjoying myself the whole time in all the difficulties. Expert certainly lived up to the name, but it wasn't incomprehensible. Daunting at times, perhaps, but it was fun to whittle away at the bigger puzzles. With multiple play-throughs, certain flaws stuck out to me though. I also experienced a major bug: - The black squares as Xs didn't contrast very well against the gray, so it was hard to tell where I left a mark sometimes. - The asmr mode squares had a disorienting texture that made my eyes dizzy when I was trying to count and move around. - It was hard to tell how many squares were in the especially long rows. There are the standard markers in increments of 5, but that only goes so far when there's 40 squares or the like. I wish there was a better indicator of the size of the rows and columns once it gets over 15 at least. - I get into the nonogram flow, so it was hard for me to pay attention to dialogue while I was doing puzzles. My friend watching me said it wasn't that important, but the banter was entertaining so I wished I could click through it at my own pace. Still, it was minor stuff so it wasn't a big deal to miss any of it. - I encountered a bug during my expert mode experience where I literally couldn't progress after completing the puzzle. The daughter commented that the radio was funny and then the dialogue was stuck. I tried to exit and return but it just wouldn't get through that dialogue no matter what I did. I think something about hitting restart caused it to get confused? So, I'll say restarting a nonogram during dialogue can cause the game to not progress after the point you restarted. Now some quick comments about the other modes: - I'm not an asmr fan so I don't have much to say about it. My friend who was with me wasn't overly impressed by it so I think it's definitely taste-dependent. Didn't seem bad, though. - Portrait mode is fun but challenging; not for inexperienced players, certainly. I think there should probably be more content for learners to play with, but since I can't imagine they're the target audience anyway, it's just a minor suggestion. - I wish there were more tile options. I like the contrast traditional Xs give, but just being able to pick between more palettes cold be helpful, especially anyone with color blindness or sensory difficulties. Anyway, that's my impression of the game. Fun, accessible, user-friendly, but it's got some room for improvement. I look forward to future updates! For now, I'll keep playing because I'm having a good time. Just wanted to get a review out there for a game I'm loving!

Let me first talk about some of the places I like: [olist] [*] Even though there were a lot of shortcomings that I couldn't ignore, I still enjoyed the story. [*] Character Voice is not bad. Although I found Angelons a bit noisy at first, I quickly began to like them as the story progressed. They looked so pathetic when Noah scolded them. Noah has some pretty ruthless-looking options, but I think it's funny lol [*] The background music is good. I like it. [*] I chose "Story Mode." The puzzle part is not too difficult; I enjoy the sense of accomplishment. [/olist] Some shortcomings : [olist] [*] Improving resolution/PPI and aspect ratio adaptation issues is strongly recommended. My investment in the story was often interrupted by these two issues, especially the characters' inability to maintain normal proportions and the grainy graphics. [*] It would be nice if the UI design, buttons, font/text colors, layout design, etc., could be improved. It doesn't affect the playability. However, many players are also very concerned with the visual experience. [*] When canceling full-screen mode, some options in "Option" will be collapsed and invisible. Maybe consider scrolling on overflow or a horizontal layout? [*] It would be nice if players could adjust the speed at which characters speak. I would also recommend turning off autoplay by default for all occasions. [/olist] The story, music, puzzles are all good. The resolution issue will make me rethink whether the price is worth it, because it's essential. But I think this might be something that can be fixed. This is why I still recommend this game. But again, this is why UI design and screen resolution are important, because these will affect the appeal of a game to players. As a game, every aspect is important.

This game was my introduction to nonogram puzzles and I must admit it has has given me a puzzle bug.. I fear that 'more cowbell' is not the cure to this fever ,...its Chandler. Game on lower levels have puzzles that are challenging but do-able. I had a lot of trouble solving puzzles on the highest level, not a game problem parse , just evidence that my brain doesn't flex that way. On the whole the story is a little slow to start and I swear i've seen that android cutie on Okinawa somewhere? Love the voice acting. Biggest issue is i bought a game that leaves you on a cliffhanger with incomplete chapters that i paid for. Americans hate to wait, but that is what early access gets you. Overall, an enjoyable experience 8/10

Nonorelia has an intersting story and very likable characters in my opinion. The puzzles are fun and the abilities that characters give to solve them are amazing. Cant wait to see how the story progresses from here!

Let me tell you - I have never played a nonogram game in my life. However, this game (after a minute or two) was really fun to play and friendly for beginners like me! The environment is catchy and the characters are interesting. This isn't the kind of game I'd play everyday, but it's good for training the brain when I'm chilling.