The Crimson Maid

I've been waiting for this game since the announcement. It is more of a walking simulator with VN elements. It started a bit rocky, the writing wasn't the best, the characters acted like they were teenagers, but after the 8th chapter, things started to get better. You play as Marius, a priest in training who left his family on bad terms. Upon receiving a letter from his mother about the sudden illness of his father, Marius had to return home, even when he knew how his family still hated him for the choice he made of leaving and becoming a priest. Being a member of a well-known noble family and with his father's successful glass factory, Marius is wealthy, and they had a new maid whom he fell in love with at first sight. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3766950186 I loved the artwork; just like the developer's previous games, it has beautiful details and an eerie atmosphere. The journal looked good too, although the artwork seems to be AI-generated, as it is inconsistent; the characters' appearances keep changing across the portraits and the journal image. There are a couple of puzzles, two of which seem complicated, while there are no hints or skip options. One of the puzzles can be solved by asking the girl to do it herself. Aside from that, you can find eight ceramic tiles scattered around, solving them will help you to have an alternative ending for one of the characters. You can also collect photos from the rooms, and they will be added to your journal. There is a checklist you can access by pressing ESC that tracks your progress. To view the objectives list, press Q. I didn't enjoy the soundtracks, maybe a couple of them, but most of them sounded bad. I also disliked the romance so much; the girl isn't likeable at all, even after the explanation and her backstory. I still don't like her and want her off my screen. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3766951573 There is a nudity censor mode that blurs the bodies. There were only a couple of scenes in my case since I didn't pursue the romance. I don't know if there will be any NSFW scenes. There are many choices. The game is full of dialogue and partially voiced; only the cutscenes' narrative is voiced, the rest is not, which sometimes made me space out and not know exactly who is speaking, since the main characters' dialogue is only in gold font while the other characters' names appear above their dialogue. I found this confusing at times, especially with the long, boring conversations between the MC and the girl. And above that, there is no conversation history; if you miss something, you have to rely on the journal or your memory. The choices do matter only in the last couple of chapters, those which determine what ending you'll have; the beginning of the game was linear. All you had to do was walk around, reminisce about your childhood, check portraits, inspect items, and converse with your family. The whole game is between the manor, the courtyard, the graveyard, and the old house. You'll not explore anything outside. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3766950802 Pros: +Beautiful sceneries and artwork. +OK story with a twist. +OK character design. +OK voice-overs (Partially voiced, only a narrator during cutscenes) +Collectables. (12 family Photos, 8 ceramic puzzles, 5 feeding a bird) +Good journal. +Puzzles (a couple of challenging ones) +Multiple endings. +Chapter select after beating the game. +Steam achievements. Cons: -No hinting system. -Bad soundtracks. -Writing was rocky at the beginning, but the game gets better after chapter 8. -No conversation history. The logo of the game is beautiful, as well as the logos of each chapter. While the game has its flaws, it is still not bad; it got better once the romance haze wore off and suspense took over. [I]Other Reviews: [url=https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198071375554/recommended/2140900/]The Unluckiest Man Review[/url] [url=https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198071375554/recommended/2584260]What have you done, Father? Review[/url] [/i] [quote]𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤𝑠 𝑐𝘩𝑒𝑐𝑘 𝑚𝑦 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝑝𝑎𝑔𝑒 [url=http://store.steampowered.com/curator/32399565/]𝐹𝑒𝑒𝑛𝑎'𝑠 𝐶𝘩𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒[/url][/quote] [quote][url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32732116-IndieGems/] Follow [b]IndieGems[/b] [/url] for more reviews like this one. [/quote]

Finished my first playthrough of this delightful game and found it even more exciting, than expected. Not only we have a more dark romance here, by a twist in an event, we learn more about our father's past, which will influence our next steps or not, that is upon us, to decide. According to the dev, there are four endings, I achieved one, and I think, it could be the best - for me, as I wanted to reach a happy ending. When you like mysteries and romance, a good story, puzzles ... it is a must! Highly recommended, don't miss this game

graphics aren't perfect but they complemented by an intriguing storyline and plenty of interactions with objects. Interestingly, game doesn't let you relax... there's no sense of coziness. I love exploring a lot, so I'm happy with it, but some people might find it boring!! romance storyline is boring, and the events unfold in a strange way. But that doesn't spoil the experience at all I just choose to overlook it. I keep exploring and looking around... this house is so huge, and there are so many retro items in it. Hats off to the artists! I might want to improve the soundtrack, but not by much. It’s something I can live with. There are sound settings, so I managed just fine. Puzzles and investigating a gruesome murder - that’s why I’m here!!!!! THIS IS TOP-NOTCH! I had fun, even though I’ve had better experiences with other games. It’s definitely not “Sherlock Holmes,” but it’s still a solid game. "The Crimson Maid" is definitely a great fit for this festival! My rating: 7/10

☑ Recommended ☐ Not recommended ☐ Irina made me choose this option ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ STORY ☐ What story? ☐ Background decoration ☐ Serviceable ☑ Intriguing family drama ☐ Changed my entire worldview ATMOSPHERE ☐ Bright and cheerful ☐ Mostly harmless ☐ Mildly unsettling ☑ Beautiful mansion full of terrible vibes ☐ I am never entering an old house again CHARACTERS ☐ Forgettable ☐ Normal, trustworthy people ☐ Slightly suspicious ☑ Everyone is hiding something ☑ The maid is definitely not making things simpler GAMEPLAY ☐ Non-stop action ☐ Challenging puzzles ☑ Exploration, conversations and light puzzles ☐ Door-opening simulator ☐ Professional document-rummaging simulator ROMANCE ☐ None ☐ Sweet and uncomplicated ☐ Questionable ☑ A spectacular threat to good decision-making ☐ My clerical vows never stood a chance MYSTERY ☐ Solved immediately ☐ Fairly predictable ☑ Kept me curious ☑ Every discovered letter created three new questions ☐ I now suspect my own family FINAL VERDICT ☐ Came for the maid ☐ Stayed for the murder mystery ☑ Came for the maid, stayed for the murder mystery ☐ Left the mansion emotionally unharmed A wonderfully atmospheric mixture of period drama, family secrets, romance and mystery. The exploration is relaxed, the puzzles are light, and the real danger is convincing yourself that one more suspicious conversation cannot possibly make the situation worse. It can. 10/10 — I ignored every warning sign because the warning signs were beautifully dressed.

In a time when so many games focus on endless action and recycled mechanics, The Crimson Maid reminded me why I fell in love with story-driven games in the first place. What immediately caught my attention was the main character, who gave me serious Colin Firth vibes, elegant, charismatic, and perfectly suited to the game's atmosphere. It might sound like a small detail, but it added a lot to the overall experience for me. What I appreciated most is that this game has something genuine to say. Not every moment is perfectly placed or polished to absolute perfection, but that's part of its charm. It feels authentic. You can tell the developers wanted to tell a meaningful story rather than simply follow industry trends. Games with heart and a strong narrative are becoming increasingly rare these days, and The Crimson Maid delivers exactly that. The atmosphere, the mystery, and the emotional undertones kept me invested throughout the experience. On top of that, it's a high-quality Romanian production, and I'm genuinely happy to see local developers creating something this ambitious and memorable. Projects like this deserve support. If you're looking for a game that values storytelling and atmosphere over flashy gimmicks, I can wholeheartedly recommend The Crimson Maid.

A sexy, strange gothic romance that deserves a bigger sequel I really enjoyed The Crimson Maid for what it was. It felt less like a traditional game and more like an interactive gothic romance novel, which worked surprisingly well for me. The writing was easily the strongest part. There were enough twists, red herrings and strange character moments that I genuinely could not predict where the story was going, and it was clear that uncertainty was intentional. The game keeps you questioning people’s motives without becoming completely confusing. I also appreciated how sexy it was without becoming overly explicit or sleazy like some adult-focused games on Steam. The attraction, tension and mystery did more of the work than graphic content, and that gave the story a much better balance. I apparently stumbled into some of the rarest romantic choices and achievements on my first playthrough, including a character confessing their love, so maybe I was especially suited for this game. I do wish the developers had leaned even harder into the relationships and romance, though. The emotional material was interesting enough that I wanted more conversations, more development and more time with the characters. The environments look excellent and create a strong atmosphere. The character models are only OK by comparison, and the limited animations make some scenes feel more static than they should. Voice acting, more animations and a little more traditional gameplay would have elevated the experience significantly. You can definitely feel the limitations of the technology, budget and scope, but the concept and writing are strong enough to push past them. This could honestly make a great short series. Sexy, mysterious, gothic and just weird enough to be memorable. I would love to see this game succeed and give the developers the opportunity to make something larger and more ambitious. I loved it for what it was, even while seeing how much more it could become. I would def recommend a playthrough. It took me about 3 hours but I read fast. I got 95% of the way there on a certain puzzle before giving up.

Приятная графика, слегка высоковатая цена на мой взгляд, НО по скольку играл не я , а подруга( для которой было и взято) , то процитирую её слова: "Слегка мыльное кинцо, читала я и по слезливее и интереснее , но сойдёт для ИИчной игры". Добавить мне не чего))) Пс: а ещё её огорчило отсутствие (хоть какое-то) русской локализации.

一款风景很优美的步行模拟器，各角色塑造很好爱恨交织的故事很有吸引力，美中不足是说话没有配音只能干巴巴地选对话有点枯燥。

It’s not scary or intriguing, but it’s definitely not boring! + Lots of mysteries ----- I loveeeeeee that. Notes here and there, talking to the residents and staff! Wow! ++ I really enjoyed the aesthetic of this mansion- But the plot unfolds too slowly ^-^ I’d like a more dynamic storyline This might be one of the games I’ve been waiting for the most personally

Certainly more than I could expect from a visual novel like this. Some controversial elements in writing did not eventually spoil the overall [spoiler]Dark Fantasy[/spoiler] story, with its wonderful twists and profound, dulcet literary language. In a way that only downside of it was the lack of more, and the lack of options in dialogs. So if you're into storytelling games, and you liked the steam page at first glance, you will like the game as well. It was one of my most sudden purchases (I was horny), and I do not regret buying it, just like Marius did not regret (you'll know what). Ahem... By the way, I would also really love to see the game in russian and spanish someday. P.S. Performance was perfectly fine for what most can expect from ue5, quad hd with max settings and fsr4 out of the box, it felt nice and smooth playing it.