The Solitary Existence of a Little Universe

Played until the inconsistent art made me realize it was made with IA. Also, the Italian translation is clearly made with a bad machine translator. If you need AI to make your game, DO NOT MAKE YOUR GAME.

The aesthetic was the first thing that lured me into this melancholic little universe. It reminds me of the layout in Critters for Sale, though both games clearly draw inspiration from old-school point-and-click novels. That 4:3 aspect ratio, combined with character portraits and macabre imagery, gives the game a certain "je n'sais quoi" that perfectly complements its overall atmosphere. This isn’t your typical visual novel where you’re expected to sink tens of hours. It’s a short experience, but a compelling one. While the world might feel empty at first, the story gradually unfolds the mystery of what happened. Its a dead world clearly once teemed with life. The inclusion of puzzles and specific interaction chains makes it more engaging than a standard visual novel, encouraging you to actually explore different routes and dialogue options. Now for the elephant in the room. Author probably took an inspiration from my favorite anime movie "Tenshi no Tamago". While the resemblance is striking, there is also a certain disclaimer on the Steam page. Personally, I’m willing to be forgiving here since the game is free. I cannot imagine how much for a single developer's study project that he did in his free time might cost to afford somebody even resembling the artstyle. Especially considering they already had to pay the fee just to get it on Steam. Unfortunatelly, it's really visible the inconsistency and fragments (like six fingers) in the CGs. It’s a bit sad and definitely controversial, but that’s the reality of the current landscape we live in. If this were a paid title, I’m sure the dev would be hated into oblivion. (And still, there are people paying for AI Generated art/games anyway ;)) Nevertheless, the developer managed to capture a specific vibe and aesthetic that you just don't see very often. For what it is, it’s very decent. And it's free!