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(Dropping by to say - thank you so much for bringing this to my attention! I confirmed that it was a bug - I didn’t take into account that choosing that option also locked off other options to increase Kalei’s points, so that one choice did indeed lock off Kalei’s ending! I’ve adjusted the balancing to take this into account! Thank you again, I can’t believe I never realized this 😅)

Oh I'm so glad that you enjoyed the game!!! Thank you for playing! 😊

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Hmm that's strange - I purposefully balanced the game so that while it's easier to get Geist's route, you definitely have some wiggle room getting Kalei's (i.e. no one choice determines your route) 🤔 Since I wouldn't punish players that much - healing journeys are never linear, after all (and I don't think that people have to be extroverted all the time either 😂 I'm certainly not!) For that choice in particular I think I weighted it relatively lightly because imo wanting to be alone after a stressful situation is a reasonable response! 

I'll do a playtest and see if I can recreate it - it might be a bug. Otherwise I hope that you had no problems getting both endings (there's a walkthrough available if you need it!) 

De momento, não há planos para uma tradução! Como tenho um orçamento limitado, os meus jogos só são traduzidos se alguém se oferecer gentilmente para o fazer. Estou neste momento a refazer este jogo; assim que a nova versão estiver pronta, se alguém se oferecer para traduzi-lo, então será traduzido! Caso contrário, não será traduzido — peço desculpa );

Oh I'm so happy that you're looking forward to it!!! 😆 

I'm terribly sorry but development will be delayed a bit 😥 I can't go into details or give a definite release date because I'm still in the middle of discussions, but tl;dr I'm looking into recruiting some collaborators to help polish up the final release. I really do love this game (and Morgan) so I want to make sure the final release is the best that I can make it! Unfortunately if it happens, the release will be delayed quite a bit from what I had initially planned... I hope that it's worth the wait! 🙇‍♀️

Once things are more finalized I'll make an announcement post about it! 💪 

Oh I will! I'll be remaking this game in Ren'py at some point, and I'll add Android and Web ports at that time. 

🤭 I wonder why? (It'll be revealed later!) 

Yes, I remade it in Ren'py (whereas the original was made in Godot)! I did this so that I could implement a new GUI, add translations, and port the game to Android/Web (and include all of the bells and whistles Ren'py has, like rollback). All of the art is the same (I didn't add or significantly change anything in that regard), but the new version should be a bit sleeker/more accessible to play! 

(Oh the game asks "Do you want to continue?" So click yes if you want to continue! Otherwise the game closes.)

I'm not sure yet! Once the game is finished if there are any volunteer translators interested in the project, then yes; unfortunately I can't afford paid translations for my projects at the moment 😅

ngl I think I might be lacking the media literacy because playing this game just made me really want to watch an enemies to lovers lesbian american sportsball show where the losers go to the shadow realm 

This was a beautiful game! I really loved the two tone aesthetic with the contrasting colors, and the composition of the illustrations was gorgeous. The worldbuilding was so mystical and complex, and the slightly eerie atmosphere throughout was mesmerizing; I really enjoyed how there's clearly quite a lot that happens before and after what you actually see in game, but the story still has a good conclusion that leaves off on a satisfying note. Fantastic work! 

Oh gosh, you made an account just to leave this comment; I'm very honored!! I do admit that your interpretation wasn't one that I intended, but it is fascinating...🙏 While I've heard others say that Geist is a comforting presence, this is the first time I've heard it articulated in this way (and I can definitely see it!) 🤔 Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience - I'm very much of the opinion that art isn't just a product of the creator, but instead a dialogue between the creator and the audience, so I really love hearing how people interpret the things that I make 😆 especially if they get an experience out of them that wasn't "intentional"! It's one of the main reasons why I make games and share them publicly, so thank you 🥰 I'm really glad that you enjoyed the game!!!  

Oh that's a good question 😂 🙏 

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I like to think that Kalei has something similar to Geist, but much less "concrete," since Kalei does struggle less with his own insecurities! So it wouldn't take the form of a person like Geist, but might take on the form of something like an animal 🤔 probably a cat 😂 🙏 

Thank you so much for playing!!! If you're interested, you can check out the postmortem for the game for a little more detail about my thought process while making it! As for your question:

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I mostly left Geist's identity up to player interpretation, since I didn't think that whether he is "real" or not significantly changes what I want people to get out of the story 😂 and I wanted to give people the freedom to interpret it how they wanted without being bogged down by some kind of "canon" answer! 

In my own headcanon, Geist is just a manifestation of the protagonist's mental problems - mostly because I think it would be a total bummer to have a gaslighting ghost hanging out for your entire life, third-wheeling when you just wanna hang out with your bf 😂 However, I also did give Geist a real "ghost backstory" that I detail in the postmortem - mostly because well, he has a romantic ending, and I didn't want to tell people "well that ending isn't real because Geist isn't real!!!" You can end up in a codependent relationship with the ghost if you want to!!! 😩🙏

tl;dr Feel free to interpret "Geist" how you want, there isn't a wrong answer! If you want my "author headcanon," Geist is indeed a manifestation of the protagonist's anxieties and doesn't exist in real life. 

It's a psychological visual novel! 🙏

(Thank you for giving me the opportunity to beta this MONSTER of a game!!!)

This is a game that is both beautiful and hard to play LOL it deals with some truly dark subject matter without shying away from the details, and the horror elements are definitely on full display. However, I do think it approaches the dark subject matter with a great deal of thoughtfulness, and overall the experience is cathartic, uplifting, and earned. 

The presentation of the visuals is truly incredible. Not only are there are an obscene amount of CGs, but the way that the visuals are presented is also very clever, particularly the horror imagery. I really liked how most of the game is presented in a fairly small frame, giving the game an almost claustrophobic quality - and making the instances where the visuals do break out of the frame uniquely jarring and unsettling. The use of stylization is stark and eye-catching, especially the variation in colors to represent different moods, and I also really appreciated the use of filters/effects - it made the game seemed so animated and also really contributed to the horrifying/unsettling atmosphere in certain parts of the game. The audio design is also very well done, ranging from earsplitting SFX to beautiful classical music LOL the entire experience is very cohesive in setting the stage during different parts of the story. 

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(I'll be replacing some words here just to avoid any flagging.) 

The portrayal of abs-u$e here is very messy, in a way that I think captures the nuances of these sorts of relationships well. At the start, Lazare is almost like a fairytale prince, bringing life back to the reclusive Jonas, who almost seems like the ghost himself. Their relationship truly has moments of wholesomeness and sweetness, and in some ways Lazare DOES change Jonas for the better and supports him through his trauma, which makes his manipulations all the harder to bear. Still, his toxicity is evident even before "everything goes down" - in the way that he subtly takes control, invades on Jonas' space without his permission, talks over him, and constantly insinuates that reading his dang book will fix Jonas' life. I'll talk about it only vaguely, but I thought that the instance where Lazare decides to get more "personal" with Jonas was a good representation of the red flags in their relationship (even putting aside the deliberately horrifying sound effects and imagery). Although Jonas does not explicitly reject anything, the act is initiated without his consent or engagement, and throughout he is confused, overwhelmed, and lacking control. It's a good portrayal of the danger of such stark power dynamics - in this case, because of Jonas' loneliness, mental vulnerability, and of course the age gap between the two parties - as Lazare is easily able to manipulate Jonas into doing what he wants, and trick him into thinking that it's what he truly desires. In this way the portrayal of abs-u$e is a realistic and thought-provoking one, because even though I knew that Lazare was no good from the very first chapter, I still UNDERSTOOD why Jonas was so drawn to him (a handsome, caretaking ghost comes to him when he's lonely and suffering, what's not to like?) - which is an important nuance when understanding victims in these sorts of relationships. I also sympathized when Jonas suspects that Lazare is no good, but is drawn to him anyway because of the sheer amount of affection Lazare pours on him (in almost textbook lovebombing). 

I won't go much into the symbolism, literary references, and so on, simply because the game is so chock-full of them that they would be impossible to discuss - the prose is rich and poetic, and I really appreciated how well the references were integrated into the overall themes of the story. However, as much as I liked the poetic lines, I also really liked the instances in which the text breaks out of that poeticism and becomes direct and almost vulgar, especially near the end - I think that the shift in style reflected the rawness of the emotions well. The story is also beautifully constructed, with so many parallels between Jonas' prior experiences and "La Llorona" and Jonas' current experiences with Lazare, and it really makes the ending cathartic, as it feels as if Jonas overcomes all of his prior horrific experiences and bests them in one fell swoop. The usage of "fire" and "water" imagery in the climax is particularly lovely, and they reflect Jonas' emotions - depression and righteous anger - very well. 

One of the details that really stood out to me about the climax is how, at the very end, Jonas' "ghosts", which previously tormented him, become an almost sort of strength. The parallels between Lazare - a ghost who was Jonas' inspiration becoming his nightmare - and Jonas' more typical ghosts - turning from his nightmares into his inspiratin - was very intriguing. I think that it reflects another nuance of trauma, depicting it as neither a "good" or an "evil" - Jonas is not made better by his trauma, but it does give him the strength to resist being trampled when he needs it. 

Overall, this game was truly a tour de force, and ESPECIALLY for a Nano project - how you do it, I have no idea... Fantastic work!!!

AWW THANK YOU SO MUCH, I really hope you enjoy the last one!!! 😭😭😭

Morgan would be the perfect family man 😂 He'd absolutely love having a kid and dote on them all the time! But it might be a problem with his marriage issues with the MC... as for the second question:

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The person lying on the bed is the MC! As for the man, his identity is left ambiguous on purpose! 

It's not complete yet! I'm working on it and have quite a few of the assets but no solid release date yet, my apologies 😕 I prefer not to solidify dates until games are practically done since things inevitably take twice as long as you think they will! I'll update with a post once the release date is solidified.

Oh gosh that's such high praise 😭😭🙏 Thank you so much!!! It was my first time writing in this genre so I was a little worried 😫 so I'm so happy that you enjoyed the twists and the execution!! The last part is a bit different from the others and more character focused, but I really hope you enjoy the last installment too 💜

Aw thank you so much 😭💦 I'm so glad you played and enjoyed the first two parts 🥺

Salsa dancing?!?! 😆💃💃 And oh gosh thank you, I'm so glad that you're looking forward to it 🥹💦 Thank you for waiting!!

Aw thank you so much!!! 😁

Oh gosh, thank you so much for the thoughtful comment 😭 Your analysis was so interesting to read and completely on point, and I really appreciate your comments on the "artistic" aspects as well - I really love VNs and playing around with the way that they're presented, so it's such an honor to hear that they have a cinematic quality 😭 And I'm very happy that the Web/Android build was worth it to make! One of the reasons I like making visual novels is that they're very lightweight games that can be played by just about anyone with a device, and I always want to make my games as accessible as possible! 🤭

(And exactly right about Geist's name! Fun fact, but in addition to meaning "ghost," the word "Geist" can also refer to "spirit" or "mind/intellect." I thought that the double meaning would be pretty fitting for his character 🤭)

(Gosh thank you for the comment about the dev notes, I can't believe I playtested this dang build 10 times and NEVER caught that... I'll make sure to update it the next time I update the game!)

(and regarding the last question 🤭 the tutor and his gf are indeed Karamu cameos... they're actually the sprites from the last installment, I thought it would make a fun Easter egg 😂)

THE MEME IT FITS SO MUCH DFGDF

Thank you again for playing!!! (And gosh I'm so touched that you're interested in so many of my games? I really hope that you enjoy them!!) 

Oh I'm glad that you liked them! 😊 Yes, I plan to add Steam achievements to all of the games I release there 🫡

Oh gosh I'm so honored!! Thank you for picking out my game for your first video 🥹 I'm glad you enjoyed it! 

Oh it's not, they're different characters 😂 (their personalities couldn't be more different too 😂)

¡No hay planes por ahora! ¡Quizás cuando termine el juego!

LOL that's fair, thanks for the input! I wanted it to be very clear where Kalei is from since you rarely see Pacific Islander rep in this genre of game, and I previously released a game with POC where their cultural heritage wasn't that pronounced beyond names/some lingo and people didn't really notice that they were supposed to be SEA 😅 I think a lot of people who played MMM didn't recognize Kalei's accent or the pidgin used (some people thought it was like, Californian??? or thought he was from Brazil based off of looks/fashion), so I thought that a musical motif would be more clear. Though I understand how it probably comes off as strong to someone who's actually familiar with Hawai'i. I apologize if it came off as stereotypical/racist 😭

(If it's any consolation, the music used is from Japanese artists, not haoles - well not white haoles at least😂 since I get most of the music for my games from that site!) 

Oh I am!! There's currently a second part out, and I'm currently making the third part! 

This is such a gorgeous game! The art and sound direction were beautiful, and I loved the atmosphere, I was so immersed. 

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The storyline was so intriguing - I'm not familiar with this myth, and at first I thought that everyone else was suspicious/knew more than they were letting on. Kandita's gradual transformation, as her traumatic past experiences and warped obsession twist her over the course of the story, is enthralling. It definitely didn't go in the direction that I was expecting! Absolutely gorgeous work on this game, it's so inspiring!

¡Estoy creando una versión para Android! Debería estar disponible pronto, solo estoy dedicando un poco de tiempo a corregir errores 🙏

I post all of the major game updates to my various socials! I'll also send them out via mailing list if you want direct notifications. I post a monthly devlog (though that's about all my games, not just MHIAS) on itch (it'll pop up in your feed if you follow me), as well as on Tumblr and Patreon!

Oh gosh that's a lot of them 😆 (I'm so glad!!!) (I'll take note 😊) Thank you for enjoying my games and taking the time to read! 

Ohhhhhh thank you!! I'm really glad that you're interested for those (and dang in completely different genres 😂), I'm v excited for them too 🙏 

Thank you so much for the support 🙏🙏🙏 I definitely will! 😆

YESSSS MY TWO MORONS (affectionate) 

AHHHHH thank you so much 😭 I'm so honored!!! (Thank you for playing! Don't worry, Day 1 will come into play later 🤣) 

Yes! This isn't a bug 🐛

Gorgeous game. The topic is (painfully) familiar to me as a person who loves the genre 😅, and I really loved the slow build-up here. (Amy's experience with the rat VN was scarily close to my own first experiences with VNs...) The character-writing felt so well-rounded and authentic, and I really liked the way the LGBTQ topics were intertwined in with the themes of art/storytelling to show how both of these are ground up and spit out by the ✨ Capitalism Machine ✨ The last line is a gut punch. Fantastic work. 

(This also has to be one of the best coded VNs that I've played in Unity - very well done, easy to play, and the UI is clean and beautiful!) 

Gosh, this is one of the most lovingly assembled games that I've played in a long time - there's so much detail and thought put into everything, from the character designs to the cinematic camerawork to the additional gameplay elements (the paranoia bubbles, the character affection markers, the text popups) - there's a lot of passion here, and it really shows. In particular, I really loved the dynamic camerawork (especially the closeups and angles) and the usage of different artstyles for different parts of the story to reflect the tone - it was so dynamic and impactful.

===SPOILERS===

All of the characters are well-rounded and distinct, and their personalities play off each other well. Lion and Rikka are total sweethearts, and Kie is eccentrically charming(???) I'll say that I was the most intrigued by Luz, simply because I didn't know what to make of her. She seems like a cool girl, and she and Syun connect on some level, but she also sets off my alarm bells somehow and gives me such bad vibes 😂

Syun is a painfully relatable protagonist, to the point that he's almost frustrating because of his relatability (especially when he's pushing away people who are only good to him) 😂 The paranoia bubbles do a really good job of highlighting how his anxieties and past experiences color his perceptions, and I also really like the usage of Komi, representing how he wants to connect and open up (the scene where Komi's dialogue becomes something that he actually says is really sweet!) The "duality" system is also really clever, and I appreciated how initially it's portrayed as something "simple" but becomes much more nuanced as the story goes on (where sometimes Syun isn't always wrong and Komi isn't always right, or sometimes Komi's POV appeals to some characters and not others). 

The cliffhanger is CRAZY, of course, and I have no idea how the story will continue or HOW that ended up happening...

(I think that this is probably the first time I've seen Lux-Pain mentioned by someone other than myself LOL I absolutely loved that game, and I really see the inspiration here!)

This was such a lovely demo - best of luck with development, I can't wait to see what the final product looks like!