Ballads at Midnight

I LOVE THIS SO MUCH! THE ART WAS AMAZING, THEIR VOICES WAS TOO AND THE PLOT WAS INTRIGUING! I LOVE ABIGAIL AND LUCIUS'S PERSONALITY AND RELATIONSHIP! THIS GAME IS SO AMAZING 

I absolutely adored this game!! I literally have brainrot over them ahaha. I can't wait for any future content :)

WHAT.A.GAME. I am telling everyone I know about it, I loved it that much.

I love that the entire game is all about the interactions between Abigail and Lucius, giving them more than enough time to develop their relationship. I love the resolution to the mystery sorrounding their pasts. I love how beautiful the art, and especially the character design, is. I love the friendship. I love the romance. I love the vulnerability. I love the voice acting. I love the writing in general.

You guys did a wonderful job with this game. I fell in love with these characters (ngl, I would love to see Abigail and Lucius cameo in other games) and I cannot wait to see your next works!

Hi I am having some issues with entering the name as when I press enter it does not move to the next screen Is there something I can do to fix this as this is a truly lovely game and I would love to experience the rest of the story. Thank you!

Omg, the update was perfect! Like 11/10! I know you've heard it a thousand times but seriously, the writing is truly impeccable! I look forward to your next project!! <3 

great game:)!! i really enjoyed getting to know the characters, and I appreciated your teams eye for detail

this was SUCH a delight to play! a wonderful game that is beautifully executed. I adore Abigail so much, she's so wonderful. the writing + pacing is just -- chefs kiss.

I'm super excited for the completed game, I already know it's gonna be so good!! I really hope all the devs are taking care of themselves <3 don't work too hard, I will wait patiently till however long it takes! :)

Hello,

my name is Micol and I’m a professional video game freelance translator.

I was wondering if you would be interested in an Italian localization of your games.

I work by myself or together with a small team of people (4 translators + 1 proofreader), and we have recently localized a video game during a Jam here: https://phoenix-team.itch.io/intergalactic-wizard-force-ita-locjam5

We have studied at the same academy and since we are new in this industry, you will find that our rates are very interesting.

Since we understand that the cost of localization could be hard to afford, we are open to discuss other forms of agreements. In any case, I’ll look forward to working with you, I love visual novels :) and I think we can really help each other.

Please, consider the possibility of discussing the matter with us. I’m sure we can find a win-win deal for both of us.

Kind regards,

Micol

it made my heart sing .10/10, and for free?! Download now!

the story is a little brief. might be too short production cycle to unable create a step-by -step story. happily,this also makes the whole woke as beautiful as a fairy tale.<3 <3

Oh my, it was well written. I also like the art

This was so captivating it was hard to believe it was all done in a month! Beautifully written, lovely art, wonderful music. Thank you for sharing this with the  world. 

Okay, I said to myself that I wouldn't make a long review, but here I am, over an hour and a half later!!! 😅😂 Lmfao I can't help it, it always turns into this for the games I enjoy the most. Very long review, I feel SUPER bad that I typed this much so I'm sorry!!! Not everyone likes long ass reviews but I couldn't help it. I wanted every element of the art to be acknowledged and no dev to feel left out. You guys deserve high praise. Feel free to not read it all and only read the parts that apply to you as I cover all the elements of the game. Please pass it along to the other members so they are acknowledged for their hard work!

I am in absolute AWE that you guys made this for nanoreno. I have played many visual novels now, at least a for a decade of my life now mostly through my teen years, and I have been following nanoreno for years to the point where it's a tradition now. I've gotta say, in all my years of playing, this has got to be the most fleshed out, polished, just...MOST IMPRESSIVE work I've seen! This is at the top of the list of games I would've never expected were NOT full titles. I understand the length is shorter than full title visual novels, but I could barely tell based on how expertly paced the game's story was.

~~ WRITING ~~ I'm not gonna lie, whether I acknowledge it or not I kind of have high standards for the narrative works I read. (Less picky for the visual elements in visual novels, but I still have some level of standard in which I'm taken out of the story a bit if one of the elements feel different from others. But ESPECIALLY for story). Like, literally even down to fanfiction lmfao, I can't finish a story if the writing is kinda clunky. So if the writing and pacing is off in a story, I notice. If the romance is too abrupt or forced, I can try to ignore it and still enjoy reading but I do notice. So I'm saying that to say...when I find a story done so well -- good writing form, gripping narrative, expert pacing, JUST OVERALL AMAZING -- I hold it to such high regard!!! What makes your talent as writers stick out even more is the fact that you made this story seam so seamless and natural and well-paced within the confines of time. You guys had to make this in such short and in turn, the timing affected the plot time (by that, I mean the characters had limited time to interact due to you guys needing to wrap it up within a month.). So it is impressive not only because you guys were able to create this story in such rushed time but also because your amazing pacing still held up despite the characters having less "screen time" lol, so to speak, than a game with no time constraints.

~~ PROGRAMMING ~~ I've gotta give it up to the other members of the team too. Their hard work truly supplemented the story and the narrative wouldn't have been as powerful without their hard work. There was no part of this game that lacked to me; every element was complementary of the others. The game was clearly coded SO well. I will say that this is THE cleanest and most polished programming I've come across from a nanoreno game. Undoubtedly. This is impressive work to have made so polished within such short time. I hope the programmers feel good about themselves, I hope they're not staying up too late and not straining their eyes lmfao. I have an interest in python and renpy from all my years of lurking on lemmasoft lol and it's actually really inspiring to see how smooth and natural the programming was. (The shake animation when the characters were surprised was the most natural animation I've come across, I've honestly never seen anyone ever do that type of animation.) The GUI and other graphics wouldn't have been the same without the programming, so well done on that. The particles were animated so nicely, it all felt so animated and alive that I felt I got sucked into the world itself. It was fully immersive.

~~ ART: ~~ Which leads me to my next point of art. The character art, the background art, the GUI/overlays...Nothing I say can do it all justice. We all know how amazing the art in this game is! The character design is amazing (I seriously want her shirt LOL, like omg I would pay top dollar for that blouse.) Both of the characters are gorgeous! That man makes me weak in the knees lmfao if I saw a dude like him IRL I'd lose my damn mind. (THE "MY RADIANCE" !!!! THING DID NOT HELP OKAY OMFG-) Lmfao anyways, I'm really too uncultured when it comes to giving reviews on art, but I really loved the style. The characters, the backgrounds, the UI...they all have this stylistic "look" to them that blend so well. All these art elements went together nicely, and I couldn't imagine a different style with this alluring and mysterious game. I don't what what it is, but the texture and style really fits the medieval and supernatural theme so well.  The different color schemes, the relationship between colors and darkness/shadows was really interesting and unique. I'm obsessed and will be lurking to follow whatever twitter/deviantart/artstation/whatever I can find.

~~ MIUSIC/SOUND: ~~ is another field I'm super uncultured in, I don't know how to say much on it but the game would have been a different game without this music. So enchanting, emotional, and just straight up beautiful. I'm actually listening to it right now lol, really calming and fitting for the style. It really set the tone in each scene and helped so much with immersion. The instruments definitely fit the vampire theme without sounding basic, you know? String instruments are used a lot in vampire media, sometimes it can sound like really basic Victorian lol, idk how to describe it but sometimes it can just sounds like forced I guess? Some VNS in general have forced music. Like a song with no heart/soul to it or not quite fitting of the VNs theme. In THIS game, though, the music took on its own form and had its own, unique sound. It had its own emotions that fit the game well. And it never got overbearing/annoying and I never noticed when it looped or anything like that. Very fitting and immersive.

~~ VA: ~~ The voice actress sung SO beautifully, I loved her voice and the composition of the song she sung. Which is my next point that the voice actors were so damn good. Sometimes English visual novel voice acting can be...well, I don't want be critical but they can be definitely different than the standard of Japanese otomes ^^" Sometimes English voice acting sounds a bit theatrical/exaggerated and unbelievable, actually I get second-hand embarrassment sometimes. Not for this game. These voice actors captured emotions so raw and powerfully...I found myself listening to voice lines multiple times because I was so taken. Really portrayed the characters beautifully, I was entranced in Ms. Youman's portrayal of the MC from her initial fear (EXTREMELY BELIEVABLE, this stood out to me a lot! I was so immersed), to her snarky personality, to her vulnerability and subtleties. Eric Navarro's character interpretation was just as powerful. Sorry to be a creep but man what a sexy voice. 😂😂 Goodness gracious!!! So deep and alluring; mysterious, but personable and not UN-approachable -- just like our vampy boi is. What stood out to me how dynamic and emotional he was in just a single sentence. For one particular line, Lucious is in pain and while you can hear that pain reflected, you can also hear the gentleness he has for the MC as he explains his what he's going through and then a pinch of frustration/rage towards the end of the sentence from the context of what he was explaining to the MC. It was so raw, I felt super inspired and impressed with how he could convey all these emotions so naturally, like someone would IRL as they are speaking. There's so much subtext that isn't present in dialogue and the voice actors really brought that out. I seriously am shook and hope their careers go even farther.

I really need to cut this review short now, but I just wanted to thank you guys from the bottom of my heart. I feel like this is illegal or undeserving that I got to experience such a nice story LOL. Sorry to be dramatic but I'm so serious that you guys made the perfect team on this project. I'm eternally grateful for having this experience.  Sooo desperate for that last ending and cannot wait to read it!

Very enjoyable.  Thank you for sharing this.

I absolutely adore this game. It's so polished, so refined, radiant, even. The characters are both so endearing, I especially love that the MC isn't a blank slate. As fun as it can be to project onto a blank canvas, she is worth giving that up. Her story resonated with me, she's so well crafted all I wanted to do was to give her a hug. Her wit and charm amplifies the story and makes it something so much better. I don't even need to say anything about the vampire. He has officially reignited my vampire fever. I haven't been vampire crazy since Twilight but he... Reawakened my obsession. And what a character he is too...

The VA's did an incredible job bringing them both to life. The writing was superb, from the UI to the character art everything ties together into a lovely package. I'll admit, I've been checking every couple days to see if I can open Hesiod's Jar yet. I can't contain my excitement to think we'll see more of Abigail and Lucius. Every minute I spent playing this was a blast. I love love love it.

So, I downloaded this game because of boredom, however, I can't emphasize enough how great it is! Both leads are excellent characters (with a lot of trauma btw). I spent my whole afternoon and early evening playing through the different endings (though I still can't get the "bad" one, I lack the balls). 

The romance developed gradually and the tension only grew as the story progressed, and I loved those two. Abigail is such a great MC to follow and combined with Lucius... what a delightful duo.

I cannot stress enough how much fun I had playing. I can clearly see how much effort the team must have put into this project, every aspect of it is amazing. So kudos to everyone! I hope to play more of your games in the future.

Also, I read in one of the comments below that you're working on a secret ending and I am so excited to play it as soon as it releases (but please, take your time, don't feel pressured about it)

This game... is a treasure. I loved every minute of it! I love both of our poor traumatized leads, and the romance was *chef's kiss* done so well. I do have a weakness for bonding over sad pasts, just the empathy and comfort it involves. It also felt longer than just two/three hours, maybe because I was so immersed! The art, the music, the atmosphere, the writing, the voices (! Lucius oh my)... ugh I loved it all.

SPOILERS! (sort of? maybe? just in case)

.

.

The first ending I got kind of gave me whiplash, but it also gave me a fit of the giggles at how I really should have seen it coming. But then I played the other "stay" ending and I was left so satisfied. (I still don't have the courage to do the "leave" ending lol i can't i just cAN'T i can't leave the sad mosquito boy behind). 

I can't wait for the secret one that's coming! More of this game and these characters can only mean good things :D

This game is so polished and an absolute treasure! The art, music, and writing are fantastic, and there are so many little details I appreciated (sprite expressions when mousing over a choice to help indicate tone, little transitions in the background, sprite positioning, the way the player name changes throughout the game...).

I love Lucius and Abigail and, more importantly, their dynamic together and how it evolves throughout the game. It all felt very organic.

I wrote down some lines because the descriptions were *chef's kiss* and I want to keep them forever. (nonspoilery)

"protruding from the ground like a sword through someone's back"

"Questions swarm my mind like locusts, and my aimless wandering doesn't yield enough fruit to feed them."

Y'all are amazing! Thanks for this experience :D

This is such a beautiful game ahh- the art and the soundtrack are both amazing! im in love <3 <3 the sassy remarks made me laugh a lot and lucius is such a sweetheart <3

i was wondering- is there something specific you have to do to unlock the secret ending or is it just not available yet?

either way 10/10 great game, thanks for making it!

Very beautiful game, I enjoyed it a lot!! The characters and story were very well done and the art was incredible! A great length for a one shot too, excellent all round :D :D :D 

This is a wonderful game!  The sprites are beautifully drawn, the change in expression when mousing over the response choices is a clever addition, and the story is sadly tender while having also being funny and playful.

Love the game was very fun, beautiful graphics, the story is extraordinary... I have a question there was never a chance to break the curse that kept him in the castle?

This was so much fun! Exactly what I was looking for when I found it.  Abigail, our sassy bard, had the best lines. Especially when going up against that dry humor of Lucius'. The two are quite a match. In shorter pieces like this, it's more important to have strong characters and interpersonal relationships; which this definitely had!

I don't want to get into spoilers, but the backstories for each were refreshing and believable. Funnily enough, I found myself feeling more sorry for Abi. Which was a surprise since I definitely fall into the category of people who are soft for vampires, lol. On the other hand, I have the feeling that we didn't learn the extent of Lucius' background...

The Bliss Vampire end was interesting. I really didn't expect that from Abigail, or for Lucius to follow her so easily. I don't know if it was your intent, but I read it as a bad end/ bittersweet end. This becomes even more interesting since I don't think the other Bliss End (Human) was sad at all. Mostly.

I'm so curious; what was going through your mind when planning out the endings? Did you always have them in mind when you began, or did they develop over time? The last important choice definitely has a bit of philosophy going on.

Anyways, thank you so much for putting in the time and energy to make this little game. It's absolutely lovely, quality work! I'm definitely going to be following this team.

<3 <3

Hello!

This game is absolutely perfect. The story, the soundtrack, every little things in it are amazing. It already holds a place deep in my heart.

I also have a question. I have reached the part where Lucius asks '' What manner of person do you think you are? '' and i can only choose one of the two answers, more exactly '' I'd rather be blisfully happy ''.

I was wondering if it's supposed to be like that, based of past choices, or if it's a bug?

I exited the game and came to ask before choosing the first option, as i feared that this particular choice might influence negatively the ending i was hoping for.

Me, a Prisoner: *is turned on by danger*

Ok but seriously, I neglected all my chores because I KNEW i would LOVE this and I just HAD to play it as soon as possible.

BEAUTIFUL ART I didn't know a bunch of pretty pixels would be able to make me even MORE bisexual what the heck BUT HERE I AM. I loved the story, the music, worldbuilding AAAAAAAAAA!!! and the characters !!!!! I LOVE THEM SO MUCH !!!!! I loved the fact that i got to know both Abigail and Lucius as days (or nights?) pass and they just end up enjoying being with each other.

I won't talk about the writing bc I'm not fluent enough in english so I'm just going to say that I learned new fancy words today LMAO.

You had me at "extremely likable snarky female bard main character." Seriously, I love Abigail. (Lucius too, I think? I haven't fully played through all of the game yet.)

This game is SO ridiculously gorgeous in every way, from the art to the music to the writing. It's hard to believe it was made in just a month!

It's one of my top picks this year for my annual NaNoRenO spotlight post—here's the link if you'd like to check it out!

The story begins really well and it's easy to immerse in the world and feel the tension of the main character predicament but I personally felt it started to drag a little too much on details after a while of reading.

This is more about my personal taste in stories and not a fault in the game, I just want to make that clear, even if I lost interest in the story after some plot point were revealed, It doesn't take anything from the masterful way this game is presented.

Keep the good work!

I really loved this visual novel. The writing and the art is just spectacular! The worldbuilding was done really well. It was so immersive and fascinating. The characters were compelling and lovable, not to mention the electrifying chemistry between them! 

The only issue I can think of is that the pace was quite fast towards the end. It's quite apparent that the time constraints of the jam proved to be an obstacle. However, this visual novel is still amazing regardless, which goes to show just how much effort the team put into this. So honestly, thank you for creating this visual novel! look forward to the secret ending!!

Ballads at Midnight has a fantastic and amazingly well written story. The characters are somewhat relatable and very fleshed out.  Very big fan of Lucius. Even though his humor is a bit dry, he has a lot of charm to him. Overall an enjoyable experience! <3

Everytime i try to download the windows version i keep getting a "failed download error" i dont know what's going wrong ...:/

Wonderfull game,i didn't expect that in the vampire ending.The art is gorgeous and the writing is super well done.Thank you

This game was excellent! Super strong writing, great art, wonderful music. Please let me know when you release your next game, or the alternate ending to this one!

This is such a good game. Visually, it's striking in every way, be it thanks to the beautiful art style or the incredible UI. It just looks... so impressively put together.

And that contributes to giving the game its mesmerising atmosphere. The whole story is very intimate and compelling, and the characters are relatable and well written. 

I can't wait to find out what happens in the secret ending!

Oh my gosh, this was such a lovely game. I loved gradually getting to know both Abigail and Lucius, two very charming and very lovable characters, and I loved how they fell in love with each other. The way their romance developed just felt so natural and sweet. Excited to see what happens in the secret ending!

I think I found my new favorite game. The attention to detail, the art style, the script, the voice acting absolutely wonderful. The music choices were also beautiful and overall I loved playing this game. I love how there isn't multiple characters I am forced to pick against and I just love how unique this game is. Wonderful work :) 

I loved this game so much! The art was gorgeous and Lucius was definitely swoon-worthy. The banter between him and Abigail made me so happy. Abigail was so bad-ass and snarky.  I can't wait to play your future projects! 

This game is unimaginably beautiful :)
I adore the vividness of the writing, the lovable, memorable, charismatic characters, off the charts chemistry, heartfelt story.
The banter of the main characters is most enjoyable - I was chuckling out loud at a few moments :D

Thank you for this elegant and intriguing treat of a game!
Looking forward to the other ending unlocked :)

The playthrough was lovely as the art was too, I would only like to know the reason Lucius was exiled and cursed? Unless I missed it I don't think it was explained. Thank you for sharing this game with us anyway!!

Good story, great witty writing and attractive art. Loved it! I was wondering if a walkthrough or hint guide will ever be posted? I am aware it is still early at the moment, but I would love to be sure if I have read all there is to read in the game!

Good art, music and very entertaining interactions between all characters. Quickwitted MC with the gift of the gab which is always a huge + for me