Oh mon Dieu!!!!! Je suis entrain de tester la démo et de régler les doléances et je tombe sur Guethenoc et Roparzh XDDDDDDD! Mais merci quoi!!!! Rien que pour le clin d'oeil je te l'achèterai le jeu! (et puis en dehors du fait que ça m'a mis en joie cette référence le jeu est vraiment super, sérieux c'est un plaisir que d'y jouer)
This is a really wonderful demo and did not feel short at all. Thoroughly enjoyed the intricacies of the choices.
Spoiler, fan rambling: I think my favorite was regarding the ones about the witnesses and the greedy soldier. The COLLATERAL DAMAGE COVER STORY was perfect, but I wanted to honor Alexander's trust in Lydia. I wasn't too convinced that bribery would keep the witnesses silent once they've received payment, but thought it better than appointing positions of power to people motivated only with incentives. Though the bribe may fund people with questionable loyalty, at least the money is gone once they've spent it; unlike with power which Lydia cannot as easily take back once granted. As for the GREEDY SOLDIER decision, it was really tricky. I could see that bribing them again is simply using the same solution that did not work the last time, but I also wanted to avoid killing lest Lydia be known as a tyrant too early on her to-be-reign. So, I initially chose to beat the greedy soldier up. But I guess they were smart to plan an ambush. Since Lydia might need the MASTER OF MURMURS unharmed, I decided to have them assassinated. It's just so intricate a game; I love how it goes beyond value judgement and ideal choices we all want to make and into all these consequence-driven choices.
My favorite character has been Theodore. Initially, it was Alden. He was a good mix of FRANK, PRACTICAL, and COMPETENT. Though Alden brought up LYDIA'S GENDER the most at the beginning, it was mostly because he knew that other people would use it to discredit Lydia's birthright, not because he believed it made her incompetent himself. Writers, it did not escape my attention how, when he talked to her about POLICIESfor the first time, he did not bring up her gender at all. So he is simply that: frank and practical. Traits that I see in Theodore as well, even if he is tainted with prejudice and his practicality blurs into cynicism.
Alden is probably my second-favorite now, still a favorite. I don't know why, there is something about always suggesting BLOODY MURDER as the FIRST SOLUTION to everything that turns him into a sort of comic relief. Real murder is not funny, of course, but with all his insistence as an advisor...it makes him a bit 2D in a good, comic "are you for real" way. He has been insisting on brute force for much of the demo, even though it's his responsibility as advisor to see that it could also be bad for Lydia to be seen as a tyrant in the long run. In stats-speak, -10 people.
I've begun to see Alden as a mouthpiece and PERSONIFICATION of any ruler's need for self-preservation. I think it's CLEVER WRITING because considering the plot where the story begins where only Lydia and a few others know of the regicide, there is no other way to convey the threat of being outcast(?) as a ruler and even just staying alive from that POV and limited set of characters. If it were any other story, the threat could be portrayed with interactions with nobles in the Court, specifically in how Lydia has to please them just to protect herself and her plans. But that involves too many side characters and trivial pleasant-sounding conversations and do not convey the gravity of regicide that has happened to the former king and that may someday happen to Lydia.
The writers of Imperial Grace dived straight into it, straight into the plot, without luxury of pace, without excess characters or ones prematurely introduced, without trivial details, in just the right heavy atmosphere. I absolutely loved it!
Spoilers, tangent: Did you intentionally make Robert frustrating? XD He wasn't advisor, there was no reason for him to bring up Lydia's gender. Rude. If he's so concerned people will use her unwed status to frame power given to her as unstable, maybe stop transferring power to men just because the woman wed? His accusations toward Asha were unreasonable, too. I'm laughed out loud when Lydia used his own sensibilities against him by saying she didn't invite her to dance nakedin honor of the snake goddess Sif. Though the writing is consistent in tone, there are so many comical moments. It was all enjoyable.
I initially intended Robert to be some “very annoying grandpa”. Like he can give good advice, listen to all your problems, but he is very old-fashioned and can be harmful without realising. Like it’s so normal for him he has to be a man ruler. He doesn’t even see the problem of saying that to Lydia and how it can be harmful for her. He is guardian of the past but forget to not live in it.
As for Asha, since he is the main representation of the Faith, he is very wary of anything that could disturb the RealFaithTM. Even if he acts very disrespectfully with Asha, he respects her more than we can see. Firstly, because if he is so wary of her is because he fears her influence. He can see how dangerous she can be. He does not straight out underestimate her because she is a woman/stranger, which is still better than some other people in the palace. (Nobles I spared myself to display in the game.)
I don't know what to say, I am so glad you liked the demo. It's such a warm feeling, having the impression someone you don't know has figured out everything you wanted to do. Like, I created Imperial Grace with the desire to write intricated choice like "I love how it goes beyond value judgement and ideal choices we all want to make and into all these consequence-driven choices." It's exactly what I wanted to do, and I am so glad when people see it.
I'm also happy you like Alden, it's true that we laugh a lot about his "murder is the solution to all problems" side, but when you see his story it's quite logical. It's not visible in the demo because it's not talked about much, but Magnus V was the kind of person who didn't mind being seen as a tyrant since he kinda was one and ruled by fear, not by love. So Alden adapted to the situation and he needs time to adapt to you and your way of ruling. He soften through the game.
Thank you again for leaving this long comment, it really made my day, I am so genuinely happy you liked the game for what I wanted it to be, I hope you will like the final game even more.
I am thoroughly impressed with the high level of quality produced into this work so far. From the regal UI, customizable MC, resource management elements making choices weightier, to the petitions element, everything looks incredibly polished. I noticed a typo or two here and there (mainly the word 'fulfill' missing its second 'l' at the end). I felt like the second demo had just enough content to set the stage, allow players get the hang of all the mechanics, and to pique interest in the romantic options. I'm biased toward Theodore for personal and political motivations, but Alexander and Asha are both just as intriguing in their own ways. Overall, it seems like Imperial Grace really has what it takes to fill the gap similar throne ascension games have left open. I will be watching the development of this work very closely. Best of luck to the team!
On itchio: Your download will give you a .zip file, you have to extract it with a sotftware (personnaly I use Izarc), then you have to open the folder, until you see the .exe
After finishing the demo I'll say that I love my empress. Even in this short demo, I could see some different reactions, but by far my favorite is the one where she may start looking greedy selfish, and capable to do anything to have power. However, in the more diplomatic and nice choices, she's really much more amazing. I love how she doesn't want to be anything like her father and strives to prove to the men that she can and deserves to rule. I also love how intelligent she is, and can be that exact amount of manipulative but not needing to go extremes to achieve what she wants. And that's in a short demo, I can't wait for more.
Now, I will say this. Asha is P.E.R.F.E.C.T. The moment I've met her I've made my mind about who I would romance. Her design is superb and beautiful her personality is so refreshing and warming. I just want to stay around her all the time. So far she is who I love the most. I'm dying to see more and to get that promised massage.
Hello, maybe one day but it's not a priority at the moment. Renpy (the sotfware we use), broke the android portage in it's last update and doing an android (so mobile) portage require to redo most of the UI so it's readable on smaller screen.
That said, the game requires no installation, just unziping the folder, so usually it works even on very small/old laptop with not a lot of power (I even played a game from a USB key once) if it can help.
This is going to sound insanely shallow, but I can't stop myself from commenting on how utterly gorgeous the MC is. I find myself frustrated a lot of the time with how limited the appearance choices and designs are for games like these, but in both appearance and in personality, you allowed for there to be a completely satisfying range of possibilities. I *love* ambitious characters, especially ambitious women, and before now I don't think I've ever been given the option to play as an unapologetically and explicitly cunning and ambitious female character before, so that is a huge plus as well. It's clear that there was a lot of care put into constructing a power-hungry but ultimately sympathetic protagonist, and I appreciate that so much!
Side note, but I also adoreeee the political aspect of Imperial Grace. I'm a huge fan of complex political plots, both in fantasy and non-fantasy settings, and I truly adore the kingdom management aspect. I know the focus is most likely going to be on the love interests after the full game is released, but even the small taste I got of the political side of the MC's world was super compelling.
Thank you very much for taking the time to let this comment <3 It's not shallow at all, I mean it's a visual novel after all! I am also glad you enjoyed the political aspect of the game and if it can ease you, it's still very important afterward. You are not of the hook of dilemna and politics because you are in love mouahahahah
Loving the demo so far and im curious to see where things go! I also uploaded a let's play of the demo on my channel if that's ok. Good luck with the game development!
I've played too many vn's/ otome games and this particular one has been bumped up to my top 5! It's so beautifully well-made for a demo and this just means my expectations for the upcoming versions are up, up, up!
I am tired of MCs who are passive little victims who can't hold their own, always depending on someone else to come swoop down and save them. I can't imagine being that helpless. So when I read, 'A super badass MC', I was sold. I found a certain understanding with our MC's background and I love her ambition, wittiness and attitude.
The UI, art style, characters, writing and resource system are all chef's kiss! It's all so well planned. I absolutely adore the side characters (please oh pls let me just romance them pls) But that aside, I'm a huge sucker for customizations and seeing my skin colour on there is just :')
At this point, just take my goddamn money, Synstoria devs.
I am so excited for the future of your team and I hope that you all continue to prosper. Wishing you guys all the best and stay safe!
I just finished playing Imperial Grace Demo and I love the story this far! Our three available LIs are also very endearing in their own unique ways <3
My only issues with the current version of the game resides with my headache triggers. The first time I tried the Demo I was in the middle of a migraine and couldn't play at all because the saturated gold of the font prevented me from reading anything. (my brain couldn't process the contrast with its background)
So I waited a week later to play =^.^= I was really happy to realize that changing the Font to "simple" helped A LOT to reduce the eye strain I was feeling from the saturated gold font colour so thank you a lot for this option <3 It works like a charm !!!
The other element my brain has issue with is the saturated yellow parchment used for the petitions. I have now learned to squint when it time for it to show up! But at least the Font is dark so I can read it perfectly well still. =^.^=
Technically those things aren't "bad elements of the game", it's just that my own brains had difficulties adjusting to them.
But all that aside, I'm totally looking forward to the rest of the game!
Hello, I am glad you enjoyed the game but I am sorry if you had difficulties playing the game because of the color, we try to be the most accessible possible, but my knowledge is very limited in this area, we have progress to make.
Maybe we could add a "resting design" option, like we did for the colorblind, ideally what color should the parchment/text and the textbox/text have to be more comfortable to play for people who has headaches triggers? Any tips overall about what we should care about if we implement this feature?
Oh please you don't have to apologize <3 I am photosensitive, so I face these kinds of issues in many other games too. =^.^=
So for the general text, in my case the "Simple" Font worked perfectly to negate the eyestrain effect for the textbox this far. I'm so happy you had this option in your game.
As for the Petition Parchment, in my case the issue is that it's following a very dark screen, so when it appears it's like a "bright beacon of light" ;) (sorry, couldn't help with this LOtR meme)
If I may be so bold to make such a suggestion, the appearance of the Petition Parchment could be a bit less "visually disruptive" if we skip the black background altogether and immediately switch to the throne room, and since we're at it, we could also give the parchment a tiny bit of transparency, this way it would cut on its brightness and also making it fit a bit more with its following "Petition Response Options", which are also semi-transparent.
In any case, the appearances of the parchment are predictable in the game, so early on in the demo I could easily guess when it was time to "squint away" because a petition was coming ;) hehehehe
XDDD I can't get over the references, I laught so much thanks XD
I will take into consideration your suggestions and see what can be done for the game! I am sure you are not the only person photosensitive and it can also help other people sensitive to sudden change of light.
Thank you so much for your understanding <3 and you have included so much already in your game to help out with dyslexia and colour vision deficiency. =^.^=
Played the 2.0 demo, this time choosing bit differently and pursue Mr. Grumpy :D
Have to say, it was more enjoyable route XD
Did notice some text formatting errors (when you fail at beginning, title in the scroll doesn't display properly and if you let the murderous thief live, there's weird symbol), but didn't notice any typos this time.
Recommended to a friend who likes VNs. Maybe I'll play third time to see how Alexander is :D
Ahah I am glad you liked mister grumpy! Theodore really devide people! Do you have a screenshot of the formating problem it helps me understand the problem <3
I've just played this game, and I gotta say, I really love it! I'm a sucker for management games, and I love how involved we are in this one. The main character is also really witty and smart (we love girlbosses in this house). Keep up the good work and I'm looking forward to more!! :D
Je viens tout juste de finir la demo et je n'ai rien à redire. Imperial Grace est au delà de mes espérances ! C'est une vrai bouchée d'air frais, avec ce type de MC forte et qui sait ce qu'elle veut. Parce qu'il faut se l'avouer ça court pas les rues non plus !
Le fait de choisir le mode de jeu, et la traduction française c'est aussi un bon petit plus.
On sent que les choix ont un impact direct sur l'histoire. Histoire qui est des plus intéressante !
La musique, le design. Superbe !
Tout ça pour dire que j'ai hâte de voir la suite. Mes félicitations et bonne continuation !
I'm still in my first play-through, but stopping by to say that I LOVE this main character - she is witty, ambitious, and smart as hell..... enjoying the other characters, but she is my favorite! Looking forward to purchasing the full game in the future!
I've been waiting for this demo for months and it's honestly surpassed all my expectations. The UI is beautiful, the LIs are great (Asha <3) and the resource/ruling system is fun. The side characters are also fleshed out and interesting, my favourite is the Master of Murmurs atm.
Also, you have a ko-fi or discord for the game? I'm excited to see more!
P.S. My friend doesn't have an itch.io account but she's French and wanted to thank you for having a fully french option!
Hi, thank you very much for playing the demo, I am happy you and your friend liked it! As a fellow baguette I regret there is so few otome game in French, so I 100% relate!
We have a discord in small commity for the moment (I am thinking to opening it to a larger population tho), you can join by suscribing our newsletter, the link is among the other rewards (wallpaper / lineage).
Just a small note and I may be in the wrong, but the description of Asha's hair? The narration reads "braids" but the art looks more like locs and I was wondering if that was on purpose? Other than that, this was a fun, fleshed out demo and I'm intrigued for more!
I will hype this game, I will donate, I will do whatever I need to do to get that man in Lydia's bedchambers.
I loved everything about this demo. I considered playing in story mode, but I decided to try my hand at resource management, and I'm glad I did. It's super fun and well executed.
I don't really have much to say beyond thank you for bringing Master of Murmurs into my life.
Edit: One thing I did mean to mention. I love the beautiful portraits that appear when a character is speaking, and everything about the UI and general appearance of the game is breathtaking, but I did find myself missing full-sized sprites. Is there an aesthetic reason you opted for the portraits instead of "traditional" sprites, or is there another reason?
Thanks for playing and for commenting, I am really happy you enjoyed the game! As for Master of Murmurs, will see what futur holds :p
For the portrait, there is several reason despite the artistical choice, mostly related to money. Portrait only are less expensive in itself but they also required less variation (position, clothes) etc. Typically I am super perfectionist and I hate when I write "he draws his sword" but the sprite doesn't.
That said, there is several CG plans on half or full body so we can admire a bit more the characters ~
Loved this !! At first I was going to do an infinite resource run just to see what things were going to be like, but I couldn't resist testing myself against the system and I'm glad I did! Money solves so many problems but it's not so easy to get. I was pleased with the way that the money resource and people resource seemed to work in tandem: it would be too easy for me to say to hell with it and make the nobility pay for everything! All the resources worked well in tandem so while I wasn't able to have a total surplus of everything I wanted, I still didn't feel like I was being cornered into making bad decisions. I'd recommend anyone who's shy about their resource management skills give this a try!
I also liked how it was made clear that ascending to the throne as a woman was unusual without rubbing my nose in it too badly. A lot of games feel the need to overexplain (as if they personally invented sexism and I won't understand it unless they REALLY hit me with it) which just makes the whole thing feel ugly: this was a good balance of me stoically brave-facing it while still wanting to stomp a few choice people. I also like the range for "Lydia's" personality: while there were dialogues I had very little part in (like talking to Theodore in the library) I felt like they were consistent to her character, and to decisions I'd been able to make in the past (mostly to remain stoic while still doing my best to help). It's really hard to give the player options while trying to maintain a consistent personality, and this was a great execution of that! Looking forward to more!
Thanks for your comment, I am glad you enjoyed the demo and decided to give a try to the resources managment, we did our best to balance it in order to give extra challenge but not too much, so if it worked I am proud!
I just finished a playthrough (I consistently choose Alexander, my best boy, through it)! It is really great! Everything is NEAT, the visuals are stunning. I have praised the character sprites many times. The background CGs look superb. I think I spent a minute or two admiring your UI, from the main page to the settings page, I clicked on it one by one lol XD Even if I had to use Simple font because the default is a little hard to read ^^"
The OST sounds super good too! I think it really contributes a lot to the atmosphere. But I can't say anything about the composition of course XD I notice in Alexander's route, one OST (I called it D Minor Arpeggio OST lol... I think it is D Minor...) is repeated a lot when I click to proceed with the story. I think it is a programming problem? It is continued until the scene fades into the "Policies, Petitions, and Diplomacy" page. I can hear the OST repeated twice or thrice on this page too.
The writing is detailed. I love the narration, even though the quotation marks (the « ... ») take a little while for me to be used to it. I read slowly at my own pace and I've never been bored even for a second. Unfortunately, I can't say more about the story or characters when playing a demo because it is still only a part of the story, even more so if the game has stats feature. For me, stats feature has the downside that it is harder for me to be immersed. So I think for the story review, I will wait until we have more material for me to be able to process it in my head (maybe the final version). But agreeing with user @VersaceHostile below, the MC is truly a freaking bad bitch XD XD XD
By the way, does Lydia not have any ladies-in-waiting or maidservants? Is it not the custom? I want to ask one more thing, but I can't for the life of me remember it :D Maybe I will ask you on tumblr when I remember.
P.S.
Ayael, I found a few misspells, do you want me to tell you? Maybe here or Discord or emails? I took a photo of them lol But I plan to play only one time and I don't like to overplay a demo, so the misspells may be not all. I don't know if you have fixed these tho, sorry if this is redundant.
Edit:
Master of Murmurs, can I invite you to "murmur" about ourselves in the corner of the royal garden, far from sights? Thank you in advance.
Thanks for the detailed review, to answer a couple of the point here:
- There thing to be a few problem with the music indeed, we will try to patch this before the next build
- If you dislike the stats feature, I strongly encourage you to take only the petitions, if you are in story mode you can ignore the policie system completely except the one required time for the tutorial. For me, petitions are 100% into the story, your story as Empress and which kind of Empress you want to be.
- The MC does have maids and ladies-in-waiting, they are just part of the background and mentionned when necessary. One lady-in-waiting does have a sprite in the full game tho ~
- You can send me the typos in discord yes
- Who knows what the Master of Murmurs might do, if the game has a lot of succes........................
Noooooo, I actually love stats feature D: I love being confused and making things harder for myself. It is harder to be immersed yes, but I want to at least go through it one or two times D: ...And, oh, I guess the petitions are part of the story. That slips from me.
Okay, which server I have to send the typos to? Feedback?
And... MASTER OF MURMURS DLC IF THINGS ARE GOING WELL AAAAAAAYYYY
I'm confused. If the bar in settings is highlighted does that mean it's on or off bc I want nsfw scene. Also really want master of murmurs and Alden, both far more interesting than alexander imo, absolutely loved the demo btw
When it's half opacity it's off, when it's normal opacity it's on! Sorry if it's unclear, I will think to a better visual representation for the next build!
Just played this and i have to say it was AMAZING! The art is beautiful as well as the characters. Especially Asha she is so gorgeous and i think she's my favorite character so far. The writing is done so nicely and i love how the choices are so important. The MC is such a bad bitch and i love her attitude and how she's so elegant and poised at the same time. I'm looking forward to the full game when it comes out (you'll be seeing me in the comments). Good Luck!
I LOVE THIS. The characters are amazing, the writing is great, the art is pretty, there's lots of choices and the MC has a strong personality. Plus I love royal settings and childhood friend romances and fantasy and uh basically everything in this game. It's amazing. I am SO excited and will continue watching development closely and cheering you on. Alexander is my favorite but I was surprised how much I like Theodore he's fun to tease. Asha is great too. Just amazing, you can see how much love was put into this game and I've enjoyed every second. And that cliffhanger!!!! WOW. Thank you for sharing your story!!
Oh that sweet, but we didn't release a demo yet, so there is nothing to install yet! (Hence your difficulties >.<) But we work very hard to make sure there will be something to try soon <3
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Oh mon Dieu!!!!! Je suis entrain de tester la démo et de régler les doléances et je tombe sur Guethenoc et Roparzh XDDDDDDD! Mais merci quoi!!!! Rien que pour le clin d'oeil je te l'achèterai le jeu! (et puis en dehors du fait que ça m'a mis en joie cette référence le jeu est vraiment super, sérieux c'est un plaisir que d'y jouer)
Ahah, je suis vraiment contente que ça t'ai plu, on est très fan de Kaamelott donc il est très possible qu'il y ait d'autres références dans le jeu :p
Merci d'avoir pris le temps de tester notre démo ! <3
This is a really wonderful demo and did not feel short at all. Thoroughly enjoyed the intricacies of the choices.
Spoiler, fan rambling:
I think my favorite was regarding the ones about the witnesses and thegreedy soldier. The COLLATERAL DAMAGE COVER STORYwas perfect, but I wanted to honor Alexander's trust in Lydia. I wasn't too convinced that bribery would keep the witnesses silent once they've received payment, but thought it better than appointing positions of power to people motivated only with incentives. Though the bribe may fund people with questionable loyalty, at least the money is gone once they've spent it; unlike with power which Lydia cannot as easily take back once granted. As for the GREEDY SOLDIER decision, it was really tricky. I could see that bribing them again is simply using the same solution that did not work the last time, but I also wanted to avoid killing lest Lydia be known as a tyrant too early on her to-be-reign. So, I initially chose to beat the greedy soldier up. But I guess they were smart to plan an ambush. Since Lydia might needthe MASTER OF MURMURSunharmed, I decided to have them assassinated.It's just so intricate a game; I love how it goes beyond value judgement and ideal choices we all want to make and into all these consequence-driven choices.My favorite character has been Theodore. Initially, it was Alden. He was a good mix of FRANK, PRACTICAL, and COMPETENT. Though Alden brought up LYDIA'S GENDER the most at the beginning, it was mostly because he knew that other people would use it to discredit Lydia's birthright, not because he believed it made her incompetent himself. Writers, it did not escape my attention how, when he talked to her about POLICIES for the first time, he did not bring up her gender at all. So he is simply that: frank and practical. Traits that I see in Theodore as well, even if he is tainted with prejudice and his practicality blurs into cynicism.
Alden is probably my second-favorite now, still a favorite. I don't know why, there is something about always suggesting BLOODY MURDER as the FIRST SOLUTION to everything that turns him into a sort of comic relief. Real murder is not funny, of course, but with all his insistence as an advisor...it makes him a bit 2D in a good, comic "are you for real" way. He has been insisting on brute force for much of the demo, even though it's his responsibility as advisor to see that it could also be bad for Lydia to be seen as a tyrant in the long run. In stats-speak, -10 people.
I've begun to see Alden as a mouthpiece and PERSONIFICATION of any ruler's need for self-preservation. I think it's CLEVER WRITING because considering the plot where the story begins where only Lydia and a few others know of the regicide, there is no other way to convey the threat of being outcast(?) as a ruler and even just staying alive from that POV and limited set of characters. If it were any other story, the threat could be portrayed with interactions with nobles in the Court, specifically in how Lydia has to please them just to protect herself and her plans. But that involves too many side characters and trivial pleasant-sounding conversations and do not convey the gravity of regicide that has happened to the former king and that may someday happen to Lydia.
The writers of Imperial Grace dived straight into it, straight into the plot, without luxury of pace, without excess characters or ones prematurely introduced, without trivial details, in just the right heavy atmosphere. I absolutely loved it!
Spoilers, tangent: Did you intentionally make Robert frustrating? XD He wasn't advisor, there was noreason forhim to bring up Lydia's gender. Rude. If he's so concerned people will use her unwed status to frame power given to her as unstable, maybe stop transferring power to men just because the woman wed? His accusations toward Asha were unreasonable, too. I'm laughed out loud when Lydia used his own sensibilities against himby saying she didn't invite her to dance nakedin honor of the snake goddess Sif.Though the writing is consistent in tone, there are so many comical moments. It was all enjoyable.I initially intended Robert to be some “very annoying grandpa”. Like he can give good advice, listen to all your problems, but he is very old-fashioned and can be harmful without realising. Like it’s so normal for him he has to be a man ruler. He doesn’t even see the problem of saying that to Lydia and how it can be harmful for her. He is guardian of the past but forget to not live in it.
As for Asha, since he is the main representation of the Faith, he is very wary of anything that could disturb the RealFaithTM. Even if he acts very disrespectfully with Asha, he respects her more than we can see. Firstly, because if he is so wary of her is because he fears her influence. He can see how dangerous she can be. He does not straight out underestimate her because she is a woman/stranger, which is still better than some other people in the palace. (Nobles I spared myself to display in the game.)
I don't know what to say, I am so glad you liked the demo. It's such a warm feeling, having the impression someone you don't know has figured out everything you wanted to do. Like, I created Imperial Grace with the desire to write intricated choice like "I love how it goes beyond value judgement and ideal choices we all want to make and into all these consequence-driven choices." It's exactly what I wanted to do, and I am so glad when people see it.
I'm also happy you like Alden, it's true that we laugh a lot about his "murder is the solution to all problems" side, but when you see his story it's quite logical. It's not visible in the demo because it's not talked about much, but Magnus V was the kind of person who didn't mind being seen as a tyrant since he kinda was one and ruled by fear, not by love. So Alden adapted to the situation and he needs time to adapt to you and your way of ruling. He soften through the game.
Thank you again for leaving this long comment, it really made my day, I am so genuinely happy you liked the game for what I wanted it to be, I hope you will like the final game even more.
- Ayael
I am thoroughly impressed with the high level of quality produced into this work so far. From the regal UI, customizable MC, resource management elements making choices weightier, to the petitions element, everything looks incredibly polished. I noticed a typo or two here and there (mainly the word 'fulfill' missing its second 'l' at the end). I felt like the second demo had just enough content to set the stage, allow players get the hang of all the mechanics, and to pique interest in the romantic options. I'm biased toward Theodore for personal and political motivations, but Alexander and Asha are both just as intriguing in their own ways. Overall, it seems like Imperial Grace really has what it takes to fill the gap similar throne ascension games have left open. I will be watching the development of this work very closely. Best of luck to the team!
Thank you for this kind words! <3
(And I spotted the "fulfill" now, it will be corrected in the next patch thanks !)
Hello, if you are more familiar with it, we are also on steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1652580/Imperial_Grace/
On itchio: Your download will give you a .zip file, you have to extract it with a sotftware (personnaly I use Izarc), then you have to open the folder, until you see the .exe
If you have further question, don't hesitate^^
It's amazing
<3
I just wanted to say how excited I am for a empress historically driven game. It looks beautiful so far!
Hope you will enjoy it <3
The Master of Murmurs is gorgeous, please let me love him. D:
Eeeh maybe when the game is done ~
I'll take it!! :D
After finishing the demo I'll say that I love my empress. Even in this short demo, I could see some different reactions, but by far my favorite is the one where she may start looking greedy selfish, and capable to do anything to have power. However, in the more diplomatic and nice choices, she's really much more amazing. I love how she doesn't want to be anything like her father and strives to prove to the men that she can and deserves to rule. I also love how intelligent she is, and can be that exact amount of manipulative but not needing to go extremes to achieve what she wants. And that's in a short demo, I can't wait for more.
Now, I will say this. Asha is P.E.R.F.E.C.T. The moment I've met her I've made my mind about who I would romance. Her design is superb and beautiful her personality is so refreshing and warming. I just want to stay around her all the time. So far she is who I love the most. I'm dying to see more and to get that promised massage.
Thank you for this kind review <3 I am really happy you liked the MC balance between her ambition and her heart, and Asha deserves more love <3
Is there going to be an android version anytime soon? It looks so cool that I want to play it 😄💜
Hello, maybe one day but it's not a priority at the moment. Renpy (the sotfware we use), broke the android portage in it's last update and doing an android (so mobile) portage require to redo most of the UI so it's readable on smaller screen.
That said, the game requires no installation, just unziping the folder, so usually it works even on very small/old laptop with not a lot of power (I even played a game from a USB key once) if it can help.
This is going to sound insanely shallow, but I can't stop myself from commenting on how utterly gorgeous the MC is. I find myself frustrated a lot of the time with how limited the appearance choices and designs are for games like these, but in both appearance and in personality, you allowed for there to be a completely satisfying range of possibilities. I *love* ambitious characters, especially ambitious women, and before now I don't think I've ever been given the option to play as an unapologetically and explicitly cunning and ambitious female character before, so that is a huge plus as well. It's clear that there was a lot of care put into constructing a power-hungry but ultimately sympathetic protagonist, and I appreciate that so much!
Side note, but I also adoreeee the political aspect of Imperial Grace. I'm a huge fan of complex political plots, both in fantasy and non-fantasy settings, and I truly adore the kingdom management aspect. I know the focus is most likely going to be on the love interests after the full game is released, but even the small taste I got of the political side of the MC's world was super compelling.
Thank you very much for taking the time to let this comment <3 It's not shallow at all, I mean it's a visual novel after all! I am also glad you enjoyed the political aspect of the game and if it can ease you, it's still very important afterward. You are not of the hook of dilemna and politics because you are in love mouahahahah
I enjoyed this so much!
Super happy to hear it <3
Loving the demo so far and im curious to see where things go! I also uploaded a let's play of the demo on my channel if that's ok. Good luck with the game development!
Thank you! I am glad you enjoyed it!
Also I watched the replay, you have a lovely voice! If you do the other part, don't hesitate to @synstoria on twitter so I go watch them too <3
Will do and thank you very much!
I've played too many vn's/ otome games and this particular one has been bumped up to my top 5! It's so beautifully well-made for a demo and this just means my expectations for the upcoming versions are up, up, up!
I am tired of MCs who are passive little victims who can't hold their own, always depending on someone else to come swoop down and save them. I can't imagine being that helpless. So when I read, 'A super badass MC', I was sold. I found a certain understanding with our MC's background and I love her ambition, wittiness and attitude.
The UI, art style, characters, writing and resource system are all chef's kiss! It's all so well planned. I absolutely adore the side characters
(please oh pls let me just romance them pls)But that aside, I'm a huge sucker for customizations and seeing my skin colour on there is just :')At this point, just take my goddamn money, Synstoria devs.
I am so excited for the future of your team and I hope that you all continue to prosper. Wishing you guys all the best and stay safe!
Aww thank you so much for your kind word, I am very glad you liked the game, it made my day *hug*
I just finished playing Imperial Grace Demo and I love the story this far! Our three available LIs are also very endearing in their own unique ways <3
My only issues with the current version of the game resides with my headache triggers. The first time I tried the Demo I was in the middle of a migraine and couldn't play at all because the saturated gold of the font prevented me from reading anything. (my brain couldn't process the contrast with its background)
So I waited a week later to play =^.^=
I was really happy to realize that changing the Font to "simple" helped A LOT to reduce the eye strain I was feeling from the saturated gold font colour so thank you a lot for this option <3
It works like a charm !!!
The other element my brain has issue with is the saturated yellow parchment used for the petitions. I have now learned to squint when it time for it to show up! But at least the Font is dark so I can read it perfectly well still. =^.^=
Technically those things aren't "bad elements of the game", it's just that my own brains had difficulties adjusting to them.
But all that aside, I'm totally looking forward to the rest of the game!
You guys worked so hard for the demo <3
May your muse never fails you
=^.^=
Hello, I am glad you enjoyed the game but I am sorry if you had difficulties playing the game because of the color, we try to be the most accessible possible, but my knowledge is very limited in this area, we have progress to make.
Maybe we could add a "resting design" option, like we did for the colorblind, ideally what color should the parchment/text and the textbox/text have to be more comfortable to play for people who has headaches triggers? Any tips overall about what we should care about if we implement this feature?
Oh please you don't have to apologize <3
;) (sorry, couldn't help with this LOtR meme)
I am photosensitive, so I face these kinds of issues in many other games too.
=^.^=
So for the general text, in my case the "Simple" Font worked perfectly to negate the eyestrain effect for the textbox this far. I'm so happy you had this option in your game.
As for the Petition Parchment, in my case the issue is that it's following a very dark screen, so when it appears it's like a "bright beacon of light"
If I may be so bold to make such a suggestion, the appearance of the Petition Parchment could be a bit less "visually disruptive" if we skip the black background altogether and immediately switch to the throne room, and since we're at it, we could also give the parchment a tiny bit of transparency, this way it would cut on its brightness and also making it fit a bit more with its following "Petition Response Options", which are also semi-transparent.
In any case, the appearances of the parchment are predictable in the game, so early on in the demo I could easily guess when it was time to "squint away" because a petition was coming ;) hehehehe
You guys are doing a great job!
Keep it up !!!
<3
XDDD I can't get over the references, I laught so much thanks XD
I will take into consideration your suggestions and see what can be done for the game! I am sure you are not the only person photosensitive and it can also help other people sensitive to sudden change of light.
Thank you so much for your understanding <3
and you have included so much already in your game to help out with dyslexia and colour vision deficiency.
=^.^=
May your muse never fails you !
---'--,-{@
love the demo, need the game
Thank you, we are working on it <3
Played the 2.0 demo, this time choosing bit differently and pursue Mr. Grumpy :D
Have to say, it was more enjoyable route XD
Did notice some text formatting errors (when you fail at beginning, title in the scroll doesn't display properly and if you let the murderous thief live, there's weird symbol), but didn't notice any typos this time.
Recommended to a friend who likes VNs. Maybe I'll play third time to see how Alexander is :D
Ahah I am glad you liked mister grumpy! Theodore really devide people! Do you have a screenshot of the formating problem it helps me understand the problem <3
There you go. Hope it helps.
Oof, indeed there is some problems there, thank you, I will look into it ^^"
So you will be happy to learn I did look into it...
..... And I have no freaking idea of why it does that /die/
More seriously, it won't be corrected the next patch but I am working on it.
cool
Thank you so much for this demo! love the storyline and characters :) can't wait for the upcoming versions <3
Thank you for your kind comment <3
:) This was a brilliant demo! The art style is incredible and the story is captivating. I'm looking forward to seeing more
thank you very much I am glad you enjoyed it <3
I love this so much, I can't wait to see more!!! The writing is fantastic, and I'm looking forward to the next update :)
Thank youuuuuuuu <3
We will have a small update the 04/08 (mostly fixing some typo but also adding the customisable MC!)
I've just played this game, and I gotta say, I really love it! I'm a sucker for management games, and I love how involved we are in this one. The main character is also really witty and smart (we love girlbosses in this house). Keep up the good work and I'm looking forward to more!! :D
Thank you for your kind comment, I am happy you enjouyed the demo <3
I really loved this game. I like how involved you can be with your empire and the story so far is great!
Thanks for your kind comment <3
MAGNIFIQUE. SPLENDIDE.
Je viens tout juste de finir la demo et je n'ai rien à redire. Imperial Grace est au delà de mes espérances ! C'est une vrai bouchée d'air frais, avec ce type de MC forte et qui sait ce qu'elle veut. Parce qu'il faut se l'avouer ça court pas les rues non plus !
Le fait de choisir le mode de jeu, et la traduction française c'est aussi un bon petit plus.
On sent que les choix ont un impact direct sur l'histoire. Histoire qui est des plus intéressante !
La musique, le design. Superbe !
Tout ça pour dire que j'ai hâte de voir la suite. Mes félicitations et bonne continuation !
Merci beaucoup pour ton commentaire super encourageant <3 Ca me fait plaisir de voir la MC recevoir autant d'affection <3
I'm still in my first play-through, but stopping by to say that I LOVE this main character - she is witty, ambitious, and smart as hell..... enjoying the other characters, but she is my favorite! Looking forward to purchasing the full game in the future!
Thaaaaaanks, I really wanted to make the MC a strong flawed and badass woman, I am super happy to see other people loving her as much as I do <3
finaaally, been anxious for the demo release, congratulations!
Gonna play it now
I hope you enjoyed it o/
I've been waiting for this demo for months and it's honestly surpassed all my expectations. The UI is beautiful, the LIs are great (Asha <3) and the resource/ruling system is fun. The side characters are also fleshed out and interesting, my favourite is the Master of Murmurs atm.
Also, you have a ko-fi or discord for the game? I'm excited to see more!
P.S. My friend doesn't have an itch.io account but she's French and wanted to thank you for having a fully french option!
Hi, thank you very much for playing the demo, I am happy you and your friend liked it! As a fellow baguette I regret there is so few otome game in French, so I 100% relate!
We have a discord in small commity for the moment (I am thinking to opening it to a larger population tho), you can join by suscribing our newsletter, the link is among the other rewards (wallpaper / lineage).
Just a small note and I may be in the wrong, but the description of Asha's hair? The narration reads "braids" but the art looks more like locs and I was wondering if that was on purpose? Other than that, this was a fun, fleshed out demo and I'm intrigued for more!
You are right, Asha original design was braid, but the result was gorgeous as it is, and I never changed it so, I will update it in the next build!
Master of Murmurs my beloved <3
I will hype this game, I will donate, I will do whatever I need to do to get that man in Lydia's bedchambers.
I loved everything about this demo. I considered playing in story mode, but I decided to try my hand at resource management, and I'm glad I did. It's super fun and well executed.
I don't really have much to say beyond thank you for bringing Master of Murmurs into my life.
Edit: One thing I did mean to mention. I love the beautiful portraits that appear when a character is speaking, and everything about the UI and general appearance of the game is breathtaking, but I did find myself missing full-sized sprites. Is there an aesthetic reason you opted for the portraits instead of "traditional" sprites, or is there another reason?
Thanks for playing and for commenting, I am really happy you enjoyed the game! As for Master of Murmurs, will see what futur holds :p
For the portrait, there is several reason despite the artistical choice, mostly related to money. Portrait only are less expensive in itself but they also required less variation (position, clothes) etc. Typically I am super perfectionist and I hate when I write "he draws his sword" but the sprite doesn't.
That said, there is several CG plans on half or full body so we can admire a bit more the characters ~
Loved this !! At first I was going to do an infinite resource run just to see what things were going to be like, but I couldn't resist testing myself against the system and I'm glad I did! Money solves so many problems but it's not so easy to get. I was pleased with the way that the money resource and people resource seemed to work in tandem: it would be too easy for me to say to hell with it and make the nobility pay for everything! All the resources worked well in tandem so while I wasn't able to have a total surplus of everything I wanted, I still didn't feel like I was being cornered into making bad decisions. I'd recommend anyone who's shy about their resource management skills give this a try!
I also liked how it was made clear that ascending to the throne as a woman was unusual without rubbing my nose in it too badly. A lot of games feel the need to overexplain (as if they personally invented sexism and I won't understand it unless they REALLY hit me with it) which just makes the whole thing feel ugly: this was a good balance of me stoically brave-facing it while still wanting to stomp a few choice people. I also like the range for "Lydia's" personality: while there were dialogues I had very little part in (like talking to Theodore in the library) I felt like they were consistent to her character, and to decisions I'd been able to make in the past (mostly to remain stoic while still doing my best to help). It's really hard to give the player options while trying to maintain a consistent personality, and this was a great execution of that! Looking forward to more!
<3
Thanks for your comment, I am glad you enjoyed the demo and decided to give a try to the resources managment, we did our best to balance it in order to give extra challenge but not too much, so if it worked I am proud!
I just finished a playthrough (I consistently choose Alexander, my best boy, through it)! It is really great! Everything is NEAT, the visuals are stunning. I have praised the character sprites many times. The background CGs look superb. I think I spent a minute or two admiring your UI, from the main page to the settings page, I clicked on it one by one lol XD Even if I had to use Simple font because the default is a little hard to read ^^"
The OST sounds super good too! I think it really contributes a lot to the atmosphere. But I can't say anything about the composition of course XD I notice in Alexander's route, one OST (I called it D Minor Arpeggio OST lol... I think it is D Minor...) is repeated a lot when I click to proceed with the story. I think it is a programming problem? It is continued until the scene fades into the "Policies, Petitions, and Diplomacy" page. I can hear the OST repeated twice or thrice on this page too.
The writing is detailed. I love the narration, even though the quotation marks (the « ... ») take a little while for me to be used to it. I read slowly at my own pace and I've never been bored even for a second. Unfortunately, I can't say more about the story or characters when playing a demo because it is still only a part of the story, even more so if the game has stats feature. For me, stats feature has the downside that it is harder for me to be immersed. So I think for the story review, I will wait until we have more material for me to be able to process it in my head (maybe the final version). But agreeing with user @VersaceHostile below, the MC is truly a freaking bad bitch XD XD XD
By the way, does Lydia not have any ladies-in-waiting or maidservants? Is it not the custom? I want to ask one more thing, but I can't for the life of me remember it :D Maybe I will ask you on tumblr when I remember.
P.S.
Ayael, I found a few misspells, do you want me to tell you? Maybe here or Discord or emails? I took a photo of them lol But I plan to play only one time and I don't like to overplay a demo, so the misspells may be not all. I don't know if you have fixed these tho, sorry if this is redundant.
Edit:
Master of Murmurs, can I invite you to "murmur" about ourselves in the corner of the royal garden, far from sights? Thank you in advance.
Thanks for the detailed review, to answer a couple of the point here:
- There thing to be a few problem with the music indeed, we will try to patch this before the next build
- If you dislike the stats feature, I strongly encourage you to take only the petitions, if you are in story mode you can ignore the policie system completely except the one required time for the tutorial. For me, petitions are 100% into the story, your story as Empress and which kind of Empress you want to be.
- The MC does have maids and ladies-in-waiting, they are just part of the background and mentionned when necessary. One lady-in-waiting does have a sprite in the full game tho ~
- You can send me the typos in discord yes
- Who knows what the Master of Murmurs might do, if the game has a lot of succes........................
Noooooo, I actually love stats feature D: I love being confused and making things harder for myself. It is harder to be immersed yes, but I want to at least go through it one or two times D: ...And, oh, I guess the petitions are part of the story. That slips from me.
Okay, which server I have to send the typos to? Feedback?
And... MASTER OF MURMURS DLC IF THINGS ARE GOING WELL AAAAAAAYYYY
Oh I completely missunderstand your first post sorry ahah, and yes feedback is good!
I'm confused. If the bar in settings is highlighted does that mean it's on or off bc I want nsfw scene. Also really want master of murmurs and Alden, both far more interesting than alexander imo, absolutely loved the demo btw
When it's half opacity it's off, when it's normal opacity it's on! Sorry if it's unclear, I will think to a better visual representation for the next build!
so when it's orange nsfw content is on?
Yes, you are good! Although, there is no NSFW content in the demo itself, it takes time to create the intimacy!
ah ok, was just confused
Liked this. Very handsome characters. Wishing everyone working on this the best!
Thank you <3 I am glad you enjoyed the demo!
Just played this and i have to say it was AMAZING! The art is beautiful as well as the characters. Especially Asha she is so gorgeous and i think she's my favorite character so far. The writing is done so nicely and i love how the choices are so important. The MC is such a bad bitch and i love her attitude and how she's so elegant and poised at the same time. I'm looking forward to the full game when it comes out (you'll be seeing me in the comments). Good Luck!
Thank you <3 I am glad you enjoyed the demo, also
> The MC is such a bad bitch and i love her attitude and how she's so elegant and poised at the same time.
Is my new favorite comment 😂
I LOVE THIS. The characters are amazing, the writing is great, the art is pretty, there's lots of choices and the MC has a strong personality. Plus I love royal settings and childhood friend romances and fantasy and uh basically everything in this game. It's amazing. I am SO excited and will continue watching development closely and cheering you on. Alexander is my favorite but I was surprised how much I like Theodore he's fun to tease. Asha is great too. Just amazing, you can see how much love was put into this game and I've enjoyed every second. And that cliffhanger!!!! WOW. Thank you for sharing your story!!
Thank you, I am super happy you enjoyed the demo <3
ooo really good art hope man bun will be a love interest
Unfortunately he is not, but he appears a lot, so at least, you will be able to feast your eyes on him more than often 😂
aw
You guys are doing really well with visibility. Demo's not even out, and I'm already psyched!
Thank you!!! It's silly but dev are forced to spend so much time on marketing, I am glad it is worth <3
(And we are working on the demo huhu)
bro this looks gorgeous, im so excited for the demo release!! ALEXANDER THE GENERAL👌👌👌 !!!
Thanks <3 And Alexander seems to have a lot of sucess ahah! Careful or you will make him blush ~
ahhh i can't wait!!
<3
would like to try this game but it can't be installed :/
Oh that sweet, but we didn't release a demo yet, so there is nothing to install yet! (Hence your difficulties >.<) But we work very hard to make sure there will be something to try soon <3
woo! Super excited for this game. I'll keep an eye out for the demo!
Thank you very much for your support <3