Number Days Sim Date

Author: Pacthesis

Availability: Free, Online/Browser-based

Format: Dating Sim/Point-and-Click

Genre: Supernatural

Rating: Teen

Found at: pacthesisgames.com OR simdategames.net

My Scores (out of 5):

Writing: 4.5

Art: 4.5

Gameplay: 4.5

Romance: 4 (“Ooh, now we're talking!”)

Summary

In Number Days Sim Date, you are Evelyn/Insert-Name-Here. You've gone with your friends to the grand opening of a new theme park, only to suddenly find yourself alone in a park that's now surrounded by a glass wall. A few other people are in the same predicament as you, and you've all gotten the same cryptic text message on your phones: “Your time here will end when your number reaches zero.” Your number is Twelve...

Review

The Writing

First of all, the plot is amazing in both concept and execution. The story is like an episode of The Twilight Zone, and I can easily picture it being adapted into a book or movie. In fact, if anyone reading this knows Pacthesis (or, better yet, is Pacthesis), I'd like to point out that the indie game Five Nights at Freddy's has already made such a transition, so it might be time to get an agent and/or publisher and claim some of that sweet, sweet Internet Money.

The characters are very distinct and fleshed out, each possessing flaws, passions, and quirks that come up again and again in both the cut-scenes and the dialog-trees. No two are interchangeable, and even characters with similar traits (weirdness, intelligence, shyness, etc.) express those traits in very different ways. This helps make the endings very satisfying and emotional, both in story-mode and free-mode.

I greatly enjoy how the plot itself isn't just flavor, but is instead used to showcase the characters' personalities by letting us see how they operate under pressure. Who takes charge? Who follows? Who tries to solve things by himself? I also like how every character's path ties into the game's over-arching theme of “Be Yourself, and Accept Others for Who They Are”, which is a good message. I do wish, however, that the dialog-trees were a little more synced up with the main story-line, since characters sometimes reference things that either haven't been introduced yet or were already solved.

The Art

Not only is the art well-drawn, but I'm very impressed by the level of effort that clearly went into it. Dialog is accompanied by a profile-picture with changing expressions, and the main part of the game features animated figures, decent backgrounds, and some very lovely CGs. I also like how the lighting changes from day to night, and the way inventory items appear in the backpack as actual items rather than just abstract icons of equal size. The music is fun, too.

The Gameplay

Number Days offers two modes of play: story-mode and free-mode. This makes it easier to go back and get alternate endings without the main plot getting in the way. Story-mode also offers chapter-select, and each section begins with helpful tips on how to play.

Like Cafe Rouge, much of the game involves wandering through the map, as opposed to just selecting a location and being magically teleported. Unlike Cafe Rouge, though, there is a handy mini-map to consult if you get lost. Also, as in MemoryDays and HeavenlyPlaygirl Dating Sim, characters' locations often change; however, the relocations are much more frequent and random, here, which can be very annoying when you need to find someone.

The classic Dating Sim Interactions of Talk/Gift/Date are all present and all affect the game, but with interesting side-effects that I won't discuss because of spoilers. There is also a point-and-click element of finding small objects scattered across the map, which presents an extra challenge. Strangely, there is also a set of...non-minigames? I'm not sure what to call them, since they're an activity that you can do to get tickets for prizes, but “playing” them really just amounts to rolling a die to see how well your character did. It took me a while to realize what was going on, and then, since I usually hate mini-games anyway, I wasn't sure how I should feel about it. Luckily, nothing about this section is truly necessary anyway, unless you really want to give your new friend an expensive present.

TL;DR

Two words: Magnum Opus. Number Days is one of the best games I've ever reviewed and may well be Pacthesis' crowning achievement. The plot and characters are well-developed, the art is lovely and brings the story to life, and the game-play is both elaborate and well-balanced. Most of Pacthesis' earlier games have struck me as being slightly experimental, and this game is where the previous experiments finally pay off.

What do you think, though? Does this game deserve all the happiness, or is its number up? The comment section is open today, with free admission and no height-restrictions!

Memory Days Sim Date

Author: Pacthesis

Availability: Free, Online/Browser-based

Format: Visual Novel/Dating Sim

Genre: School Romance

Rating: PG

Found at Pacthesisgames.com OR Simdategames.net

My Scores (out of 5):

Writing: 2

Art: 4

Gameplay: 3.8

Romance: 2.5 (“Middle of the road, maybe”)

Summary

In Memory Days Sim Date, you are Ai/Insert-Name-Here. You used to only come to West Cigam for the summer, but a change in your father's career has resulted in you moving here, permanently. Now, you have the opportunity to let those people you met in passing become friends...or more. What memories will you make, now?

Review

The Writing

Plot-wise, there isn't really a lot to this game; you just attend school and talk to boys until summer break comes. What makes this especially annoying is that the intro seems to tease so much more, with cryptic references to weird happenings in West Cigam, and a character whose cousin has gone missing. Unfortunately, the only “weirdness” that you get to actually see is a cameo by Xolga in one character's route. Even the theme of Memory seems a little bit shoe-horned to me, since while memories and making memories are frequently referenced in the dialog, there doesn't seem to really be any call for it: nobody is on a quest to remember or forget something, memories do not provide a key to any plot-point, nobody's personality is defined by a memory...it just seems to be rolled onto the game like a coat of paint.

The characters themselves have some pretty interesting drama in their back-stories, but these don't really come into play at all until the end of the game. The dialog in the talk options is mostly small-talk that doesn't really give more than a hint of their personalities, and the event scenes range from sweet to mundane. All in all, I find this to be Pacthesis' blandest work in terms of writing, with a lot of smoke but very little fire.

The Art

The drawing style is about on par with Pacthesis' other work, but what really makes the art here stand out is the extra effort put into the technical things like scenery changes, wardrobe changes, and animated bits. Guys will change their clothes depending on where they are, and the backgrounds will change with the seasons. You can even decorate your room a bit, which I thought was a nice touch. It's a very nice level of variety that most games don't usually have, and I greatly appreciate it.

The Gameplay

I get the impression, between the art and the gameplay, that this game was really more of a “technological experiment” of sorts, since it's very different from all of the author's earlier games and has a lot more moving parts. Guys change their locations every day, the shops change their wares every week, and it's actually possible to break up with a guy, after which you can't talk to him for a while. Also, your actions are limited not only by energy, but by mood, which almost prevents exploitation of the work-food mechanic. There is also a need to spend some time studying, since failing one of the periodic tests will result in a sharp drop in mood and energy.

The overall format is actually closer to a visual novel than a dating sim, since the relationships with the guys are based entirely on events fixed in time (and choices made at those events), while talking, gifts, and dating don't actually matter at all. Granted, having a good conversation with your guy (or going on a date) can boost your mood, but they do nothing to actually raise your relationship and can be safely ignored altogether. Mostly, you just need to go to the right location on the right day and take things from there.

TL;DR

Memory Days does have some impressive features, though the writing is pretty thin and, partly as a result of this, the gameplay seems to drag a little bit. I can't really call it a bad game, though, since it's very clear that a lot of effort was put into its creation and, in many areas, this effort pays off. It's a mixed bag in my opinion, but overall, I think it's worth checking out.

So, am I being too harsh on a good game, or too light on a bad game? Is this game a cherished memory, or just a weird thing best forgotten? Go ahead and tell me in the comments!

Lunar Days Sim Date

Author: Pacthesis
Availability: Free, Online
Format: Dating Sim
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: PG
My Scores: (Writing: 3, Art: 3, Gameplay: 3.5) out of 5

Found at  http://www.deviantart.com OR http://www.bestonlinerpggames.com

Summary

Lunar Days Sim Date has nothing to do with werewolves, despite what the name and the sillouhette on the title card might lead you to believe.  In Lunar Days Sim Date, you are Karina/Insert-Name-Here.  After a recurring dream leads you to a magical book, you find yourself transported to a strange world populated by humans and cat-people, where a green moon shines during the season-long night.  Since the book's magic only works during the full moon, it will be a while before you can return home.  But once the time comes, will you even want to?

Review

The Writing:

I really like the setting Pacthesis has created here.  While the story itself is relatively simple, and the premise is similar to Dating Sim Academy in that you are magically whisked to a strange land of animal-people for no adequately explained reason, the world and the characters in it give this game its life.  We are given glimpses of racial tension and its effects on the people of this world, and glimpses of what it means to have night and day pass like seasons instead of hours.  It makes me want to see more of this setting.  This could easily be re-used as the backdrop of a movie, or a novel, or even another several dating sims, and it wouldn't feel old. There is much to explore here, and if Pacthesis doesn't choose to do so, then I hope that she gives the fans her blessing and that someone takes up this torch.

Story-wise, however, this isn't really Pacthesis' strongest work, although it's still quite good.  The introduction sequence starts out a little cliched, but then, after the book is opened, does a very good job at drawing the player in.  The characters have distinguishable personalities, and some have interesting secrets.  Sadly, the dialogue has a smattering of typos and mistakes here and there, but at least it's nothing that will ruin the gameplay.

Also, this is the second time I've given a more conservative age-ranking than the official one; the author bills this as an "all ages" game, but I felt that some of the flirting in the dialogue was a wee bit too saucy to be truly "all ages".  Yes, I am hyper-conservative and picky about everything, which I hope you'll always keep in mind when reading these reviews.

The Art:

All of the backgrounds are filtered stock-photos.  This is an accepted convention among makers of free dating games, but I did miss having a drawn background.  To me, the scenes set in our world looked a bit tacky, although for the emerald world, it worked much better.  

What is drawn is mostly okay.  It does get off-model quite a bit, though there are some very good bits also.  There's some nice animation peppered in the game, and the music is appropriately eerie.  I also like the changing profile picture in the HP meter.  Lastly, gifts given to the characters appear in their rooms, which was a nice touch.

The Gameplay:

This game does things a little differently than Pacthesis' previous works.  For one thing, it doesn't show you any numbers.  Your character has no stats to build up, so which job you work depends on how much HP you want to spend.  As for HP, while certain interactions are said to cost a certain amount, your only clue about how much HP you have is the round meter in the corner which shows you how tired you are.  This means it will take a while to figure out how much you can get done in a day.  On the other hand, often-meaningless numbers for relationship points have been replaced with words like "Acquaintance", "Friend", or "Soulmate", making it much easier to understand where you are with a person.

Rather than a mini-map, the game puts you in the world and lets you wander, like in Cafe Rouge.  This heightens the sense of immersion, but can also cause a little frustration as you try to remember where you are and how to get to where you want to go.  On the plus side, there are multiple places where you can rest, meaning that you might not have to trot quite so far; and usually, once you've reached the Friend level with a person, you can rest at their house, saving yourself a trip altogether.

It's very difficult to actually lose this game, since generally, even if you fail to win the person of your dreams, you'll still get a nice surprise once you get home.  This makes failure almost as much fun as success.  The good news is that clicking on the moon when you're resting skips you forward to the last day, making it easier to see every possible ending.

TLDR:

Lunar Dating Sim isn't really Pacthesis' strongest work, although it's still good.  The world she builds here is exquisite, and I wish I could someday see more of it.  The art leaves a bit to be desired and the gameplay tries new things.  Overall, this is a fun game, and very much worth playing.  Also, there are no werewolves.

This is, naturally, all the opinion of one person.  You yourself may think this game is the cat's meow, or you may think it needs to be banished from this world.  Feel free to discuss your own opinion on the comments. :)

Chrono Days Sim Date

Author: Pacthesis

Availability: Free, Online/browser

Format: Dating Sim

Genre: Sci Fi

Rating: Teen

My Scores: (Writing: 4, Art: 4.8, Gameplay: 5) out of 5

Found at http://www.deviantart.com/ or http://www.newgrounds.com/

Summary:

In Chrono Days Sim Date, you are Saige. A hole has appeared in the sky, leading 100 years into the past, and your friend's brother has invented a device to let you jump through it. What--or who--will you discover?

Review:

Writing:

One thing that impresses me about the setup is the fact that, in this game, at least three characters are candidates for "The Canonical Love Interest". Generally, in these sorts of games, either all of the suitors are equal, or one is considered "canon". Here, though, out of eight possible love interests, you have one childhood friend with a marriage promise, one long-time acquaintance with an obvious (and possibly mutual) crush, and one kind but lonely stranger who takes you into his home. The game hasn't started, and already, feelings are on the line. Let the shipping begin!

The characters themselves are well written and interesting, and it's quite easy to develop an emotional attachment to them. What's more, the cut-scenes go a long way toward developing the characters and sense of story. I'm not saying that every Dating Sim should have cut-scenes throughout, but they are something to consider and are used to very good effect here.

The time-travel concept is interesting, but the game obviously doesn't take itself too seriously here. Apparently, there is only a 100 year span between The Old West and a Jestsons-like future with AI Robots and time travel. The approach here is almost child-like, actually, with little or no attempt at basing the setting on any real or recognizable history. What's more, everyone Saige meets in the past seems pretty open-minded about her being a time-traveler from the future.

Art:

The art and animation here are exquisite. However, I wouldn't dare to call it perfect. There are a couple points where characters are, according to the context of the scene, supposed to be bending or moving somehow, but the animation consists of tilting a static figure back and forth, making the characters seem like blocks of wood. This is especially odd in light of the other cut-scene pictures and animations in the game which have the characters in different poses. In other words, it could have been done differently, in a way that didn't look so clunky. Personally, I think one or two still drawings would've had a much better effect; sometimes a simple technique used well is more effective than a fancy technique used poorly.

Also, I had to take off part of a point for the music in one scene. You may call me pedantic, if you like, and I probably am. Still, it bothered me that a clearly tragic scene - with a beautiful job on the tears, I might add - was scored with the same cheerful background music as other parts of the game. Again, since the soundtrack does change in places, this is not excusable as something the creator "simply couldn't do".

Gameplay:

This game blew me away. I feel like, for the first time, I've seen what Dating Sims have the potential to be, and it is more astounding than I could have ever expected.

This game uses its concepts. The time travel plot isn't merely a premise that introduces you to a dating sim scenario and then leaves until the epilogue; it comes back. The cut-scenes move the story along, and characters are introduced at different points, keeping it moving. You end up being able to shift between two wildly different settings at a whim, and are able to bring objects from one time into another in order to impress the locals.

Best of all for a time travel game, you can actually influence the future a little by your actions in the past. A man is going to another city. He arrives, settles down, gets married and has children, and one of his descendants returns to the old town and meets you. OR: A man is going to another city, but he remembers he made a promise to a strange girl he met before leaving.... And suddenly history is changed. It's beautiful. It's what a time-travel plot should be.

What's more, there are multiple unlockable characters, some more difficult to attain than others, giving a nice bit of challenge for those who seek it without alienating those who don't.

TLDR:

This game is a Must Play. It's not infallible, but it shows the heights Dating Sims can reach, while leaving room for others to go even higher. It's very rich in story, uses its premise beautifully, and does more with this medium than I had come to expect. Whether you're a DS fanatic or just a casual game player, I highly recommend this one.

Of course, this is all my opinion, and I'm not infallible either. You might decide it's not worthy of all my hype. Feel free to state your own opinions in the comments.

Kingdom Days Sim Date

Author: Pacthesis

Availability: Free, Online/browser

Format: Dating Sim

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: Everyone

My Scores: (Writing: 3.5, Art: 4.8, Gameplay: 3.5)

Found at: http://www.deviantart.com/ and/or http://www.newgrounds.com/

Summary:

In Kingdom Days Sim Date, you are Rose. You used to live in an orphanage, until one day you met a strange boy who revealed that you're the long-lost daughter of the king and queen, and he himself is your servant. Sometime after this, though, war forces you to flee from your castle and take shelter with a king who will only allow you to stay if you marry him at the end of a month. Will you go through with it, or will you find a future with someone else?

Review:

Once again, I found myself waffling over the numbers, so take them with a grain of salt. I may have to change my rating system again.

The Writing:

At first, I thought the whole bit with the orphanage was superfluous. Since the premise essentially boils down to "You are a princess", it didn't make sense to have such a long introduction sequence catering to the "Orphan has royal parents" fantasy, which probably hasn't been relevant since the 1800's. However, while this background doesn't have much bearing on the game in general, it becomes absolutely crucial for one character's path. Even so, it probably could have been handled differently - either introduced more subtly, or made more relevant to different parts of the game - so that it doesn't seem like a massive weight pressing down on the game with just one character path acting as a load-bearing pillar. Other than this, the game has Pacthesis' usual interweaving plot threads, attention to detail, and odd humor, all of which I've come to love.

The Art:

I almost gave this a 5. Almost. Had the art for some scenes been just a liiiiittle bit tighter, it would have been perfect; as it was, it was impressive. From the use of monochrome in the beginning, to the animation during the escape, to the detail of Rose and Lewis being spattered with mud as they run through the woods, it's clear that a lot of effort was put into this. The characters and scenery are lovely, expressions and wardrobe change quite a bit, and overall, I am just very impressed.

The Gameplay:

THE STATS DO SOMETHING! Finally, a Dating Sim where the stats actually do something: Charm is required in order to go on dates, Wisdom is required to work the better job, and Magic is used to unlock the cheat codes. Granted, the system is not above criticism, but it is a huge step up from the mostly decorative stats in Pacthesis' other games.

Like Idol Days, there is one hidden character who must be unlocked, and one character who shows up at the half-way point, meaning you have less time to complete his path. The game is also nice enough to tell you when you've completed each path. Also, there are no pesky minigames! Hooray!

Unfortunately, the endings are less satisfying once you realize that the *relationship points* mean nothing. Oh Pacthesis, why did you give me ice cream and take away my cake? The mechanics of the game appear to be rigged so that when you progress to a certain point in a character's path, you invite them to your wedding, which means that they show up at the church and can thus be selected for an ending. While this may seem a perfectly acceptable way to do things, there are two characters (The king and your servant) who will *always* show up at the church, regardless of your relationship with them. This means that you can pretty much approach a person you've had nothing to do with all month and say "OMG I love you! Let's get married and live happily ever after!" Compare this to Idol Days and Wonderland Days, where all of the characters show up to wish you well and only the one(s) you have a high enough relationship with will cart you off into the sunset. Since Kingdom Days is entirely dependent on the dialogue path/church mechanic, there's no purpose to the gifts or dating, and no sense of accomplishment when you "win" either the king or Lewis.

TLDR:

To sum it all up, it's pretty clear that Pacthesis keeps getting better and better at making these games. There are some new things being tried out here, some of which work and some of which don't. The writing isn't perfect, but it's nice; the art is impressive and shows a lot of attention and effort. I'm not a fan of the game's method of handling relationships, but it plays all right, and generally makes for a lovely and relaxing way of passing an afternoon.

As always: This is just my own opinion, based on my own experiences and biases. Feel free to share yours. :)

Idol Days Sim Date

Author: Pacthesis

Availability: Free, Online/browser

Format: Dating Sim

Genre: Musical Fiction

Rating: PG

My Scores: (Writing: 3.5 Art: 4.5 Gameplay: 3) out of 5

Found at http://www.deviantart.com/ and/or http://www.java-gaming.com/

Summary:

In Idol Days Sim Date, you are Lexie, a teenage girl who moved to the city with dreams of playing the guitar in a band. Through sheer luck, you happen to run right into a member of a local band whose guitarist just left, and they have a big concert coming up in 30 days.

Review:

The Writing:

The story is pretty unashamed wish-fulfilment; after all, who among us hasn't dreamed of playing in a band? And Lexie pretty much walks right into a sweet gig without even having to audition. It's one of those setups where you can hear the suspension of disbelief snapping, but don't care because "Rock Band! YAY!" Also, once again, I adore the sense of cohesion and unity that Pacthesis puts in her games by giving each character a piece of a larger story. If any would-be dating sim authors are out there taking notes, circle that part and underline it three times; it really improves the feel of the game.

That being said, there were some bits of the writing that I didn't personally care for. For one thing, the secret character seems a little bit *too* wish-fulfilly. I return a celebrity's wallet, and all of a sudden he's constantly gushing about how awesome I am? Maybe others would find that to be wonderful escapism, but I just found it to be strange and a little nauseating.

Also, you might notice that I rated this game E 10+ (Edit: Changed to PG because of html issues). The author herself declares it to be an all-ages game, but I gave it the more conservative ranking because of one character's interrupted attempt at suicide (described in text, but not shown). Apparently, it's very easy for an author to think of suicide (attempted or successful) as a shorthand way of saying "This character is very sad and/or had his feelings very hurt." While I'm reluctant to call it poor taste, it is an immature view; unrealistic without the counterbalance of wish-fulfillment (rare fetishes aside, unless I'm really missing something here). Suicide tends to be the result of very deep problems, either mental illness or a life so bleak and pain-filled that normal coping mechanisms no longer work. Figure, the human aversion to killing is very strong, and the aversion to dying even more so. This is why true suicidal thinking is considered a medical emergency. The game, however, doesn't treat it as anything more significant than wearing black and reciting bad poetry, which bugs me, and Pacthesis certainly isn't the only one to do so, which bothers me. Perhaps we should have a "Suicide Awareness Week" in schools?

Art:

The art is very decent, with some nice effects. Once again, it's anime style, so haters beware. The concert at the end has...um...an attempt at animation, which I feel was more to the game's detriment than its betterment. The musicians just kind of stand there, looking blankly off into the distance, while their hands move a little. Also, having dealt with silent characters all this time, it felt very weird for one character to suddenly sing in a voice that sounded nothing like I'd imagined him having. Fortunately, this music video is skippable, but it still makes me wince a little thinking about it.

Game-play:

The game-play is about on par with the other dating sims on this blog. The time management is a bit tighter than in Festival Days, there's no cheating via food items (that I could figure out, anyway). There are a few bugs, though, such as missing dialog in the dating scenes for a few of the characters. Also, the second workplace does not function, which means the stats are entirely unnecessary. (Fortunately, it is entirely possible to get by with only the first workplace, which makes this bug fairly unintrusive.) Guitar skill makes a slight difference, as your band-mates' praise after the concert will change depending on whether this stat is high or not, but it otherwise doesn't do much. The music video is the same, the romantic ending is the same, and even if your skill is 0, it's impossible to fail the concert.

TLDR:

In short, this is a cute game. It's not realistic at all, but that's okay. It has its bugs, but it's still playable. There are a couple things that annoyed me, such as the suicide plotline and that music video, both of which I feel the game would be better without. But again, all of this is my own opinion, and you may well tell me to stuff it and stop talking out of my hat. You can state your own opinion in the comments.

Festival Days Sim Date

Author: Pacthesis
Availability: Free, Online/Browser
Format: Dating Sim

Genre: School Romance
Rating: Teen
My Score: 3 out of 5

Found at www.NewGrounds.com or www.DeviantArt.com

Summary:
In Festival Days Sim Date, you play a high-school girl who loves to cook and dreams of working in a restaurant. The school's culture festival is in 30 days, and rumor has it that the festival can make a couple's relationship last forever. So, time to find a boyfriend!

Review:

The art is anime style, so anime-haters beware. That being said, it isn't as good as the art in Pacthesis' later work Wonderland Days. While there are some nice special effects and decent backgrounds, the people themselves just look wrong. Necks are far off to the side, chests don't quite line up... Some may be able to look past this, but I find it a little distracting.

The setup is a little cliche, but at the same time kind of charming. One of the game's strongest points is the way the characters' threads touch each other; for example, one of the characters is dating an extra in the game, and when you get to the point where they break up, her dialog changes. There's only a little of this, mind you, but I think it's a nice touch. My main complaint, though, is that the game commits the same sin as Dating Sim Academy in having generic "Right/Wrong" responses to conversation options, instead of any specific and meaningful reactions. I realize that doing it that way is a lot more work for the creator, but I think it's worth the effort to tell the player "This is wrong because X" instead of just "This is wrong"; it enhances the game experience on many levels.

The gameplay follows the standard format of other dating-sims listed on this blog; find a guy, talk, give gift, date. You have the option to change your name and choose an astrological sign which determines your starting stats (Contrary to what you are told in the intro, Luck has nothing to do with finding a mate. Its sole purpose seems to be unlocking the bonus feature after the game.), and there are a few cheats and surprises in a couple of the locations.

There is one minigame: the cooking minigame. I actually find it to be quite tolerable, partly because it is not timed as I had first feared, and partly because it's not strictly essential to the game (although it *is* essential for one character's path). It does, however, affect the game to a good degree: Success rewards you with skill to get a better job, and food items which can be eaten for HP, given as gifts, or used to advance the game in certain ways. Failure drains your HP. All in all, I find it to be more than fair. If anything, this minigame is very easy to exploit; making bento costs 25 HP, but eating it gives you 50. Lather, rinse, repeat and you can theoretically max out every single suitor in a day.

So to summarize, this game is cute, charming, and very relaxing to play. The minigame is not stress-inducing. While there are a few elements that could be improved, it's still a nice way to kill an afternoon. :)

Wonderland Days Sim Date

Author: Pacthesis

Availability: Free, Online/Browser
Format: Dating Sim

Genre: Fantasy / Literature
Rating: Everyone
My Score: 4 out of 5

Found At: http://www.newgrounds.com/

Summary:
In Wonderland Days Sim Date, You play as Alice, who may or may not be the original Alice of Wonderland fame. It's implied in one ending that the book by Lewis Carroll is a separate entity. Anyway, It's your birthday, and when your cute childhood friend goes to fetch your present, you end up following a rabbit down a hole and landing in Wonderland. It turns out the hole is a portal that only opens once a month, so you're basically stuck chilling in a beautiful setting surrounded by cute characters until the big dance at the end of the month. Oh woe is you. ;)

Review:
Of all the dating sims I've ever played, this is the best by a far cry. The art is clean and excellent by internet standards, and I'm in love with how Pacthesis handled the writing. Other than "You must find a date in x days", the game contains an overarching storyline of which each character holds a piece. One character will tell you more about what's going on and how you got there, but even he doesn't know everything about this little world.

The game deviates a lot from the book, which may strike you as either a good thing or a bad thing. The characters are given new back-stories and, in some cases such as the March Hare and the Tweedle twins, different genders. (The girls are only extras, by the way; there is no lesbian option.) Personalities are also tweaked according to the genre, but not, in my opinion, too far fetched. There's a lot less madness in this version of Wonderland, but it keeps a lovely sense of fantasy.

My biggest complaint about the game is the Gemini mini-game. Mini-games in general tend to drive me nuts. In this one, you have to dig through a pile of crap looking for a given object. It's not like those Eye-Spy games; you have to *MOVE* all the other items aside in order to uncover the quest object. It's tedious, frustrating, and thankfully not mandatory. It's basically a "job" game to give you 10 gold, but you can earn almost that same amount through Street Performing. Performing is also a minigame, but it's a lot less clicking and grumbling; you basically just choose which act to do for your audience and if you choose right, they tip you. The answers never change, so you can easily memorize the pattern to maximize your earnings.

In short, this is probably the best free, online example of the genre you can find. It adheres to the basic formula, but the writing keeps it from becoming tedious. The worst minigame is avoidable, and there are suprises to be had if you're willing to click around a bit. Also, it's really hard to lose this game. Even if you fail to court any of the Wonderland cast properly, you can still go to bed and wake up with a final chance at finding true love. Not a bad deal, all things considered!