I feel almost intimidated writing a review for this game, because it is - in my opinion - the best visual novel in existence, and my word stacking could hardly do it justice. That’s why I’m just going to write a simple summary first, before I make my attempt:

Pros:
Complex and fulfilling story that draws out real emotions in the player
Realistic character development
Many, many plot-twists that tie in together perfectly
Beautiful art and mood-appropriate surroundings
Most likely the best soundtrack I have ever come across
Leaves an impact and a lot of thought in the reader
Struggles and dilemmas that are not presented cheaply, nor unrealistically
Auto-saving during choices and a lot of save spaces that can be locked so that you cannot overwrite them by accident
Extras

Cons:
No “skip only read” option, although in this game that’s not really a problem

Now, let’s start at the beginning. When I first opened this game, the first thing I noticed was how the art and the original soundtrack worked perfectly to create an almost palpable atmosphere. That, together with the writing style, has set a mood so intense I could literally feel all the emotions the characters were going through.
There was one thing I was disappointed with at first - the backgrounds. At the beginning of the game, it just didn’t seem to fit to me - everything had so much effort put into it, and so the background art looked simple and out of place in contrast. It even birthed a faint feeling of doubt in me. But as I delved deeper into the mansion and its story, somehow all of that transformed - the backgrounds were still done the same way, but I didn’t mind anymore, I actually loved it. That’s when I realized the choice to use those backgrounds was definitely the right one. They were perfect - didn’t show too much, just enough to hint on something deep within you and let your mind paint the picture.
Visual novel is a perfect fit for this story. I have read a lot of books that could be turned into visual novels, and a lot visual novels that could be turned into books. This one is unique - it works with everything it has, and uses every aspect of storytelling and each piece of what makes visual novels a genre, and ties them together. Words, pictures, sounds, emotions and assumptions all work in tandem to create an experience unlike any other, and really suck you into the lives and fates of the game’s characters.
Speaking of characters, I was surprised at how well they have been handled. Each and every one of them feels like a real person - one that you cannot just love or hate, but one that you can have conflicting feelings about or even change your mind about completely without forgetting their previous transgressions.
Without spoiling anything, I also have to praise the developer on how they handled gender and identity issues. It can be very tricky to tackle these things, especially in certain time-periods and settings, but they didn’t seem to struggle at all. I believe that players who have ever experienced gender dysphoria - or really any kind of dysphoria about their body - will really appreciate that.
I cannot but recommend this game to everyone. If you dislike reading, this game might be a bit too tedious for you, but if you enjoy books and/or visual novels, do not hesitate. I promise you that it will be a very rewarding experience.

I feel almost intimidated writing a review for this game, because it is - in my opinion - the best visual novel in existence, and my word stacking could hardly do it justice. That’s why I’m just going to write a simple summary first, before I make my attempt: [u]Pros:[/u] Complex and fulfilling story that draws out real emotions in the player Realistic character development Many, many plot-twists that tie in together perfectly Beautiful art and mood-appropriate surroundings Most likely the best soundtrack I have ever come across Leaves an impact and a lot of thought in the reader Struggles and dilemmas that are not presented cheaply, nor unrealistically Auto-saving during choices and a lot of save spaces that can be locked so that you cannot overwrite them by accident Extras [u]Cons:[/u] No “skip only read” option, although in this game that’s not really a problem Now, let’s start at the beginning. When I first opened this game, the first thing I noticed was how the art and the original soundtrack worked perfectly to create an almost palpable atmosphere. That, together with the writing style, has set a mood so intense I could literally [i]feel[/i] all the emotions the characters were going through. There was one thing I was disappointed with at first - the backgrounds. At the beginning of the game, it just didn’t seem to fit to me - everything had so much effort put into it, and so the background art looked simple and out of place in contrast. It even birthed a faint feeling of doubt in me. But as I delved deeper into the mansion and its story, somehow all of that transformed - the backgrounds were still done the same way, but I didn’t mind anymore, I actually loved it. That’s when I realized the choice to use those backgrounds was definitely the right one. They were perfect - didn’t show too much, just enough to hint on something deep within you and let your mind paint the picture. Visual novel is a perfect fit for this story. I have read a lot of books that could be turned into visual novels, and a lot visual novels that could be turned into books. This one is unique - it works with everything it has, and uses every aspect of storytelling and each piece of what makes visual novels a genre, and ties them together. Words, pictures, sounds, emotions and assumptions all work in tandem to create an experience unlike any other, and really suck you into the lives and fates of the game’s characters. Speaking of characters, I was surprised at how well they have been handled. Each and every one of them feels like a real person - one that you cannot just love or hate, but one that you can have conflicting feelings about or even change your mind about completely without forgetting their previous transgressions. Without spoiling anything, I also have to praise the developer on how they handled gender and identity issues. It can be very tricky to tackle these things, especially in certain time-periods and settings, but they didn’t seem to struggle at all. I believe that players who have ever experienced gender dysphoria - or really any kind of dysphoria about their body - will really appreciate that. I cannot but recommend this game to everyone. If you dislike reading, this game might be a bit too tedious for you, but if you enjoy books and/or visual novels, do not hesitate. I promise you that it will be a very rewarding experience.