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Stellar presentation, great looking characters with dynamic personalities, and a story full of intrigue built on top of a very cool urban fantasy world.  There is incredible value here.  Over 4 hours for a single playthrough, after which several choices were unlocked for me to go back and try.  Herotome is brimming with choices, and half the fun is selecting a choice that might seem off-the-wall to see what will happen next.

I found myself quickly invested in the plight of the MC and her beloved cat.  And I was impressed by the number of sensitive and culturally relevant topics the narrative tackles with a deft hand.

There is so much to explore here! Download this demo!

Lovely, quiet, intense.  I felt like I was just getting a small glimpse into something much larger.  Really dug the watercolor sprites and backgrounds. 

Lovely, quiet, intense.  I felt like I was just getting a small glimpse into something much larger.  Really dug the watercolor sprites and backgrounds. 

Hello!  I got a good ending--I'd love to give more details, but I'm wary of posting spoilers.  I'll post the stream I did here so you can see the directions I went if you need.  I'm so glad to hear about the coming updates--I think you guys have made a really stellar entry and I'm looking forward to a replay in the future!

Before I mention anything else, I want to just talk about how it took me 5.5 hours to finish a playthrough of this game, and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.  I'm simply floored by how much narrative there is here!  Truly ambitious scope, especially considering this is a Jam game.

The game beautifully illustrates the weird limbo that people in their 20s just out of college go through: the need to make money, chase your dreams, be away from parents and be grown up and independent.  Friends don't come as easy as they used to for most people, and it's even harder if you were never that good at making friends in the first place.  This is where we first find Anita, perhaps mourning an old life, and now trying to establish a new life and space that feels safe.

But we quickly find that things are perhaps more complicated for Anita than your average person.  She's coming off of a bad relationship, her confidence is non-existent, she's in therapy--evidently for an anxiety disorder, and the real complication: she sometimes sees things that aren't there.  Anita is such a great protagonist.  I rooted for her, winced at her foibles, and wondered often whether her position as the narrator of this story was a reliable one.  The other characters are also well realized and round out the narrative nicely--as a bonus, they are also well designed, helping the in game compositions to pop with life and color. 

Speaking of character design: there are monsters in this game, and they wonderfully designed, and scary as hell.  When things get going, these guys push the tension over the top.

If there's anything to complain about here, it might be that the writing needs an editing pass.  There were some issues with tenses, and in some places the narration probably needs to be cut down a little--but this is all easy to forgive when you consider the breadth and scope of this game in the context of a game jam.  I played through in 5.5 hours, and only got one ending.  Just astounding!  Definitely give So Below a shot!

Before I mention anything else, I want to just talk about how it took me 5.5 hours to finish a playthrough of this game, and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.  I'm simply floored by how much narrative there is here!  Truly ambitious scope, especially considering this is a Jam game.

The game beautifully illustrates the weird limbo that people in their 20s just out of college go through: the need to make money, chase your dreams, be away from parents and be grown up and independent.  Friends don't come as easy as they used to for most people, and it's even harder if you were never that good at making friends in the first place.  This is where we first find Anita, perhaps mourning an old life, and now trying to establish a new life and space that feels safe.

But we quickly find that things are perhaps more complicated for Anita than your average person.  She's coming off of a bad relationship, her confidence is non-existent, she's in therapy--evidently for an anxiety disorder, and the real complication: she sometimes sees things that aren't there.  Anita is such a great protagonist.  I rooted for her, winced at her foibles, and wondered often whether her position as the narrator of this story was a reliable one.  The other characters are also well realized and round out the narrative nicely--as a bonus, they are also well designed, helping the in game compositions to pop with life and color. 

Speaking of character design: there are monsters in this game, and they wonderfully designed, and scary as hell.  When things get going, these guys push the tension over the top.

If there's anything to complain about here, it might be that the writing needs an editing pass.  There were some issues with tenses, and in some places the narration probably needs to be cut down a little--but this is all easy to forgive when you consider the breadth and scope of this game in the context of a game jam.  I played through in 5.5 hours, and only got one ending.  Just astounding!  Definitely give So Below a shot! 

Beautiful--fantastic writing and presentation.  Amazing characters.  This gut wrenching story of a researcher  and their struggle to stand up to the forces that have commandeered her research even as she sees the stakes rising like a tide hits SO HARD.  I was deeply moved am not ashamed to admit that cried more than once as I played.  I was especially impressed at the way Pavil, who seems to be coded as neurodivergent,  communicates his feelings, and how we (our individual as well as our collective selves) respond to him really rounds out the themes of the story. I loved how pace starts slow and thoughtful, and by the end it's a dead sprint.  Very well done!

Beautiful--fantastic writing and presentation.  Amazing characters.  This gut wrenching story of a researcher  and their struggle to stand up to the forces that have commandeered her research even as she sees the stakes rising like a tide hits SO HARD.  I was deeply moved am not ashamed to admit that cried more than once as I played.  I was especially impressed at the way Pavil, who seems to be coded as neurodivergent,  communicates his feelings, and how we (our individual as well as our collective selves) respond to him really rounds out the themes of the story. I loved how pace starts slow and thoughtful, and by the end it's a dead sprint.  Very well done!

The challenge of balancing life and responsibilities in college quickly give way to a life and death struggle in this extraordinary game.  Wonderful characters, heartwarming and thrilling moments, and I only got two of fourteen (14!) endings.  A high level of interactivity--it almost feels like a VN-Adventure game hybrid.

The central conceit is very well researched, and the story that unfolds is backed up by a seemingly huge amount of lore.  I'm excited to get back to it and see what else I can discover.

The challenge of balancing life and responsibilities in college quickly give way to a life and death struggle in this extraordinary game.  Wonderful characters, heartwarming and thrilling moments, and I only got two of fourteen (14!) endings.  A high level of interactivity--it almost feels like a VN-Adventure game hybrid.

The central conceit is very well researched, and the story that unfolds is backed up by a seemingly huge amount of lore.  I'm excited to get back to it and see what else I can discover.

A banger of a presentation, with art and design referencing German Expressionist films, but it doesn't stop with the visuals.  Beautiful, engaging music and knockout sound design (which I think is often an afterthought).  I played with a set of stereo headphones on and I heard the wind in the trees, every approaching footstep, and every shuddering creak of an opening door. 

The theme of the story, too is like many Expressionist works--explores sanity and insanity, the subjective perception of reality, and human nature at odds with itself.  Deeper still, we find a character struggling to come to terms with a relationship that has ended, and the exploration here is nuanced, thoughtful, and relatable.

Beautiful game!

A banger of a presentation, with art and design referencing German Expressionist films, but it doesn't stop with the visuals.  Beautiful, engaging music and knockout sound design (which I think is often an afterthought).  I played with a set of stereo headphones on and I heard the wind in the trees, every approaching footstep, and every shuddering creak of an opening door. 

The theme of the story, too is like many Expressionist works--explores sanity and insanity, the subjective perception of reality, and human nature at odds with itself.  Deeper still, we find a character struggling to come to terms with a relationship that has ended, and the exploration here is nuanced, thoughtful, and relatable.

Beautiful game!

An astonishing story of jealousy, bitterness, magic, and violence--I was completely drawn in.  Beautiful character designs and movement, and characters that are at once both incredibly flawed and relatable.  I love how often the characters in this story KNOW that what they're feeling or the way they perceive a situation is flawed and unfair--and we watch them struggle to come to terms with those feelings.

I've only gotten two endings so far, and I'm keen to get back to it and discover what else is writhing under the surface here. 

An astonishing story of jealousy, bitterness, magic, and violence--I was completely drawn in.  Beautiful character designs and movement, and characters that are at once both incredibly flawed and relatable.  I love how often the characters in this story KNOW that what they're feeling or the way they perceive a situation is flawed and unfair--and we watch them struggle to come to terms with those feelings.

I've only gotten two endings so far, and I'm keen to get back to it and discover what else is writhing under the surface here. 

A touching narrative with endearing characters.  I’m not ashamed to admit that I cried at the end.  The mixed-media presentation is lovely. The collage-like paper cutout characters juxtaposed against loose, impressionistic backgrounds create a unique and charming aesthetic. Music is well-composed and aptly chosen. It enhances the resonance of each scene, immersing you further into the world of the characters.  I really enjoyed this game!

A touching narrative with endearing characters.  I’m not ashamed to admit that I cried at the end.  The mixed-media presentation is lovely. The collage-like paper cutout characters juxtaposed against loose, impressionistic backgrounds create a unique and charming aesthetic. Music is well-composed and aptly chosen. It enhances the resonance of each scene, immersing you further into the world of the characters.  I really enjoyed this game!

An engaging narrative filled with mystery and tension that branches in many different directions. Distinct and memorable characters written with depth and nuance--especially the Empress.  Breathtaking art and character design.  The characters appear to be painted, but there is a very arresting 3D motion effect that brings them to life.  Choices matter.  Music captures the mood of each scene and enhances the resonance of the story.  I wanted the game to last longer.

An engaging narrative filled with mystery and tension that branches in many different directions. Distinct and memorable characters written with depth and nuance--especially the Empress.  Breathtaking art and character design.  The characters appear to be painted, but there is a very arresting 3D motion effect that brings them to life.  Choices matter.  Music captures the mood of each scene and enhances the resonance of the story.  I wanted the game to last longer.