The main story is interesting, and I hope future updates will introduce engaging subplots.
The pacing is quite different from other AVNs, which can occasionally be an issue. For example, I feel there’s too much dialogue with Crystal for a single episode. I understand this choice since the first episode focuses on the MC's job, but when the episode ended, I found myself wanting more interactions with the other girls.
However, I liked that not every girl seems to fall in love with the MC at first sight, which is something I’ve noticed in other AVNs and that often ruins the romance aspect for me.
I hope future episodes continue to develop this idea of building relationships with the characters over time.
Their personalities are also a strong point in this first episode, and I hope to see more depth for them in future updates. (I think giving them insecurities, flaws, or backstories would help.)
Aside from that, the writing is solid, and the graphics are very nice. I did notice, though, that the restaurant scene with Crystal could use a bit more shadowing.
The music and sound could be improved as well. In some scenes, the ambient sounds work nicely (like the water sounds in the pool scene), but I think expanding ambient sound to scenes in the office, city, and restaurant would enhance immersion.
The background music is pleasant, and having a music player in-game is a great idea. I wish there were more vocal tracks, but I understand that finding good, copyright-free music can be challenging, so it’s forgivable.
The game is also very well optimized for Android, I didn’t experience any Ren'Py errors.
The UI is without a doubt one of the best I’ve seen : very innovative and intuitive, with cool features like explanations for certain words and text effects.
Eggy understood that things players do the most in AVNs is reading, and he’s made it enjoyable :D
Stella is a great discovery, and I’m excited to see more in future episodes :D
Wow!! I seriously appreciate you taking the time to write all of your thoughts and supporting me, Godsent! (Also thank you for the new STELLA building you made for me <3)
Yeah, 0.1 is meant to be an introduction to the MC, game setting, etc. You can view it as Crystal's episode as well. I will definitely be showing more of the other girls in future updates. And don't worry, I have plenty of backstories, aspirations, flaws, etc. for every girl I will expand on in the future too :)
Overall, thank you so much for the kind words! It makes me elated to know you enjoyed my game, including the big and small things like the music player, ambience, etc. I will be happily working on future updates for you and others <3
Funny i just think the game is good and cool but its interesting to see someone go in so much detail....means you put a lot of effort in to it to express the way you did, i dont really do that...but i do enjoy the games
Visually the game is great, both the renders and UI design. There's even a music player, nice! What unfortunately kills it for me is the pacing; most dialogues are too long for my taste. I'm usually patient and don't play AVNs just for the porn but there's not enough (non-sexual) exciting stuff happening to keep me on board.
I do like that the dialogue has explanations for words that the reader might not know, saves me a Google search! I would suggest that instead of annotated metric conversions you just have a setting that naturally changes all dialogue to the reader's preferred measurement system. But maybe it doesn't happen often enough to really matter, idk.
An impressive first release indeed! Though the pacing is either bad or just not for me. Still, best of luck with your brand new project!
Thank you for the feedback, Tanxui! Unfortunately with STELLA being a story without any sci-fi or fantasy elements, I think it is more difficult to create any interesting "hooks" aside from well-written characters and interactions to keep people engaged. Where I lack in a setting without those fantastical elements, I hope I can make up for with more deeply-written, realistic, and lovable character dynamics and personalities.
With this being the introduction of the game, its world, and its characters, I hope I can write future updates with more engaging and enjoyable situations, conversations, and dialogue in general.
Thanks for your reply! Yes, it's easier to write exciting stories for fantastical settings, but that doesn't seem to be the problem here. I just think that many conversations get boring after a while. They are either too long or not interesting enough.
I'm not a writer but let me give you some potentially irresponsible advice: I dare you to reduce all dialogues with Crystal and the MC's friend to half the length. Just focus on what's most important and see what happens.
Came here to say the same thing. The conversations between the MC and some of the other characters are way too long and not gripping enough, especially with the MC's friend and Crystal. It could use a bit of trimming, imho.
Solid first release. First time I'm seeing an AVN focus on an idol group, so I'm very interested in seeing what the future holds in store for your story, what subjects you touch on, what you explore/comment on, etc...
The tempo of the game is likely slower than most AVNs, but I think it's fine to have games with different pacings. You deserve a lot of praise for the text effects you employ, I don't think I've ever seen an AVN use so many, so much, it gives the gave its own identity, which is nice.
I found one continuity error, which is that I didn't peek on Alice, yet MC still had a line about seeing her room full of bears and her doing stuff when finding the teddy in the garden. Other than that, my main pet-peev is that it gets tiring seeing "a few minutes later..." so many times. Consider employing other phrases: "a short drive later", "a short walk later", or simply use none and just imply the passage of time.
Best of lucks with development, looking forward to the next release!
Wow! This is actually very helpful feedback, Di! Thank you so much for taking the time to write this all out to share with me, and I appreciate the kind words too.
I think given this is a game without any sci-fi or fantasy elements, it's bound to feel slower than other AVNS. I plan on making up for that with characters and writing that feel more believable, "alive", and enjoyable.
Good point on the continuity error with Alice. This was an oversight, and it will be fixed!
I really like this feedback about the "a few minutes later..." screen. I agree with you that it gets quite repetitive, and other phrases like you've shared keep it more interesting. I will definitely be adding this to the next patch of 0.1 and all of my future updates from now on.
Again, thank you so much for taking the time to write this all out. I sincerely appreciate you helping me make STELLA a better game with your feedback born from care and appreciation 🧡
Hmm, that's strange. I am honestly not sure how to resolve this either since I am not familiar with the Itch App. I've uploaded the exact same .zips and .apks on all these download links, and I didn't check any weird settings while building these distributions. Sorry about this!
thanks for the support, razz! and thank you for the heads up about the Mediafire Android link. I just tried reuploading it fresh, but it seems MediaFire does not like the .apk file of this build. I guess we'll have to avoid that link for now.
Overall: Very promising first release. My first playthrough took about 3 hours, but I was taking it pretty leisurely. Definitely worth a play and excited for how the game plays out from here.
Pros:
- Good male models, really hard to make decent ones in HS2 and I like both the MC and his friend
- Banter with MCs friend is relatable and fun. There is a bit of info dumb at first, but it smooths out nicely to make them feel actually like friends. Lots of AVNs really fail at making the best friend character likable or non-cringe.
- Obviously the girls are well designed and good looking (if you are an HS2 enjoyer). I didn't find a single LI I didn't like the look of, which is rare for a game like this.
- We only get short intros with all the LIs except for Crystal, but the game does a good job of giving them a defined personality. Nothing that is going to shake up your expectations too much, but the LIs feel like real people.
- The world is interesting. I don't know much about pop groups like this so I am excited to see how the game uses that to its advantage to setup interesting and tense situations.
- All of the small things are really well done. The music player is nicely designed, songs pop up in the corner when they start playing, there are definitions for potentially confusing lingo in character dialogue, the photo book is nicely done etc. etc. These small touches really make it feel like the dev cares out the player experience.
Cons: No game is perfect and most of the things I didn't like have to do with setup.
- As mentioned above we only get really short intros with each girl. I feel like it was done well with the time given, but a little bit more time with each of them would have been nice. For example Rin has a longer conversation with the MC and I really liked that part of the game where they bonded.
- Even though the game has me interested, there wasn't a hint at the end of the episode as to what will be driving the plot. I was hoping by the end we would have a hint at what the main conflict in the story is. There are some potential hints (stalkers? relaunch concert? etc.), but I would have liked a bit more "Here is what Stella is going to be about" besides just a the life of a guy managing a pop group (because inevitably there is going to be conflict). I am confident we will find out more in 0.2 though!
- This isn't unique to Stella and I can't really fault the game as its a nice way to get "into the story" faster but there are some unbelievable coincidences / sequences. Like the MC getting the job of being a pop group manager at 22 from managing a cafe just because his friend's dad recommended him. HOWEVER, I'd rather we spend less time setting that up and more time with the girls, so I don't really take many points off for that, but worth noting.
← Return to game
Comments
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
I finished episode 1 so here is my review :D
The main story is interesting, and I hope future updates will introduce engaging subplots.
The pacing is quite different from other AVNs, which can occasionally be an issue. For example, I feel there’s too much dialogue with Crystal for a single episode. I understand this choice since the first episode focuses on the MC's job, but when the episode ended, I found myself wanting more interactions with the other girls.
However, I liked that not every girl seems to fall in love with the MC at first sight, which is something I’ve noticed in other AVNs and that often ruins the romance aspect for me.
I hope future episodes continue to develop this idea of building relationships with the characters over time.
Their personalities are also a strong point in this first episode, and I hope to see more depth for them in future updates. (I think giving them insecurities, flaws, or backstories would help.)
Aside from that, the writing is solid, and the graphics are very nice. I did notice, though, that the restaurant scene with Crystal could use a bit more shadowing.
The music and sound could be improved as well. In some scenes, the ambient sounds work nicely (like the water sounds in the pool scene), but I think expanding ambient sound to scenes in the office, city, and restaurant would enhance immersion.
The background music is pleasant, and having a music player in-game is a great idea. I wish there were more vocal tracks, but I understand that finding good, copyright-free music can be challenging, so it’s forgivable.
The game is also very well optimized for Android, I didn’t experience any Ren'Py errors.
The UI is without a doubt one of the best I’ve seen : very innovative and intuitive, with cool features like explanations for certain words and text effects.
Eggy understood that things players do the most in AVNs is reading, and he’s made it enjoyable :D
Stella is a great discovery, and I’m excited to see more in future episodes :D
Wow!! I seriously appreciate you taking the time to write all of your thoughts and supporting me, Godsent! (Also thank you for the new STELLA building you made for me <3)
Yeah, 0.1 is meant to be an introduction to the MC, game setting, etc. You can view it as Crystal's episode as well. I will definitely be showing more of the other girls in future updates. And don't worry, I have plenty of backstories, aspirations, flaws, etc. for every girl I will expand on in the future too :)
Overall, thank you so much for the kind words! It makes me elated to know you enjoyed my game, including the big and small things like the music player, ambience, etc. I will be happily working on future updates for you and others <3
Funny i just think the game is good and cool but its interesting to see someone go in so much detail....means you put a lot of effort in to it to express the way you did, i dont really do that...but i do enjoy the games
No worries!! I still love and appreciate every single person who takes the time to play my game — detailed review or not! Thank you <3
Is there a Chinese version?
There is no Chinese version as of version 0.1.
I will probably reach out to some trustworthy translators to help me translate the game when 0.2 is close :)
Great start ngl, will be waiting for the next update!
If there's any updates you posted on Discord or Patreon, then you should post as well on F95.
No major updates yet. I will definitely relay important updates there when I have any :)
Great first release. I'm here to staaaaaay.
Thank you for the support! I hope I can continue to make a game that will keep you here FOREVER <3
Visually the game is great, both the renders and UI design. There's even a music player, nice! What unfortunately kills it for me is the pacing; most dialogues are too long for my taste. I'm usually patient and don't play AVNs just for the porn but there's not enough (non-sexual) exciting stuff happening to keep me on board.
I do like that the dialogue has explanations for words that the reader might not know, saves me a Google search! I would suggest that instead of annotated metric conversions you just have a setting that naturally changes all dialogue to the reader's preferred measurement system. But maybe it doesn't happen often enough to really matter, idk.
An impressive first release indeed! Though the pacing is either bad or just not for me. Still, best of luck with your brand new project!
Thank you for the feedback, Tanxui! Unfortunately with STELLA being a story without any sci-fi or fantasy elements, I think it is more difficult to create any interesting "hooks" aside from well-written characters and interactions to keep people engaged. Where I lack in a setting without those fantastical elements, I hope I can make up for with more deeply-written, realistic, and lovable character dynamics and personalities.
With this being the introduction of the game, its world, and its characters, I hope I can write future updates with more engaging and enjoyable situations, conversations, and dialogue in general.
Thanks for your reply! Yes, it's easier to write exciting stories for fantastical settings, but that doesn't seem to be the problem here. I just think that many conversations get boring after a while. They are either too long or not interesting enough.
I'm not a writer but let me give you some potentially irresponsible advice: I dare you to reduce all dialogues with Crystal and the MC's friend to half the length. Just focus on what's most important and see what happens.
Came here to say the same thing. The conversations between the MC and some of the other characters are way too long and not gripping enough, especially with the MC's friend and Crystal. It could use a bit of trimming, imho.
Solid first release. First time I'm seeing an AVN focus on an idol group, so I'm very interested in seeing what the future holds in store for your story, what subjects you touch on, what you explore/comment on, etc...
The tempo of the game is likely slower than most AVNs, but I think it's fine to have games with different pacings. You deserve a lot of praise for the text effects you employ, I don't think I've ever seen an AVN use so many, so much, it gives the gave its own identity, which is nice.
I found one continuity error, which is that I didn't peek on Alice, yet MC still had a line about seeing her room full of bears and her doing stuff when finding the teddy in the garden. Other than that, my main pet-peev is that it gets tiring seeing "a few minutes later..." so many times. Consider employing other phrases: "a short drive later", "a short walk later", or simply use none and just imply the passage of time.
Best of lucks with development, looking forward to the next release!
Wow! This is actually very helpful feedback, Di! Thank you so much for taking the time to write this all out to share with me, and I appreciate the kind words too.
I think given this is a game without any sci-fi or fantasy elements, it's bound to feel slower than other AVNS. I plan on making up for that with characters and writing that feel more believable, "alive", and enjoyable.
Good point on the continuity error with Alice. This was an oversight, and it will be fixed!
I really like this feedback about the "a few minutes later..." screen. I agree with you that it gets quite repetitive, and other phrases like you've shared keep it more interesting. I will definitely be adding this to the next patch of 0.1 and all of my future updates from now on.
Again, thank you so much for taking the time to write this all out. I sincerely appreciate you helping me make STELLA a better game with your feedback born from care and appreciation 🧡
Obligatroy congrats post again egg, cant wait to see where you go with this! I better no be forced to lose tiffany or ill have your head
thank you once again for the love, CT! I'll make sure you get lots of love from your beloved tiffany too <3
Will the Lesbian content be forced or can we avoid it?
EDIT: never mind, seen you answer on F95, thank you :)
Great concept, and I'm enjoying my first steps.
So that you know, your Itch package for Windows doesn't seem to be compatible with Itch App.
Hmm, that's strange. I am honestly not sure how to resolve this either since I am not familiar with the Itch App. I've uploaded the exact same .zips and .apks on all these download links, and I didn't check any weird settings while building these distributions. Sorry about this!
Looking forward to how this turns out, I really enjoyed it and think it’s made quite well too, especially from an android perspective.
Keep it up Eggo! :)
thank you for the support, Echo! I will be happily working on 0.2 and onward to make it worth your time supporting me 🧡
who's your favorite girl in the game, guys? mine is Egg
you're my favorite berry
yo congrats on the initial release eggy
Alice still best girl 😁
Edit: android MediaFire link is not working, something about copyright
thanks for the support, razz! and thank you for the heads up about the Mediafire Android link. I just tried reuploading it fresh, but it seems MediaFire does not like the .apk file of this build. I guess we'll have to avoid that link for now.
it could be the music but not sure
other links seems fine so it's okay to just remove that I guess :loveEggrik:
Yummers
I smell KPOP ! ! !
Just finished the 0.1 release, review below!
Overall: Very promising first release. My first playthrough took about 3 hours, but I was taking it pretty leisurely. Definitely worth a play and excited for how the game plays out from here.
Pros:
- Good male models, really hard to make decent ones in HS2 and I like both the MC and his friend
- Banter with MCs friend is relatable and fun. There is a bit of info dumb at first, but it smooths out nicely to make them feel actually like friends. Lots of AVNs really fail at making the best friend character likable or non-cringe.
- Obviously the girls are well designed and good looking (if you are an HS2 enjoyer). I didn't find a single LI I didn't like the look of, which is rare for a game like this.
- We only get short intros with all the LIs except for Crystal, but the game does a good job of giving them a defined personality. Nothing that is going to shake up your expectations too much, but the LIs feel like real people.
- The world is interesting. I don't know much about pop groups like this so I am excited to see how the game uses that to its advantage to setup interesting and tense situations.
- All of the small things are really well done. The music player is nicely designed, songs pop up in the corner when they start playing, there are definitions for potentially confusing lingo in character dialogue, the photo book is nicely done etc. etc. These small touches really make it feel like the dev cares out the player experience.
Cons: No game is perfect and most of the things I didn't like have to do with setup.
- As mentioned above we only get really short intros with each girl. I feel like it was done well with the time given, but a little bit more time with each of them would have been nice. For example Rin has a longer conversation with the MC and I really liked that part of the game where they bonded.
- Even though the game has me interested, there wasn't a hint at the end of the episode as to what will be driving the plot. I was hoping by the end we would have a hint at what the main conflict in the story is. There are some potential hints (stalkers? relaunch concert? etc.), but I would have liked a bit more "Here is what Stella is going to be about" besides just a the life of a guy managing a pop group (because inevitably there is going to be conflict). I am confident we will find out more in 0.2 though!
- This isn't unique to Stella and I can't really fault the game as its a nice way to get "into the story" faster but there are some unbelievable coincidences / sequences. Like the MC getting the job of being a pop group manager at 22 from managing a cafe just because his friend's dad recommended him. HOWEVER, I'd rather we spend less time setting that up and more time with the girls, so I don't really take many points off for that, but worth noting.
love and appreciate the meaningful review, claim! thank you so much for being an active member in the discord too.
Let's goooooooo
thanks for the support, king ♥
:chickheart: :chickclap:
looking forward to this :PepePopo:
:OpinionAccepted:
:SoliHyped: