THIS GAME IS AMAZING!!!! The protagonist's attitude, nuanced characters, and incredible pacing made this into such an enjoyable experience. You are so talented, so happy I found this. :)
I simply fell in love with Sofia! It scratched at my heart in all the right places!
Spoiler alert
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The scene where they where outside and Sofia was playing as a fairy and MC was pretending to be asleep made me frustrated to no ends! Lady Charlotte just had to come at the right time!!! *crying* Lady Charlotte, I like you, but could your timing have been any better? xD T^T
Oh dear. Sorry to put you in a bind. Maybe Sofia can be your 'cannon' playthrough - that's how I separate it in my head when I feel guilty romancing the other routes in games. ^_^
Hello, i first purchase this game on steam where the download didn't work so i decide to purchase it on itch io but it didn't work either. i then decide to retry the download on steam where this time it work, so i was wondering if it was possible to obtain a refund for the purchase on itch io, if it's possible, i can show you the recipe of my purchase on steam. thank you and sorry for the bother.
Hello and thank you for your purchase - I am sorry to hear you had trouble initially with the download. Any refunds are handled by itch.io and I believe the process for requesting one can be found here:
Thank you for the Reply and the link, i will try it!
By the way, for what i play so far, i really like the game, and very exited to see how the story will go. So far i am curious about the duke of Leopold.
I've been wanting to play this game for literal years and it was absolutely worth the wait! Long story short: I downloaded the OG demo (as in, side characters had no sprites yet) back when Rose was still in development, lost the file when I switched laptops, then got too busy with uni to play a lot of games. Now that I've a Real Adult Job, I can finally afford to support all the indie devs I follow online, so I've been going through everyone's back catalogue and this was the first game I thought of getting! (For transparency: I bought it on Steam.)
The best part of Rose is the writing, especially the way the characters and the world are so fleshed out. When I realized the story only takes place over 2 weeks, I wondered if the romance would develop believably, so I was pleasantly surprised when none of the routes had any pacing issues - all of the relationships felt that they grew organically, without feeling rushed or contrived for plot convenience. I think it's also the setting that makes this feel realistic - in a modern otome, I don't think I'd find it believable to elope with or marry someone after just 2 weeks. However, Rose is clearly historical, and the writing really gets across how the world of the nobility operates very differently. The story makes clear that the characters are pressured to marry young for pragmatic rather than personal reasons, grow up faster and take on responsibility earlier than we do today, and don't have great family lives. Given all of that, the decision to settle down (or even just up and leave) with a particular love interest always feels like it makes sense for the decisions you made and the way you played MC in that particular playthrough.
It's REALLY hard for me to choose a favorite (which shows you just how good Rose is, since I usually have at least one character I end up solidly disliking) - as in, I stayed up the entire night and went through everyone's routes in one sitting - so I won't go into detail about each one because gushing about everybody would make this ramble even wordier. However, I do want to compliment specific things that stood out to me about the way the F/F romances and the secret romance are handled: ♡ The depiction of the sapphic experience (e.g. the thought you'll grow out of it one day because it's just "practice" for "real" hetero relationships later) was super well done. I love how "coming out"/accepting your queerness is represented as a process that can be conflicting, and also as a personal choice that's not always easy to make in the face of others' expectations. A lot of sapphic romances in fiction tend to be written in such a way that the relationship feels "special" only because it's ~forbidden~ or tend to present coming out as a one time big time realization you're suddenly super certain of, so I'm glad that Rose falls into neither of those traps (something that probably wasn't easy because depicting queer love in historical fiction is a challenge all its own). I think that out of all the ones I've played, Rose is definitely one of the F/F romance games that feels closest to home in that regard. ♡ I love how supportive Frederique is if you're romancing Charlotte or Sofia (especially in Sofia's ending!) - in my experience, it's very relatable to have one "safe" member of your family who you're "out" to even if you're closeted to everyone else in the household, so I was happy seeing that dynamic represented here. ♡ At first I only played the secret route out of curiosity for how it would affect the story and because I liked Frederique as a character, not necessarily because I actually wanted to romance him - in fact, I usually avoid routes of this nature for obvious reasons. I was afraid it would feel shoehorned in for shock value or that it would have a last minute "one of us is actually adopted" plot twist (that second one is a pet peeve of mine since it's a very overdone trope in telenovelas where I'm from), but the devs really committed to the taboo premise, which I admire because it takes guts to really go there. I ended up loving the secret romance much more than I thought I would because the writer shows how complicated their situation is without glossing over or cheapening it. The game takes time to tell us about the unhealthy family dynamics at play here (like siblings being separated too young, discouraged from being affectionate, and growing up isolated from their peers) that led them down that path, but at the same time it never condemns them for it and makes them sympathetic enough to root for. Frederique is so unconditionally loving, and it's clear they've fallen in love because they're each other's only source of support in a very cold family. What I really liked about the portrayal of Frederique is how even if you ignore the secret route completely, and choose to interpret your relationship with him as completely platonic, he consistently looks out for you without any selfish agenda and just wants you to be happy, even if he doesn't necessarily like or agree with your choices. This is honestly the most important thing in any relationship (whether familial or romantic), and it was what led to the secret route winning me over even if I was initially uncomfortable about its implications and hesitant about how it might be executed. ♡ I'm glad the game sufficiently gates the romance (I wouldn't have known Frederique was even an option if I had gone into Rose blind without seeing reviews first) and also gives you several chances to end it very early, for the sake of folks who are uncomfortable with the route.
Something else I liked about Rose was how it doesn't demonize the characters who are meant to be your rivals (a trap lots of romance media fall into). The writing never spells this out, but it clearly shows they're catty because they've grown up in an environment that pits women against each other, and the characterization of them as mean never feels too convenient or forced to create conflict. The game goes a step further by letting you get in on the mean girl act yourself (through choices like sabotaging the tea party or instigating the fight before the concert) - I have never before played a romance game that lets you be that petty, and I loved it. (I swear I don't actually act like that irl.)
The fact that you have to get not just your love interest's approval, but also the king's, added a nice bit of a challenge to what was an otherwise relaxing game, especially if you're on Guillaume's route, because I ended up having to strategize by balancing being myself in private and keeping up the pretty idiot image in public (happy to say I managed to get both without checking the guide!). It was a big part of what made the cutthroat and tense nature of the setting feel more real (even before I played Leo's route and saw just how unstable Segunda actually is). It wasn't an extremely difficult challenge, but the fact that I was on edge constantly toeing the line made me feel that the royal court really is a very dangerous place, even if I wasn't personally at any big risk (yet...I'm pretty sure I'm going to be endangered when I play through Thorns in its entirety).
The only piece of criticism I would have had for this game was that the story could've been longer, to allow for more fleshed out endings, and to better explore and tie up the loose ends of the more complex subplots (for Leopold's route especially, that reveal made me feel like I slipped out of the romance genre and fell into a political thriller AHDPFAKUF). However, right after I finished all the routes, I saw the itch page for Thorns and just had to get the demo. I obviously haven't played the full game yet, but based on the vibe I'm getting so far, if you felt the endings in Rose were a bit rushed or that the tone was too lighthearted for the tense political climate the game hints at, Thorns might be more to your tastes if you want a game that's more plotty and serious even if it's romance-focused.
Just a few rambles... ♡ Leo's name made me giggle because right before I played his route, I was listening to a podcast on the Plantagenets (who are probably much worse than Guillaume's family). From the podcast, I learned that the guy who captured Richard the Lionheart as he was coming home from crusading then handed him over to the Holy Roman Emperor for ransom was also a duke named Leopold. Given that our Leo is canonically planning a coup, I think that's very apt (...I don't suppose we'll get to do something similar if we side with him in Thorns?)
♡ I had great fun with the changeable name. I initially set her name as Mireille not only because it's one of my real names and makes it easy to self-insert, but also because it feels period-appropriate and close enough to the Minette nickname. For that playthrough, I headcanon that the Parisis nicknamed her Minette back when she was first learning to speak and had trouble saying her name properly, so 1) that's why her mom finds it immature and inappropriate for an adult and 2) I imagined Frederique uses it in both an affectionate "I'm your man to the last, I've been here with you since we were little and I'm still here for you now" way, and also as an inside joke between them like "Ahaha, everyone thinks of you as this refined scholarly lady who's great at languages, but I remember how you couldn't even pronounce your own name as a kid uwu"
♡ Because I love chaos, I did a playthrough where I got the king to choose me, but romanced and ultimately accepted Leopold's proposal. (This also gave me my favorite ending - nothing like your fiancé interrupting your engagement announcement to someone else and giving you your ring in full view of the court.) For this run specifically, I named her Isabella and gave her the scholarly + cunning + commanding traits as a reference to a French princess who was married off to Edward II of England by her parents, but had an affair with Roger Mortimer (whose historical reputation feels quite similar to the amoral schemer image people have of Leo in-game) and planned a coup with him that successfully overthrew Edward. You can probably tell whose Thorns route I'm most excited for 👀
♡ If I really had to choose a single favorite route, it would be Leo's. (That said, I might be a bit biased here because out of all the love interests, he's the one who's most similar to my real-life boyfriend, who thankfully does not have a disgraced family and doesn't seem to be plotting to overthrow the government...at least as far as I know). I absolutely adore characters who hate how unfair and even ridiculous society's expectations are after growing up in bad circumstances, but decide to fight to gain the upper hand nonetheless. I also really enjoy romancing LIs who are ruthless and calculating and not always completely moral about achieving what they want, but who are nothing but respectful and loving when it comes to their partner. (I really enjoyed Leo's scenes, both what I saw in Rose and what I've seen so far from the Thorns demo, because that dynamic is fully on display there.) I'm also a sucker for revolutionaries (even if his motives aren't perfectly noble), I swear his route felt like the devs dug around in my brain for my favorite tropes and just got them perfectly.
♡ I know I'm probably missing out on some choices and scenes this way, but I can NEVER bring myself to leave my toothbrush behind 😭
♡ I'm prone to fainting irl so I love how there are so many fainting options - I chose them almost every time AHPFUAIDF (I know Thorns is darker than Rose, but I hope it'll still have some fainting options because they were hilarious)
♡ The art is lovely! I don't think I've ever used an otome game heroine as my profile picture on my socials before, I just loved the art style that much
Overall, I'd highly recommend The Rose of Segunda to anyone who's interested in a historical otome that's relaxing and quick but still has quite a bit of challenge and intrigue, and I'm really looking forward to playing the sequel!
I've played through every single route in the Thorns demo by now (Sofia's and Leo's scenes were my favorites if I had to choose though), and I am super excitedto see how the whole civil war plot shapes up especially since that tension is hinted at throughout Rose! I am for sure going to buy it as soon as my salary comes in, ahahaha! Normally I'd hold out and wait for the full game to be out, but Rose is so good that I know I'm going to cave as soon as my budget allows.
Did you write Rose already knowing that you were going to make a sequel (or at least had the idea for how a sequel would go, even if you weren't sure of it yet)? The endings for Rose set up Thorns so perfectly that I went "...now that I know there's a sequel in development, I wonder if those cliffhangers were intentional."
I know I should probably be asking these questions on the Thorns page and devlog, and they might already be addressed in the comments on there or in the game guides, but I'm trying not to look at those so I don't get spoiled, so I'll ask here:
Is there content going into detail about the world Segunda is set in (like, a map of the kingdom so we know where let's say Florentia and Dacre and Tremaine and Suirs etc. are and how big they are relative to each other/a timeline of historical events like the Cousins' War or the only queen being deposed/background on the monarchy of Segunda like how Guillaume's house took power in the first place)? There are lots of little lore tidbits scattered throughout the game and I'd be interested to see more of it :0
What is the loveless marriage route going to be like? At first I thought it would be the same as Guillaume's route, but after I played through the demo and saw that it starts completely differently, I'm curious about how different/similar it'll be to the route where MC loves him (or is pretending to). Like, is it possible to eventually fall in love with Guillaume? Do we get the chance to like, separate from him or romance some of the other LIs behind his back if the relationship becomes untenable? I'm also really intrigued by how the fact that the marriage is so obviously loveless is going to affect the rest of the story, even if there will def be similarities like the civil war plotline
No need to answer this last one if it's impossible to respond without completely spoiling Thorns, but just how evil (maybe evil isn't the right word, but like, ruthless and manipulative) can we get in the sequel? I know that there are probably boundaries that the characters won't cross (and that you wouldn't be comfortable writing either), but given how the tone of Thorns seems so much darker and how some of the characters (like Leopold, or for that matter Guillaume given how he can't seem to accept when his father's in the wrong, or even the Duchess Parisi tbh) are pretty morally grey, I'm just wondering like...will we get to do things like blackmail and threaten and betray people? Are we going to get the opportunity to straight up kill someone (or have them killed)? Can I Lady Macbeth Guill or Leo into doing horrible things if I'm on their routes and encouraging them to go for the crown? I know that things like gratuitous violence or outright gore probably wouldn't fit the tone of the game, but given how civil war is looming I'm very very very curious to see how far MC can go for the sake of power (or even just plain self-preservation)
aaaaa I rambled long enough, hope i'm not bothering!!! tl;dr i love the rose of segunda and am very excited to finally get my hands on Thorns sometime soon
Many thanks for your feedback on the demo – I’m glad it caught your interest for the sequel.
As for your questions…
No, I did not write Rose of Segunda knowing there would be a sequel and its popularity came as a surprise, but I am happy it worked out this way.
I’ve been asked before for some information on the world and I think I am leaning towards releasing something in the Extras menu before Thorns is officially released.
The loveless marriage route (as opposed to the MC being in love with Guillaume – pretending or otherwise) will be an entirely separate route and very different to Guillaume’s route, though I won’t go into any more details for fear of spoilers.
I probably can’t answer the last one, mostly because it depends on what you feel is ruthless/manipulative, but I will say that outright murder would be considered a very grave crime, wholly against the values of both the nobility and the Church, and one to which even the Duchess di Parisi would not stoop outside of the most grievous circumstances.
Many thanks again for your interest in the game ^_^
I got paid literally just an hour ago so it looks like I'll be able to fit Thorns into my budget for this month >:3 I'll get the game when I get back home later tonight so I can put that coup d'etat with Leo into motion asap, prepare for an equally lengthy ramble over on the Thorns itch page once I've played all the available routes ^^ (✿´꒳`)♡
Hello there! I just bought the game, but unfortunately I’m getting a “No keys available” error when trying to redeem! I understand it’s a problem on Steam’s end, so if possible, could I get a heads up when more keys are made available? Thank you so much and I’m so excited to start playing in the meantime so I can support The Thorns of War!
I am still playing through the game (on my third run through to complete all of the routes) and this has already made me cry twice. It is very sweet and sincere. MC's response to Charlotte wanting to be an explorer was perfect! I also loved Frederique stepping in to marry Sofia so that she and the MC could be together! Frederique is honestly my favorite character and a supportive king. Can't wait to see what else stabs my heart with sweetness in this game (and to get the secret ending)!
Hello and thank you for your feedback - I'm glad to hear you're enjoying the game so far. Please let me know which route ended up being your favourite once you are all done. ^_^
Hi! I'm a bit confused about the love interest POV scenes. In Thorns, they're locked in Extras but I thought there were also POV scenes for TROS, and I can't seem to find them. A little help would be appreciated <3
Hello! The TROS POV scenes are in Thorns of War as they were part of the Kickstarter rewards for that game. I just downloaded the latest copy of Thorns of War (1.7) and the Extra POV scenes appear to be working from what I can see.
From the main menu, you click on Extras, then Love interest POV scenes. In the next menu the names of every character with scenes are listed, though only the TROS characters will have scenes so far. Clicking on the character name should show their TROS scenes - they will be marked as such.
Please let me know if you can find them, or if not, where the problem is arising and I will investigate.
Thank you! I hadn't updated to version 1.7, that was the issue.
I'm really looking forward to Leo's route in a week! :D I was replaying his route in TROS the other day, and was once again really impressed by your writing. It's so elegant and sophisticated, with a classical feeling, but still easy to read.
And thank you for the kind feedback - I really hope the new route is enjoyable for you considering how much you are looking forward to it. Not long to wait now - I am getting nervous ^_^
Have you ever reached the night before the King gives his verdict on any route (barring the secret route) and decided to take Frederique up on his offer to just leave?
I've been paying attention to the development of The Thorns of War, but I hadn't even played The Rose yet! I finished all the romance paths and earned all the CGs, and I must say, Lady Charlotte was by far my favorite. I love historical fiction, and VN fit the genre well! I loved the use of dated language. I really enjoyed this!
No, I would not say that is normal. Are you accessing the page through the itch website or the app?
I know if you are logged into itch via the website, the button should be on the download page underneath all the download links.
If you are still having trouble, could you possibly send me a screenshot of what your page looks like to support@blackcross-taylor.com and I can investigate further.
Hello, I am just waiting on some more keys to be provided by Steam. It shouldn't take longer than a couple of days at most, but I will contact you here again once they are available.
I've completed all of the routes and I found some of them to end very abruptly, mainly the prince and Bastian. The female routes I didn't personally care for, I only completed them to get to the secret love interest but of the two I did prefer Sofia.
I did think the price was a little high since the replayability is low and I found all of the routes very fast to complete. That being said it certainly isn't a waste of money and I'm happy to fund projects that I finish so it isn't too big of a deal.
I personally found the font very hard to read, especially with certain words as it looked a bit like a b reak (like that) between letters at times. The music is simple but I honestly thought it fit very nicely with the story and the time setting. The choices you have are very simple and don't seem to impact much so the main character felt a little flat but I am aware that it is something that comes with the territory. I would rather have a flat main character and better love interests than the other way around.
The sprites are nicely drawn, it would have been nice to see the characters actually change clothes since it was mentioned almost every day that the main character had to change to get ready but the only time we change is during the play.
Over all I think it's a decent game, a good 6/10. I'll honestly look into the sequel even though the price is more than doubled, just because it says to be six times as long. With that amount of time playing the game I hope the price to experience would be more worth it
I only finished Sofia's route and I can say it was really good, I loved it !
Now I will wait for The Thorns of War to be finiched and released in Steam to buy it ! I am eager to see the reste of Sofia's route and discover the others
I recommend playing Charlotte route because I played Sofia first because Charlotte seemed annoying to me. However, I played her route and honestly it surprised me to be honest.
Um...hello. I just wanted to ask about something as it seems you guys are more active here. I bought the game on steam recently and I absolutely love it! But for some reason, I can't get the secret route. Yes, I've played through every single route but still can't get it.
Hello and thank you for your kind feedback – I am glad to hear you enjoyed the game.
As for your issue with the secret route, please email me at support@blackcross-taylor.com and we can talk through your issue in more detail and I can give you some options of how we can fix it.
Hi, I love your game and recently I did a second playthrough to meet these amazing characters again and I left with a question. Is the MC canonically bisexual in every route, like I thought on my first playthrough, or depending on the route her sexuality changes (like, being a lesbian on the girls routes and straight on the guys routes)? Thanks for your time and really excited for the full release of the sequel!
Many thanks for your interest - I'm happy to hear you liked the game and are looking forward to the sequel. To answer your question, I didn't really have a canon sexual orientation in mind for the MC and, for the most part, I tried to keep it ambiguous enough for player's to decide for themselves.
Once you are on a route then the game generally assumes you like the gender of that character, but I tried to leave it up to players to decide whether the MC liked that gender exclusively or not.
I hope this answers your question and many thanks for playing
I am afraid I am only able to offer the Windows version on Steam for the time being, as uploading games to Steam is a more complex process and I do not currently have a Mac computer with which to do the required testing etc.
It might be that, when the studio is larger, that is something I can remedy but, as it stands, the Mac version is only available on itch.io
Sorry I could not be of more help and thank you for your interest.
Well, all purchases of TROS made on itch come with a free Steam key, so if you buy a mac version here you will have a key available and ready to redeem once there is a mac version available on Steam, so I hope that is of some help. ^_^
Omggg, this game is awesomeee, I absolutely loved all the routes but I have to say my favorite romance is the secret route, I really felt the strong connection between the MC and him, and I just love how much he cares about her always prioritizing her happiness above everything else, Im really looking forward to continuing his route in the sequel!
I love your work and Im really looking forward to your future projects :)
Hello and many thanks for the kind feedback. I'm very happy to hear you enjoyed the game - especially the secret route - and I hope you enjoy the coming sequel just as much.
Definitely recommend, must-play if you enjoy historic otomes! The MC has LOTS of personality that you even get to choose (some options are pretty wild and fun! do not be scared to be wild and wreak havoc!), the story is entertaining, and the art is pretty! Oh, and the love interests all have layers/secrets to discover! Expect to see the skeleton of the story to be the same on all routes, but depending on your route, you will see many alternate scenes, so it doesn't get boring! Or just skip (and it's super fast, not bogged down by transitions and such!). Some love interests/routes that stood out to me: Leopold caught my interest first, he seemed polite and charming (and shallow of me, but his sprite is so pretty haha). His route was also full of unexpected intrigue, good job on the slow build and foreshadowing! I am most excited for his sequel! I was pleasantly surprised some of the ladies were love interests too! Sofia caught my eye quick, and I really enjoyed her connection with the MC and the dramatic turns~ With Charlotte, I didn't have very high expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised, her route was sooo wholesome! The prince, getting to know him better, he was a little unexpected, and I came to appreciate him. Also looking forward to his sequel for the plot~ Bastion... don't know why, but I didn't appreciate the slow burn in this as much as I should have. And the secret route. Ugh. Right in the feels. (Spoilers ahead, don't read the crossed out text!) I thought there was going to be a kiss in the play... Then again they got in trouble even without... Also, even outside the game I went on a whole emotional rollercoaster because of him haha, first thinking it's a pity the prettiest boy is the brother, then realizing he's still a love interest... I was both happy and worried. But seeing his devotion to MC from the beginning, I was looking forward to him, and he delivered! Maybe some advice for future games. The font was a little hard to read, especially in italics, which was used in narration, that took some getting used to. Personally, I had some technical difficulties though. Once, Steam did not register me closing the game from within, and I had to restart my computer for it to be fixed so I can launch it again. And I had some difficulty unlocking the secret route, but I managed, and was worth the trouble!
Hello and thank you for your feedback - I am glad you found the game entertaining overall.
The font is something I am looking into for Thorns of War. I do like the font we have, so it might be a case of providing an alternative for those who are having trouble reading the original font.
"Once, Steam did not register me closing the game from within, and I had to restart my computer for it to be fixed so I can launch it again."
If the game did actually close and then refused to open afterwards, I think this might actually be an issue with Steam.
I certainly have had the same problem crop up with many games through Steam. According to the internet, it happens because the Steam Bootstrapper service stops responding. This doesn’t allow Steam to launch because Bootstrapper is the initial service required to start Steam. Whenever I have this problem, I open task manager and click 'End Task' on 'Steam Client WebHelper (32 bit)'. This closes Steam so the program can be rebooted without restarting your computer.
Many thanks for playing and I hope you enjoy the sequel.
Is the sequel going to have the same characters? because I would love more Leopold x Mc but then at the same time doing a sequel for all the routes may be very difficult especially with Leopold and his plans.
Yes, the sequel will have the same characters to romance, plus two new characters, as well.
Bastien's route has been released already, Sofia's route will be released on 14th Feb, and Guillaume's route is currently being written. You can get more details and also download the demo here: https://blackcrosstaylor.itch.io/ttow
Excuse me, I would like to buy the game on Steam, however there is only windows version available on Steam. Is it possible to buy the mac version via steam?
I am afraid I am only able to offer the Windows version on Steam for
the time being, as uploading and testing games to Steam is a more
complex process and I do not currently have a Mac computer with which
to do the required testing etc.
It might be that,
when the studio is larger, that is something I can remedy but, as it
stands, the Mac version is only available on itch.io
Sorry I could not be
of more help and thank you for your interest.
Question! Is it possible to get Guillaume's romance ending AND the King's approval? I'm trying to do both, but I only manage to get one or the other...
Yes, it is possible I believe (I certainly aimed to make it so as I wrote something specific for that outcome).
It's a bit of a balancing act. I can give you more details, but I would suggest that in matters before the court you act 'like a princess', but when alone with Guillaume, act as yourself to win him over. That should do it.
While i love all the routes, i have to give highlight how much I love the combinations of traits that our pc could have--my favorite is the cunning, commanding hellion one! It's rare to see something like this in a vn/otome, and i must applaud the dev for the excellent execution!
Hello and thanks for the feedback. I'm happy to hear you enjoyed being able to customise your character - the hellion is one of my favourite traits, too.
Ive never read a visual novel that was written similarly with the words from the time period of the plot. It was a unique experience and concept, it took some historical romance troupes and gave them a new perspective, while also creating a sweet and emotional story to go along with it. The art was beautiful, the choices felt like they mattered and that they weren't just put in to give the illusion that they did. I loved all the paths, its hard to pick a favorite one, and I was pleasantly surprised by the secret romance option. I felt a little guilty for pursing the secret option but I loved it nevertheless. I liked how the main character is portrayed as strong willed, independent woman and how the characters in the story react to her headstrong and intelligent traits. I also really admire the way she can approach a situation in a snappy and clever way while also being a little devious. The overall story came together really well and felt really realistic, especially given the vocabulary throughout the novel. I really enjoyed reading this :)
Oh my god I can't believe I almost pass this wonderful game because it UI. I'm so happy that my friend told me to try this game!
I knew Lepold is my bias of this game in a very 1st sight and even more so after I finish the game. I love both Leopold and Iolanthe so so so much, they are my OTP now. You won't know how long I finally ship a cp this hard.
I haven't played this game before so I was wondering if this has a satisfying ending or if it's more cliffhanger? I was just wondering because you guys are making a second game. Thank you!!
I can't really say if you'll find the ending satisfying or not (since that's more of a personal thing), but I do know that this game was originally made without any thoughts of a sequel in mind, so there is no deliberate attempt at a cliffhanger ending.
Hi! I don't know if this is a spoilery question or if it has been asked before, but how do you get the king to choose you in the end? Or is it impossible no matter the route (I only tried with Guillaume)?
Hello, AnnieIvanova, many thanks for your question.
The way to get the King to choose you is to behave like a 'princess'.
So doing things that make you seem meek, fragile, and perhaps even a bit stupid.
Of course, that might not make you popular with any of the love interests, so the key is to balance this behaviour with things you love interest is going to like.
A good tip here is to consider whether the rest of court can see you. If they can, anything you do will get back to the King, but if you are alone with your love interest or family, the King isn't going to know how you are behaving so you can do as you please.
There are also two points in the story where you mother writes to you letting you know (via how happy she is/is not with you) what the king things of your behaviour. This is supposed to help players track their progress.
I hope this helps, but if you would like a more in-depth guide on which options give you 'princess points' with the King, please email me at support@blackcross-taylor.com
Caution: Spoilers ahead. Read at your own discretion.
Also: sorry for my bad english...(?)
I remember finding this game waay back and coments of people saying they where dissapointer with the whole premise and what not, but i said to myself, i gotta try this, so i waited and just until now i had enought spare money to afford it, and so i came here to praise this game.
It is very light, but i love the setting, is perfect if you want to play some historical, romance court drama but with less intrigues and more comedy trown at you, seriously, i adore so all the jokes i saw in this game, from the horse jokes, to the ones the mc makes when talking to the different characters, the prank in the tea party is pure gold, and i love how everyone reacts when you play the role in the play as a strong willed young lady lmao.
For the characters, i must say my favorite is going to be frederique, i am all for forbidden romances in games and more so of incest, i do not duell to much on it but i feel it has a certain charm that pulls at your heart strings and is so very beautiful, yet all the same sad. However in this game i gotta give kudos for the chemistry between him and the MC, they act like siblings in all the other routhes but even there you can see that there is something they share, like and invisible little world, and this shines through better on those little scenes when pursuing other characters frederique shows just how much he knows his sisters, and loves her just for who she is, a strong, willed, mischievous girl, who is as sharp as her mother but also, has a very kind heart.
His routhe was the more pleasant for me, specially when he would just snap near the end of it, his confession almost had me to tears and i felt so much for them, so i was happy that they got away together, but also very sad there wasn't a kiss cg, even a hug maybe, where the two of them would look into the far away sky for how the future now is of endless posibilities for them.
Stoping my praise with them for now, if not, i may be writting this far longer, and i have to praise so many characters, lets move into my second husband in this game: Leopold. I also love his chemistry with the MC, he likes her better when she is herself, and i am down by that always. I will say that in this estance i love what he says when he catches you after the mischief in the tea party, he shares part of that mischief and my heart aches for his situation, i won't say i agree with the cup, or the uncertainty of it, but i would consider it and so i will wait for the sequel to se how everything develops later. But i love his character.
Then i would say the prince is my third, and only because he is at all too nice, i liked when he left his mask slip and MC got upset because all the things he said to her, showing his more human side, and kudos for MC because the option i picked here felt so good to say, almost like something i would say myself.
Wich is another point i would like to praise, the mc characterization. I give her a name, but unlike any other games where i can do so, and much more, i didn't play this game as a way to self-insert myself in the story, because MC alone was such a strong character that i feel like she was more like a friend to me, in a way in wich you read a book and feel for the protagonist but do not wish to take her place. She was kind, brave, and sharp, she could see through others and in her kindness, help them with their ploblems like a mother would do, all she said was on point, gentle, yet firm and to the point and she spooke with such truth and wisdom that i feel like out of everyone in the game, she shone the most.
Sofia and charlotte, while i may not be very fond of GxG as i am only now easing myself slowly into this world (unless the other female character is a tomboy, wich somehow is my soft spot) i enjoyed their routhes all the same, with sofia, i was charmed by her knowledge, she was also very brave with a degree of cunning, but fragile and kind, i will say that something bitter sweet here, as mentioned before, was the fact in how frederique leaped in and made the offer so the two of them could remain together. This ending for me was very sad, as i was partialy going through this because i wanted to unlock his routhe and also, because it was not a real solution, but a temporary one. and while i would like to say that i wish it could be similar to charlotte ending, i understad that it couln't be posible because of circumstances so it was the best solution at the moment.
Bastien is my least favorite character, just because i related so much to MC in his routhe and was very pissed with him for not doing anything for his own happiness, and for nothing really, considering how everything turned out in the end that they had to rush to solve their situation. i did rush myself trought this because i get very exasperated with people and characters who find every but for any kind of happiness they can find in his life, and was more disheartened after his little rambling at the end, i understad he does not regret it (Probably) but he did say what he said so there is that.
So for those who said that this was a shallow story at fist, i beg to differ, the romance was not fast, but the endings did seem very rushed, but i suspect it was because there was going to be a sequel, wich i can't wait for to se more of my two hubbies and what the others are up to. Even if you don't like a character romanticaly, you can still see them as friend, as i saw even the suporting characters (aka rivals) in such a light.
I am also looking foward to more comedy in the sequel as it was one of my favorite things in this game (and im a sucker for bad jokes, just ask batensan) and perhaps, CG'S where the character lips are actually touching *wink wink* Anyways, it's a great game and i would recomend it with my eyes closed! you should definetely give it a try!
As for the creator, love your game, probably im gonna love the sequel too, and never stop dreaming and doing what you do, making games is difficult, even as a main job or a diversion, so this game is an acomplishment, one you should be proud of, as a fellow who enjoys romance and has probably played almost all the otome, dating sims, yaoi, and visual novel out there i will say, even if you think it's cliché, go for it, i know there are many stories out there about the same damn thing, but anything yours you put in them will make the difference, and i can see in this game a lot of thing you put there, wich are yours alone, who make this game so good as it its, so thake risk, enjoy what you do, and remember that there is always someone out there willing to read that what you are working on!!
Also, take care of your health!!
thank you for this amazing game and i will see you soon, in rose of segunda torns of war! ;) until then, stay safe and be happy!
Totally random question, but did your sprite artist do the side character silhouettes as well or did you have someone separate do that? I'm thinking about putting together a short project but a lot of the side characters would be black silhouettes and I really liked how yours looked! If you don't want me contacting your artist though that's totally fine, but I figured I'd ask!
Ah, I'm glad you liked them - I know they weren't too popular with some people, but were sadly necessary due to budget constraints.
Actually, they were made by the same artist who did the backgrounds for 'Devil'.
They were made by taking the character sprites as templates and then painting over them and adding simple shading - the artist is a friend of mine and made them for me as a favour. If you message me on my support email, I can put you in touch with him if you wish.
Thank you, I might do that, I still have some ways to go in planning the project before I'm actually ready to commission art, but you may see something from me in the near future. Thanks again for the info :D
Hello! I bought this game on Steam 2 days ago. I have finished the four (Edit: five) romance routes and ended all with a happy ending, but I can't seem to get to the secret route (no new option on Day 1).
For you to be sure I got all four (Edit: five) endings, I will list the CGs I haven't got to prevent spoilers to anti-spoiler fellows XD I know how sucked it is to be spoilered -_-
I will use (x, y) coordinate (haha I feel silly). I haven't got the CG (4,2) in page one and (5,3); (1,2); and (2,2) on page two. Hope this can give you certainty that I have cleared the four (Edit: five) endings. But if this isn't enough, I can summarize the endings I got.
Do I have to pursue another endings? I know there are other endings aside from I have pursued. But if that's not the case, is there something I didn't do? I want to read Secret's route! X.X
Thank you for answering. And after I played all routes, I will write a review <3
Hello, PangHerHeart - sorry to hear you are having trouble.
Hmm, four romance routes? Well, there are six in total including the secret route, so that sounds like you are missing someone.
But, from the CGs you mentioned (clever way of avoiding spoilers, by the way ^_^) I don't think you are missing any of the romances. Do you want to email me at support@blackcross-taylor.com?
I can get some more details from you and we won't have to worry about spoilers ^_^
Thank you for the opportunity, but I don't know what else I can tell you except that I have romanced the 5, but I still don't get the new option to activate Secret's route X.X
But at the second thought I will just email you regardless. That way you can ask whatever details you need. Thank you for the fast reply!
I just started playing the game and it is brilliant so far, but after the second day it takes me straight to the credits and i'm not sure if i'm doing something wrong. I would love to know if there is any way to fix it, thanks.
If I had to guess off the top of my head, I'd have to ask you to check if you are definitely playing the full game and not the demo. As I recall (and it's been a while since I played it myself), the demo ends after the second day.
If you are definitely playing the full game (the file size should be about 260MB) then please email me at support@blackcross-taylor.com and I will get some more information from you to investigate further.
I was expecting to enjoy this, but it still managed to pleasantly surprise me! For a game set over the course of a few weeks, the romances are astonishingly convincing. (It helps that Iolanthe's home life is pretty unbearable, so all the eloping feels reasonable.) The dialogue was frequently quite clever, and I especially liked how the romance was understated without becoming lifeless.
I usually avoid otome games that allow too much MC customization, because that generally seems to mean either inconsistent characterization or a binary choice between being a pushover or a jerk. I like leads who have strong personalities, rather than self-inserts, so the more defined the MC is as a person, the better. But Iolanthe was somehow clever and refreshing no matter how I played her, which was lovely. (Even though I never could quite bring myself to make her leave her toothbrush behind, or sit around admiring posteriors when she could be helping the stablehand, so I'm sure I missed out on some options). It helps that no matter what you pick, she's never stupid or shy; it's just a matter of how willing she is to play the Court's games, and why she chooses to or not.
And for once the flexibility of character actually feels necessary—the love interests are quite different sorts of people, so it seems fitting they'd have different types. Leopold, for instance, almost requires the "strong, cunning hellion" that's happy to speak her mind and wreck tea parties for fun and profit, while the more reserved "commanding, diplomatic scholar" feels like the woman the Prince needs in his life to help him navigate treacherous political waters.
I really liked the subtle changes based on your chosen traits, like how being commanding means you get an additional layer of badassery at the tea party when the servant fetches a chair for you without you needing to ask. I think the only time what I chose and what happened didn't match up was on Guillaume's route. I had Iolanthe say she didn't love Guillaume, but wanted to be queen still. Then in the next scene she promptly agreed to marry him even if he renounced his title, which felt...off. But fair enough, really, since picking that option feels OOC in the first place, given everything that comes before it on the route!
This is already too long, but I'd feel weird reviewing an otome game without mentioning the actual routes, so in brief:
Bastien: Adorable. The scene where he realizes that, even if he stays a steward, Iolanthe will eventually leave him, was wonderfully heartbreaking. I would have maaaybe enjoyed more opportunities for Iolanthe to deliberately fluster him, because his reactions are so cute when she does.
Guillaume: I'm a sucker for shy kids who are forced to act like the opposite. And his argument with Iolanthe is handled just right, by which I mean it's good that she gives him the cold shoulder until he apologizes properly. She deserves as much. Overall, I enjoyed watching the MC slowly draw him out of the mindset of a figurehead.
Charlotte: Darling. I just want to spirit her away from everything and make all her dreams come true, which is exactly how the route ends, so yay!
Sofia: Nicely bittersweet and realistic in how they resolve the main conflict. Sofia's a good counterpoint to Charlotte. I made Iolanthe a scholar for her route and it was wonderful seeing two intelligent, classy ladies bond inside the gilded cage they share.
Leopold: I am here for Mr. Tilney types, who know how dumb the social rules are but play to win anyway. His reactions to Iolanthe's troublemaking are priceless; the two of them are a power couple in the making. I did feel like Iolanthe got talked into participating in his plans too quickly, but eh. He's worth it.
Secret Route: A perfect finale and deliciously angsty. It really felt like they were off in their own world together. In terms of chemistry, it might have been the strongest of the romances.
In conclusion: great job! Now I'm going to hop on over to the sequel page and see what's cooking there.
Hello, TheBetterStory, and thank you for your kind feedback. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the game.
I understand what you mean about never being able to pick some of the options. ^_^
I can never kill the bee, even though I think it is one of the funnier options in the game. (It's one of the choices you get from leaving your toothbrush, so you may not have seen it.)
Well, I hope you find enjoyable the sequel, too (once it is completed) and thanks for playing
I also made an account for the (initial) purpose of commenting here. I see I'm not alone. :D
I started the demo and almost instantly thought "Nope, I need the full one". So I bought the game (on Steam) and boy, was I not disappointed.
It's captivating. A great idea, amazingly executed. I love all of it: the text, the artwork, the music... Oh, the music.
The character arcs feel fleshed out and — most importantly — believable. They're not too epic, sure, but I engaged with them, I empathized, I can't help but think of them as real live people — just not of this reality, but of another. That often happens when I read good books, so that one is a huge praise.
I'm not usually one to play FxM romances (as a WLW in real life, I find myself way more inclined to pursue FxF romances in games too), but after reading comment after comment about how somebody adored this or that guy, I succumbed to my curiosity and... was also not disappointed, even though my expectations were really high at that point.
I haven't completed all the routes yet — I'm saving Charlotte for last and I'm not going for the secret route (I might actually try to please the King instead for once :D), but I enjoyed each end every one of the others.
My favorite so far is Sofia, hands down. Bastien comes in very, very close second place, though. I won't go into detail here (might get carried away and go into spoiler territory), but whoa, I do feel for both of those struggles. And it was just the right amount of bittersweetness for my taste (in both cases, though for entirely different reasons, of course).
Also, as I mentioned earlier, I loved the music very much. Especially the bittersweet track that plays in the most "heart to heart" dialogues, I don't know its proper name, unfortunately.
And I wonder if there's any way to download/buy the music as playable files (such as mp3, etc)? I personally would give the same money I paid for the whole game without hesitation, to be honest. I couldn't find even the pointers: the credit roll comes and goes very quickly (for me, perhaps, since English isn't my mother tongue), and there's no other mention of the composers in the devlog or elsewhere that I've been able to find.
I do hope you (or someone) can point me in the right direction.
I'm glad to hear you're enjoying the game so far, and that you found the characters believable (and it's nice to hear Bastien getting some love, too - he does not seem as popular as some of the others ^_^)
As for the music, I am happy to say that it is, bar three tracks, all creative commons work and available to download for free .
The two Mozart pieces should be easy enough to google (Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622 - I. Allegro and Piano Concerto no. 10 in E flat major, K. 365/316a.)
As for the other tracks, they are by a talented and generous composer called Kevin MacLeod, and can be searched for here https://incompetech.com/music/
I think many people who make games (and youtube videos) use his work.
Tracks I used in this game are as follows, but I think the piece you might be referring to is "Trio for Piano, Cello, and Clarinet" or possibly "Heartbreaking".
"The Rule", "Sugar Plum Fairy", "Hidden Agenda", "Heartbreaking", "Reaching Out", "There is Romance", "Trio for Piano, Cello, and Clarinet", "Vanishing"
Anyway, good luck in finding the track you were looking for (and possibly even more great music) on his site, and thank you for playing.
Hello and thank you so much for the swift reply — I expected to wait a day or two, but here you are :)
Oh, Bastien is amazing! I love that he's kind and caring and always strives to do what he believes is right and stay true to it, no matter how much pain it may bring him. Honestly, the two human-shaped balls of chaos (Frederique and his sister, of course) can use someone like him by their side — not only loyal, but also a voice of reason. His route also is relatable to me personally: I know how it is to feel for someone so deeply and not be able to tell them, and that inner turmoil and torture is captured brilliantly and rings very true.
I'm definitely going to be replaying his and Sofia's routes! (Well, most likely — all of them, and some are just going to be replayed a bit more times...)
Regarding music: YES! I've found it among the first two you listed, thank you so much *___* I was initially referring to "Trio for Piano, Cello, and Clarinet" — it first caught my ear as a very fitting piece for the scenes it was used in, and then I listened a bit more closely and fell in love.
P.S. Oh, and I'm definitely coming back for your other games — I'll get The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea as soon as another paycheck comes in, I can't wait for Heaven's Grave and Best Friends Forever, and I've fallen head over heels for the Thorns of War demo. I wish you best of luck with these three and more!
I literally made an account so I could comment here.
SPOILERS ALERT
The secret route is the best honestly. I was more surprised that they r blood related, coz usually if there is brother/sister relationship in otome they r usually not related. I was expecting him to say "oh you know we r not even related", that would ruin the whole impression from the route. It could be more better and emotional, also dramatic, the part that touched me when he was talking about his childhood. But I am already happy with you putting this route there. I want to say thank you so much for that. His connection was actually very noticeable when I was playing other routes. Especially, in Sofia's route when he wanted to marry Sofia so she could stay with MC.
Ah, thank you for your kind feedback - I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the secret route.
Yes, I do agree with you when it comes to romances of this sort - when they pull the whole 'you were adopted' schtick at the very end, it kind of feels like a bait and switch. ^_^
Well, the story will continue in the sequel game, The Thorns of War, so I hope you will be able to enjoy more of this romance once it is released.
Another problem with the "it's okay, I'm adopted/just a step-sibling" trope is that it somehow implies that someone not related to you by blood isn't a "real" sibling. I say if you're going to write a forbidden romance, commit to it!
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I absolutely adored every character and love interest in this game, you did amazing!!
... And I will admit, my ultimate guilty pleasure is the Secret Route. I was very surprised and thrilled it existed 💕
Ah, thank you for your kind feedback. I’m very happy to hear you enjoyed the games, especially the secret route. I know he’s very popular ^_^
Many thanks for playing
omg it's so rare for me to fall in love with a character! You've outdone yourself haha, I love Leopold
Ah, I'm so glad to hear it! Leopold is certainly one of the more popular love interests - I'm happy you enjoyed his route.
Many thanks for playing
THIS GAME IS AMAZING!!!! The protagonist's attitude, nuanced characters, and incredible pacing made this into such an enjoyable experience. You are so talented, so happy I found this. :)
Ah, thank you for the positive feedback - I'm very happy to hear you enjoyed it.
Many thanks for playing ^_^
I simply fell in love with Sofia! It scratched at my heart in all the right places!
Spoiler alert
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The scene where they where outside and Sofia was playing as a fairy and MC was pretending to be asleep made me frustrated to no ends! Lady Charlotte just had to come at the right time!!! *crying* Lady Charlotte, I like you, but could your timing have been any better? xD T^T
Edit: thanks for the guide!
Ah, thank you for the kind feedback - I'm glad to hear you enjoyed Sofia's route.
Many thanks for playing
Oh dear. Sorry to put you in a bind. Maybe Sofia can be your 'cannon' playthrough - that's how I separate it in my head when I feel guilty romancing the other routes in games. ^_^
Many thanks for playing
Ah, thank you. I'm very glad to hear you enjoyed it. ^_
Hello, i first purchase this game on steam where the download didn't work so i decide to purchase it on itch io but it didn't work either. i then decide to retry the download on steam where this time it work, so i was wondering if it was possible to obtain a refund for the purchase on itch io, if it's possible, i can show you the recipe of my purchase on steam. thank you and sorry for the bother.
Hello and thank you for your purchase - I am sorry to hear you had trouble initially with the download. Any refunds are handled by itch.io and I believe the process for requesting one can be found here:
https://itch.io/docs/legal/terms#refunds
Many thanks again and all the best
Thank you for the Reply and the link, i will try it!
By the way, for what i play so far, i really like the game, and very exited to see how the story will go. So far i am curious about the duke of Leopold.
Ah, I'm glad to hear you are enjoying the game so far - I hope you like the rest ^_^
I've been wanting to play this game for literal years and it was absolutely worth the wait! Long story short: I downloaded the OG demo (as in, side characters had no sprites yet) back when Rose was still in development, lost the file when I switched laptops, then got too busy with uni to play a lot of games. Now that I've a Real Adult Job, I can finally afford to support all the indie devs I follow online, so I've been going through everyone's back catalogue and this was the first game I thought of getting! (For transparency: I bought it on Steam.)
The best part of Rose is the writing, especially the way the characters and the world are so fleshed out. When I realized the story only takes place over 2 weeks, I wondered if the romance would develop believably, so I was pleasantly surprised when none of the routes had any pacing issues - all of the relationships felt that they grew organically, without feeling rushed or contrived for plot convenience. I think it's also the setting that makes this feel realistic - in a modern otome, I don't think I'd find it believable to elope with or marry someone after just 2 weeks. However, Rose is clearly historical, and the writing really gets across how the world of the nobility operates very differently. The story makes clear that the characters are pressured to marry young for pragmatic rather than personal reasons, grow up faster and take on responsibility earlier than we do today, and don't have great family lives. Given all of that, the decision to settle down (or even just up and leave) with a particular love interest always feels like it makes sense for the decisions you made and the way you played MC in that particular playthrough.
It's REALLY hard for me to choose a favorite (which shows you just how good Rose is, since I usually have at least one character I end up solidly disliking) - as in, I stayed up the entire night and went through everyone's routes in one sitting - so I won't go into detail about each one because gushing about everybody would make this ramble even wordier. However, I do want to compliment specific things that stood out to me about the way the F/F romances and the secret romance are handled:
♡ The depiction of the sapphic experience (e.g. the thought you'll grow out of it one day because it's just "practice" for "real" hetero relationships later) was super well done. I love how "coming out"/accepting your queerness is represented as a process that can be conflicting, and also as a personal choice that's not always easy to make in the face of others' expectations. A lot of sapphic romances in fiction tend to be written in such a way that the relationship feels "special" only because it's ~forbidden~ or tend to present coming out as a one time big time realization you're suddenly super certain of, so I'm glad that Rose falls into neither of those traps (something that probably wasn't easy because depicting queer love in historical fiction is a challenge all its own). I think that out of all the ones I've played, Rose is definitely one of the F/F romance games that feels closest to home in that regard.
♡ I love how supportive Frederique is if you're romancing Charlotte or Sofia (especially in Sofia's ending!) - in my experience, it's very relatable to have one "safe" member of your family who you're "out" to even if you're closeted to everyone else in the household, so I was happy seeing that dynamic represented here.
♡ At first I only played the secret route out of curiosity for how it would affect the story and because I liked Frederique as a character, not necessarily because I actually wanted to romance him - in fact, I usually avoid routes of this nature for obvious reasons. I was afraid it would feel shoehorned in for shock value or that it would have a last minute "one of us is actually adopted" plot twist (that second one is a pet peeve of mine since it's a very overdone trope in telenovelas where I'm from), but the devs really committed to the taboo premise, which I admire because it takes guts to really go there. I ended up loving the secret romance much more than I thought I would because the writer shows how complicated their situation is without glossing over or cheapening it. The game takes time to tell us about the unhealthy family dynamics at play here (like siblings being separated too young, discouraged from being affectionate, and growing up isolated from their peers) that led them down that path, but at the same time it never condemns them for it and makes them sympathetic enough to root for. Frederique is so unconditionally loving, and it's clear they've fallen in love because they're each other's only source of support in a very cold family. What I really liked about the portrayal of Frederique is how even if you ignore the secret route completely, and choose to interpret your relationship with him as completely platonic, he consistently looks out for you without any selfish agenda and just wants you to be happy, even if he doesn't necessarily like or agree with your choices. This is honestly the most important thing in any relationship (whether familial or romantic), and it was what led to the secret route winning me over even if I was initially uncomfortable about its implications and hesitant about how it might be executed.
♡ I'm glad the game sufficiently gates the romance (I wouldn't have known Frederique was even an option if I had gone into Rose blind without seeing reviews first) and also gives you several chances to end it very early, for the sake of folks who are uncomfortable with the route.
Something else I liked about Rose was how it doesn't demonize the characters who are meant to be your rivals (a trap lots of romance media fall into). The writing never spells this out, but it clearly shows they're catty because they've grown up in an environment that pits women against each other, and the characterization of them as mean never feels too convenient or forced to create conflict. The game goes a step further by letting you get in on the mean girl act yourself (through choices like sabotaging the tea party or instigating the fight before the concert) - I have never before played a romance game that lets you be that petty, and I loved it. (I swear I don't actually act like that irl.)
The fact that you have to get not just your love interest's approval, but also the king's, added a nice bit of a challenge to what was an otherwise relaxing game, especially if you're on Guillaume's route, because I ended up having to strategize by balancing being myself in private and keeping up the pretty idiot image in public (happy to say I managed to get both without checking the guide!). It was a big part of what made the cutthroat and tense nature of the setting feel more real (even before I played Leo's route and saw just how unstable Segunda actually is). It wasn't an extremely difficult challenge, but the fact that I was on edge constantly toeing the line made me feel that the royal court really is a very dangerous place, even if I wasn't personally at any big risk (yet...I'm pretty sure I'm going to be endangered when I play through Thorns in its entirety).
The only piece of criticism I would have had for this game was that the story could've been longer, to allow for more fleshed out endings, and to better explore and tie up the loose ends of the more complex subplots (for Leopold's route especially, that reveal made me feel like I slipped out of the romance genre and fell into a political thriller AHDPFAKUF). However, right after I finished all the routes, I saw the itch page for Thorns and just had to get the demo. I obviously haven't played the full game yet, but based on the vibe I'm getting so far, if you felt the endings in Rose were a bit rushed or that the tone was too lighthearted for the tense political climate the game hints at, Thorns might be more to your tastes if you want a game that's more plotty and serious even if it's romance-focused.
Just a few rambles...
♡ Leo's name made me giggle because right before I played his route, I was listening to a podcast on the Plantagenets (who are probably much worse than Guillaume's family). From the podcast, I learned that the guy who captured Richard the Lionheart as he was coming home from crusading then handed him over to the Holy Roman Emperor for ransom was also a duke named Leopold. Given that our Leo is canonically planning a coup, I think that's very apt (...I don't suppose we'll get to do something similar if we side with him in Thorns?)
♡ I had great fun with the changeable name. I initially set her name as Mireille not only because it's one of my real names and makes it easy to self-insert, but also because it feels period-appropriate and close enough to the Minette nickname. For that playthrough, I headcanon that the Parisis nicknamed her Minette back when she was first learning to speak and had trouble saying her name properly, so 1) that's why her mom finds it immature and inappropriate for an adult and 2) I imagined Frederique uses it in both an affectionate "I'm your man to the last, I've been here with you since we were little and I'm still here for you now" way, and also as an inside joke between them like "Ahaha, everyone thinks of you as this refined scholarly lady who's great at languages, but I remember how you couldn't even pronounce your own name as a kid uwu"
♡ Because I love chaos, I did a playthrough where I got the king to choose me, but romanced and ultimately accepted Leopold's proposal. (This also gave me my favorite ending - nothing like your fiancé interrupting your engagement announcement to someone else and giving you your ring in full view of the court.) For this run specifically, I named her Isabella and gave her the scholarly + cunning + commanding traits as a reference to a French princess who was married off to Edward II of England by her parents, but had an affair with Roger Mortimer (whose historical reputation feels quite similar to the amoral schemer image people have of Leo in-game) and planned a coup with him that successfully overthrew Edward. You can probably tell whose Thorns route I'm most excited for 👀
♡ If I really had to choose a single favorite route, it would be Leo's. (That said, I might be a bit biased here because out of all the love interests, he's the one who's most similar to my real-life boyfriend, who thankfully does not have a disgraced family and doesn't seem to be plotting to overthrow the government...at least as far as I know). I absolutely adore characters who hate how unfair and even ridiculous society's expectations are after growing up in bad circumstances, but decide to fight to gain the upper hand nonetheless. I also really enjoy romancing LIs who are ruthless and calculating and not always completely moral about achieving what they want, but who are nothing but respectful and loving when it comes to their partner. (I really enjoyed Leo's scenes, both what I saw in Rose and what I've seen so far from the Thorns demo, because that dynamic is fully on display there.) I'm also a sucker for revolutionaries (even if his motives aren't perfectly noble), I swear his route felt like the devs dug around in my brain for my favorite tropes and just got them perfectly.
♡ I know I'm probably missing out on some choices and scenes this way, but I can NEVER bring myself to leave my toothbrush behind 😭
♡ I'm prone to fainting irl so I love how there are so many fainting options - I chose them almost every time AHPFUAIDF (I know Thorns is darker than Rose, but I hope it'll still have some fainting options because they were hilarious)
♡ The art is lovely! I don't think I've ever used an otome game heroine as my profile picture on my socials before, I just loved the art style that much
Overall, I'd highly recommend The Rose of Segunda to anyone who's interested in a historical otome that's relaxing and quick but still has quite a bit of challenge and intrigue, and I'm really looking forward to playing the sequel!
Thank you for your kind feedback. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the game, especially Leo's route, and I hope you enjoy the Thorns demo, too. ^_^
Many thanks for playing
I've played through every single route in the Thorns demo by now (Sofia's and Leo's scenes were my favorites if I had to choose though), and I am super excited to see how the whole civil war plot shapes up especially since that tension is hinted at throughout Rose! I am for sure going to buy it as soon as my salary comes in, ahahaha! Normally I'd hold out and wait for the full game to be out, but Rose is so good that I know I'm going to cave as soon as my budget allows.
Did you write Rose already knowing that you were going to make a sequel (or at least had the idea for how a sequel would go, even if you weren't sure of it yet)? The endings for Rose set up Thorns so perfectly that I went "...now that I know there's a sequel in development, I wonder if those cliffhangers were intentional."
I know I should probably be asking these questions on the Thorns page and devlog, and they might already be addressed in the comments on there or in the game guides, but I'm trying not to look at those so I don't get spoiled, so I'll ask here:
aaaaa I rambled long enough, hope i'm not bothering!!! tl;dr i love the rose of segunda and am very excited to finally get my hands on Thorns sometime soon
Many thanks for your feedback on the demo – I’m glad it caught your interest for the sequel.
As for your questions…
No, I did not write Rose of Segunda knowing there would be a sequel and its popularity came as a surprise, but I am happy it worked out this way.
I’ve been asked before for some information on the world and I think I am leaning towards releasing something in the Extras menu before Thorns is officially released.
The loveless marriage route (as opposed to the MC being in love with Guillaume – pretending or otherwise) will be an entirely separate route and very different to Guillaume’s route, though I won’t go into any more details for fear of spoilers.
I probably can’t answer the last one, mostly because it depends on what you feel is ruthless/manipulative, but I will say that outright murder would be considered a very grave crime, wholly against the values of both the nobility and the Church, and one to which even the Duchess di Parisi would not stoop outside of the most grievous circumstances.
Many thanks again for your interest in the game ^_^
I got paid literally just an hour ago so it looks like I'll be able to fit Thorns into my budget for this month >:3 I'll get the game when I get back home later tonight so I can put that coup d'etat with Leo into motion asap, prepare for an equally lengthy ramble over on the Thorns itch page once I've played all the available routes ^^ (✿´꒳`)♡
I look forward to hearing your thoughts ^_^
Hello there! I just bought the game, but unfortunately I’m getting a “No keys available” error when trying to redeem! I understand it’s a problem on Steam’s end, so if possible, could I get a heads up when more keys are made available? Thank you so much and I’m so excited to start playing in the meantime so I can support The Thorns of War!
Sure thing! I am just waiting on Steam approval and will let you know once it is through.
Many thanks for your interest
Keys should be available now. Thank you for your patience.
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it! Hope you’re staying warm and have a wonderful holiday!!
Thank you - you too!
Hey there!
I am still playing through the game (on my third run through to complete all of the routes) and this has already made me cry twice. It is very sweet and sincere. MC's response to Charlotte wanting to be an explorer was perfect! I also loved Frederique stepping in to marry Sofia so that she and the MC could be together! Frederique is honestly my favorite character and a supportive king. Can't wait to see what else stabs my heart with sweetness in this game (and to get the secret ending)!
Hello and thank you for your feedback - I'm glad to hear you're enjoying the game so far. Please let me know which route ended up being your favourite once you are all done. ^_^
Many thanks for playing
How would we get the secret romance. No matter how many times i play the game, i can't seem to get it.
You need to successfully complete the other routes and then select the new option that appears on the first day when in the carriage with you brother.
You can find more details on this here: https://blackcross-taylor.com/the-rose-of-segunda-walkthrough/
Please let me know at support@blackcross-taylor.com if you need any more help ^_^
Hi! I'm a bit confused about the love interest POV scenes. In Thorns, they're locked in Extras but I thought there were also POV scenes for TROS, and I can't seem to find them. A little help would be appreciated <3
Hello! The TROS POV scenes are in Thorns of War as they were part of the Kickstarter rewards for that game. I just downloaded the latest copy of Thorns of War (1.7) and the Extra POV scenes appear to be working from what I can see.
From the main menu, you click on Extras, then Love interest POV scenes. In the next menu the names of every character with scenes are listed, though only the TROS characters will have scenes so far. Clicking on the character name should show their TROS scenes - they will be marked as such.
Please let me know if you can find them, or if not, where the problem is arising and I will investigate.
Thank you! I hadn't updated to version 1.7, that was the issue.
I'm really looking forward to Leo's route in a week! :D I was replaying his route in TROS the other day, and was once again really impressed by your writing. It's so elegant and sophisticated, with a classical feeling, but still easy to read.
Ah, that is good to hear.
And thank you for the kind feedback - I really hope the new route is enjoyable for you considering how much you are looking forward to it. Not long to wait now - I am getting nervous ^_^
I can't figure out how to get the gallery image of the top right of the second page.
I'm revisiting the game since I'm really enjoying the sequel and realized I missed that image. Can someone give me a hint or guide?
Have you ever reached the night before the King gives his verdict on any route (barring the secret route) and decided to take Frederique up on his offer to just leave?
I had not! Thank you!
No problem ^_^
I've been paying attention to the development of The Thorns of War, but I hadn't even played The Rose yet! I finished all the romance paths and earned all the CGs, and I must say, Lady Charlotte was by far my favorite. I love historical fiction, and VN fit the genre well! I loved the use of dated language. I really enjoyed this!
Many thanks for the kind feedback. I am glad to hear you enjoyed the game - especially Charlotte's route.
Many thanks for playing ^_^
Played the GxG routes and enjoyed both. Maybe Charlotte's route a tad more over Sofia, but very close. Charlotte's so sweet though. <3
Sorry, I am not sure how I missed this, but thank you for letting me know you enjoyed both the GXG routes in the game, especially Charlotte's ^_^
Many thanks for playing
Hello. I purchased the game today on itchio but I can't see any link to redeem the steam key on the download page, is it normal? Thanks
No, I would not say that is normal. Are you accessing the page through the itch website or the app?
I know if you are logged into itch via the website, the button should be on the download page underneath all the download links.
If you are still having trouble, could you possibly send me a screenshot of what your page looks like to support@blackcross-taylor.com and I can investigate further.
Hi, why do i get a "no keys available" message when i click on "get a steam key" ?
Hello, I am just waiting on some more keys to be provided by Steam. It shouldn't take longer than a couple of days at most, but I will contact you here again once they are available.
Many thanks
There should be keys available now ^_^
It works ! Thank you for answering so quickly :)
I've completed all of the routes and I found some of them to end very abruptly, mainly the prince and Bastian. The female routes I didn't personally care for, I only completed them to get to the secret love interest but of the two I did prefer Sofia.
I did think the price was a little high since the replayability is low and I found all of the routes very fast to complete. That being said it certainly isn't a waste of money and I'm happy to fund projects that I finish so it isn't too big of a deal.
I personally found the font very hard to read, especially with certain words as it looked a bit like a b reak (like that) between letters at times. The music is simple but I honestly thought it fit very nicely with the story and the time setting. The choices you have are very simple and don't seem to impact much so the main character felt a little flat but I am aware that it is something that comes with the territory. I would rather have a flat main character and better love interests than the other way around.
The sprites are nicely drawn, it would have been nice to see the characters actually change clothes since it was mentioned almost every day that the main character had to change to get ready but the only time we change is during the play.
Over all I think it's a decent game, a good 6/10. I'll honestly look into the sequel even though the price is more than doubled, just because it says to be six times as long. With that amount of time playing the game I hope the price to experience would be more worth it
Many thanks for your feedback. I hope to address some of the issues you raised here in the sequel, so perhaps it will be more to your tastes.
Many thanks for playing.
I only finished Sofia's route and I can say it was really good, I loved it !
Now I will wait for The Thorns of War to be finiched and released in Steam to buy it ! I am eager to see the reste of Sofia's route and discover the others
Thank you for your kind feedback - I'm very glad to hear you enjoyed Sofia's route and are looking forward to the sequel.
Many thanks for playing
I recommend playing Charlotte route because I played Sofia first because Charlotte seemed annoying to me. However, I played her route and honestly it surprised me to be honest.
Glad to hear your enjoyed Charlotte's route in the end.
Many thanks for playing
Thanks for recommend Charlotte's route, I played her route and yes I really liked it
Um...hello. I just wanted to ask about something as it seems you guys are more active here. I bought the game on steam recently and I absolutely love it! But for some reason, I can't get the secret route. Yes, I've played through every single route but still can't get it.
Hello and thank you for your kind feedback – I am glad to hear you enjoyed the game.
As for your issue with the secret route, please email me at support@blackcross-taylor.com and we can talk through your issue in more detail and I can give you some options of how we can fix it.
Many thanks for playing
Hi, I love your game and recently I did a second playthrough to meet these amazing characters again and I left with a question. Is the MC canonically bisexual in every route, like I thought on my first playthrough, or depending on the route her sexuality changes (like, being a lesbian on the girls routes and straight on the guys routes)? Thanks for your time and really excited for the full release of the sequel!
Many thanks for your interest - I'm happy to hear you liked the game and are looking forward to the sequel. To answer your question, I didn't really have a canon sexual orientation in mind for the MC and, for the most part, I tried to keep it ambiguous enough for player's to decide for themselves.
Once you are on a route then the game generally assumes you like the gender of that character, but I tried to leave it up to players to decide whether the MC liked that gender exclusively or not.
I hope this answers your question and many thanks for playing
It does, thank you so much for answering
heyy do you have any plans on making this game mac available on steam?
I am afraid I am only able to offer the Windows version on Steam for the time being, as uploading games to Steam is a more complex process and I do not currently have a Mac computer with which to do the required testing etc.
It might be that, when the studio is larger, that is something I can remedy but, as it stands, the Mac version is only available on itch.io
Sorry I could not be of more help and thank you for your interest.
oh thats alright! then it means that i have to buy it here hehe. thank you for answering!
Well, all purchases of TROS made on itch come with a free Steam key, so if you buy a mac version here you will have a key available and ready to redeem once there is a mac version available on Steam, so I hope that is of some help. ^_^
Many thanks for your interest.
I just finished playing the demo and I am in love with it! Definitely gonna buy the game 💕 Eeeeek!
Thank you! I hope you enjoy the game. ^_^
Many thanks for playing
Omggg, this game is awesomeee, I absolutely loved all the routes but I have to say my favorite romance is the secret route, I really felt the strong connection between the MC and him, and I just love how much he cares about her always prioritizing her happiness above everything else, Im really looking forward to continuing his route in the sequel!
I love your work and Im really looking forward to your future projects :)
Hello and many thanks for the kind feedback. I'm very happy to hear you enjoyed the game - especially the secret route - and I hope you enjoy the coming sequel just as much.
Many thanks for playing
Definitely recommend, must-play if you enjoy historic otomes! The MC has LOTS of personality that you even get to choose (some options are pretty wild and fun! do not be scared to be wild and wreak havoc!), the story is entertaining, and the art is pretty! Oh, and the love interests all have layers/secrets to discover!
Expect to see the skeleton of the story to be the same on all routes, but depending on your route, you will see many alternate scenes, so it doesn't get boring! Or just skip (and it's super fast, not bogged down by transitions and such!).
Some love interests/routes that stood out to me:
Leopold caught my interest first, he seemed polite and charming (and shallow of me, but his sprite is so pretty haha). His route was also full of unexpected intrigue, good job on the slow build and foreshadowing! I am most excited for his sequel!
I was pleasantly surprised some of the ladies were love interests too!
Sofia caught my eye quick, and I really enjoyed her connection with the MC and the dramatic turns~
With Charlotte, I didn't have very high expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised, her route was sooo wholesome!
The prince, getting to know him better, he was a little unexpected, and I came to appreciate him. Also looking forward to his sequel for the plot~
Bastion... don't know why, but I didn't appreciate the slow burn in this as much as I should have.
And the secret route. Ugh. Right in the feels. (Spoilers ahead, don't read the crossed out text!)
I thought there was going to be a kiss in the play... Then again they got in trouble even without... Also, even outside the game I went on a whole emotional rollercoaster because of him haha, first thinking it's a pity the prettiest boy is the brother, then realizing he's still a love interest... I was both happy and worried. But seeing his devotion to MC from the beginning, I was looking forward to him, and he delivered!Maybe some advice for future games. The font was a little hard to read, especially in italics, which was used in narration, that took some getting used to.
Personally, I had some technical difficulties though. Once, Steam did not register me closing the game from within, and I had to restart my computer for it to be fixed so I can launch it again. And I had some difficulty unlocking the secret route, but I managed, and was worth the trouble!
Hello and thank you for your feedback - I am glad you found the game entertaining overall.
The font is something I am looking into for Thorns of War. I do like the font we have, so it might be a case of providing an alternative for those who are having trouble reading the original font.
"Once, Steam did not register me closing the game from within, and I had to restart my computer for it to be fixed so I can launch it again."
If the game did actually close and then refused to open afterwards, I think this might actually be an issue with Steam.
I certainly have had the same problem crop up with many games through Steam. According to the internet, it happens because the Steam Bootstrapper service stops responding. This doesn’t allow Steam to launch because Bootstrapper is the initial service required to start Steam. Whenever I have this problem, I open task manager and click 'End Task' on 'Steam Client WebHelper (32 bit)'. This closes Steam so the program can be rebooted without restarting your computer.
Many thanks for playing and I hope you enjoy the sequel.
Is the sequel going to have the same characters? because I would love more Leopold x Mc but then at the same time doing a sequel for all the routes may be very difficult especially with Leopold and his plans.
Yes, the sequel will have the same characters to romance, plus two new characters, as well.
Bastien's route has been released already, Sofia's route will be released on 14th Feb, and Guillaume's route is currently being written. You can get more details and also download the demo here: https://blackcrosstaylor.itch.io/ttow
Many thanks for your interest
Excuse me, I would like to buy the game on Steam, however there is only windows version available on Steam. Is it possible to buy the mac version via steam?
I am afraid I am only able to offer the Windows version on Steam for the time being, as uploading and testing games to Steam is a more complex process and I do not currently have a Mac computer with which to do the required testing etc.
It might be that, when the studio is larger, that is something I can remedy but, as it stands, the Mac version is only available on itch.io
Sorry I could not be of more help and thank you for your interest.
Question! Is it possible to get Guillaume's romance ending AND the King's approval? I'm trying to do both, but I only manage to get one or the other...
Yes, it is possible I believe (I certainly aimed to make it so as I wrote something specific for that outcome).
It's a bit of a balancing act. I can give you more details, but I would suggest that in matters before the court you act 'like a princess', but when alone with Guillaume, act as yourself to win him over. That should do it.
I managed! Finally! :D
Can you give some more details? I have been struggling to get the king's approval and Guillaume's approval as well.
Sure. Do you want to email me at support@blackcross-taylor.com and I will send over a short guide (so I can avoid spoilers here) ^_^
of course!!
While i love all the routes, i have to give highlight how much I love the combinations of traits that our pc could have--my favorite is the cunning, commanding hellion one! It's rare to see something like this in a vn/otome, and i must applaud the dev for the excellent execution!
Hello and thanks for the feedback. I'm happy to hear you enjoyed being able to customise your character - the hellion is one of my favourite traits, too.
Many thanks for playing
Ive never read a visual novel that was written similarly with the words from the time period of the plot. It was a unique experience and concept, it took some historical romance troupes and gave them a new perspective, while also creating a sweet and emotional story to go along with it. The art was beautiful, the choices felt like they mattered and that they weren't just put in to give the illusion that they did. I loved all the paths, its hard to pick a favorite one, and I was pleasantly surprised by the secret romance option. I felt a little guilty for pursing the secret option but I loved it nevertheless. I liked how the main character is portrayed as strong willed, independent woman and how the characters in the story react to her headstrong and intelligent traits. I also really admire the way she can approach a situation in a snappy and clever way while also being a little devious. The overall story came together really well and felt really realistic, especially given the vocabulary throughout the novel. I really enjoyed reading this :)
Many thanks for the kind feedback - I'm very glad to hear you enjoyed the game and I will pass your compliments onto the artist.
Many thanks for playing
Show post...
Oh my god I can't believe I almost pass this wonderful game because it UI. I'm so happy that my friend told me to try this game!
I knew Lepold is my bias of this game in a very 1st sight and even more so after I finish the game. I love both Leopold and Iolanthe so so so much, they are my OTP now. You won't know how long I finally ship a cp this hard.
I definitely look forward to the sequel!
Thanks for letting me know you liked the game - especially the Leopold route. I hope you enjoy the sequel just as much.
Many thanks for playing
I haven't played this game before so I was wondering if this has a satisfying ending or if it's more cliffhanger? I was just wondering because you guys are making a second game. Thank you!!
I can't really say if you'll find the ending satisfying or not (since that's more of a personal thing), but I do know that this game was originally made without any thoughts of a sequel in mind, so there is no deliberate attempt at a cliffhanger ending.
Many thanks for your interest ^_^
Hi! I don't know if this is a spoilery question or if it has been asked before, but how do you get the king to choose you in the end? Or is it impossible no matter the route (I only tried with Guillaume)?
Hello, AnnieIvanova, many thanks for your question.
The way to get the King to choose you is to behave like a 'princess'.
So doing things that make you seem meek, fragile, and perhaps even a bit stupid.
Of course, that might not make you popular with any of the love interests, so the key is to balance this behaviour with things you love interest is going to like.
A good tip here is to consider whether the rest of court can see you. If they can, anything you do will get back to the King, but if you are alone with your love interest or family, the King isn't going to know how you are behaving so you can do as you please.
There are also two points in the story where you mother writes to you letting you know (via how happy she is/is not with you) what the king things of your behaviour. This is supposed to help players track their progress.
I hope this helps, but if you would like a more in-depth guide on which options give you 'princess points' with the King, please email me at support@blackcross-taylor.com
Many thanks for playing
Caution: Spoilers ahead. Read at your own discretion.
Also: sorry for my bad english...(?)
I remember finding this game waay back and coments of people saying they where dissapointer with the whole premise and what not, but i said to myself, i gotta try this, so i waited and just until now i had enought spare money to afford it, and so i came here to praise this game.
It is very light, but i love the setting, is perfect if you want to play some historical, romance court drama but with less intrigues and more comedy trown at you, seriously, i adore so all the jokes i saw in this game, from the horse jokes, to the ones the mc makes when talking to the different characters, the prank in the tea party is pure gold, and i love how everyone reacts when you play the role in the play as a strong willed young lady lmao.
For the characters, i must say my favorite is going to be frederique, i am all for forbidden romances in games and more so of incest, i do not duell to much on it but i feel it has a certain charm that pulls at your heart strings and is so very beautiful, yet all the same sad. However in this game i gotta give kudos for the chemistry between him and the MC, they act like siblings in all the other routhes but even there you can see that there is something they share, like and invisible little world, and this shines through better on those little scenes when pursuing other characters frederique shows just how much he knows his sisters, and loves her just for who she is, a strong, willed, mischievous girl, who is as sharp as her mother but also, has a very kind heart.
His routhe was the more pleasant for me, specially when he would just snap near the end of it, his confession almost had me to tears and i felt so much for them, so i was happy that they got away together, but also very sad there wasn't a kiss cg, even a hug maybe, where the two of them would look into the far away sky for how the future now is of endless posibilities for them.
Stoping my praise with them for now, if not, i may be writting this far longer, and i have to praise so many characters, lets move into my second husband in this game: Leopold. I also love his chemistry with the MC, he likes her better when she is herself, and i am down by that always. I will say that in this estance i love what he says when he catches you after the mischief in the tea party, he shares part of that mischief and my heart aches for his situation, i won't say i agree with the cup, or the uncertainty of it, but i would consider it and so i will wait for the sequel to se how everything develops later. But i love his character.
Then i would say the prince is my third, and only because he is at all too nice, i liked when he left his mask slip and MC got upset because all the things he said to her, showing his more human side, and kudos for MC because the option i picked here felt so good to say, almost like something i would say myself.
Wich is another point i would like to praise, the mc characterization. I give her a name, but unlike any other games where i can do so, and much more, i didn't play this game as a way to self-insert myself in the story, because MC alone was such a strong character that i feel like she was more like a friend to me, in a way in wich you read a book and feel for the protagonist but do not wish to take her place. She was kind, brave, and sharp, she could see through others and in her kindness, help them with their ploblems like a mother would do, all she said was on point, gentle, yet firm and to the point and she spooke with such truth and wisdom that i feel like out of everyone in the game, she shone the most.
Sofia and charlotte, while i may not be very fond of GxG as i am only now easing myself slowly into this world (unless the other female character is a tomboy, wich somehow is my soft spot) i enjoyed their routhes all the same, with sofia, i was charmed by her knowledge, she was also very brave with a degree of cunning, but fragile and kind, i will say that something bitter sweet here, as mentioned before, was the fact in how frederique leaped in and made the offer so the two of them could remain together. This ending for me was very sad, as i was partialy going through this because i wanted to unlock his routhe and also, because it was not a real solution, but a temporary one. and while i would like to say that i wish it could be similar to charlotte ending, i understad that it couln't be posible because of circumstances so it was the best solution at the moment.
Bastien is my least favorite character, just because i related so much to MC in his routhe and was very pissed with him for not doing anything for his own happiness, and for nothing really, considering how everything turned out in the end that they had to rush to solve their situation. i did rush myself trought this because i get very exasperated with people and characters who find every but for any kind of happiness they can find in his life, and was more disheartened after his little rambling at the end, i understad he does not regret it (Probably) but he did say what he said so there is that.
So for those who said that this was a shallow story at fist, i beg to differ, the romance was not fast, but the endings did seem very rushed, but i suspect it was because there was going to be a sequel, wich i can't wait for to se more of my two hubbies and what the others are up to. Even if you don't like a character romanticaly, you can still see them as friend, as i saw even the suporting characters (aka rivals) in such a light.
I am also looking foward to more comedy in the sequel as it was one of my favorite things in this game (and im a sucker for bad jokes, just ask batensan) and perhaps, CG'S where the character lips are actually touching *wink wink* Anyways, it's a great game and i would recomend it with my eyes closed! you should definetely give it a try!
As for the creator, love your game, probably im gonna love the sequel too, and never stop dreaming and doing what you do, making games is difficult, even as a main job or a diversion, so this game is an acomplishment, one you should be proud of, as a fellow who enjoys romance and has probably played almost all the otome, dating sims, yaoi, and visual novel out there i will say, even if you think it's cliché, go for it, i know there are many stories out there about the same damn thing, but anything yours you put in them will make the difference, and i can see in this game a lot of thing you put there, wich are yours alone, who make this game so good as it its, so thake risk, enjoy what you do, and remember that there is always someone out there willing to read that what you are working on!!
Also, take care of your health!!
thank you for this amazing game and i will see you soon, in rose of segunda torns of war! ;) until then, stay safe and be happy!
Many thanks for your kind feedback. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the game - especially Frederique's route.
I hope you will enjoy the sequel just as much ^_^
Totally random question, but did your sprite artist do the side character silhouettes as well or did you have someone separate do that? I'm thinking about putting together a short project but a lot of the side characters would be black silhouettes and I really liked how yours looked! If you don't want me contacting your artist though that's totally fine, but I figured I'd ask!
Ah, I'm glad you liked them - I know they weren't too popular with some people, but were sadly necessary due to budget constraints.
Actually, they were made by the same artist who did the backgrounds for 'Devil'.
They were made by taking the character sprites as templates and then painting over them and adding simple shading - the artist is a friend of mine and made them for me as a favour. If you message me on my support email, I can put you in touch with him if you wish.
Thank you, I might do that, I still have some ways to go in planning the project before I'm actually ready to commission art, but you may see something from me in the near future. Thanks again for the info :D
No problem. Best of luck with the project ^_^
Hello! I bought this game on Steam 2 days ago. I have finished the four (Edit: five) romance routes and ended all with a happy ending, but I can't seem to get to the secret route (no new option on Day 1).
For you to be sure I got all four (Edit: five) endings, I will list the CGs I haven't got to prevent spoilers to anti-spoiler fellows XD I know how sucked it is to be spoilered -_-
I will use (x, y) coordinate (haha I feel silly). I haven't got the CG (4,2) in page one and (5,3); (1,2); and (2,2) on page two. Hope this can give you certainty that I have cleared the four (Edit: five) endings. But if this isn't enough, I can summarize the endings I got.
Do I have to pursue another endings? I know there are other endings aside from I have pursued. But if that's not the case, is there something I didn't do? I want to read Secret's route! X.X
Thank you for answering. And after I played all routes, I will write a review <3
Hello, PangHerHeart - sorry to hear you are having trouble.
Hmm, four romance routes? Well, there are six in total including the secret route, so that sounds like you are missing someone.
But, from the CGs you mentioned (clever way of avoiding spoilers, by the way ^_^) I don't think you are missing any of the romances. Do you want to email me at support@blackcross-taylor.com?
I can get some more details from you and we won't have to worry about spoilers ^_^
Oh wait I mean 5 XD Sorry, I didn't check lol
Thank you for the opportunity, but I don't know what else I can tell you except that I have romanced the 5, but I still don't get the new option to activate Secret's route X.X
But at the second thought I will just email you regardless. That way you can ask whatever details you need. Thank you for the fast reply!
Thank you, I am replying now.
Hey I bought a version of the game before it was avaible on Steam, can I get a game steam key?
Sure. I've ordered some more from Steam and they should be available in the next couple of days.
I'll reply to you again on here once they are in.
Thanks <3
There should be keys available now ^_^
TY :3
I just started playing the game and it is brilliant so far, but after the second day it takes me straight to the credits and i'm not sure if i'm doing something wrong. I would love to know if there is any way to fix it, thanks.
Hmm, that sounds odd.
If I had to guess off the top of my head, I'd have to ask you to check if you are definitely playing the full game and not the demo. As I recall (and it's been a while since I played it myself), the demo ends after the second day.
If you are definitely playing the full game (the file size should be about 260MB) then please email me at support@blackcross-taylor.com and I will get some more information from you to investigate further.
Oh I must have downloaded the wrong link the first time, but I've redownloaded it now and it all seems to be working fine. Thankyou.
No problem. I hope you enjoy the game ^_^
Thank you for playing
I was expecting to enjoy this, but it still managed to pleasantly surprise me! For a game set over the course of a few weeks, the romances are astonishingly convincing. (It helps that Iolanthe's home life is pretty unbearable, so all the eloping feels reasonable.) The dialogue was frequently quite clever, and I especially liked how the romance was understated without becoming lifeless.
I usually avoid otome games that allow too much MC customization, because that generally seems to mean either inconsistent characterization or a binary choice between being a pushover or a jerk. I like leads who have strong personalities, rather than self-inserts, so the more defined the MC is as a person, the better. But Iolanthe was somehow clever and refreshing no matter how I played her, which was lovely. (Even though I never could quite bring myself to make her leave her toothbrush behind, or sit around admiring posteriors when she could be helping the stablehand, so I'm sure I missed out on some options). It helps that no matter what you pick, she's never stupid or shy; it's just a matter of how willing she is to play the Court's games, and why she chooses to or not.
And for once the flexibility of character actually feels necessary—the love interests are quite different sorts of people, so it seems fitting they'd have different types. Leopold, for instance, almost requires the "strong, cunning hellion" that's happy to speak her mind and wreck tea parties for fun and profit, while the more reserved "commanding, diplomatic scholar" feels like the woman the Prince needs in his life to help him navigate treacherous political waters.
I really liked the subtle changes based on your chosen traits, like how being commanding means you get an additional layer of badassery at the tea party when the servant fetches a chair for you without you needing to ask. I think the only time what I chose and what happened didn't match up was on Guillaume's route. I had Iolanthe say she didn't love Guillaume, but wanted to be queen still. Then in the next scene she promptly agreed to marry him even if he renounced his title, which felt...off. But fair enough, really, since picking that option feels OOC in the first place, given everything that comes before it on the route!
This is already too long, but I'd feel weird reviewing an otome game without mentioning the actual routes, so in brief:
Bastien: Adorable. The scene where he realizes that, even if he stays a steward, Iolanthe will eventually leave him, was wonderfully heartbreaking. I would have maaaybe enjoyed more opportunities for Iolanthe to deliberately fluster him, because his reactions are so cute when she does.
Guillaume: I'm a sucker for shy kids who are forced to act like the opposite. And his argument with Iolanthe is handled just right, by which I mean it's good that she gives him the cold shoulder until he apologizes properly. She deserves as much. Overall, I enjoyed watching the MC slowly draw him out of the mindset of a figurehead.
Charlotte: Darling. I just want to spirit her away from everything and make all her dreams come true, which is exactly how the route ends, so yay!
Sofia: Nicely bittersweet and realistic in how they resolve the main conflict. Sofia's a good counterpoint to Charlotte. I made Iolanthe a scholar for her route and it was wonderful seeing two intelligent, classy ladies bond inside the gilded cage they share.
Leopold: I am here for Mr. Tilney types, who know how dumb the social rules are but play to win anyway. His reactions to Iolanthe's troublemaking are priceless; the two of them are a power couple in the making. I did feel like Iolanthe got talked into participating in his plans too quickly, but eh. He's worth it.
Secret Route: A perfect finale and deliciously angsty. It really felt like they were off in their own world together. In terms of chemistry, it might have been the strongest of the romances.
In conclusion: great job! Now I'm going to hop on over to the sequel page and see what's cooking there.
Hello, TheBetterStory, and thank you for your kind feedback. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the game.
I understand what you mean about never being able to pick some of the options. ^_^
I can never kill the bee, even though I think it is one of the funnier options in the game. (It's one of the choices you get from leaving your toothbrush, so you may not have seen it.)
Well, I hope you find enjoyable the sequel, too (once it is completed) and thanks for playing
I also made an account for the (initial) purpose of commenting here. I see I'm not alone. :D
I started the demo and almost instantly thought "Nope, I need the full one". So I bought the game (on Steam) and boy, was I not disappointed.
It's captivating. A great idea, amazingly executed. I love all of it: the text, the artwork, the music... Oh, the music.
The character arcs feel fleshed out and — most importantly — believable. They're not too epic, sure, but I engaged with them, I empathized, I can't help but think of them as real live people — just not of this reality, but of another. That often happens when I read good books, so that one is a huge praise.
I'm not usually one to play FxM romances (as a WLW in real life, I find myself way more inclined to pursue FxF romances in games too), but after reading comment after comment about how somebody adored this or that guy, I succumbed to my curiosity and... was also not disappointed, even though my expectations were really high at that point.
I haven't completed all the routes yet — I'm saving Charlotte for last and I'm not going for the secret route (I might actually try to please the King instead for once :D), but I enjoyed each end every one of the others.
My favorite so far is Sofia, hands down. Bastien comes in very, very close second place, though. I won't go into detail here (might get carried away and go into spoiler territory), but whoa, I do feel for both of those struggles. And it was just the right amount of bittersweetness for my taste (in both cases, though for entirely different reasons, of course).
Also, as I mentioned earlier, I loved the music very much. Especially the bittersweet track that plays in the most "heart to heart" dialogues, I don't know its proper name, unfortunately.
And I wonder if there's any way to download/buy the music as playable files (such as mp3, etc)? I personally would give the same money I paid for the whole game without hesitation, to be honest. I couldn't find even the pointers: the credit roll comes and goes very quickly (for me, perhaps, since English isn't my mother tongue), and there's no other mention of the composers in the devlog or elsewhere that I've been able to find.
I do hope you (or someone) can point me in the right direction.
Hello Firebringer
Thank you for this kind feedback.
I'm glad to hear you're enjoying the game so far, and that you found the characters believable (and it's nice to hear Bastien getting some love, too - he does not seem as popular as some of the others ^_^)
As for the music, I am happy to say that it is, bar three tracks, all creative commons work and available to download for free .
The two Mozart pieces should be easy enough to google (Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622 - I. Allegro and Piano Concerto no. 10 in E flat major, K. 365/316a.)
As for the other tracks, they are by a talented and generous composer called Kevin MacLeod, and can be searched for here https://incompetech.com/music/
I think many people who make games (and youtube videos) use his work.
Tracks I used in this game are as follows, but I think the piece you might be referring to is "Trio for Piano, Cello, and Clarinet" or possibly "Heartbreaking".
"The Rule", "Sugar Plum Fairy", "Hidden Agenda", "Heartbreaking", "Reaching Out", "There is Romance", "Trio for Piano, Cello, and Clarinet",
"Vanishing"
Anyway, good luck in finding the track you were looking for (and possibly even more great music) on his site, and thank you for playing.
Hello and thank you so much for the swift reply — I expected to wait a day or two, but here you are :)
Oh, Bastien is amazing! I love that he's kind and caring and always strives to do what he believes is right and stay true to it, no matter how much pain it may bring him. Honestly, the two human-shaped balls of chaos (Frederique and his sister, of course) can use someone like him by their side — not only loyal, but also a voice of reason. His route also is relatable to me personally: I know how it is to feel for someone so deeply and not be able to tell them, and that inner turmoil and torture is captured brilliantly and rings very true.
I'm definitely going to be replaying his and Sofia's routes! (Well, most likely — all of them, and some are just going to be replayed a bit more times...)
Regarding music: YES! I've found it among the first two you listed, thank you so much *___* I was initially referring to "Trio for Piano, Cello, and Clarinet" — it first caught my ear as a very fitting piece for the scenes it was used in, and then I listened a bit more closely and fell in love.
P.S. Oh, and I'm definitely coming back for your other games — I'll get The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea as soon as another paycheck comes in, I can't wait for Heaven's Grave and Best Friends Forever, and I've fallen head over heels for the Thorns of War demo. I wish you best of luck with these three and more!
You're amazing, don't stop creating <3
Ah, I'm glad you found it!
And thank you for the encouragement - I'm happy to hear that you're looking forward to other games of mine, as well.
"don't stop creating <3"
Heh, I'll certainly try. ^_^
I literally made an account so I could comment here.
SPOILERS ALERT
The secret route is the best honestly. I was more surprised that they r blood related, coz usually if there is brother/sister relationship in otome they r usually not related. I was expecting him to say "oh you know we r not even related", that would ruin the whole impression from the route. It could be more better and emotional, also dramatic, the part that touched me when he was talking about his childhood. But I am already happy with you putting this route there. I want to say thank you so much for that. His connection was actually very noticeable when I was playing other routes. Especially, in Sofia's route when he wanted to marry Sofia so she could stay with MC.
thank you! wish more games had routes like this
Ah, thank you for your kind feedback - I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the secret route.
Yes, I do agree with you when it comes to romances of this sort - when they pull the whole 'you were adopted' schtick at the very end, it kind of feels like a bait and switch. ^_^
Well, the story will continue in the sequel game, The Thorns of War, so I hope you will be able to enjoy more of this romance once it is released.
Thanks for playing
Another problem with the "it's okay, I'm adopted/just a step-sibling" trope is that it somehow implies that someone not related to you by blood isn't a "real" sibling. I say if you're going to write a forbidden romance, commit to it!
Very true and good point to make.