I enjoyed the first game and I look forward to playing this sequel!
I would like to ask if you plan to release this game on Steam once all the routes are complete. I bought "The Rose of Segunda" through Steam, and I prefer keeping all my games in one place when possible, so is it better to wait for that? Will you be giving a Steam key to people who purchased the current version on Itch.io? Or is "The Thorns of War" going to be a Itch.io release only?
Yes, this game will be released on Steam once it is complete, but I will be providing keys for anyone who purchases Thorns of War on itch.io, just as I did with the itch.io release of Rose of Segunda.
It's going well, thank you for asking. I am still working on the Loveless route - I was hoping it would be finished by the end of Auguste but it is still being worked on and the word count is now 330,000, so I think it will be finished soon.
I hope you are doing well, too - many thanks for your interest
I've just finished all of the available routes (not all of the endings though, just one ending per each route as of yet, and i'm saving other outcomes for future replays ^^), and my goodness, what a ride!
The Rose was a delight, but the continuation... it's simply gorgeous.
I really like your writing, and I felt really invested in the plot and achieving the end goal in each one of the current routes. And the sheer size of them!! Just... wow.
I also came to adore every single character in this story... ESPECIALLY the MC - what a fox!! With Roguish + Cunning/Witty + Commanding traits chosen, at least. I'm yet to check how the other options play out, but these are my ideal setup for any game and I suspect I'm going to find letting go of them very hard in the future playthroughs, even for the sake of curiosity xD
Anyhow, honestly, it's a blessing to be able to play such a charismatic, likable and believable character (and don't even mention all the roleplay possibilities that arise as the story progresses - *chef's kiss*). I like how the MC feels strong and powerful, but still remains *a lady* to her very core and exerts her power in ways that never feel contadictory to her femininity, status, personality or the setting - somehow, that's exactly the experience I was missing from ALL the other VNs/otomes I'd played over the last years.
Aside from the MC and the main cast, I came to have a soft spot for Mariette - I keep thinking that if she ever was available as a romance option, she'd probably be one of my favorites. I understand that this is not to be, but I really am hoping to see more of her in the upcoming routes, and it was so cool to have a whole quest involving encounters with her in Sofia's!
As for the actual routes, I am in complete awe after Leopold's - that was everything I could ever have asked from a route and more T__T His every appearance in any other route makes me somehow sad i'm not playing his route currently. Although, to be fair, the same happens every time Frederique shows on the screen xD
Also, what a treat all those additional scenes have been T__T And, as for Frederique (again xD), after reading his in-between games scene, I can't help but wonder, what on Earth could have happened so MC and him end up leaving their safe haven. Is it abduction of either of them or both? blackmailing and threats??? one of Mother's endless machinations? duty??? i mean, i don't expect an answer to this question, but omg, it would be so interesting to find out one day!
Thank you for all this work and best of luck with developing the rest of the routes! I have no doubt that each and every one of them is going to be worth any wait :3
P.S. oooohhh!! i found my answers in the demo!! god bless the demo!!! OMG, so it IS duty... after a fashion xD i actually kind of suspected as much, hehe <3
Thank you for the kind feedback - it is always lovely to hear what players enjoyed.
And Mariette is a character created by one of the Kickstarter backers, so I am sure they will be glad to know their addition to the game is a welcome one.
Well, hopefully not too much longer to wait for the next route - I hope you enjoy it once you get a chance to play it.
Charlotte will be the final route worked on (saving the best for last ^_^) and I am hoping to begin her route early next year to complete some time in the summer.
I hope this helps and many thanks for your interest
Thank you! It does help although I can't help but wish I could play it sooner. Anyhow, best things come to those who wait and her route in the previous game was a blast :-) I liked Sofia's route too (I am here for FxF romance), but Charlotte's felt more special, maybe because I played it first. One more questions: how much longer will the route be in the next game, approximately of course?
Hello! I'm sorry for bothering you, but I'm really eager to know about Frederique's route. If I may ask, could you give an estimate on when (6 months/1 year/2 years/3 years...) his route is going to be released (or at least started)? I understand you are working on the "Loveless" route because you had trouble with Frederique's route (you weren't satisfied with it), so could you please give us an update on when the "Loveless" route is going to be finished (just so I know when to expect the start of Frederique's route)? I'm sorry If this sounds like I'm rushing you (I promise I'm not! I want Frederique's route fleshed out and well written, he deserves that, and I understand that takes time), I'm just really excited for it! I binged the other routes from "The Rose Of Segunda" yesterday, just to get to Frederique's route, so I'm desperate for updates ('m again really sorry for asking, I hope this doesn't come off as rude). Thank you and keep up the good work!
I just wanted to let you know I don’t think your question is rude and I don’t want you to worry that I’m offended or anything (you probably weren’t going to, but I know I tend to spiral about these sorts of things).
I don’t have a good answer for you just yet, but I am hoping I have a clearer picture by the end of the month, so I will reply to you again then, when I know more.
I hope this can at least tied you over until then.
Okay, as promised, I have a very loose time-frame of when I hope things will be finished/started etc.
I am hoping to have the beta for the Loveless Route completed by the end of August. Once it is in beta, I will need to finish the coding/testing and make adjustments for any feedback. So, with all that in mind, I hope to start working again on Frederique’s route by the end of September.
So, ideally, I would be hoping for an early 2025 release for Frederique’s route and then a summer release for Charlotte. Of course, this is all subject to change, but as far as estimates go, this is what I currently have.
I will let people know once the loveless route beta has been released, since that is the first hurdle to clear.
I hope this helps answer some of your questions and many thanks for your interest
Thank you so much for keeping your promise, this is so refreshing-creators that actually interact with the fans/customers, your dedication to integrity and transparency is truly amazing (I'm screaming with joy!). I love finding little gems such as these games that have both intriguing, well thought out dialogues and actual interactivity/choices, but it is truly a rare treat to find developers/creators such as yourself that take the time to answer questions, I'm genuinely very thankful (and again very sorry if I bothered you, I can be a handful to deal with)!
Thank you for the estimate again, and while I know that this is not a guarantee, it still very much helps with my anxiety (sorry if that sounds weird, but I really get anxious about missing important dates/not having a set date about something I'm eagerly waiting on)!
I finished Leo's route in both of your games and let me say, I'm now depressed that there is no more content :D I seriously want to see my favorite power couple ruling or doing their thing. It was such nice experience really that I almost didn't notice the absence of steamy/bedroom scenes. There were tons of tender moments that made their relationship and married status believable. Leopold is so deeply in love with his wife and at the same time doesn't lose his personality. This is honestly refreshing to see because usually in otome stories you are to "reform" the LI and make him abandon his evil plans or whatever. Leo however is dead set on his course, which I find wonderfully realistic.
Now... I should go and weep probably. I want more Q.Q
Many thanks for the kind feedback - I'm glad to hear you enjoyed Leopold's route. Though there is no more to play in his route, Leopold does make appearances in other routes as a potential ally, and he plays a much more prominent role in the Loveless route which I am writing currently, so perhaps there is no need for tears just yet ^_^
I've actually been working on a devlog addressing just this and giving a general update on the game. Please feel free to check it out if you are interested ^_^
I really liked the 1st part... It's a pity that this part is so long in development (of course I understand everyone has their own circumstances), but it's pretty sad to see the game in development for 5 years with only 60 percent progress.
Even at 60% complete it's a MASSIVE game: I'm pretty sure each of the completed routes is at least as long as The Rose of Segunda is in its entirety. Honestly, I'm super impressed by how many routes we already have considering the sheer amount of work that must have gone into them and it's already one of my all-time favourite VNs.
Sorry, I somehow missed this - I hope you had a nice new year. ^_^
I have no eta right now, sadly. I was having some trouble with the route and put it on hold while I worked out why I was not happy with it. I know Frederique is very popular and I did not want to risk producing something that might disappoint players.
So I moved my attention over to the Loveless route and the word count there is just over 100,000 words as of this evening. I am hoping to complete the Loveless route this spring and then return to working on Frederique's route, but I will know more at the end of the month when I plan to publish a devlog with more details.
Hello, I really enjoyed The Rose of Segunda and the routes that are currently out for The Thorns of War. I really like the MC and the character development that she can go through between those games and possibilities depending on the routes you choose to take. I don't mean to sound pushy, but can I ask how it's going for what you're working on right now? Thank you for making these games
Hello and thanks for the feedback - I'm glad you're enjoying the game so far. As for progress, I am currently working on the Loveless route and the word count is approx 68,000 words.
Leo's route is so cute! I played his after Guill's, and there such a huge difference in the love, affection, and respect Leo shows MC throughout as compared to Guill.
Frederique's route is on hold at the moment. I wasn't happy with certain aspects of it, and since I know how much people are looking forward to it, I didn't want to rush things. I am working on the Loveless route in the meantime and it is going well.
I'm impatient for Frédérique's route! I've had a lot of fun playing the previous ones so far, especially Leopold's first as he is my favorite from the first game, and has been the first route I played on both games, but the other routes and options were fantastical to experience as well, this game is very complete with so many options to explore, especially if you're a bit of perfectionist, managing all our choices to get to our goals is made in an intuitive way that I think is just the right difficulty, and makes playing pretty pleasant, not to mention the character designs and sprites, and the impeccable writing.
With my summer break starting not too long ago, I think I should have had played the game now rather than right before my final exams, thankfully I still got satisfactory grades lol
This chain of games has been a gem to me amongst other otome games for how indescribably good it is, so thank you, devs!
Thank you for your kind feedback – I’m glad to hear you’ve enjoyed the routes so far.
And your predicament sounds like something I would do. I am not very good at resisting temptation, even when it would be to my benefit.
I remember once I had an 18 hour layover in an airport coming up, so I ordered a book I wanted to read to occupy me. It arrived, I read it straight away in the comfort of my house - despite there being many other things there to entertain me - and then got to spend 18 hours bored in the airport. >_<
I am happy to hear, though, that you did well in your exams. Many thanks for playing and I hope Frederique's route is worth the wait. ^_^
I made this account specifically to leave a review for this game. I love The Rose of Segunda too, but this game is on another level. Already, it's one of my favourite VNs of all time.
It's honestly hard for me to decide what my favourite route is: they're all excellent. Ultimately, I think it might be Sofia's: I've always had a soft spot for her. Guillaume's was honestly painful to read at times, but in a good way where it's really stuck with me. I loved exploring the different outcomes on his route in particular. Overall, I'm really impressed by how smoothly you continue each of the stories from RoS.
Finally, I'd like to say your prose is excellent: wonderfully descriptive without ever feeling like too much. You imbue the characters with so much personality!
Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful work with us. All the best in the future.
So far I've completed the game 3 times, and by the seasons of my body, you outdid yourselves, truly. Leopold's route is amazing. It's loving, it's heartbreaking at one point and it just feels so satisfying. MC really have power and impact. I probably won't be able to complete his other endings, apart from good, but it's ok. That one was enough for me. I'm also so glad that I got to know Pieto and LaFouch more - they truly were amazing friends to MC and at one point I was even wondering if Pieto will find love, for he deserves it. :> So far I feel Leo's route is the most precious.
I've started the game with Guillaume and Sofia, but lost interest at some point - I need to get back to them again, and get through the struggles. Especially with Sofia, because she's a lovely woman and was my first choice.
When it comes to Bastien's route I was heartbroken from the start. In the beginning I thought that surely Mother told Bastien that he can have MC for some time, and that she plots to marry her off to either Leo or the Prince. Then it came to me, that she possibly changed her target and made some propositions towards one precious old man, but I would NEVER guessed that sure, she did some things, but it was Bastien's father who was such a dick. FML, if MC could kill him again - she would. And again and again.
Bastien's route was difficult, and in the end I splitted my saves and simultaneously completed it with both him and Pieto, because I couldn't bear just breaking Bastien's heart (the moment he hears that MC wants a divorce :'))))) ). I just wanted him to be happy, to treasure life and speak up for himself. I laughed soooo hard when he snapped back at Francesca. I wasn't his fan in the Rose of Segunda, but in this game his character got fuller and deeper.
Pieto, dear Pieto. He's a very well written character and he treats MC with kindness and respect. And not only in his route, I may add. He's caring and basically all that she needs at this difficult point in her life. He's also very different from her other possible love interests and I think that's what makes him stand out to me. Also I'm a sucker when it comes to characters (and people, lol) that speak languages resembling German or Dutch.
It's going well, thank you for asking. Word count is about 33,000 words and I have a little treat for Leopold fans coming at the end of Feb/beginning of March. ^_^
Well, I am hoping to get them both done this year, but outside of that I am not yet sure. I'll keep players updates as to my progress via dev logs though. ^_^
Waiting for Frederique before I buy it. He was my favourite in the original, and I'm really proud of the creators for having the guts to 'go there' and not cheap out.
i just want to come in here and say how much i am in love with chesaré and leopold clearly i have a thing for playful flirts
(ALSO I AM IN THE MIDDLE OF BASTIENS ROUTE AND HOLY SHIT I AM ACTUALLY TEARING UP guillaumes route was bad but i didnt really like him that much so it was nothing to me BUT BASTIEN JFC my heart is tearing itself apart and im using it as tissues)
I waited for Leopold's route to be released before playing the game and it was so worth it!
(SPOILERS BELOW FOR LEOPOLD'S ROUTE)
.
.
.
For me, the difficulty level in terms of getting the best ending was just right. I had to backtrack at some parts, but the story and characters give enough hints at the theme of the choices you should be taking, e.g. Leopold telling Iolanthe to be discreet in the second half, or Iolanthe mentioning Francesca's easily wounded pride when dealing with her. (I do plan to use the guide to try and complete the endings though.)
The story! I like how the route follows up on Leopold's plans and the issues that would arise in his and Iolanthe's relationship considering that a significant part of his motivation is revenge. Reading about the political intrigue is fascinating, especially with how cunning Leopold is (and Iolanthe too, if she succeeds at the game's tasks). I love, love how the twist at the end of Act 1 was executed! The slow build up of dread, Leo's admission, Iolanthe's outburst! The raised stakes! And then you have to use your allies' help from Act 1 to succeed at the plot in the second half of the game, which is a really nice way of bringing everything together!
Next, Leopold and Iolanthe and their romance! I'll keep this short, otherwise I'll start quoting entire lines haha. Let me tell you, I was giggling and kicking my feet throughout the whole route. Their banter was so cute and sweet! (Lmao @ Duchess Parisi catching them flirting outside the ballroom.) And the way Leopold made sure to make it very clear to everyone that Iolanthe was his equal and was very much in on the plan as he was!!!!!!!! And he will not tolerate any disrespect to her!!!! I also love those snippets about their life in Tremaine, like them drawing and painting together awwwww. And there's Iolanthe. Iolanthe!!!! When she declared she would save Leopold and Segunda!! And then she did!! The best ending was so deserved. Co-rulers in name and deed!! Holding hands together on their twin thrones!! Being very much in love all over the place while advancing their plans for Segunda. *chef's kiss*
(Pardon my exclamation marks. Ahem.)
Also,the question posed repeatedly: how far would Leopold go for revenge? Luckily, Iolanthe saves him before he has to find out on his best ending. So I tried doing the others, and I felt like I had to peek through my fingers picking all the wrong choices hahaha. The answer: definitely far, but not without remorse.
Onwards to playing the rest of Leopold's endings!! Even if they will break my heart. Also looking forward to playing the other routes and the eventual TTOW LI POVs! Thank you for this story!
So, I finished all of Leopold's bad endings this time. *screaming internally*
(The guide helped a lot btw!)
(MORE SPOILERS)
.
.
.
.
Whew, those really put my heart through a wringer. (I was not kidding about peeking through my fingers while picking the wrong choices deliberately.) But!! I very much appreciated how each ending reveals a bit more about Leopold and Iolanthe (especially Leopold), in a way that you wouldn't be able to see if you just read the best ending (aka The Stolen Crown).
*clears throat* I conclude that there are 3 main things that can break Leo's spirit:
1. Crossing a moral line, in his case, murder or war. The game gave me the impression that while Leopold had prepared mentally and logistically for both outcomes in pursuit of revenge, he had not considered the emotional toll it would take on him until said outcomes had occurred. A part of him really hoped it would not have to come to that. This makes the best ending even sweeter in retrospect-- Iolanthe really did save him.
2. Iolanthe's betrayal. Like, if there was ANY doubt at all that underneath all of Leopold's charm and cunning, he really did love her, his reaction to her lying to him really dispels all of that! Like, he can be disappointed if she doesn't agree with his course of action but he will still trust Iolanthe to cash in the Silversmith bonds without thinking to ask to see the receipt right after. But Iolanthe straight up either telling him that he cannot trust her or going behind his back to the Council is where he draws the line! 'The Cruellest Cut' ending is so aptly named!! He is unable to carry out his revenge through any means because of his once dearest love!!! (Leopold returning all her letters unanswered was just an extra knife in the heart when he brought all of her love letters with him to Garllucio in the beginning 🥹🥹🥹)
3. Losing his revenge. He does take it somewhat badly in 'A Bitter Defeat', but that ending was more bittersweet than I expected instead of outright tragic or sad. In 'The Cruellest Cut' or 'Murderer' endings though...
Honestly, what a fascinating character in a fascinating story! Now I'm even more curious about his POV but I shall wait patiently. Until then, I will be figuratively spinning him around in my head like in a microwave for quite a while.
(On a side note, I started playing Guillaume's route and I was pleasantly surprised that Leopold interacts with Iolanthe more than once, which makes sense. Anyways, I took a hard left into the 'Betrayal' ending because Leopold is my favorite and now I'm imagining how a Leopold/Iolanthe romance would look like after a case where Iolanthe divorces Guillaume hahahaha.)
Thank you for the update! I loved the game! So much drama and politics! Really great to see that aside from the romance. I've only played Guillaume and Leopold. I got both of their good endings! First I played Guillaume and then Leopold.
(MINOR SPOILERS)
For Guillaume, he really annoyed me how loyal he was to his Father when he had complained so much on the previous game but because of their Father-son relationship I somewhat understood. What really grilled me was how he dared to snub her in front of his allies. (God, I almost chose to change tactics and divorce the fool after that instant but I calmed down) I didn't like how Frederique abandonded the MC especially when she mostly needed him as she had no true allies. I wished there had been a way to reconcile them but was not given the option. I was happy that Mariette was there for the MC as her brother had left her, she had no real relationship to her Mom and she was often at odds with Guillaume. Mariette was a great friend! Ehem, back to Guillaume, while playing his route, although frustrating at times with how stubborn and naive he was made me think of my real life relationships and how the game captures the feeling of being hurt but still loving the person. (Especially when they don't appreciate all the work one does for them) So although he was flawed, he felt like a real person and like a real person he admitted his mistakes and did his best to change for the MC which I appreciated. (I would have appreciated more if he would have gotten her, her own throne but alas he's no Leopold)
Now into Leopold! I was much more eager to play his route after seeing how much cunning and smarter he was than Guillaume. I was not disappointed as unlike Guillaume he realized that the peace talks were nothing but stalling for time after only a day or two of them. Leopold (unlike Guillaume) knew how important MC's job was from the start and admired and thanked her for it. He did keep a secret from her which put a dent into their relationship but he soon confessed and only became true parters in crime! I loved his romantic and mischievous personality, and how his high position in court did not detract from his affections to the MC. I also liked how there was a small scene where he calls Frederique his brother which I liked. (As Guillaume never had a scene like that with MC's brother.) Although not as flawed as Guillaume, he did make mistakes but never any so bad as to break MC's heart so for that I am thankful. I did think it was sad how bad Francesca's marriage to Guillaume was, (Much worse than MC's for a long shot) so although at first I disliked her, I was happy to help her later in the story. It did make me sad that in Leopold's route, Guillaume keeps being loyal to his Dad and has an unhappy marriage with Francesca, sticking with his Dad until the bitter end. I wish Mariette and the MC could have been friends in this storyline but I understood as Mariette house was allied with the King. Thankfully, MC had her share of allies with Count Pietro and Duchess La Fouch. I couldn't stand Franchelli but even that fool had his uses towards the end.
The writing was exceptional! Bravo to all the writers for being able to be able to write so beautifully and come up with such a captivating story! I have been playing nonstop!
I want to keep playing but I'm not interested on the girls, and I don't want to play Bastien as I keep reading about how angsty and sad his route is. I may play Frederique, though first I have to play his route on Rose of Segunda and see how that can even happen, them being siblings and all. (But I'm guessing one of them is adopted or something of the sort.)
I'm one of the backers of the kickstarters and I have a question, is Sir Mathyl's route going to come out with the Single route the Dev is working on? I'm excited to play his route! Was happy to catch a glimpse of him on Leopold's route! Also what exactly is the loveless route?
Love the game! Can't wait for all your future games! You can be sure I'll buy them! I have already played all of your other games! Still waiting for the BFF game, will buy it the second it comes out!
Hey! another reader here. For Bastien's route, I just want to advocate his route and say if you were able to play Guillame's route then you should be able to pull through Bastien's route. Guiilly's route was heavier IMO than Bastien's.
Also, Sir Mathys' route is indeed gonna be on the single route. For the loveless route? it's basically the continuation on the ending in Rose of Segunda where Iolanthe does not romance anyone at Guill's celebration party and basically gets chosen to be the princess by the King in the end.
Oh really? That's good! I thought that it was more angsty than Guillaume and phew that was a rollercoaster on its own. So good to hear! I'll play Bastien's route as well then! Thank you for answering my questions!
I can vouch for Bastien's route! I just played Leopold, Guillaume, and Bastien in that order...
Leopold was amazing and everything I wanted
Guillaume I really disliked for 90 percent of his route and it was painful to get through with everyone else being mean/unfriendly
Bastien was sad but way more believable as an actual romance as well. He really starts resolving and working on difficulties he has while communicating with you in a very sweet way. And not in the end of the route like Guillaume but about halfway through. He is no where near as mean and annoying as Guillaume and your brother is with you for support and hilarity.
Yes, I loved Leopold's route! For me I did like Guillaume just hated how he didn't always give the MC priority over his Father. I'd probably give him a 7/10 as a character/route. (Leopold is a 10/10 of course!)
Glad to see that Bastien is way sweeter! And the MC has her brother's support!
I'm glad you're willing to give Bastien a shot! He was much better paced and so sympathetic <3
I really felt like Guillaume was toxic... The MC sounded scared when waiting for him one evening, he constantly was yelling and then saying he loved her, felt like walking on eggshells all the time, and then he does acknowledge he was wrong but they both just laugh it off. His "getting better" happens practically overnight at the very end too so IDK. I would not be able to laugh off verbal abuse that has lasted for months and just go forward being happy like it's fixed now...
I'm looking forward to Bastien's route! I know that him not being a noble is going to be a struggle for him but I hope he can still have the MC's back and defend her and stand up to others.
(Spoilers ahead) Yeah, Guillaume was bipolar, being sweet and a few scenes later he yells at her and expecting her to be his pretty wife to be at his beck and call (As if the MC doesn't have better things to do) God, and when he didn't put her name down to be under the Vilquine and was refused entry like WTF, how humiliating. I was looking forward for a scene in Leopold's route where she needs to come in the room and see that Leo more than likely did note her name down on the Stavizzi side (but alas she didn't have to enter the room.) Though Leo did invite her on his ally meetings which Guillaume didn't.
As for Guillaume getting better I did feel like it was a progressive, because MC had told him many times (or at least in my playthrough) that she didn't like him talking to her like that or pointed out that his Father was in the wrong. So when he had his breakdown, he spent some time being quiet and thinking about what he learned and about his mistakes. before talking to the MC and deciding to be King and apologizing for his behavior. The MC did forgive him quickly, I would have let him repent more and to beg for her forgiveness but well just agreeing to be King was a milestone for him and time was of the essence so it wasn't so. I wish he would have found out way sooner so he would have 'changed' sooner and they could have been more partners in crime like Leopold and the MC in Leo's route. Since I felt the MC had her hidden agenda (making Guillaume king) way longer than I would have liked since he took forever to decide to fight for the throne.
I also would have demanded to have my own throne, like wth, she did way more than him and she can't even sit in the damn chair.
She forgave him way too fast yes! They were literally laughing about it the next day... I would not be able to move on from him ignoring me in public, yelling at me every day, and treating me like a servant after one heart to heart and maybe 24 hours... He was such a turd! And yeah!! Even if you're pregnant, he doesn't get a chair for you... You just stand there and say to yourself that you know you'll have to be out of commission while you're in your last trimester and for a while after birth but "I'm ok with that". Probably worse that I played Leopold right before Guillaume because dang. Leopold is even kinder to you in Guillaume's route!
Many thanks for your feedback - I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the routes you played. I think the other posters answered the questions you had, so I'll finish with the hope that you enjoy Bastien's route if you get around to playing it. ^_^
Yes, they did! And I will definitely play Bastien's route now! I'm eagerly waiting for Sir Mathyl's route! I will also play Frederique's route on the prequel and will wait for his route to be finished in the sequel!
Thanks for the update and the route is as interessent as other routes :-), That’s good, congratulation.
I see you have publish a guide : thanks. I really do recommend to **not **use this kind of guide for the 1st play as this is really doable to get a “good ending” without the guide, but once the 1st play is done it’s very nice to have.
I think somehow, it can help to have a list of the endings ( without ?????? once we have done a playthrough for a route with a name that allow to search what to do differently the get the ending without the guide. ( Thanks for the ending list guide, when missing some, it was hard to guess what to do.
A minor remark for the game, I think it will be better to have a page ending by route rather then global ( there is quite a lot of endings now :-) ).
And then I really think your game is not an early access but a finished game with new content still in progress. I don’t have any bug visible and lot of finished game have some. It’s just that new content are still in progress.
For example, The game “https://steamberry.itch.io/gildedshadows” (also on steam ) has been out with a set of initial routes and other routes are still in production. In this game, when selecting a “not yet available” route there is just a dialog that it will be available in an update. I don’t see complains about it in the comment and I’m happy ( and not at all disapointed )the same way when a new route is available in your game ( It’s just I think people may not buy the game because of the early access
and that’s sad, it worth it )
Keep the good work, have fun ( I hope ) doing it !
← Return to game
Comments
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
Hello! Hope you're doing good. Just wanted to ask if you have an estimate release date, for the loveless and Frederique routes?
Just sending a quick message to say I hope you're doing well. All the best!
I enjoyed the first game and I look forward to playing this sequel!
I would like to ask if you plan to release this game on Steam once all the routes are complete. I bought "The Rose of Segunda" through Steam, and I prefer keeping all my games in one place when possible, so is it better to wait for that? Will you be giving a Steam key to people who purchased the current version on Itch.io? Or is "The Thorns of War" going to be a Itch.io release only?
Thank you!
Yes, this game will be released on Steam once it is complete, but I will be providing keys for anyone who purchases Thorns of War on itch.io, just as I did with the itch.io release of Rose of Segunda.
Many thanks for your interest
Am glad to hear that is the case! Cannot wait for release, but I guess I have to.
hi! how are things going?
It's going well, thank you for asking. I am still working on the Loveless route - I was hoping it would be finished by the end of Auguste but it is still being worked on and the word count is now 330,000, so I think it will be finished soon.
I hope you are doing well, too - many thanks for your interest
I've just finished all of the available routes (not all of the endings though, just one ending per each route as of yet, and i'm saving other outcomes for future replays ^^), and my goodness, what a ride!
The Rose was a delight, but the continuation... it's simply gorgeous.
I really like your writing, and I felt really invested in the plot and achieving the end goal in each one of the current routes. And the sheer size of them!! Just... wow.
I also came to adore every single character in this story... ESPECIALLY the MC - what a fox!! With Roguish + Cunning/Witty + Commanding traits chosen, at least. I'm yet to check how the other options play out, but these are my ideal setup for any game and I suspect I'm going to find letting go of them very hard in the future playthroughs, even for the sake of curiosity xD
Anyhow, honestly, it's a blessing to be able to play such a charismatic, likable and believable character (and don't even mention all the roleplay possibilities that arise as the story progresses - *chef's kiss*). I like how the MC feels strong and powerful, but still remains *a lady* to her very core and exerts her power in ways that never feel contadictory to her femininity, status, personality or the setting - somehow, that's exactly the experience I was missing from ALL the other VNs/otomes I'd played over the last years.
Aside from the MC and the main cast, I came to have a soft spot for Mariette - I keep thinking that if she ever was available as a romance option, she'd probably be one of my favorites. I understand that this is not to be, but I really am hoping to see more of her in the upcoming routes, and it was so cool to have a whole quest involving encounters with her in Sofia's!
As for the actual routes, I am in complete awe after Leopold's - that was everything I could ever have asked from a route and more T__T His every appearance in any other route makes me somehow sad i'm not playing his route currently. Although, to be fair, the same happens every time Frederique shows on the screen xD
Also, what a treat all those additional scenes have been T__T And, as for Frederique (again xD), after reading his in-between games scene, I can't help but wonder, what on Earth could have happened so MC and him end up leaving their safe haven. Is it abduction of either of them or both? blackmailing and threats??? one of Mother's endless machinations? duty??? i mean, i don't expect an answer to this question, but omg, it would be so interesting to find out one day!
Thank you for all this work and best of luck with developing the rest of the routes! I have no doubt that each and every one of them is going to be worth any wait :3
P.S. oooohhh!! i found my answers in the demo!! god bless the demo!!! OMG, so it IS duty... after a fashion xD i actually kind of suspected as much, hehe <3
Thank you for the kind feedback - it is always lovely to hear what players enjoyed.
And Mariette is a character created by one of the Kickstarter backers, so I am sure they will be glad to know their addition to the game is a welcome one.
Well, hopefully not too much longer to wait for the next route - I hope you enjoy it once you get a chance to play it.
Many thanks for playing
there can be no room for hope here, because i'm 100% adamantly sure that i'm going to enjoy it, period! thank you :3
Sooo... I hope you're not completely fed up with questions about progress on particular routes because I wanted to ask about Charlotte's ;-)
Charlotte will be the final route worked on (saving the best for last ^_^) and I am hoping to begin her route early next year to complete some time in the summer.
I hope this helps and many thanks for your interest
Thank you! It does help although I can't help but wish I could play it sooner. Anyhow, best things come to those who wait and her route in the previous game was a blast :-) I liked Sofia's route too (I am here for FxF romance), but Charlotte's felt more special, maybe because I played it first. One more questions: how much longer will the route be in the next game, approximately of course?
The routes are averaging 130,000 words each, so about 3 times as long.
Many thanks for your interest
Hello! I'm sorry for bothering you, but I'm really eager to know about Frederique's route. If I may ask, could you give an estimate on when (6 months/1 year/2 years/3 years...) his route is going to be released (or at least started)? I understand you are working on the "Loveless" route because you had trouble with Frederique's route (you weren't satisfied with it), so could you please give us an update on when the "Loveless" route is going to be finished (just so I know when to expect the start of Frederique's route)? I'm sorry If this sounds like I'm rushing you (I promise I'm not! I want Frederique's route fleshed out and well written, he deserves that, and I understand that takes time), I'm just really excited for it! I binged the other routes from "The Rose Of Segunda" yesterday, just to get to Frederique's route, so I'm desperate for updates ('m again really sorry for asking, I hope this doesn't come off as rude). Thank you and keep up the good work!
Hello and thank you for your interest.
I just wanted to let you know I don’t think your question is rude and I don’t want you to worry that I’m offended or anything (you probably weren’t going to, but I know I tend to spiral about these sorts of things).
I don’t have a good answer for you just yet, but I am hoping I have a clearer picture by the end of the month, so I will reply to you again then, when I know more.
I hope this can at least tied you over until then.
Thank you so much for your speedy reply!
I'm very anxious that people may misunderstand what I mean to say, hence I overexplain. I was super worried that I came off as rude.
Thank you so much again, I can't wait for your updates!
Good luck!
Okay, as promised, I have a very loose time-frame of when I hope things will be finished/started etc.
I am hoping to have the beta for the Loveless Route completed by the end of August. Once it is in beta, I will need to finish the coding/testing and make adjustments for any feedback. So, with all that in mind, I hope to start working again on Frederique’s route by the end of September.
So, ideally, I would be hoping for an early 2025 release for Frederique’s route and then a summer release for Charlotte. Of course, this is all subject to change, but as far as estimates go, this is what I currently have.
I will let people know once the loveless route beta has been released, since that is the first hurdle to clear.
I hope this helps answer some of your questions and many thanks for your interest
Hello!
Thank you so much for keeping your promise, this is so refreshing-creators that actually interact with the fans/customers, your dedication to integrity and transparency is truly amazing (I'm screaming with joy!). I love finding little gems such as these games that have both intriguing, well thought out dialogues and actual interactivity/choices, but it is truly a rare treat to find developers/creators such as yourself that take the time to answer questions, I'm genuinely very thankful (and again very sorry if I bothered you, I can be a handful to deal with)!
Thank you for the estimate again, and while I know that this is not a guarantee, it still very much helps with my anxiety (sorry if that sounds weird, but I really get anxious about missing important dates/not having a set date about something I'm eagerly waiting on)!
Thank you so much, it helped a lot!
Good luck!
hi! sorry, can i ask if the game is going to be available on steam?
Yes, once it is complete, and any existing purchase on itch will be given access to a steam key at the that time. ^_^
I hope this helps. Many thanks for your interest.
thank you! that's wonderful news :3
Sorry for another question - in Guillaume’s route is it possible to betray him and have affair with Leo? :D Asking for science.
You can ally with Leopold, but it is not romantic. Hope this helps. ^_^
I finished Leo's route in both of your games and let me say, I'm now depressed that there is no more content :D I seriously want to see my favorite power couple ruling or doing their thing. It was such nice experience really that I almost didn't notice the absence of steamy/bedroom scenes. There were tons of tender moments that made their relationship and married status believable. Leopold is so deeply in love with his wife and at the same time doesn't lose his personality. This is honestly refreshing to see because usually in otome stories you are to "reform" the LI and make him abandon his evil plans or whatever. Leo however is dead set on his course, which I find wonderfully realistic.
Now... I should go and weep probably. I want more Q.Q
Many thanks for the kind feedback - I'm glad to hear you enjoyed Leopold's route. Though there is no more to play in his route, Leopold does make appearances in other routes as a potential ally, and he plays a much more prominent role in the Loveless route which I am writing currently, so perhaps there is no need for tears just yet ^_^
Many thanks for playing
Hello! If I purchase the game now as it is in early acess, will I have to purchase it again and again with each new update? O.O
Nope, it's a one-time payment. You'll get the updates with no extra cost
Thank you for such quick answer!
Yes! Thanks, littlegal ^_^
No problem! Also, keep up the good work with the game! Looking forward to see the loveless route when it's out!
After Charlotte's route, will you folks start working on the two new characters route?
I've actually been working on a devlog addressing just this and giving a general update on the game. Please feel free to check it out if you are interested ^_^
https://blackcrosstaylor.itch.io/ttow/devlog/681929/the-thorns-of-war-update-32
I really liked the 1st part... It's a pity that this part is so long in development (of course I understand everyone has their own circumstances), but it's pretty sad to see the game in development for 5 years with only 60 percent progress.
Even at 60% complete it's a MASSIVE game: I'm pretty sure each of the completed routes is at least as long as The Rose of Segunda is in its entirety. Honestly, I'm super impressed by how many routes we already have considering the sheer amount of work that must have gone into them and it's already one of my all-time favourite VNs.
Thats all good and all, but there are people who prefer to play completed products...
Hi do we have an eta on frederique yet
Sorry, I somehow missed this - I hope you had a nice new year. ^_^
I have no eta right now, sadly. I was having some trouble with the route and put it on hold while I worked out why I was not happy with it. I know Frederique is very popular and I did not want to risk producing something that might disappoint players.
So I moved my attention over to the Loveless route and the word count there is just over 100,000 words as of this evening. I am hoping to complete the Loveless route this spring and then return to working on Frederique's route, but I will know more at the end of the month when I plan to publish a devlog with more details.
Many thanks for your patience
Oh, that's encouraging to hear! I've been looking forward to that one! Or maybe more specifically getting to know Vesela in it...
Omg! How did I miss this after playing the first game?! Onwards to Sofia's route again! 🤣 Thank you for making a sequel!! ✨
No problem - I hope you enjoy the game. ^_^
Many thanks for playing
Just leaving a quick comment to say I hope you're doing well and that I still think about this game all the time. Thank you so much. ❤
Aw, thank you - that is very sweet of you to say. I am hoping to have an update for players soon, so thank you for your on-going patience and support.
Hello, I really enjoyed The Rose of Segunda and the routes that are currently out for The Thorns of War. I really like the MC and the character development that she can go through between those games and possibilities depending on the routes you choose to take. I don't mean to sound pushy, but can I ask how it's going for what you're working on right now? Thank you for making these games
Hello and thanks for the feedback - I'm glad you're enjoying the game so far. As for progress, I am currently working on the Loveless route and the word count is approx 68,000 words.
Many thanks for playing
Many thanks for the feedback. I'm glad you enjoyed Leo's route and Sofia's too - I was happy to hear in your other post you got her best ending.
Thanks for playing
Leo's route is so cute! I played his after Guill's, and there such a huge difference in the love, affection, and respect Leo shows MC throughout as compared to Guill.
Thank you for the feedback - Leopold seems to be a big favourite with players so I am glad you liked his route.
Many thanks for playing ^_^
Thanks for making these games, you are genius :)
I love how the main character is so clever and self confident.
Thanks for the extra scenes, it was good to see what happened after the birthday celebration!
My favourite route is Leopold's (the good end, haven't played the bad ones)
I'm curious about the single route, Mathys will be interesting i think :)
+ My favourite part in the first game was when she was playing as the prince and did not follow the script :D she was so funny xD
Many thanks for your kind feedback - I'm happy you're enjoying the game and extra scenes.
Ah, yes, the play scene in 'Rose' was very fun to write - I'm glad to hear you found it amusing. ^_^
Hello again :) how is progress with frederique coming along
Frederique's route is on hold at the moment. I wasn't happy with certain aspects of it, and since I know how much people are looking forward to it, I didn't want to rush things. I am working on the Loveless route in the meantime and it is going well.
Many thanks for your interest
Many thanks for you kind feedback - I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the routes so far, especially Sofia's.
Thank you for playing
Just want to show my appreciation for Frederique's route! I so appreciate this dynamic and can't wait to play his route when it's released!
Ah, thank you. I really hope it's worth the wait ^_^
I'm impatient for Frédérique's route! I've had a lot of fun playing the previous ones so far, especially Leopold's first as he is my favorite from the first game, and has been the first route I played on both games, but the other routes and options were fantastical to experience as well, this game is very complete with so many options to explore, especially if you're a bit of perfectionist, managing all our choices to get to our goals is made in an intuitive way that I think is just the right difficulty, and makes playing pretty pleasant, not to mention the character designs and sprites, and the impeccable writing.
With my summer break starting not too long ago, I think I should have had played the game now rather than right before my final exams, thankfully I still got satisfactory grades lol
This chain of games has been a gem to me amongst other otome games for how indescribably good it is, so thank you, devs!
Thank you for your kind feedback – I’m glad to hear you’ve enjoyed the routes so far.
And your predicament sounds like something I would do. I am not very good at resisting temptation, even when it would be to my benefit.
I remember once I had an 18 hour layover in an airport coming up, so I ordered a book I wanted to read to occupy me. It arrived, I read it straight away in the comfort of my house - despite there being many other things there to entertain me - and then got to spend 18 hours bored in the airport. >_<
I am happy to hear, though, that you did well in your exams. Many thanks for playing and I hope Frederique's route is worth the wait. ^_^
*laughs* Oh dear, I have put you in another bind. I hope you can be a bit more ruthless next time and get your happy ending with Sofia.
Have you tried lying to her? That's quite an interesting ride, too. ^_^
Many thanks for playing.
hello, are you guys doing well? :)
Yes, thank you. Frederique's route is slowly getting there. Just over 70,000 words now.
I hope you're doing well, too ^_^
Nice! I'm really looking forward to it :]
I'm here for Frederique. Waiting for that route to drop. Seriously, you went there and I applaud the effort.
Glad you're looking forward to the next route - I hope it's worth the wait. ^_^
I made this account specifically to leave a review for this game. I love The Rose of Segunda too, but this game is on another level. Already, it's one of my favourite VNs of all time.
It's honestly hard for me to decide what my favourite route is: they're all excellent. Ultimately, I think it might be Sofia's: I've always had a soft spot for her. Guillaume's was honestly painful to read at times, but in a good way where it's really stuck with me. I loved exploring the different outcomes on his route in particular. Overall, I'm really impressed by how smoothly you continue each of the stories from RoS.
Finally, I'd like to say your prose is excellent: wonderfully descriptive without ever feeling like too much. You imbue the characters with so much personality!
Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful work with us. All the best in the future.
Ah, thank you for the kind feedback – I'm really happy to hear you’ve enjoyed the game so far (and Tros too).
I’m never confident in my prose, so it is very nice to hear that someone, at least, likes it enough to mention. ^_^
Many thanks for playing and all the best to you, as well.
SPOILERS FOR LEOPOLD & BASTIEN ROUTE
So far I've completed the game 3 times, and by the seasons of my body, you outdid yourselves, truly. Leopold's route is amazing. It's loving, it's heartbreaking at one point and it just feels so satisfying. MC really have power and impact. I probably won't be able to complete his other endings, apart from good, but it's ok. That one was enough for me. I'm also so glad that I got to know Pieto and LaFouch more - they truly were amazing friends to MC and at one point I was even wondering if Pieto will find love, for he deserves it. :> So far I feel Leo's route is the most precious.
I've started the game with Guillaume and Sofia, but lost interest at some point - I need to get back to them again, and get through the struggles. Especially with Sofia, because she's a lovely woman and was my first choice.
When it comes to Bastien's route I was heartbroken from the start. In the beginning I thought that surely Mother told Bastien that he can have MC for some time, and that she plots to marry her off to either Leo or the Prince. Then it came to me, that she possibly changed her target and made some propositions towards one precious old man, but I would NEVER guessed that sure, she did some things, but it was Bastien's father who was such a dick. FML, if MC could kill him again - she would. And again and again.
Bastien's route was difficult, and in the end I splitted my saves and simultaneously completed it with both him and Pieto, because I couldn't bear just breaking Bastien's heart (the moment he hears that MC wants a divorce :'))))) ). I just wanted him to be happy, to treasure life and speak up for himself. I laughed soooo hard when he snapped back at Francesca. I wasn't his fan in the Rose of Segunda, but in this game his character got fuller and deeper.
Pieto, dear Pieto. He's a very well written character and he treats MC with kindness and respect. And not only in his route, I may add. He's caring and basically all that she needs at this difficult point in her life. He's also very different from her other possible love interests and I think that's what makes him stand out to me. Also I'm a sucker when it comes to characters (and people, lol) that speak languages resembling German or Dutch.
It's always a treat to come back to this game.
Hello and thank you for your kind feedback. I've very glad to hear you are enjoying the game - particularly Leo, Bastien and Pieto's routes.
Many thanks for playing. ^_^
hi there how is progress going with frederique? :)
It's going well, thank you for asking. Word count is about 33,000 words and I have a little treat for Leopold fans coming at the end of Feb/beginning of March. ^_^
ooooh that's interesting, can't wait to see this treat!
Also really glad to see the progress for Frederique, it's a bit of an understatement for me to say that I'm looking forward to his route ^^
So excited for this treat!!!
I hope you like it ^_^
Hi hi :) Is there an update on the treat?
I just posted a devlog about it. ^_^
Hi! Is there a release date for Frederique and Charlotte's routes?
Well, I am hoping to get them both done this year, but outside of that I am not yet sure. I'll keep players updates as to my progress via dev logs though. ^_^
Many thanks for your interest
Waiting for Frederique before I buy it. He was my favourite in the original, and I'm really proud of the creators for having the guts to 'go there' and not cheap out.
Glad to hear you're looking forward to it!
Many thanks for your patience. ^_^
I'm glad to hear you're excited - I hope you will not have much longer to wait for him. ^_^
Many thanks for playing
i just want to come in here and say how much i am in love with chesaré and leopold clearly i have a thing for playful flirts
(ALSO I AM IN THE MIDDLE OF BASTIENS ROUTE AND HOLY SHIT I AM ACTUALLY TEARING UP guillaumes route was bad but i didnt really like him that much so it was nothing to me BUT BASTIEN JFC my heart is tearing itself apart and im using it as tissues)
Ah, poor Bastien - I hope you're feeling better now and still enjoying the route.
There will be a lot more of Chesaré in the Single route, so I am glad you like her as a character.
Many thanks for playing
I waited for Leopold's route to be released before playing the game and it was so worth it!
(SPOILERS BELOW FOR LEOPOLD'S ROUTE)
.
.
.
For me, the difficulty level in terms of getting the best ending was just right. I had to backtrack at some parts, but the story and characters give enough hints at the theme of the choices you should be taking, e.g. Leopold telling Iolanthe to be discreet in the second half, or Iolanthe mentioning Francesca's easily wounded pride when dealing with her. (I do plan to use the guide to try and complete the endings though.)
The story! I like how the route follows up on Leopold's plans and the issues that would arise in his and Iolanthe's relationship considering that a significant part of his motivation is revenge. Reading about the political intrigue is fascinating, especially with how cunning Leopold is (and Iolanthe too, if she succeeds at the game's tasks). I love, love how the twist at the end of Act 1 was executed! The slow build up of dread, Leo's admission, Iolanthe's outburst! The raised stakes! And then you have to use your allies' help from Act 1 to succeed at the plot in the second half of the game, which is a really nice way of bringing everything together!
Next, Leopold and Iolanthe and their romance! I'll keep this short, otherwise I'll start quoting entire lines haha. Let me tell you, I was giggling and kicking my feet throughout the whole route. Their banter was so cute and sweet! (Lmao @ Duchess Parisi catching them flirting outside the ballroom.) And the way Leopold made sure to make it very clear to everyone that Iolanthe was his equal and was very much in on the plan as he was!!!!!!!! And he will not tolerate any disrespect to her!!!! I also love those snippets about their life in Tremaine, like them drawing and painting together awwwww. And there's Iolanthe. Iolanthe!!!! When she declared she would save Leopold and Segunda!! And then she did!! The best ending was so deserved. Co-rulers in name and deed!! Holding hands together on their twin thrones!! Being very much in love all over the place while advancing their plans for Segunda. *chef's kiss*
(Pardon my exclamation marks. Ahem.)
Also,the question posed repeatedly: how far would Leopold go for revenge? Luckily, Iolanthe saves him before he has to find out on his best ending. So I tried doing the others, and I felt like I had to peek through my fingers picking all the wrong choices hahaha. The answer: definitely far, but not without remorse.
Onwards to playing the rest of Leopold's endings!! Even if they will break my heart. Also looking forward to playing the other routes and the eventual TTOW LI POVs! Thank you for this story!
So, I finished all of Leopold's bad endings this time. *screaming internally*
(The guide helped a lot btw!)
(MORE SPOILERS)
.
.
.
.
Whew, those really put my heart through a wringer. (I was not kidding about peeking through my fingers while picking the wrong choices deliberately.) But!! I very much appreciated how each ending reveals a bit more about Leopold and Iolanthe (especially Leopold), in a way that you wouldn't be able to see if you just read the best ending (aka The Stolen Crown).
*clears throat* I conclude that there are 3 main things that can break Leo's spirit:
1. Crossing a moral line, in his case, murder or war. The game gave me the impression that while Leopold had prepared mentally and logistically for both outcomes in pursuit of revenge, he had not considered the emotional toll it would take on him until said outcomes had occurred. A part of him really hoped it would not have to come to that. This makes the best ending even sweeter in retrospect-- Iolanthe really did save him.
2. Iolanthe's betrayal. Like, if there was ANY doubt at all that underneath all of Leopold's charm and cunning, he really did love her, his reaction to her lying to him really dispels all of that! Like, he can be disappointed if she doesn't agree with his course of action but he will still trust Iolanthe to cash in the Silversmith bonds without thinking to ask to see the receipt right after. But Iolanthe straight up either telling him that he cannot trust her or going behind his back to the Council is where he draws the line! 'The Cruellest Cut' ending is so aptly named!! He is unable to carry out his revenge through any means because of his once dearest love!!! (Leopold returning all her letters unanswered was just an extra knife in the heart when he brought all of her love letters with him to Garllucio in the beginning 🥹🥹🥹)
3. Losing his revenge. He does take it somewhat badly in 'A Bitter Defeat', but that ending was more bittersweet than I expected instead of outright tragic or sad. In 'The Cruellest Cut' or 'Murderer' endings though...
Honestly, what a fascinating character in a fascinating story! Now I'm even more curious about his POV but I shall wait patiently. Until then, I will be figuratively spinning him around in my head like in a microwave for quite a while.
(On a side note, I started playing Guillaume's route and I was pleasantly surprised that Leopold interacts with Iolanthe more than once, which makes sense. Anyways, I took a hard left into the 'Betrayal' ending because Leopold is my favorite and now I'm imagining how a Leopold/Iolanthe romance would look like after a case where Iolanthe divorces Guillaume hahahaha.)
Many thanks for your feedback. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the route and found something interesting in each of the endings.
"I was giggling and kicking my feet throughout the whole route" - the image of this made me smile. ^_^
Many thanks for playing.
Thank you for the update! I loved the game! So much drama and politics! Really great to see that aside from the romance. I've only played Guillaume and Leopold. I got both of their good endings! First I played Guillaume and then Leopold.
(MINOR SPOILERS)
For Guillaume, he really annoyed me how loyal he was to his Father when he had complained so much on the previous game but because of their Father-son relationship I somewhat understood. What really grilled me was how he dared to snub her in front of his allies. (God, I almost chose to change tactics and divorce the fool after that instant but I calmed down) I didn't like how Frederique abandonded the MC especially when she mostly needed him as she had no true allies. I wished there had been a way to reconcile them but was not given the option. I was happy that Mariette was there for the MC as her brother had left her, she had no real relationship to her Mom and she was often at odds with Guillaume. Mariette was a great friend! Ehem, back to Guillaume, while playing his route, although frustrating at times with how stubborn and naive he was made me think of my real life relationships and how the game captures the feeling of being hurt but still loving the person. (Especially when they don't appreciate all the work one does for them) So although he was flawed, he felt like a real person and like a real person he admitted his mistakes and did his best to change for the MC which I appreciated. (I would have appreciated more if he would have gotten her, her own throne but alas he's no Leopold)
Now into Leopold! I was much more eager to play his route after seeing how much cunning and smarter he was than Guillaume. I was not disappointed as unlike Guillaume he realized that the peace talks were nothing but stalling for time after only a day or two of them. Leopold (unlike Guillaume) knew how important MC's job was from the start and admired and thanked her for it. He did keep a secret from her which put a dent into their relationship but he soon confessed and only became true parters in crime! I loved his romantic and mischievous personality, and how his high position in court did not detract from his affections to the MC. I also liked how there was a small scene where he calls Frederique his brother which I liked. (As Guillaume never had a scene like that with MC's brother.) Although not as flawed as Guillaume, he did make mistakes but never any so bad as to break MC's heart so for that I am thankful. I did think it was sad how bad Francesca's marriage to Guillaume was, (Much worse than MC's for a long shot) so although at first I disliked her, I was happy to help her later in the story. It did make me sad that in Leopold's route, Guillaume keeps being loyal to his Dad and has an unhappy marriage with Francesca, sticking with his Dad until the bitter end. I wish Mariette and the MC could have been friends in this storyline but I understood as Mariette house was allied with the King. Thankfully, MC had her share of allies with Count Pietro and Duchess La Fouch. I couldn't stand Franchelli but even that fool had his uses towards the end.
The writing was exceptional! Bravo to all the writers for being able to be able to write so beautifully and come up with such a captivating story! I have been playing nonstop!
I want to keep playing but I'm not interested on the girls, and I don't want to play Bastien as I keep reading about how angsty and sad his route is. I may play Frederique, though first I have to play his route on Rose of Segunda and see how that can even happen, them being siblings and all. (But I'm guessing one of them is adopted or something of the sort.)
I'm one of the backers of the kickstarters and I have a question, is Sir Mathyl's route going to come out with the Single route the Dev is working on? I'm excited to play his route! Was happy to catch a glimpse of him on Leopold's route! Also what exactly is the loveless route?
Love the game! Can't wait for all your future games! You can be sure I'll buy them! I have already played all of your other games! Still waiting for the BFF game, will buy it the second it comes out!
Hey! another reader here. For Bastien's route, I just want to advocate his route and say if you were able to play Guillame's route then you should be able to pull through Bastien's route. Guiilly's route was heavier IMO than Bastien's.
Also, Sir Mathys' route is indeed gonna be on the single route. For the loveless route? it's basically the continuation on the ending in Rose of Segunda where Iolanthe does not romance anyone at Guill's celebration party and basically gets chosen to be the princess by the King in the end.
Oh really? That's good! I thought that it was more angsty than Guillaume and phew that was a rollercoaster on its own. So good to hear! I'll play Bastien's route as well then! Thank you for answering my questions!
I can vouch for Bastien's route! I just played Leopold, Guillaume, and Bastien in that order...
Leopold was amazing and everything I wanted
Guillaume I really disliked for 90 percent of his route and it was painful to get through with everyone else being mean/unfriendly
Bastien was sad but way more believable as an actual romance as well. He really starts resolving and working on difficulties he has while communicating with you in a very sweet way. And not in the end of the route like Guillaume but about halfway through. He is no where near as mean and annoying as Guillaume and your brother is with you for support and hilarity.
Def play Bastien's route <3
Yes, I loved Leopold's route! For me I did like Guillaume just hated how he didn't always give the MC priority over his Father. I'd probably give him a 7/10 as a character/route. (Leopold is a 10/10 of course!)
Glad to see that Bastien is way sweeter! And the MC has her brother's support!
I will definitely play it!
I'm glad you're willing to give Bastien a shot! He was much better paced and so sympathetic <3
I really felt like Guillaume was toxic... The MC sounded scared when waiting for him one evening, he constantly was yelling and then saying he loved her, felt like walking on eggshells all the time, and then he does acknowledge he was wrong but they both just laugh it off. His "getting better" happens practically overnight at the very end too so IDK. I would not be able to laugh off verbal abuse that has lasted for months and just go forward being happy like it's fixed now...
I'm looking forward to Bastien's route! I know that him not being a noble is going to be a struggle for him but I hope he can still have the MC's back and defend her and stand up to others.
(Spoilers ahead) Yeah, Guillaume was bipolar, being sweet and a few scenes later he yells at her and expecting her to be his pretty wife to be at his beck and call (As if the MC doesn't have better things to do) God, and when he didn't put her name down to be under the Vilquine and was refused entry like WTF, how humiliating. I was looking forward for a scene in Leopold's route where she needs to come in the room and see that Leo more than likely did note her name down on the Stavizzi side (but alas she didn't have to enter the room.) Though Leo did invite her on his ally meetings which Guillaume didn't.
As for Guillaume getting better I did feel like it was a progressive, because MC had told him many times (or at least in my playthrough) that she didn't like him talking to her like that or pointed out that his Father was in the wrong. So when he had his breakdown, he spent some time being quiet and thinking about what he learned and about his mistakes. before talking to the MC and deciding to be King and apologizing for his behavior. The MC did forgive him quickly, I would have let him repent more and to beg for her forgiveness but well just agreeing to be King was a milestone for him and time was of the essence so it wasn't so. I wish he would have found out way sooner so he would have 'changed' sooner and they could have been more partners in crime like Leopold and the MC in Leo's route. Since I felt the MC had her hidden agenda (making Guillaume king) way longer than I would have liked since he took forever to decide to fight for the throne.
I also would have demanded to have my own throne, like wth, she did way more than him and she can't even sit in the damn chair.
She forgave him way too fast yes! They were literally laughing about it the next day... I would not be able to move on from him ignoring me in public, yelling at me every day, and treating me like a servant after one heart to heart and maybe 24 hours... He was such a turd! And yeah!! Even if you're pregnant, he doesn't get a chair for you... You just stand there and say to yourself that you know you'll have to be out of commission while you're in your last trimester and for a while after birth but "I'm ok with that". Probably worse that I played Leopold right before Guillaume because dang. Leopold is even kinder to you in Guillaume's route!
Many thanks for your feedback - I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the routes you played. I think the other posters answered the questions you had, so I'll finish with the hope that you enjoy Bastien's route if you get around to playing it. ^_^
Yes, they did! And I will definitely play Bastien's route now! I'm eagerly waiting for Sir Mathyl's route! I will also play Frederique's route on the prequel and will wait for his route to be finished in the sequel!
Yesss! I remember! How sweet~! I can't wait for their POV's to come out so I can see more of what Leopold felt in the story.
Thanks for the update and the route is as interessent as other routes :-), That’s good, congratulation.
I see you have publish a guide : thanks. I really do recommend to **not **use this kind of guide for the 1st play as this is really doable to get a “good ending” without the guide, but once the 1st play is done it’s very nice to have.
I think somehow, it can help to have a list of the endings ( without ?????? once we have done a playthrough for a route with a name that allow to search what to do differently the get the ending without the guide. ( Thanks for the ending list guide, when missing some, it was hard to guess what to do.
A minor remark for the game, I think it will be better to have a page ending by route rather then global ( there is quite a lot of endings now :-) ).
And then I really think your game is not an early access but a finished game with new content still in progress. I don’t have any bug visible and lot of finished game have some. It’s just that new content are still in progress.
For example, The game “https://steamberry.itch.io/gildedshadows” (also on steam ) has been out with a set of initial routes and other routes are still in production. In this game, when selecting a “not yet available” route there is just a dialog that it will be available in an update. I don’t see complains about it in the comment and I’m happy ( and not at all disapointed )the same way when a new route is available in your game ( It’s just I think people may not buy the game because of the early access and that’s sad, it worth it )
Keep the good work, have fun ( I hope ) doing it !
Many thanks for your feedback - I am glad you found this route as enjoyable as the others and the guides are helpful.
Yay!!🤩 I've been looking forward to this day for a while now!☺ I'm going to play it now, thanks for your hard work!!!👏🏻👏🏻🥳
Ah, thank you. I really hope the route was worth the wait ^_^
So excited for the new route! Will the guide for it be released tomorrow as well?
Yes, I'm working on it now the game is up.
What timezone will the new release be dropped in? :3
GMT and I'd guess some time between 7am and 10am, unless something unexpected happens to delay things.
Thank you!