Hi Pinlin, I just wanted to say that I finished playing all routes and endings of the game today and holy crap, I LOVED IT ALL SO MUCH. Your art is absolutely AMAZING, and the storyline was so engaging. Usually, after getting into a new game or fandom or whatever, I have a lot of things to say, so sorry if this comment drags on forever xD
[SPOILER WARNING to those who are reading this comment who haven’t finished all endings of the game!]
First things… questions I still have regarding some of the deeper lore/plot.
RASUMI: I’m not sure if you deliberately decided not to reveal all of Rasumi’s motives and backstory, but it kind of feels that way because I was left slightly unsatisfied by the things that didn’t get revealed. After finishing Kurato and Junoru’s routes, which I expected to reveal more about Rasumi, I felt as though there was almost nothing new, apart from the impact Rasumi had on the two romance-able characters’ backstories. There’s also the thing about her being oddly kind and helpful in Zeikun’s romance ending, but really horrible in Zeikun’s normal ending (this double faced nature of her is so fitting for her being a Gemini, though that of course is a stereotype for the sign…). I also want to know if Kaichi ever managed to get Rasumi to break the curse on him! This just makes me go crazy on making my own theories on who she is; and for right now, I’m assuming that she is some sort of fallen angel or corrupted angel that now works for herself rather than any higher power. I’m curious to hear your thoughts about her and who she may be, and how you developed her as a semi-villain character!
CHAIN: Okay, I have no idea why on Earth I like him so much. He’s cold and ruthless and clearly doesn’t care a lot for others apart from Kurato (somewhat) and maybe even MC in some routes… but I still feel like there’s something more to him than just a supernatural creature hunter. But besides me hoping dearly for a route for him (whether it be from MC’s perspective or Ikuya’s, since I read in an AMA about how you considered making Ikuya the POV for a sequel… personally, I would really like to see Ikuya x Chain because that is the most ridiculous but weirdly wholesome pairing ever), I have a couple thoughts about him. That part in Junoru’s backstory chapter where this hunter woman(?) shows up, the same CG of Chain’s eyes was used, and in the Extra Scenes part unlocked after all endings are reached, Roya seemed to suggest that he recognized(?) him “even after all these years“ (or something along those lines)… That part really got me thinking about who Chain really is. First of all, is that hunter woman from the past one of his mentors? One of my theories is that there are a generation of supernatural hunters that either are or aren’t related by family relations. It’s possible that the very first hunter held a grudge against supernaturals, and then someone who also had a grudge went to him/her and asked him/her to train them. Another theory is a bit more far-fetched, but it’s that maybe Chain isn’t really human after all? Maybe his soul lives on through the generations, taking the form of different bodies in order to disguise his true identity. Of course you don’t have to tell me his backstory if you’re planning on keeping it a secret for now, but I just wonder about him… ;^)
ROYA: I don’t know if this is a plot hole or something, but in Kurato’s flashback chapter, it’s shown that Roya murders his teacher for sending death threats to the Kenriji family. However, at this point Roya shouldn’t even have his supernatural powers yet, and I really wonder how on Earth a young child like him managed to kill an adult… Maybe there’s an explanation for this? Also, I think it’s implied that Roya is the one who killed the school ghost boy (I forget his name), but I’m not really sure. It makes sense (sort of) that someone like Roya wasn’t the best person even as a child, but I find it a bit odd how no one ever suspected him or called him out for his actions (except Junoru for that one time). And I also wonder why he has extreme bullying tendencies anyway. Does he to some degree have mental or emotional issues? Does he simply look down on others that much? I don’t know, some parts of his backstory just doesn’t really make that much sense to me, and I was hoping that you could clear some things up, if you wanted to share!
JACE/BLACE: I think a lot of their backstory was already revealed, but I just have one question: how do they determine which clients to accept and such? I don’t really understand why they would ever work for sketchy people like the dudes who murdered the Kenrijis. Since the reason why the twins appeared in Kurato and Junoru’s routes is because Kurato and Junoru are the source of the issues going on in the village (except they’re also caused by Roya and Rasumi), and they need to return balance to the human world, it’s odd that they would randomly accept the jobs of random people who are acting out of spite and cold blood. Is there something that I’m forgetting about their backstory that explains this, or did you just never reveal it?
Okay, now that all of my questions are out of the way… I’m going to say a few thoughts about the existing routes!
Routes ranked from 4th to 1st place:
#4: Kurato. Although he’s an awesome character, he’s just the personality type that I feel least interested in. That’s not to say this route was bad in any way! I really enjoyed playing through his route! I only felt like the romance came a little too soon compared to the other routes, and I’m just not super interested in his personality.
#3: Zeikun. I love his personality and character design, and there’s really nothing wrong with his route at all. However, I just prefer other routes a bit more than his.
#2: Junoru. This boy is too precious. I really love soft personalities in otome games, especially in a game with such a complex and dark plot. It complements the story well! I also loved the flower symbolism in his route; even though it was sad, I adore his normal ending CG. He looks so peaceful, resting over the flowers. I feel bad that he had to go to hell rather than heaven, though. Oh, on that note… CAN I JUST SAY THAT SENDING HIS MOTHER AND FATHER TO SEPARATE AFTERLIFE REALMS IS LITERALLY THE MEANEST AND CRUELEST THING EVER.
#1: Sachiro. Okay. I did NOT expect myself to like his route as much as I did. I’m not really into the shota types, so I was very hesitant about playing his route. But once I got into the 2nd-3rd chapter? Wow. I absolutely adore the plot line of his route. It has a somewhat Spirited Away kind of vibe, except it’s a spirit going into the human world. And can I just say that non-cursed/adult Sachiro’s design is my favorite thing ever. The moment I saw him, and got then to know his true personality? I knew he was best boy. Also, I really dig swordfighters in fantasy games. The CG you drew where he is about to kill all the evil spirits in the spirit realm was too amazing. I love the transition of his normal fighting self to the darker version where he looks much more ominous. Also, might I mention that one of my most treasured OCs in a medieval fantasy story I’m making is a swordfighter, is a Cancer, and has a dark/corrupted side that ends up overwhelming him at one point? I guess I just really like that type of character. xD
Lastly, I would like to conclude with this:
Pinlin. You are an amazing person. Your art is so good. Even though I’ve never liked anime art styles completely, your style is so captivating and beautiful on so many levels. The color schemes you use seriously soothe my heart. I’m a hobbyist artist myself (and am currently making a visual novel of my own, but it’s only a personal project for my friends for now), and the kind of stuff you do is what I aspire to be in the future. I loved every aspect of this game, and I really hope to see more games from you in the future, if you’re considering it. I’d be totally down for a sequel of Dark Nights featuring the side characters! Since you said that you would do a route for some side characters if you had enough requests for it: if you want to, I would love to see routes for Chain, Kaichi, Roya, Jace, Blace, Lioji… oh wait… that’s literally all of the male side characters. xD But in all seriousness, I think I would be most interested in seeing (as mentioned above) Ikuya featured as the POV, getting to know the side characters. Ikuya deserves more love and screen time! (That bit about her fighting Rasumi off with Zeikun? Spectacular.) But… you are your own person, and as a creator, you should do whatever you want, and I don’t want to be a demanding fan of any sort. Do what makes you most happy!
Phew! That was a lot of typing. I hope you’ll find the time to read this through and tell me your thoughts. Thank you so much for making this game. It’s been a pleasure playing through it. ^v^
Thank you for this thoughtful review. In fact, I love reading long feedback so no need to apologize for it! Usually, I don't get to hear live feedback from players. By the time they finish the game, they've forgotten most of their reactions on events and scenes.
I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed all storylines. Each was created with a distinctive style for different preferences. The stories are obviously focused on the main characters so there is a lot missing about the supporting roles.
1. I regret not revealing not enough of Rasumi because so far she seems to be a black sheep despite her various roles. She is not the main villain in some routes, like she didn't cause the tragedy in Junoru's story. In Sachiro's route, she acts as a supporting character. Without Rasumi's help, Sachiro wouldn't be able to ever meet MC normally. In the bonus scenes there is a small dialogue between Kaichi and Rasumi. I left it as an open end, because these two have a seperate background story. Rasumi double-faced nature started since her traumatic childhood. A short scene is revealed in her diary during Kurato's route chapter 4. Another hint was left when Blace said Jace and Rasumi have a bad relationship. Jace is the guardian of Heaven's gate and Rasumi is an angel- which means they had some encounters before. The first time Rasumi meets MC, she acts very friendly. I had this idea that Rasumi watched MC from the heavens, thus knowing MC for a long time. If I ever get the chance to expand the lore, I'd love to write more about this character! I've created her long before Dark Nights existed so my mind is full of ideas.
2. Chain is also one of my personal favorites- the mysterious one. Just like Rasumi, I didn't reveal much about his background. Although, he is way more popular. The first encounter of Ikuya with Chain is that she walked away , scared. Their chemistry will be a funny or interesting development. His relationship with the MC varies a lot depending on which route you are. To reassure you, Chain is completely human. If he were super natural, he might dislike himself too(?) which sounds edgy. So far there were hints that Chain lives alone. His place has no any hints related to his friends and family. He met Kurato since he was a teen at the investigator department. He might have been working there longer. The woman in Junoru's route was one of Chain's ancestors since she looks like Chain. They practise hunting supernaturals for generations, but now there are none of those specialists left. It was mentioned somewhere Chain killed a cousin who turned into a vampire. Roya recognizes Chain because of his bloodline. Aside that, Roya encountered him a several times before. The "hunters" are known for their skillful and terrific tactics of capturing/killing supernaturals. There is a black market for these kinds, hence Roya is afraid of ending up there. If I would explore more of this world if I were to write Chain's story.
3. Arount the time Roya attacked the teacher, he already drunk one of those potions. His parents didn't know this. The school ghost was killed by other classmates and Roya has nothing to do with that. He tends to mess around with Kurato. Not all characters speak the truth at times. Kurato used to have a very low self-esteem which made him an easy target. Usually bullies aren't aware of the damage they cause. The teasing starts innocently and gradually gets worse. Roya didn't have any friends during his childhood, and still doesn't in present time. He has trust issues because of the events that happened in the past (kidnapping, conflicts with villagers, murder of parents, betrayal of aquaintances etc.) He doesn't look down on other people, like he saw some potention in MC, but prefers to keep emotional distance. The interactions with his parents were shown from Junoru's perspective. Junoru once mentioned that Roya, despite being older, wasn't a suitable heir because of his troublesome personality. He is mischievous in nature and naturally smart but doesn't put much of his talents to use. I thought that I covered enough of his backstory, but I realized that it was mostly told from other character's perspectives. Roya is a complex character because he acts as he feels like in the moment. I actually had him in mind as 5th romance-able, but 5 storylines felt way too much. The flirty arch-type might be the least likeable so I removed him. Now he is a side character somehow a lot people got their eyes on him lol.
4. There is a time skip from where the twins were forced to kill and present time where they work for themselves. I had a seperate story in mind of how they came to be- and it's pretty dark. The people who wanted to kill the Kenriji captured the twins to work for them. Luckily it didn't last long because the twins managed to escape a short while after the Kenriji were dead. They didn't appear in Sachiro and Zeikun's storylines because they are different creatures. The twin's main focus are humans/undead and those that jump through time by accident (Kurato). Unlike Chain, they completely unaffiliated. They act to what they think is right to keep the world's balance even if it needs sacrifices (Junoru's route). Jace tends to show less empathy as he is used to sending people to the Heaven. Blace has dealt with different tasks and sometimes hesitates to make decisions.
About the main characters, each has a distinctive personality. I had different editors and proof readers working on each route. Because of this, the MC might feel inconsistent. Although, in real life people tend to act differently in each relationship too. I'm glad to know that at least one of the main characters stole your heart<3 It's such a coincidence that we have similar elements in our stories. Sachiro was quite difficult to write, because I had no main goal for him in mind for a while. I re-wrote his story a several times before I came to this point. One of the major changes was adding his adult form. From there the rest became easy to direct his story.
Thank you for the praises on my style! I especially developed it for creating this visual novel. To be honest, I tried stepping away a bit from anime style because it wasn't perceived positively by people around me. I choose to focus on composition and colors as keypoints (I struggled with artblock and identity for a several years. Because of this, Dark Nights got affected by delay in development). After I finished all CG art, I added a lot of cutscenes and small animations. For Zeikun's route, I wanted the scenes in inkwash style. His themes are around oriental cultures, so I thought that was the most fitting. In Junoru's storyline, a lot cutscenes were more like graphic design and "straight-cut". Sachiro's route should had more sketchy drawn scenes. It reflects his dreams but also uncentainty. For Kurato, it was a combination of all. During the last years of developemt, I wanted to experiment with visuals and it shows there.
All of the side characters have their own lore. I created this visual novel because I love my OCs and wanted to flesh out their stories. Even if I don't create visuals novels for them again, you'll see/read more about them in other forms (illustrations, comic, animation etc). In the bonus scenes I added dialogues that couldn't find a place in the main story. Dark Nights is my very first published writing and I'm happy to receive so many positive feedback (´･ᴗ･ ` ) Anyway, thank you for your time playing and sharing your thoughts!
Thank you so much for your detailed response! Ah, so much stuff makes sense to me now.
Again, thank you for this game, Pinlin! I had a blast playing it and I eagerly await more content from you in the future, whether it be Dark Nights related or not! In the meantime, I'll be making more memes and fanart in the Discord. (*w*)
So is there a way to hide the text box? I notice that some of the CGs don’t appear in the album such as some chain ones, her with the umbrella, and a kaichi one. I really want to save these of course so unless they are in the sketchbook thing, I’m not sure how to get them other than screen cap. Thank you
Press H on your keyboard. For more useful commands go to Main Menu -> Credits -> Help
The scenes you mentioned are cut scenes and don't appear in the album or sketchbook (the latter contains more artworks not shown in game). After I finished drawing all CG art, I had even more ideas.The cut scenes looked too simple to earn a place in the album. Besides, the album is already very packed. For now you can only save those special scenes by screenshotting or save slot.
There are so many different backgrounds.I wish there could be a background gallery as well...There should be at least 5 parks and even more pictures of the sky.I am trying to take screenshots and appreciate them.
I see a different background(or something else?) in Zeikun's chapter 3 when it describes his mother's death. Is that a Chinese painting? I have never seen such pictures used in VNs before. It must takes a while to draw the painting and it is amazing that the characters can also move.How did the creater learn it anyway?
This visual novel is amazing! Never seen a free game that should be worth more! Are U going to create another? If so, UwU's and OwO's tiny bean! Hope that this game gets a fandom surrounded around it!!1!1
I feel bad, but, somehow I ended up loving the side characters more than the main ones! You did such a wonderful job giving them life and stories! Chain, Lioji, Kaichi... They all deserve happy endings!!!
Zeikun's good end felt a bit like a bad end as well, haha, whilst Sachiro's bad end could pass for a good one -- is there an explanation for why Miyoko can see spirits in Zeikun's route but not Sachiro's? It's a shame the two never ''meet'', seeing as how Zeikun sort of takes over the role in absence.
I have to say that this is the best otome visual novel I've ever played. And it's free!
I've only fully finished all of Junoru's routes, and I can say that he is my favorite "anime" boy ever. He's so cute.
Spoiler:
Junoru is the best zombie boy ever and no one can change my mind. But seriously, this was just an awesome experience. Soundtrack, art, amazing storyline, unique characters. This game has it all! I honestly didn't think it was going to be this good! I really do hope this game becomes a lot more popular so I can actually talk to people about how good it is, but like, really. It was great.
I already know that you're not going to start another game this big, but I'm completely fine with that. This is hours of entertainment. And honestly, when I'm done, I'll play it again.
I really love that this game has an achievement/ending and gallery section. It really makes me want to get every possible ending etc.
still love this. it's very rare that a vis nov this great comes to completion, and for free?! madness. i look back on it fondly, might even replay just to spend some more time with junoru...
i mean there's nothing super groundbreaking here, but it's all done so WELL. the art, the story, the variety and depth to the characters... ugh. a masterpiece.
if this came out on steam, i'd buy the shit out of it (already have it in my library here, for the record). if a sequel came out, be it just more of the same, or perhaps a different story where we can date the side characters, i'd buy the shit out of that too.
I love this game!! I'm writing this after only completing Sachiro's route so far, but it's been amazing! I'm so grateful for all the work you've done on this, and the fact that it's free is just wowza considering how much content is in this, thank you so much. I'm planning on completing all the other routes soon too...let's see how it goes lol I can't wait!
side note Lioji is the love of my life, he may not have a route but his existence is exquisite
This game was awesome!! The characters are super handsome guys.
Personally I loved the end with Zeikun, he is perfect and i think i have fell in love with the twins and Chain, really hopped for some ending with them or a love route.
hey, i really love this game and all the characters are amazing :) i also really like the way roya is written and i love his character in general, and i think if there was a route for him it would be very great!
A wonderful game.
All characters are lovely.
Would it be possible to get Chain as a potential route *. *
Would also buy for it.
I Love this Game
I look forward to more Games from you <3
I just want to say, HOLY CRAP! This game is astonishing in terms of the storyline, characters, art design and graphics. Not to mention that it is a FREE game! You have truly outdone yourself with this game, developer! ^^ Additionally, all the love interest routes are entirely different so readers dont have to worry about getting bored reading the same lines again, thus making it easier to replay the game in order to get different endings. Hope to play more games like this from the developer in the future, even if it is paid!
It's my first game project that got pretty big. I don't know what the quality standard is, so I rather have more people enjoy it. I played many VNs before and took example what I enjoyed and didn't like. The routes should feel distinctive so each has their own style and structure. Because of this, some routes are preferred over others.
I'm delighted by the feedback I received so far. I will continue to improve myself for future projects. If anything, they might not be as big as DN.
normally a game of this quality would cost at LEAST 40 euro on steam but the fact that it's free is REALLY suprising. Normally while playing a vn i skip trough to see how long it takes till i can actually make a choice but for the first time i din't with this game! It managed to grab my attention right from the start and this game really is a master piece!!
I'm excited to see any futher games if they are someday released
I appreciate your efforts of sharing your thoughts!
I started as an illustration artist and shared my work on social media. I thought creating a game is similar to sharing my artwork and occasional journal posts. Besides, it's my first published writing so I hope more people can access it and enjoy. The first menu choices were very soon. It's something that I always look forward to when starting a VN.
Hi, I played every routes and omg I was so sad each time I saw one of the guy's death... (sorry I'm not english so I m bad at writting ) It s a beautiful game and I hope there will be a route for Blace, Kaichi,Jace,Chain and Roya and of course Liojiiii, they all are sooooo cute uwu
and a story with the prologue's child of course x)
And, Will there be a way to save guys of other route when we see them taken by death or by Chain ?
That's the tragedic side of the story, but there are routes where no one dies depending on your choices. In some routes deaths are unpreventable. Then there are endings that decide the character's fate.
I'm glad you like the side characters as much! I gave them active roles rather than accessoires for the main ones.
I swear the game was amazing its so hard to find a mc that's not dopey or a mary sue among otome games honestly this game was so well written like I am shocked that this is a indie game like you are so bloody talented btw with there be routes for lioji, kaichi, chain, roya, blace and jace not to sound rude but girl you designed them so well and gave them such great personalities and backstories but like there isnt a option to romance them its so sad but like I get it and making this game must of taken you so long sorry if I offended you or if I seem ungrateful but like I wish there was a option to romance them to lol. If you do make them when will the game be released lol honestly if it does happen I cannot wait!!!!!!!
DN is a passion project I worked on alone for a long time. I tried to take as many roles as possible to have the control over the style. The game went through a lot of changes over 6 years. I had to improve every skill required for game development. It's not like I could pull off the same quality right off bat haha.
Depending on the amount of interest for the side chacters, I might write their stories too. Thank you for the support!
Hello, i'm from Brazil and i have to say i loved this game (sorry rusty english)
So I play everything in Visual novel world, Japanese, otome eroge, Dating sim, Halloween Otome (i Love it too). And This game is awesome, story , characters and all this is amazing. I confess i get scared sometimes too. So i loved too all characters, Kaichi, Chain, Roya, Ikuya, Lioji.
I would play a game with all the secondary characters. Although it is an indie game the quality of it is incredible. Thank you so much for such a beautiful game and passionate characters.
Hello, thank you for sharing this comment. No worries about your English, I can understand you perfectly.
I guess the horror themes worked well eheh.
I always wanted to write a full story about my characters. I've always done short scenes and single illustrations with a brief description. They didn't feel enough to bring my characters to life. This is my first game and story I shared in public. After all the kind comments and support, I want to keep creating and share more.
*cough* I’m sorry but let me get this straight. There are so many good things about this game. Personally I’ve only played Japanese otoge before and I am so done with them for so many reasons and I generally love playing indie games and really did not expect what was coming.
The art is beautiful. The BGs are done really well they’re neat and they fit the characters art style so well too which is something that even 7 Scarlet couldn’t get right.
The BGM is simple but lovely and it fits the situation , dialogue and the mood perfectly.
The gaming system and the UI fits the story and game’s purpose and it’s minimalistic and gorgeous.
I must say I was reallyyyy SHOOK when I saw the OP video like whaaa- that was so crazy and super cool too!
But most importantly! The writing ! I can not begin to say how impressed I am with the writing.
The characters have been written so well, Miyoko is such an understandable character she’s smart and funny and her reactions are so relatable and I’m so glad that we don’t have to deal with those « damsel in distress » bullshit .
The whole plot carries on very smoothly there’s simply no error in the writing ; how is this possible. The pacing is right, every scene is interesting and adds something to the story. And everything is just so balanced.
I’m sorry I’ve never written a garbage so long but Pinlin you are surreal! I can not believe that you have made such an amazing game ! Congratulations really ! You’re truly inspiring and I’m just so grateful.
Hello, I'm just a random person who likes telling stories _(: D
At the time I started this project, there weren't many English otoge. I wanted to contribute to this community and share my passion for visual novels. I hoped to give players an amazing experience like I had. One of the reasons that I did not collaborate with other artist is I wanted to keep the style consistent. Background, characters, CGs and even the UI. I experimented with styles and came to this simple and clean theme.
Credits are given to the composers for the beautiful BGMs. I purposely gave freedom to maximize their creativity. Even when the soundtrack didn't end up like I expected, I could find use for another scene. I thank the vocalist, song writer & composer, mixer and arranger for the OP. These were roles I couldn't fullfil myself and I had wonderful friends to help out.
Thank you for praises on the writing! I admit that I have a lot to learn; most of the plot was written 6 years ago. I could only polish it with today's knowledge. I would have done some things differently if I were to write from scratch.
The editors and proof readers are here to shine for keeping grammatical/spelling errors to minimum. After release, I did spot a few mistakes. For a 270k script it isn't a big deal.
Thank you for dropping your thoughts and your support! It was enjoyable to read <3
This game is just amazing, so far I've done Kurato - Junoru and Zeikun route but the only one I am completely done with is Zeikun... I'm trying hard for the other two but their is two illustrations I can't get and this is soooooo frustrating x). And I know this is not fair but can we find the solutions somewhere?
Anyway this game is so important to me, Thank you for all! <3
I really liked the UI of this game, is so clean! The backgrounds are so pretty too. My only problem gameplay-wise; would be how sometimes you have to make 100% perfect choices in order to get the happy ending. (edit: Spoilers below)
Character wise, I love them all. But I didn't felt comfortable with the romance in Sachiro's (I found the 1st half to be quite weak) and Junoru's (a lot more heavy-backstory focused) paths.
Zeikun's made me emotional - but at the same time, I found his route to be the most forgettable of them all.
Kurato's is my favorite due to his motivations, personality traits and how he actually interacts with the side cast (and not only the MC). He's a believable and 3D character - through I'm not fan of how his route had a lot of teasing with almost all the other male side characters. I think there was a missing chance of exploring more his beliefs towards justice or work (Sherlock Holmes and Watson style!).
But I know that writing non-human characters, such as demons, gods, angels, 'ghouls' can be hard. Aside that, I overall liked how you connected the plot points, this VN is really good and binge-worthy.
Personally, I like a clear GUI with a theme that fits the whole game. After a few attempts, I came up with this. Even if you miss 1 or 2 choices, you can still get the happy ending. I know some routes are trickier. Usually when there are 3 choices, each gives between 0-2 points.
Each story has a different structure. I like to experiment with variations not just in visuals but narration. I see you have your preference and thank you for the critique!
I think there were many holes and unexplored parts of the story. We only follow MC's perspective, so many things happen behind the scenes. I covered some parts in the bonus scenes, hopefully enough to satisfy your curiosity.
Anyway, thank you again for sharing your thoughts!
Such an amazing game! I spent all day playing through all of the routes! I was entranced from the first hour to the last! This now has a special place in my heart. I really enjoyed playing.
Wow, I absolutely love this game! I've been playing for hours!!! I really, really like Kurato! I can't seem to get romantic endings- just normal :') But I really love this game!! I'll make sure to support in the future when I can!
His route is the hardest when it comes to making choices for the romantic ending. While he is a very open character, his heart is a tough nut to crack :') There are 2 walkthroughs at the link section. Maybe they can help you to get the other ending.
I've been looking forward to this game since the demo and it's been everything that I expected and so so much more. I downloaded this game last weekend, chose Sachiro's route and finished 2 endings in 1 night. I'm honestly left speechless; no amount of words will describe how much I love or enjoyed this game! Every character is sOo cutte and to die for!! [ Potential spoilers ] One thing I noticed was how the MC and Sachiro both described as though they were missing something in their life and wanted to try something new. I thought that that was cute and maybe could mean sth? Also at the scene where Sachiro tries a new drink and it's name happens to be the same as what her friends described her. Haha, am I looking into it too much? And my fav scene so far is from achievement 25 - it really got to me haha! n_n
Ever since playing it that night I've been impatiently waiting for the next weekend to come so that I can try out the other routes (I don't allow myself to play on weekdays so that I don't binge when I need to work). I'm planning on trying Kurato's route next and honestly this is the best reward after a week of studying and work :'D thank you so so much and (a late) congrats on the release <3
Oh! And please consider making routes for the side characters, thx <3
Definitely one of the best free visual novel I've played so far! The art is AMAZING and the story itself is captivating as well. I've come to love all the characters as they are all so interesting and play a major role in the plot line (including the side characters which is really rare in VNs) I'm surprised this game is free given its amazing quality. Definitely 10/10 for me! ^^
This game is unbelievably amazing. The artwork is gorgeous and the stories of each character are so detailed and beautiful. I have a request I think many of us are thinking about, though; Could you maybe add routes/create another game for Chain, Kaichi, Roya, Blace, Jace, and Lioji? They are all wonderful characters and I would really like to play their routes. Please think about it, as I am sure many of us feel the same. But, that is a *lot* of characters to make routes for, so I understand if it would be a tough decision to make.
But anyway, the artwork is beautiful. I commend you for creating such a unique story line, and I look forward to your future works.
Honestly I didn't know you made a VN since I found out about you from YouTube. When I heard that you released Dark Nights, I immediately download it. I like how one main problem can be solved with different approach. My absolute favorite aspect from this game is that the characters are really fleshed out and have some kind of connection with the other characters. It's something I find a bit rare in other VN, where other characters would leave some kind of impact in any of the routes available.
Other than that, the art is great (as always), the music is good, I love the side characters, and the story itself is captivating. I wish any of the current side character will get a route. The overall game is really enjoyable and I'm recommending this to my friends. My only disappointment is that Ikuyo didn't appear in the story :(
I can officially say I love this game! It took me a while to finish all the routes but I'm glad I took my time with everything. Without doubt, my favorite thing about it was the illustrations, they are indeed stunning and I think they add a special something to the game! I also really loved the achievements and the extra-scenes! The four routes are a charm itself, but without doubt I have to say Zeikun was my favorite (not only as a LI but as the content of the route). The big surprise for me was Sachiro route! I was expecting much of it but I loved it! His normal ending is my second favorite ending! Junoru is a delight! His character is really interesting, I just wished he had expressed himself a little more about things in general and his feelings for the MC, I feel more depth could have been added, but I still loved him! In contrast, I enjoyed how deep as a character Kurato was (we got to see a lot of personality traits), perhaps I wasn't much into his route because he is not my usual type of LI and wasn't really sure about his chemistry and interactions with the MC but I still enjoyed him and his route! My only real and big critic with the game, is the prologue. I personally find it hard to go through it as I felt it slow and dense and couldn't really connect with the MC. However, I'm glad to say this doesn't happen with the rest of the game! The writing feels more into place and even when our heroine accepts the absurd things that happen to her, you find yourself accepting them too! I really recommend this game and I want to congratulate Pinlin for it! You can see it was made with love and care, and that's what really matters!!
Thank you for the comment!It's a delight to hear you enjoyed all 4 plotlines. While they differ, I tried to make them equally interesting.
The achievements were added as a challenge for those that like to explore choices.
I was thinking to rewrite the prologue because I heard it turned off a handful people to continue. Perhaps scrap it as whole? I'll take some time to consider this.
I'm not ashamed to admit that I sacrificed sleep and binge played this game in my free time until I finished it (a week (58hrs of gameplay!!!) later). I also made a full walkthrough for it which you can find here.
I saw Pinlin's reddit post announcing the game release and was immediately blown away by the quality of the artwork and intrigued by the story synopsys. I downloaded Dark Nights as soon as I got home after work and was met with the beautiful opening MV. Going through the prologue, Miyoko's boredom and adventure seeking really resonated with me. Throughout the game, Miyoko proves to be different from the MC's we're used to, she's proactive, feisty, independent, compassionate and has her own personality and character which don't depend on her current LI.
The route order I followed was Sachiro>Zeikun>Kurato>Junoru.
Going into Sachiro's route I thought it was a sacrifice I had to make to learn more about the story, since he was very, very far from my usual type. Boy, was I wrong! I'm not going to spoil anything but I'll say I was more than pleasantly surprised by his route! In fact, it ended up becoming one of my favourites as more of Sachiro personality and story were revealed.
Zeikun's at first outright agressive attitude (and character design) intrigued me straight away. I really enjoyed his story and character developement. Him and Sachiro are tied for the Best Boy title for me.
Kurato's (overly) easy-going nature and interactions with Miyoko were so fun to see. Him and Miyoko were more level with each other than Sachiro or Zeikun. His personality brought a nice variety to the game so far and was like a breath of fresh air.
Straight away during Miyoko's first interaction with Junoru, I knew there was going to be a tragic-er than tragic backstory to be revealed in his route. It was amazing to see this shy, gentle boy come out of his shell as him and Miyoko got closer. The pacing of their relationship developement felt very natural, if not a bit too-familiarly awkward for a friendship blossoming into love. We finally get to know Roya a bit better, too. Junoru's route also has one of my favourite CG's in the game.
Finally, the side characters! Ikuya and Lioji were written well, with both of them being reliable friends and support to Miyoko. I'd be interested to see more about Ikuya's brother background from what was hinted at in the game.
I have to admit Kaichi might've stolen my heart the show on a few occasions. His chemistry with Miyoko and their cat and mouse relationship left me wanting more, even if it was in the middle of someone else's (sorry, Sachiro) route. I'm not saying that we need a Kaichi route but we need a Kaichi route...
Chain, even if a bit one-dimensional, provided some serious bad-assery and a bit of comedy relief to the game. His bonus scenes cracked me up!
Jace and Blace were a great addition to the plot especially this late (in regards to this route order) in the game. I found their backstory very interesting and I loved their character design.
Roya... may or may not have redeemed himself by the time I finished the game. Quite a controversial character. I don't know if Pinlin ever considered him becoming a LI, but from the CG's and Sketchbook illustrations, one has to wonder.
Rasumi had a really nice character design but I never found out her end-game besides antagonising Miyoko and all the LIs and well... you'll see when you play the game.
ALL IN ALL! I enjoyed this game so much! The artworks are insane (and I have to admit to checking out Pinlin's other illustrations and being very humbled by her talent), all the characters are beautifully drawn, the storylines are intriguing and keep you captivated until the very end. The endings, character developement and plot were well executed, too. The side characters were an integral part of the story, which was refreshing. The CG's and bonus content were incredible as well.
Pinlin, I'll say it again, you've done an amazing job! Thank you for creating and sharing Dark Nights with us!
This game is so good. I really wasn't sure what to expect but I really enjoyed it so much. It is one of the few games I actually wanted to go back and get all the endings, CGs and achievements for. All the characters were fantastic from the MC to the main routes and side characters. I originally thought I wouldn't really be into Sachiro because he looked like a little chibi and acted childish but he ended up being one of my favorites. Really all of the routes were one of my favorites. I usually have some that I am kind of over part way through in these types of games but not for Dark Nights. I also especially fell in love with Kaichi. I loved interacting with him in every route and was sad he doesn't show in Junoru's. By the end I really wanted to know more about him and really wanted him to have his own route. His personality made me weak. I also loved Roya a lot and ended up wanted a route for him to just to have more time to get to know him. Chain also left me wanting more info. It is rare for otome/visual novels to have really interesting side characters that leave me wanting more.
I have sunk like 20 hours in total getting all the endings, achievements and CGs. There is one CG that I can't get no matter what I do. I have tried all sorts of combos and looked over the walkthrough and tips but still can't get it. Junoru's 8th CG. It says it is in Chapter 3 but I just can't get it....
But anyways, thank you so much for making such a wonderful game. I hope to see more from you in the future!
Edit: I decided to go look at the Dark Nights twitter and found out Kaichi's birthday is literally the day before mine. lmao
Hey, check out my guide in my comment, you should be able to get Junoru's CG if you follow it, since I don't recall struggling to get it. Let me know if it works!
Thank you very much. I went through it again and managed to get the missing CG by following the normal end part of your guide. Now I have everything done xD
I absolutely loved this game, the plot was phenomenal and I could feel attached to all of the characters. I adore Chain, Roya, and Kaichi, as even though they aren't they main focus you can still feel attached to them. ( Let them be happy!!!! TwT) I binged this game and even though I just finished it completely, I want to play it again, because that's just how great it is.
Thank you for giving this game a try! I'm glad you enjoyed the input of every character. I did my best to give the side-characters a bit of back story. While they aren't the focus, it doesn't mean they totally disappear into the background.
Too bad I have a guilty pleasure of tragedy... but also lighthearted moments (bonus scenes).
If you play all over again, you might pick up hints you missed at the first play-through.
This game is absolutely gorgeous; probably one of the prettiest otome games I've ever played. The character designs are memorable and unique, the CGs and backgrounds are breathtaking, and the music is good! However, while the plot is intriguing, I felt like the writing could be improved upon. The presentation of the characters' reactions to some situations felt a bit unrealistic and pulled me away from the immersion, and I sometimes wondered how Miyoko actually felt about certain things since her feelings weren't clear to me.
Despite this, I did enjoy Dark Nights a lot and I can tell that a lot of care and effort went into its production. I loved how the romance didn't feel rushed or forced, instead it developed naturally during the story's progression. Even more, I loved that side characters got to play important roles in the story and got development. Roya and Jace are probably my favourite side characters, I honestly can't get enough of them.
As far as routes go, I probably liked Sachiro's and Junoru's routes the most. And surprisingly enough, I liked the normal endings a lot more than the romance endings. The normal ends were more emotionally packed for me and provided answers to some mysteries regarding the characters. They were really great and totally worth getting.
Thank you so much Pinlin, for creating and sharing Dark Nights with us! If you decide to make another game in the future, I'll be looking forward to it!
I'm delighted to hear that you like the character designs. It's one of the few things I really enjoy to draw. I'm glad that the game is memorable; it's one of the highest compliments to me. I put all my efforts to combine all elements harmoniously.
The world was established in my head that most characters aren't fazed at the events. I guess that was the unrealistic part? After playing VNs with a lot of monologues from the MC, I intentionally kept this underdeveloped. However, I agree with you. Her thoughts became less prominent as the story progresses.
Through observations, I think that romance hits harder when it's not in focus. I wondered what makes someone fall in love. Each route explores a different aspect. Considering MC's personality, the development should be subtile and slow. I balanced the interactions with the side characters and their role. It's less of a 'dating-sim', but a 'complete story'. Knowing that the side characters got a lot of attention, maybe I put them too much in the splotlights, haha.
I added the achievements and bonus features just so players can explore other possibilities and more of the world. Often in VNs I try to get the 'best ending' while avoiding all other endings. Here I didn't want other ends to be a disappointment.
← Return to game
Comments
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
I'd LOVE one too! <3
Hi Pinlin, I just wanted to say that I finished playing all routes and endings of the game today and holy crap, I LOVED IT ALL SO MUCH. Your art is absolutely AMAZING, and the storyline was so engaging. Usually, after getting into a new game or fandom or whatever, I have a lot of things to say, so sorry if this comment drags on forever xD
[SPOILER WARNING to those who are reading this comment who haven’t finished all endings of the game!]
First things… questions I still have regarding some of the deeper lore/plot.
Okay, now that all of my questions are out of the way… I’m going to say a few thoughts about the existing routes!
Routes ranked from 4th to 1st place:
#4: Kurato. Although he’s an awesome character, he’s just the personality type that I feel least interested in. That’s not to say this route was bad in any way! I really enjoyed playing through his route! I only felt like the romance came a little too soon compared to the other routes, and I’m just not super interested in his personality.
#3: Zeikun. I love his personality and character design, and there’s really nothing wrong with his route at all. However, I just prefer other routes a bit more than his.
#2: Junoru. This boy is too precious. I really love soft personalities in otome games, especially in a game with such a complex and dark plot. It complements the story well! I also loved the flower symbolism in his route; even though it was sad, I adore his normal ending CG. He looks so peaceful, resting over the flowers. I feel bad that he had to go to hell rather than heaven, though. Oh, on that note… CAN I JUST SAY THAT SENDING HIS MOTHER AND FATHER TO SEPARATE AFTERLIFE REALMS IS LITERALLY THE MEANEST AND CRUELEST THING EVER.
#1: Sachiro. Okay. I did NOT expect myself to like his route as much as I did. I’m not really into the shota types, so I was very hesitant about playing his route. But once I got into the 2nd-3rd chapter? Wow. I absolutely adore the plot line of his route. It has a somewhat Spirited Away kind of vibe, except it’s a spirit going into the human world. And can I just say that non-cursed/adult Sachiro’s design is my favorite thing ever. The moment I saw him, and got then to know his true personality? I knew he was best boy. Also, I really dig swordfighters in fantasy games. The CG you drew where he is about to kill all the evil spirits in the spirit realm was too amazing. I love the transition of his normal fighting self to the darker version where he looks much more ominous. Also, might I mention that one of my most treasured OCs in a medieval fantasy story I’m making is a swordfighter, is a Cancer, and has a dark/corrupted side that ends up overwhelming him at one point? I guess I just really like that type of character. xD
Lastly, I would like to conclude with this:
Pinlin. You are an amazing person. Your art is so good. Even though I’ve never liked anime art styles completely, your style is so captivating and beautiful on so many levels. The color schemes you use seriously soothe my heart. I’m a hobbyist artist myself (and am currently making a visual novel of my own, but it’s only a personal project for my friends for now), and the kind of stuff you do is what I aspire to be in the future. I loved every aspect of this game, and I really hope to see more games from you in the future, if you’re considering it. I’d be totally down for a sequel of Dark Nights featuring the side characters! Since you said that you would do a route for some side characters if you had enough requests for it: if you want to, I would love to see routes for Chain, Kaichi, Roya, Jace, Blace, Lioji… oh wait… that’s literally all of the male side characters. xD But in all seriousness, I think I would be most interested in seeing (as mentioned above) Ikuya featured as the POV, getting to know the side characters. Ikuya deserves more love and screen time! (That bit about her fighting Rasumi off with Zeikun? Spectacular.) But… you are your own person, and as a creator, you should do whatever you want, and I don’t want to be a demanding fan of any sort. Do what makes you most happy!
Phew! That was a lot of typing. I hope you’ll find the time to read this through and tell me your thoughts. Thank you so much for making this game. It’s been a pleasure playing through it. ^v^
-Nocte
Thank you for this thoughtful review. In fact, I love reading long feedback so no need to apologize for it! Usually, I don't get to hear live feedback from players. By the time they finish the game, they've forgotten most of their reactions on events and scenes.
I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed all storylines. Each was created with a distinctive style for different preferences. The stories are obviously focused on the main characters so there is a lot missing about the supporting roles.
1. I regret not revealing not enough of Rasumi because so far she seems to be a black sheep despite her various roles. She is not the main villain in some routes, like she didn't cause the tragedy in Junoru's story. In Sachiro's route, she acts as a supporting character. Without Rasumi's help, Sachiro wouldn't be able to ever meet MC normally. In the bonus scenes there is a small dialogue between Kaichi and Rasumi. I left it as an open end, because these two have a seperate background story. Rasumi double-faced nature started since her traumatic childhood. A short scene is revealed in her diary during Kurato's route chapter 4. Another hint was left when Blace said Jace and Rasumi have a bad relationship. Jace is the guardian of Heaven's gate and Rasumi is an angel- which means they had some encounters before. The first time Rasumi meets MC, she acts very friendly. I had this idea that Rasumi watched MC from the heavens, thus knowing MC for a long time. If I ever get the chance to expand the lore, I'd love to write more about this character! I've created her long before Dark Nights existed so my mind is full of ideas.
2. Chain is also one of my personal favorites- the mysterious one. Just like Rasumi, I didn't reveal much about his background. Although, he is way more popular. The first encounter of Ikuya with Chain is that she walked away , scared. Their chemistry will be a funny or interesting development. His relationship with the MC varies a lot depending on which route you are. To reassure you, Chain is completely human. If he were super natural, he might dislike himself too(?) which sounds edgy. So far there were hints that Chain lives alone. His place has no any hints related to his friends and family. He met Kurato since he was a teen at the investigator department. He might have been working there longer. The woman in Junoru's route was one of Chain's ancestors since she looks like Chain. They practise hunting supernaturals for generations, but now there are none of those specialists left. It was mentioned somewhere Chain killed a cousin who turned into a vampire. Roya recognizes Chain because of his bloodline. Aside that, Roya encountered him a several times before. The "hunters" are known for their skillful and terrific tactics of capturing/killing supernaturals. There is a black market for these kinds, hence Roya is afraid of ending up there. If I would explore more of this world if I were to write Chain's story.
3. Arount the time Roya attacked the teacher, he already drunk one of those potions. His parents didn't know this. The school ghost was killed by other classmates and Roya has nothing to do with that. He tends to mess around with Kurato. Not all characters speak the truth at times. Kurato used to have a very low self-esteem which made him an easy target. Usually bullies aren't aware of the damage they cause. The teasing starts innocently and gradually gets worse. Roya didn't have any friends during his childhood, and still doesn't in present time. He has trust issues because of the events that happened in the past (kidnapping, conflicts with villagers, murder of parents, betrayal of aquaintances etc.) He doesn't look down on other people, like he saw some potention in MC, but prefers to keep emotional distance. The interactions with his parents were shown from Junoru's perspective. Junoru once mentioned that Roya, despite being older, wasn't a suitable heir because of his troublesome personality. He is mischievous in nature and naturally smart but doesn't put much of his talents to use.
I thought that I covered enough of his backstory, but I realized that it was mostly told from other character's perspectives. Roya is a complex character because he acts as he feels like in the moment. I actually had him in mind as 5th romance-able, but 5 storylines felt way too much.
The flirty arch-type might be the least likeable so I removed him. Now he is a side character somehow a lot people got their eyes on him lol.
4. There is a time skip from where the twins were forced to kill and present time where they work for themselves. I had a seperate story in mind of how they came to be- and it's pretty dark. The people who wanted to kill the Kenriji captured the twins to work for them. Luckily it didn't last long because the twins managed to escape a short while after the Kenriji were dead. They didn't appear in Sachiro and Zeikun's storylines because they are different creatures. The twin's main focus are humans/undead and those that jump through time by accident (Kurato). Unlike Chain, they completely unaffiliated. They act to what they think is right to keep the world's balance even if it needs sacrifices (Junoru's route). Jace tends to show less empathy as he is used to sending people to the Heaven. Blace has dealt with different tasks and sometimes hesitates to make decisions.
About the main characters, each has a distinctive personality. I had different editors and proof readers working on each route. Because of this, the MC might feel inconsistent. Although, in real life people tend to act differently in each relationship too. I'm glad to know that at least one of the main characters stole your heart<3 It's such a coincidence that we have similar elements in our stories. Sachiro was quite difficult to write, because I had no main goal for him in mind for a while. I re-wrote his story a several times before I came to this point. One of the major changes was adding his adult form. From there the rest became easy to direct his story.
Thank you for the praises on my style! I especially developed it for creating this visual novel. To be honest, I tried stepping away a bit from anime style because it wasn't perceived positively by people around me. I choose to focus on composition and colors as keypoints (I struggled with artblock and identity for a several years. Because of this, Dark Nights got affected by delay in development). After I finished all CG art, I added a lot of cutscenes and small animations. For Zeikun's route, I wanted the scenes in inkwash style. His themes are around oriental cultures, so I thought that was the most fitting. In Junoru's storyline, a lot cutscenes were more like graphic design and "straight-cut". Sachiro's route should had more sketchy drawn scenes. It reflects his dreams but also uncentainty. For Kurato, it was a combination of all. During the last years of developemt, I wanted to experiment with visuals and it shows there.
All of the side characters have their own lore. I created this visual novel because I love my OCs and wanted to flesh out their stories. Even if I don't create visuals novels for them again, you'll see/read more about them in other forms (illustrations, comic, animation etc). In the bonus scenes I added dialogues that couldn't find a place in the main story.
Dark Nights is my very first published writing and I'm happy to receive so many positive feedback (´･ᴗ･ ` ) Anyway, thank you for your time playing and sharing your thoughts!
Thank you so much for your detailed response! Ah, so much stuff makes sense to me now.
Again, thank you for this game, Pinlin! I had a blast playing it and I eagerly await more content from you in the future, whether it be Dark Nights related or not! In the meantime, I'll be making more memes and fanart in the Discord. (*w*)
So is there a way to hide the text box? I notice that some of the CGs don’t appear in the album such as some chain ones, her with the umbrella, and a kaichi one. I really want to save these of course so unless they are in the sketchbook thing, I’m not sure how to get them other than screen cap. Thank you
Press H on your keyboard. For more useful commands go to Main Menu -> Credits -> Help
The scenes you mentioned are cut scenes and don't appear in the album or sketchbook (the latter contains more artworks not shown in game). After I finished drawing all CG art, I had even more ideas.The cut scenes looked too simple to earn a place in the album. Besides, the album is already very packed.
For now you can only save those special scenes by screenshotting or save slot.
I'm really glad this game is finished! So far i have only played Sachiro's and Zeikun's route but i love it already. Thank you for creating this game!
But i wish there is a route for Kaichi and Chain hahah, their character are so interesting.
Thank you again for creating this game!
Please do a Kaichi route! I really like his character and the plot itself!
There are so many different backgrounds.I wish there could be a background gallery as well...There should be at least 5 parks and even more pictures of the sky.I am trying to take screenshots and appreciate them.
I see a different background(or something else?) in Zeikun's chapter 3 when it describes his mother's death. Is that a Chinese painting? I have never seen such pictures used in VNs before. It must takes a while to draw the painting and it is amazing that the characters can also move.How did the creater learn it anyway?
I love this game so much.I want to done all the endings.The art and the music was sooo cool.
I loved this game. I hope that you create more visual novels or write more routes, because this was amazing.
This visual novel is amazing! Never seen a free game that should be worth more! Are U going to create another? If so, UwU's and OwO's tiny bean! Hope that this game gets a fandom surrounded around it!!1!1
~Tiny bean
This was a great visual novel. I enjoyed it. I have to say though- You should do routes for Chain and Kaichi. I loved their characters SO SO much.
I feel bad, but, somehow I ended up loving the side characters more than the main ones! You did such a wonderful job giving them life and stories! Chain, Lioji, Kaichi... They all deserve happy endings!!!
Zeikun's good end felt a bit like a bad end as well, haha, whilst Sachiro's bad end could pass for a good one -- is there an explanation for why Miyoko can see spirits in Zeikun's route but not Sachiro's? It's a shame the two never ''meet'', seeing as how Zeikun sort of takes over the role in absence.
Okay.
I have to say that this is the best otome visual novel I've ever played. And it's free!
I've only fully finished all of Junoru's routes, and I can say that he is my favorite "anime" boy ever. He's so cute.
Spoiler:
Junoru is the best zombie boy ever and no one can change my mind. But seriously, this was just an awesome experience. Soundtrack, art, amazing storyline, unique characters. This game has it all! I honestly didn't think it was going to be this good! I really do hope this game becomes a lot more popular so I can actually talk to people about how good it is, but like, really. It was great.
I already know that you're not going to start another game this big, but I'm completely fine with that. This is hours of entertainment. And honestly, when I'm done, I'll play it again.
I really love that this game has an achievement/ending and gallery section. It really makes me want to get every possible ending etc.
There's not a thing I would change. Great job! :)
still love this. it's very rare that a vis nov this great comes to completion, and for free?! madness. i look back on it fondly, might even replay just to spend some more time with junoru...
i mean there's nothing super groundbreaking here, but it's all done so WELL. the art, the story, the variety and depth to the characters... ugh. a masterpiece.
if this came out on steam, i'd buy the shit out of it (already have it in my library here, for the record). if a sequel came out, be it just more of the same, or perhaps a different story where we can date the side characters, i'd buy the shit out of that too.
I love this game!! I'm writing this after only completing Sachiro's route so far, but it's been amazing! I'm so grateful for all the work you've done on this, and the fact that it's free is just wowza considering how much content is in this, thank you so much. I'm planning on completing all the other routes soon too...let's see how it goes lol I can't wait!
side note Lioji is the love of my life, he may not have a route but his existence is exquisite
This game was awesome!! The characters are super handsome guys.
Personally I loved the end with Zeikun, he is perfect and i think i have fell in love with the twins and Chain, really hopped for some ending with them or a love route.
Pd. sorry for my English, not my native language.
hey, i really love this game and all the characters are amazing :) i also really like the way roya is written and i love his character in general, and i think if there was a route for him it would be very great!
I just want to say, HOLY CRAP! This game is astonishing in terms of the storyline, characters, art design and graphics. Not to mention that it is a FREE game! You have truly outdone yourself with this game, developer! ^^ Additionally, all the love interest routes are entirely different so readers dont have to worry about getting bored reading the same lines again, thus making it easier to replay the game in order to get different endings. Hope to play more games like this from the developer in the future, even if it is paid!
It's my first game project that got pretty big. I don't know what the quality standard is, so I rather have more people enjoy it. I played many VNs before and took example what I enjoyed and didn't like. The routes should feel distinctive so each has their own style and structure. Because of this, some routes are preferred over others.
I'm delighted by the feedback I received so far. I will continue to improve myself for future projects. If anything, they might not be as big as DN.
made an acc just to say how much i love this game
normally a game of this quality would cost at LEAST 40 euro on steam but the fact that it's free is REALLY suprising. Normally while playing a vn i skip trough to see how long it takes till i can actually make a choice but for the first time i din't with this game! It managed to grab my attention right from the start and this game really is a master piece!!
I'm excited to see any futher games if they are someday released
I appreciate your efforts of sharing your thoughts!
I started as an illustration artist and shared my work on social media. I thought creating a game is similar to sharing my artwork and occasional journal posts. Besides, it's my first published writing so I hope more people can access it and enjoy. The first menu choices were very soon. It's something that I always look forward to when starting a VN.
Thank you for your support!
Hi, I played every routes and omg I was so sad each time I saw one of the guy's death... (sorry I'm not english so I m bad at writting ) It s a beautiful game and I hope there will be a route for Blace, Kaichi,Jace,Chain and Roya and of course Liojiiii, they all are sooooo cute uwu
and a story with the prologue's child of course x)
And, Will there be a way to save guys of other route when we see them taken by death or by Chain ?
That's the tragedic side of the story, but there are routes where no one dies depending on your choices. In some routes deaths are unpreventable. Then there are endings that decide the character's fate.
I'm glad you like the side characters as much! I gave them active roles rather than accessoires for the main ones.
I swear the game was amazing its so hard to find a mc that's not dopey or a mary sue among otome games honestly this game was so well written like I am shocked that this is a indie game like you are so bloody talented btw with there be routes for lioji, kaichi, chain, roya, blace and jace not to sound rude but girl you designed them so well and gave them such great personalities and backstories but like there isnt a option to romance them its so sad but like I get it and making this game must of taken you so long sorry if I offended you or if I seem ungrateful but like I wish there was a option to romance them to lol. If you do make them when will the game be released lol honestly if it does happen I cannot wait!!!!!!!
DN is a passion project I worked on alone for a long time. I tried to take as many roles as possible to have the control over the style. The game went through a lot of changes over 6 years. I had to improve every skill required for game development. It's not like I could pull off the same quality right off bat haha.
Depending on the amount of interest for the side chacters, I might write their stories too. Thank you for the support!
it would be awesome. Hopefully there there will be enough interest.
Hello, i'm from Brazil and i have to say i loved this game (sorry rusty english)
So I play everything in Visual novel world, Japanese, otome eroge, Dating sim, Halloween Otome (i Love it too). And This game is awesome, story , characters and all this is amazing. I confess i get scared sometimes too. So i loved too all characters, Kaichi, Chain, Roya, Ikuya, Lioji.
I would play a game with all the secondary characters. Although it is an indie game the quality of it is incredible. Thank you so much for such a beautiful game and passionate characters.
Hello, thank you for sharing this comment. No worries about your English, I can understand you perfectly.
I guess the horror themes worked well eheh.
I always wanted to write a full story about my characters. I've always done short scenes and single illustrations with a brief description. They didn't feel enough to bring my characters to life. This is my first game and story I shared in public. After all the kind comments and support, I want to keep creating and share more.
Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed my visual novel!
can you make it where you can be with liojii
That will be a whole different plotline hehe.
OMG does that mean there will be play through with him in the future I literally can't wait!!!
I think you should make another dark nights where you can do more stuff with other characters!!!
PINLIN WHO ARE YOU AND HOW DO YOU EXIST
*cough* I’m sorry but let me get this straight. There are so many good things about this game. Personally I’ve only played Japanese otoge before and I am so done with them for so many reasons and I generally love playing indie games and really did not expect what was coming.
The art is beautiful. The BGs are done really well they’re neat and they fit the characters art style so well too which is something that even 7 Scarlet couldn’t get right.
The BGM is simple but lovely and it fits the situation , dialogue and the mood perfectly.
The gaming system and the UI fits the story and game’s purpose and it’s minimalistic and gorgeous.
I must say I was reallyyyy SHOOK when I saw the OP video like whaaa- that was so crazy and super cool too!
But most importantly! The writing ! I can not begin to say how impressed I am with the writing.
The characters have been written so well, Miyoko is such an understandable character she’s smart and funny and her reactions are so relatable and I’m so glad that we don’t have to deal with those « damsel in distress » bullshit .
The whole plot carries on very smoothly there’s simply no error in the writing ; how is this possible. The pacing is right, every scene is interesting and adds something to the story. And everything is just so balanced.
I’m sorry I’ve never written a garbage so long but Pinlin you are surreal! I can not believe that you have made such an amazing game ! Congratulations really ! You’re truly inspiring and I’m just so grateful.
-Your tiny super pineapple fan
Stay safe <3
Hello, I'm just a random person who likes telling stories _(: D
At the time I started this project, there weren't many English otoge. I wanted to contribute to this community and share my passion for visual novels. I hoped to give players an amazing experience like I had.
One of the reasons that I did not collaborate with other artist is I wanted to keep the style consistent. Background, characters, CGs and even the UI. I experimented with styles and came to this simple and clean theme.
Credits are given to the composers for the beautiful BGMs. I purposely gave freedom to maximize their creativity. Even when the soundtrack didn't end up like I expected, I could find use for another scene. I thank the vocalist, song writer & composer, mixer and arranger for the OP. These were roles I couldn't fullfil myself and I had wonderful friends to help out.
Thank you for praises on the writing! I admit that I have a lot to learn; most of the plot was written 6 years ago. I could only polish it with today's knowledge. I would have done some things differently if I were to write from scratch.
The editors and proof readers are here to shine for keeping grammatical/spelling errors to minimum. After release, I did spot a few mistakes. For a 270k script it isn't a big deal.
Thank you for dropping your thoughts and your support! It was enjoyable to read <3
Stay safe and healthy!
This game is just amazing, so far I've done Kurato - Junoru and Zeikun route but the only one I am completely done with is Zeikun... I'm trying hard for the other two but their is two illustrations I can't get and this is soooooo frustrating x). And I know this is not fair but can we find the solutions somewhere?
Anyway this game is so important to me, Thank you for all! <3
There are walkthrough linked at the bottom. If you still are puzzled, you're welcome to join my discord server and fellow players can help you out.
Thank you for the positive feedback! I poured my heart and soul into this project for many years. I'm delighted that it turned good.
I really liked the UI of this game, is so clean! The backgrounds are so pretty too. My only problem gameplay-wise; would be how sometimes you have to make 100% perfect choices in order to get the happy ending. (edit: Spoilers below)
Character wise, I love them all. But I didn't felt comfortable with the romance in Sachiro's (I found the 1st half to be quite weak) and Junoru's (a lot more heavy-backstory focused) paths.
Zeikun's made me emotional - but at the same time, I found his route to be the most forgettable of them all.
Kurato's is my favorite due to his motivations, personality traits and how he actually interacts with the side cast (and not only the MC). He's a believable and 3D character - through I'm not fan of how his route had a lot of teasing with almost all the other male side characters. I think there was a missing chance of exploring more his beliefs towards justice or work (Sherlock Holmes and Watson style!).
But I know that writing non-human characters, such as demons, gods, angels, 'ghouls' can be hard. Aside that, I overall liked how you connected the plot points, this VN is really good and binge-worthy.
Personally, I like a clear GUI with a theme that fits the whole game. After a few attempts, I came up with this. Even if you miss 1 or 2 choices, you can still get the happy ending. I know some routes are trickier. Usually when there are 3 choices, each gives between 0-2 points.
Each story has a different structure. I like to experiment with variations not just in visuals but narration. I see you have your preference and thank you for the critique!
I think there were many holes and unexplored parts of the story. We only follow MC's perspective, so many things happen behind the scenes. I covered some parts in the bonus scenes, hopefully enough to satisfy your curiosity.
Anyway, thank you again for sharing your thoughts!
Such an amazing game! I spent all day playing through all of the routes! I was entranced from the first hour to the last! This now has a special place in my heart. I really enjoyed playing.
I'm glad that the game kept you hooked, even more that it's a memorable experience. Thank you!
Wow, I absolutely love this game! I've been playing for hours!!! I really, really like Kurato! I can't seem to get romantic endings- just normal :') But I really love this game!! I'll make sure to support in the future when I can!
His route is the hardest when it comes to making choices for the romantic ending. While he is a very open character, his heart is a tough nut to crack :') There are 2 walkthroughs at the link section. Maybe they can help you to get the other ending.
Thank you for the support!
I've been looking forward to this game since the demo and it's been everything that I expected and so so much more. I downloaded this game last weekend, chose Sachiro's route and finished 2 endings in 1 night. I'm honestly left speechless; no amount of words will describe how much I love or enjoyed this game! Every character is sOo cutte and to die for!! [ Potential spoilers ] One thing I noticed was how the MC and Sachiro both described as though they were missing something in their life and wanted to try something new. I thought that that was cute and maybe could mean sth? Also at the scene where Sachiro tries a new drink and it's name happens to be the same as what her friends described her. Haha, am I looking into it too much? And my fav scene so far is from achievement 25 - it really got to me haha! n_n
Ever since playing it that night I've been impatiently waiting for the next weekend to come so that I can try out the other routes (I don't allow myself to play on weekdays so that I don't binge when I need to work). I'm planning on trying Kurato's route next and honestly this is the best reward after a week of studying and work :'D thank you so so much and (a late) congrats on the release <3
Oh! And please consider making routes for the side characters, thx <3
Definitely one of the best free visual novel I've played so far! The art is AMAZING and the story itself is captivating as well. I've come to love all the characters as they are all so interesting and play a major role in the plot line (including the side characters which is really rare in VNs) I'm surprised this game is free given its amazing quality. Definitely 10/10 for me! ^^
The game is great. Congrats! I wish Roya had a route.
Agreed ^^
So, judging from Junoru's route, pinlin must really enjoy Black Butler? Xd
I do love this route in particular, it's very different from the others
This game is unbelievably amazing. The artwork is gorgeous and the stories of each character are so detailed and beautiful. I have a request I think many of us are thinking about, though; Could you maybe add routes/create another game for Chain, Kaichi, Roya, Blace, Jace, and Lioji? They are all wonderful characters and I would really like to play their routes. Please think about it, as I am sure many of us feel the same. But, that is a *lot* of characters to make routes for, so I understand if it would be a tough decision to make.
But anyway, the artwork is beautiful. I commend you for creating such a unique story line, and I look forward to your future works.
YESSSSSSSSS! I NEED IT SO BAD!!!!
Finally, I finished this game.
Honestly I didn't know you made a VN since I found out about you from YouTube. When I heard that you released Dark Nights, I immediately download it. I like how one main problem can be solved with different approach. My absolute favorite aspect from this game is that the characters are really fleshed out and have some kind of connection with the other characters. It's something I find a bit rare in other VN, where other characters would leave some kind of impact in any of the routes available.
Other than that, the art is great (as always), the music is good, I love the side characters, and the story itself is captivating. I wish any of the current side character will get a route. The overall game is really enjoyable and I'm recommending this to my friends. My only disappointment is that Ikuyo didn't appear in the story :(
Thank you Pinlin for this amazing game!
I can officially say I love this game! It took me a while to finish all the routes but I'm glad I took my time with everything.
Without doubt, my favorite thing about it was the illustrations, they are indeed stunning and I think they add a special something to the game! I also really loved the achievements and the extra-scenes!
The four routes are a charm itself, but without doubt I have to say Zeikun was my favorite (not only as a LI but as the content of the route). The big surprise for me was Sachiro route! I was expecting much of it but I loved it! His normal ending is my second favorite ending! Junoru is a delight! His character is really interesting, I just wished he had expressed himself a little more about things in general and his feelings for the MC, I feel more depth could have been added, but I still loved him! In contrast, I enjoyed how deep as a character Kurato was (we got to see a lot of personality traits), perhaps I wasn't much into his route because he is not my usual type of LI and wasn't really sure about his chemistry and interactions with the MC but I still enjoyed him and his route!
My only real and big critic with the game, is the prologue. I personally find it hard to go through it as I felt it slow and dense and couldn't really connect with the MC. However, I'm glad to say this doesn't happen with the rest of the game! The writing feels more into place and even when our heroine accepts the absurd things that happen to her, you find yourself accepting them too!
I really recommend this game and I want to congratulate Pinlin for it! You can see it was made with love and care, and that's what really matters!!
Thank you for the comment!It's a delight to hear you enjoyed all 4 plotlines. While they differ, I tried to make them equally interesting.
The achievements were added as a challenge for those that like to explore choices.
I was thinking to rewrite the prologue because I heard it turned off a handful people to continue. Perhaps scrap it as whole? I'll take some time to consider this.
I'm not ashamed to admit that I sacrificed sleep and binge played this game in my free time until I finished it (a week (58hrs of gameplay!!!) later). I also made a full walkthrough for it which you can find here.
I saw Pinlin's reddit post announcing the game release and was immediately blown away by the quality of the artwork and intrigued by the story synopsys. I downloaded Dark Nights as soon as I got home after work and was met with the beautiful opening MV. Going through the prologue, Miyoko's boredom and adventure seeking really resonated with me. Throughout the game, Miyoko proves to be different from the MC's we're used to, she's proactive, feisty, independent, compassionate and has her own personality and character which don't depend on her current LI.
The route order I followed was Sachiro>Zeikun>Kurato>Junoru.
Going into Sachiro's route I thought it was a sacrifice I had to make to learn more about the story, since he was very, very far from my usual type. Boy, was I wrong! I'm not going to spoil anything but I'll say I was more than pleasantly surprised by his route! In fact, it ended up becoming one of my favourites as more of Sachiro personality and story were revealed.
Zeikun's at first outright agressive attitude (and character design) intrigued me straight away. I really enjoyed his story and character developement. Him and Sachiro are tied for the Best Boy title for me.
Kurato's (overly) easy-going nature and interactions with Miyoko were so fun to see. Him and Miyoko were more level with each other than Sachiro or Zeikun. His personality brought a nice variety to the game so far and was like a breath of fresh air.
Straight away during Miyoko's first interaction with Junoru, I knew there was going to be a tragic-er than tragic backstory to be revealed in his route. It was amazing to see this shy, gentle boy come out of his shell as him and Miyoko got closer. The pacing of their relationship developement felt very natural, if not a bit too-familiarly awkward for a friendship blossoming into love. We finally get to know Roya a bit better, too. Junoru's route also has one of my favourite CG's in the game.
Finally, the side characters!
Ikuya and Lioji were written well, with both of them being reliable friends and support to Miyoko. I'd be interested to see more about Ikuya's
brotherbackground from what was hinted at in the game.I have to admit Kaichi might've stolen
my heartthe show on a few occasions. His chemistry with Miyoko and their cat and mouse relationship left me wanting more, even if it was in the middle of someone else's (sorry, Sachiro) route. I'm not saying that we need a Kaichi route but we need a Kaichi route...Chain, even if a bit one-dimensional, provided some serious bad-assery and a bit of comedy relief to the game. His bonus scenes cracked me up!
Jace and Blace were a great addition to the plot especially this late (in regards to this route order) in the game. I found their backstory very interesting and I loved their character design.
Roya... may or may not have redeemed himself by the time I finished the game. Quite a controversial character. I don't know if Pinlin ever considered him becoming a LI, but from the CG's and Sketchbook illustrations, one has to wonder.
Rasumi had a really nice character design but I never found out her end-game besides antagonising Miyoko and all the LIs and well... you'll see when you play the game.
ALL IN ALL! I enjoyed this game so much! The artworks are insane (and I have to admit to checking out Pinlin's other illustrations and being very humbled by her talent), all the characters are beautifully drawn, the storylines are intriguing and keep you captivated until the very end. The endings, character developement and plot were well executed, too. The side characters were an integral part of the story, which was refreshing. The CG's and bonus content were incredible as well.
Pinlin, I'll say it again, you've done an amazing job! Thank you for creating and sharing Dark Nights with us!
This game is so good. I really wasn't sure what to expect but I really enjoyed it so much. It is one of the few games I actually wanted to go back and get all the endings, CGs and achievements for. All the characters were fantastic from the MC to the main routes and side characters. I originally thought I wouldn't really be into Sachiro because he looked like a little chibi and acted childish but he ended up being one of my favorites. Really all of the routes were one of my favorites. I usually have some that I am kind of over part way through in these types of games but not for Dark Nights. I also especially fell in love with Kaichi. I loved interacting with him in every route and was sad he doesn't show in Junoru's. By the end I really wanted to know more about him and really wanted him to have his own route. His personality made me weak. I also loved Roya a lot and ended up wanted a route for him to just to have more time to get to know him. Chain also left me wanting more info. It is rare for otome/visual novels to have really interesting side characters that leave me wanting more.
I have sunk like 20 hours in total getting all the endings, achievements and CGs. There is one CG that I can't get no matter what I do. I have tried all sorts of combos and looked over the walkthrough and tips but still can't get it. Junoru's 8th CG. It says it is in Chapter 3 but I just can't get it....
But anyways, thank you so much for making such a wonderful game. I hope to see more from you in the future!
Edit: I decided to go look at the Dark Nights twitter and found out Kaichi's birthday is literally the day before mine. lmao
Hey, check out my guide in my comment, you should be able to get Junoru's CG if you follow it, since I don't recall struggling to get it. Let me know if it works!
Thank you very much. I went through it again and managed to get the missing CG by following the normal end part of your guide. Now I have everything done xD
I absolutely loved this game, the plot was phenomenal and I could feel attached to all of the characters. I adore Chain, Roya, and Kaichi, as even though they aren't they main focus you can still feel attached to them. ( Let them be happy!!!! TwT) I binged this game and even though I just finished it completely, I want to play it again, because that's just how great it is.
Thank you for giving this game a try! I'm glad you enjoyed the input of every character. I did my best to give the side-characters a bit of back story. While they aren't the focus, it doesn't mean they totally disappear into the background.
Too bad I have a guilty pleasure of tragedy... but also lighthearted moments (bonus scenes).
If you play all over again, you might pick up hints you missed at the first play-through.
This game is absolutely gorgeous; probably one of the prettiest otome games I've ever played. The character designs are memorable and unique, the CGs and backgrounds are breathtaking, and the music is good! However, while the plot is intriguing, I felt like the writing could be improved upon. The presentation of the characters' reactions to some situations felt a bit unrealistic and pulled me away from the immersion, and I sometimes wondered how Miyoko actually felt about certain things since her feelings weren't clear to me.
Despite this, I did enjoy Dark Nights a lot and I can tell that a lot of care and effort went into its production. I loved how the romance didn't feel rushed or forced, instead it developed naturally during the story's progression. Even more, I loved that side characters got to play important roles in the story and got development. Roya and Jace are probably my favourite side characters, I honestly can't get enough of them.
As far as routes go, I probably liked Sachiro's and Junoru's routes the most. And surprisingly enough, I liked the normal endings a lot more than the romance endings. The normal ends were more emotionally packed for me and provided answers to some mysteries regarding the characters. They were really great and totally worth getting.
Thank you so much Pinlin, for creating and sharing Dark Nights with us! If you decide to make another game in the future, I'll be looking forward to it!
I'm delighted to hear that you like the character designs. It's one of the few things I really enjoy to draw. I'm glad that the game is memorable; it's one of the highest compliments to me. I put all my efforts to combine all elements harmoniously.
The world was established in my head that most characters aren't fazed at the events. I guess that was the unrealistic part? After playing VNs with a lot of monologues from the MC, I intentionally kept this underdeveloped. However, I agree with you. Her thoughts became less prominent as the story progresses.
Through observations, I think that romance hits harder when it's not in focus. I wondered what makes someone fall in love. Each route explores a different aspect. Considering MC's personality, the development should be subtile and slow.
I balanced the interactions with the side characters and their role. It's less of a 'dating-sim', but a 'complete story'. Knowing that the side characters got a lot of attention, maybe I put them too much in the splotlights, haha.
I added the achievements and bonus features just so players can explore other possibilities and more of the world. Often in VNs I try to get the 'best ending' while avoiding all other endings. Here I didn't want other ends to be a disappointment.
Thank you for your feedback and support!