Comments

Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.

Viewing most recent comments 34 to 73 of 153 · Next page · Previous page · First page · Last page
(+4)

is the game still being made 

(+2)

It is! Thanks for checking in on us so regularly. It means a lot to us that you keep coming back to ask ❤

(+4)

My skeleton likes another skeleton officially haha I love Deka they are too cute and I love how in depth the characters are its really refreshing and sweet.

(+3)

Official skeleton love!! What a good match.
Thanks so much!! I'm really glad you like the story- and Deka ❤✧

(+5)

Hi! So I just wanted to ask how far along you are, and maybe when a final release might be foreseeable? I loved the game back when I bought it in 2017 and also after I bought the glasses content when that came out, but I held off from playing it after that when I realized the content was quite short and the routes would end quickly. There were also huge gaps in updates between 2017-presently,  so I figured this was a build at your own pace game, due to outside factors like school or work. With that in mind I figure the game still won't be finished just yet, especially since it looks like 2 more characters were added since I last played, but could you elaborate vaguely even on when you think all the routes will be finished or when there's another update? Thx so much and thank-you for your hard work!

(+3)

yeah, i was wondering that too ,,,

(+1)

I hope the response can answer your questions as well! If there are other things you are wondering, let me know. c:

(+2)

Thanks so much for this really sweet comment, and for being there for us from the beginning, over such a long time.  That means a lot to us 😭

We'd really like to finish it soon but it's not very possible mostly because of the size, and because of the other factors you mentioned. We both have full time jobs and our financial situation has for a long while not been stable enough to handle much turbulence, so when things go wrong we end up losing all our time to fixing it. 

However, usually during that time there is still some work getting done on Monstrata even as we lose track of social media. In this case, we have the writing and new sprite ready for the next update, and it needs to be implemented with expressions and backgrounds. (We also need to make more backgrounds and silhouettes.) Usually that would be a couple of weeks of work, but it's unsure because of the training for a separate team member on implementation who we have brought on to  get the updates out faster in the future.

It should safely be within a month, and then crossed fingers that the next one could be within another 2 months.  We'd really like to keep up that rate if possible, but unfortunately it would still take six more months to finish chapter 2, and a year for each chapter after that. :(

Because of that, we resigned ourselves that finishing is not as urgent a goal as making regular updates and increasing their size and frequency over time.  Size, we have, as the next one is 13,000 words! Frequency, we are always working on- We're hoping the latest process changes (and a little life stabilization) will make a big difference.

I hope that info is helpful! Let me know if you have any more questions. c:

(+1)

No prob! Thanks for the reply and this is completely understandable. Tbh I figured the game  had prob lacked somewhat in progress due to outside factors (which  no offense hopefully, since there is nothing wrong with that! We have to take care of ourselves right? Plus life is life, so it's cool).  I'm just glad you responded to let me know, I appreciate that.  I love playing  visual novels in general, so since it'd been a while since I last played your game and I just wanted to know where you guys were at. Once again thanks so much for the reply! Have a good week, and stay happy and healthy!

(+1)

You too! ❤ Thanks for being so understanding, and once again thanks for checking in! ✧

(+1)

AAA god this game is  so far amazing , i played trough every route ;-; ,,NIKO BEST BOII

Wow I'm so glad you liked it so much!! And that Nikolai is so loved as well! About his being the best... I think he would agree with you. ;) ✧

Hope this gets updated soon! Really loved the setting and plot so far, and the characters are interesting!

(+1)

Thank you!! We're changing how we do things so this update took a very long time, but it should be ready to be updated soon! We'll know when in the next couple of weeks. ✧

This game is super cute! I can't wait until it's finished.

Thanks!! We'll work hard to finish it as fast as we can. ( •̀ _ •́ )ง ✧

I LOVE this VN! I will support for the full game. 

I'm really glad you love it so much- Thanks for your support! 💕

Of course!:)

(+6)

The last update was released 6 months ago... I hope we'll get an update, at least some sort of life update soon. I just want to know what's up with the game and the dev team, are they okay, and will they continue to update this VN?   

(+5)

There are more recent updates on their patreon

(+1)

thanks!

(+1)

Thank you for posting this! 💞

(+1)

Sorry for the long delay in response! We really appreciate that you checked in on us. ❤

I hope you found useful info on the patreon, as of today there is a new public post (that will also be posted to the devlog here): To sum it here, we are ok and still working on content for the game! We also made some changes to how we do things so that there shouldn't be such long pauses anymore. c:

(1 edit) (+5)

This story has an ability to draw you in and has been a delight to play so far!! I'm really excited to see what's coming next! 

Thanks so much! We're excited to show you. ❤♪

(+2)

I love the last picture where the all have  glasses. Even Deka :D

(+2)

Ahh, thank you!! That picture shows what you get when you download the Glasses DLC -- glasses for everyone!! I feel like it's really cute that everyone has their own taste in the kind of glasses they wear. It really gives a feeling for each of their characters!! I hope someday I'll see fans draw pictures of the glasses versions...!!! 

Thank you so much for your support and cute comment!! 💕✨🌠

(+12)

I love this story so much! The writing and art is phenomenal! I'm blown away!  It's been a little while since the last update, so I hope that this isn't a sign of discontinuation. :( 

Love you guys!!

(+2)

Hello! Thank you so much for your support and your sweet comment!! Sorry about the delay, we're often a bit behind the update schedule we'd really like to adhere to. But we are absolutely not discontinuing the project! That's not something we even think about doing. Monstrata is the most important thing in our lives and we're determined to complete it!

Thank you so much, we really appreciate it. 💕💕

(+8)

hello hello! how are things coming along? can we expect an update sometime soon? ^^

(+3)

Hello Sandpixie, thanks for checking in on us!! We've been working hard to get the update wrapped and I'll have some exciting progress updates up on Patreon in the next few days!! If I remember correctly, I believe I have about 5000 words of the update written now, it just needs a few more scenes and then to get implemented into the game. Thank you for your patience and support!! 💕

I really love this game but i have a problem or i dont understand very well, if i get right the update is for reading the new chapter of cailean but i tried to dowland the new update and i don't see it, like when i finish chapter 1, it ends at that point, could help me?

(+2)

It still just a demo, they are working as fast as they can, but i totally understand its a beautiful game. 

(+1)

Thank you so much for your support!!✨💕

Hi Erecarter! Are you still having this issue? Can you tell me a bit more about what happens when you play through Cailean's route and get to chapter 2? Thank you for bringing this up! I hope we can help you out!!

Hi, yes i still have the problem, i just played from the start and when i get to the end of episode 1, un the screen it says that's the end of the game, thank you for your help

(1 edit)

Could you grab a screenshot of the in-game About page, to make sure you're on the correct version number? Should look like this.

Yes, i have that version number but i don't why i can't see the chapter 2 of Cailean and i can't add the image, but i have that version.

Would you mind emailing your log.txt file to us? You should be able to find it directly in the game folder. Let us know if you have trouble finding it. 

Email to: contact@astralore.com

(+1)(-3)

it'd be cute if Cailean started emoting with his tail more. It seems within the physical abilities of his tail, but since it's more fish I don't know how much of his tail movements is subconsciously attuned to his mood/feelings. How his tail is drawn rn says to me he's either emoting is reserved because of how he's normally treated, or he's simply keeping his tail tucked in to keep it from getting stepped on...

 But like maybe if he gets comfortable around Sawyer they'll notice his tail swishes around just a bit more when he's content or happy. And/or mayyybe he'd at least wrap his tail around Sawyer as like a gesture of affection (like a kind of hug/embrace/cuddle) or maybe as a gesture of protectiveness (Like if Tre for example acted aggressive toward Sawyer again and Cailean glares and rings his tail around them like a shield implying "don't touch")?

idk I want Cailean's tail to have a bit more attention drawn to it since you can't really see it in the game and honestly if I was Sawyer I'd be so interested in it. 

(+1)

Thanks for playing and commenting!! 💕 We'd definitely like to add some little animations like this to the character sprites at some point in the future. Cailean's tail might be a little lower priority because it's often hidden behind the text box or offscreen, but we're definitely considering it!! Other animations we'd like to do include movement for Cailean's ears and Nikolai's face feathers, and additional poses for characters that don't have a lot of potential for casual motion, such as Deka and Vivietta. 

I don't think we'll be able to put it in the game, but you could write that scene idea in a fanfic!! I would love to read it, it sounds very cute! (You can also check out what other people have written here!!) ✨ Thank you so much!! 

(+1)

I LOVE IT!

unfortunately I don't have money to donate/contribute......

but,I hope that you'll continue to make this wonderful game!

That's okay! You can contribute by telling your friends about it, too!

Thank you so much for your support!! We'll do our best!! <3

(1 edit) (+3)

I love how “phone calls with your mother” is a feature. Imma get this now.

(+1)

Please enjoy having many phone calls with your mother, haha! We hope you like the game!! Thank you for commenting!! <3

I'm on the Mac version, trying to run the dlc. It can't open the dialogue window and it claims I don't have tkinter. I have tkinter. I have re-downloaded everything and it refuses to run the dialogue window. Any help would be great.

(+1)

I'm passing this on to the programming half of the team. We've seen this issue reported at least once before but since we don't have a Mac to test on, we haven't been able to address it. I'm so sorry about the trouble. D: I'll ask her if there's a way we can patch it for you.

Thank you for your support!!!

(+1)

Yay!

I'm so happy that there was an update!

I think the missing persons are trapped between planes, that the humans accidentally crossed into the 'monster' world, and the 'monsters' crossed accidentally into the human world. I think this is because of us going back and forth from the human and 'monster' world, that the Unsight isn't working as effectively anymore. I think that our school is in on it as well, like they're hiding some secrets. 🤨

Or I might be completely wrong. 😅

But I can't wait to figure out what's going on. 😃

Wow, I'm living for all these theories!! Obviously I can't answer any of them yes or no, but I love hearing about them!! 

Thank you so much for playing and for sharing your thoughts, they're so great!! <3 

Hey quick question, I'm using the itch app for the computer and I'm wondering if the update is sent automatically (?) ? Because I got an email, and I see in chrome the update notes but in the itch app it just says to launch (when usually there's a download update.) 

Yes, if you're using the itch desktop app and one of the supported builds of Monstrata, then itch will download any updates automatically. c: (There are a few older builds that it will not do this for, which have been removed from the page.) 

As I understand it, this is because we update the game through itch.io's assistant, butler, rather than by adding completely new builds to the page. That may be why it updates automatically for Monstrata, but may not do the same for other itch.io games where the developers have chosen not to do that. 

Thank you for playing!! Let us know if you have more questions!!

Ohh!! Okay thank you <33

(+3)

I just played through for the first time without the DLC (which I'm now going to get) and honestly I'm blown away with the depth that's just in the first two chapters! I'll have to play again with different choices and whatnot. Really great game! Please keep up the great work! <3

Thank you so much for playing and supporting us by getting the DLC!! We really appreciate you commenting on the depth of the story and hope that you continue to enjoy the game as it's updated and you try other paths through it!! Thank you!! <3

(+1)

Just finished playing...I was so hooked on Elsie and I thought things was going pretty good until Mom called and the mysterious letter appeared..What else can happen??????? Oh right my room mate coming into room...OKAY i am 10000% intrigued!!!! I rate 400 thumbs up!!!!!!!

AHH thank you so much!!! <3 <3  There's so much going on, right? It seems like the excitement is starting to ramp up!! 

Thank you so much for playing!! We hope you'll enjoy the future updates as well!! <3 <3 <3

(+1)

Finished the new content some minutes ago. Not all routes, just 3.

Okay, something is definitely not right in this dimention. I know I expected that kind of behavior from Nikolai, but Elsie and Cailean? That's just weird, and I don't like it. And now our roommate, too?

Ahahaha, I like that it was expected of Nikolai. Well, they surely all have their reasons, right? c: Thank you for playing, and I hope the next update will answer some questions and be more satisfying for you! <3 

(+2)

Wow!

This is so exciting!

I'm looking forward for more!

(+1)

Thank you so much!! We already have the next part written, so hopefully there will be more soon~ <3 

(+1)

Wahhhh please moarrrr!

I need more Dekaaaaaaaa! D:

Loved the demo :D

(+1)

Thank you so much!!! There's a new update now; I hope you will like it!!!

MAN! I just played the new update and I love it - just a bit salty that I couldn't say that it was a date :( but it doesn't really matter cus the PLOT THICKENS!

Thank you for the update :D

(+2)

I finished this demo a few hours ago, and honestly this is one of the best things i've ever read-i forgot that it was a demo and i was very sad because i was so into it, i wanted to play moore. 😛

It is very true that each character will give the player a different perspective on things in the game. Each character has their own charm, i can't choose a favorite! I can't wait for updates!

P.S. My first language isn't English, sorry for any mistakes 😅

P.S. 1. Are you planning on including CG's in further stages of development?

Oh my god, that's so sweet of you to say!!! Wow... <3

Well, if you want to play more, there is an update out now!! And, to answer your question, it even includes the first CG... c: <3 

(Also, no worries, your English is fine! <3 I wouldn't have guessed it was your second language!)

(+1)

The first chapter was amazing! I really like the premise of the story as it sounds super interesting! Also, the art was just beautiful x 

Cailean is my favorite of the bunch! I hope to see more of this game in the future!

(+1)

Thank you so much!! We really appreciate your support. <3

There is a new update out now!! And the next update after that will be Cailean's, so please look forward to it! <3

(+4)

Hi is anything happening with the game?

(+2)

Yes, I'm so sorry about the delay. The summer was very difficult for us as we both lost our jobs and a lot of other life stuff has been going on. We are still working on it, though! Thank you for your patience!

(+1)

oh gosh that's terrible! have you managed to find something else?

The lead dev (valeatory) has! Me, I'm still working on that... ;~;

(+2)

I hope you find something too D:

Thank you <3 <3 <3

Hey, future Paytron here. I am in love with this game! So much so that I bought the Deka pin right after finishing chapter 1! I read something about your discord, how can I get in on that so I can be updated on the games progress? Also Deka is my cute boi. Good job with the game and good luck going forward!!!

Thank you so much!!! We really appreciate your support!!! (And I'm really sorry about that difficulty you emailed me about!)

The discord can be found right here: https://discord.gg/KxUgAp8 Hope to see you there!!

No worries!! Im still super pumped!! Thanks for the discord lynk!!

Whenever i play games like these i sometimes find myself bored and just skip through texts but this game it just kept me entertained from beginning to end . i love all the characters they're all truly unique and its hard to just pick one!

(+1)

This is such a nice comment, thank you so much!! I always beat myself up about my writing not being good enough, so it's really nice to hear that people like it. <3 

Don't worry about picking a favorite yet! You probably will choose one as you learn more about them~ <3

(+1)

THIS IS AWESOME!!!!KUDOS TO EVERYONE INVOLVED

where do i even start, the animation really gives a difrent dynamic to the characters that makes them  come to life, its really a good aspect, the  backgrounds are so nice as well, i would like to ask the devs if they are considering making cg s, i feel with this art style the cgs would as be hella cute, but i understand that they would also take alot of time.

the music is also a plus for me its so nice and i feel like its fits the game quite nicely. i like how they were able to express dekas emotion just through his eyes

i have just two little problems as someone already mentions the side characters are a little flat in terms of design, and not to spoil much but on a certain characters route, when they are writing on a whiteboard its really hard to see whats written, although its a cool feature to have a personalised hadwritting, maybe add a background to the letters so that they pop out abit.

(so far my favorite character is Cailean)

(+1)

THANK YOU!! <3 <3 

Yes, we are planning to add CGs! As you said, it unfortunately is a lot of work to add them and the lead dev is pretty consistently swamped with work. So they are slow in coming, but they are coming! <3 We're so glad you love the music and art style though!!! <3 

Yeah, we're hoping to improve the side character art in the future, but at the moment we're in a very "just get it done and out there!" kind of mindset, so a lot of things have been neglected. One day, though! We would really love for all of them to get sprites one day, but we can't promise this yet. 

Thank you for pointing out the bit about the handwriting being hard to read! I will look into this, maybe we can find something more legible to use. 

(Cailean is a good boy, excellent choice. <3)

(+1)

I don't know what happened but I fell for Nikolai so hard. Love the sassy boy sm.

You know what. Same. 

Nikolai is the worst but he is also my favorite and I too, do not know how this happened. 

Thank you so much for playing and commenting. <3

Awww! I love Deka! He's so adorable and sweet :) 

This is really a great game!

Thank you so much!!! We really appreciate your support and kind words. <3 Deka is very good c: <3 <3 

I just finished playing the most actual version.

The game has very original story and lore.

Plus few interesting and well-designed characters to meet, interact with, befriend... and maybe something more... 

Elsie is my favourite so far. She is super cute
i'm waiting for more :)

Thank you so much!

Elsie is a lot of fun to write, she definitely has her own spunk and style.  I can't wait for you to learn even more about her!! <3 Thank you for your support!!!

I personally think that this visual novel is pure awesome. We would love to see more games like this. Here's some subjective compliments.

  • What Makes this Very Good

The Artwork - It's one of the things that amused me for real about this game. The art style is gorgeous, the lighting and shapes is visibly wonderful, the colors are stunning even if it's contrasted. Most art with contrasted colors do not balance very well. But this one did. And this one did great. Overall, the artwork is awesome and I stan.

Characters - This one is obvious. And is kinda related to the previous point. The main character [Sawyer] snaps at times but still lovable and lowkey kinda relatable at my point of view. The others are diverse and adorable. I'm in love with each individual. They're a colorful set of characters that are special in each of their own way.

Writing and Story - Some parts are heartwarming and flustering, some makes you laugh, some sad, I'm lovin' it. The roller coaster this visual novel gave me isn't bad at all. Some visual novels made me cringe but this one made me content.  The story unravel in a decent pace unlike some vns. It made me enjoy taking my time reading it. The writing style is comfortable to read. And bonus points for interesting plot.

Animation - We. Need. More. Visual. Novels. With. Animation. Yes, I know the animation is very simple but it added much more life into the characters. The blinking, the lip sync. Who says we need a lot, exaggerated, complex animation anyways? All of that already gives much more appeal to the characters. Lord, I love it.

Customization - Let's start by how you can change the main character's appearance [Sawyer].  I see quite an amount of visual novels defaulting their characters as white/pale especially in the anime ones though I don't really care but having the same skin color as your character made it feel much more personal. Love it. And as someone whose gender is as wobbly as jelly, the pronoun option is a big bonus for me. Not just she or he or they, but it provided alternate pronous like ze, zie, hir, etc. That'll be a big bonus for others. The authors are certainly not ignorant alright. *insert heart emoji*

Last but not least...

Music - Honestly, I could listen to the soundtrack of  this visual novel all day long while laying on the  dry grass, reading a novel. I'm in love with it. The soundtrack mesmerizes everything about this visual novel, making me feel a little more welcome to the atmosphere at some point. I love how it complemented the story and atmosphere well. Making me feel warm in the heart. It's a great choice.

  • What Makes this Not Really That Good (but still good)

Unnecessary Side Characters Looked Low on Quality - Tho I don't really care that much about it. But subjectively, more effort could be put in it and less too-rough brush strokes I guess. But it's not a big deal.

Only One Chapter - This visual novel IS so good and I don't want it to end but I guess it did. Though, I know this is a BIG job and lotsa work needed to be done for this visual novel and we'll support the creator always thou! Looking forward for future updates aaaaaaaaaa

Lotsa love, Anon.

Wow, I can't even begin to compete with the amazing in-depth review this is, but I will say that I am strongly considering printing it out and hanging it on our wall. Thank you so much, wow, I'm just totally speechless. I hope that we can continue to impress you as we update it. <3

(+3)

hows it going? will the game be released once its done or are you gonna release chapters gradually?

It's going okay! We've had a lot of personal life stuff going on over the summer and haven't had much chance to work on it. We'll be releasing it gradually as we get new pieces completed. Thank you for checking in!

(+4)

Is chapter 2 available yet

Not yet, but we will hopefully be releasing a new update in September!! <3

(+1)

FYI, the DLC installer for the glasses doesn't work on my Mac:

Error I get is:


Sorry about not getting back to you sooner on this! I will pass this on to the lead developer and see if we can figure it out. (We don't have a Mac to test on, unfortunately, so stuff like this slips through the cracks.)

sadly, I get that a lot. 

I love these characters, the artwork, the setting, the story, the worldbuilding. Everything. Every character is unique in interesting but likeable ways. Elie and Vivi are my favorite, but Niko is a close third.

I've been checking for updates every couple of days, I am so hooked.

I gotta say as well, major props to how the creator is so involved the community, always responding to comments and questions, and in such an amiable manner.

Knowing the game is being made by such attentive and friendly developers gives me hope. Can't wait for the game, great job with this story guys. Seriously.

Thank you so much!! We're glad you love the world and characters, and we hope we will continue to impress you. <3

Aaaa, I feel so bad now ahaha, you praised us so much for being really involved and then I didn't reply to this comment for 3 months! We've had a lot going on lately, I'm so sorry, I will try to be better in the future. </3

Anyway, thank you so much for your support! Seriously, it means a lot to us. <3

(+3)

Will part 1 of chapter 2 be available here?

(+2)

It will! We're trying to get the next part of chapter 2 done first if we can, though! c: Thanks for checking in! <3

I love how cozy this game is! Any news on when the next update is?

Thank you!!! We're hoping to have an update out for beta-tier patrons sometime this week, and the public version out a few weeks after that!! <3

Viewing most recent comments 34 to 73 of 153 · Next page · Previous page · First page · Last page