You play as Anon, a lonely, faceless, nobody, reject who finds himself in the dinosaur themed acid trip of a school named Volcano High. Here Anon meets the qt ptero known as Fang and their clown-vomit colored posse of reject friends and other associated thorns-in-the-side. All of whom, you can read about here. This game is a parody of Goodbye Volcano High.
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This review contains spoilers
TLDR : Game weird, but in a good way. Is free, play it, cry, play again. Will make you feel things, but thats ok.
OK for those that have a bit more time. Here we go.
So, Snoot game. A colossal shitpost of a game about Goodbye Volcano High, released by a group of Anons from 4chan, known only as “Cavemanon Studio” because for once in 4chans life they decided to stop throwing feecies at each other and be productive. They came together to crate a parody of “Goodbye Volcano High”, which funnily enough was released before GVH hit the marked in late 2023. And although the developers have labelled the game as “an anti-fan game, not made in good faith.” Does that make Snoot game bad? Is it terrible? And most importantly is this game worth your time?
Well, it depends.
Keep in mind this game is, by all definition, one gigantic shitpost, based on assumptions about a game that was not fully released, and (in my opinion) no one at the time was trying to make a serious game. Hell, I've heard rumors that the head of Cavemanon was trying to use this as a platform to spread anit LGBTQ+ messages. IT was, and is, a meme of epic proportions. Beyond that, however, the game does have substance to it. It has characters, stories, all the trappings of what can make a story great. And while I have my reservations on how they executed the story, the developers did (in there on way) genuinely care. It was quite clearly a first stab at making something for people to enjoy. Inspite of this, they have gone out of there way to update the game several times, as opposed to leaving it as a bug filled mess (IM LOOKING AT YOU BETHESDA, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID!). All to tell the story of Anon and Fang.
It stars Anon (Ok, from the get go, this was clearly a self insertion fanfic, but lets be nice about it, m'kay?). Moving away from his old school due to massive social phopas, he is here after choosing the lesser of two evils form his father. Content with flying under the radar, he makes his way in as quietly as he can, before fate slaps him in the face with the massive “ding dong” of plot development” by forcing him to meet an entire range of characters from Naser, Trish, Reed
,and Naomi (BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!) who does everything in her power to get him closer to Fang. Now, Fang is an interesting one. She is the a-typical edgy teen who jut want to know who she is. However, she has allot more going on underneath that she is trying to unpack in her head. And with the help of anon she realizes how to stand on her own to feet, and become the Captain of her own ship. Anon, through helping her, and her friends, finds some personal growth too. Coming into volcano high, he was a racist, judgemental ass hat of a human being. But as he steps out of his shell, he realizes that judging people before you get to know them is not the best move. By just being present, and turning into a beacon of healing for those suffering with their own issues, he realized that dinosaur are like onions. Everyone has layers and layers of things that make up who they are. And once you take the time to look a little deeper, past the facade people put on, you begin to see people for who they truly are.
So, now that you know a little more about what the game is, will you give it a go? Will you give it the time of day? Will you look deeper into the onion, and go on an adventure into a kaleidoscope of memes and story telling?
I would. The game is free, and it costs you nothing but time. While it may not be Cavemanon's best work, Its still and experience worth having. I personally stayed up all night playing it after work just to have a look see, and I'm impressed. Cavemanon did something good all things considered. And given their work on both this, and “I wani hug that gator” I cant wait to see what they come up with in the future.
As always, my name is Poptart, thanks for reading!
OK for those that have a bit more time. Here we go.
So, Snoot game. A colossal shitpost of a game about Goodbye Volcano High, released by a group of Anons from 4chan, known only as “Cavemanon Studio” because for once in 4chans life they decided to stop throwing feecies at each other and be productive. They came together to crate a parody of “Goodbye Volcano High”, which funnily enough was released before GVH hit the marked in late 2023. And although the developers have labelled the game as “an anti-fan game, not made in good faith.” Does that make Snoot game bad? Is it terrible? And most importantly is this game worth your time?
Well, it depends.
Keep in mind this game is, by all definition, one gigantic shitpost, based on assumptions about a game that was not fully released, and (in my opinion) no one at the time was trying to make a serious game. Hell, I've heard rumors that the head of Cavemanon was trying to use this as a platform to spread anit LGBTQ+ messages. IT was, and is, a meme of epic proportions. Beyond that, however, the game does have substance to it. It has characters, stories, all the trappings of what can make a story great. And while I have my reservations on how they executed the story, the developers did (in there on way) genuinely care. It was quite clearly a first stab at making something for people to enjoy. Inspite of this, they have gone out of there way to update the game several times, as opposed to leaving it as a bug filled mess (IM LOOKING AT YOU BETHESDA, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID!). All to tell the story of Anon and Fang.
It stars Anon (Ok, from the get go, this was clearly a self insertion fanfic, but lets be nice about it, m'kay?). Moving away from his old school due to massive social phopas, he is here after choosing the lesser of two evils form his father. Content with flying under the radar, he makes his way in as quietly as he can, before fate slaps him in the face with the massive “ding dong” of plot development” by forcing him to meet an entire range of characters from Naser, Trish, Reed
,and Naomi (BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!) who does everything in her power to get him closer to Fang. Now, Fang is an interesting one. She is the a-typical edgy teen who jut want to know who she is. However, she has allot more going on underneath that she is trying to unpack in her head. And with the help of anon she realizes how to stand on her own to feet, and become the Captain of her own ship. Anon, through helping her, and her friends, finds some personal growth too. Coming into volcano high, he was a racist, judgemental ass hat of a human being. But as he steps out of his shell, he realizes that judging people before you get to know them is not the best move. By just being present, and turning into a beacon of healing for those suffering with their own issues, he realized that dinosaur are like onions. Everyone has layers and layers of things that make up who they are. And once you take the time to look a little deeper, past the facade people put on, you begin to see people for who they truly are.
So, now that you know a little more about what the game is, will you give it a go? Will you give it the time of day? Will you look deeper into the onion, and go on an adventure into a kaleidoscope of memes and story telling?
I would. The game is free, and it costs you nothing but time. While it may not be Cavemanon's best work, Its still and experience worth having. I personally stayed up all night playing it after work just to have a look see, and I'm impressed. Cavemanon did something good all things considered. And given their work on both this, and “I wani hug that gator” I cant wait to see what they come up with in the future.
As always, my name is Poptart, thanks for reading!
The writing is perfect, characters feel like the demographic that is being depicted, your choices matter, and the game has a good message. The downside is after you play this you're going to be disappointed by every other VN because they aren't as good.
Expectation: funny 4chan shitpost Visual Novel
Reality: f e e l s
Reality: f e e l s
This review contains spoilers
Disclosure: Cavemanon, the studio behind Snoot Game, submitted a trailer for “I Wani Hug That Gator” in 2021 to the “Vidya Gaem Awards”, an award show I work on. “Snoot Game” was a past nominee, and its source material “Goodbye Volcano High”, won Most Pretentious Indie Game in our 2023 show. The opinion presented below is of my own experience playing Snoot Game, and does not represent the views of anyone else.
—
After Goodbye Volcano High won Most Pretentious Indie Game. I played it first, beat it, and then I played Snoot Game, and completed one of the endings. I found it the better game, but just as importantly, I found it completely different in substance.
Before Anon came along, humans were never part of Volcano High. But by taking the focus away from “the meteor” and impending doom, neither were distressing concepts like racism, being socially ostracized, and familial dysfunction. While some casual misgendering, conflict, and personal growth are also present in Goodbye Volcano High, each of these things are more tactfully addressed in Snoot Game.
As someone who doesn’t play a lot of VNs, this is the best VN to come out of 4chan since Katawa Shoujo, and it also has the dubious distinction of being the most notorious fan work since Harry Potter’s “My Immortal”.
I think the core message of Snoot Game is to grow as an empathetic person, get over social anxieties, and treat people with respect, even as it pains one to do so. This message resonates really well for a site that has many people who are undersocialized. Even the act of physical contact from the opposite sex sets off blaring alarm bells in Anon’s mind, and this serves as both a hilarious deprecation of Anon’s confidence, as well as an acute understanding of the target audience.
Anon’s insertion into the mix of Volcano High also serves to bring its audience back to school. They’re not necessarily the NB dinosaur Fang is, but they probably were in love once, they probably were bullied once by someone who was being a piece of shit, and given teenage angst, they also probably were a piece of shit themselves. The biggest takeaway is where you start isn’t where you end - and if this is what you wish, the story will punish you with some pretty damn sad endings.
Snoot Game’s derivative factor cuts both ways. Most characters aren’t OC, and as sad as it is to see KO-OP look down on the fans and have some its own turboautists coming at Cavemanon pitchforks in-hand, the company showed some restraint by never issuing a C&D despite the extensive copying.
Additionally, the heavy reliance on pop and chan-culture references can alienate the “normie” audience, perhaps most notably the KO-OP staff who played the game’s earlier builds before deciding to disassociate. Seeing Anon call dinosaurs “meteor dodgers”, others pointing out that the good endings (3 & 4) have Fang abandon her nonbinary identity, Anon’s neighborhood being called “Skin Row” (a la LA’s Skid Row), and the choice word “trigga” being used each serve as powder kegs to ignite and then warn others: “don’t try this game, it’s fucking bigoted.”
That’s not to say criticism of the game is without merit, or that the people who are reviewing the game poorly for these reasons do so in bad faith. But when I look at this game, I see it for what it is - a fan work from someone you’d least expect. Cavemanon took what was originally a parody and really knocked it out of the ballpark with something that better resonated with its home audience - which just so happened to be the same site I grew up on: 4chan.
Perhaps one day, KO-OP and Cavemanon can get along, but until then, just play both so you know what the hell each is all about. I’m looking forward to playing Wani in the future.
—
After Goodbye Volcano High won Most Pretentious Indie Game. I played it first, beat it, and then I played Snoot Game, and completed one of the endings. I found it the better game, but just as importantly, I found it completely different in substance.
Before Anon came along, humans were never part of Volcano High. But by taking the focus away from “the meteor” and impending doom, neither were distressing concepts like racism, being socially ostracized, and familial dysfunction. While some casual misgendering, conflict, and personal growth are also present in Goodbye Volcano High, each of these things are more tactfully addressed in Snoot Game.
As someone who doesn’t play a lot of VNs, this is the best VN to come out of 4chan since Katawa Shoujo, and it also has the dubious distinction of being the most notorious fan work since Harry Potter’s “My Immortal”.
I think the core message of Snoot Game is to grow as an empathetic person, get over social anxieties, and treat people with respect, even as it pains one to do so. This message resonates really well for a site that has many people who are undersocialized. Even the act of physical contact from the opposite sex sets off blaring alarm bells in Anon’s mind, and this serves as both a hilarious deprecation of Anon’s confidence, as well as an acute understanding of the target audience.
Anon’s insertion into the mix of Volcano High also serves to bring its audience back to school. They’re not necessarily the NB dinosaur Fang is, but they probably were in love once, they probably were bullied once by someone who was being a piece of shit, and given teenage angst, they also probably were a piece of shit themselves. The biggest takeaway is where you start isn’t where you end - and if this is what you wish, the story will punish you with some pretty damn sad endings.
Snoot Game’s derivative factor cuts both ways. Most characters aren’t OC, and as sad as it is to see KO-OP look down on the fans and have some its own turboautists coming at Cavemanon pitchforks in-hand, the company showed some restraint by never issuing a C&D despite the extensive copying.
Additionally, the heavy reliance on pop and chan-culture references can alienate the “normie” audience, perhaps most notably the KO-OP staff who played the game’s earlier builds before deciding to disassociate. Seeing Anon call dinosaurs “meteor dodgers”, others pointing out that the good endings (3 & 4) have Fang abandon her nonbinary identity, Anon’s neighborhood being called “Skin Row” (a la LA’s Skid Row), and the choice word “trigga” being used each serve as powder kegs to ignite and then warn others: “don’t try this game, it’s fucking bigoted.”
That’s not to say criticism of the game is without merit, or that the people who are reviewing the game poorly for these reasons do so in bad faith. But when I look at this game, I see it for what it is - a fan work from someone you’d least expect. Cavemanon took what was originally a parody and really knocked it out of the ballpark with something that better resonated with its home audience - which just so happened to be the same site I grew up on: 4chan.
Perhaps one day, KO-OP and Cavemanon can get along, but until then, just play both so you know what the hell each is all about. I’m looking forward to playing Wani in the future.
i think its really funny that one guy really wanted to fuck the main character from GVH that he tried pulling a reverse pink triangle, i just wish he didnt have to make everyone else suffer through this trite bullshit full of dated /v/ references and his opinions on trans/nb people to do so when he could just get some drawf*g on /v/ to make everything for him. 4chan peaked with kawata shojo and will never reach that high ever again.
Este juego o lo amas o lo odias, no hay punto medio
Yo, hay unas cosas que no me parecieron bien, sobre todo lo de la comunidad LGBTIQ+
Bien podrían haber dejado todo eso de lado o no cambiar los personajes, pero joder como disfruté este juego, me estuve riendo casi todo el tiempo con Anon
No es katawa shoujo, no es un juego homenaje ni un Fangame, pero se nota que querían contar algo, es lo bonito del juego nariz
(no soy lo suficientemente valiente para sacarme el final 1 o 2) Lo mismo me pasó en Katawa shoujo con Hanako y probablemente sea más feliz si no los veo, pero en algun punto de mi vida tendré que hacerlo
Por ahora, este juego ha sido buenísimo para mi salvo contadas excepciones, ya quiero ver que hacer con lo de la lagarto en steam
Yo, hay unas cosas que no me parecieron bien, sobre todo lo de la comunidad LGBTIQ+
Bien podrían haber dejado todo eso de lado o no cambiar los personajes, pero joder como disfruté este juego, me estuve riendo casi todo el tiempo con Anon
No es katawa shoujo, no es un juego homenaje ni un Fangame, pero se nota que querían contar algo, es lo bonito del juego nariz
(no soy lo suficientemente valiente para sacarme el final 1 o 2) Lo mismo me pasó en Katawa shoujo con Hanako y probablemente sea más feliz si no los veo, pero en algun punto de mi vida tendré que hacerlo
Por ahora, este juego ha sido buenísimo para mi salvo contadas excepciones, ya quiero ver que hacer con lo de la lagarto en steam