I'm finally done, and what a beautiful, ambitious, and exhausing game this was! It has the charming visuals and characters you'd expect from a quirky indie RPG, and the time loop twist unravels character quirks in a way that really enhances the comedy.

The setting is interesting, and I loved learning about each character's complex relationship with their culture. There's a lot of subtle storytelling and attention to detail in every conversation. I was initially frustrated by the unanswered questions, but the bittersweet feeling it left me with wasn't unpleasant. At the core is a personal journey about self love and accepting the past, and the central mystery works when you look at it as a broad metaphor for Siffrin's trauma.

Speaking of Siffrin, what a great protagonist! His aloof personality struck home for me, as well as how the game mechanics are used to explore his self hatred. They're my favorite character in the cast and a welcome addition to the time travel suffering gang. My two personal favorite side characters, Bonnie and Odile, are both realistic takes on their archetypes. Bonnie is one of the more believable child characters I've seen, and their conflicting relationship with Siffrin was a highlight for me. Odile's cynical older woman persona contrasted with her gentler side is insanely endearing. There's something refreshing about a scientifically minded character being portrayed so tenderly. I love this woman. Mirabelle was the least interesting to me at first, but learning about her struggles with her religion made her compelling. Isabeau's sincere affection and surprising moments of insight always warmed my heart. His crush on Siffrin is very cute.

The most contentious part of this game is the backtracking, and it does make it harder to recommend. It can be used to great effect, but the lack of player freedom is grating. Siffrin is an autonomous protagonist and I love him for it, but being unable to plan ahead for things he hasn't figured out is tedious in an uninteresting way. I get that RPG maker is limited, but more nonlineratity would've improved act 3-4. I'm also annoyed by one plot detail you can miss out on, but it's a minor issue.

Overall, I loved this game and it's dear to my heart. It has everything you could want from a time looping story, and charming characters that make the early acts breezy and fun. I cannot recommend it enough.