Info about Kitsune Tails: Official game description: More from Kitsune Games ======================= About the Game ============== Play as a young female kitsune, one of Inari's fox-eared and bushy-tailed messengers, and embark on a hero's journey that begins while delivering your first message. Go on a date with a kindly sorceress who came to your aid in a time of need. Explore the complicated relationship with your childhood friend turned antagonist and uncover her reasons for sealing your love interest inside an elemental prison. Unlock powers that manifest as cute outfits to help you run, jump, and dash across a land inspired by Japanese mythology in Kitsune Tails, the follow up to Super Bernie World. FEATURES -------- * Classic platforming action set in a land inspired by Japanese mythology * Explore five elemental worlds and various haunted houses * Use cute outfits to power up or stomp around by stealing a giant boot from enemies * Uncover the reasons behind your childhood friend's jealous betrayal * Stomp on pangos to make them curl into a ball, pick them up, and kick them around * Carry lights through haunted houses to reveal secret doors and ward off ghosts * Unlock and play over a half dozen minigames for coins and power ups * Struggling? Buy more power ups at the shop or change playstyles for an instant-revive * Play through the bonus world after rolling credits and prove you've got what it takes to beat the kaizo levels * Optional true-to-life CRT filter for maximum nostalgia * Make custom levels using mature open source tools * Create and play custom minigames using the same Lua scripting the developers used TEAM ---- The original team behind Super Bernie World returns to create an original platformer in a similar style to beloved classics, brought to you as a collaboration between Kitsune Games and MidBoss LLC. Release date: Aug 1, 2024 Categories: 2D Platformer, Action Platformer, Precision Platforming, Japanese Mythology, Story-driven Gameplay, Mini-Game Collection, Custom Level Editor, Mod Support Feature scans: - Proton/Linux: score 10; verdict: Works Well; summary: The game runs well on the Steam Deck without needing Proton, indicating good compatibility and performance on Linux. Users generally report a positive experience with minimal issues. - Steam Deck: score 30; verdict: Good with Minor Issues; summary: The game generally receives positive feedback for its performance on the Steam Deck, with users appreciating the seamless experience and the game's art and music. However, there are notable issues with controls and bugs that affect the gameplay experience. These issues, while not widespread, are significant enough to impact the overall rating. - Hardware Profile: No data Feature extractions: - Community Price: - Community fair range: $10.00 - $15.00 - Reasoning: The reviews suggest that the current price of $18 is considered too high by the community. Multiple users mention waiting for a sale, indicating that a lower price would be more appropriate. This sentiment suggests that a fair price range would be below the current $18 price point. - Playtime Metrics: - Game completion: 14.0h - Story completion: 7.0h - Session length: N/A - Endgame: N/A - Reasoning: The evidence provides direct and indirect mentions of playtime. The first three quotes explicitly mention the time taken to complete the main game, which is around 7 hours. The fourth quote mentions Act II, which involves replaying the whole game, indicating additional playtime for full completion. However, there is no specific evidence for typical session length or endgame hours. - Time-to-fun: - Summary: The game starts with a slow and simple tutorial and first world, but becomes significantly more enjoyable and engaging once players reach the first full world and the difficulty ramps up. - Stance: Fun then drops - Anchor: Reaching the first full world after the tutorial - Time to anchor: 0h 30m - Friction: Cutscene-heavy first world; Simple and easy tutorial; Initial confusion with pacing - Unlock drivers: Quick ramp-up in difficulty; Increased mobility as players progress - Conditions: Completing the tutorial; Reaching the first full world - Player Archetypes: - Nostalgic Retro Enthusiast (buy) - Motivation: Nostalgia and familiarity with classic platformers. - Playstyle: Enjoys games with retro mechanics and aesthetics, often comparing new games to old favorites. - Experience: veteran - Purchase stance: buy - Labels: old-school player; retro gamer - Reference games: Super Mario World; Super Mario Bros 3 - Aesthetic and Representation Appreciator (sale) - Motivation: Appreciation for the game's aesthetic and representation. - Playstyle: Enjoys games with unique and appealing aesthetics, often prioritizing visuals and representation over gameplay. - Experience: mixed - Purchase stance: sale - Labels: aesthetic lover; representation advocate - Reference games: N/A - Critical Player (no buy) - Motivation: Seeking well-polished and enjoyable gameplay. - Playstyle: Critical of gameplay mechanics and overall enjoyment, often highlighting flaws and areas for improvement. - Experience: familiar - Purchase stance: no buy - Labels: critical gamer - Reference games: N/A Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category. Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews. What players like: - Cute and wholesome story (weight 0.46): The game features a cute and wholesome story with charming characters and enjoyable cutscenes. The writing is succinct and not overly saccharine, making it appealing and fun. - Charming and enjoyable game (weight 0.39): The game is described as charming and enjoyable, with fun gameplay and a good story. The visuals and characters add to the overall charm of the game. - Unique and creative power-ups (weight 0.32): The game offers a variety of unique and creative power-ups, adding diversity and engagement to the gameplay. Players can combine different power-ups for varied experiences. - Beautiful pixel graphics (weight 0.31): The game features visually appealing and beautiful pixel art graphics. The visuals are described as pretty and visually gorgeous with flawless pixel art. - Fun mini-games (weight 0.23): The game includes fun and enjoyable mini-games that add to the overall experience. These mini-games are described as a blast and super awesome. - Feels great to play (weight 0.21): The game feels great to play with a lot of polish and good controls. The overall gameplay experience is described as very fun. - Solid platforming mechanics (weight 0.21): The game features solid and enjoyable platforming mechanics. The platforming design is described as incredibly solid and challenging. - LGBTQ+ representation (weight 0.2): The game includes good representation of LGBTQ+ themes and characters. This representation is described as cute and queer, adding to the inclusivity of the game. - Fully voice acted (weight 0.2): The game features fully voice-acted cutscenes and great writing. The voice acting adds to the charm and enjoyment of the story. - Extensive modding support (weight 0.19): The game offers extensive modding support with included modding tools. This feature allows for depth in modding and customization. - Well-designed maps (weight 0.17): The game has classic game design with well-designed maps. The level design is described as great and retro. Common complaints: - Imprecise and floaty controls (weight 0.43): The controls are described as imprecise, floaty, and slippery. This affects the gameplay experience negatively, especially in platforming sections. - Repetitive level design (weight 0.35): The level design is criticized for being repetitive and lacking polish. Players felt it was uninteresting and not up to the standards of classic games. - Bad hitboxes (weight 0.31): Hitboxes are noted to be badly implemented and inconsistent. This issue is particularly problematic in boss fights and platforming sections. - Weak story and narrative (weight 0.29): The game's story and narrative are poorly developed and considered weak. Many players found the plot boring and the writing subpar. - Poor voice acting (weight 0.29): The voice acting in the game is widely criticized as dreadful and cringe-worthy. Players found it out of place and not to their liking. - Repetitive music (weight 0.21): The music in the game is noted for being repetitive and lacking variety. This contributes to the overall feeling of repetitiveness in the game. - Unfair enemy placement (weight 0.2): Enemy placement is criticized for feeling unfair and poorly designed. This adds to the difficulty and frustration in certain levels. - Poor story pacing (weight 0.18): The pacing of the story and cutscenes is criticized for being too fast and frontloaded. Players found this to be a significant issue affecting their enjoyment. - Unbalanced difficulty (weight 0.18): The difficulty is noted to be unbalanced and uneven. This affects the overall enjoyment and fairness of the game. - Padded and punishing gameplay (weight 0.18): The gameplay is noted to be padded and punishing. Players found it frustrating to have to play through the same levels twice with no changes. - Repetitive second act (weight 0.17): The second act is criticized for repeating the first act and feeling like filler. Players found it unpolished and lacking in new content. - Lacks originality (weight 0.1): The game is criticized for being a blatant copy of older games in the series. Players felt it lacked originality and innovation. - Lack of polish (weight 0.1): The game is noted to lack quality and polish. Players found this to be a significant issue affecting their overall enjoyment. - Difficult bonus stages (weight 0.09): Bonus stages are noted to be very difficult and not enjoyable for everyone. This adds to the overall challenge and frustration of the game. - No buffer for dash attacks (weight 0.09): The lack of buffering for dash attacks is noted as a significant issue. This affects the combat and platforming mechanics negatively. - Difficult water levels (weight 0.09): Water levels are criticized for being difficult and having poor maneuverability. This adds to the overall challenge and frustration of the game. - Underdeveloped characters (weight 0.09): The characters in the game are criticized for being uninteresting and underdeveloped. This affects the overall narrative and player engagement. - Inconsistent sound effects (weight 0.09): Sound effects are noted to be inconsistent and missing for certain actions. This affects the overall audio experience negatively. - Visual inconsistencies (weight 0.09): Some visuals in the game are criticized for looking rushed and inconsistent. This affects the overall visual quality and polish. Gameplay feedback: - Adjustable difficulty settings (weight 0.42): The game includes multiple difficulty modes, ranging from easy to challenging. The difficulty curve is designed to start easy but ramps up quickly, catering to both beginners and advanced players. - Challenging level design (weight 0.38): The game features challenging level design with precise platforming sections. Some levels are inspired by Kaizo Mario rom hacks, offering a tough but fair experience. - Unique power-ups and abilities (weight 0.37): The game introduces unique power-ups with special abilities that can be combined for different effects. These power-ups add a fresh twist to the classic platforming gameplay. - Act structure and replayability (weight 0.28): The game follows a unique act structure, with Act 2 redefining interactions from Act 1. Players are encouraged to replay the game with different characters, offering varied experiences. - Second playable character (weight 0.24): A second playable character is included, offering different movement and combat abilities. This character can be unlocked and provides a unique gameplay experience. - Story-driven and retro style (weight 0.2): The game combines story-driven gameplay with retro-style graphics and mechanics. It includes a cute Kitsune sprite and a Japanese setting, adding a unique visual and narrative flair. - Bonus stages and post-game content (weight 0.16): The game includes very challenging bonus stages and post-game stages with increased difficulty, providing additional content for players seeking extra challenges. - Boss fights and mini-games (weight 0.16): The game features boss fights that require specific strategies to overcome. Additionally, there are mini-games with rewards, adding variety to the gameplay. - Slippery controls and autoscrolling (weight 0.13): Some players have noted that the controls can feel slippery, which may affect gameplay. The game also includes autoscrolling sections, adding to the challenge. - Infinite lives and checkpoints (weight 0.1): The game features an infinite lives system and additional checkpoints, making it more accessible for players who struggle with difficult sections. Performance notes: - Various bugs reported (weight 0.21): Players have encountered several bugs, including issues with voice lines not playing, collisions not working correctly, HUD issues during cutscenes, and enemies teleporting. - Steam Deck compatibility confirmed (weight 0.19): The game works well on Steam Deck without requiring Proton. Multiple reviews confirm its compatibility and smooth performance. - Save and controller issues (weight 0.11): Some players have reported problems with save files and controller functionality. These issues seem to affect the overall gaming experience. - Linux version runs great (weight 0.06): The Linux version of the game has been reported to run smoothly. This is a positive note for Linux users. Recommendations: - Recommended for platformer fans (weight 0.95): The game is highly recommended for fans of 2D platformers, particularly those who enjoy retro and Mario-style games. It offers challenging gameplay and engaging stories. - Challenging gameplay experience (weight 0.35): This game is suitable for players who enjoy challenging games and are confident in their action game skills. It may not be ideal for those seeking an easy or casual experience. - Worth the price (weight 0.31): Several reviews suggest that the game is worth its asking price, especially if purchased on sale. - Cute characters and stories (weight 0.25): The game features cute characters and storylines, making it appealing to fans of cute lesbian stories and those who enjoy charming narratives. - Positive general recommendations (weight 0.22): Many reviews simply recommend the game, highlighting its overall quality and enjoyment factor. - Recommended despite imperfections (weight 0.1): Some reviews recommend the game despite its imperfections, suggesting that players look past its shortcomings. - Difficulty and cheat suggestions (weight 0.08): Some reviews suggest starting with medium difficulty or using the cheat menu if the game becomes too challenging. - Future potential of the studio (weight 0.06): Reviewers express anticipation for future projects from the studio, indicating confidence in their potential. - Suggestions for player-created content (weight 0.05): There are suggestions for having a creative workshop to encourage more player-created content. - Good for short play sessions (weight 0.05): The game is recommended for short play sessions, making it suitable for quick gaming breaks. - Recommended for kids and families (weight 0.05): The game is considered appropriate and enjoyable for kids and families. - Unique appeal for specific audiences (weight 0.05): The game may have a unique appeal for specific audiences, such as those interested in lesbian Mario concepts. - Achievement hunters should wait (weight 0.05): Achievement hunters are advised to wait for a fix before fully engaging with the game. - Appeal to fans of classic games (weight 0.05): The game is recommended for those who haven't played classic games like Super Mario Bros 3, offering a fresh experience for new players. Other player notes: No miscpoints Emotions: - Frustration (weight 0.23): Players are frustrated primarily due to the game's challenging level design, slippery and imprecise controls, and repetitive elements. The high difficulty, unfair enemy placements, and the requirement to replay levels with different characters also contribute significantly to this frustration. - Joy (weight 0.19): The game brings joy through its charming and cute story, engaging characters, and fun gameplay mechanics. Players appreciate the colorful visuals, good music, and the nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic platformers like Super Mario Bros. 3. - Excitement (weight 0.19): Players are excited about the game's unique mechanics, challenging platforming, and the variety it offers. The modding support, creative level designs, and the charming retro aesthetic also contribute to the excitement. - Enjoyment (weight 0.14): Enjoyment stems from the game's fun and engaging gameplay, charming story, and adorable characters. The variety in level design, enjoyable voice acting, and the nostalgic feel of classic platformers enhance the overall experience. - Disappointment (weight 0.13): Disappointment arises from the game's high difficulty, lack of originality, and various shortcomings in graphics, music, and gameplay mechanics. Players also feel let down by the forced replay of levels with minimal changes and the lack of polish compared to classic games. - Nostalgia (weight 0.04): The game evokes nostalgia through its retro feel and similarities to classic platformers like Super Mario Bros. 3. Players appreciate the ode to past games and the pleasant nostalgia it brings. - Appreciation (weight 0.04): Players appreciate the game's great voice acting, engaging level design, and charming aesthetic. The refined control mechanics and the overall polish of the game are also highly valued. - Love (weight 0.02): The game's charm, evolving moveset, and the sweet tale of friendship and romance resonate deeply with players, fostering a sense of love for the game. - Boredom (weight 0.02): Boredom is caused by the repetitive gameplay and excessive dialogue between levels, which can make the game feel tedious and unengaging. - Satisfaction (weight 0.02): Players feel satisfied with the game's fun and engaging gameplay, precise controls, and hitbox mechanics. The overall experience is seen as worth the purchase. - Surprise (weight 0.02): Surprise comes from unexpected story beats and the ability to combine power-ups, adding an element of unpredictability and novelty to the gameplay. - Annoyance (weight 0.02): Constant bugs and performance issues are the primary sources of annoyance, detracting from the overall gaming experience. - Excited (weight 0.02): Players are excited about the variety in enemy and boss designs, power-ups, and level and world designs. The anticipation of exploring all the game has to offer adds to this excitement. - Confusion (weight 0.01): Confusion arises from strange gameplay design choices that can be perplexing and disrupt the flow of the game. - Hope (weight 0.01): Hope is inspired by the potential for mod support and future language support, which can enhance the game's longevity and accessibility. - Challenge (weight 0.01): The game's challenging post-game stages and troll game difficulty provide a sense of challenge that some players find engaging and rewarding. - Awe (weight 0.01): The game's length and depth impress players, evoking a sense of awe at the amount of content and detail. - Amusement (weight 0.01): Amusement is derived from fun and quirky animations, such as the fox form's sneeze animation, which adds a touch of humor and charm. - Happiness (weight 0.01): The game's suitability for kids and its charming, fun nature bring happiness to players, making it an enjoyable experience for a younger audience. - Intrigued (weight 0.01): Players are intrigued by the interesting and fun story, which adds depth and engagement to the gameplay experience.}