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I don't think I've ever read anything quite like this. Thank you so much and please continue to do what you do.

This story dragged me in and hurt me multiple times, but made sure I felt safe before letting me go.

I've used this toolkit both as a GM and as a player to help build characters with disabilities - and it's been an invaluable resource to make those characters feel capable and real, and to show the world through their eyes.

I have not seen any other RPG publisher put much thought and care into giving disabled writers, players and characters a place at their table. And after reading this book I've become aware of how restricting that has felt.

What this book represents should be the industry norm. But until we get there, this will continue to be the most prized book in my RPG collection.

I'm loving this game. It's adorable and joyous and I've recommended it to friends who might need something to brighten their day.

I really enjoyed playing through Imaginaria. For 45 minutes I felt transported to an isolated, quiet research station. The wealth of details brought that moment to life - and it was a moment I'm glad I got to witness.

Regarding the Linux distribution: (for me) the game doesn't run with the newest distribution of pango - and running it through wine also runs into issues.

A quick solution would be to add libpango-1.0.so.0, libpangocairo-1.0.so.0, and libpangoft2-1.0.so.0 from an older (and working) version of pango to the /opt/RYB/ directory in the deb. This would let linux users continue to enjoy the game into the future :)

First off, thank you for your reply on this topic. I know from experience that a critique like this of your work can be very uncomfortable to read, and difficult to reply to.

I also initially avoided describing specific scenes or interactions, but I don't think I can clarify my point without bringing up two threads from the game. I'll try to be vague about them.

with that in mind, here is a spoiler warning for some side-plots; and a gender-related-unpleasantness content warning for the rest of this post.

When a character is harassed for being a "feminine man" the protagonist's response can be "try acting more masculine and they'll stop". The game makes no further comment on this, except that it was apparently an effective strategy.
In another instance, a male-presenting character describes symptoms of menstruation and then pregnancy. The game allows the player to diagnose them accordingly, or even ask the character to be honest with their doctor about their biological gender. The resolution to this is that the male-presenting character is revealed as amab, and as lying about his symptoms. He then makes fun of and criticizes the protagonist for this absurd diagnosis. And yes, the male-presenting character turns out to be the Big Bad, but this particular behavior of his didn't feel (to me) like it's ever condemned.

The situations that bothered me aren't unrealistic; they could totally happen and be resolved this way. But they are depressing, and the game never seems to validate that emotional response or suggest a resolution. It just hits you with a shitty situation and then moves on to further jokes and monty python references.

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P.S. - I very much do *not* intend this as a critique of Nyamyam or any person/people who worked on the game. I respect you as creators and I have no doubt you personally harbor progressive and tolerant views. I played through Tengami years ago and enjoyed it immensely, and I will very happily look out for and play any further games you release.

My initial post was intended as a content warning for prospective players. One I personally could have used before jumping in. This follow-up is in part intended as constructive criticism by means of my own experience with the game, and in part as an explanation for some comments I made in the first post.

I hope y'all have a great day and a great life.

I sat down to try Astrologaster, and finished it 5 hours later without having taken a break. I loved the artstyle, the writing was often hilarious, and the many interacting stories had me hooked. The gameplay forced me to pay attention to details, cross-referencing different stories from different characters - something that I very much appreciate.

All that said, looking back on my playthrough I'm left with a bad taste in my mouth. I don't think I will replay the game, or recommend it to friends, because it addresses a number of questionable topics - often by making a quick joke out of them.  This game was released in 2019; I think the developers could do better than playing transgender identity, workplace sexual assault, or pedophilia for jokes.

I haven't seen any other comments or reviews - here or on steam - mention this. And I still think the game is worth playing despite its occasionally dubious subject matter. But I would also have liked to know what I'm getting into when I started playing, so I'm leaving this note for posterity.

Having now completed the final level, I can say that this is my favorite puzzle game of this year - I kept coming back to it day after day until I ran out of levels to solve. I'll be keeping an eye out for any more of Daniel Nora's work.