- October 13, 2023
- Träumendes Mädchen
Chronotopia: Second Skin
Platforms
About
~~~~~~~~ FAIRYTALE PRINCESS DIES; SHE GETS BETTER. LOVE IN THE BARGAIN. ~~~~~~~~ The plan was supposed to be simple, almost ridiculously so. When her father, driven mad by years of grief, suddenly decided to force her into marrying him, Princess Kionna enlisted the help of her childhood friend. Together, they managed to contact her long-lost fairy godmother. Surely, her powers would save her fr…











- Chronotopia features a compelling narrative centered around character growth, particularly the protagonist Kionna, who evolves significantly throughout her journey.
- The game boasts stunning visuals, including beautiful sprites, backgrounds, and a captivating soundtrack that enhances the fairytale atmosphere.
- It offers diverse representation, including sapphic love interests and subtle asexual and trans representation, making it relatable for a wider audience.
- The game starts with a lengthy and somewhat irrelevant framing device that can hinder immersion in the story.
- Some romance routes feel underdeveloped compared to the main plot, and side characters lack depth compared to the protagonist.
- There are occasional grammatical errors in the text that can disrupt the reading experience, particularly in the French version.
story
18 mentions Positive Neutral NegativeThe story of "Chronotopia" centers on Kionna, a young princess trapped in a time loop, navigating her way through a richly woven narrative inspired by various fairy tales, particularly "Donkeyskin." Players appreciate Kionna's character development and the engaging plot that diverges from traditional retellings, although some find the initial framing device cumbersome. Overall, the game successfully blends classic themes with a unique style, offering a satisfying and immersive experience despite minor language issues.
“At its core, Chronotopia is the story of a young princess named Kionna who finds herself stuck in a time loop, trying to escape a terrible fate.”
“If you, like me, are fairly ignorant of classical fairytales, don't worry; although themes and story beats are clearly inspired by a menagerie of them, they are woven together into an engaging and believable narrative that stands on its own.”
“It starts off as a fairly typical fairytale retelling of Donkeyskin but quickly establishes its own style and spin on the concept: Kionna's story quickly deviates from the most well-known version of the story as she attempts to find her perfect ending, and I couldn't help but root for her as I watched her story unfold and her character evolve.”
“It's not all perfect, especially at the beginning: there is a quite long and mostly irrelevant framing device that bogs down the start of the story, which means it took me a while to really immerse myself in the world.”
“The first is that I read the visual novel in French (French fairytale, French developer), and although the language used is generally eloquent and the story itself engrossing, I did see a high number of grammatical mistakes (mostly participles staying in the masculine although they should be in the feminine form).”
“The second concerns the idea of adding a meta prologue/epilogue, which I am not sure brings much to the story overall.”