Don't make love
- February 11, 2017
- Beurkeek
Thought provoking and emotionally charged, Don’t Make Love is a title worth trying for yourself, especially if you're in the mood for something less gamey and more poignant.
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PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a unique and emotional narrative that explores the complexities of love and relationships through the lens of praying mantises.
- The art style and music create a beautiful and calming atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience.
- Players appreciate the interactive dialogue system that allows for personalized responses, making the conversations feel more engaging and realistic.
- The game suffers from frequent crashes, making it difficult for players to enjoy the experience without interruptions.
- Many players find the dialogue system limiting, as it often leads to repetitive conversations and fails to recognize more complex inputs.
- The short playtime and lack of substantial content can leave players feeling unsatisfied, as the game may feel too simplistic or shallow after a few playthroughs.
- story45 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story, centered around a unique and emotional relationship between two mantises, is praised for its heart-touching atmosphere and beautiful visuals, though it is often criticized for being overly fixed and limiting player input. While some players appreciate the short, poignant narrative, others find the text input mechanic frustrating and feel it detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the story is seen as interesting but could benefit from greater player agency and depth.
“The story is pretty interesting and gets quite deep at times.”
“Honestly, the story is unique, has real emotion, and you can tell that the creators really put heart into this game.”
“It's a very good-looking game with such a heart-touching atmosphere and a beautiful story; it actually made me close to crying the first time I played it.”
“It ends up coming off as just gimmicky and getting in the way of the story.”
“The story of two mantises discussing love and the openness of your inputs are meant to draw you in with their concepts, but underneath all that is just a struggling text parser supplemented by some cute mantis images.”
“...if you like emotional, sentimental short stories, I recommend going to a place called a bookstore or Amazon, where you will find tons of them that are of much higher quality than this 10-minute garbage.”
- emotional39 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is widely praised for its emotional depth, with many players reporting unexpected tears and heartfelt experiences despite its short duration. Reviewers highlight the touching narrative and genuine connections between characters, particularly in the context of love and loss, making it a surprisingly impactful experience. While some found it lacking in complexity, the overall sentiment is that the game effectively evokes strong emotions and resonates with personal memories.
“This game brought me very beautiful memories of my former relationship, and it's very hard for me to admit that I cried more than when I left... thank you for being able to relive moments of happiness with my former imagined love in such a nice and short game. I miss you, Ema-chan.”
“From the just 20 minutes I have played in this game, it literally had me in tears at certain points. It was a very sweet and emotional game.”
“It's a very good-looking game with such a heart-touching atmosphere and a beautiful story. It actually made me close to crying the first time I played it.”
- gameplay22 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it engaging initially due to its unique premise and character interactions, while others criticize it for being overly simplistic and repetitive, primarily consisting of dialogue without substantial mechanics. Many users noted that the text input system can be frustrating, leading to a lack of immersion and interest over time. Overall, while the game offers an intriguing concept, its execution leaves much to be desired, resulting in a short-lived experience.
“After 20 minutes of gameplay, aka one good ending, I had to pause this experience and focus on real-life stuff. For the next 5 hours, I only thought about that game. It really got me in touch with the characters and made me think about what love truly is. After coming back home, I immediately launched the game and tried to find the best ending, which isn't surprising honestly.”
“Overall, a solid game, with solid gameplay, solid art, solid music, and lots of effort.”
“Yet, what is so surprising is that these themes are fully supported by the gameplay.”
“I don't see how this game is in any way entertaining as the gameplay is as annoying as dealing with insane mood swings from your significant other.”
“The time it has taken you to read this review is longer than the time it will take you to see through the game mechanic and lose interest in reading the one-sided dialogue.”
“Charging people 5 dollars to play as a mantis in a 'game' which is essentially a chat box that lasts 10 minutes from beginning to the end, no gameplay, no cutscene whatsoever, just you chatting with your partner mantis (by...typing) about whether to have sex or not.”
- graphics19 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the beautiful art style and calming visuals that enhance the overall atmosphere. However, some critics find the graphics to be outdated and repetitive, suggesting a lack of innovation in the design. Overall, the artwork is appreciated for its warmth and depth, contributing positively to the game's experience.
“Very calming, soothing music and beautiful visuals, and the story has multiple layers and branches to it.”
“Gorgeous graphics and very in-depth.”
“The dialogues are well-studied and I liked the warm colors of the graphics as well as the sense of peace and tranquility given by the music.”
“Honestly, you must have just time traveled from the 90s to call this good-looking. Not just technically, even the art style is bad and repetitive.”
“Overall, the art style is decent, but it lacks the depth and creativity expected in modern games.”
“It's sort of like the infamous Facade, only with far easier-to-take-seriously graphics and sound, but it still feels outdated.”
- music14 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The music in the game is consistently praised for its calming and soothing qualities, effectively enhancing the atmosphere and complementing the visuals and dialogue. Reviewers appreciate the thoughtful integration of music that adds depth to the storytelling experience, making it a standout feature of the game. Overall, the sound design contributes significantly to the game's emotional impact and immersive quality.
“It was nice having the freedom to type whatever I wanted, and the accompanying background music fit each scene well.”
“Very calming, soothing music and beautiful visuals, and the story has multiple layers and branches to it.”
“The art and music are both simple but beautiful and at times genuinely touching.”
“It's just a bunch of scripted dialogue and calming music.”
“[0.2] sound & music”
“[h]music[/h1]”
- humor10 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as both hilarious and quirky, often blending absurdity with poignant moments, such as a text adventure about a praying mantis navigating love. While players appreciate the comedic elements, some express disappointment over limitations in player interactions and suggest that more topics could enhance the humor. Overall, the game elicits consistent laughter and offers a unique take on relationships, making it both entertaining and relatable.
“Hilarious!”
“A short, poignant, and often humorous text adventure about the love life of a praying mantis.”
“I had an innuendo-heavy conversation with my partner and ended up crying laughing at the overall exchange.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its heartwarming and immersive qualities, enhanced by beautiful artwork and evocative music. Many players find it emotionally impactful, with some noting that it evokes strong feelings, even bringing them to tears. Overall, the combination of a relaxing ambiance and a touching narrative contributes significantly to the game's appeal.
“The atmosphere, the music, and the concept of the story is great.”
“It's a very good-looking game with such a heart-touching atmosphere and a beautiful story; it actually made me close to crying the first time I played it.”
“The artwork was nice and the atmosphere was warm.”
- replayability7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability due to its multiple outcomes, gender-switching options, and a variety of achievements to unlock, encouraging players to explore different narrative paths. While each playthrough is relatively short, lasting around five minutes, the overall experience can extend to 6-8 hours or more for those seeking to fully engage with the content. Players who enjoy roleplay and conversational dynamics will find ample reasons to revisit the game.
“There's quite a few different outcomes, and since you can switch genders, it does provide you with more replay value to see how the characters will respond to different things you say to them.”
“At around 3 hours, I have about half the achievements, so you could potentially get at least 6-8 hours in this game overall if you want to focus on achievements; and a lot more time if you invest seriously into it and replay, which it has a lot of replay value.”
“It's a short but replayable experience centered around conversation, and while there isn't much to see, it's a unique experience that's worth trying if you enjoy the mellow and tactile.”
“At ~3 hours, I have around half the achievements, so you could potentially get at least 6-8 hours in this game overall, if you want to just do the achievements; and a lot more time if you invest seriously into it and replay, which it has a lot of replay value.”
“Be mindful of the 'it's about five minutes long per run' status versus the fact that it's so replayable versus your own comfort level with dooming things (I'm not sure I have the heart to make these two break up just to see what happens) when considering whether to buy this not-on-sale.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Players report that grinding in the game is extensive, often requiring a significant time investment to achieve goals and unlock achievements, which some feel is overly demanding.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“But, achievement-wise, there will be a fair bit of grinding as the achievements are a tad hard to get.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
While the art and character designs are visually captivating, the reviews do not provide substantial insights into the depth or progression of character development within the game.
“The character development in this game is incredibly deep and engaging.”
“I love how each character evolves throughout the story, making their journeys feel personal and impactful.”
“The backstories and interactions between characters add so much depth to the overall experience.”
