Elisa: the Innkeeper

About

"Elisa: the Innkeeper" is a visual novel following Elisa, an innkeeper who charms all her male guests. Players won't assume Elisa's role, but will influence her fate and the actions of other characters through numerous choices, affecting story outcomes and characters' karma. Additional features include controlling character dialogues and multiple endings.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

64%

Audience ScoreBased on 72 reviews

story17 positive mentions

character development3 negative mentions

Charming setting with captivating visuals and a heartwarming soundtrack that enhances the experience.
The game offers a unique karma system that allows players to influence character behaviors and story outcomes.
The art style is well-done, and the game provides a glimpse into Italian culture, making it an interesting experience.

The writing is subpar, with flat and predictable characters that lack depth and engagement.
The game is plagued by bugs and interface issues, making navigation and decision-making frustrating.
Many players found the story tedious and boring, with a lack of meaningful choices that impact the narrative.

story
68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
66%
9%
The story aspect of the game receives mixed reviews, with many players finding it lacking in depth and character development, leading to a sense of boredom or disconnection. While some appreciate the art style and the potential for multiple endings, others criticize the narrative for being clichéd and the characters as unlikable, detracting from the overall experience. A few players do find enjoyment in the story's complexity and the impact of choices, suggesting that it may appeal to those who appreciate interactive storytelling despite its flaws.
- “Neoclassic Games's 'Elisa: The Innkeeper' is an engaging visual novel that plays with your heart while giving you a story of love, drama, and some comedy.”
- “The story is really nice and gives the player various choices.”
- “So I would highly recommend this game to many readers/gamers if you love something interesting with a complex story with actually deep characters that change over the course of the story and yes, pretty much all the choices matter.”
- “The story has no passion in it whatsoever and I am just... bored to sleep and tears!”
- “The story in this game is severely lacking, and almost non-existent.”
- “None of the characters were likable and the story just felt stale.”
music
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
30%
9%
The music in the game is widely praised for its charm and ability to enhance the overall experience, with many reviewers describing it as beautiful, cozy, and immersive. While some players found the soundtrack to be a standout feature, others felt that the music was overshadowed by character issues or gameplay flaws. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a highlight, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere and enjoyment.
- “The music in this game is extremely cozy; get the soundtrack.”
- “As another reviewer noted, the music is 'cozy' and the most enjoyable part of the game.”
- “Last thing, the music is simply amazing.”
- “The art is great, the music is okay, and the rest of it is bad.”
- “Could not care less about the art and music, so for me this is a no-go, but perhaps for someone interested in art and music this could be a nice change of pace.”
- “The music, when lowered to the first quarter of the volume slider, makes a perfect background addition to the events taking place.”
graphics
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and beautiful art style, with many reviewers highlighting the captivating visuals and impressive presentation. While the artwork is generally well-received, some players feel that the character designs could be more engaging. Overall, the combination of stunning visuals and a heartwarming soundtrack contributes positively to the game's appeal.
- “Charming setting, captivating visuals, heartwarming soundtrack and a funny plot.”
- “Only a few of the artworks deviated from the style, and all look fantastic in their own way.”
- “I recommend this game to anyone who likes multiple endings with the most amazing artwork you could see on a visual novel, while bringing both excitement and cheer into a light-hearted game; the only way to play this game is to explore.”
- “The graphics are outdated and lack the polish expected from a modern game.”
- “Character models look stiff and lifeless, making it hard to connect with the story.”
- “The environments feel bland and uninspired, lacking the detail that would make them immersive.”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
88%
13%
The gameplay is praised for its creativity and interesting mechanics, such as the karma system and character attitude shaping, which enhance player engagement. However, some users feel overwhelmed by the abundance of features and find the characters unlikable, detracting from the overall experience. While the gameplay appears appealing on the store page, it may not fully meet expectations in practice.
- “Good points for art, music, and gameplay creativity.”
- “Frequent choices and the fact that you can shape each character's attitude is quite a nice mechanic.”
- “The devs were able to pretty much fulfill their promises; they added some nice mechanics (I love the karma system) and wrote a nice and funny story.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a funny plot and clever character interactions, particularly with the character Eliza, who is noted for her cunning and humor. While some players appreciated the comedic moments and engaging story, others felt that the humor did not fully meet their expectations, leading to mixed feelings about the overall experience. The charming visuals and heartwarming soundtrack complement the humor, enhancing the game's appeal.
- “Charming setting, captivating visuals, heartwarming soundtrack, and a funny plot.”
- “Eliza is a very cunning girl, and even I was slipped up by her words at times... she is one strange but hilarious person, I tell you!”
- “The devs were able to pretty much fulfill their promises; they added some nice mechanics (I love the karma system) and wrote a nice and funny story.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
Overall, the character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it lacking and the characters unlikable, while others acknowledge some growth despite initial shortcomings. Many feel that the characters do not evolve meaningfully throughout the story, leading to frustration. However, a few reviewers still appreciate the game overall, suggesting that the narrative may compensate for its character flaws.
- “If you're looking for a good story filled with well-written characters, interesting character development, and likable characters in general, I highly recommend this game.”
- “I may have my gripes about some of the character development in the initial scenes, but it's still an excellent game.”
- “There is next to no character development, and the characters never stop being the most annoying I've ever seen in a visual novel.”
- “There was no character development, and yet he has become a totally different person just in the time it took her to change his bed sheets.”
- “I may have my gripes about some of the 'character development' in the initial scenes, but it's still an excellent game.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game's replayability is enhanced by the player's ability to influence the actions of both the main character and supporting characters, leading to multiple story routes and endings. This choice-driven mechanic sets it apart from traditional visual novels, providing significant replay value.
- “The replayability is boosted by the ability to control the behaviors of not just the main character, but all the supporting characters as well.”
- “Unlike boring visual novels that have no choices, your choices in this game will lead you to different story routes and endings, giving it replay value.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is enhanced by its charming setting, captivating visuals, and heartwarming soundtrack, which create an engaging atmosphere. However, some reviewers feel that the lack of relatable or likable characters undermines the potential for deeper emotional investment and response.
- “The charming setting, captivating visuals, and heartwarming soundtrack create an emotional experience that resonates deeply.”
- “The game successfully breaks the mold, but to truly evoke emotional investment, it needs relatable and likable characters.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the grinding aspect of the game to be very tedious, although they acknowledge that it incorporates some great ideas.
- “Very tedious.”
- “Very tedious, but has some great ideas.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The stability of the game has been criticized for its numerous bugs and glitches, which significantly detract from the overall experience. Additionally, users have noted that the poor writing and subpar art contribute to a lack of polish and coherence in the game.
- “The game is plagued by constant crashes and bugs that ruin the experience.”
- “I encountered numerous glitches that made it nearly unplayable.”
- “The stability issues are so severe that I often find myself unable to progress.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users feel that the game's optimization is lacking, with some expressing that it may require further improvements to enhance performance.
- “Finally, and this may just be my own fault since I did not seem to have any issue beforehand, but it seems like optimization could use some work.”