Kindred Spirits on the Roof
- February 12, 2016
- Liar-soft
- 30h median play time
Get on Steam"Kindred Spirits on the Roof" is a visual novel focusing on yuri relationships. The game follows Toomi Yuna, a student at Kokonotsuboshi Girls' Academy, who encounters the ghosts of Enoki Sachi and Nagatani Megumi. These spirits, who died with unrequited love for each other, recruit Yuna to help create more yuri couples at the school, hoping that their success will help them move on to the afterlife.
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Reviews
- Great character development and relatable relationships that feel genuine.
- Heartwarming and emotional story that balances humor and drama effectively.
- Beautiful art style and a catchy soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- Limited voice acting, with only key scenes being voiced, which may disappoint some players.
- Some characters and their stories can feel repetitive or less interesting compared to others.
- The game can slow down significantly after extended playtime, requiring a restart to fix.
- story946 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story of "Kindred Spirits on the Roof" is a heartfelt exploration of love and friendship among various yuri couples, centered around the protagonist, Yuna, who helps two ghostly lovers connect with the living. While the narrative is linear and choices have minimal impact on the outcome, it is praised for its emotional depth, character development, and engaging side stories that enrich the main plot. Despite some pacing issues and a few less compelling subplots, the overall experience is described as charming, relatable, and touching, making it a standout in the yuri visual novel genre.
“The story was just written so well and I enjoyed it a lot.”
“Beautiful story and beautiful characters.”
“Did not go into this expecting the story and side-stories to be so extensive and in-depth.”
“Overall story is boring, it's hard to get into and many characters are hard to form attachment, I just couldn't care about so many characters.”
“The story focuses on too many characters and is told from too many perspectives and gets cut up into too many mixed up pieces that are then presented non-linearly.”
“I would say 2/3 of the game are just filler to make it longer, but doesn't bring anything to the story.”
- music294 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its catchy and fitting nature while others criticize its limited variety and repetitive loops. Many players find the soundtrack pleasant and suitable for the game's atmosphere, though some suggest it can become annoying after extended playtime. Overall, while the music enhances the experience for some, others recommend muting it in favor of personal playlists due to its shortcomings.
“The music is amazing.”
“The soundtrack is sweet, and the game has some unique details to it.”
“The narrative is excellent, the characters are memorable (and very important to me), the music is absolutely lovely... overall, I had a fantastic time with Okujou no Yurirei-san.”
“Repetitive music, pretty much 70% of the days use a single song, and it got old quickly.”
“Oh god, the main 'cheerful' music is terrible, a 10-second loop that goes over and over, really cheap and annoying.”
“The music is limited and quickly gets boring.”
- emotional220 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of "Kindred Spirits on the Roof" is widely praised for its heartfelt storytelling and character development, often leading players to experience a range of emotions, from laughter to tears. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to create deep emotional bonds between characters, particularly in the context of yuri relationships, making it a touching and memorable experience. Despite some concerns about the portrayal of minors in intimate situations, the overall sentiment is that the game delivers a wholesome and emotionally rich narrative that resonates with players.
“This game is absolutely wonderful, and might be one of my favorite games of all time, because it's certainly the most emotional experience I've ever had with a game.”
“You get to have a lot of time with each of the couples, all of which are profoundly memorable, as well as follow a main story that features the drama of trying to get certain couples together, plus some fantastic development of the main character's feelings, all capped off with a bittersweet, highly emotional finale that wrecked me for weeks.”
“I cried, I laughed, I smiled, I felt my face flush, I experienced more with this visual novel than I have in a long while.”
- graphics126 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their cute and charming art style, with many reviewers highlighting the beautiful artwork and well-drawn characters. However, some note that the resolution is dated at 800x600, and while the visuals are appealing, they may not be as polished as those in other visual novels. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the immersive experience, despite some critiques regarding the quantity of CG scenes and character attractiveness.
“The artwork is beautiful, it's extremely well written and the premise is really fun.”
“The visuals are great, the music is cute and super fitting, and the voice acting is beautifully done!”
“The art style is cute and the characters are all likeable in their own way.”
“The artwork is not that great.”
“So overall, good story with standard tropes, mediocre artwork but a brilliant soundtrack that I occasionally will launch the game specifically for.”
“This visual novel has somewhat limited voice acting, art style could use some polish, but...”
- humor52 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as light-hearted and often hilarious, with well-developed characters that evoke genuine laughter and emotional responses. Players appreciate the blend of funny and touching moments, particularly in the context of yuri romance, where the dialogue and character interactions create both comedic and heartfelt experiences. Overall, the game successfully balances humor with deeper emotional themes, making it a memorable and engaging visual novel.
“Amazing visual novel, with lovable and funny characters.”
“The story is rich and heartwarming, and it's very funny at the same time (I enjoy seeing the stories between Youka and Aki).”
“Their humor and quirks had me smirking and laughing many times throughout the game.”
- character development46 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is praised for its depth and complexity, with players noting that it significantly enhances the emotional investment in the characters and their relationships. While most characters receive substantial development, a few may feel somewhat neglected. The variety in character design and the effective use of visual storytelling contribute to making the characters memorable and distinctive, ultimately leading to a satisfying narrative payoff.
“The character development and pacing is great, and by the time the scenes of intimacy come about, you really feel like you know the characters and the intricacies of their relationships well.”
“I wasn't expecting much when I bought it, but what I got out of it was a good 30 hours of surprisingly complex character development, adorableness, and quite a few 'squee so cute' moments.”
“Kindred Spirits on the Roof, also known as Okujou no Yurirei-san, is an excellently written, as well as translated, visual novel with great character development and a satisfying payoff in the ending, that I would personally highly recommend.”
“As for character development, not everyone gets the same amount of it, but maybe one or two get somewhat neglected.”
“I came to this game with the hope beyond all hope that I would find a story worthy of my time, with characters I could care about, romances I could invest in emotionally, and character development that assured that my time investment would feel worthwhile.”
“It would be unfair to say the erotic scenes don't serve their own purpose in character development, but they are simply moments where everything comes to a head.”
- gameplay34 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay in this visual novel is minimal, primarily consisting of button presses to advance the story, which some players find impersonal and lacking in emotional connection. While the mechanics are described as nice and the format unique, the game suffers from slowdowns and offers little in terms of engaging gameplay or choices. Despite these drawbacks, it provides a substantial playtime of around 30 hours, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of the genre.
“The mechanics of this game are rather nice.”
“Gameplay - the format this visual novel uses is actually quite unique and refreshing, and it also gets rid of the annoying repetitive nature of most other visual novels when you're chasing different character arcs.”
“It’s $30, yes, but there’s around 30 hours of gameplay, so it’s well worth the money.”
“There's no gameplay at all.”
“The gameplay makes the overall story impersonal and hard to connect emotionally with.”
“Being a visual novel, the gameplay is not too interesting.”
- optimization12 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed feedback, with praise for the excellent voice work and unique performances of the cast, particularly Youka. However, some users have noted performance issues, suggesting that a standard performance PC is necessary for optimal gameplay.
“I must commend all of these lovely ladies for putting their hearts and souls into their performances - no matter the situation, they seemed to nail their lines, and all of their voices were very unique and recognizable from each other.”
“Excellent voice work (with full chorus DLC) -- worth it for Youka's performance alone.”
“The other issue I've run into was performance.”
“You need a standard performance PC.”
“[h1] Port quality, e.g., translation/performance [/h1]”
- atmosphere10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its light-heartedness, comedic elements, and relaxing tone, which contribute significantly to its standout quality as a visual novel. Reviewers highlight the effective use of visuals and soundtrack, noting that the background music enhances the emotional depth of scenes, while the focus on characterization enriches the romantic narrative. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as immersive and integral to the storytelling experience.
“This game is my visual novel of the year because of the light-heartedness, comedic, and relaxing atmosphere.”
“Likewise the atmosphere, visuals, soundtrack, and extra content are all fantastic.”
“The background music and theme song contribute to the game's atmosphere and are assigned to scenes appropriately.”
“The focus is on characterization, not panties; this is a story of romance, not sex: the uncertain confession, the embarrassed atmosphere, the soft touch on the arm, tension, suspense, and ecstasy.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players note that while grinding, particularly for card farming, can lead to tedious and unnecessary plot threads, the overall story flow remains enjoyable. The experience is often marked by extended periods of being AFK, which may detract from engagement.
“Most of my playtime is spent farming cards and being AFK.”
“Some plot threads felt tedious and unnecessary, making the overall experience feel like a grind.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with users noting that it offers little incentive to play again beyond nostalgia.
“It, however, means that replayability will sadly be non-existent save for reminiscence.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with users reporting frequent freezes that necessitate closing and restarting the game every few minutes.
“I have to close the game every five minutes or so, or it freezes.”
