Lost in Secular Love

About

"Lost in Secular Love" is a visual novel game where players navigate complex relationships in a modern, secular society. The game features multiple characters with unique personalities and storylines, allowing players to explore different perspectives and choices. With its stunning artwork and engaging narrative, "Lost in Secular Love" offers a thought-provoking and immersive experience for players.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 103 reviews

story36 positive mentions

stability1 negative mentions

The game features a relatable and funny main character, making the story engaging and enjoyable.
The art and music are beautifully done, enhancing the overall experience of the game.
The routes offer a mix of humor, romance, and drama, with some unexpected twists that keep players invested.

One of the routes, Zhi Kong's, may be uncomfortable for some players due to themes of obsession and manipulation.
The writing can feel rushed at times, leading to underdeveloped relationships and abrupt character changes.
There are technical issues, such as glitches and problems with the skip function, which can disrupt gameplay.

story
101 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
61%
3%
The story of the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising its unique historical Chinese setting, engaging characters, and humor, while others criticize its rushed romance and problematic writing, particularly regarding sensitive themes. Many appreciate the protagonist's relatable personality and the intriguing plot involving monks, but some feel the narrative lacks depth and suffers from repetitive elements across different routes. Overall, the game offers a blend of lightheartedness and deeper themes, though its execution may not resonate with all players.
- “I thought the story was really well-done given the subject matter.”
- “The story is good and filled with angst, which I live for.”
- “The story flows well, and the characters all have very distinct and interesting personalities.”
- “The story is where the game truly lacked though (and with that being a big piece of the game, this is where it lost me and gained a 'not recommended' rating from me. There is a lot wrong with the writing, and the borderline sexual content was not appreciated. Along with that, some of the scenes (the writing to be exact) were not exactly appreciated either; in my opinion, this game should add an additional rating for sexual content with the direction some of the scenes take.”
- “The love story feels a little rushed since the whole romance plot happens in a few days in-game.”
- “The story follows along a similar path for all the routes -- there are eleven chapters in total, and the same things happen in roughly the same parts; the only thing that changes is who you interact with or how the marriage with Zhikong breaks up.”
music
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
33%
5%
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the overall experience, with many reviewers highlighting the soothing and culturally appropriate soundtrack that complements the story and atmosphere. The opening and ending songs, along with the use of traditional instruments, are particularly noted as standout features. Overall, the music is described as a significant asset to the game, contributing to its charm and emotional depth.
- “The music and voice acting are easy standouts.”
- “The soundtrack is amazing and so are the graphics and the art.”
- “What a stellar soundtrack, it sets the mood so well and the instrumentation is beautiful.”
- “The one thing I found annoying is that the intro and ending songs are way louder than the talking and music.”
- “Mechanics: when it starts a new chapter, it forces you to listen to the little musical ditty that comes with the chapter announcement.”
- “- the music!!”
humor
47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in this visual novel is widely praised for its relatability and cleverness, with many reviewers highlighting the protagonist's funny and engaging personality as a standout feature. The game successfully balances comedic moments with deeper themes, creating a light-hearted yet meaningful experience that resonates with players. Overall, the humor is described as authentic, well-integrated, and a key element that enhances the enjoyment of the story.
- “I personally thought the main character makes this visual novel worth it; she has a very relatable and funny outlook throughout the story.”
- “The touches of humor are surprising and very well balanced with the drama and romance parts; the protagonist is really funny, and the doodles that represent her thoughts stand out by far.”
- “The game can be very funny sometimes, and hilarious facial expressions help a lot to create this light, entertaining atmosphere.”
graphics
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
10%
15%
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals and beautiful artwork, which significantly enhance the storytelling experience. Players appreciate the well-rounded character designs and the overall artistic presentation, although some note that meme-like images can detract from the atmosphere. Overall, the combination of impressive graphics, calming music, and engaging character designs contributes to a captivating and enjoyable experience.
- “The visuals are stunning and added a lot to my enjoyment of the story.”
- “The artwork and presentation is also top notch with beautifully drawn sprites and CGs, a few of which have slight animation during key scenes.”
- “This is a great game with beautiful music, interesting & fun characters and storylines, and impressive artwork.”
- “It's a standard manga/doujin thing, of course, but it was really cute while occasionally displaying the graphic directness of a four-year-old's drawing of a person shot through by an arrow, blood and all.”
- “You get lost in the graphics.”
- “The artwork is well done and the comedy in the game is a nice touch.”
emotional
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its impactful storytelling, particularly in the routes of Hui Hai and Zi Qing, which evoke strong feelings ranging from heartwarming joy to deep sadness. Players appreciate the depth of character development and the ability of the narrative to elicit tears, though some express discomfort with certain portrayals of intimacy and emotional distress. Overall, the game is praised for its touching moments and thoughtful writing, despite some criticisms regarding specific scenes.
- “The route with Hui Hai is absolutely top tier and is what makes this game worth buying; it is emotional, especially the bad end.”
- “Zi Qing's route is super adorable, and I loved both the sad and happy endings; they got me really emotional.”
- “This game was really touching and thoughtful.”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a well-crafted blend of engaging music, beautiful graphics, and charismatic characters that enhance the romantic narrative. However, the inclusion of meme-like images disrupts the overall immersion, contrasting with the otherwise unique cultural ambiance. The humor and light-hearted elements, particularly in character expressions, contribute to a playful atmosphere, while the theme of romancing monks adds depth and a sense of honor to the experience.
- “The soundtrack never felt boring or overstayed its welcome; it was always very fitting to the atmosphere.”
- “Not only the language but also the music (the opening is amazing) and visuals are creating a unique atmosphere of a different culture.”
- “The graphics look really beautiful, but meme-like images keep appearing everywhere, in the background and on the characters' faces, completely ruining the atmosphere.”
- “First of all, the idea of romancing monks creates a special atmosphere of depth; I mean we can be sure that all options are decent, honorable, and worthy.”
- “Not to spoil the original religious atmosphere, you may choose to have your character without hair or to enjoy them with it.”
gameplay
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
60%
The gameplay is rated 7/10, featuring a choice-driven narrative with multiple endings and three romanceable monks. Players must navigate through ten chapters plus an epilogue, although the mandatory musical interlude at the start of each chapter and the map mechanic can detract from the experience.
- “Gameplay: 7/10”
- “Gameplay: a choice matters game with multiple endings and 3 romanceable monks.”
- “Gameplay: the story is in 10 chapters + a final chapter which serves as an epilogue.”
- “The mechanics force you to listen to the little musical ditty that plays with each chapter announcement, which can be quite annoying.”
- “There is a map mechanic that unfortunately impacts how to achieve certain endings.”
- “The gameplay is centered around choices that matter, featuring multiple endings and three romanceable monks.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
Character development in the game is generally praised for its depth and surprising elements, particularly in the protagonist, though some players felt that certain characters, like Miss Cui, lacked development. The ability to customize character appearance adds to the engagement, complementing the unique story and beautiful art.
- “The character development was great - surprising, full of depth, and not at all ridiculous (as I saw some mention).”
- “It's got a unique story, engaging characters, a protagonist who actually gets some personal character development throughout the story, and beautiful art.”
- “The ability to choose between the shaved head and hair was a good choice.”
- “I was expecting some character development for Miss Cui, but alas, there was none.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression.”
- “The characters are one-dimensional and fail to evolve throughout the game.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers high replayability, enhanced by a fast forward function that allows players to skip repetitive text, making it easier to revisit the experience without tedium.
- “High replayability, and it has a fast forward function so you don't have to bore yourself reading the same text over and over again.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is criticized for instances where characters freeze unexpectedly, leading to confusion and frustration during gameplay.
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
Overall, the game's optimization is generally solid, with no major performance issues reported. However, players looking to play in China may encounter crashes unless they change the unicode and delete their saved data.
- “Performance has been smooth so far, but if you want to play in China, you'll need to change the Unicode and delete the saved data; otherwise, the game will crash.”
- “The optimization in this game is impressive, allowing for seamless gameplay without any noticeable lag.”
- “I've experienced excellent optimization, making it easy to run the game on lower-end hardware without sacrificing quality.”
- “Performance is fine so far, but if you want to play in China, you'll need to change the Unicode and delete the saved data; otherwise, the game will crash.”
- “The optimization is lacking, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
- “I encountered several bugs that severely impacted my experience, making it clear that the game needs better optimization.”