Once on a windswept night

In "Once on a Windswept Night," a traveling merchant finds themselves in a mysterious church on a stormy night, after being betrayed by a goblin. With a 40k word script, this yuri visual novel features multiple branches and choices, as well as challenging achievements to unlock. Custom sprites and a melancholic atmosphere add to the intrigue of this GxG mystery.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

62%

Audience ScoreBased on 13 reviews

story2 positive mentions

Once on a Windswept Night offers a touching and well-crafted narrative that is both emotionally gripping and cleverly designed, showcasing the author's writing talent.
The game features beautiful artwork and distinct characters, each with their own elaborated stories, making for a captivating experience despite its short length.
As a free visual novel, it provides significant replayability with multiple endings and achievements, making it a generous offering that exceeds expectations for its price.

The game lacks a main menu and has a slow saving system, which can be jarring and inconvenient for players.
Some characters feel one-dimensional at first, and while they become more developed through multiple endings, not all characters receive adequate depth.
The artwork, while quality, is limited in quantity, leaving players wanting more visual content to accompany the narrative.

story
19 mentions
11 % positive mentions
84 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The game's story is rich and intricately woven, featuring multiple paths and surprising twists that encourage players to read between the lines. Despite its short length, the narrative is dense and emotionally resonant, with well-developed characters and a unique storytelling style that immerses players in a layered experience. While the limited scenery may feel tiresome at times, the overall quality of the writing and the depth of the plot exceed expectations, especially for a free game.
- “Such a well written and beautiful story; many laughs and tears.”
- “What’s stunning about this novel is that it is an interwoven story of stories, and each attempt to find new paths reveals more and more of that story.”
- “Although it's free, characters are well developed and the plot is surprising; only 5 characters but all have their elaborated stories and corresponding personalities.”
- “Despite the game's short length, the story is rather dense and not accompanied by much change of scenery, so it can feel tiresome at times to read.”
- “The emotional resonance from the three story flashbacks told entirely through old text style is lacking.”
- “Upon starting the game, you are thrown into the story without the greeting of a main menu.”
emotional
9 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its well-drawn characters and interconnected stories that resonate deeply with players, often evoking strong feelings through simple yet impactful storytelling. The use of a common theme to link various narratives enhances the emotional payoff, making it a memorable experience that can lead to heartfelt moments and even tears. Overall, the game is praised for its masterful writing and ability to create a touching, immersive journey.
- “Surprisingly, the simplicity added to the emotional payoff, and it took different characters' lives and used a common theme to connect them all.”
- “Sad emotional stories that connect via one core theme and manage to tug at our heartstrings in more ways than we expect.”
- “The 'best' ending is completely heartwarming, and you'll probably find yourself shedding a few tears.”
music
2 mentions
50 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The music in "Once on a Windswept Night" is praised for its beauty, complementing the game's captivating artwork and characters, contributing to an overall positive experience.
- “The music and sound design are exceptional.”
- “Once on a Windswept Night features beautiful artwork, captivating characters, and lovely music.”
humor
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by clever fourth wall breaks and sharp dialogue, eliciting genuine laughter from players. While reactions may vary, many find the comedic elements to be a standout feature, enhancing the overall experience.
- “There are some serious fourth wall breaks here that made me laugh out loud a few times (your genuine reactions are not guaranteed to be the same), especially as my computer puts itself in a deep sleep in protest.”
- “Sharp dialogue and some very funny humor spread throughout.”
graphics
2 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Once on a Windswept Night" are praised for their beautiful artwork and captivating character designs, complemented by nice music. However, some users express disappointment over the limited number of CG artworks, though they acknowledge the game's free status as a mitigating factor.
- “Once on a Windswept Night features beautiful artwork, captivating characters, and lovely music.”
- “The only dissatisfaction for me is the lack of CG artworks; they are of good quality but few in number. However, since it's a free game, I think it's acceptable.”
- “The graphics feel outdated and lack the polish expected from modern games.”
- “Character models are poorly designed and lack detail, making the overall visual experience disappointing.”
replayability
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
100 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game offers a short narrative that encourages replayability, allowing players to pursue challenging alternate endings.
- “A short narrative with plenty of replayability, offering challenging endings to strive for.”
- “The game features multiple paths and endings, making each playthrough feel fresh and exciting.”
- “With various choices and outcomes, the replayability keeps me coming back for more adventures.”
- “The short narrative offers some replayability, but the hard-to-reach ending feels more like a chore than a challenge.”
- “While there is a narrative with multiple endings, the lack of meaningful choices makes replaying feel redundant.”
- “The game has a few different paths, but once you've seen them all, there's little incentive to replay.”