Shivering Hearts
- July 21, 2020
- Mischa
Get on Steam"Shivering Hearts" is a narrative-driven game with hand-drawn watercolor landscapes and characters. The emotionally gripping story revolves around 17 distinct characters and features intricate dialogue dialogues with cascading consequences. There are no combat or leveling mechanics in this game.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features beautiful hand-drawn watercolor art and a charming atmosphere that captivates players.
- The writing is humorous and engaging, with well-developed characters and a story that balances lighthearted moments with serious themes.
- The dialogue choices have meaningful consequences, encouraging players to explore different interactions and outcomes.
- The game is relatively short, with some players feeling it lacks depth and variety in gameplay, leading to a limited replay value.
- Despite the beautiful visuals, the lack of background animation makes the environments feel static and lifeless.
- Some players found that the branching paths and endings were not as diverse as expected, often leading to similar outcomes regardless of choices made.
- story19 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The story in the game is a mix of realistic character outcomes and engaging dialogue, focusing on themes like family abuse and personal choices, which shape the narrative. While the visuals are a standout feature, the plot is described as short and straightforward, with humorous elements and interesting characters, though some players feel it lacks depth and replayability due to its linearity. Overall, the dialogue system allows for some player agency, but many reviewers noted that the story's directness limits the impact of choices on the overall experience.
“The story is a blend of elements, almost taking the RPG idea but making realistic outcomes for side characters and how that would truly unfold.”
“The story is short and sweet, with humorous dialogue, a simple story concept to keep you hooked till the end along with some interesting characters, all with their own situations and backstories.”
“Each character has a unique personality and acts differently depending on what you say to them, which keeps the story interesting all the way through.”
“Instead of the cringey high-school anime fan-fiction story, there's a mediocre high school anime-club dropout choose your own adventure that really will reduce the quality of your life if you try reading it.”
“The dialogue trees are well done, but ultimately I didn't feel like the player had enough agency to alter how the story plays out.”
“The game itself doesn’t have much replay value because of how direct the story really is; you’ll always find yourself in set situations no matter what you choose to say to people.”
- graphics15 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful hand-drawn watercolor art style, which sets it apart from typical RPG Maker titles. While the character designs and overall aesthetic are highlighted as major strengths, some reviewers noted limitations such as a lack of animation in backgrounds and poor fullscreen support. Overall, the visuals are considered a key appeal, enhancing the storytelling experience.
“The art style and color are refreshing, as is the watercolor look.”
“The artwork is what grabbed me from the trailers and screenshots - and it's great the whole way through.”
“Everything is hand-drawn, which makes this game stand out a lot more than most other RPG Maker games and shows how unique it is with its visuals.”
“Like all RPG Maker games, the poor quality engine displays badly in fullscreen and doesn't have full HD support or any graphics tweaking options.”
“Even though the art style is hand-drawn, there is no animation in the backgrounds, making everything feel static and lifeless, despite the environmental sounds playing in the background.”
“The highlight is the hand-drawn artwork, though it is just the characters moving about in the still background, which is understandable since it is hand-drawn.”
- humor10 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is a blend of funny and dark moments, featuring well-crafted dialogues that elicit consistent laughter without feeling overwhelming. Players appreciate the balance between humor and seriousness, with the writing often breaking the fourth wall and enhancing the overall experience. The compact story, rich character backstories, and clever dialogue choices contribute to a humorous yet engaging narrative.
“Another thing to say is the humor this game upholds is very well done.”
“I found myself laughing all the way through as the game constantly dishes out humorous dialogues and dialogue choices (perhaps a bit too much).”
“The writing throughout is a combination of being serious and humorous, though the game clearly knows when to make something funny.”
- music8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its chill and upbeat tracks that enhance the atmosphere, reminiscent of classic titles like Chrono Trigger. While there is limited variety in the music, the sound effects and environmental audio effectively complement the overall experience, contributing to the game's unique charm. The combination of beautiful art and engaging music creates a captivating ambiance for players.
“The music is nice too with chill audio when nothing much is going on, and some upbeat music when there is some action.”
“Wonderful writing, incredible art, and fantastic music make for a truly unique experience.”
“I love how this game looks, its music, and the whole atmosphere.”
“There’s only a small amount of variety to the music throughout the game, but when there isn’t any music playing, there are suitable environmental sounds that add to the game.”
“There’s only a small amount of variety to the music throughout the game, but when there isn’t any music playing, there are suitable environmental sounds that add to the game.”
- gameplay3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been criticized for its lack of variety, suggesting that potential players should watch gameplay footage to determine if it aligns with their preferences before making a decision.
“I'd suggest watching some gameplay to get a feel for whether it's your cup of tea, and then decide.”
“Lack of variety in gameplay.”
“I'd suggest watching some gameplay, get a feel for if it's your cup of tea, and then decide.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players are pleasantly surprised by the game's ability to shift from a lighthearted and quirky tone to deeply emotional and intense moments within a brief playtime of under two hours. The dialogue is praised for being a blend of humor, poignancy, and intelligence, contributing to a compact yet impactful experience.
“I really didn't expect how the game would go from kind of goofy and weird to extremely touching and intense - and that in such a short playtime!”
“It's compact (just under 2 hours for me) without feeling rushed, really straightforward to play, and every line of dialogue is either funny, touching, or even smart.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its stunning visuals and captivating music, creating an immersive experience that enhances overall enjoyment.
“I love how this game looks, its music, and the whole atmosphere.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game has limited replayability due to its linear storytelling, where players encounter the same set situations regardless of their choices.
“The game itself doesn’t have much replay value because of how direct the story really is; you’ll always find yourself in set situations no matter what you choose to say to people.”
“Once you finish the game, there’s little incentive to go back. The choices feel superficial and don’t lead to significantly different outcomes.”
“After completing the main storyline, I found that the lack of meaningful side quests made replaying the game feel tedious and uninteresting.”
