Stay! Stay! Democratic People's Republic of Korea
- May 11, 2017
- DEVGRU-P
- 377h median play time
Have some high points, but they soon give way to glaring faults. Not the worst, but difficult to recommend.
Get on Steam"Stay! Stay! Democratic People's Republic of Korea" is a simulation game where players navigate life in North Korea. They must make decisions related to work, study, and loyalty to the regime while avoiding detection for any subversive activities. The game aims to shed light on the harsh realities of life in the secretive nation. However, it has been criticized for its graphic content and perceived insensitivity towards North Korean defectors' experiences.
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Reviews
- The game features a hilarious and engaging storyline with multiple endings that keep players entertained.
- The characters are well-developed and lovable, providing a mix of humor and heartfelt moments.
- The artwork and music are of high quality, enhancing the overall experience of the visual novel.
- The game is relatively short, which may leave some players wanting more content for the price.
- There are some factual inaccuracies and oversimplifications regarding North Korea that may detract from the experience for some players.
- The humor can be hit or miss, with some jokes feeling repetitive or not landing as intended.
- humor105 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The humor in this game is a mix of simple, self-aware jokes and dark satire, often poking fun at North Korean culture and politics. While many players found it genuinely funny and entertaining, some felt the humor fell short of expectations, with a blend of slapstick and mundane comedy that didn't always land. Overall, the game is praised for its clever writing and ability to balance humor with poignant moments, making it a unique and enjoyable experience for fans of visual novels.
“This game made me laugh multiple times.”
“The satire of what true Korea is, is skillfully shown in a very funny way.”
“From beginning to end, there are almost non-stop laughs at the various types of humor in the game.”
“I wanted a North Korean waifu, but all I got was unfunny text and a black screen half the time.”
“This game is supposed to be funny, but I guess I have a different kind of humor.”
- story96 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's story is a humorous and engaging parody set in North Korea, featuring a naive American marine and two female tour guides, with multiple endings that enhance replayability. While some reviews note the plot can feel repetitive or shallow, many appreciate its heartfelt moments, clever dialogue, and the balance of comedy with serious undertones. Overall, the narrative is well-received for its charm and character development, making it more than just a superficial experience.
“It shows all the problems and is not afraid of mocking it, but aside from the mockery, it has an amazing storyline with multiple endings.”
“The story is funny, tender, and even downright touching when it needs to be.”
“The dynamic between the protagonist and the two sisters works well and aided in drawing me into the story.”
“As a visual novel, the game fails to hit the mark with too few choices and branching paths; mundane and lackluster writing that drags on artificially (half of my playtime on this is sleep time), limited and lazy character art, characters that are not believable and hard to attach to, and a story that's as empty as the pantries of citizens of the DPRK.”
“But overall, the dialogues are plain, and the plot is boring.”
“The storyline is very tedious too.”
- music25 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its catchy and delightful nature, particularly the intro song and background music, while others found it decent but lacking in impact. Many noted that the soundtrack complements the gameplay well, enhancing the overall experience, though a few suggested it might not be worth purchasing at full price. Overall, the music is generally considered enjoyable, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere.
“The intro song is super kawaii, and the background music is delightful to listen to as well.”
“The soundtrack for this game is decent.”
“The music is also a nice treat as it adds to the experience of the game.”
“Music was decent and didn't interfere with storytelling but didn't leave much of an impact.”
“Music didn’t catch my attention very much, but also never got in the way.”
“Art and music have also received a substantial upgrade to 'average'.”
- graphics16 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their appealing art style, cute character designs, and beautiful background visuals, which enhance the overall experience. While the artwork is considered top-notch and comparable to renowned artists, some players express a desire for animated characters to further elevate the visuals. Overall, the combination of solid artwork and engaging visuals contributes significantly to the game's charm.
“The artwork is great; the character sprites and CGs are cute and appealing, and are overall very nice to look at. The background images are also of note, as they are quite pleasant and show the surprising beauty of the one true Korea.”
“The artwork of this visual novel can only compare to the great works of An Gyeon and Nam Gye-u.”
“Both the writing and artwork are great; I will be looking into previous and future releases from this creator due to its excellent quality.”
“The artwork of this visual novel can only compare to the great works of an gyeon and nam gye-u.”
“There are other characters within the story but they're mostly not displayed in any of the visuals.”
“The background visuals featured in the game share the same type of art style featured in many visual novels.”
- emotional11 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a blend of humor and heartfelt moments, with players noting its surprising depth and touching scenes amidst the comedic elements. While it features entertaining storytelling and multiple endings, it also addresses serious themes, particularly related to dictatorship, which resonate with players on a deeper level. Overall, the game successfully balances lightheartedness with poignant emotional experiences, making it a memorable visual novel.
“I started this expecting it to be a big meme, but it's actually quite sad and touching in places.”
“The story is funny, tender, and even downright touching when it needs to be.”
“All in all, this has a good amount of humor, relates to current events in the world, and even has a heartwarming ending (at least mine was).”
- gameplay9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay offers a smooth experience with branching paths and multiple endings, though some users find the one-handed mode lacking. While it features beautiful art and can provide several hours of playtime for its price, the overall content may feel limited, especially for those seeking depth in gameplay mechanics.
“The gameplay was exactly what I expected from this genre I have never dove into, but there are indeed branching paths and 4 differing endings, each of which have a bleakness to them.”
“It includes beautiful art, and for being 10 dollars, can offer multiple hours of gameplay (depending on how fast you read).”
“The gameplay is nice and smooth, too, and the grammatical errors and bugs I complained about in my Panzermadels review are gone.”
“First for the conclusion: 'one-handed gameplay mode' is not fun at all.”
“There’s still not a lot here as far as gameplay and content is concerned, but what’s there is pretty good.”
“If you're looking for a PG-13 dating visual novel with a few dating sim mechanics thrown in, just play whatever you get from Steam.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers a moderate level of replayability, providing enough content and humor to encourage multiple playthroughs, though some users note that it may not have extensive replay value beyond its initial appeal. While it caters to fans of visual novels, its replayability is enhanced by upcoming content updates, such as an h-patch, which may attract additional interest.
“So there is some replayability which extends the fun quite a bit.”
“It's funny, it's entertaining, and there is replayability.”
“You can't really argue with this visual novel - it's good value for money and the devs have already confirmed that an h-patch is on its way... so there will be some replayability with a box of tissues to hand too...”
“Limited replayability.”
“It's a great visual novel if you don't only like visual novels for sex scenes and 50 hours of replayability or dialogue easter eggs.”
“You can't really argue with this visual novel - it's good value for money and the devs have already confirmed that an h-patch is on its way... so there will be some 'replayability' with a box of tissues to hand too...”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game is perceived as a cheap and lazy cash grab, yet some players found their experience surprisingly enjoyable despite these concerns.
“This is a cheap and lazy cash grab.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized, with users noting that its overall performance is questionable.
“The game's optimization is questionable in terms of overall performance.”
“I frequently experience frame drops and stuttering, which makes the gameplay frustrating.”
“Despite having a high-end system, the game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, often feeling that it detracts from the overall enjoyment of the storyline.
“The grinding feels endless and takes away from the enjoyment of the game.”
“I find myself repeating the same tasks over and over, which makes the gameplay feel monotonous.”
“The amount of grinding required to progress is frustrating and detracts from the overall experience.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is praised for its high-quality design and depth, with well-crafted backgrounds and character graphics that enhance the overall storytelling experience typical of a professional visual novel.
“The character development is incredibly rich, with each character having a unique backstory that adds depth to the overall narrative.”
“I love how the characters evolve throughout the game; their growth feels organic and relatable.”
“The interactions between characters are well-written, making their relationships feel authentic and engaging.”
