The Chrono Jotter
- August 25, 2021
- Orca Layout
Get on Steam"The Chrono Jotter" is a first-person puzzle-adventure game where players manipulate time to solve complex puzzles. As the Chrono Jotter, players use a special notebook to record notes and drawings, which can be manipulated to alter time and interact with past and future versions of environments. With striking visuals and a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack, players embark on a journey to uncover the truth about the Time Stream and restore balance to the world.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The Chrono Jotter features a gripping story that masterfully blends murder mysteries, romance, and Lovecraftian horror, keeping players engaged throughout.
- The writing is excellent, with well-developed characters and meaningful interactions that enhance the overall narrative experience.
- The artwork is stunning, perfectly complementing the game's tone and effectively conveying intense emotions.
- The English translation is poorly executed, often reading like a machine translation, which can detract from the storytelling experience.
- The pacing feels rushed in the last chapter, leaving some plot points feeling underdeveloped.
- The game lacks an autosave feature and has limited manual save slots, which can be frustrating, especially with occasional crashes.
- story20 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The story of "The Chrono Jotter" is a captivating blend of murder mystery, romance, slice of life, and Lovecraftian horror, offering a unique narrative experience that engages players through its time travel mechanics and character interactions. While some aspects of the plot may be complex or challenging to follow, the overall storytelling is compelling and emotionally resonant, making it a worthwhile journey despite translation issues. Players appreciate the depth and creativity of the narrative, which successfully combines various genres into a thrilling visual novel experience.
“The chrono jotter is fantastic; it's got a gripping story that manages to combine murder mysteries, romance, slice of life, and some Lovecraftian horror into a delightful mix of a visual novel.”
“What other story can boast being an emotional mystery romantic psychological horror fever dream in a death game with time travel, slice-of-life, and Lovecraftian elements?”
“I thoroughly enjoyed the ride and wholeheartedly recommend the story.”
“The plot is still nigh-incomprehensible at parts, but I don't think that's a negative quality for a work to have.”
“However, the team behind the game seems incredibly small, and I can absolutely 100% say that the story behind this game is worth playing even through machine translation.”
“The story is deliciously twisted.”
- gameplay6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its excellent integration of the time travel mechanic into the plot, enhancing the overall experience. However, some users feel that while this mechanic works well in a gameplay-focused context, it may not be as effective in a visual novel format.
“Excellent execution of integrating an in-game mechanic into the plot.”
“The use of the in-game time travel mechanic plays into the plot and lore of the game seamlessly, and I enjoyed that!”
“This could maybe work for a gameplay-heavy game, but it definitely doesn't for a visual novel.”
“It's just gameplay.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the emotional depth of the game compelling, highlighting its unique blend of genres that includes mystery, romance, and horror. The character writing is particularly praised for its ability to evoke strong feelings, making the experience both dark and sweet. Overall, the game successfully combines intricate world-building with poignant storytelling, leaving a lasting emotional impact.
“What other story can boast being an emotional mystery, romantic, psychological horror fever dream in a death game with time travel, slice-of-life, and Lovecraftian elements?”
“A dark but sweet investigation game, Chrono Jotter manages to combine some of my favorite world-building in an urban fantasy visual novel with really touching character writing.”
“Wow... this game made me emotional.”
- graphics2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics are widely praised for their phenomenal artwork, showcasing impressive visual quality and artistic design.
“The artwork in general is phenomenal.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players express that the grinding in the game is excessively time-consuming, often requiring a significant investment of time akin to having a second life to fully engage with it.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
“I spent hours grinding, and it still feels like I'm nowhere.”
