The Grand Ball

About

In "The Grand Ball," players step into the shoes of Edgar Blakely, the impoverished heir to a noble family in 1882 England. With his family on the brink of bankruptcy, Edgar must attend a lavish ball to secure a wealthy bride and restore his family's status. The game combines elements of visual novels and adventure games, allowing players to explore, interact with characters, and make decisions that will determine Edgar's fate and the future of House Blakely. Will you find true love and save your family, or will you lose everything in the process? The choices are yours at the Grand Ball.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

54%

Audience ScoreBased on 13 reviews

humor4 positive mentions

character development3 negative mentions

The writing is well-researched and captures the Victorian era's tone, making it feel authentic and engaging.
The game features memorable characters and a variety of endings, including unexpected twists and humorous outcomes.
The art and music contribute positively to the atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience of the visual novel.

The game is quite short, with a typical playthrough lasting only about 35-60 minutes, which may leave players wanting more.
Technical issues such as a lack of meaningful choices and a clunky interface detract from the overall enjoyment.
The character art is limited, with minimal expressions and poses, making interactions feel less dynamic and engaging.

story
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
65%
18%
The story is set in the 1800s and revolves around the son of a noble family attempting to win a lady's hand at a ball, with choices that directly influence the outcome. While the narrative emphasizes historical accuracy and includes light intrigue, it is criticized for its brevity and lack of a deeper message, leading some to feel it lacks substance as a visual novel. Despite these critiques, the writing is appreciated for its charm and the enjoyment of certain romantic arcs and humorous endings.
- “The story is set in the 1800s, and a screen shown before the story makes it clear that the writers emphasized an accurate portrayal over modern sensibilities.”
- “Although completely fictional, the writers put a lot of love and care into crafting the story to be as historically accurate as possible, and it's an absolute joy to read.”
- “The story itself is really good and I enjoyed both one of the main romantic arcs and a few of the other 'funny' endings.”
- “There was no overall message or point to the story.”
- “Overall, I wouldn't recommend it, because this did not feel like a story at all.”
- “Even a cliché story would be better than a non-story.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
The music in the game received mixed reviews; while some players found it fitting and atmospheric, others described it as generic and passable. However, a notable portion of the audience praised the orchestral waltzes and chamber music, highlighting the quality of the original compositions and rearrangements of classical pieces.
- “Absolutely loved the music!”
- “The score was made up of orchestral waltzes and chamber music; some of it composed specifically for the game and other tracks rearrangements of classical compositions.”
- “The music definitely fit with the atmosphere and certainly helped with its tone.”
- “The music definitely fit with the atmosphere and certainly helped with its tone, but I personally didn't care for it.”
- “Meanwhile, as for the music and the art, it was rather generic and passable.”
- “The soundtrack is okay.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Character development in the visual novel is criticized for its slow pacing and occasional abruptness, with some players noting a lack of expressive facial changes during dialogue that detracts from emotional engagement. While the character designs are era-appropriate, they are described as either plain or faded, which further impacts the overall impression of character depth.
- “The character design and clothing matched the era of the visual novel.”
- “While I found the character designs pleasing, the lack of expression change when they talk really bothers me since I've seen other visual novels (including free ones) where you can tell the expressions on the characters' faces change to fit the mood.”
- “The colors look too faded and the character designs felt a bit either plain or pale.”
- “Character development is very slow and sometimes too fast.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game effectively balances serious and humorous elements, with players enjoying both the romantic arcs and the comedic endings. Notably, the character Jameson, the butler, stands out for delivering some of the funniest lines, contributing to the overall humor that enhances the experience. With multiple endings, many players find themselves in unexpectedly amusing situations, adding to the game's charm.
- “The story itself is really good, and I enjoyed both one of the main romantic arcs and a few of the other funny endings.”
- “It’s hard to classify a genre for this as it had both really serious mysterious moments and also really funny moments in the dialogue. Jameson, the butler, is my favorite character! He definitely had the funniest lines.”
- “A lot of endings (eight, I believe; I’ve only unlocked about half of them) and some of them were pretty damn funny.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The visual novel delivers a deeply emotional experience, featuring a range of unexpected good and bad endings that evoke strong feelings. Players appreciate the immersive storytelling that transports them to another time period, enhancing the overall emotional impact.
- “Overall, this visual novel was an emotional experience.”
- “The variety of good and bad endings, some of which were completely unexpected while others were heartwarmingly sweet, added to the emotional depth.”
- “It really made me feel like I was in another time period.”
gameplay
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The gameplay is primarily focused on visual novel elements, emphasizing narrative and character interactions rather than traditional mechanics or action-oriented gameplay.
- “Gameplay: it's a visual novel.”
- “Gameplay: lacks depth and variety.”
- “Gameplay: feels repetitive and uninspired.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The atmosphere is characterized by a blend of refined conversations and underlying intrigues, creating a sense of tension despite the lack of action. While the music complements the tone, opinions on its effectiveness vary among players.
- “Quite soon I was drawn into that atmosphere of refined, exquisite conversations, often hiding deadly intrigues and plots. There's no real action here, just lots of noble interactions.”
- “The music definitely fit with the atmosphere and certainly helped with its tone.”
- “Quite soon I was drawn into that atmosphere of refined, exquisite conversations but often hiding deadly intrigues and plots... there's no real action here, just lots of noble interactions.”
- “The music definitely fit with the atmosphere and certainly helped with its tone, but I personally didn't care for it.”
graphics
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The graphics have received mixed feedback, with some users expressing dissatisfaction with the art style even before purchasing the game.
- “Even before I bought the game, I had a problem with the art style.”