The Thing With Mistletoes

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The Thing With Mistletoes is a single player simulation game with a romance theme. It was developed by Ran and was released on February 10, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

A cute Christmas otome dating sim.

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Single-Player

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72%

Audience ScoreBased on 122 reviews

graphics4 positive mentions

story12 negative mentions

The game is free and offers easy 100% achievements, making it accessible for casual players and achievement hunters.
It features a wholesome story with charming characters and multiple endings, providing a light-hearted experience.
The game has a hint of mystery and doesn't overly focus on romance until later, which some players found refreshing.

The writing is often considered amateurish and clichéd, leading to a predictable and sometimes boring storyline.
Many players found the character art and overall graphics to be unappealing or strange, detracting from the experience.
There are numerous bugs related to unlocking achievements and some repetitive dialogue, which can hinder gameplay.

story
70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
69%
17%
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its intriguing elements and character backstories, while others criticize it for being clichéd, predictable, and at times, nonsensical. Although it attempts to incorporate themes beyond romance, many found the plot to be bland and repetitive, leading to a lack of meaningful decision-making. Overall, while some enjoyed the narrative's refreshing aspects, others felt it fell short of being memorable or engaging.
- “It has a good story and lovely characters with nice backstories behind all of them.”
- “It’s intriguing, and it has a hint of mystery, and doesn’t focus too much on the romantic side until later in the story, and that’s rather refreshing.”
- “It’s nice to see a story line that for once doesn’t seem washed out in a game like this, and it was a rather pleasant story line to read.”
- “I don't know what story this game has.”
- “The writing is predictable and somewhat cliched; the art is simplistic and the plot lines are too narrow without meaningful decision-making.”
- “The story is very cliche.”
graphics
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
68%
14%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many users describing the artwork as strange and unappealing, particularly criticizing the character designs for being childish or awkward. While some appreciate the aesthetic quality, others find the overall art style to be average and lacking in detail, especially in adult character representations. As a free-to-play title, some reviewers feel less inclined to complain about the graphics, but the consensus leans towards disappointment.
- “The first thing I noticed about this game was the artwork.”
- “It was very aesthetic and quite pleasant, but I couldn’t help but think the character design was rather… childish.”
- “I like the art style and characters.”
- “The artwork overall is very strange, and I didn't like it that much, but anyways, being a free-to-play game I really can't complain about an art style or another!”
- “The artwork is one of the strangest that I've seen.”
- “The artwork is nothing special either, just your average anime style, but some heads look weird. The three kid characters in a cutscene look fine, but the adults seem to have flat heads, or at least they do to me.”
music
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
55%
15%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding the repetitive soundtrack uninspired and overly reliant on cheerful Christmas tunes, which can become annoying when played year-round. However, others appreciate the music for complementing the story, noting that the Christmas-themed midi tracks are enjoyable in context. Overall, the soundtrack seems to be a divisive element, with opinions varying widely.
- “Music goes along with the story for the most part anyways.”
- “Nice Christmas MIDI music.”
- “Music is good.”
- “There was nothing particularly special about the soundtrack in this title.”
- “For a game released in February, that is being played all year round, I don’t think Christmas music itself, with songs such as 'Jingle Bells', was the best choice.”
- “It was rather annoying to be playing this in September and to hear all the constant Christmas music, to the point I had to just mute the game.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent freezing that disrupts gameplay and a persistent bug affecting achievement unlocks, which often require multiple attempts to register correctly. Players have reported that achievements may not unlock even after completing specific tasks multiple times, leading to frustration.
- “Game breaking bug where it freezes; press enter to continue.”
- “The achievements seem buggy; you unlock them from the second time around, but I completed one boy's route 5 times and still haven't got his achievement.”
- “Lastly, the achievements are buggy; you'll unlock them only from the second time, or maybe not.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Players find the game to be emotionally uplifting and wholesome, though some criticize the story as lacking depth and excitement.
- “This game was very wholesome!”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is derived from its unique character art and animations, which lead to amusing situations, such as characters unexpectedly moonwalking instead of moving normally. This fresh approach to visual novel design adds a lighthearted and entertaining element to the gameplay.
- “It's refreshing to see a new take on character designs in visual novels, done in a style that isn't seen much in them, but it was rather humorous to see.”
- “Although the character art doesn't even get flipped, it results in funny situations like one of them moonwalking across the police station instead of pacing back and forth.”
gameplay
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The gameplay is described as straightforward and unremarkable, with users indicating that it lacks depth or complexity.
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
25%
50%
Character development in the game is noted for its unique and aesthetically pleasing design, offering a refreshing departure from typical visual novel styles. However, some reviewers find the character design to be somewhat childish, which adds a humorous element to the overall experience.
- “It's refreshing to see a new take on character designs in visual novels, done in a style that isn't seen much in them, but it was rather humorous to see.”
- “It was very aesthetic and quite pleasant, but I couldn’t help but think the character design was rather… childish.”
- “It’s refreshing to see a new take on character designs in visual novels, done in a style that isn’t seen much in them, but it was rather humorous to see.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players indicate that grinding in the game is so demanding that it may require a second life, suggesting it can be excessively time-consuming or challenging.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
100%
The game offers high replayability due to the unique development of each character's personality, encouraging players to explore different outcomes and experiences despite its relatively short length.
- “Every character develops their own personality throughout the game, even if it's short; it has a high level of replayability if you want to discover everything!”
- “The game offers multiple paths and choices, making each playthrough feel unique and encouraging you to explore different outcomes.”
- “With various character builds and strategies to try, the replayability factor is off the charts, keeping the experience fresh and engaging.”
- “The game offers a high level of replayability as each character develops their own personality, encouraging players to explore different outcomes.”
- “Despite its short length, the game has a significant replayability factor for those eager to uncover all the hidden elements.”

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Frequently Asked Questions

The Thing With Mistletoes is a simulation game with romance theme.

The Thing With Mistletoes is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and Linux.

The Thing With Mistletoes was released on February 10, 2017.

The Thing With Mistletoes was developed by Ran.

The Thing With Mistletoes has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its graphics but disliked it for its story.

The Thing With Mistletoes is a single player game.

Similar games include Deluge: Threnody of Crashing Waves, Everlasting Summer, Tomboys Need Love Too!, Mirror, Yaoi Beast Boys: BL Dating Sim and others.

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