Without Within

About

Without Within is a single player action game. It was developed by InvertMouse and was released on January 22, 2015. It received positive reviews from players.

Vinty has been getting nowhere with her calligraphy. Her confidence has sunk to an all time low. As life pressures her toward giving up, will she forget why she pursued this craft in the first place?

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,174 reviews

story196 positive mentions

grinding8 negative mentions

The game features charming artwork and a cute art style that enhances the overall experience.
The story, while short, is humorous and relatable, touching on themes of pursuing dreams and facing reality.
It's free to play, making it an easy recommendation for those looking for a quick and enjoyable visual novel.

The game is extremely short, taking only about 10-20 minutes to complete, which may leave players wanting more.
Choices are limited and often lead to immediate bad endings, reducing the sense of agency in the story.
The ending feels abrupt and lacks a satisfying resolution, which may disappoint players looking for a more developed narrative.

story
573 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
60%
6%
The story of "Without Within" follows Vinty, an aspiring calligrapher navigating the challenges of pursuing her dreams while facing financial struggles. While the narrative is engaging and humorous, many reviewers noted its brevity, with gameplay lasting around 15-30 minutes and a linear structure that often leads to abrupt endings or bad outcomes based on player choices. Overall, the story is described as charming and relatable, though it leaves players wanting more depth and resolution.
- “It's a compelling story that doesn't take itself too seriously while also having underlying meanings that really get you thinking.”
- “Without Within is a short visual novel where we follow a girl named Vinty who dreams to be a famous calligrapher. As we follow her story, we also make choices at a few key points that may simply end the story or change it slightly, as there are multiple endings.”
- “The story is simple but engaging, focusing on the theme of sticking with your dreams and never giving up on what you are passionate about.”
- “I didn't feel that the story really went anywhere, and it ended rather abruptly without feeling like a conclusion.”
- “The story just ends.... no wrap up, not even an epilogue to satisfy my curiosity surrounding the development of the story or Vinty as the protagonist.”
- “I wish there was more to this game and a longer story to go through.”
humor
194 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
1%
The humor in this visual novel is widely praised for its lightheartedness and relatability, often eliciting genuine laughter through clever writing and amusing scenarios, particularly in the bad endings. Many reviewers highlight the charming protagonist and the game's ability to blend humor with deeper themes, making it an enjoyable, albeit brief, experience. Overall, players appreciate the game's comedic elements, cute art style, and the fact that it's free, making it a recommended pick for those seeking a quick laugh.
- “The bad endings are pretty funny.”
- “It's free, the art is good, the story is quite funny even if it's a bit soul crushing, and it's short.”
- “This is a heartwarming and hilarious story about a young upcoming calligrapher with dreams of becoming famous.”
- “Reminds me of a quote from comic artist Scott Adams: 'It's not funny if I have to explain it.'”
- “A short, unfunny, quite predictable, and quick-ending story about a stupid girl who can't properly use money.”
graphics
128 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
43%
5%
The graphics of the game are generally described as cute and charming, featuring a simplistic yet appealing art style that resonates well with the game's lighthearted narrative. While some reviewers noted that the visuals can appear amateurish or inconsistent at times, many appreciated the overall aesthetic and character design, which adds to the game's enjoyable experience. Overall, the graphics are considered a strong point, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere despite some critiques of their depth and complexity.
- “The graphics are extremely clean and arguably good, although in sparing amounts since the game is short.”
- “The artwork is adorable, the opening theme is soothing, and the interface is very simple and easy to use.”
- “The simple artwork, fitting soundtrack, and heartwarming plot all came together to create a beautiful work of art.”
- “Graphically, it's a bit amateurish but cute, with art for every situation.”
- “The artwork is bland.”
- “The art style was slightly iffy to me.”
music
121 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
48%
2%
The music in the game is generally described as pleasant and fitting, enhancing the overall experience with its simple, upbeat, and sometimes emotional tones. While some reviewers noted that the soundtrack can be repetitive or generic, many appreciated its ability to complement the cute art style and narrative effectively. Overall, the music is considered a positive aspect, contributing to the game's charm despite some critiques regarding its simplicity.
- “The music pieces are enjoyable, soothing, upbeat, and funny.”
- “The music is varied depending on location, but always retains an upbeat quality to it - which fits well with the optimism of Vinty in achieving her dream.”
- “The simple artwork, fitting soundtrack, and heartwarming plot all came together to create a beautiful work of art.”
- “Definitely, that music can't be a reason to play this game.”
- “While the music is quite bad, created more to keep you company while reading than to create the scene's atmosphere, the drawings and especially the colors are nice and well done.”
- “My only real gripe is that the music is a little bit generic and loops somewhat frequently, although I must admit that I was idle for quite some time with the game running.”
emotional
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a blend of heartwarming and relatable storytelling, often resonating with players through themes of ambition and perseverance. While some found the experience touching and inspiring, particularly in its portrayal of creative struggles, others criticized its brevity and simplicity, feeling it lacked depth. Overall, the game is praised for its charming art and music, creating a sweet, albeit short, emotional journey.
- “A short, heartwarming visual novel about chasing your dreams.”
- “The character might be relatable due to her awkwardness and ambition, and the message of this story is to not give up on our dreams and keep working hard, which is really wholesome.”
- “I enjoyed the game; it's the first visual novel I have ever played, and it has such a touching story that I think many of us can relate to in life.”
gameplay
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
74%
9%
The gameplay of this visual novel is largely criticized for its brevity and lack of depth, with most players noting that it consists mainly of clicking through dialogue and making binary choices that lead to either progression or dead ends. While some appreciate the potential for multiple endings, many feel that the overall experience is too short, often lasting only 10 to 30 minutes, and lacks meaningful gameplay mechanics. Overall, the game is seen as a simple, albeit flawed, interactive story rather than a robust gaming experience.
- “This is a modern masterpiece which promises hours upon hours of exciting gameplay and thrilling emotional endings.”
- “Even though it's only around 15 minutes of gameplay, it's a cute little story, with fairly good artwork.”
- “The story is fun, in-game flags (choices) and gameplay are meant to keep on story or get a bad end.”
- “Gameplay isn't much better, either.”
- “Mechanically, you are presented with a binary choice, and one of the choices is wrong and leads to a bad ending, and the other one moves the story forward.”
- “As a visual/interactive novel, this doesn't feature any notable gameplay; it's just a lot of clicking through badly written dialogue that would never have been accepted or published in print, which presents the question, 'how did something this badly written end up on Steam?'.”
grinding
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
89%
The reviews overwhelmingly characterize the game as excessively grindy, likening it to a "grinding simulator" that detracts from the overall experience. Players express frustration with the tedious nature of the gameplay, comparing it unfavorably to reading a novel in a cumbersome format that requires constant clicking.
- “Very grindy game.”
- “Grinding simulator.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
monetization
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is characterized by its heavy reliance on advertisements, which some players find amusing rather than intrusive. While the game serves as a promotional tool for the developers' future projects, it also incorporates self-referential elements that can be perceived as both clever and somewhat disingenuous. Overall, players appreciate the game's charm but recognize its primary function as an advertisement.
- “The story seems cute, but then switches into cheap advertising for itself.”
- “I can only think that this isn't supposed to be a game, but an advertisement for whatever the developers are cooking up next.”
- “This game is shorter than TV ads.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
The game's atmosphere is primarily enhanced by its automatic voice-over and well-crafted artwork, which together create a relaxing and immersive experience. While the music is often criticized for being subpar and more of a background element, it still contributes to the overall ambiance. Despite some shortcomings in character development and length, the combination of visuals and sound effectively amplifies the simplicity of the story, making it enjoyable for newcomers to the visual novel genre.
- “The atmosphere of the game is only enhanced by the fantastic automatic voice-over setting, which really brings the characters and setting to life.”
- “When you combine art with music, the result is a wonderful atmosphere that does a great job amplifying the simplicity of the story.”
- “But it does lack important things for visual novels like characterization, length (really, it probably did pretty well for the length) and atmosphere (sort of).”
- “While the music is quite bad, created more to keep you company while reading than to create the scene's atmosphere, the drawings and especially the colors are nice and well done.”
- “The atmosphere of the game is only enhanced by the fantastic automatic voice-over setting which really brings the characters and setting to life.”
character development
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
60%
The character development in the game is praised for its immersive storytelling and cute design, though some players feel a disconnect between the charming character designs in the background and the chibi style of the main character. Overall, the game is seen as an inspirational visual novel that encourages perseverance through its narrative.
- “It really is an immersive story with good character development.”
- “The character design is rather cute, and it's a rather inspirational visual novel--basically just wait for an (unexpected) opportunity and persevere.”
- “I would love to see the developer make a game using the character designs on the background posters and magazines.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
- “I found the character arcs to be predictable and uninspired, leaving me wanting more complexity.”
- “The interactions between characters are limited, which detracts from the overall development and growth of their relationships.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game has limited replayability, with a score of 6/10, primarily due to the restriction of following a single "right" route. Players express a desire for more diverse pathways and extended gameplay, indicating that enhanced replay value could significantly improve their overall experience.
- “Only bad thing is that there's no replay value, since you can only take one 'right' route.”
- “This game has good potential in the storyline, and if they release a sequel, I would definitely play it. If it had more replayability, more routes, and lasted longer in terms of gameplay, I would probably buy it.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The optimization of the game has received criticism for its short playtime and subpar fullscreen resolution, indicating areas that could benefit from improvement.
- “The game suffers from poor optimization, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
- “Fullscreen mode is not optimized well, resulting in a subpar visual experience.”
- “The overall performance feels rushed, with noticeable lag and loading issues that detract from the enjoyment.”