itch.io

Ah that's how it's flagged because it's not signed (i.e. I didn't pay to have it approved by Microsoft or Apple)/delivered through the app store. It is perfectly safe to download! If it still bothers you, you can play it through the official itch app. 

Thank you so much!! You're too kind 🥹 I'm glad that you enjoyed it! 

GOSH that's too kind 😭 thank you!!! I'm glad you enjoyed!

AHHHH thank you kona, you are too kind 😭 when I put them all next to each other I did like looking at them all, all of the different game aesthetics turned out pretty different 😂 It almost makes me want to make each game with a different color theme so that when I put them together next year it will be rainbow colored LOL 

GOSH thank you for the well wishes 💦 I'm very grateful 🥹 I hope that your own plans go well this year, too! 

Happy new year! 😊 And thank you, I'll try!! 

AWW thank you yinny 😭😭😭 you're too kind!! I hope it's fun 💦

OH GOSH you played this one too 🥹 Thank you so much!!! I'm currently working on the last game which is about 3x as long as Karamu and Kanau combined, so it will take me a bit of time 😂  But it has quite a bit more romance 🥰 I hope you enjoy it! I'm also working on a spinoff that's quite romance/thriller focused as well! Thank you again for playing and taking the time to leave your thoughts 😭 

Ack I'm sorry 😭 hopefully it works in the next update! I do plan on making an Android build for MMM sometime in the future (basically I'll have to remove the animations for it, but I don't think it should affect the experience too much), but unfortunately it will take a bit of time so it's on the backburner for the time being 💦

A MASTERPIECE you're far too kind, thank you 😭 I'm really glad that you were surprised 🤭 and that you felt like it was overall well balanced! It was my first time writing a shorter game like this one, and when I made it I worried a lot about the balance between the romance and horror elements 😂 And oh gosh 😭 I'm happy that you like the art too, I was really insecure about it at the time 💦 (I think I've gotten a bit better, but I still have a ways to go!) And judging from my other comments I don't think anyone will judge you 😂 (Raku is one of my favorite LIs, I won't lie 💦) THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PLAYING and taking the time to comment, it really means the world to me! 😭

Oh I'm glad to hear that! I used Godot 4!

AHHHH thank you for playing!! And gosh I'm sorry, I made this after I switched to a new engine and couldn't get Android builds to work. Since then I refactored my code and I think I can make Android builds again. I plan to release a third game this year, and I'll be making a "bundled" version with all 3 games that will (hopefully) be available on Android, so hopefully you can play it then! 😭 Sorry for the inconvenience! 

GOSH that is high praise, thank you so much 😭 thank you for playing! 

(Thank you for giving me the honor of editing this game!)

UTFS is always consistently good, and I have to say that Kein:UberLeben hits PARTICULARLY hard in the emotional department. 

It goes without saying, but the game is INCREDIBLY polished, as always. The UTFS games are always consistently high quality, with stunning animations, stellar voice acting, beautiful artwork, and a sleek and satisfying GUI. Details like the movements of the mechs, or the characters getting out of the mechs, or Micah running around - all add so much life and dynamicism to the format. The sprites are particularly well rendered this time around, with the gradient in the characters' hair adding a nice bright pop of color that makes them stand out in the dystopian landscape. I especially loved Yiska and Cain's designs, whose colors were especially well executed. I won't comment much on the writing since I did edit it 😂 but I found it beautifully written, and the emotions were particularly compelling in the last scene. The VAs also did an utterly fantastic job - each of their voices perfectly matched their characters, and the performances really enhanced the script in a way that I didn't expect (for instance, the wooden recitation of Mari's dramatic introduction to the recruits really sold how inexperienced she is at this and how much she rehearsed). I particularly enjoyed Hoshea, Ilias, and Kenan's first scene, which had a lot of fun dialogue and good interplay between the VAs (even though it was Hoshea's first appearance, you could garner so much about him from the way his VA delivered his lines!) 

While all of the UTFS entries have been consistently interesting (and very different) with fascinating worldbuilding and a "grand scope," I particularly enjoyed Kein:UberLeben because of the strength of its character writing. It focuses on a smaller cast than usual, building on characters that we're familiar with from other titles (BCS and Re-Idealize) with a tight web of relationships between the main 4: Aaron, Cain, Mari, and Yiska. This really allows for strong characterization of its leads, even in a short timeframe.

====SPOILERS====

All 4 of the main leads have a fairly strong connection to each other - Aaron/Yiska and Mari/Cain are married, of course, but Mari and Aaron also lead the colony together, and Cain and Yiska are very good friends. This complicates things, as Aaron holds a grudge against Cain for the crimes of their father - associating his half-brother with his father's misdeeds. It's a bitter irony considering how kindhearted Cain actually is - and while Mari tries to keep out of it, Yiska attempts to mend the bond between the brothers. It's well-written interpersonal conflict that adds a lot of depth to the characters and instantly makes you invested in their story. When the chance to mend this relationship is ripped away, it feels truly devastating. Throughout the story the parallels between Aaron/Yiska and Mari/Cain are quite apparent - with Yiska and Cain being the "rock" for their respective spouses - which also makes the climax all the more tragic, as Cain/Yiska, these figures of comfort and reliable support, are brutally murdered. Aaron's sense of hopelessness and guilt at having contributed to his wife's death is palpable, and it's heartwrenching to see Mari confronting Aaron, both having endured the same loss.

It was good to see the return of a few familiar faces - Aaron, Ester, Micah, Mari and Kenan - and it was interesting seeing how the events of this game affected them in the future - Aaron, Micah, and Mari, in particular. Here, Micah is bright and full of joy, with loving parents, frolicking around the warrior colony, seemingly unaware of its dangers. However, after his experiences, he becomes the jaded, bitter kid in BCS, even though he still has a good heart. Mari didn't change as dramatically, but here she is much more stern, and you can tell how young and inexperienced she is. In BCS, she has mellowed out quite a bit (and I like to think that she took on a few of her late husband's better qualities). You see a lot of different sides of Aaron, in particular - he treats his wife with surprising tenderness, and his bitterness towards his half-brother is both frustrating but also understandable. I especially liked the "good cop bad cop" dynamic between Mari and Aaron, as Aaron softens some of her harder edges. Kenan's appearance here helps to dispel a lot of his mystique from BCS, as we learn why his reaction towards Micah was so conflicted - and why he seems more softhearted than his compatriots. Overall, the game does a fantastic job of giving you more insight into these familiar faces and adds depth to their characters that also explains why they act the way they do in BCS.

Among the relationships, I thought that Cain's relationship with his son, Micah, was a standout. The story starts with Cain chasing Micah through a factory playing hide and seek, unable to bring himself to stop his son from playing in an environment with a lot of dangerous equipment. It's really fitting symbolism and a good parallel for what happens later - as Cain wants to preserve Micah's smile, to shelter him from the world's harsh realities - even if it means exposing his son to danger. Ironically, it is Cain's softness towards Micah that turns out to be the worst for him. By indulging in Micah's play and agreeing to bring him on patrol, Cain unintentionally exposes Micah to the worst pain imaginable, and a trauma that he will never forget. Throughout you can't help but feel for Cain - as he wants the world to be safe and perfect for his child, but the reality is that it isn't, and he can't protect his son from the world's dangers. Even at the end, he's helpless to do anything but to tell Micah to close his eyes - to shield himself from reality, praying that the soldiers won't find him - as he stays strong for his son, even as he's dying. This resilience in the face of utter hopelessness and despair really made Cain one of my favorite characters in the franchise, despite only appearing here. 

I'll touch briefly on the "villains" of the story - Hoshea, Ilias, and Kenan. Ilias is a familiar face from Re-Idealize, but while he appeared to be a reliable father there, here it seems like he's a bit clumsy, and definitely the "unreliable" one of the group. Hoshea puts on a "composed" air but it's clear how lowly he thinks of everyone - the rebels, and even his fellow soldiers - and his warped worldview, seeing humans essentially as animals, is clear. Kenan puts on a cold appearance, but he has the softest heart of them all. They're painfully humanized - even moreso than the "villains" of BCS. During the introduction, they interact, not as colleagues, but as a group of friends that has clearly known each other for a long time (although it's clear that, despite their closeness, their relationship is a bit strained). After everything is said and done, Ilias is so horrified that he vomits, and Kenan also shows some remorse - yet they methodically continue to do their jobs. You hate them for what they've done, but they're so human that it's also HARD to hate them. It really plays into the grayness of the UTFS universe, as both sides have characters that you can empathize with and root for.

Overall, this was FANTASTIC. Narratively, it is incredibly tight and complex, with nuanced and compelling characterization combined with an utterly devastating emotional climax. It is personally one of my favorites from the UTFS franchise, and I'm honored to be part of it. Fantastic work! 

DANG HOW DID YOU RELEASE NINE GAMES THIS YEAR, I kept thinking that we got to the ending but then realized "OH WAIT that released this year too..." It was a great year for you (which is funny because I also recall you were going to take it easy in the latter half LMAO), and it seems like next year will be no less productive... WE'RE GETTING THE PHANTOM BL FGHFGHFG and good luck with yaoi jam again, fourth time's the charm... 

OHH hello 😊 Gosh I'm really honored, thank you so much 😭 I'm really glad that the gradually unfolding mystery was interesting 🤭 I really love putting in little hints and details, so it makes me happy when people pick up on them 😭💦💦 and I'm so glad that you found the illustrations pretty too 💦 I was really insecure about my art at this time so that means so much! 

There's actually a prequel that's released (Kanau) that you can find on my page! And I plan on releasing a sequel sometime next year (to make it into a trilogy 🙌)The script and VA for that one are already done, so I just need to work on the coding and art assets!

Thank you so much for playing and for taking the time to leave your thoughts! 🥹

GOSH you are too kind 🥹💦💦 Thank you so much for playing and taking the time to comment! 😭

OH thank you so much! 😭💦💦

AHHH GOSH thank you for picking it up Kona, I'm so honored that you took the time to play 😭💦 (And thank you again for checking the Linux build, gosh, it was such a huge help!) FGHFGH YOU'RE TOO KIND, I do want to make sure that the reading experience is as comfortable/enjoyable as possible 😭

=======SPOILERS==========

OHH thank you so much!! I'm glad that it was enjoyable even without prior familiarity with the myth, I was rather worried about that 😓 and I'm happy that it inspired people to check out the original! 😂

AHHH I'm glad that the vibe was unsettling! I do love horror but I struggle with making things "scary" 💦 this was my first attempt at making a properly "scary" game (I'm not sure if I REALLY succeeded 💦 but at the very least I think it's scarier than Karamu? 😂) I'm also glad that you found Yumeko to be intriguing! While AI is pretty controversial in the world nowadays 🤣 I do find the idea of "robots" and "what it means to be human/conscious" to be quite an interesting question... and a particularly fascinating thing to explore in fiction!

(I'm glad fghfghgf I do explore some edgier/darker topics in my games, but I do hope that people can feel at ease/comfortable while they play!)

OHHHH I am very happy that you noticed the voice actors!! And that it's clear why there are three of them when you get to the endings! (Admittedly it was partially a logistical thing 😂 since I didn't want to burden one VA with too many lines - but I also really wanted to evoke the feeling of a Greek chorus, with each narrator representing one of the three endings!) The VA wasn't planned at the start but I am so glad that I added it (and found such talented and wonderful people to work with), I don't think it would have been half as good with their contributions.

Thank you again for playing, Kona!! 😭 And for taking the time to comment, it really means so much to me! 

OH GOSH thank you again for playing, Akazukin, and for always leaving such lengthy and thoughtful comments 😭💦 I'm very honored that you picked up another one of my games! (And relieved that it didn't disappoint 😂)

===SPOILERS===

I'm glad that the characterization was realistic 🤣 (I might have known a few guys like the Doctor as well...) - it is interesting how quickly people "catch" on to the mechanic... and no no, no need to apologize! Loop mechanics is exactly what I was going for! I always think it's very neat when VNs use the medium in an interesting way (particularly with "game loops") so I really wanted to think of a cool way to use them 🤔 (I would like to play around with such game mechanics in the future - since usually I write rather straightforward/linear stories!) 

And YES, you caught on my intent exactly 😭💦 the Doctor, upon hearing an answer that he does not like, doesn't seek to investigate the cause of this "discrepancy" or persuade Yumeko - he takes the easiest way out, to just "remove" the error, because he doesn't understand, and he doesn't care to. Violence is precisely what I wanted to mimic here - as I wanted to see if I could convey the brutality of abuse without outright physical violence 🤔

And yes 😓 while I'd say none of the endings are "canon," the final route you mentioned is the one that I would point out as the canon route if I were asked for one 🤣 simply because, well, it's a realistic and all-too-common outcome in these situations. Thank you so much 😭 You're too kind! And I am SO HAPPY that you found it rather queer-coded as well! I did want to echo this kind of experience - of being forced into a "feminine box." (Fun fact, I actually considered naming the "freedom" ending "The Person" and allowing the player to pick their name/gender at the end - but in the end I didn't want to make the message too complicated or muddied 😭) Gosh I'm really glad that you could relate to the message/ideas in such a way! (As a rather "strong-minded" woman I've also found myself scraping/banging against societal expectations 😓 it's difficult...)

GOSH I AM VERY GLAD THAT YOU NOTICED THAT, that the Doctor doesn't appear while Yumeko does 🥹💦 I did want to convey in the end that the Doctor isn't that important 🤣 since this is about Yumeko's story - and her trying to find a body (and power) for herself. 

AND THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING THE NARRATORS, it was actually an idea that I had midway through production and I am so glad that I did 😭😭 all the VAs I worked with were absolutely stellar, and they added SO much to the experience that I can't imagine what the game would have been like without them! 😭

THANK YOU AGAIN for taking the time to play and leave all of your thoughts, they're really a treasure to read, gosh 🥹💦 and they really make my day (and my entire week!) I'm glad that you enjoyed it! 💕

Aww thank you so much for reading!! 🥹💦 I'll continue working hard!

OH GOSH thank you so much for taking the time to make a playthrough 😭 and to leave such a kind comment!! I'm glad that you enjoyed it! 💕

PURE SEROTONIN DFGDFG 🥹💦 I really can't express how happy I am to receive this comment, I'm so glad you enjoyed 😭😭😭 This really motivated me, I'm working hard on the third game!! I hope you enjoy it! 🥹

GOSH I AM SO TOUCHED, I'm so glad that you like it 😭💦 so much so that you paused to comment while you were playing! I'M HONORED THAT YOU PICKED UP ON ALL OF THIS 🥹 and gosh yes, the voice actors were INCREDIBLE! This was my first time working with VAs and I'm so lucky that they were so fantastic 😭 (and that they've both agreed to stay on with me for over a year!) 

Thank you again for taking the time to play and comment 🥹💦 

GOSH you're too kind 😭💦 and I'm very glad that you found it relatable 🥹💦 I must have done something right 🤣

And YES, they were both utterly fantastic!! I was really worried about casting correctly for this one, and I was lucky to find two VAs that were PERFECT. For Kalei, in particular, I was worried about finding an authentic cast for his accent, so I was SO happy that I found Noah 😭💦

Thank you so much for playing, and for taking the time to leave your thoughts! I really appreciate them 🥹

Oh I'm currently planning to add a French translation! Other than that I unfortunately can't afford translations, unfortunately 😓

😭😭😭 I'm tearing up reading this comment, thank you so much!! (Of course I hope you weren't too upset while playing 😭 but I'm really glad that the story resonated with you so deeply.) 

And OHHH that's interesting! Honestly I've found that a lot more people REALLY DISLIKE him than not, but when I wrote him I intended him to be a little "ambiguous." That even though you know that he's terrible, there's something comforting and familiar about him that draws you to him anyway. Since at the end of the day I think that anxiety is not an inherently evil thing, just something that can hurt us if we let it take too much control. 

Again, I can't express how thankful I am that you took the time to play it through twice and left a comment 😭 I'm so grateful!

GOSH this is very high praise, thank you so much 😭I'm really glad that you liked the reveal! And AHHHH this was my second foray into using really stylized colors so I'm glad that it was effective!!

And OHH you're the first person to mention this! That was absolutely my intent - that in the end he is a player in Yumeko's story, with no name, no face, no deep backstory. I really wanted the player to focus on Yumeko and her experience!

Thank you again for playing and for taking the time to comment, it means the world to me!

AWW that makes me so happy 😊 ✨ I'm so glad you enjoyed!!! 🌺

😭 ACK I hope that you were all right 💦💦 (I know that most people probably won't go into this game expecting an anxiety simulation 😅) although I'm glad that it was relatable/accurate to your experience 🥹 ALAS I AM GLAD THAT HE IS CUTE, otherwise this game would truly be horrifying to get through 😂 

THE VOICE ACTORS DID SUCH A GOOD JOB, I'm so glad that you liked them 😭 I really wanted to voice this game in particular due to the nature of it, and I worried so much about getting actors that fit the part, but both of them really knocked it out of the park 💦 I was so lucky that they were willing to participate 😭

Thank you so much for taking the time to play and leave your thoughts 🥹 Of course I always love when anyone plays my games (regardless of what they think of them), but it's always special when it rings true to someone else's experience! Thank you again 😭💦

Thank you very much 😊 I hope so too!! 💪 And thank you for playing and taking the time to comment as well! 🥹

😭 Oh gosh it means so much to hear that; thank you so much! I'm working hard on the last one as we speak! 💪

=======SPOILERS===========

WOW THIS IS SUCH HIGH PRAISE, gosh 😭😭😭 I'm really glad that you thought I tackled this (admittedly very complex) topic in a comprehensive way, I was a bit worried since the game is fairly short 💦💦 I'm glad that you noticed this detail! I think it's pretty important when addressing toxic relationships - that oftentimes the victim is tempted to stay because they have received love and they sympathize with the abuser in some way. It's often glorified in fiction (particularly romances) as well - this idea that you can "fix" someone who hurts you, when that's never your responsibility or something that can even be done.

OHHH THAT WAS EXACTLY MY INTENT, and you articulated it exactly perfectly (indeed, I did mean the "resets" to represent some kind of abuse - that slowly changes Yumeko's sense of self).

😭💦 Your comments are too kind, I really can't express how grateful I am to receive them! Thank you again for playing and taking the time to leave your thoughts, it means so much!

ACK I HOPE YOU WERE OKAY (as a horror game creator it's good to know that I successfully get under people's skin, but of course I want people to not feel TOO triggered by my games too) I am glad to hear that it resonated with you though, "The Wife" is definitely the most uncomfortable/saddest ending for me too. 

Thank you so much for playing!! 🥹 I'm very glad that you enjoyed it!

THANK YOU SO MUCH 😭

Your take is really on point, and in a way that I don't think I've seen articulated by anyone up until this point - that, over the course of the game, there is this anger/resentment that builds, with no outlet for it to be released.

I'M SO GLAD ABOUT THAT, I thought it would be a clever way of utilizing a "loop" in a VN (since I love games that can use time loops in a clever way), but I did worry about it being a bit repetitive... And yes, honestly I've been doing some research on abusive relationships, and what "love" means to an abuser - and I do think that the Doctor, by some definition, "loved" Yumeko - but they probably didn't have the same definition, LOL

And yes, your take on the VA is VERY on point! I really wanted the different VAs to embody different women's thoughts in such a situation, almost talking to Yumeko like voices in her head. And all of them did such a fantastic job - I couldn't have asked for a better cast.

I'M HAPPY YOU ENJOYED IT, I did worry that men couldn't enjoy this considering how "distinct" the perspective is 😭 I do want everyone to be able to play my games and find something from them, so I'm really happy whenever I hear that a guy played this one and enjoyed it in some way (and gosh, especially that you found it relatable 🥹 even though it's a game about the female perspective, in the end it's also a game about toxic relationships, so I'm so happy it resonated with you!) 

GOSH YOU'RE TRULY TOO KIND 😭😭 This comment really made my day (more like my entire week)! Thank you again for playing and taking the time to leave your thoughts!

AHHH PRI YOU PLAYED 🥹 Gosh I'm so touched, thank you so much for taking the time 😭

I'm really glad that you found this game "uncomfortable" (well I guess that's a little bit of a weird thing to say 😂 but I did want to experiment with a kind of different type of "horror" here, one that was more based on discomfort rather than outright "terror"). I was worried that it would end up being too boring/obnoxious to play through 😭 so I'm glad if it was interesting!! And YES, the voice actors were all so fantastic, I was so lucky to have they volunteered their time 😭 Truly some of the most professional and talented people I've ever worked with, and their voices were all so perfect for their respective parts!

And yes 😂 if I'm being honest, I think that "The Wife" is probably the ending I find the most realistic, given Yumeko's situation, but I definitely wanted to include some kind of cathartic/more optimistic ending here - a taste of freedom that many women can't achieve in real life.

GOSH YOU'RE TOO KIND??? You're making me melt 😭I don't deserve such high praise... Thank you again for taking the time to play and leave your thoughts!!

AHH GOSH FLOR, I'm so honored that you played it 😭 (and that someone liked the game enough to recommend it too 😭💦💦) 

OH I'M GLAD, yes, that was exactly the intent! (Hehe shaun did such a fantastic job as geist! Truly I think he would appear far more annoying and less charismatic without such a nice voice 😂) AND OH I'M SO HAPPY TO HEAR THAT, I think that in some ways "externalizing" anxiety like this is scarier (having a weird British guy verbally berate you all the time), but it's also easier to see it for what it is - your overactive brain trying to sabotage you 😂

And I'm so glad that you liked Kalei, I really want one shipped to my house too 😂 (dang I really need an emotional support extrovert sometimes) When I was concepting him I tried to come up with a person who has some of the same troubles and anxieties as the MC, but deals with them in a more healthy way - so I'm so glad that he resonated with you! 

OH GOSH you're too kind 😭 this comment really made my day, thank you so much for taking the time to play and leave your thoughts 😭 It means the world to me!

OH GOSH YOU CREATED AN ACCOUNT JUST TO COMMENT, I can't express how honored I am to hear that!! 😭💦 Your words are too kind 😭😭 And I am SO happy that you enjoyed the dubbing, this was the first project that I ever dubbed and I was so lucky to have the chance to work with such talented voice actors 🥹💦 They both worked so hard on the project! And GOSH I'm so flattered that you would want to make a donation, but it's not necessary at all 😭💦 I simply like knowing that people play and enjoy my games! OH I'm so glad!! I moved game engines and wasn't able to make Android games for a while, but I've figured out a way to do it, so I will be making Android games once more! 🫡 I hope you enjoy them!

Thank you again for playing and taking the time to make an account just to comment 😭💦 It means the world to me!

О боже, спасибо вам огромное, что нашли время перевести и поиграть, хотя игра была на английском! 🥹Для меня большая честь, что вы нашли время! Вы не первый, кто говорит, что Ракуо кого-то напомнил вам в реальной жизни 🤣 Я восприму это как комплимент за реализм (хотя мне жаль, что это напомнило вам о таком опыте 😭 надеюсь, другие мои работы на яндере менее пугающе реалистично лол)

Еще раз спасибо, что нашли время поиграть и оставить комментарий!! Это так много значит для меня! (И простите, если перевод плохой, я использовал Google Translate!)

FGHFGHFHF I shall choose to believe that 😭😭😭 I can't wait for winter to come in 6 months! 😂

OHH it was a very interesting read! While we discussed some of this 😂 I did like seeing it all in once place, and in particular I didn't really think of how homosexuality and religion are commonly represented in the media - how it is usually depicted as a "fight against an oppressive outside force" as opposed to an internal conflict, as depicted here. The implication that the division between homosexuality and religion is simply a problem of institutions/what people believe, when in reality it's a more fundamental and irreconcilable problem than that. Congratulations again on the release, and thank you for telling this story!