This is absolutely fantastic, such a wide array of emotions, feeling attached to such wonderful characters and the weight of the MC and your choices. Wonderfully written.
this story is like a fairy tale, something like cinderella in terms of what happens to the crown - i love it soo much and feel very very lucky to have stumbled upon this story! i'm only on chapter 3, but i can't wait to see which way the story turns next <3
As an Iraqi woman myself, this game makes me feel so seen. All my life I've felt disappointed at the lack of accurate Middle Eastern representation and I was so overjoyed when I found ATOC :)
The writing is beautiful, immersive, and captivating. Even with my short attention span, I could not stop reading. The balance between fantasy and romance is perfect. The dialogue is charming and incredibly funny (the argument about olives and cheese makes me laugh every time I read it). It took me a while to decide on which route to follow first because the LIs are so amazing (ended up starting with D because I love a slow burn!). They all feel so authentic with their own ambitions, boundaries, and realistic reactions. I love that none of them are obsessed with the Crown and continue to have a life outside of serving them. I genuinely love the Crown since they feel like a character of their own and not just a self-insert for the reader.
I've already recommended this game to many of my friends and I will definitely come back to play future chapters :) Cherry, the work that you're doing is absolutely incredible! Please remember to take care of yourself and I hope 2023 is an amazing year for you <3
I got unsteady relationship with Xelef and ????? I have no clue what I did wrong???? Should I have pushed about the Mir instead of letting it go? Man it felt like a breakup what a depressing ending to ch9 and I have no clue what I did wrong I wss trying to be good to him ????
I just tried that and got a worse reaction. So letting it go seems the right choice. But they still break up in ch9. This is depressing zi have no idea what I did to get X to do this...
So I digged and found a comment that said that I had to make X apologize. It feels a bit much that ONE choice completely ruins the relatioship... Now I'm afraid I'll have the same issue with the others of making 1 "wrong" choice and suddenly it's over for them.
omg same i think it happens after the scene with the dead body and how u react to that gives u an unsteady relationship bc thats what happened to me :( hopefully we can fix the relationship in later chapters
That one choice doesn't "ruin" the entire relationship. Your previous choices with X were likely incorrect as well.
Also, getting an "unsteady relationship" in CH9 doesn't mean that your entire relationship is ruined. There's literally 15+ more chapters to be added in the story - this is just a first indication of how X feels towards your Crown.
You can course-correct in future chapters. Try thinking more about the kind of character X is and which choices they would appreciate. The romance routes depend entirely on if you are able to understand your LI.
[Spoilers for CH9]
Edit: To clarify, X always leaves at the end of CH9 no matter what, even if your relationship isn't unsteady. It's part of the story.
Your Crown and X have literally known each other for a week, and X is a mercenary who needs to work. There is no "break-up", your Crown is not in a committed relationship with Xyet. X is not going to stick around the palace just to romance your Crown lol, they have their own stuff going on. You'll see them again in future chapters
You didn't get close enough to anyone. I'd pick the LI you like best and focus on them; if you're still struggling, there's a walkthrough you can use. The game splits into 4 separate routes for each LI after CH4 so it's important to get close to one of them in order to progress.
I just finished making an account because I had to say that it's really really good!! I hope you enjoy the holidays and I wish you a wonderful year ahead. Thank you for sharing this world and these characters with us!
hi cherry checkin in on u to tell u i love u (mwah) and to wish u happy HOLIDAYS!!!! cant wait to see whats to come, and i wish u all the best for the upcoming year!!!!!!!!!! <3 <3 <3
I genuinely adore this game so much and it had a hold on me since the begining! I adore the customization features especially the pronoun feature as someone who uses more than one set of pronouns! The story telling and history is beautiful and I love how the character information and relationship information updates as it goes on. I am not often someone to leave reviews but this game has earned my praises.
Heyyy, I managed to have a good relationship with them and here's a list of choices I made, no idea how significant most of them are but I hope it'll help!
I love this game so much and replayed it so many times over the last few months, going down different routes and picking other answers! And I can't wait until the next update! Great work, keep it up!
Thank you, I'm so glad to hear that!! I've always wanted to see us represented better in media so I hoped to contribute. Even though I am limited to my Kurdish background when there are so many cultures in the region, it's definitely also a Middle Eastern story 💖💖
I made an account just so I could tell you how much I adore this game. I know how much it means to get feedback when you're putting your limited free time into a project of love like this. I want to give you ALL of the positive feedback! I've played every RO route, and I love each of them in their own unique way. Thank you for the work you've done so far, and I can't wait to see what you might do in the future.
I AM CRYING RN HOW DO I KEEP MY RELATIONSHIP WITH R STEADY
I am struggling rn I need my relationship steady I'm losing my mind rn how do I fix it with her other than that I really love the game tbh reading it and having an imagination really paints a picture in your head and that's what I love about it. Goodness if I could draw I might make it into my own little animation Keep up the good work though you are doing great ❤️
For the best outcome, try: - Continue talking about it - Find the truth That should change your relationship status to "She/He feels like she/he has known you for years. Your relationship has been progressing well"
SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME IM DRSPERATE, ITS ALMOST 1 AM, I HAVE TO WAKE UP EARLY AND I SOMEHOW CANT MANAGE TO KEEP MY RELATIONSHIP WITH D STEADY, WHAT AM I DOING WRONG 😭😭😭
This hasn't happened before and I've already finished everyone else's path, I didn't even know it was possible to have your relationship become unsteady until now, so what determines the way the relationship goes??? I seriously can't figure it out and idk if I'm just too tired or if it's actually really difficult and I've just been having an endless amount of luck so far 💔💔💔
I love the game and the characters too much to sleep knowing that my relationship with D is deteriorating
Wait how did you keep your relationship with A steady? I just started playing Chapter 9 but it got unsteady before I had a chance to do anything... T_T
Thank you so much! I followed most of your advice, since our crown's traits line up well, the only differences being that my crown is cautious and passive. For those of you looking for a guide on A as well, it's not neccessary to ask Kham outright about the flowers (for my crown the reasoning was that she was much too cautious to do so), and it'll still get you a good relationship with A as well as the Office of Law option
This game is the sole reason I survived through my semester exams and wasn't eaten up by stress. I played it one chapter a day after I was done with my tasks, and I tell you, it was such a pleasant reward for my tired mind. It truly is extremely well written and very engaging and I just cannot express my gratitude for the author's hard work that created this masterpiece. It has been a complete joy to play this to say the least, and I am patiently waiting for updates whenever they'd be.
This game is amazing!! I was so invested the entire time, multiple times taking laps around my room lol. It has a nice balance of lore and romance. I was taking laps one minute all stressed and kicking my feet, giggling, and twirling my hair the next. I really appreciate the relationship tab as an autistic person who struggles with reading between the lines to see what a person is thinking. I've only played through once (Rêzans route) but once I get the time I can't wait to go throughout the other routes. All the characters are so unique and different, I know I'll have a completely new experience.
Can't wait for the next update, keep doing your best, you're killing it! ❤️
Also, I can't even begin to thank the author enough💜💜 Like seriously, this game is amazing on so many levels it amazes me it's free, even though I'm really grateful about that since I'm broke right now :/ but if I had the money I'd 100% support this game financially.
🚨 ATTENTION, SPOILERS 🚨 DO NOT PROCEED IF YOU DIDN'T GET TO CHAPTER 9 YET!!!
.
.
.
.
is there any soul kind enough to please help me out with a lil something?? So, I played again multiple times making different decisions but my dumb ass simply can't seem to unlock the option in ch 9 where i needed to prioritize the public 😭 I'm kind of desperate here, I don't know what I'm doing wrong, help a sister out pls 🙏🏾🙏🏾
He leaves on every route, it's part of the plot. I'm pretty sure we won't go too long without him seeing as this is a romance, and we'll probably have tutoring-related timeskips soon. By trial and error, these are the choices that raise romance once you're on his route:
CH6: State that you don't think he's as selfish as he makes himself seem.
CH7: "What about you, Xelef?" You expect an apology from him as well.; then: Let it go.
CH9: Let him go.
If you've gotten all of his romance points in the common route, I am fairly certain this will get you to the maximum amount of romance points he has available at the moment. Have fun.
Man, I have the opposite problem. They really are great and I'd love to try out all their routes, but I'd feel too guilty leaving Dara behind to do it ^_^; I give the writing an A++ for making me feel this way tbh
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I love this so much <333
I'm sorry if this is silly to ask but um, is there a way to stay steady with X? how did I become unsteady with X? I'm very lost ;v;
I love this game but I have to ask… why are there names red like three of them are black but one of them is red… why? What does mean?
The red one is your main love interest that you chose at the end of CH4.
oh make sense thanks
This is absolutely fantastic, such a wide array of emotions, feeling attached to such wonderful characters and the weight of the MC and your choices. Wonderfully written.
Thank you, I really appreciate the kind words 💖💖
this story is like a fairy tale, something like cinderella in terms of what happens to the crown - i love it soo much and feel very very lucky to have stumbled upon this story! i'm only on chapter 3, but i can't wait to see which way the story turns next <3
I hope you enjoy the rest of the game!! 💖
As an Iraqi woman myself, this game makes me feel so seen. All my life I've felt disappointed at the lack of accurate Middle Eastern representation and I was so overjoyed when I found ATOC :)
The writing is beautiful, immersive, and captivating. Even with my short attention span, I could not stop reading. The balance between fantasy and romance is perfect. The dialogue is charming and incredibly funny (the argument about olives and cheese makes me laugh every time I read it). It took me a while to decide on which route to follow first because the LIs are so amazing (ended up starting with D because I love a slow burn!). They all feel so authentic with their own ambitions, boundaries, and realistic reactions. I love that none of them are obsessed with the Crown and continue to have a life outside of serving them. I genuinely love the Crown since they feel like a character of their own and not just a self-insert for the reader.
I've already recommended this game to many of my friends and I will definitely come back to play future chapters :) Cherry, the work that you're doing is absolutely incredible! Please remember to take care of yourself and I hope 2023 is an amazing year for you <3
Thanks so much!! I'm so happy to get messages and comments like these from other Middle Eastern people, it means a lot 💖💖
The D route is the best but it moves as fast as a dried up snail /vvpos
How to not get distracted with A dimple when playing A route (A's dimples makes me fall in love much more <33333)
Do Not Get Distracted By A's Dimples Challenge: Impossible
happy new yearrr<3
Happy new year!! 💖💖
This is brilliant. I'm just blown away at the sheer amount of work that must have gone into this. Good job!!
I got unsteady relationship with Xelef and ????? I have no clue what I did wrong???? Should I have pushed about the Mir instead of letting it go? Man it felt like a breakup what a depressing ending to ch9 and I have no clue what I did wrong I wss trying to be good to him ????
I just tried that and got a worse reaction. So letting it go seems the right choice. But they still break up in ch9. This is depressing zi have no idea what I did to get X to do this...
So I digged and found a comment that said that I had to make X apologize. It feels a bit much that ONE choice completely ruins the relatioship... Now I'm afraid I'll have the same issue with the others of making 1 "wrong" choice and suddenly it's over for them.
omg same i think it happens after the scene with the dead body and how u react to that gives u an unsteady relationship bc thats what happened to me :( hopefully we can fix the relationship in later chapters
That one choice doesn't "ruin" the entire relationship. Your previous choices with X were likely incorrect as well.
Also, getting an "unsteady relationship" in CH9 doesn't mean that your entire relationship is ruined. There's literally 15+ more chapters to be added in the story - this is just a first indication of how X feels towards your Crown.
You can course-correct in future chapters. Try thinking more about the kind of character X is and which choices they would appreciate. The romance routes depend entirely on if you are able to understand your LI.
[Spoilers for CH9]
Edit: To clarify, X always leaves at the end of CH9 no matter what, even if your relationship isn't unsteady. It's part of the story.
Your Crown and X have literally known each other for a week, and X is a mercenary who needs to work. There is no "break-up", your Crown is not in a committed relationship with X yet. X is not going to stick around the palace just to romance your Crown lol, they have their own stuff going on. You'll see them again in future chapters
15???? JESUS /VVPOs
I just played through the first time and I got a bad end on Chapter 4, am I the only one? Is it because I didn't get close to anyone?
You didn't get close enough to anyone. I'd pick the LI you like best and focus on them; if you're still struggling, there's a walkthrough you can use. The game splits into 4 separate routes for each LI after CH4 so it's important to get close to one of them in order to progress.
thanks for the walkthrough!!
I DID IT R IS NOT ON UNSTEADY TERMS WITH ME!!!
OMG HOW I NEED TO KNOQ PLS
for R you:
let them confide in you
trust them to handle the nobility
don’t intervene when given the choice
and then (i think these are the most important choices for steady relationship)
continue talking about it
- tell them to seek the truth about their family
I don't understand, I keep getting an unsteady relationship with R.
Same, I don't know how to improve it
I just finished making an account because I had to say that it's really really good!! I hope you enjoy the holidays and I wish you a wonderful year ahead. Thank you for sharing this world and these characters with us!
Thanks so much for the kind words, happy holidays 💖💖
hi cherry checkin in on u to tell u i love u (mwah) and to wish u happy HOLIDAYS!!!! cant wait to see whats to come, and i wish u all the best for the upcoming year!!!!!!!!!! <3 <3 <3
Thank you, that's so sweet!! Happy holidays to you as well 💖💖
I genuinely adore this game so much and it had a hold on me since the begining! I adore the customization features especially the pronoun feature as someone who uses more than one set of pronouns! The story telling and history is beautiful and I love how the character information and relationship information updates as it goes on. I am not often someone to leave reviews but this game has earned my praises.
Thanks so much, that means a lot!! I really appreciate the compliments 💖💖
SOMEONE TELL ME HOW TO HAVE GOOD RELATIONS WITH A ITS KILLING MEEEE
Heyyy, I managed to have a good relationship with them and here's a list of choices I made, no idea how significant most of them are but I hope it'll help!
thank you so much!
I love this game so much and replayed it so many times over the last few months, going down different routes and picking other answers! And I can't wait until the next update! Great work, keep it up!
I'm glad to hear that!! 😊 Replaying the other routes is def the recommended way to do it 💖
you made me make an acc ngl! love your work. solid 10/10
Thanks so much!! For the thoughtful review as well, it was lovely to read 💖💖
This game is amazing, especially since my family comes from middle-eastern background. It gives me so much joy to see this made.
Thank you, I'm so glad to hear that!! I've always wanted to see us represented better in media so I hoped to contribute. Even though I am limited to my Kurdish background when there are so many cultures in the region, it's definitely also a Middle Eastern story 💖💖
I made an account just so I could tell you how much I adore this game. I know how much it means to get feedback when you're putting your limited free time into a project of love like this. I want to give you ALL of the positive feedback! I've played every RO route, and I love each of them in their own unique way. Thank you for the work you've done so far, and I can't wait to see what you might do in the future.
Thank you so much, this is such a kind comment!! I really needed to hear that 💖💖
I LOVE IT SO MUCH 😭😭
I AM CRYING RN HOW DO I KEEP MY RELATIONSHIP WITH R STEADY
I am struggling rn I need my relationship steady I'm losing my mind rn how do I fix it with her other than that I really love the game tbh reading it and having an imagination really paints a picture in your head and that's what I love about it. Goodness if I could draw I might make it into my own little animation Keep up the good work though you are doing great ❤️
SPOLERS
u should choose to ask them what would their life be if they didnt became a sorcecer and find the truth ! i hope this help
OMG TYSM i will try this
SPOILERS
For the best outcome, try:
- Continue talking about it
- Find the truth
That should change your relationship status to
"She/He feels like she/he has known you for years. Your relationship has been progressing well"
Please, release a new chapter soon. I AM ON MY KNEES.
Such a fun game! Binged it over the last 3 days.
I must have more wholesome Xel content or I will simply perish.
still cant believe how such a beautiful game is free dev ILYSM CANT WAIT FOR THE NEXT UPDATE ALL THE ROUTES ALL THE RO ARE CHEF KISS
SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME IM DRSPERATE, ITS ALMOST 1 AM, I HAVE TO WAKE UP EARLY AND I SOMEHOW CANT MANAGE TO KEEP MY RELATIONSHIP WITH D STEADY, WHAT AM I DOING WRONG 😭😭😭
This hasn't happened before and I've already finished everyone else's path, I didn't even know it was possible to have your relationship become unsteady until now, so what determines the way the relationship goes??? I seriously can't figure it out and idk if I'm just too tired or if it's actually really difficult and I've just been having an endless amount of luck so far 💔💔💔
I love the game and the characters too much to sleep knowing that my relationship with D is deteriorating
SPOILERS for anyone else reading this
I was in the same position as you and the bit I got stuck on was that you have to:
let him continue to bow
say it's his mother's fault but not his
Hope this helps!
OH mY GOD THANK YOU ILL TRY IT OUT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wait how did you keep your relationship with A steady? I just started playing Chapter 9 but it got unsteady before I had a chance to do anything... T_T
Not sure how significant most of the choices are but I replayed the game and noted down most of them
My crown for that play through is charming, kind, intellectual, reserved, adventurous and assertive
I hope this can be of use for you and good luck :) <3
And feel free to ask more questions if needed :D
Thank you so much! I followed most of your advice, since our crown's traits line up well, the only differences being that my crown is cautious and passive. For those of you looking for a guide on A as well, it's not neccessary to ask Kham outright about the flowers (for my crown the reasoning was that she was much too cautious to do so), and it'll still get you a good relationship with A as well as the Office of Law option
Glad to hear it worked out! :D
This game is the sole reason I survived through my semester exams and wasn't eaten up by stress. I played it one chapter a day after I was done with my tasks, and I tell you, it was such a pleasant reward for my tired mind. It truly is extremely well written and very engaging and I just cannot express my gratitude for the author's hard work that created this masterpiece. It has been a complete joy to play this to say the least, and I am patiently waiting for updates whenever they'd be.
Lots of love! <3
Thank you!! I'm glad the game could help a little during such a stressful period, I hope your exams went well 💖💖
This game is amazing!! I was so invested the entire time, multiple times taking laps around my room lol. It has a nice balance of lore and romance. I was taking laps one minute all stressed and kicking my feet, giggling, and twirling my hair the next. I really appreciate the relationship tab as an autistic person who struggles with reading between the lines to see what a person is thinking. I've only played through once (Rêzans route) but once I get the time I can't wait to go throughout the other routes. All the characters are so unique and different, I know I'll have a completely new experience.
Can't wait for the next update, keep doing your best, you're killing it! ❤️
Thanks so much, that's very kind!! 💖💖
Also, I can't even begin to thank the author enough💜💜 Like seriously, this game is amazing on so many levels it amazes me it's free, even though I'm really grateful about that since I'm broke right now :/ but if I had the money I'd 100% support this game financially.
🚨 ATTENTION, SPOILERS 🚨 DO NOT PROCEED IF YOU DIDN'T GET TO CHAPTER 9 YET!!!
.
.
.
.
is there any soul kind enough to please help me out with a lil something?? So, I played again multiple times making different decisions but my dumb ass simply can't seem to unlock the option in ch 9 where i needed to prioritize the public 😭 I'm kind of desperate here, I don't know what I'm doing wrong, help a sister out pls 🙏🏾🙏🏾
Others have been discussing the correct options in this thread, perhaps that will help you!
Thank you very much!!
This game is my lifeblood, Xelef 4ever!
ive diagnosed myself w xelef-deficiency i NEEED this man oh my lord im gay asf
Hahaha same!!
any possibility of romancing kham? bush waifu best!
Nope!
Who are you to deny their love !? understandable thank you for the response. great game by the way, love the lore and feel of the game.
Thanks so much 💖💖
AZAD MY BELOVED AAA <3<3
ADUTYISOJHBDGYHU ITS AMAZINGGG
Xelef is out here breaking my heart and I'm not okay with it, he's literally breaking me rn I sob
[spoilers???]
Seriously I was not ready for him to leave-
If someone would be a dear and tell me if this is avoidable, or how to get off of instability plz I'd appreciate it
[Spoiler]
He leaves on every route, it's part of the plot. I'm pretty sure we won't go too long without him seeing as this is a romance, and we'll probably have tutoring-related timeskips soon. By trial and error, these are the choices that raise romance once you're on his route:
CH6: State that you don't think he's as selfish as he makes himself seem.
CH7: "What about you, Xelef?" You expect an apology from him as well.; then: Let it go.
CH9: Let him go.
If you've gotten all of his romance points in the common route, I am fairly certain this will get you to the maximum amount of romance points he has available at the moment. Have fun.
How do you priortize the people?
I followed this: https://itch.io/post/6653967
The comments under the OP are important, too
Curse you for making such amazing LI's. I can't decide and when I do I'll feel guilty for not picking the others
Man, I have the opposite problem. They really are great and I'd love to try out all their routes, but I'd feel too guilty leaving Dara behind to do it ^_^; I give the writing an A++ for making me feel this way tbh