I have to be honest, Visual Novel Still Joking did not give me much hope in its gameplay theory. With the animation straight out of that cash-grab android game, ‘Episode’ and the Steam description sounding a little pretentious, this game proved to be a waste of time… Joking. There is actually something here and I was quite surprised.
When the characters first interacted, using a default text box that comes with the software, everything felt low effort and maybe even a little generated but colour me surprised when things took a large turn. It turned out to be a bawdy perverted showcase of obscenities…. Still joking. About the porn bit, not the game surprising me, a bit. There really was more to explore than I first expected.
Grew on me
Without spoiling, I shall try to give an idea of what to expect from Just Kidding…. I meant Still Joking. (You’d think it would be an easy-to-remember title).
Anyway, Still Joking is a mix between Visual Novel, Point and Click and a puzzler. (Level of priority in that order)
You play as Iris, a reflection of the famous actress murdered in front of the mirror. Instantly, we are thrown into the world of reflections and their afterlife when we have no one to reflect. Thrown into the mix is our main Character’s quest or more so desire, to find out who the killer was and why they did what they did.
As the story progressed, a large variety of characters ranging from cliche to actually interesting were introduced. It is up to the player to decide how to react with these characters and our choices will determine how the game plays. Trust me, there are a lot of ways it can play out.
My Theory of Story
No joke, the start of this really sucked. From word one, I developed a hatred for the main character Iris and the info dumps after every third paragraph did not help. However, things started to fall into place a few scenes later. It makes you wonder if it was part of the plan.
No…
I know what this was…
Purple Brick Games or whoever was in charge of writing the scripts, you were learning on the job, weren’t you? You began without a proper grasp of writing principles and never went back to fix things. So, as the game went on, the quality went up simply because that is the truth of craft.
Damn!
If I am wrong about this then there are some insanely mind-bending choices being made at Purple Brick Games.
My Theory of Creation
Still joking is nothing short of an intense experience. With 1000 choices and interactions to delve into, it does not hold back.
At one point in the game, A cliche love angle started to bare itself. Going back to the ‘Episode’ comparison, I expected things to get uncomfortable but I was quite surprised at the amount of choices at play before me. Every choice I made in that little scene had forever-lasting ramifications for the rest of the story.
This was not the only scene either. At many points, you will find yourself making choices that feel very natural and unbearing but end with a different outcome to other points of the game.
My Theory of Fun
If you’re a fan of Visual Novels, then Still Joking is a must-play. It offers an intriguing mix of narrative depth, point-and-click mechanics, and puzzle-solving elements that keep you engaged from start to finish.
While the gameplay might not appeal to those looking for more traditional or action-oriented experiences, the story’s complexity and the numerous choices available make it a standout in its genre. If you’re up for a surprising and engaging experience, give Still Joking a try.
