Oh, strange! What OS are you using? I've gotten reports that it doesn't work on Monterey, and unfortunately I don't have a good way to debug it since I don't have access to a Monterey Mac. Otherwise, have you tried launching it through the official itch app? That can fix some of the security issues.
yes I usually launch my games on the official app. but alas, i actually am using a monterey LOL it is what it is. If you happen to fix it I'll be on the look out!! thanks so much.
Geist is enough of a good reason to play this game, I don't care what the haters will say!!
Okay, first and foremost, CONGRATULATIONS for making such a game in less than a month, and still managing to slide in a VERY HIGH-QUALITY artbook everyone should buy!! *points guns at the readers*
More seriously, MindMindMind is an excellent visual novel on the technical aspect: the coding is very smooth and the GUI very intuitive. The writing, and we're used to it with Chattercap, is nothing short of excellent. This is the first time that, in this dev's work, that we get a first-person narration, and the balance between making things sound natural and yet still very elegantly written. The art is CHEF'S KISS and I havea particular fondness for GEIST'S SPRITE and I swear I am not biased in any sort. More seriously, the little additions for Kalei's expressions were adorable, and the CG work was absolutely gorgeous. The backgrounds were for the most part very nice photographs edited beautifully, and the way the backgrounds changed to indicate mood shifts at several instances in the game was great. One of the backgrounds, however, was hand-drawn: the bedroom. It was beautifully rendered.
The voice-acting too was excellent and I cannot highlight it enough. I found both voice actors extremely warm-sounding, and yet, so different: while Kalei sounds friendly and warm, Geist's warmness is meant to lure you into staying with him. The voice actors did a great job, congrats to them!
The story is a very interesting one. The premise of being followed by a ghost is naturally quite alluring, but he manages to be a very interesting and nuanced threat to the protagonist's personal arc. The other love interest, Kalei, was a perfect contrast: if Geist will try everything he can to "lock you up", Kalei, on the other hand, opens the protagonist's perspectives, making them discover a part of the world they could never had otherwise.
Long story short: PLAY THIS GAME AND DATE THIS GHOST. And the pretty classmate too. This game is definitely worh your time.
#### ----- OH MY GOD SPOILERS ----- ####
The main theme of MindMindMind is piñata-crafting... okay, I'm kidding, it is social anxiety, and it is portrayed wonderfully through the character of Geist and his relationship with the protagonist.
Whether Geist is mostly metaphorical or not is up to you, but there is no doubt he is a metaphor to some extent: he represents all the anxious thoughts one can have, these paralysing, daunting slabs we throw at ourselves, preventing us from experimenting, experiencing life because... what if we failed? What if we looked ridiculous? What if we bothered others? What if, what if, what if. Geist is the incarnation of what these "what ifs" can be in their most toxic incarnation. The thought is seductive, and it's difficult to keep them away: they are always here, somehow.
Geist is therefore the incarnation of the protagonist's social anxiety. A very good idea from the game is to represent him as warm, coaxingly so, because anxiety is comfortable: after all, what is wrong with not going out if you'd rather stay home? And that's where the game strikes very hard, and that's where the trigger warnings have to be considered fully: Geist is very convincing. I do not suffer from social anxiety myself, although I did at some point in my life: so, although his words couldn't reach me, I still found them convincing to some extent. Geist will tell you there is nothing wrong with you, that you not being sociable is just part of your personality, not necessarily a problem. In reality, the line is thin: there is a difference between choosing to stay in your dormroom because you want to rest, and choosing to do so because you are afraid of seeing others. The writing has enough finesse to exploit this ambiguity and portray Geist as an immense threat to the protagonist's well-being: he is certainly one of the most frightening yandere characters I've ever encountered in fiction, because he is indeed very charming, and manages to convince you of something working against you.
The game, however, wants to be more than the narration of a character giving in to their anxiety: it wants to be an empowering story, showing that these thoughts, if they might not completely disappear, can be defeated. The subversion is interesting: Geist is a threat to the protagonist only because they give in; but refusing to believe his toxic words is enough to overcome him and turn him into a much less threatening antagonist. However, this salutary refusal is complicated, and is progressively built upon during the game, when you choose to spend time with Kalei. Kalei respects the protagonist's boundaries; Kalei tries to introduce them to new things, while still caring for them, which isn't a burden for him. More than that, Kalei mirrors the protagonist slightly. He indeed mentions being told that he talks too much, gets in an argument with his friends, isn't a fan of parties... Despite being an extrovert and not suffering from social anxiety, he still has sometimes a hard time to navigate through everything, which is fine and fairly realistic. Coming from an extrovert: even we have social batteries! I truly appreciated this take.
The two endings of the game are very interesting: Geist is a classical "cage" ending for yandere stories, but the cage is metaphorical and even subverted: it is a place crafted for and by the protagonist, since Geist is just a reflection of their own anxiety. It is therefore natural that they find a sense of comfort. This ending is the triumph of Geist as a villain: he is seen as sweet, soft by the protagonist, he managed to gaslight us into trusting his words and believing he is what we need.
Kalei's ending, however, is very strong: the protagonist has a confrontation with Geist, finally actively fighting their own anxious thoughts, and the game sends a lot of very healthy and positive messages, while remaining very realistic: sometimes, meeting people will indeed go wrong and as predicted by the anxious thoughts. But if it happens, it's okay, life isn't over. And it is worth trying anyway to find the people with whom things will go smoothly. Life is made of experiences, not all of them will be positive, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be explored nonetheless.
It's on this note that the game then has one of the most beautiful scenes I've seen in a visual novel: Geist lets the protagonist go. He accepts their determination, wishing them good luck in a world that goes beyond him and what he can comprehend. Not that he completely leaves: the anxious thoughts don't leave. But he slowly accepts the protagonist's new life, letting them heal. And similarly, and reciprocally, the protagonist acknowledges that Geist will always be there and that... that's okay. I cannot emphasise how gorgeous and emotional it was in game, it almost made me tear up. The maturity with which the topic is tackled is nothing short of impressive: yes, anxiety is difficult and no, it won't magically leave because you start hanging out with a classmate. Sometimes things will be amazing, sometimes they will be horrible. But that's okay. That doesn't mean we're not healing: just that healing isn't a straight line.
Congrats on releasing this game, Chatter, and thanks for having me as a beta-tester, it was an honour! I had a blast playing it and it really was magnificent!
Thank you for your submission, here is your trophy 🏆
More seriously, WOW, you wrote a lot (surely powered by your love for your new husbando...) Thank you for the comments on the writing and the art dfgdfgfd I honestly feel like it wasn't nearly as good as previous projects (I feel like my writing/art both peaked with TDW), but alas, time constraints! It was a big help being able to use edited photos for the backgrounds!
I agree with you that the voice acting was absolutely top notch, and I do like how you touched on the different types of "warmth" that both actors have (and indeed, in certain parts I actually gave them similar/identical lines - to highlight this difference in delivery!)
==========SPOILERS==========
I honestly don't have much to say, you touched on basically everything that I wanted to communicate with the game quite comprehensively LOL Indeed, as you know, I originally imagined Geist to be quite a gloomy, creepy individual. But such an individual would be easy to dismiss and ignore - no, instead Geist had to be VERY charming and convincing, hence why he dresses like an academic/university professor (and also why I was pretty much dead set on voice acting for this project in particular, as I knew that Geist's dialogue was quite key to creating a full experience).
I think that, when suffering from anxiety (or a variety of other "life problems," I suppose) - it is easy to make up excuses for yourself so that you feel better about your inability to do something. "I can't make friends, so I don't really want any." "I can't find anyone to date, so I don't really want to date." "I'm bad at cooking, so I'm just not a cook." And this is actually the most frightening thing of all. Because if you languish in discomfort, then perhaps that discomfort will eventually push you to change yourself - but if you start becoming comfortable in your inadequacies, then you will never change. However, at the same time Geist is not an "evil" entity to me (and why I feel comfortable giving him a "sympathetic" backstory, despite his egregious behavior) - because that desire to be comfortable as who you are, to be accepted without needing to change - is completely natural. And, arguably, it's something that should be EMBRACED. But I think that it's quite a fine line between being "comfortable" and being "complacent." I'm glad that you thought that I navigated that ambiguity well, since I do know it's quite a blurry line LOL and I was a bit worried about the clarity of the point!
I'm glad that you noted the parallels between Kalei and the MC as well! I did intend Kalei to be the MC's "opposite" in many ways, but actually more similar to them than he first appears. After all, everyone has social difficulties, not just people suffering from noticeable anxiety. And I think that as the MC grows to realize this, then they realize that their own problems are not as catastrophic as they first appear.
Of course, how could it be a yandere game without a CAGE ending? But indeed, this cage ending is special - one crafted from the MC's own mind, in which they freely lock themselves. I'm glad to read your comments on Kalei's ending, your compliments are too kind dfgdfgdf When writing the story, it was important to me that the various "outings" the MC has with Kalei didn't go perfectly well. When they meet up for lunch, the conversation peters out and becomes awkward. The MC (though through no fault of their own) does end up "embarrassing" themself in front of Kalei at the Halloween party. And when they get together with Kalei's friends, it goes catastrophically (at least from the MC's perspective). And yet, the MC lives, and the friendship continues on in spite of the hiccups. And, after facing these (admittedly minor) difficulties, the MC finally gains the courage to initiate the friendship on their own.
I'm glad that you commented on the "reciprocity" of Kalei's end! I did want that kind of mutual understanding between Geist and the MC - the MC does not banish Geist, they do not attack him. They have an open dialogue and come to an understanding - because that's what dealing with anxiety is, it's coming to an understanding with yourself. It's accepting yourself for who you are AND vowing to better your life in spite of that. You summarized it all quite beautifully!
Thank you for playing and reading and leaving such a wonderful comment! I'm very lucky to have you :)
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is it just me or is the game not launching? (i'm on a mac!) it says that the game quit unexpectedly
Oh, strange! What OS are you using? I've gotten reports that it doesn't work on Monterey, and unfortunately I don't have a good way to debug it since I don't have access to a Monterey Mac. Otherwise, have you tried launching it through the official itch app? That can fix some of the security issues.
yes I usually launch my games on the official app. but alas, i actually am using a monterey LOL it is what it is. If you happen to fix it I'll be on the look out!! thanks so much.
Ack I'm sorry 😭 Hopefully I can find a fix in the future!
WOW. Seriously I just played through and followed your advice and I could not wait to tell Geist to take a hike. I adored Kalei soooo much.
This was an amazing game and I can't wait for more of your work!
TAKE A HIKE, honestly that's perfect for him, he deserves it...take a long hike and come back much, much later...or maybe not at all...
Thank you so much!! I'm so glad that you enjoyed it! :)
This is a really good game👍
Thank you!! I'm glad you enjoyed it :)
Geist is enough of a good reason to play this game, I don't care what the haters will say!!
Okay, first and foremost, CONGRATULATIONS for making such a game in less than a month, and still managing to slide in a VERY HIGH-QUALITY artbook everyone should buy!! *points guns at the readers*
More seriously, MindMindMind is an excellent visual novel on the technical aspect: the coding is very smooth and the GUI very intuitive. The writing, and we're used to it with Chattercap, is nothing short of excellent. This is the first time that, in this dev's work, that we get a first-person narration, and the balance between making things sound natural and yet still very elegantly written. The art is CHEF'S KISS and I havea particular fondness for GEIST'S SPRITE and I swear I am not biased in any sort. More seriously, the little additions for Kalei's expressions were adorable, and the CG work was absolutely gorgeous. The backgrounds were for the most part very nice photographs edited beautifully, and the way the backgrounds changed to indicate mood shifts at several instances in the game was great. One of the backgrounds, however, was hand-drawn: the bedroom. It was beautifully rendered.
The voice-acting too was excellent and I cannot highlight it enough. I found both voice actors extremely warm-sounding, and yet, so different: while Kalei sounds friendly and warm, Geist's warmness is meant to lure you into staying with him. The voice actors did a great job, congrats to them!
The story is a very interesting one. The premise of being followed by a ghost is naturally quite alluring, but he manages to be a very interesting and nuanced threat to the protagonist's personal arc. The other love interest, Kalei, was a perfect contrast: if Geist will try everything he can to "lock you up", Kalei, on the other hand, opens the protagonist's perspectives, making them discover a part of the world they could never had otherwise.
Long story short: PLAY THIS GAME AND DATE THIS GHOST. And the pretty classmate too. This game is definitely worh your time.
#### ----- OH MY GOD SPOILERS ----- ####
The main theme of MindMindMind is piñata-crafting... okay, I'm kidding, it is social anxiety, and it is portrayed wonderfully through the character of Geist and his relationship with the protagonist.
Whether Geist is mostly metaphorical or not is up to you, but there is no doubt he is a metaphor to some extent: he represents all the anxious thoughts one can have, these paralysing, daunting slabs we throw at ourselves, preventing us from experimenting, experiencing life because... what if we failed? What if we looked ridiculous? What if we bothered others? What if, what if, what if. Geist is the incarnation of what these "what ifs" can be in their most toxic incarnation. The thought is seductive, and it's difficult to keep them away: they are always here, somehow.
Geist is therefore the incarnation of the protagonist's social anxiety. A very good idea from the game is to represent him as warm, coaxingly so, because anxiety is comfortable: after all, what is wrong with not going out if you'd rather stay home? And that's where the game strikes very hard, and that's where the trigger warnings have to be considered fully: Geist is very convincing. I do not suffer from social anxiety myself, although I did at some point in my life: so, although his words couldn't reach me, I still found them convincing to some extent. Geist will tell you there is nothing wrong with you, that you not being sociable is just part of your personality, not necessarily a problem. In reality, the line is thin: there is a difference between choosing to stay in your dormroom because you want to rest, and choosing to do so because you are afraid of seeing others. The writing has enough finesse to exploit this ambiguity and portray Geist as an immense threat to the protagonist's well-being: he is certainly one of the most frightening yandere characters I've ever encountered in fiction, because he is indeed very charming, and manages to convince you of something working against you.
The game, however, wants to be more than the narration of a character giving in to their anxiety: it wants to be an empowering story, showing that these thoughts, if they might not completely disappear, can be defeated. The subversion is interesting: Geist is a threat to the protagonist only because they give in; but refusing to believe his toxic words is enough to overcome him and turn him into a much less threatening antagonist. However, this salutary refusal is complicated, and is progressively built upon during the game, when you choose to spend time with Kalei. Kalei respects the protagonist's boundaries; Kalei tries to introduce them to new things, while still caring for them, which isn't a burden for him. More than that, Kalei mirrors the protagonist slightly. He indeed mentions being told that he talks too much, gets in an argument with his friends, isn't a fan of parties... Despite being an extrovert and not suffering from social anxiety, he still has sometimes a hard time to navigate through everything, which is fine and fairly realistic. Coming from an extrovert: even we have social batteries! I truly appreciated this take.
The two endings of the game are very interesting: Geist is a classical "cage" ending for yandere stories, but the cage is metaphorical and even subverted: it is a place crafted for and by the protagonist, since Geist is just a reflection of their own anxiety. It is therefore natural that they find a sense of comfort. This ending is the triumph of Geist as a villain: he is seen as sweet, soft by the protagonist, he managed to gaslight us into trusting his words and believing he is what we need.
Kalei's ending, however, is very strong: the protagonist has a confrontation with Geist, finally actively fighting their own anxious thoughts, and the game sends a lot of very healthy and positive messages, while remaining very realistic: sometimes, meeting people will indeed go wrong and as predicted by the anxious thoughts. But if it happens, it's okay, life isn't over. And it is worth trying anyway to find the people with whom things will go smoothly. Life is made of experiences, not all of them will be positive, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be explored nonetheless.
It's on this note that the game then has one of the most beautiful scenes I've seen in a visual novel: Geist lets the protagonist go. He accepts their determination, wishing them good luck in a world that goes beyond him and what he can comprehend. Not that he completely leaves: the anxious thoughts don't leave. But he slowly accepts the protagonist's new life, letting them heal. And similarly, and reciprocally, the protagonist acknowledges that Geist will always be there and that... that's okay. I cannot emphasise how gorgeous and emotional it was in game, it almost made me tear up. The maturity with which the topic is tackled is nothing short of impressive: yes, anxiety is difficult and no, it won't magically leave because you start hanging out with a classmate. Sometimes things will be amazing, sometimes they will be horrible. But that's okay. That doesn't mean we're not healing: just that healing isn't a straight line.
Congrats on releasing this game, Chatter, and thanks for having me as a beta-tester, it was an honour! I had a blast playing it and it really was magnificent!
Thank you for your submission, here is your trophy 🏆
More seriously, WOW, you wrote a lot (surely powered by your love for your new husbando...) Thank you for the comments on the writing and the art dfgdfgfd I honestly feel like it wasn't nearly as good as previous projects (I feel like my writing/art both peaked with TDW), but alas, time constraints! It was a big help being able to use edited photos for the backgrounds!
I agree with you that the voice acting was absolutely top notch, and I do like how you touched on the different types of "warmth" that both actors have (and indeed, in certain parts I actually gave them similar/identical lines - to highlight this difference in delivery!)
==========SPOILERS==========
I honestly don't have much to say, you touched on basically everything that I wanted to communicate with the game quite comprehensively LOL Indeed, as you know, I originally imagined Geist to be quite a gloomy, creepy individual. But such an individual would be easy to dismiss and ignore - no, instead Geist had to be VERY charming and convincing, hence why he dresses like an academic/university professor (and also why I was pretty much dead set on voice acting for this project in particular, as I knew that Geist's dialogue was quite key to creating a full experience).
I think that, when suffering from anxiety (or a variety of other "life problems," I suppose) - it is easy to make up excuses for yourself so that you feel better about your inability to do something. "I can't make friends, so I don't really want any." "I can't find anyone to date, so I don't really want to date." "I'm bad at cooking, so I'm just not a cook." And this is actually the most frightening thing of all. Because if you languish in discomfort, then perhaps that discomfort will eventually push you to change yourself - but if you start becoming comfortable in your inadequacies, then you will never change. However, at the same time Geist is not an "evil" entity to me (and why I feel comfortable giving him a "sympathetic" backstory, despite his egregious behavior) - because that desire to be comfortable as who you are, to be accepted without needing to change - is completely natural. And, arguably, it's something that should be EMBRACED. But I think that it's quite a fine line between being "comfortable" and being "complacent." I'm glad that you thought that I navigated that ambiguity well, since I do know it's quite a blurry line LOL and I was a bit worried about the clarity of the point!
I'm glad that you noted the parallels between Kalei and the MC as well! I did intend Kalei to be the MC's "opposite" in many ways, but actually more similar to them than he first appears. After all, everyone has social difficulties, not just people suffering from noticeable anxiety. And I think that as the MC grows to realize this, then they realize that their own problems are not as catastrophic as they first appear.
Of course, how could it be a yandere game without a CAGE ending? But indeed, this cage ending is special - one crafted from the MC's own mind, in which they freely lock themselves. I'm glad to read your comments on Kalei's ending, your compliments are too kind dfgdfgdf When writing the story, it was important to me that the various "outings" the MC has with Kalei didn't go perfectly well. When they meet up for lunch, the conversation peters out and becomes awkward. The MC (though through no fault of their own) does end up "embarrassing" themself in front of Kalei at the Halloween party. And when they get together with Kalei's friends, it goes catastrophically (at least from the MC's perspective). And yet, the MC lives, and the friendship continues on in spite of the hiccups. And, after facing these (admittedly minor) difficulties, the MC finally gains the courage to initiate the friendship on their own.
I'm glad that you commented on the "reciprocity" of Kalei's end! I did want that kind of mutual understanding between Geist and the MC - the MC does not banish Geist, they do not attack him. They have an open dialogue and come to an understanding - because that's what dealing with anxiety is, it's coming to an understanding with yourself. It's accepting yourself for who you are AND vowing to better your life in spite of that. You summarized it all quite beautifully!
Thank you for playing and reading and leaving such a wonderful comment! I'm very lucky to have you :)