I'm totally in love with this game! The plot, the ART, the characters, all of it is so well made! The relations feel real, and so do the conflicts. Its rare to find a game who sucefully develop so many characters with different personalitys WITHOUT falling in genre conventions. And I have to say, the plot twists really got me from time to time XD
Truly well made, congratulations to all involved! You are amazing!
Hi! I've only just started the game, and the plot is very interesting, and the art is wonderful. My only critic at the moment is I wish there was a bit more variety with the romanceable characters, they look very similar to each other in all aspects (pale skin, haircuts, etc), i'm guessing it's because of the plot, but I wish there was a bit of differences still. Im really loving the game so far though!
omg i checked your tumblr to see if it's ready and i'm so so excited! expect a long review after i'm finished haha! congratulations, i'm so happy you finished it. it's amazing that you're giving it us for free after all your hard work
OMG!!! Is it complete?!?! I can't wait to start playing it again!!! I'm sure it's amazing already though! So well done for yor persistance to complete your art and THANK YOUUU for creating something so splendid!!!
YA'LL. Y A ' L L I just frigging finish the game what am I going to do with my life now HOLY SHIT
ok so cheesy part first: Vadeyn stole my heart the first moment I laid my eyes on him. HE IS SUCH A PURE AND PRECIOUS BOY AND I WILL PROTECT HIM. I'm literally in love, so is my mc. All I'm doing these days is sketching him, dreaming about him and just being in frigging love.
Now moving on to the technical part. As I said in the past, this game is just amazing, brilliant, beautiful and perfect. Just perfect. From the art, to the writing, to the characters and UI, to the slight smooth animation and all the choices. The skill system, the character customization, just everything- is done so good that it's hard to describe just how.
I love this game. I just love it. Absolutely one of my all time favorite games, and I don't just throw that phrase around.
Absolutely, and I repeat, absolutelya true masterpiece.
I'm also one of the people that made an account just to leave a (lengthy) comment.
===My comment will possibly have SPOILERS, please avoid reading if you dislike them===
So I want to start off with just saying that unlike almost everyone else here, I came into this game completely blind. I never knew about your project and just happened to stumble across it from englishotomegames.com on the 17th of November. The concept seemed interesting and the art looked good. (I'm one of those shallow players that even if the story is good I can't really enjoy the VN if the art is bad.)
Hoo boy was I in for a treat. Like I said, I went in 100% blind so I had NO idea who was supposed to be the "bad guy", who were the love interests, how many love interests there were, what type of choices (or the fact that there would be choices at all), NOTHING. On my initial play through I thought Lacey was going to be the throw away lackey character, Rylen was going to be a LI, Ernol I suspected to be a villian, Haron the guy who betrays you (but regrets it later and comes back to the light side), and Duliae the supportive but still underhanded background character. The only one I actually managed to get right was Vadeyn as the noble sacrifice guy.
I think because of my misconceptions about most of the cast I was really able to enjoy Ebon Light as a unique experience that was much different from other visual novels or otome games. There was a lot of stuff I wasn't expecting - Haron "rescuing" the MC (is this guy serious...?), the "flirting" between Lacey and MC (attempting to agitate him and failing, multiple times, only for him to believe I'm flirting with him and being ok(?) with it), Vadeyn's sisters and (possibly Cali) shipping the MC with him and him getting embarrassed, were some things on my first play through that jumped out.
There's actually a lot of other stuff I wanted to point out that I really enjoyed but I fear my post was way too long and just rambled. I had to go back and delete it just so I could try to remain more focused. I have to say that it's very impressive you did this all on your own, and I think it really shows in the world of Ebon Light that you as a dev had a lot of limitations and worked with them. It's a shame because I think honestly, your world building is superb and with more resources you would have a really immersive world right up there with some of the bigger gaming companies.
I know you said you are done with EL for now and are eager to move on to other projects since you've worked on this one for so long, but I hope in the future you will revisit this game and expand on it a little further. There is a lot that was teased or briefly mentioned and I found myself wondering about it. I do wish there was an dictionary of some sort for all the elven language we come across in the game. I thought Lacey's pet name for the MC was him being mean/teasing the same way he called her rabbit. I tried googling it to see what it meant but I didn't get any results. It wasn't until I saw Haron and Ernol use it on their routes that I saw it was actually affectionate. There was some other questions about characters back stories or general lore I also had questions about that I wish were expanded upon. There's actually a lot of details I found about EL outside of the game from looking at old comments and posts from a few years back. Not sure if it the case of things changing to fit a better narrative for the story or if things got cut in order to control the scope of the game.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised and wasn't expecting myself to become this addicted to an indy game. For two weeks now I've been playing this game for hours every day and googling whatever I can trying to learn more. Really, it's too generous of you to have this game for free and I hope anyone that says they are a fan will support you with a donation. Between your storytelling and your art, I think its easy to say you have a gift. If you do decide to make anymore games, I'm sure they will just as good or better than EL, and I'm sure there are plenty of people that would really enjoy the games you make. You did a great job.
After so much time waiting for the full game to be released after being left beyond intrigued and wanting more from the demo - you cannot possibly imagine my reaction when I saw your post announcing that the game was finally out.
I have spent hours and hours playing through different choices and different love interest's paths, every time finding something new leaving me so happy and appreciative of the work and time you have put into the details, offering variety so a new play through doesn't become repetitive after we finish the game. (I think getting to call Laceaga ''Lacey'' was the best possible choice we could possibly make in the game.)
The art style is very unique. It's beyond beautiful and atmospheric, really drawing us into its setting, pulling us right into it as if we were there ourselves. I absolutely loved the design. The music and sounds were also very well-chosen for whatever situation and setting we have found ourselves in, and honestly I was absolutely charmed and compelled by it myself.
I cannot express my gratitude for the Compendium. It is so useful and thoughtful of you to have put it in there because we learn more about the lore from it, gaining more insight on the world Ebon Light takes place in. Instead of forcing all of this information onto the player, you have simply provided them with it if they wish to see it. The interface itself is gorgeous and intuitive, I loved the details. Plus, we got a dressing game with the perk of our wardrobe never erasing itself. What more can I say?
The story line was fantastic. I fell in love with the slow progression from being a nobody to somebody feared, powerful, dependable on. The entire journey of Ebon Light's progression was magical. It is by far one of my favourite visual novels out there, and will continue to be for a long, long time.
I only wish Calipoa was a romance-able option as not everybody playing the game is going to be romantically attracted to males, plus, going dragon hunting with her beats what every other love interest has to offer, by far.
The game is free (that's mind-blowing!), has hours of rich game play to offer as well as multiple different endings and different romance interests that all are unique to themselves. If any of you haven't played it yet, I highly suggest you do.
Thank you so much for creating this game. I know it has taken you a lot of time, and a lot of effort outta you, but oh boy, was it worth it. :)
I'm SO glad I didn't give up when I was utterly clueless about how to destroy the Cascas and escape the never ending fish loop! I absolutely loved when the LI of my choice started courting, his affectionate words and the romance that I've seen so far felt very natural and heartfelt. I'm looking forward to see the other LIs as well!! :D
MC's harsh and hostile situation with all the cloak and dagger and the omnipresent sense of foreboding made me a bit exhausted because I was on edge during most of my playtime but I think that atmosphere made the romance 10 times more sweeter and exciting. :) I was literally squealing at every romantic line/scene!
FYI, in case you are curious, my first pick was Ernol and the reason I picked him was because he had the right amount of niceness and skepticism towards the MC and compared to the rest of the LIs he looked like the most reliable one. Lacey was very... not nice. And Vadeyn seemed too good to be true at first (but now I know he is just a precious cinnamon roll I am going after him next +▽+), Duliae was outright suspicious and Haron was a bit of both, too nice and thus suspicious.
Oh, and out of the supporting cast I really reallly love Calipoa! Commander of the warship and a fine solider, a good, loyal friend and beautiful too! I would have go for her if she was an LI and this is coming from someone who isn't a queer or into yuri(F/F) relationships.
I'd love to go right back to your game but I think I need to rest my brain and also have an dictionary on hand so I can look up words that I am not so familiar with. English isn't my first language but I am glad that I understand enough to enjoy your wonderful and beautiful artwork. Thank you for making and sharing Ebon Light!
Ohhh <3 I spoke too soon! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! Aww, Ernol~ Duliae is indeed very suspicious and Haron is suspicious in his own way, wayyyyy too quick to feelings~
I am very sorry for asking this here but I don't know where am I supposed to get answers to my problem... so I am stuck at the unending giant fish loop because I don't have enough madness but I'm not sure where or how am I supposed to raise it... Can you give me some pointers? T.T I was so excited when I saw the notification that one of the LIs will start courting me and then the unending giant fish loop happened right after that... please help T.T...
Aww, I'm sorry you're having such trouble with it! I'd suggest first making sure your game was updated because I did make that section (a little) easier during one of the 'patches' after initial release, but I also made a walkthrough that highlights the fish encounter that will hopefully help you out: https://underbliss.tumblr.com/post/189195570552/ebon-light-walkthrough
I stumbled upon the guide you gave me before I posted my question but I read it wrong and thought that I needed a certain level of madness to get though the giant fish loop. After reading your guide for the second time I realized what I was supposed to do. Thank you for your help! Ernol here I come!! :D
I have been waiting for the release of your novel since I saw the demo version 1.5 years ago. It was definitely worth the wait! This story is incredible and exciting from start to finish. The world and all the characters are very interesting and thoughtful. I love all the characters, but my heart definitely belongs to Ernol.(⁄ ⁄>⁄ ▽ ⁄<⁄ ⁄)..♥
Separately, I want to highlight the visual design, it’s just perfect.☆*:.｡.o(≧▽≦)o.｡.:*☆
This is the first time I experience so much emotion while playing. Thank you so much for creating "Ebon Light". This is the best I've ever seen!
If in the future you are planning other projects, then I will definitely wait for them.
(P.S. Sorry for my bad english. But I couldn't help but write how wonderful your work is.)
I am bewildered with the quality of the story, the choices, and the game experience as a whole. For me it didn't feel like just a game; it was a whole world.
It truly felt like an adventure in a faraway land and the unnerving and thrilling atmosphere has shaken me up quite a lot.
The character is very relatable due to the freedom that the game gives in matters of personality traits, clothes and CHOICES.
The romance isn't cheesy and unrealistic as it is in many games: it's raw and heartening.
Its that kind of game that leaves you with an eerie feeling. As if it's not merely a story but much more than that and that's the kind of games that you never forget.
So my heartfelt gratitude goes to everyone who was involved in making this game for creating this gem. I must also thank you for making it free and easily playable . Do you plan to work on a new game? Would there be an Ebon light II ( fingers crossed)?
I'm sorry, I don't quite understand. The game is not in development? Is it a finished product? And if so, are there any plans to add more (I just saw that the version 2.0 was added 4 hours ago)?
Beautiful game so far! Thank you so much for creating it and I will definitely donate once I finished it. However just a little note, this is going to sound so silly but maybe you can consider it. I'm a woman with a big nose myself (I know) and I always notice that women are portrayed with tiny, delicate noses and guys have bigger noses. So far most of the girls have small, delicate noses and all the guys had broad, bigger noses. Maybe mix it up? Guys with smaller noses, girls with bigger noses. But I'm still at the start! Sorry for this but I thought I could put it out there. Thank you for everything!
Hi! Thanks for the reply. I haven't finished yet but decided to donate already. It's very kind of you to put it out for free for people who don't have the financial means.
I just finished it today and had to donate a little bit again. I wish I had the means to buy you a whole team so you can make more games. Maybe some day... It was just so smoothly and intelligently written! I loved everything about how you wrote and painted Duliae. Bless you!
Oh man, thank you so much <3 <3 I'm so glad you like it! Ahh yeah Duliae isn't as popular as trash-scout or broody-brother but he's one of my favorites, shhh.
I made an account just to comment on this page and intend to drop a very small donation when I get the chance (broke college student) because this was such an amazing game to download for free! It feels a bit like stealing somehow; I got so many hours of enjoyment from the game! It's evident that you put a lot of time and care into this project.
First of all, you have 'show and don't tell' down pat which is super refreshing. It puts the player right into the character's shoes because the information is more of a slow trickle or has to be discerned through clues, much like life in the real world often requires of you. Right off the bat, there's also the sense that things can always go terribly wrong and that the main character's position is precarious. You are immediately invested, irritated with, and interested in the main character's plight. Madness, elves, political intrigue, death, the high seas? What's not to like?
The world is well fleshed out and unique. I have to wonder what Ghalaians do for fun after that roller coaster of anxiety we were strapped into together haha. No, seriously, are puppies a thing outside of target practice in this world? Because they need them.
The characters all have clear voices, motivations, and goals. All of the guys are interesting in their own ways and it's honestly nice that they don't unrealistically fall in love right away as can happen in some of these games.
The level of interactivity as well as customization is probably much more complex than what you would find in traditional visual novel games or even ones that are at a much higher price point. There's a range of realistic reactions for every situation and I never felt shoehorned into an option.
The artwork is beautiful!! The characters are all beautiful and so are the backgrounds! I love, love, love the beaches in particular! The waves and sky are just so pretty. They feel very story-book esque to me somehow. I can't believe you drew everything and then wrote the story? And you programmed this, too, right? Just wow.
Here's another stereotypical girly thing that you never get to do in these games - customize your outfits. I freaking loved this! The outfits, the hairstyles, the eye color. I loved being able to buy a colorful outfit after living on emo elf island (I say this lovingly) for so long. And the outfits are actually cute! And the hair options are actually cute!! Take notes, Dragon Age~
Also the possible character progression from scared bystander to powerful woman in control of her destiny who made friends and a home in a strange land despite the odds was immensely satisfying. It was fun to start off as a hostage and then later be the one calling the shots as an equal.
My first and only romance route so far has involved Vadeyn(sweet cinnamon roll that he is. He was hard to ignore and was also the only one clearly anti-kidnapping lol) but Duliae is honestly very intriguing for someone I had pegged as an actual sociopath at the start and was resolved not to trust. He just seemed like he would sell the main character's soul for a cornchip or something but as the story progressed somehow I found myself trusting him and even relying on him. And it would be interesting to get into Lacaega's head or just to tease him the whole game to see what happens. Haron seemed interested in the MC as more of a science experiment but I bet that notion would dissolve if I went down his route any further. Interesting how the narrative changes first impressions like that. There's always more to learn as you go along.
I sat there and agonized about so many decisions. One of the final options in the game at the end (no ensuing spoilers) actually made me feel as though I had been punched in the gut and I found that I felt like crying after choosing it. It may have been the genuine pain and confusion that you managed to evoke and it really did pack a punch. It was genuinely a heartbreaking scenario and the reaction was pretty visceral.
Rarely do I play games where choices are /not/ clear cut and require so much thought. You allow for a lot of nuance and shades of gray. For example. (SPOILER HERE >>) I've never actually seriously mulled over straight up murdering so many people simply because a voice in my head told me to or promised it would leave if I did. See, when you put it like that it sounds like the clearly crazy evil character option to pick, and yet? It didn't seem evil at the time, just a way to survive amid the confusion.
Anyway (phew!) here's hoping that you write more in the future!! This game was absolutely great and you deserve continuous praise for your hard work. You are a talented storyteller and seem like a generally lovely person!
Wow... I'm floored, and so very grateful for such a wonderful... message! My mind is swimming, grappling with the realization that there are some who enjoyed EL this much, and ugh I am so very grateful <3 <3 <3 <3
My life is empty now that I've finished this game ._. Seriously though, such an amazing, immersive world and so beautiful. I'm really looking forward to whatever possible sequel comes, to the point that I'm greedy and can't even wait LOL. I read on tumblr that you don't plan on putting in a Cuthintal route, but if you were willing to ever reconsider I would pay top dollar ;_; If nothing else, I would be interested in seeing something like this in a sequel with different characters.
Anyhow, I was so fortunate to be able to play this game. Thank you for the hard work and thank you for the amazing experience.
Oh man <3 It's not that I wish that feeling on anyone, but I've certainly had it myself before and it's... pretty amazing to hear that my game had anything like that for another <3
Loved all the routes (can't decide is my fave is Lacey or Ernol), love the art, the characters and the variety of choices, especially when it comes to MC's personality (love that her appearance is customizable too, the clothes are great!)
One thing I noticed is that the red Kalixin clothes don't prompt any responses from the LIs. Every other color is fine, but the red skips over their reaction
This game is fabulous and I'm really picky so that's saying much! I also love the theme song when you're in the menu. Is there a possibility that we can download the music? I hope to see more games in the future by Underbliss! I will definitely download them so keep up the good work ;)
All of the music was done by Kevin MacLeod -- you can find and download all the tracks at his website ( https://incompetech.com ), and up above in the description here on itch has a list of all the music used in EL, but the title song in particular is called 'Moorland'!
Thank you so much for your reply! I love the music and the game, the story is really well thought out and I love "Lacey" I think he's my spirit animal haha.
abandoned studying for my exams to play this game... no regrets. i ended up with vadeyn and absolutely loved it, although i was totally bummed ecarae wasn’t a love interest.
First of all this a fantastic game, you've done a great job! I love every character, especially Ernol, have you ever seen a man so beautiful you could cry?? Vadeyn is a super close second. But who am I kidding? They're all charming.
But I have to ask, how many endings are there, not including death/bad ends??
Yes, it plays out somewhat like an RPG story might--one main ending for the story and your LI is another factor of that story but not the defining one, if that makes sense!
There are deaths that you might call bad ends and one w/ Vadeyn that's pretty sad but for the most part, the ends play out the same, the differences in smaller choices you've made along the way.
I've recently played through all the routes, and I just have to say Ebon Light has been wonderful start to finish. I didn't find myself becoming disenchanted with completing the other routes or rereading parts of the story like some VN's make me feel, and that was such a breath of fresh air.
From the different plans you can choose, the variety of personalities with the LI's, and molding the MC through dialogue choices I was always finding ways to get new little snippets into lore or characters I didn't have before. I loooove lore btw so the compendium existing at all was GREAT.
The LI's are just *chef's kiss* amazing! I definitely have favorites, but they all pleasantly surprised me and kept me engaged and excited to romance them and see their perspectives and comments on events. Ernol has 100% stolen my heart and he can keep it. <3
All in all, thank you for all your hard work with bringing this game to life!!! It's an experience that will stick with me for quite a while. ^v^
Absolutely love this, the gothic style, the intrigue, the range of characters and the super fleshed out lore, however as silly as it may seem i got really hung up trying to find a translation for the elvish used in game, particularly the pet names, yet i cant seem to line the phrasing up with D&D / Tolkien dictionaries, please would you enlighten me as to the meanings? (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ
Ebon Light's story is more like an RPG than a traditional otome -- all to say, there is only one ending, across all characters, though the specifics of that ending and the way it all comes to pass is what changes. There is one... different ending w/ Vadeyn but it's short and he's the only one that has something like that!
... Calipoa is my favorite... Her character is so likable, and your friendship so fun and natural feeling. I like the romance paths too of course.. but I liked Calipoa more. Is there an ending where I get to go dragon hunting with her?
This game is SO GOOD! I just finished a romance ending with Lacey. It was happy and I am satisfied. In one of them I didn't want to get married, but stay partners, and in another I told him that we were going to have marriage, babies and puppies. Both scared him.
I feel bad because with the exception of Lacey, I have a hard time telling apart the pale male elves with black hair. I mix them up a lot. I hope by playing this game more I will see their individual beauty.
I found out today the itch.io has a feature that lets you know how many hours you have played a single game and I seem to have spent 67 hours from the past few days playing this game lmao. i adore the LI's so much and the story is so much fun. Thank you so much for this amazing game!! Laceaga's character is also super fun lol.
I just went to my library, selected Ebon Light and it shows at the bottom how many hours I've played. It might be something in settings but Idk for sure. I have the itch.io app if that helps :/
In the compendium? Heart markers for LI's. Should be pink early on, then one red and the rest black once you've picked a LI, if you did. If working correctly, of course.
I will say at least in my playthroughs, whenever you get to a red heart w/ one of the guys everyone's heart does go to the broken one.. Except Ernol. His never did in my runs.
Best I can think is to delete all traces of EL from your computer and redownload~ If the title screen's 'Ebon Light' logo is in near black, dark purple (like above), instead of the old, lighter purple, it's the full game.
Some people thought they were still playing the demo but they were actually hitting deaths and not realizing it, in case that is at all helpful!
Yes, I noticed that. I kept playing the same choices and then it ended. It wasn't until I picked another choice did I realize it was a death path. Sorry about the inconvenience.
I was wondering about this as well! I have limited time to game per day, so a walkthrough or at least a guideline to help uh guide me to a route path instead of blindly reloading would definitely help a lot in finishing everything.
No walkthrough yet, though I will add some soon for some of the stuff people are having issues with~
As far as routes and LI's are concerned, though, you needn't worry. There's no right/wrong choice when it comes to LI's (save one very specific one regarding Vadeyn) thus feel free to play your character however you please if your primary concern is getting a LI route.
I enjoyed this game very much. But I am also a little sad because I must return into the real world. I was happy to see that the game didn't force me to make certain personality choices to get the route I want.
(Haron's route) I was also happy that there was no edgy trope with the LI "betraying" the protagonist like Japanese games love to do, after the ghost man Ecare's sow-doubt-in-hallway scene. (Sanan's route in Hakuouki).
I enjoyed the fact that all LIs support, love, and care for the MC in their routes. Even the golden weasel was pure even though he seems like a freak. Cute and wholesome. Truly a blissful experience. I feel blessed by the deity of pure love.
I loved the demo and I'm really excited to play the rest. Can't believe this is free! I've never played a VN with your art style but I really like it. Thanks so much! <3
I’m only one route in (surprise, it was Lacey) and I just want to say THANK YOU and CONGRATULATIONS for making what is now my favorite VN ever!!! It’s like all of my VN prayers were answered in one game, being able to actually choose MCs personality, being able to do uncute unfeminine things and not be punished by a bad ending... I am SO excited for the rest of the routes and I really encourage everyone to pay what you can for this amazing labor of love
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Just wanted to drop by and say that I love love love this game. I played it so many times already, and still plan to play some more.
I'm totally in love with this game! The plot, the ART, the characters, all of it is so well made! The relations feel real, and so do the conflicts. Its rare to find a game who sucefully develop so many characters with different personalitys WITHOUT falling in genre conventions. And I have to say, the plot twists really got me from time to time XD
Truly well made, congratulations to all involved! You are amazing!
Hi! I've only just started the game, and the plot is very interesting, and the art is wonderful. My only critic at the moment is I wish there was a bit more variety with the romanceable characters, they look very similar to each other in all aspects (pale skin, haircuts, etc), i'm guessing it's because of the plot, but I wish there was a bit of differences still. Im really loving the game so far though!
I was so very delighted with my first playthrough, love love love it <3 Will keep playing over and over again! So well written and such pretty art
I. Love. This. Game. Thank you so much for being a rock star and making something so unique and well written. ^_^
omg i checked your tumblr to see if it's ready and i'm so so excited! expect a long review after i'm finished haha! congratulations, i'm so happy you finished it. it's amazing that you're giving it us for free after all your hard work
yesss!!! Finally and btw happy holidays Underbliss
OMG!!! Is it complete?!?! I can't wait to start playing it again!!! I'm sure it's amazing already though! So well done for yor persistance to complete your art and THANK YOUUU for creating something so splendid!!!
YA'LL. Y A ' L L I just frigging finish the game what am I going to do with my life now HOLY SHIT
ok so cheesy part first: Vadeyn stole my heart the first moment I laid my eyes on him. HE IS SUCH A PURE AND PRECIOUS BOY AND I WILL PROTECT HIM. I'm literally in love, so is my mc. All I'm doing these days is sketching him, dreaming about him and just being in frigging love.
Now moving on to the technical part. As I said in the past, this game is just amazing, brilliant, beautiful and perfect. Just perfect. From the art, to the writing, to the characters and UI, to the slight smooth animation and all the choices. The skill system, the character customization, just everything- is done so good that it's hard to describe just how.
I love this game. I just love it. Absolutely one of my all time favorite games, and I don't just throw that phrase around.
Absolutely, and I repeat, absolutely a true masterpiece.
1000000/10.
Vadeyn I love you
I read the first sentence and like: SAAAMMMEEE!!! THIS WAS SUCH AN AWESOME GAME AND SJHAKSDFJHKAFGAI I DONT EVEN KNOW WHAT TO SAY T-T
I KNOW, RIGHT? This game is just amazing,,,
I'm also one of the people that made an account just to leave a (lengthy) comment.
===My comment will possibly have SPOILERS, please avoid reading if you dislike them===
So I want to start off with just saying that unlike almost everyone else here, I came into this game completely blind. I never knew about your project and just happened to stumble across it from englishotomegames.com on the 17th of November. The concept seemed interesting and the art looked good. (I'm one of those shallow players that even if the story is good I can't really enjoy the VN if the art is bad.)
Hoo boy was I in for a treat. Like I said, I went in 100% blind so I had NO idea who was supposed to be the "bad guy", who were the love interests, how many love interests there were, what type of choices (or the fact that there would be choices at all), NOTHING. On my initial play through I thought Lacey was going to be the throw away lackey character, Rylen was going to be a LI, Ernol I suspected to be a villian, Haron the guy who betrays you (but regrets it later and comes back to the light side), and Duliae the supportive but still underhanded background character. The only one I actually managed to get right was Vadeyn as the noble sacrifice guy.
I think because of my misconceptions about most of the cast I was really able to enjoy Ebon Light as a unique experience that was much different from other visual novels or otome games. There was a lot of stuff I wasn't expecting - Haron "rescuing" the MC (is this guy serious...?), the "flirting" between Lacey and MC (attempting to agitate him and failing, multiple times, only for him to believe I'm flirting with him and being ok(?) with it), Vadeyn's sisters and (possibly Cali) shipping the MC with him and him getting embarrassed, were some things on my first play through that jumped out.
There's actually a lot of other stuff I wanted to point out that I really enjoyed but I fear my post was way too long and just rambled. I had to go back and delete it just so I could try to remain more focused. I have to say that it's very impressive you did this all on your own, and I think it really shows in the world of Ebon Light that you as a dev had a lot of limitations and worked with them. It's a shame because I think honestly, your world building is superb and with more resources you would have a really immersive world right up there with some of the bigger gaming companies.
I know you said you are done with EL for now and are eager to move on to other projects since you've worked on this one for so long, but I hope in the future you will revisit this game and expand on it a little further. There is a lot that was teased or briefly mentioned and I found myself wondering about it. I do wish there was an dictionary of some sort for all the elven language we come across in the game. I thought Lacey's pet name for the MC was him being mean/teasing the same way he called her rabbit. I tried googling it to see what it meant but I didn't get any results. It wasn't until I saw Haron and Ernol use it on their routes that I saw it was actually affectionate. There was some other questions about characters back stories or general lore I also had questions about that I wish were expanded upon. There's actually a lot of details I found about EL outside of the game from looking at old comments and posts from a few years back. Not sure if it the case of things changing to fit a better narrative for the story or if things got cut in order to control the scope of the game.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised and wasn't expecting myself to become this addicted to an indy game. For two weeks now I've been playing this game for hours every day and googling whatever I can trying to learn more. Really, it's too generous of you to have this game for free and I hope anyone that says they are a fan will support you with a donation. Between your storytelling and your art, I think its easy to say you have a gift. If you do decide to make anymore games, I'm sure they will just as good or better than EL, and I'm sure there are plenty of people that would really enjoy the games you make. You did a great job.
After so much time waiting for the full game to be released after being left beyond intrigued and wanting more from the demo - you cannot possibly imagine my reaction when I saw your post announcing that the game was finally out.
I have spent hours and hours playing through different choices and different love interest's paths, every time finding something new leaving me so happy and appreciative of the work and time you have put into the details, offering variety so a new play through doesn't become repetitive after we finish the game. (I think getting to call Laceaga ''Lacey'' was the best possible choice we could possibly make in the game.)
The art style is very unique. It's beyond beautiful and atmospheric, really drawing us into its setting, pulling us right into it as if we were there ourselves. I absolutely loved the design. The music and sounds were also very well-chosen for whatever situation and setting we have found ourselves in, and honestly I was absolutely charmed and compelled by it myself.
I cannot express my gratitude for the Compendium. It is so useful and thoughtful of you to have put it in there because we learn more about the lore from it, gaining more insight on the world Ebon Light takes place in. Instead of forcing all of this information onto the player, you have simply provided them with it if they wish to see it. The interface itself is gorgeous and intuitive, I loved the details. Plus, we got a dressing game with the perk of our wardrobe never erasing itself. What more can I say?
The story line was fantastic. I fell in love with the slow progression from being a nobody to somebody feared, powerful, dependable on. The entire journey of Ebon Light's progression was magical. It is by far one of my favourite visual novels out there, and will continue to be for a long, long time.
I only wish Calipoa was a romance-able option as not everybody playing the game is going to be romantically attracted to males, plus, going dragon hunting with her beats what every other love interest has to offer, by far.
The game is free (that's mind-blowing!), has hours of rich game play to offer as well as multiple different endings and different romance interests that all are unique to themselves. If any of you haven't played it yet, I highly suggest you do.
Thank you so much for creating this game. I know it has taken you a lot of time, and a lot of effort outta you, but oh boy, was it worth it. :)
I am so excited!!! I have been waiting on the edge of my seat for this update. Thank you so much for the work you have put into this.
oh my god it's finally here ;;; i'll definitely play this now
I finished my first ending with one of the LIs!
I'm SO glad I didn't give up when I was utterly clueless about how to destroy the Cascas and escape the never ending fish loop! I absolutely loved when the LI of my choice started courting, his affectionate words and the romance that I've seen so far felt very natural and heartfelt. I'm looking forward to see the other LIs as well!! :D
MC's harsh and hostile situation with all the cloak and dagger and the omnipresent sense of foreboding made me a bit exhausted because I was on edge during most of my playtime but I think that atmosphere made the romance 10 times more sweeter and exciting. :) I was literally squealing at every romantic line/scene!
FYI, in case you are curious, my first pick was Ernol and the reason I picked him was because he had the right amount of niceness and skepticism towards the MC and compared to the rest of the LIs he looked like the most reliable one. Lacey was very... not nice. And Vadeyn seemed too good to be true at first (but now I know he is just a precious cinnamon roll I am going after him next +▽+), Duliae was outright suspicious and Haron was a bit of both, too nice and thus suspicious.
Oh, and out of the supporting cast I really reallly love Calipoa! Commander of the warship and a fine solider, a good, loyal friend and beautiful too! I would have go for her if she was an LI and this is coming from someone who isn't a queer or into yuri(F/F) relationships.
I'd love to go right back to your game but I think I need to rest my brain and also have an dictionary on hand so I can look up words that I am not so familiar with. English isn't my first language but I am glad that I understand enough to enjoy your wonderful and beautiful artwork. Thank you for making and sharing Ebon Light!
Ohhh <3 I spoke too soon! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! Aww, Ernol~ Duliae is indeed very suspicious and Haron is suspicious in his own way, wayyyyy too quick to feelings~
Thank you so, so much!
I am very sorry for asking this here but I don't know where am I supposed to get answers to my problem... so I am stuck at the unending giant fish loop because I don't have enough madness but I'm not sure where or how am I supposed to raise it... Can you give me some pointers? T.T I was so excited when I saw the notification that one of the LIs will start courting me and then the unending giant fish loop happened right after that... please help T.T...
Aww, I'm sorry you're having such trouble with it! I'd suggest first making sure your game was updated because I did make that section (a little) easier during one of the 'patches' after initial release, but I also made a walkthrough that highlights the fish encounter that will hopefully help you out: https://underbliss.tumblr.com/post/189195570552/ebon-light-walkthrough
I am dumb and apparently I can't read either.
I stumbled upon the guide you gave me before I posted my question but I read it wrong and thought that I needed a certain level of madness to get though the giant fish loop. After reading your guide for the second time I realized what I was supposed to do. Thank you for your help! Ernol here I come!! :D
Aha no worries at all <3 I'm glad you were able to get pass that horrible fish! I hope you enjoyed it!
Aww <3 I hope you're enjoying it!
I have been waiting for the release of your novel since I saw the demo version 1.5 years ago. It was definitely worth the wait! This story is incredible and exciting from start to finish. The world and all the characters are very interesting and thoughtful. I love all the characters, but my heart definitely belongs to Ernol.(⁄ ⁄>⁄ ▽ ⁄<⁄ ⁄)..♥
Separately, I want to highlight the visual design, it’s just perfect.☆*:.｡.o(≧▽≦)o.｡.:*☆
This is the first time I experience so much emotion while playing. Thank you so much for creating "Ebon Light". This is the best I've ever seen!
If in the future you are planning other projects, then I will definitely wait for them.
(P.S. Sorry for my bad english. But I couldn't help but write how wonderful your work is.)
Thank you so! No apologies needed at all for English, yours was perfect!
Thank you so, so much! <3 <3
I am bewildered with the quality of the story, the choices, and the game experience as a whole. For me it didn't feel like just a game; it was a whole world.
It truly felt like an adventure in a faraway land and the unnerving and thrilling atmosphere has shaken me up quite a lot.
The character is very relatable due to the freedom that the game gives in matters of personality traits, clothes and CHOICES.
The romance isn't cheesy and unrealistic as it is in many games: it's raw and heartening.
Its that kind of game that leaves you with an eerie feeling. As if it's not merely a story but much more than that and that's the kind of games that you never forget.
So my heartfelt gratitude goes to everyone who was involved in making this game for creating this gem. I must also thank you for making it free and easily playable . Do you plan to work on a new game? Would there be an Ebon light II ( fingers crossed)?
Oh you're so very welcome and thank you for playing! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Aha, no EL II but that 'world' is one with plenty of stories to tell, for what that's worth!
I'm sorry, I don't quite understand. The game is not in development? Is it a finished product? And if so, are there any plans to add more (I just saw that the version 2.0 was added 4 hours ago)?
The game is indeed finished, I have just been updating it here and there w/ bug fixes!
Beautiful game so far! Thank you so much for creating it and I will definitely donate once I finished it. However just a little note, this is going to sound so silly but maybe you can consider it. I'm a woman with a big nose myself (I know) and I always notice that women are portrayed with tiny, delicate noses and guys have bigger noses. So far most of the girls have small, delicate noses and all the guys had broad, bigger noses. Maybe mix it up? Guys with smaller noses, girls with bigger noses. But I'm still at the start! Sorry for this but I thought I could put it out there. Thank you for everything!
Hi!
Thank you!
Annnnd, noted, thank you! No sorries, I'm very glad to hear what people see and what they would change! <3 <3
Hi! Thanks for the reply. I haven't finished yet but decided to donate already. It's very kind of you to put it out for free for people who don't have the financial means.
Oh, thank you so much!
I just finished it today and had to donate a little bit again. I wish I had the means to buy you a whole team so you can make more games. Maybe some day... It was just so smoothly and intelligently written! I loved everything about how you wrote and painted Duliae. Bless you!
Oh man, thank you so much <3 <3 I'm so glad you like it! Ahh yeah Duliae isn't as popular as trash-scout or broody-brother but he's one of my favorites, shhh.
I made an account just to comment on this page and intend to drop a very small donation when I get the chance (broke college student) because this was such an amazing game to download for free! It feels a bit like stealing somehow; I got so many hours of enjoyment from the game! It's evident that you put a lot of time and care into this project.
First of all, you have 'show and don't tell' down pat which is super refreshing. It puts the player right into the character's shoes because the information is more of a slow trickle or has to be discerned through clues, much like life in the real world often requires of you. Right off the bat, there's also the sense that things can always go terribly wrong and that the main character's position is precarious. You are immediately invested, irritated with, and interested in the main character's plight. Madness, elves, political intrigue, death, the high seas? What's not to like?
The world is well fleshed out and unique. I have to wonder what Ghalaians do for fun after that roller coaster of anxiety we were strapped into together haha. No, seriously, are puppies a thing outside of target practice in this world? Because they need them.
The characters all have clear voices, motivations, and goals. All of the guys are interesting in their own ways and it's honestly nice that they don't unrealistically fall in love right away as can happen in some of these games.
The level of interactivity as well as customization is probably much more complex than what you would find in traditional visual novel games or even ones that are at a much higher price point. There's a range of realistic reactions for every situation and I never felt shoehorned into an option.
The artwork is beautiful!! The characters are all beautiful and so are the backgrounds! I love, love, love the beaches in particular! The waves and sky are just so pretty. They feel very story-book esque to me somehow. I can't believe you drew everything and then wrote the story? And you programmed this, too, right? Just wow.
Here's another stereotypical girly thing that you never get to do in these games - customize your outfits. I freaking loved this! The outfits, the hairstyles, the eye color. I loved being able to buy a colorful outfit after living on emo elf island (I say this lovingly) for so long. And the outfits are actually cute! And the hair options are actually cute!! Take notes, Dragon Age~
Also the possible character progression from scared bystander to powerful woman in control of her destiny who made friends and a home in a strange land despite the odds was immensely satisfying. It was fun to start off as a hostage and then later be the one calling the shots as an equal.
My first and only romance route so far has involved Vadeyn(sweet cinnamon roll that he is. He was hard to ignore and was also the only one clearly anti-kidnapping lol) but Duliae is honestly very intriguing for someone I had pegged as an actual sociopath at the start and was resolved not to trust. He just seemed like he would sell the main character's soul for a cornchip or something but as the story progressed somehow I found myself trusting him and even relying on him. And it would be interesting to get into Lacaega's head or just to tease him the whole game to see what happens. Haron seemed interested in the MC as more of a science experiment but I bet that notion would dissolve if I went down his route any further. Interesting how the narrative changes first impressions like that. There's always more to learn as you go along.
I sat there and agonized about so many decisions. One of the final options in the game at the end (no ensuing spoilers) actually made me feel as though I had been punched in the gut and I found that I felt like crying after choosing it. It may have been the genuine pain and confusion that you managed to evoke and it really did pack a punch. It was genuinely a heartbreaking scenario and the reaction was pretty visceral.
Rarely do I play games where choices are /not/ clear cut and require so much thought. You allow for a lot of nuance and shades of gray. For example. (SPOILER HERE >>) I've never actually seriously mulled over straight up murdering so many people simply because a voice in my head told me to or promised it would leave if I did. See, when you put it like that it sounds like the clearly crazy evil character option to pick, and yet? It didn't seem evil at the time, just a way to survive amid the confusion.
Anyway (phew!) here's hoping that you write more in the future!! This game was absolutely great and you deserve continuous praise for your hard work. You are a talented storyteller and seem like a generally lovely person!
Wow... I'm floored, and so very grateful for such a wonderful... message! My mind is swimming, grappling with the realization that there are some who enjoyed EL this much, and ugh I am so very grateful <3 <3 <3 <3
Thank you, so, so much!
My life is empty now that I've finished this game ._. Seriously though, such an amazing, immersive world and so beautiful. I'm really looking forward to whatever possible sequel comes, to the point that I'm greedy and can't even wait LOL. I read on tumblr that you don't plan on putting in a Cuthintal route, but if you were willing to ever reconsider I would pay top dollar ;_; If nothing else, I would be interested in seeing something like this in a sequel with different characters.
Anyhow, I was so fortunate to be able to play this game. Thank you for the hard work and thank you for the amazing experience.
Oh man <3 It's not that I wish that feeling on anyone, but I've certainly had it myself before and it's... pretty amazing to hear that my game had anything like that for another <3
Thank you so much!
Amazing work on the game!!
Loved all the routes (can't decide is my fave is Lacey or Ernol), love the art, the characters and the variety of choices, especially when it comes to MC's personality (love that her appearance is customizable too, the clothes are great!)
One thing I noticed is that the red Kalixin clothes don't prompt any responses from the LIs. Every other color is fine, but the red skips over their reaction
Thank you so! I'm so glad you liked it!
Oh my, yes, thank you for letting me know! I had a repeat of the check for the yellow/gold color instead of red... gonna get that fixed, thank you!
This game is fabulous and I'm really picky so that's saying much! I also love the theme song when you're in the menu. Is there a possibility that we can download the music? I hope to see more games in the future by Underbliss! I will definitely download them so keep up the good work ;)
Hi! Thank you so!
All of the music was done by Kevin MacLeod -- you can find and download all the tracks at his website ( https://incompetech.com ), and up above in the description here on itch has a list of all the music used in EL, but the title song in particular is called 'Moorland'!
Thank you so much for your reply! I love the music and the game, the story is really well thought out and I love "Lacey" I think he's my spirit animal haha.
abandoned studying for my exams to play this game... no regrets. i ended up with vadeyn and absolutely loved it, although i was totally bummed ecarae wasn’t a love interest.
Awww <3 <3 Lots of interest in that shady assassin, hmmm...
I wish you well on your exams!
First of all this a fantastic game, you've done a great job! I love every character, especially Ernol, have you ever seen a man so beautiful you could cry?? Vadeyn is a super close second. But who am I kidding? They're all charming.
But I have to ask, how many endings are there, not including death/bad ends??
Is it one per love interest? :)
Hi! Thank you!
Yes, it plays out somewhat like an RPG story might--one main ending for the story and your LI is another factor of that story but not the defining one, if that makes sense!
There are deaths that you might call bad ends and one w/ Vadeyn that's pretty sad but for the most part, the ends play out the same, the differences in smaller choices you've made along the way.
I've recently played through all the routes, and I just have to say Ebon Light has been wonderful start to finish. I didn't find myself becoming disenchanted with completing the other routes or rereading parts of the story like some VN's make me feel, and that was such a breath of fresh air.
From the different plans you can choose, the variety of personalities with the LI's, and molding the MC through dialogue choices I was always finding ways to get new little snippets into lore or characters I didn't have before. I loooove lore btw so the compendium existing at all was GREAT.
The LI's are just *chef's kiss* amazing! I definitely have favorites, but they all pleasantly surprised me and kept me engaged and excited to romance them and see their perspectives and comments on events. Ernol has 100% stolen my heart and he can keep it. <3
All in all, thank you for all your hard work with bringing this game to life!!! It's an experience that will stick with me for quite a while. ^v^
Oh wow, thank you so, so much! It was so wonderful to read this, thank you!
I'm glad you enjoyed it, and thank you very much for playing!
Absolutely love this,
the gothic style, the intrigue, the range of characters and the super fleshed out lore,
however as silly as it may seem i got really hung up trying to find a translation for the elvish used in game, particularly the pet names, yet i cant seem to line the phrasing up with D&D / Tolkien dictionaries, please would you enlighten me as to the meanings? (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ
Aww <3 Thank you so!
Petnames, humm.. Atashan = lover, Madralee = shining light, Mysao'ora = deadly/lethal beauty/heartbreaker!
I have a question: how many ends there are by LI, please?
Ebon Light's story is more like an RPG than a traditional otome -- all to say, there is only one ending, across all characters, though the specifics of that ending and the way it all comes to pass is what changes. There is one... different ending w/ Vadeyn but it's short and he's the only one that has something like that!
... Calipoa is my favorite... Her character is so likable, and your friendship so fun and natural feeling. I like the romance paths too of course.. but I liked Calipoa more. Is there an ending where I get to go dragon hunting with her?
Aww <3 Alas, not an official one, but that is a very welcome head canon and you can be sure Cali would happily be down for that!
This game is SO GOOD! I just finished a romance ending with Lacey. It was happy and I am satisfied. In one of them I didn't want to get married, but stay partners, and in another I told him that we were going to have marriage, babies and puppies. Both scared him.
I feel bad because with the exception of Lacey, I have a hard time telling apart the pale male elves with black hair. I mix them up a lot. I hope by playing this game more I will see their individual beauty.
Aww <3 am so glad you're enjoying it!
Aha, I've heard that before! Plus, I think in this case the two you're talking about are brothers--unless you mean every Gha'alian, even outside LI's!
I found out today the itch.io has a feature that lets you know how many hours you have played a single game and I seem to have spent 67 hours from the past few days playing this game lmao. i adore the LI's so much and the story is so much fun. Thank you so much for this amazing game!! Laceaga's character is also super fun lol.
Wait, how do we track time played? o3o
I have the itch.io app if that helps:/Must be the app thing the, I've only ever used it browser and it's not there on here. Curses. xD
Aha awww <3 Well, I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for playing, for leaving your comment ahh!
Um I was curious when you click on the characters what does the blinking heart mean because some have different places?
In the compendium? Heart markers for LI's. Should be pink early on, then one red and the rest black once you've picked a LI, if you did. If working correctly, of course.
I will say at least in my playthroughs, whenever you get to a red heart w/ one of the guys everyone's heart does go to the broken one.. Except Ernol. His never did in my runs.
For some reason, the full game isn't available. I only have the demo.
Best I can think is to delete all traces of EL from your computer and redownload~ If the title screen's 'Ebon Light' logo is in near black, dark purple (like above), instead of the old, lighter purple, it's the full game.
Some people thought they were still playing the demo but they were actually hitting deaths and not realizing it, in case that is at all helpful!
I hope you're able to play! <3 <3
Yes, I noticed that. I kept playing the same choices and then it ended. It wasn't until I picked another choice did I realize it was a death path. Sorry about the inconvenience.
No worries at all, I think it's not clear enough! You're not the first to think that!
I played one route so far and I would like to say, Your work is amazing! It had me engaged!
Aww! Thank you! I'm so glad you're enjoying it, and thank you for playing!
Is there any walkthrough? Also, I don't know if the hair growing transparent at some points is a glitch or intentional?
I was wondering about this as well! I have limited time to game per day, so a walkthrough or at least a guideline to help uh guide me to a route path instead of blindly reloading would definitely help a lot in finishing everything.
No walkthrough yet, though I will add some soon for some of the stuff people are having issues with~
As far as routes and LI's are concerned, though, you needn't worry. There's no right/wrong choice when it comes to LI's (save one very specific one regarding Vadeyn) thus feel free to play your character however you please if your primary concern is getting a LI route.
https://underbliss.tumblr.com/post/189195570552/ebon-light-walkthrough
Here's the walkthrough :) It'll be updated more as needed!
What exactly is the issue?
I use WinRAR and select Extract Here [here being a folder I have for Visual Novels]. You can try with 7-Zip too and see if that works for you!
Oh no :( If you can give us more details, hopefully we can help!
I enjoyed this game very much. But I am also a little sad because I must return into the real world. I was happy to see that the game didn't force me to make certain personality choices to get the route I want.
(Haron's route)I was also happy that there was no edgy trope with the LI "betraying" the protagonist like Japanese games love to do, after the ghost man Ecare's sow-doubt-in-hallway scene.(Sanan's route in Hakuouki).I enjoyed the fact that all LIs support, love, and care for the MC in their routes. Even the golden weasel was pure even though he seems like a freak. Cute and wholesome. Truly a blissful experience. I feel blessed by the deity of pure love.
Aww <3 <3 I'm so glad you enjoyed it, even the golden weasel!!
Haron says he would never betray MC~
Thank you so much for playing It ahhh! <3 <3
I loved the demo and I'm really excited to play the rest. Can't believe this is free! I've never played a VN with your art style but I really like it. Thanks so much! <3
Aww <3 Thank you!
I’m only one route in (surprise, it was Lacey) and I just want to say THANK YOU and CONGRATULATIONS for making what is now my favorite VN ever!!! It’s like all of my VN prayers were answered in one game, being able to actually choose MCs personality, being able to do uncute unfeminine things and not be punished by a bad ending... I am SO excited for the rest of the routes and I really encourage everyone to pay what you can for this amazing labor of love
Thank you!! Ahh <3