Ninth Day Memorial is a very short game by newcomer torichi with custom graphics and literal free sounds as well as some custom(?)music. When I say short, I mean shooooooort, that drawn out short might be a bit longer than the game. This is not a detriment though, as its runtime works in its favor. It has multiple endings which is nice for replay value and you can easily spend 30 minutes in this game clicking on everything and making different choices if you want to see all endings or if things change.



Since it's so short and swee-ahem, disturbing, I finished within a few minutes and haven't tried every possible branching path. I figure that the mementos have something to do with it when you're in Yuli's bedroom. So, take this review with a grain of salt as I have not played it out in its entirety.

So let's start with a shallow dive where you might bang your head against the bottom of the pool with!

Art

I left a comment on the gamepage itself that it's hard to look at, which I don't want to be taken the wrong way. It's something I wouldn't detract from the score as it's not only just my cup of tea but also my own eyesight. Because the character portraits are beautifully done and even animated to an extent with eye movement and changing expressions. I think this is the thing I enjoyed most about the game, so kudos to the developer or whoever did the art.

The graphics themselves are very simple but effective and have a Space Funeral, alt/indie handmade vibe which I don't always enjoy but applaud the effort and for this story fits right in.



There's vibrant colors that pop in a bleak, dead environment. This to me shows that things in color against this backdrop have meaning. That's not to say don't try and explore things that are monotone because detail has been given to the most mundane things which I enjoy. Interact with everything and most of the time you get some text with a comment or observation. I love that. I really appreciate the character sprite art as well, especially the grieving parents with their funeral fatigues.

Story

I can't go in depth as I haven't seen every outcome but this game is inspired by true events of the developers life and if that's the case it gripped me more. This comes on the heels of the Russian invasion of the Ukraine, which might be what this game is referring to given the time period from the developers themselves. It's not horror(again it's so short) but it is surreal for sure, even without a time travel basis but that adds to it. It's about death. The protagonist isn't exactly a very sympathetic person which I actually enjoyed. It feels real. Not everyone deals with themes like this the same way and especially when it's someone you aren't exactly close to in a way how the said someone feels about you. Having a forced friendship or acquaintance can be a diffucult thing, even worse if they are on their deathbed and the their family is all over you.

The Ninth Memorial is definitely a game that I think most people can relate to, even in the smallest of ways storywise. Whether it be visiting someone in the hospital or having to interact with a family. I felt being in Yuli's bedroom and how in reality that situation goes. It's uncomfortable.



Gameplay

I've already mentioned that this game is short, has multiple endings and that can interact with things and get some text. Oh, so I'm done? Great, sign, sealed, delivered, it's yours! Kidding, but not really. There isn't much gameplay in the classical sense of an rpgmaker game or any other game. It's really more about piloting the character through a story. And that works, it doesn't need more than that if that was the developers intention, telling a story and making you feel, well, feelings.

You won't be dodging on screen encounters or having a flash of battle as the music amps when you're walking around. It's not that type of game. It plays more like an episode of the Twilight Zone or some similar new incarnation of a short story.

Overall

I'll start this off with what I'm guessing is just a mapping issue as I don't see why it would be this way for any other reason.



You can walk on the wall near the first door. I didn't find any other examples of this but it might be worth looking into other areas just in case. It's such a small thing but I like to mention it because people have done the same for me in the past with my games and it's always appreciated.

Now that that is out of the way, Ninth Day Memorial is game I'd recommend everyone give a try. not only because of its length(seriously, you can't spare a few minutes to play a game?) but because of its content. There's disturbing imagery as much as you can get with a 2d game such as this as well as a dark story. Children/young people dying is never not sad and we've been seeing it a lot recently in the real world. The fact that this is drawn from the developers real life experiences make it more than just a game. And I sincerely hope that the torichi can find peace with what they have been through, in time.

I'll end with that I can't wait to see what torichi has in store for us in the future and maybe with a longer title. Be open with this community and yourself and I wish you the best as you continue forward. You have great skill and talent.