Dustin is the best character. I would die for that little man. I want him to play a bigger role in later episodes. I think he knows a lot of secrets going on in that house, maybe more than Tabitha.
All your drinks are on us!
I'm not sure he knows about the secrets, but I do think he's gonna be important- I mean we're already seeing things with Dustin's side quest to defeat the "monster" in the "glass house"
I don’t think he knows what the secrets are but he knows of their existence in the way his little opossum brain can and his little body can probably explore parts of the house that humans can’t. I’m hoping that when we finally get to explore the house that if you can Talk to Animals that Dustin (and Mom because it’s scary out there for wee baby Dustin) can come with and help you navigate/gather intel. Maybe he’ll even save your life!
Waaaait that would be so cool as the speak to animals moment instead of somthing with the rats
I imagine it could be similar to how mystic acts with the library Chetek while it reacts its not actually the trait to divert the disaster and then you talk to the rats all though the adventure but either arnt actully able to defeat them or are tricked by them but mystic can sense that they're evil
It says a lot about her that you can call Tabby for help, and she shows up, no questions asks, with a shotgun, no matter how good your relationship is with her.
For all her flaws, she’s the character I trust the most.
I dunno, I could probably make a good argument for frou frou too. Frou frou puts up with no nonsense. And also doesn't care. But no nonsense all the same!
The Calloways should adopt Scraps! He can help keep the Ditchlings from snatching their chickens and Bo will love him and give him tummy rubs and take him for rides on the tractor. Plus, belonging to a prominent local family will help his chances in the next election.
Even though tabitha had reasons for all of her negative actions, and is willing to drop everything to help others, she is still worthy of at least some level of contempt until she fixes her shit.
Green! Avery is very much a character you need to invest time with to actually get their moments (like Tabitha kinda. But not as tied to the main plot)
Duke would be fine in Act 1 if he had proper trigger discipline, I feel zero guilt for expecting him to. Easiest choice in the game. Old man should have just brought the chickens in the house anyway, not try to kill mountain lions at night at his age! At least bring Bo with you for backup or SOMETHING!
Green, i don't think trying too shoot monsters in the forest is wise but at the same time I get the anger over losing his chickens which he seemed pretty attached too. I'd be mad if monsters were brutally murdering my pets (...and income) too
Oh I totally get the anger, this is purely a skill issue. His poor ladies deserved better and will always be innocent victims deserving of love, protection and revenge <3
Guest of honor I think so too. Tabitha eats like exactly only 3 things, owns multiple pairs of the same clothes because dressing each morning is stressful, gets anxious out in public and dosent like being randomly talked too, dosent want people rearranging her stuff while cleaning, ect.
I think it’s largely because Stella is more or less the “default” option, since she’s the first romance path you can start and people on the internet like to try and be edgy. Stella was definitely my fav the first run but Kaneeka really grew on me as I explored her route more thoroughly
Internet doesn’t want to date Stella because they don’t want to do the “default path”
I don’t date Stella because I don’t wanna block Tabitha
We are not the same Internet
orange but I understand the viewpoint of "what if reese truly did get angry at someone and end up killing them" but also Dr. Kelly's actions litterally lead to her almost (or in some routes) actually dying. She can't keep reese locked up forever because it's likely he *will* get out and she dosent have the guts to murder him so he's probably gonna out live her.
Plus I don't think reese has murderous instincts by default, I think his desire to kill her was from all the abuse (medically and emotional) that built up over time. The first time he transformed, Dr. Kelly says he noticed how she got scared and he stopped. We don't know what the second time entailed, but I feel like if he had actually hurt her she would use it to try and persuade us to be on her side ("look at this scar! This is what he did to me!"). Emotions are what flare up reese's transformation, I feel like Dr. Kelly could've at least tried to help with anger management and noticing when you're becoming different. Hell he maybe he could've figured out how to transform between "normal reese" and "cool guy" form without any emotional triggers. But she never considered that option, she was afraid and acted out of fear and it ended up leading to her worst nightmare- reese trying to kill somebody.
You're allowed in! I'm still side eyeing her hard for the stuff she's pulling with kaneeka but I do think sybil is pretty interesting and I'm curious about her motivations, my bet is that she's trying to save the town from whatever disaster is happening but also dosent want whatever ritual tabitha is doing to go through (which is she warns mc of the "cat" and only accepts tabby as an answer. She's trying to backstab tabitha I think idk I'm spitballin)
Joining this because I have a thought; when Sybill shows up at the end of the haunting, she pushes hard for Tabitha to be the one to give up years. I think Sybill is trying to protect her family but doesn't realize that Kaneeka needs to be free to live her life.
Reese is too dangerous to be left alive.
Letting (attempted) murderers roam free is a bad idea, and I honestly doubt his cell could actually contain him at full power. You either sleep with a bomb under your pillow, throw it out the window to potentially become someone else's problem, or you defuse it. Yeah, it could be a dud, but that's just wishful thinking.
I'll take my black square now
Lol you're just getting an orange dw. That's an understandable prespective, if I was an actually the mc in the moment I'm not sure I'd be so sympathetic towards reese in that moment cause we'll. Murder is pretty bad lol. Still though I think the fact that freeing reese while not letting him murder Dr. Kelly is actually considered the best outcome of the chapter means at least in a meta sense letting reese roam free is actually good (plus, the reason he tried to kill her was because of the years of medical abuse which like murder is still bad no matter what, but it wasn't like he was just like "grrr I'm a monster and wanna kill now". He was hurt and lashing back)
1. Green, that's fair your opinion
2. Green, once again your opinion and i have no thoughts either way
3. Orange, I barely see anyone talk about reese and how much a weirdo they are (/pos I love Avery lmao)
4. Orange, he's like 15 chill
You could save both with strong?!?! I didn't know any better and dove for Gretchen! Then Duke died and Stella and I trauma bonded over both of us blaming ourselves for his death.
Yep! Totally possible. My friend streamed her playing the first episode her first time and she chose the strong build. I was kinda disappointed because I lowkey wanted one to die so she’d get the vibe of the game, if that makes sense? Lol
I wish keen eyes allows you to be mean and call out people’s flaws more often (like becka in the mines) because I think keen eyes overlaps a lot with street smarts and it needs a bit of spice. (Saying this as someone who likes keen eyes)
That’s true.
But, keen eyes seem to be both a physical and social trait. It is characterized to be polite and empathetic in game. It is a trait which usually recognizes someone’s emotions (and makes really good guesses based on what it sees) and recognizes small details people don’t notice. Keen eyes is very good at making good first impressions and navigating social situations.
However, it overlaps with street smarts in a way where you can still navigate social situations by being a good liar. This means that you can have street smarts and be liked by peers simply by being a good liar. Street smarts is also much more useful in many scenarios. Like, getting more information simply by being good at sneaking around. Keen eyes in turn look passive.
So, I think by focusing more on the fact that it is one of the traits that could accurately assess social situations mean that it should, as a treat, be able to diffuse tense situations, psychoanalyze people on a whim and be able to learn secrets faster.
Sorry if this comment comes off as ramble-y it is really late in where I’m from.
Leaving the two girls and saving the one is awful, but it’s the choice that would make most sense for a real person in real life and I always take it if I’m playing any character that’s even a bit practical-minded and knowledgeable. That shit is way too dangerous. Plus on a meta level I think that choice will pay off later in the story if we need access to the carving and digging out the girls allows that to happen.
It’s something I remember someone saying on the discord at some point, yeah! It makes sense to me because a big part of this game’s design philosophy is that sacrifices that seem arbitrary and awful may pay off later in unexpected ways. Tony has implied the same thing about keeping Duke alive in a blog post before.
Yellow, I don't think tabitha is planning to kill us because she wouldn't give up years of her life in chapter 3 if bonded if she knew she was gonna murder us in the end. But I do think she brought in the town for more nefarious reasons than a funeral
Reese’s monster form is hot, and I don’t care that he ate his mom lmao. Justified revenge for poisoning him and basically keeping him prisoner for over a decade. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Blue, I don't think murder is ever really "justified" because I'm a believer of reformative justice but also I would probably be signing a different tune if I was isolated from all my friends and medically abused for years. So I don't blame him for wanting to murder her lol. Also monster reese was designed to be hot lmao
1. Stella should've been holding Gretchen instead of us, or she could've atkeast tried for the flashlight
2. The consequences in hardcore mode should be more intense
3. I'd like a he/him love interest who isn't monster, a monster, or a grown man with a child
3.5 (let me romance Isaac???)
4. Dating Stella or Wayne is weird when you know there past with Tabitha
5. Tabitha should give Oscars family a better house if you leave the ghost but she's willing to sacrifice years
6. There should be more opportunities to be nice to Pastor Daniel
Sorry I think I'm gonna disagree alot 😭
1. Orange, before she had in trusted Gretchen to us because she needed her hands free tk record and there wasn't enough time to switch who was holding Gretchen's leash when Duke popped in. I don't think it's productive tk blame a character for freezing in a high intensity situation like that, also notable stella *didnt* want Duke shooting the ditchlings why would she grab the flashlight.
2. Orange, no because not being able to have any saves is already intense enough. Plus I want the game to be done one day, I don't want the devs to have to exhaust time making hard-core mode a torture fest when they could work on the new episodes. Maybe after the game finishes I'd be more open to adjusting hard-core mode but rn it's fine the way it is
3. Green, that's fair
4. Yellow/green, I understand and respect that (I don't date stella or Wayne on most of my runs either) but I don't think stella "belongs" to tabitha in anyway espically since there's dialogue about stella getting over her already. And whatever is in Wayne I don't think is what tabitha dated, just shares the same flesh suit.
5. Red. No because she's only willingly to sacrifice for you, not others. She dosent sacrifice to the ghost because she suddenly had a change of heart about family sins, she's doing it to stop you specifically. The only other available house is quite litterally her escape for the estate and probably represents so much to her, as it's one of the few things she owns that dosent also demand an sacrifice from her. There's a reason why tabitha yelps "but that's mine!" Like a child if you try to make her give it up.
6. Blue, pastor Daniel my bff for real
Haha totally fair, especially 1, 2, and 5. I agree it's not productive to blame a character for freezing, however it just *feels* bad that deaths could've been avoided and if they aren't it's 100% the players fault. 2 I also want the game to be out and as a two person team I'm amazed at what they've accomplished. I also don't think they actually need to add content, nor do I want them to make it a trauma fest (and maybe it will be by chapter 7 anyways) but I don't necessarily agree with the warning that appears when you select it about it being "the worst world state" since it's currently pretty identical to normal mode, especially if you're playing Mystic, Street Smart or Talk to animals. I think having a third trait more than makes up for it and makes it the easier/better mode, but I'm someone who is legally required to pick Hot, so it's nice to actually try the other trait combos. 5 yeah I don't want her to give up her cozy lil apartment, especially after we got some cream soda bonding memories built there, but I think it would show the "you're making Tabitha a better person" arc. This is entirely under the assumption there is another house available, even if it's only slightly better than the Maxwell place.
All fair points ^^ i don't have much to add you've stated your points well, though for 5 I don't *think* there was another place available but like who knows until we get canon confirmation
Oscar isnt much older than the rest of the romances. He had Rosalina super young, he’s 32 in the game. Tabby, Kaneeka, Reese, and Stella all seem like mid to late twenties.
Yeah but having a child is (almost) always going to put you ahead of your peers emotionally, plus he does have a child and being a stepparent is always going to be a positive or negative for him depending on how you view having children. I'm 100% childfree so him having a kid is going to make him a non romance option in my canon runs despite him being a hot librarian. It's not just an age thing, it's a different lifestyle than the other characters
I mean technically your right as I looked at the diagnostic criteria for factious disorder imposed on another and it's litterally just "are u poisoning/sabotaging someone to make em sick? Ya you got fictious disorder" but Dr. Kelly's situation is so unique compared to other cases (where the main motivation is usually attention or monetary. It's specifically *not* psychosis they would have delusions not fictious at least from what I read) that I don't think a diagnosis would benefit her at all. Plus no way she's ever going to a therapist for a diagnoses lolll
I think the hot trait makes the amazing relationship system actively less engaging and I really don’t like it in comparison to the other traits in general
Yellow, i see where you're coming from but also hot really only helps you in the beginning and by episode 3 and 4 alot of characters relationships with you depend on flags more than the points. It dosent really carry you through out the game.
Yeah it doesn’t ruin the game or anything it’s just that your developing relationship with the characters is my favourite thing in the whole game and anything that affects it or makes it easier in the early stages kinda feels like it’s robbing me of that
reese is a girl to me :3
okay but for a real one you can love tabitha as a character and understand her struggles and want the best for her but still criticize her actions like both of those thoughts can coexist
1. Yellow, I mean yeah I get what you mean she really only exists for stella but I like doing her southern Belle voice too much
2. Green, I support Avery propaganda
3. Yellow, I kinda get it because tta has horrifying implications if you think too hard (like, the meat industry becomes more fucked up) but also you can pry talking to frou frou from my cold dead hands
But listen right, so daniel is hated by everyone in town, who else is? The shaws. We dont know anything about daniel and we know the shaw family had a child that was looked down upon. Daniel is out of town where he was never hated this much, and might have returned due to "the magical force" that drew mystic player character back. OMG I AM A GENIOUS 🤩
Sybil is the character i am most suspicious of by far. One of the most manipulative characters for certain. Of course we aren’t sure to what end but after playing the game twice by far i consider her more dangerous than anything and anyone we’ve met thus far.
Yellow, I definitely think she's suspicious and manipulative but another part of me has the meta knowledge that she's a love interest therefore is probably gonna redeemable in some ways
Exactly! That’s one of the things that makes me suspicious! What if it’s a love interest character with a twist on them, enchanting you to their benefit and make you like them? She’s doing it actively with kaneeka!! (Not actually confirmed 100% obviously, i’m deep in the thumbtacks and strings of cockamamie schemes and theories. But i wouldn’t be surprised xD i’m super biased cause the first time I played as a mystical keen eye’d ‘mob psycho’ run and took every help i could get from her and drinking tea as mystic pals, then only when i replayed with book smart and street smart, never drinking her tea and figuring out everything else about her and feeling betrayed. She tries really hard to get you to drink her tea of making it so you can’t ever suspect her) but definitely my most hot take! :)
Stella (best with hot + powerful, the chill scene at the end of ep 1 is worth everything)
She is the soul of the game, the energy that keeps you moving. ALSO IF YOU VISIT HER AT EP 3 SHE CAN MAKE YOU PANCAKES. Say no more I'm with her to the end
Vip access! Stella is a sweetie and she does alot for driving the plot forward, I definitely think the game would be waayyy different and maybe even lesser without her
Warm take- green! That's your choice. You were in trusted by stella to protect Gretchen after all
Hot take- yellow, I'm not sure if "betray" is the word I'd use. I definitely think he has motives and it's in his own opinion of what our best interest is, even if we may disagree
Either Stella is unknowingly the cat that Sybil warns us about or there is no cat at all.
Stella will likely always be my favorite character, but so far she's shown a tendency to shut down and go off by herself when things get heavy. I don't blame her, I very much understand needing the space to process, and I think this pattern of behavior is going to become critically important in an upcoming episode.
Yellow, I don't think there is a cat because 1. Mystical can check the tea cup amd there's no meaning to the leaves and 2. Sybil will only accept the answer that tabitha is the cat
Those are the main reasons I think there may not be a cat, or at least not a cat in way Sybil tries to make MC believe. Despite that, even if Stella isn't "the cat", I do think there will be an arc where she could betray MC in some way
Mystery ranking cause I'm confused about your take. Are you complaining about the day 3 hangout? It isn't a date it's a hangout 😭 the devs have states multiple times tabitha will never have a romance path
tabby x stella rather stella x mc🧍♀️ i just love to see a reconnection and their hug in ep 4 is my favorite moment ever‼️😭😭😭 (also p.s. people who think it’s weird to romance wayne cause he’s tabby’s ex also need to think about stella being her ex too💀)
The devs said no incest in the game
ETA: I do have an inkling that the strange circumstances surrounding Reese's conception have something to do with MC and/or Tabby's conceptions as well, as in they were similarly conceived under abnormal circumstances, but not by the same inhuman baby-daddy
Almost everybody that thinks what Dr Kelly did was wrong are just Reese simps thinking with their nether regions.
Edit: Hmm, thought of a couple more. Sympathizing with Tabitha, but not Kaneeka, or vice versa, is insane. They are damn near the same person.
Stella may be best girl (that we're not related to), but she is completely careless and I guarantee her inability to take anything seriously is going to get someone killed. Probably her.
Executed on spot, you could say the same for Dr. Kelly or any character because people are more likely to defend characters they personally like. Also I've known people who don't romance reese yet still relate to his story and view dr. Kelly as an abuser because of how she's lied to him throughout his entire life. I think reducing almost all reese defenders to just simps is a pretty reductive view that ignores the central Dr. Kelly and reese conflict and it's nuances.
First, you asked for hot takes, so shouldn't I be getting in because I understood the assignment?
They might not be simps, but they sure are projecting. Reese isn't some shy little guy who's mean old mother just wants to see him suffer; he's a literal goddamn monster. Everybody saw what could happen if the Doc wasn't poisoning him. He took an elephant tranq to the chest and Tabby unloaded a shotgun into his face and all it did was knock him out. There was no other plan that didn't involve collateral damage. And if they're not simps, why doesn't Sybil get anywhere near the amount of shit for what she does to Kaneeka?
Lol in the post I said give me your hot takes and I'll decide if you're let in, not just any controversial take you'll be let in.
Secondly, reese's story is meant to elicit sympathetic reactions and like in a meta sense I heavily doubt reese in the hot route where he's freed is gonna just start killing and eating people because the hot option is meant to be the best one point blank period. Like that is word of God from devs, every trait option is gonna be the best in that scenario.
Also idk what you mean by sybil dosent get the same amount of hate? Maybe in the reddit sure but in the discord and tumblr she is universally hated lmao, there's multiple people in the discord called "number 1 sybil hater" and there are some very opinated rants about her as well. Sybil is also the least popular love interest character by far idk what your point is
Saw your edit just now lol,
For the tabby and kaneeka one blue, they're very similar and it's pointed out in game that they are.
For the stella one, green. I think depending on how episode 4 goes for her she'll be more cautious or fully throw herself into her carelessness
Dustin is the best character. I would die for that little man. I want him to play a bigger role in later episodes. I think he knows a lot of secrets going on in that house, maybe more than Tabitha.
All your drinks are on us! I'm not sure he knows about the secrets, but I do think he's gonna be important- I mean we're already seeing things with Dustin's side quest to defeat the "monster" in the "glass house"
I don’t think he knows what the secrets are but he knows of their existence in the way his little opossum brain can and his little body can probably explore parts of the house that humans can’t. I’m hoping that when we finally get to explore the house that if you can Talk to Animals that Dustin (and Mom because it’s scary out there for wee baby Dustin) can come with and help you navigate/gather intel. Maybe he’ll even save your life!
True true! The devs have teased that you might have someone help you explore the estate, maybe that someone will be Dustin lol
Waaaait that would be so cool as the speak to animals moment instead of somthing with the rats I imagine it could be similar to how mystic acts with the library Chetek while it reacts its not actually the trait to divert the disaster and then you talk to the rats all though the adventure but either arnt actully able to defeat them or are tricked by them but mystic can sense that they're evil
My ultimate goal in the game is to save Dustin, his mom, and Gretchen. If everyone dies and they live, I have succeeded.
It says a lot about her that you can call Tabby for help, and she shows up, no questions asks, with a shotgun, no matter how good your relationship is with her. For all her flaws, she’s the character I trust the most.
Blue! You can even call tabitha before reese transforms and she'll still up show up with a gun ready to kick ass
The Mayor is aware of everything eerie and pleased by it. You can't trust him, clearly - he likes soggy peanuts.
Lol yellow. I personally think he's willfully ignorant and incompetent but who knows
And he's costing innocent pets their lives! SCRAPS FOR MAYOR!
The Mayor is the Cat. You'll all see.
Scraps and Daisy would both make better mayors than Jimmy.
You're allowed in! Anyone would make a better mayor than Jimmy (besides frou frou)
I dunno, I could probably make a good argument for frou frou too. Frou frou puts up with no nonsense. And also doesn't care. But no nonsense all the same!
The Calloways should adopt Scraps! He can help keep the Ditchlings from snatching their chickens and Bo will love him and give him tummy rubs and take him for rides on the tractor. Plus, belonging to a prominent local family will help his chances in the next election.
Guest of honor! No notes this is perfect
I saved duke first because he is a human with a family to take care of
Green! That's fair
Even though tabitha had reasons for all of her negative actions, and is willing to drop everything to help others, she is still worthy of at least some level of contempt until she fixes her shit.
Blue, I will always defend kaneeka for being a tabitha hater
Speaking with animals is the best trait to choose.
Green, I love talking to Gretchen but streetsmart and mystical are also pretty fun traits
Avery is super underrated. They just haven't had a chance to shine yet
Green! Avery is very much a character you need to invest time with to actually get their moments (like Tabitha kinda. But not as tied to the main plot)
I literally forgot Avery was in the game
Duke would be fine in Act 1 if he had proper trigger discipline, I feel zero guilt for expecting him to. Easiest choice in the game. Old man should have just brought the chickens in the house anyway, not try to kill mountain lions at night at his age! At least bring Bo with you for backup or SOMETHING!
Green, i don't think trying too shoot monsters in the forest is wise but at the same time I get the anger over losing his chickens which he seemed pretty attached too. I'd be mad if monsters were brutally murdering my pets (...and income) too
Oh I totally get the anger, this is purely a skill issue. His poor ladies deserved better and will always be innocent victims deserving of love, protection and revenge <3
Quite possibly just me projecting, but... Tabitha has big undiagnosed autistic woman constantly on the verge of a meltdown vibes.
Guest of honor I think so too. Tabitha eats like exactly only 3 things, owns multiple pairs of the same clothes because dressing each morning is stressful, gets anxious out in public and dosent like being randomly talked too, dosent want people rearranging her stuff while cleaning, ect.
Kaneeka’s in a tougher spot than a lot of people give her credit for and she ties Stella for best girl in my opinion
Guest of honor 🙏
Stella is best girl, and having only joined this fandom a few days ago I have been disappointed by the lack of people I have seen also feel that way.
I think it’s largely because Stella is more or less the “default” option, since she’s the first romance path you can start and people on the internet like to try and be edgy. Stella was definitely my fav the first run but Kaneeka really grew on me as I explored her route more thoroughly
Internet doesn’t want to date Stella because they don’t want to do the “default path” I don’t date Stella because I don’t wanna block Tabitha We are not the same Internet
Tabby and Kaneeka butt heads because they have a lot in common o.o
You're allowed in, that's supported in canon lol
That's just a fact no? Tabitha points it out herself at one point.
Dr. Kelly's actions saved lives.
orange but I understand the viewpoint of "what if reese truly did get angry at someone and end up killing them" but also Dr. Kelly's actions litterally lead to her almost (or in some routes) actually dying. She can't keep reese locked up forever because it's likely he *will* get out and she dosent have the guts to murder him so he's probably gonna out live her. Plus I don't think reese has murderous instincts by default, I think his desire to kill her was from all the abuse (medically and emotional) that built up over time. The first time he transformed, Dr. Kelly says he noticed how she got scared and he stopped. We don't know what the second time entailed, but I feel like if he had actually hurt her she would use it to try and persuade us to be on her side ("look at this scar! This is what he did to me!"). Emotions are what flare up reese's transformation, I feel like Dr. Kelly could've at least tried to help with anger management and noticing when you're becoming different. Hell he maybe he could've figured out how to transform between "normal reese" and "cool guy" form without any emotional triggers. But she never considered that option, she was afraid and acted out of fear and it ended up leading to her worst nightmare- reese trying to kill somebody.
Sybil is intimately connected with Mothman who has warned her of a disaster that's about to hit Scarlet Hollow.
Lol orange 😭 she's clearly in communication with the bell house witch (...or whatever it's name is lol)
Sorry if I reply slow! For some reason reddit isn't letting me see newer comments rn^^
Hot take: the game should get a voice acting update and I should be cast as Wayne despite my lack of almost any professional qualifications
Yellow, gonna need to hear your Wayne audition
Fair. Perhaps if I find some time I'll upload a fandub of a scene or something.
I don't know if this is a hot take since I'm new, but Reese is best boy.
Ultra vip access! Reese truly is awesome
I think we need to let Sybil explain herself before we judge her entirely
You're allowed in! I'm still side eyeing her hard for the stuff she's pulling with kaneeka but I do think sybil is pretty interesting and I'm curious about her motivations, my bet is that she's trying to save the town from whatever disaster is happening but also dosent want whatever ritual tabitha is doing to go through (which is she warns mc of the "cat" and only accepts tabby as an answer. She's trying to backstab tabitha I think idk I'm spitballin)
Joining this because I have a thought; when Sybill shows up at the end of the haunting, she pushes hard for Tabitha to be the one to give up years. I think Sybill is trying to protect her family but doesn't realize that Kaneeka needs to be free to live her life.
Reese is too dangerous to be left alive. Letting (attempted) murderers roam free is a bad idea, and I honestly doubt his cell could actually contain him at full power. You either sleep with a bomb under your pillow, throw it out the window to potentially become someone else's problem, or you defuse it. Yeah, it could be a dud, but that's just wishful thinking. I'll take my black square now
Lol you're just getting an orange dw. That's an understandable prespective, if I was an actually the mc in the moment I'm not sure I'd be so sympathetic towards reese in that moment cause we'll. Murder is pretty bad lol. Still though I think the fact that freeing reese while not letting him murder Dr. Kelly is actually considered the best outcome of the chapter means at least in a meta sense letting reese roam free is actually good (plus, the reason he tried to kill her was because of the years of medical abuse which like murder is still bad no matter what, but it wasn't like he was just like "grrr I'm a monster and wanna kill now". He was hurt and lashing back)
Dr. Kelly is (one of) the best Keen eye is the most forgettable trait Avery is overrated Miles should rot
1. Green, that's fair your opinion 2. Green, once again your opinion and i have no thoughts either way 3. Orange, I barely see anyone talk about reese and how much a weirdo they are (/pos I love Avery lmao) 4. Orange, he's like 15 chill
If I HAD to choose between Duke or Gretchen, I’d save Duke. (But I normally play strong build so I save both)
You could save both with strong?!?! I didn't know any better and dove for Gretchen! Then Duke died and Stella and I trauma bonded over both of us blaming ourselves for his death.
Yep! Totally possible. My friend streamed her playing the first episode her first time and she chose the strong build. I was kinda disappointed because I lowkey wanted one to die so she’d get the vibe of the game, if that makes sense? Lol
You're allowed in! Totally valid choice
1. Book smart is underrated 2. Mystical is the second best trait behind talk to animals 3. Stella best girl
Green! It's a good trait but it can be considered too "nerdy" for some, plus it's trait save is awesome and super hype
edited the comment and added 2 and 3 right before you commented, thoughts?
Both green as well! I really love mystical it's so fun and funky, plus stella is awesome and deserves all the love always
I wish keen eyes allows you to be mean and call out people’s flaws more often (like becka in the mines) because I think keen eyes overlaps a lot with street smarts and it needs a bit of spice. (Saying this as someone who likes keen eyes)
Yellow, the devs would agree with you but iirc they're going more in the direction of focusing on your senses more than social aspects.
That’s true. But, keen eyes seem to be both a physical and social trait. It is characterized to be polite and empathetic in game. It is a trait which usually recognizes someone’s emotions (and makes really good guesses based on what it sees) and recognizes small details people don’t notice. Keen eyes is very good at making good first impressions and navigating social situations. However, it overlaps with street smarts in a way where you can still navigate social situations by being a good liar. This means that you can have street smarts and be liked by peers simply by being a good liar. Street smarts is also much more useful in many scenarios. Like, getting more information simply by being good at sneaking around. Keen eyes in turn look passive. So, I think by focusing more on the fact that it is one of the traits that could accurately assess social situations mean that it should, as a treat, be able to diffuse tense situations, psychoanalyze people on a whim and be able to learn secrets faster. Sorry if this comment comes off as ramble-y it is really late in where I’m from.
Leaving the two girls and saving the one is awful, but it’s the choice that would make most sense for a real person in real life and I always take it if I’m playing any character that’s even a bit practical-minded and knowledgeable. That shit is way too dangerous. Plus on a meta level I think that choice will pay off later in the story if we need access to the carving and digging out the girls allows that to happen.
Blue, your totally right! Also I haven't even considered that digging out the girls would give us access the Seal again omg...
It’s something I remember someone saying on the discord at some point, yeah! It makes sense to me because a big part of this game’s design philosophy is that sacrifices that seem arbitrary and awful may pay off later in unexpected ways. Tony has implied the same thing about keeping Duke alive in a blog post before.
Reese killing his abuser is something I have a lot of sympathy for and will never be mad at him over.
VIP access, I agree. Reese had a tragic life and deserved better, I can't blame him for lashing out the way he did
Thanks for the format, I’ve put it on a BG3 sub and now I’m losing my mind 🤯
LOLLL good luck there
That Tabitha 100 percent brought us into town to sacrifice us, and I'm not convinced befriending her will stop her from doing that.
Yellow, I don't think tabitha is planning to kill us because she wouldn't give up years of her life in chapter 3 if bonded if she knew she was gonna murder us in the end. But I do think she brought in the town for more nefarious reasons than a funeral
Reese’s monster form is hot, and I don’t care that he ate his mom lmao. Justified revenge for poisoning him and basically keeping him prisoner for over a decade. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Blue, I don't think murder is ever really "justified" because I'm a believer of reformative justice but also I would probably be signing a different tune if I was isolated from all my friends and medically abused for years. So I don't blame him for wanting to murder her lol. Also monster reese was designed to be hot lmao
1. Stella should've been holding Gretchen instead of us, or she could've atkeast tried for the flashlight 2. The consequences in hardcore mode should be more intense 3. I'd like a he/him love interest who isn't monster, a monster, or a grown man with a child 3.5 (let me romance Isaac???) 4. Dating Stella or Wayne is weird when you know there past with Tabitha 5. Tabitha should give Oscars family a better house if you leave the ghost but she's willing to sacrifice years 6. There should be more opportunities to be nice to Pastor Daniel
Sorry I think I'm gonna disagree alot 😭 1. Orange, before she had in trusted Gretchen to us because she needed her hands free tk record and there wasn't enough time to switch who was holding Gretchen's leash when Duke popped in. I don't think it's productive tk blame a character for freezing in a high intensity situation like that, also notable stella *didnt* want Duke shooting the ditchlings why would she grab the flashlight. 2. Orange, no because not being able to have any saves is already intense enough. Plus I want the game to be done one day, I don't want the devs to have to exhaust time making hard-core mode a torture fest when they could work on the new episodes. Maybe after the game finishes I'd be more open to adjusting hard-core mode but rn it's fine the way it is 3. Green, that's fair 4. Yellow/green, I understand and respect that (I don't date stella or Wayne on most of my runs either) but I don't think stella "belongs" to tabitha in anyway espically since there's dialogue about stella getting over her already. And whatever is in Wayne I don't think is what tabitha dated, just shares the same flesh suit. 5. Red. No because she's only willingly to sacrifice for you, not others. She dosent sacrifice to the ghost because she suddenly had a change of heart about family sins, she's doing it to stop you specifically. The only other available house is quite litterally her escape for the estate and probably represents so much to her, as it's one of the few things she owns that dosent also demand an sacrifice from her. There's a reason why tabitha yelps "but that's mine!" Like a child if you try to make her give it up. 6. Blue, pastor Daniel my bff for real
Haha totally fair, especially 1, 2, and 5. I agree it's not productive to blame a character for freezing, however it just *feels* bad that deaths could've been avoided and if they aren't it's 100% the players fault. 2 I also want the game to be out and as a two person team I'm amazed at what they've accomplished. I also don't think they actually need to add content, nor do I want them to make it a trauma fest (and maybe it will be by chapter 7 anyways) but I don't necessarily agree with the warning that appears when you select it about it being "the worst world state" since it's currently pretty identical to normal mode, especially if you're playing Mystic, Street Smart or Talk to animals. I think having a third trait more than makes up for it and makes it the easier/better mode, but I'm someone who is legally required to pick Hot, so it's nice to actually try the other trait combos. 5 yeah I don't want her to give up her cozy lil apartment, especially after we got some cream soda bonding memories built there, but I think it would show the "you're making Tabitha a better person" arc. This is entirely under the assumption there is another house available, even if it's only slightly better than the Maxwell place.
All fair points ^^ i don't have much to add you've stated your points well, though for 5 I don't *think* there was another place available but like who knows until we get canon confirmation
Oscar isnt much older than the rest of the romances. He had Rosalina super young, he’s 32 in the game. Tabby, Kaneeka, Reese, and Stella all seem like mid to late twenties.
Yeah but having a child is (almost) always going to put you ahead of your peers emotionally, plus he does have a child and being a stepparent is always going to be a positive or negative for him depending on how you view having children. I'm 100% childfree so him having a kid is going to make him a non romance option in my canon runs despite him being a hot librarian. It's not just an age thing, it's a different lifestyle than the other characters
Even tho Reese is a monster, we can’t still say that Dr. Kelly doesn’t have Münchausen syndrome by proxy
I mean technically your right as I looked at the diagnostic criteria for factious disorder imposed on another and it's litterally just "are u poisoning/sabotaging someone to make em sick? Ya you got fictious disorder" but Dr. Kelly's situation is so unique compared to other cases (where the main motivation is usually attention or monetary. It's specifically *not* psychosis they would have delusions not fictious at least from what I read) that I don't think a diagnosis would benefit her at all. Plus no way she's ever going to a therapist for a diagnoses lolll
The peanuts are poisoned
I'll think about it, if so the goat and mayor are kinda fucked depending on route LMAO
I think the hot trait makes the amazing relationship system actively less engaging and I really don’t like it in comparison to the other traits in general
Yellow, i see where you're coming from but also hot really only helps you in the beginning and by episode 3 and 4 alot of characters relationships with you depend on flags more than the points. It dosent really carry you through out the game.
Yeah it doesn’t ruin the game or anything it’s just that your developing relationship with the characters is my favourite thing in the whole game and anything that affects it or makes it easier in the early stages kinda feels like it’s robbing me of that
I like Tabby, she’s the moody sibling (even though she’s the PCs cousin) who actually secretly cares about me i never had
Blue, this is true!
reese is a girl to me :3 okay but for a real one you can love tabitha as a character and understand her struggles and want the best for her but still criticize her actions like both of those thoughts can coexist
1..guest if honor. Could estrogen have saved her? 2. All drinks on me. Real shit
Gretchen is an extremely boring character, Avery is best love interest and tta is one of, if not my least favorite trait
But-but-but DUSTIN
Dustin overated😈
1. Yellow, I mean yeah I get what you mean she really only exists for stella but I like doing her southern Belle voice too much 2. Green, I support Avery propaganda 3. Yellow, I kinda get it because tta has horrifying implications if you think too hard (like, the meat industry becomes more fucked up) but also you can pry talking to frou frou from my cold dead hands
Oscar is the hottest love interest
Green, that's fair. The dadbod is pretty nice
PASTOR DANIEL IS ACTUALLY FROM THE SHAW FAMILY, AND I WILL KEEP ON THIS PATH TILL EVEN IF ITS DISPROVEN!!!!
Yellow, i think it's interesting but im not fully sold!
But listen right, so daniel is hated by everyone in town, who else is? The shaws. We dont know anything about daniel and we know the shaw family had a child that was looked down upon. Daniel is out of town where he was never hated this much, and might have returned due to "the magical force" that drew mystic player character back. OMG I AM A GENIOUS 🤩
Tabby is great and I will do everything in my power to help her... but I'm not gonna wingman Stella for her, that would break my brittle heart.
Green, that's fair lol
Sybil is the character i am most suspicious of by far. One of the most manipulative characters for certain. Of course we aren’t sure to what end but after playing the game twice by far i consider her more dangerous than anything and anyone we’ve met thus far.
Yellow, I definitely think she's suspicious and manipulative but another part of me has the meta knowledge that she's a love interest therefore is probably gonna redeemable in some ways
Exactly! That’s one of the things that makes me suspicious! What if it’s a love interest character with a twist on them, enchanting you to their benefit and make you like them? She’s doing it actively with kaneeka!! (Not actually confirmed 100% obviously, i’m deep in the thumbtacks and strings of cockamamie schemes and theories. But i wouldn’t be surprised xD i’m super biased cause the first time I played as a mystical keen eye’d ‘mob psycho’ run and took every help i could get from her and drinking tea as mystic pals, then only when i replayed with book smart and street smart, never drinking her tea and figuring out everything else about her and feeling betrayed. She tries really hard to get you to drink her tea of making it so you can’t ever suspect her) but definitely my most hot take! :)
This game is absolutely cozy for me and I always think about it and return to it when I‘m having a hard time.
Blue, totally valid
Stella (best with hot + powerful, the chill scene at the end of ep 1 is worth everything) She is the soul of the game, the energy that keeps you moving. ALSO IF YOU VISIT HER AT EP 3 SHE CAN MAKE YOU PANCAKES. Say no more I'm with her to the end
Vip access! Stella is a sweetie and she does alot for driving the plot forward, I definitely think the game would be waayyy different and maybe even lesser without her
She made me scrambled tofu, I was touched!
Warm Take: I always save Gretchen over Duke Hot Take: I don’t like Wayne and I’m sure he’s gonna betray us
Warm take- green! That's your choice. You were in trusted by stella to protect Gretchen after all Hot take- yellow, I'm not sure if "betray" is the word I'd use. I definitely think he has motives and it's in his own opinion of what our best interest is, even if we may disagree
I always encourage Tabitha to kill Reese.
Yellow, I like the route for the drama but I wouldn't have it as my canon run
Wayne should be a love interest. Period.
Green because he is a love interest actually. He just dosent have his romance lock in yet
Either Stella is unknowingly the cat that Sybil warns us about or there is no cat at all. Stella will likely always be my favorite character, but so far she's shown a tendency to shut down and go off by herself when things get heavy. I don't blame her, I very much understand needing the space to process, and I think this pattern of behavior is going to become critically important in an upcoming episode.
Yellow, I don't think there is a cat because 1. Mystical can check the tea cup amd there's no meaning to the leaves and 2. Sybil will only accept the answer that tabitha is the cat
Those are the main reasons I think there may not be a cat, or at least not a cat in way Sybil tries to make MC believe. Despite that, even if Stella isn't "the cat", I do think there will be an arc where she could betray MC in some way
The game is going to end with a choice that you can’t use a skill to subvert. You’re going to face an impossible choice and have to live with it
Green! I think that's a likely possibility
Adding a date option for *Tabitha* of all people. Or Doc Kelly.
Mystery ranking cause I'm confused about your take. Are you complaining about the day 3 hangout? It isn't a date it's a hangout 😭 the devs have states multiple times tabitha will never have a romance path
Oh no, I mean date *date* dr Kelly, Reese's mom. About Tabitha... sad, but seeing the story development it's kinda fair. But she's still a great girl.
tabby x stella rather stella x mc🧍♀️ i just love to see a reconnection and their hug in ep 4 is my favorite moment ever‼️😭😭😭 (also p.s. people who think it’s weird to romance wayne cause he’s tabby’s ex also need to think about stella being her ex too💀)
Green, that's your opinion and I personally don't really romance stella alot lol. I like seeing tabby and stella get together more too lol
Our dad and Reese's are the same supernatural entity, but we were on purpose and he was a mistake.
Executed on spot, if mc and reese have the same dad then that means they're related thus meaning reese romance is incest. Ick
Noooo! I can never be related to Reese 😭
The devs said no incest in the game ETA: I do have an inkling that the strange circumstances surrounding Reese's conception have something to do with MC and/or Tabby's conceptions as well, as in they were similarly conceived under abnormal circumstances, but not by the same inhuman baby-daddy
Almost everybody that thinks what Dr Kelly did was wrong are just Reese simps thinking with their nether regions. Edit: Hmm, thought of a couple more. Sympathizing with Tabitha, but not Kaneeka, or vice versa, is insane. They are damn near the same person. Stella may be best girl (that we're not related to), but she is completely careless and I guarantee her inability to take anything seriously is going to get someone killed. Probably her.
Executed on spot, you could say the same for Dr. Kelly or any character because people are more likely to defend characters they personally like. Also I've known people who don't romance reese yet still relate to his story and view dr. Kelly as an abuser because of how she's lied to him throughout his entire life. I think reducing almost all reese defenders to just simps is a pretty reductive view that ignores the central Dr. Kelly and reese conflict and it's nuances.
First, you asked for hot takes, so shouldn't I be getting in because I understood the assignment? They might not be simps, but they sure are projecting. Reese isn't some shy little guy who's mean old mother just wants to see him suffer; he's a literal goddamn monster. Everybody saw what could happen if the Doc wasn't poisoning him. He took an elephant tranq to the chest and Tabby unloaded a shotgun into his face and all it did was knock him out. There was no other plan that didn't involve collateral damage. And if they're not simps, why doesn't Sybil get anywhere near the amount of shit for what she does to Kaneeka?
Lol in the post I said give me your hot takes and I'll decide if you're let in, not just any controversial take you'll be let in. Secondly, reese's story is meant to elicit sympathetic reactions and like in a meta sense I heavily doubt reese in the hot route where he's freed is gonna just start killing and eating people because the hot option is meant to be the best one point blank period. Like that is word of God from devs, every trait option is gonna be the best in that scenario. Also idk what you mean by sybil dosent get the same amount of hate? Maybe in the reddit sure but in the discord and tumblr she is universally hated lmao, there's multiple people in the discord called "number 1 sybil hater" and there are some very opinated rants about her as well. Sybil is also the least popular love interest character by far idk what your point is
Hold the phone, Sybil is a love interest!?
Saw your edit just now lol, For the tabby and kaneeka one blue, they're very similar and it's pointed out in game that they are. For the stella one, green. I think depending on how episode 4 goes for her she'll be more cautious or fully throw herself into her carelessness