Crabs & Cocktails

I finally got around to reading this! Makai and Rhett are so so sweet, I really liked their distinct personalities even if sometimes I wanted to grab Makai by the shoulders and shake him because he is such a dumb himbo. Their respective problems were interesting and I'm glad they talked it out and communicated! Rhett and Lola were prob my faves and you really nailed the mature forty something southern voice for Rhett, he was such a refreshing character. The pacing feels more cohesive to me compared to Tattoos and Tulips but I tend to like shorter and punchier stories so maybe that's why... As always the art, music, and GUI is so lovely like Joy your games are underrated fr, everyone who worked on this vn did such an amazing job! 

On an unrelated note I was so distracted every time Lola was on screen I wanted to date her so bad. Not as Makai (obviously) but as me, I want her hand in marriage LMAO

This was such a lovely, sweet, and mellow experience! The writing flows very nicely and is easy to read, with bold, colorful, and natural-sounding dialogue. One of my favorite parts of the writing was the use of dual perspectives; in every scene, the story switches POV characters between Makai and Rhett. This allowed the dev to characterize both leads extremely well in a short amount of time, and it really made me heavily invested in both characters as a player. 

I loved the dynamic between Makai and Rhett, and I like how both of them admire/respect aspects of the other. While Rhett admires Makai's freedom and lack of restraint, Makai could use a bit of Rhett's maturity and confidence in his relationships. They complement each other's weaknesses in a very fitting way, and they both helped each other grow as the story progressed. The introductory scene also does a very good job of characterizing both leads, giving you a very good impression of each character as the story starts.

I really enjoyed the maturity and realism that the writer brought to this romance! While Makai is a bit of a free spirit, he still has a level head and I found his insecurities and troubles to be realistic and relatable. I loved Rhett's maturity and found his character to be incredibly endearing. Both characters felt very well-fleshed out, Rhett in particular, as we learned about his backstory prior to becoming a beach bartender - he really felt like an older man with a lived life full of different experiences. 

The side characters, Lola and Sunny, are both loveable in their own right, and they had really fun dynamics and natural dialogue with Makai and Rhett respectively. Like TNT, I enjoyed how much focus there was on the leads' friendships and relationships outside of their romance. (Lola was probably my 2nd favorite character, just behind Rhett!)

The art is GORGEOUS, with a lovely bold coloring style that fits in well with the backgrounds, which are also bright and colorful. The VA performances were excellent as well and really elevated the dialogue, and the music is downright addictive and very relaxing to listen to. The logo is lovely and impeccably designed, and the GUI really does a good job of selling that "beachfront" vibe. 

(Haha, I really enjoyed the reference to TNT! I'm glad that Chrys and Shay are enjoying their happily ever after ;) )

Overall, this game is AWESOME. The development of the romance was slow but realistic and utterly captivating, the characters were all incredibly endearing, and there was so much care put into every aspect of the work! Another fantastic game by M2B ;)

GOOD.  No crazy choices.  Fun backgrounds.  Fun people.  Fun and interesting story.

Just fun...  As in everything.

Pleased and grateful.  Excellent work!!!  :)

RHETT MY BELOVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (+) justice for Steven!!!!!!!!!

Okay, more seriously, I'm here to give my feedback about this wonderful new game from Meant to Bee Studios!

First, per usual: everything is so polished! The GUI looked amazing and was perfectly implemented, the backgrounds were all so great-looking, they are amazing and I had a lot of fun trying to catch all the crab details in some of them! The sprite and CG art was STUNNING too (my favourite being the kiss, of course)!

Special mention to the voice acting which really was amazing: the actors brought the characters to life and I could tell, from hearing their lines, how much fun everyone had working on this project! I loved the bartender's tone, Lola's enthusiasm, Makai's vulnerability, Sunny's slyness and Rhett's sweetness!

Also, I'd like to highlight how wonderful the music was: it was really great to listen to, and the OST gave to the game a sense of softness and - dare I say? - melancholy which feels very summer-like... Like the idea of a summer romance, which autumn has made fade away, but that we still keep in our hearts... And yet, YET, there is this flame, deep down, burning a bit more, proving this romance CAN be more? And of course, everything was deliciously summer-themed!

Writing-wise, I beta-read the story so I knew what I could expect from it, but seeing it coded that well, with all the different quality assets really elevated the experience! But for players reading this, I'm going to underline the wonderful and many qualitifes of this game:

- The characters were all EXCELLENT (but Nathan, screw Nathan, nobody likes you!!!!!!!!!!). But okay, more seriously, I even got attached to Steven who barely appears! For the main cast, I love how Lola is able to support Makai while still calling him out for his wrongdoings, how Makai's insecurities regarding dating and his confusion about his budding feelings for Rhett were portrayed, and how supportive Sunny was as a friend! In general, Meant2Bee's games highlight the importance of friendship, which is as necessary as romance for a healthy life, and this game doesn't fail to portray it in an amazing way.

- Of course, I have to give Rhett his own point because GOD!!!!!! He manages to bring so much love and romanticism to this game: he really embodies a lot of things I enjoy about romance. Loving from afar, looking at the one you love as if they were a distant star... the shivers you experience when you approach them and feel that, yes, you could touch the star! Rhett really was an amazing character, and he touched me a lot.

- The game tackles a very specific situation, regarding the theme of relationships: when one is too used to hook-ups, it might be frightening to experience more romantic feelings and to have this nagging feeling of stability. In a full M2B-fashion, it is tackled in a very subtle and realistic way, without judging the characters, but instead trying to give us a dive into their mind.

- Also, the game tackles a relationship with quite the age gap, which is something that can make me quite uncomfortable in general, as age can imply some unbalanced dynamics. But here, the relationship is portrayed as it should: the game doesn't pretend both have the same age, and yet, the age gap never makes the relationship unhealthy at all, quite the opposite: the game is hopelessly romantic, and I enjoyed it a lot.

So, to anyone reading this: go play it, this game is worth your time!! And to all the team: congratulations, everyone did a stellar job, so I hope everyone is proud!!

Oooooooooh I've been excited....!!!! The whole team put out a huge effort -- Snakkiez, Pinachs, the music, the GUI, and all the smeggsy, smeggsy voice actors bring so much energy to this lovely story ;-; <3 <3 <3  (spearheaded by the ever brilliant Joy)

Where's my cocktail?!?! I need to crack open a cold one with the internet while I giggle at the cute romance between Makai and Rhett... Just goes to show that romance can come to you at any age, and when you least expect it! <3

Thanks for having me aboard! Loved this project, and loved working with everyone to make it come to life!

I loved Makai's character progression from awkwardly navigating feelings and what's expected of him as a partner to just relaxing and focusing on the fun stuff. Everyone did phenomenal: I'd love to work with you again on a future project!

Let me just say: this game is totally worth playing. The story is so well written and the characters and all dynamics shared between them are realistic. I loved how the age gap between the two main characters was handled and their romance felt organic.

The art, music, and voice acting was just icing on the cake to the games strong base: story and dialogue. This studio continues to put out high quality games that I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys a good love story (that offers a few laughs too!) 

Super lovely romance between the two! Makai is such a loveable himbo, and Rhett really is such a grounded sweetie. 

Now, don't get me started on the MUSIC!! The ART!! The voice acting delivery!! I swear, I feel like everything just came together so beautifully to tell this story. All the creatives who took part in this are super talented, and I was so happy to not only be able to experience it but also work with you all to help bring your story to the world!

This romance is just really wholesome. I'm glad that Makai learned to be more honest with himself and his feelings. I won't say more, but I definitely recommend checking out this cute (and short in comparison to Tattoos and Tulips haha) romance story!