Free indie visual novel

Ace of Gifts is a free indie game developed by Gray Lofi. This game will have you roleplay a woman named Sophie. One December day, girlfriend, Annette, asked her out on a spontaneous date. Together, you and her will stroll around various shops at the seasonal holiday market.

Ace of Gifts is a visual novel game. With this, don’t expect a lot of player input besides reading the narrative and choosing from the options provided. Moreover, as this is an indie game, the gameplay will also be relatively short. Additionally, there will be heavy topics discussed, including aphobia.

What is the game about?

Ace of Gifts is a visual novel about a date between girlfriends. As mentioned, the game starts with Sophie receiving an out-of-nowhere invite from her girlfriend, Annette. The two will then stroll around the seasonal holiday market, browse the product, and balk at the prices. However, in between stalls, the couple’s conversation will shift towards more serious topics. These include their relationships and family obligations during the holidays.

As this is a visual novel, players will do nothing but read the narrative most of the time. Of course, there will be times when you will choose how the story will proceed. However, unlike other similar games, these options are not a matter of life and death. Mostly you will choose which way the couple will go and which shop they will visit next.

Visual-wise, players will find the game sub-par compared to other visual novels. Only the couple is presented as a 2D character. The stall art looks to be real-life pictures overlayed with paint filters. Moreover, every time the characters discuss a product, the game will only display a photo of it in real-life. As mentioned, the game is short, with the narrative only reaching 7000 words. 

Is the game good?

If you are in the mood for a conversation-heavy, holiday visual novel, you could give Ace of Gifts a try. The game is a short story told through small interactions and features a good balance of wholesome everyday conversations and deeper personal topics. Although, its visuals could not hold a candle to other games of the same genre. Nevertheless, it is a good story that players can relate to.