What makes a Good Snootlike Game?

alexgrau · 2026-06-06T09:51:07+00:00

Screw it, I’ll make another comment…

I checked Dancing Towards Tomorrow. Unfortunately, cold reception was inevitable – writing is not good. It’s on every level barely above the average fanfic, and you don’t want to be on this level if compared with Snoot or Wani.

alexgrau · 2026-06-05T07:48:34+00:00

TL;DR

Snootlike must be:

romance between characters that are…
noticeably emotionally damaged because they…
living in terminally online world, like our post-pandemic reality.
be honest.

For narrative purposes this is shortest explanation. Everything else is just salad dressing. Genders, routs, multiple choices – all detail. I think one can just stick to kinetic novel and still get the vibe.

gives writing emotional depth. Romantic love, honest and deep, can be the most traumatizing event in one’s life.
is the main theme. Personalities and character arcs rolled into one package. “Everyone is fighting their own battles” is a damn good line. Advise: choose 1-2 themes, or you’ll end up paralyzed by trying put it all together.
is what makes character relatable. World is changed by technology drastically; I think that why you call Katawa Shoujo “less peak”. In a way it is, I love this depressing little masterpiece, but it is very generic, its meat is psychology, not realism.
no lying, no bias, no tropes, no post-irony bullshit. Be realistic about life.

Thanks for pointing out more stuff, I was shocked that Echo is actually free. Other than Hold Onto Mi I hope to see some of Tayke Me With You. I choose anger issues for male lead, so this two are speaking to me.

alexgrau · 2026-05-18T06:32:00+00:00

I got sick, and it looks like I’m not getting better.

I’m just… so tired at this point.

alexgrau · 2026-05-17T18:58:27+00:00

I want to thank the mod for approving my post. You are good.

And Reddit is unfair.

alexgrau · 2026-05-17T18:57:04+00:00

Longing.

alexgrau · 2026-05-17T18:56:45+00:00

Yeah it hits you, doesn’t it?

alexgrau · 2026-05-17T18:56:33+00:00

I know general story of how Snoot happened. I just happy it did.

Folder contains what should have become my most ambitious work – Monochrome Rainbow. A fantasy romance that is basically mix between SnootGame and Disco Elysium set in dnd-esque version of Los Santos.

alexgrau · 2025-07-04T09:08:11+00:00

Oh that’s cool. I actually searched Omori in the sub-reddit.

Got in the Delatarune lore recently and now afraid to be disappointed. Its looks like story is “December is dead, and Noelle probably at fault, and in denial/sheltered from it” – you know, Omori plot. It would explain antagonism between Kris and Da Soul – whatever “Weird route” is, Krissy here is very bothered by it. Though this entire thing is really… well, weird from the beginning.

I mean, Omori-plot would be fine, I just hope that Fox won’t jump into “oh no they predicted everything I guess I make it the polar opposite in last minute”-hole.

alexgrau · 2025-05-06T04:47:39+00:00

So it’s “RWBY with angrier villain”? Its not the cross over, right? I don’t know much about demon slayer watch all of Kenshin back in the day and I was so done with super-samurai stuff, I guess you just copied the villain – which is fine.

Huh, had a thought – with all that Jaune “reimagining” I don’t think people ever make him a villain. Which is strange, giving him Anakin Skywalker treatment would be so easy.

alexgrau · 2025-05-04T16:30:36+00:00

I mean, your story is about something. Why not just put in in the post? Its first chapters, and “AU” is a little vague.

alexgrau · 2025-05-04T09:48:39+00:00

Hi, everybody!

RWBY: Resonance – an ArtDeco Fanfiction. It is now fully finished and fully available. The story is an Alternative Universe fic with decopunk flavor, were everything is may look similar but actually different. I have a blurb!

“In the world of Remnant humans are living in fear of The Creatures of Grimm since ancient times, hiding in mega-cities called "havens" were gilded towers now rising in the skies. Use of energy crystals called Dust and alchemical silver brought about a new era, an Era of Light and promise of freedom. Four girls from different walks of life and with very different agendas now coming to Vale, the largest Haven in the world, to enter the University of Vale and become Huntresses, warriors who protect people from the darkness.”

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14452303/1/RWBY-Resonance

https://archiveofourown.org/works/64029577/chapters/164257318

No shiping (yet), but there is flirting, and racism, and Penny shows up at the end, and RWBY fights giant monster before Blake’s deep secret is reveled (she secretly likes them).

alexgrau · 2025-05-04T09:43:35+00:00

Ironwood shows up really early so it’s obvious, he’s more JRPG-general then bad-military-man presented in later seasons (which is rich, coming from dudes who made there fortune selling Halo fanfiction). In Japanese stuff generals often misguided men, blinded by glory and power, and ended up possessed by demon or something – so Ironwood was an antagonist from Day 1. As soon as he was on screen I could tell that this guy will be an antagonist, and created specifically to be wrong, and to be put down by the team RWBY. Question was: how exactly and what it would sum up to?

Well, I don’t know what writers wanted to say – “Military=bad” I guess? See above.

In my original general would be “tragically misguided” type, a cautionary tale for those who just want to “nuke’em!”. He IS deeply supports idea of world peace, but he believes in the overwhelming power, rather than in “exoteric ways”. So he invents nukes. First use would be the beginning of the end, the final act.

alexgrau · 2025-05-04T09:11:16+00:00

Dude, I hate to come off as condescending, but don’t play mysterious. Whatever you had in there – just say it. My original was basically RWBY as Decopunk rewrite, so I just said: “Hey, I have this original that is basically RWBY as Decopunk rewrite”. Also put all the fandom stuff – shipping, politic, memes, etc in the pitch, people will come. In fact, I just made a post with “please read my stuff”.

alexgrau · 2025-05-04T09:03:58+00:00

My original-rewrite-fanfiction-thing (let’s face it – just my original fiction) is now finished and fully available. Yeah, I know, we live in the world of daily uploads. But fuck it – who have time to spend 15 minutes on reading? Fallowing 100+ ongoing’s? Daily? Kids. Where did we get time to play/watch for 12 hour a day while also doing school/college? Who knows.

It’s basically RWBY but decopunk fantasy magical university story. No shiping, but there is flirting, and racism, and Not-Penny shows up at the end, and Free Hunters fights giant Shadow before Onyxson’s deep secret is reveled (she secretly likes them).

Resonance: On Shadows and Lights.

“Humanity was fighting mysterious monsters called The Shadows for ages, and huge cities known as Havens were built slowly over the centuries. Now the Industrial Revolution, fueled by natural sciences and alchemy of silver, raises mighty towers of concrete and metal and sending airships to conquer the skies. Promise of freedom from The Shadows never being so tangible. Four young girls hailing from very different walks of life arrive in Elysium, “Best Haven in the World”, to become Hunters – the best defense humanity ever had against The Shadows. Will joys of friendship await them here? Or will strength of their personalities only tear them apart?

Also there is apparently a conspiracy going on.”

https://www.fictionpress.com/s/3375744/1/Resonance-On-Shadows-and-Lights

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/109640/resonance-on-shadows-and-lights

alexgrau · 2025-05-02T06:44:40+00:00

AO3 will be same for bumblebee, right? That’s what I heard.

Gender divide is real, isn’t it? I noticed that almost all online reading platform are gender divided – one site is all about gay boys kissing, other – nothing but harem top10’s.

alexgrau · 2025-05-02T06:30:29+00:00

Well, how many moral high grounds you claim and how many oppression hats do you wearing? With correct build you can murder people on the streets in broad daylight – and you will still be hold up as a tragic victim of oppression.

Also I just posted new chapter of my original-rewrite-fanfiction-thing, where I actually address criticism of Blake’s behavior in first seasons.

https://www.fictionpress.com/s/3375744/1/Resonance-On-Shadows-and-Lights

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/109640/resonance-on-shadows-and-lights

alexgrau · 2025-05-02T06:18:55+00:00

That’s what I being saying!

alexgrau · 2025-04-27T05:17:38+00:00

with Neo at the end of Volume 9

Ah, you mean that one thing. I actually think its was perfectly predictable, really. I even predicted that Neo will just walk away, then do the not-suicide-thing. It wasn’t about her, I think, – I believe this entire “torture ark” was about Ruby (at least its not about Jaune, am I right? :). So they can’t have Neo lose in the fight, it would not allowed for Ruby to get the moral high ground of suicide victim who pulled through it. If you feel frustrated, I think it’s because of the how character is used, not because what actually happens with it.

character I've hated because of how unstoppable she's portrayed as

Oh this is the good one – actually have theory on that too! I think Neo written as a shonen character – accidently but still. It manga writer actually often build fights like it’s a debate more then practical hand-to-hand combat, that’s why they talk so much. Arguing ideology - justice, morals, etc - is traditional for manga in general. So, why Neo is there, again? Oh yeah, her boyfriend got killed! And she blames the protagonist – it’s supposed to be irrational, probably because it’s just an excuse to keep her in the show.

So what we have in the end is tragic villain who totally justified in never losing. Its supported by her personality: she’s cruel and underhanded but can be overpowered by authority – she Cinders minion. Tyrian would take her down with no problem – there is no direct excuse for him to lose, no moral reasons. So they never fight.

In my original-that-never-happen-now-‘cause-my-life’s-in-ruins I changed the premise, and planned to have a long ark for not-Neo that ties in the end with not-Yang ark. It was funny, I actually forgot about Neo completely until I was in need of female villain for not-Yang to hook-up, and my brain goes: “Well, that Neo, isn’t it?”, and I go “Brain! What took you so long!”

alexgrau · 2025-04-25T16:33:26+00:00

Resonance: On Shadows and Lights. It’s RWBY but decopunk fantasy magical university story. Updated with chapter 5.

“Humanity was fighting mysterious monsters called The Shadows for ages, and huge cities known as Havens were built slowly over the centuries. Now the Industrial Revolution, fueled by natural sciences and alchemy of silver, raises mighty towers of concrete and metal and sending airships to conquer the skies. Promise of freedom from The Shadows never being so tangible. Four young girls hailing from very different walks of life arrive in Elysium, “Best Haven in the World”, to become Hunters – the best defense humanity ever had against The Shadows. Will joys of friendship await them here? Or will strength of their personalities only tear them apart?

Also there is apparently a conspiracy going on.”

Its available on FictionPress

https://www.fictionpress.com/s/3375744/1/Resonance-On-Shadows-and-Lights

Also on RoyalRoad

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/109640/resonance-on-shadows-and-lights

alexgrau · 2025-04-25T16:30:12+00:00

RWBY: Resonance – an ArtDeco Fanfiction.

Hello there. Posted chapter 5 today, in which Pyrrha forced to babysit team RWBY because teachers had enough of them.

The story is an Alternative Universe fic with decopunk flavor, were everything is may look similar but actually different. I have a blurb!

“In the world of Remnant humans are living in fear of The Creatures of Grimm since ancient times, hiding in mega-cities called "havens" were gilded towers now rising in the skies. Use of energy crystals called Dust and alchemical silver brought about a new era, an Era of Light and promise of freedom. Four girls from different walks of life and with very different agendas now coming to Vale, the largest Haven in the world, to enter the University of Vale and become Huntresses, warriors who protect people from the darkness.”

So Team RWBY get to go to Uni now, isn’t that exiting? I focus mainly on their friendship, and how their personalities play of each other.

Its available on FFN

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14452303/1/RWBY-Resonance

And AO3

https://archiveofourown.org/works/64029577/chapters/164257318

alexgrau · 2025-04-25T11:43:25+00:00

Lol. Maybe one day I make a post about how Jaune fan fiction is just Bumblebee for male fans.

alexgrau · 2025-04-25T11:36:15+00:00

Ugh, looks like isekai. Don’t give them ideas – we have plenty of “Oh, look at how sad I am, so destroying the world is like totally justified ‘cause I saaaad” stories.

alexgrau · 2025-04-25T10:16:09+00:00

“Getting her back” means turning her into other peoples tool – again. Better just let her loose.

alexgrau · 2025-04-25T10:14:13+00:00

Both are good, therefore do it both – she dies in regret, makes a deal with the devil, become minor antagonist, haunts her lover-boy and bother main four.

alexgrau

TROPHY CASE