Safyman

Probably the best game I've ever played story-wise. The characters are fantastic, and there is not a single one among the main cast I even slightly dislike. Even the more minor characters have enough intrigue for me to be interested in them. And the villains are delightfully devilish. This game expertly handles the dwindling cast, and each of them feel integral to the plot as a whole. Even characters who die early on leave an impact for the rest of the game. The game makes extra sure you never forget about any of the characters who die. The game might feel a bit unpolished in the beginning, with certain characters only having 2-3 sprites each. But that issue fixes itself quickly as you progress through the game. By the end of chapter 3-1B, each major character has bout 30-40 sprites each, with one character (who isn't even present for two thirds of the game) having over 60. The story has branching routes, and makes you feel like each choice you make MATTERS. And even when they don't matter, it FEELS like they do. The game is also really clever when it comes to taking choices away from you. Not everything revolves completely around the main character, and the rest of the cast will make their decisions by themselves regardless of what you as the protagonist do. A lot of games within this genre makes the mistake of having the entire world revolve around its protagonist, and having them solve every mystery and make all the hard decisions. Not in this game. Sometimes the characters go behind your back and make plans and deductions by themselves without you knowing. The trials flow nicely without making it feel like no one else is pulling their weight. It's a nice way of making every character feel competent and important. There is actually only one thing in this game that I actively dislike, and that is the memory dance minigame in chapter 2. It's unreasonably difficult and you have to be an actual superhuman in order to complete it without cheating. But then again, that's not nearly enough to prevent the game from being an absolute 10/10. A hidden gem, and one of my favorites of all time. Also the 12 year old autistic furry is wholesome and I'd invade Sweden for him.