Rising Odds

Kind of interesting little death game, there are some issues but it is overall decent, the endings are poor though

I enjoyed the romp. Not a long game (~3 hours) but I take that as a positive. As other reviewers have said, the ending(s) are the weakest part and I thought there should have been a true ending, maybe gated by a password or sequence. But I'm happy it didn't overstay it's welcome.

Rising Odds it's a game with a compelling narrative that, despite some issues, manages to hook you until the end. Nevertheless, it has some clear issues with the way that choices are presented, their influence on the plot and the different endings available.

I can only recommend this game to people who really liked the demo for what it is.

The following text will have spoilers so I really discourage anyone that hasn't played the game to read it.


The endings are pretty bad, I can't lie. I don't really want to see the endings as something that completely destroys the experience, because that isn't true, but the way they're all presented to you in a list by the end it's somewhat underwhelming. Moreover, there are almost no choices that actually matter. There're no "deaths" nor abrupt endings lead by a bad choice making it all to feel pointless until you reach the final 20 minutes of the game. Where the only choices that actually matter are if you want to kill yourself for your friend and how you answer to a short quiz.

I think that a game like this really benefits from the aspect of trying to find your own answer by piecing up the clues that you have available but it's impossible for you to ♥♥♥♥ up until the Quiz, which isn't really that interesting because, despite the interesting revelations about the plot and the rest of the cast, it ultimately rewards you with another mediocre ending that makes you feel completely unrewarded.

Nevertheless, despite how much I dislike the endings of this game, and how much I wish for the artstyle to be more unique, and the use of ren'py to be less obvious, I can't lie to myself, the game charmed me and I played it in one sitting. It's the first game of a really small developer, and I hope they keep making games and improving on their journey.

First of all, if it existed, I would have choosen "I recommend this game but with a BIG warning." In truth, I found it quite difficult to decide wheter to reccomend the game or not. I decided to do so because I think the writer for the scenario could cook something intersting if given more funds, but that is just my (hopeful) opinion. Let me address the good things first and then I will say what's the main problem of the game.

The game is fun. The core concept of "killing game with a hidden weapon" is a really cool spin on the genre. I think it could've been more interesting if the gifts were somehow selected by the players beforehand, but considering the setup that couldn't have been possible in this case. Still, a good idea which was executed decently well.
The whole game has an amaeturish vibe, which however doesn't hinder the enjoyment. The cast is quite shallow, but considering the length of the game, that is to be expected. That said, I particularly enjoyed the interactions between Ren (the main character) and Shin. They really feel like two old-time friends.
The third loop, in which Ren goes on the offensive trying to win the game is by far the part I enjoyed the most. His plans to kill others, while protecting himself and Shin, are really interesting, and the final twist of the Host being a player is the cherry on top. I believe that part really captured the essence of what a time-looping killing game should all be about.

Now for the problematic part, and the one which soured the whole experience. The ending is horrible. I don't know if it's just because I have experience in both time-looping and killing game genres, but I kind of saw one of the twists of the ending coming, and I suspected the other could be true ( to be exact, I suspected Shin as the mastermind/mole from the start, but I became convinced after the end of the third loop. Also, I thought that there could be someone else looping, but mostly as extrinsic motivation, as it would have made the game more intersting. ). That wouldn't be a problem, if what happened afterwards was interesting. But the thing is... nothing happens afterwards. The game gives you a choice, and it ends. It seems like after you select all four choices it changes and gives you the one for the true ending, but it doesn't. It seems like the game is setting up towards the final act, but the final act is cut. Come on, why even make such a big deal about the derringer ? What use does it even serve?

So yeah, the game is fun, but know that the ending will leave you massively disappointed.

I enjoyed the story. My critique would be on the limited sprites and backgrounds, and I noticed typos. I recommend this game if you like death games!