This, My Soul

Ahhhhh..... just finished playing and checking out few different routes ;P

...and can't get enough..  seriously ;))))

But the game is amazingly done - the idea itself of feeling AI isn't new, but the way the author portraited it here with the conversations and choices is very well done (hats off to you ;D)

The only thing I would change a little bit would be the artwork - it could be little better.... I like the sprite of Silas and he doesn't look as good in the artwork, and the main character looks the best in the the last artwork in "Do androids dream...?" ending ;P

It would be great if there was sequel to the story - I would like to play verbal games with Silas more - especially considering his developing personality, feeling and likes ;]  ...and yes little steamy scenes like taking shower together etc., would be nice ;PPPP

I just finished the game and... I might need some time to process it fully. It was amazing. Not just the art, the atmosphere and the music, but also the plot and premise and characters and all the choices and different personalities the MC can have, and just... Oh my god, the feels. I got the "Do androids dream...?" ending, and it was just... perfect, for my lack of any better words to explain it. As a huge D:BH fan, and a general lover of Sci-fi, ethics and technology, I find this game absolutely fascinating; Silas appears first as a regular android, but as the story unfolds, the player and the MC can see that he is more than that- and perhaps, he is more human than most other humans. It also puts before the player a choice: "decide who you are- an obedient machine... or a living being, endowed with free will?" (a quote from Detroit: Become Human)

in summery, this game is amazing. Short, yet feels like a long journey full of everything. 5/5.

THERE ARE SPOILERS HERE!! AHhhhHHHH!! XDDD I love this game, and Silas with all my heart!! I've played a couple times, and it gets better every time. I got the romance first, then the normal, then the friendship (I think?) And I will fully admit, I cried. First in the romance when I thought he gave himself up to get her home safely, and that was only a few tears. And THEN, I find out that he really DID give himself up, and then I cried for reals. ANd It huRT. 

But did I mention that I love Silas with all my heart?? Like, how is it possible to be THIS endearing and cute?? I've always had a weakness for AI's and robots, but this one really hit home. I loved that he was always just "gently" or "slightly" confused, or "politely bewildered", the poor bby. ANd WHen He Said HER ApPEAraNCe waS AlSO PlEasiNg anD ThAT She wAs "Undeniably" SymmETCRICAL aNd HEr EyES WeRe            "Exactly" 30 cm ApART. L I K E  H E  H A D  M E A S U R E D  IT.  O U T  O F    P U R E (??)  C U R I O S I T Y. I swear on Silas's bright blue lips that I rolled from my bed onto the floor, rolled while quietly trying to suppress myself LOUDLY Squealing from joy and enjoying a good 5-minute block of pure fangirling. Complete with pillow screaming, uncontrollable hand motions, and fangasm. There are a lot of smaller things too, that contribute to the overall greatness of it. I went through one route choosing every flirty option. I was NOT DISAPPOINTED. The massage was also the cutest thing asginjsdfkgfs. AND THE WRISTS!! This boi, distracted so easily~ The reoccurring references to them being like teenagers was also a highlight <3  "There is no other way to describe it- he melts at your affection." HNNN("I make you self-conscious? HNNNNNN) Him trying to convey what he's not supposed to feel through eyes that are not meant to see her in that way, the way he waits like a worried puppy at the door during the romance route, like he's afraid you'll be mad so he waits for you to be ready and willing, AND THE KISS. AND THE KISSSSSSSSSSSSSS. THere is MUUUCH to be said on the kiss, but I must say, that both are amazing, I prefer the "MC took the first initiative" one. That was something special. But the engine has TERRIBLE timing. TERRIBLE. I need to stop before I write down the whole story too late, but there are just so many great moments and tiny gems that I cannot get over.

And I must confess, I had played Queen's Crown before this one, and after seeing Emry and Noah (For Later), I didn't think this one would be as good. DING DONG I WAS WRONG. I like the setting and art (I like anime more, but I still can never get enough of Everyone's blushies and smiles) more in the Queen's Crown, but the writing, and Silas, takes the cake here. HIS SMILE CHANGES EVERYTHING. 

But in conclusion, I love everything you've made so far, Agashi. Your two stories are my favorites on here, and some of the only ones so far that I've liked. I look forward to anything else you make, especially if it involves MC and Silas, and hope you know that you are amazing. 

"I am...defective. And I find myself caring less and less"   

                                                 - Silas

*This line still echoes in my head. It is so powerful, and full of meaning and depth, it's the kind of thing that stays with you forever. Thank you again, and kudos to you for changing me and countless others who have loved and enjoyed your game. 

I got the ending "tears in the rain." It broke my heart. Is there any place I can find a guide for the other endings?

This visual novel may be short, but it's filled to the brim with soul. The sprites are a little stiff, but the CGs are lovely and the writing expressive. Silas has to be one of my favorite characters in any visual novel, and I found myself identifying with him in so many ways; holding back his thoughts and feelings, fighting down any human-like expression. It tore at my heart, and I found myself making sure the MC was as gentle with him as possible. I love "This, My Soul" a great deal. It most certainly deserves more attention and love.

I just couldn't help crying when I reached the end . 

The game  opened the gates of a whole new world before my eyes  because the way you approached the '' artificial intelligence''  was very unconventional to me . The story & the inetractions  were  both  heratwarming and refreshing .

 I definitly loved the CGs  & the spirits , particularly Silas' . I also have a little obsession about the title of the game :Thismysoul , it's just very beautiful !   

If I could wish for something to be added to the game , I think it would be more details about Silas's background story.

 Overall , thank you for bringing such a beautiful game to the world , I can't wait to discover more of your creations .

EDIT:  Attention, this huge rant review is full of SPOILERS. Just saying. Also, I posted this from my phone and English is not native to me. (Also, there is a list of recommendations about other AIs at the end.)

'This My Soul' was one of the rare most satisfactory thing I experienced involving an AI. 

At one moment, when Silas first displayed anger, I admit I facepalmed (because, who would build and AI with an emotion like anger? The recipe of anger simply defies the 3 Laws, and thus human's safety). That was how little faith I had regarding AI fiction when I first began to play this. 

But then, it appeared that his anger was a factice display motivated by pressure and despair, a last resort tool to persuade humans in life and death situations - and I actually heaved a breath feeling all giddy again. 
Because, when an AI's character stop making sense, it's the narrator itself that feel unreliable.
But you come out and build up a non-linear story with an android who completely makes sense, and is believable even when his already spaghetti code get messier. So seamlessly that you make it look easily done !...

If I wasn't already a long date AI junkie who've experienced all the tropes and some more, Silas would have torn my heart, made me melt, cry, question the definition of humanity, feel closer to him than to the rest of humanity, etc.

Silas' character is so alive that I'm (for what my opinion is worth) deeply and genuinely appreciative and respectful of your tastes.
The details, especially, are very important for me emotionally, and his voice, especially his vulnerability, and his behavior all along the routes pulled at my heart in this visceral, raw way only innocent AIs do. I had to remind myself of the HAL9000, Ex Machina, and Blade Runner kind of AI to get a hold on my heart. (Ah these machines. They 'need' you to keep your marbles to be able to use a screwdriver at any second, and yet they make want nothing more than trust them unconditionally and protect their tiny bits of free-will with all your heart...♡)

What moves me more than anything, more even than getting the privilege to watch one grow through life as a person (a non-human one of course, but definitely a person of sorts), tentatively making their own unique and slow path toward genuine affection, perhaps event love... Well... what completely make me weak is is when one of them becomes different than the rest, realizes it vaguely and, afraid to be dismantled for that, tries his best to hide his ability to emote or have opinions around of humans, or at least do anything it can no feel non-threatening. 

Watching Silas do his best to look uncaring, unfeeling and perfectly boring to the MC through the three-fourths of the game broke my heart.

Part of me understands why humans can't afford to have too sentient AI on Earth, and so, have to keep them in check — after all they had been made as tools because they were needed as such and allowing bots to become chaotic, if not completely rogue is like being masochistic... But on the other hand, some of them should have the right to become more as long as they can prove that they have a sense of empathy at least as reliable as their hard-coded laws. Or human safety protocols. ._.  ... I just want to hug the bytes out of them. x_x

Even the potential 'miracle' (or corruption, depending how we view things) that happen to his inner workings, allowing him to force top priority of an external request above even his safety measures regarding humans can be explained. (By the shock of the the crash - with his body being old, the way his static run on his external shell sometimes and the possibility of a short circuit.) Oh, I admit that the tech in me was freaked out more than once by this bot. But after he reveals that he has been copiously tweaked by his chief maker, I could relax again: long as his software works along its initial design, I can appreciate about any quirk and feeling from an AI. 
Even a medication error is not the end of the world for an AI endowed with a complex empathetic system (I mean most bots can' always be perfect since they've been made and debugged by humans).
Oh there was the possibility that his hardware had gained small liabilities, but even then his software would find a way to adjust and compensate, and the question was cleared as soon as he handled the MC with precise and gentle care. 
No really, I loved everything. 
Do you know how often I've had the privilege and luck to say something like that in a love story involving a female MC? Rarely enough to feel a strong desire to pay for This My Soul. (And that's something, considering that I'm currently broke.)
And you made me design an android by the pronoun 'him'. I don't do that. Not because I'm not touched or loving them, but simply because the little that's transparent of their emotional matrix through their story usually don't warrant such a designation. A it (or a r-him or r-her or a h-it, even) thinks and emotes and can be complex. But a 'him or a 'her', in my world, has to develop their own recipe of feeling from reasoning alone to qualify.
Ah I'm rambling. Sorry.
Another point I grew afraid of at a point by the end was that the MC would only romantically want Silas if he was virile or physically stronger (something that would have made me felt alienated from her quicker than anything). But, in the end, she had a cue to shift the power balance just a bit, namely with the kiss.
However, that's a daring thing to do.
After all, for a character to touch a bot without looking like they're either:
- abusing its program (well, the second Asimovian law of obedience or an equivalence), 
- looking for a sexbot (you have no idea how much my respect for the MC went up when she acknowledged and accepted her feelings for an android without wondering if he was built like a Ken. You.have.no.idea. That concern feel like the most pettiest thing ever in these relationships. — I mean, for the love of everything, they should either buy a toy or find themselves a sexbot dumb enough to be treated like an upgradable tool if that's the major concern)
- or deluding themselves with the grotesque and chauvinist expectation that <i>the droid is magically going to get 'more human' out of love.</i> ... =___=

Well, to avoid that all, you have to be careful. As in go slowly, prove that the bot's AI is about 99% willing, etc. 
I'm sincerely grateful that you took care of this all, because falling into one of these tropes would have been a disheartening game over for me.

Also, in these kind of games, let admit it, we're there for the AI - the kind we that we can't get anywhere but in fiction yet - more than for the plot itself. And so there's always a moment I feel like saying to the MC "okay, push yourself, get aside just a minute, lemme, please,  talk to him here". And that happen when the AI feels solid but the MC feels lacking a way or another and you know things are going to end very bad due to miscommunication. XD

But, to my surprised, despite of Silas being wonderful and pushing about 98% of my buttons... this frustration never happened to me in This My Soul. In the best routes, the MC was cute. Like really cute; and not passive enough to feel like a fool, or useless, or weak-willed. (Did I mention that I loved the fact she hasn't got an European appearance? This is rare and very welcome and made her even prettier, in a way. Beside it provides a artsy contrast with Silas' pale albino-like features.) I couldn't help but make a screenshot of her blushing face.  ♡

So yeah, I'm very picky about my fictional AIs, but I'd rate This My Soul 9 out of 10, and Silas 9.99 out of 10, easily.

... One thing I missed a little, at the very end of the romance ending, was the absence of clue on the reaction of the two lab coats who were supposed to be there when she got out. If you had them present, they certainly that was because you had meant them to react to the scene? ...

It didn't have to be an expression of their opinion on Silas and the MC relationship, it didn't have to lampshade their future, it could just be a brief fleeting description just for the sake of fun. I'd be a little stunned and awkward in their place. ^^

Now, to adjust my initial comment before I played the game, I must say that the routes, the AI and certainly the graphics and sprites felt superior to those of the visual novel That Cheap and Sacred Thing. Probably because the AIs there weren't really the focus of the theme. I don't know.  (Well, they were, but not really.)

Now I don't know what you usually like or weather you already have had those, but if your cup of tea is not mechanical slaves posing as human to reassure its chauvinist masters... 
...I'd recommend the recent games The Turing Test, Portal Stories Mel - the poorly known movies Automata, Tau, I Am Mother, Her - the TV shows Humans - the short books The Dogcatcher (similar to this game with an android just every byte as virile yet lovable as Silas), Eros Philia Agape (xenofiction with key on focus on moral problems in the romance between a deluded human woman and an android who decides to stop lying. Batteries Not Required, Body Electric; The Android's Bride (C-Raptin is so cool he should be a reference), The Mad Scientist Daughter, and a few others decent ones I would still rather not disclose publicly.
I wouldn't mind if anyone had recommendations for me, beside of the media I mentioned and the older classics. That's be very nice. 

Wow.  Sorry for the rant. It's the emotion... xD

PS : If you tell me you're neither working on the field or are not long time hobbyist about AIs, I'd say you're a HP. ...Which one can it be?  I'm being a little curious and wouldn't mind to chat sometimes if you feel like it. No worry, I don't write long comments in chat. But if this question is intrusive, disregard it, please.

Also, if you ever write something else with an AI inside...by all means, I'd take it. I'm afraid that I've fallen deeply in love with your non-linear character building abilities!

I think I've read in a comment from you letting appear that you wouldn't dismiss the possibility of writing more about Silas. After this game, it might feel difficult to deliver something just as well-polished. About that, I'd like to say that this is not necessary or really expected. At this point, I'd dare to say that most of those who played the good or bad Affection Route would be glad to get to see the characters again, no matter how. Any form, and length, and almost any quality would make me very happy.

EDIT : 

This is year later, and I can't forget this work; I want to promote it more widely (I already use it as a reference - online and even at work ^^;) 

In fact, would it be okay for me to publish online fanfiction about This My Soul? I feel like it'd deserve its own fanbase.

(Time Capsule PS: if you one day, even 50+ years later, you don't want to keep this itch.io account, by all mean, please, don't remove this brilliant work from the web!)

This game is AMAZING. I am in such an emotional mess right now, I'm on the verge of tears because this game is that damn good. Well done! I absolutely loved the story and how effectively it was told. Usually I get bored whilst playing VN's but I was entertained constantly bc there was never a dull moment, something always felt at stake and I thoroughly enjoyed this mASTERPIECE! I've only done the romance route so far but I'm so happy and satisfied with that ending that I might just replay the same route again. Also, once more congrats on this stellar game!! 

Ok so scifi is usually not my thing but I wanted to try something different and your story looked interesting. I AM SO GLAD THIS EXISTS! This story has changed my whole way of thinking of what I want from an experience and I totally fell in love with it. It is easily in my top favorites now. Silas and MC are so great and I loved all choice options and responses to your actions. Very well done <3

I got this when you first released it and I was blown away. Just finished playing it again and still am blown away by it. The development in this story, my own heart strings were yanked and pulled all over again only this time, I didn't cry like a baby with the "true" ending. 

Strangely enough, I was more pulled into Silas than the MC, emotionally. I understand how he feels despite his programming and AI. It was like crafting my own emotional issues in the form of an android and I'm still not sure how I'm supposed to feel about it. If anything, I wish I could see how this relationship expands and if Silas learns more about himself, if at all. To see how the MC handles this ever-changing MAN that Silas has become.

Overall....I loved it so much, I'd pay you.

This game was really well done! While the good ending was really heartwarming, I couldn't help but think of the worst possible outcome. If the company that produced androids found out that an android had overridden their 'human safety protocol', wouldn't that be really bad? The fact that Silas exists means machinery could 'go rogue', so to speak. I mean, in this case the overriding ended well but that'd be a huge liability. 

Maybe I'm reading too much into it xD I do hope these two have their happy ending, though!

Wow. This was an emotional roller coaster from start to finish. 

I started with the non-romance/non-friendship ending (because I like to do things the wrong way around), and I have to admit that while it was good, it wasn't amazing. Then I worked my way through the friendship and romance paths (in that order) and my mind was totally blown. The complexity of the characters and their relationship was masterful, and I loved how they called into question what humanity really means. During the romance path, when Silas starts talking about how he never had a choice, I swear you could hear my heart breaking. 

That was a long-winded way of saying that I loved this game and hope to play many more from its creators!

I really enjoyed it, but there was one cg in the gallery I did not get but was shown anyway, which felt a little bit spoilery. The bgm was relaxing!

OMG, this game is really a masterpiece of the masterpieces!!! I so gotta bow down to you for the so very many and complicated choices! O o O

I only accept the best (happy) ending as true ending, so really thank you so very much for it!!! Bad endings break my heart, especially types like yours - it hurts so much that I wanna hurt myself physically - to somehow lessen my terrible heartache... ╥﹏╥...

Btw, it's such a pity that it's so short! How I wish it could be far more longer - I would really really really love to see their romance continuation story! (☆▽☆) + (¯﹃¯) ~

Lastly, thank you so very much for sharing your game; so very glad to have come across and played it!!! (*^▽^*)

This was wonderful! I got all(?) three endings and I suspect there was additional content in the middle I could have seen if I had tried different answers but I didn't have the heart to choose the ones that felt dehumanizing, haha. Maybe later...

I really liked the attention put into the details and logic of his 'malfunctions' and how he finds ways of reinterpreting protocol to begin to make choices and has mixed feelings about doing so, particularly the argument about her going back to cryo-sleep. That was awesome and so well written and thought out! 

I think my 'favorite' ending was the sad one, because it had such a bite to it (I got a little choked up), but I'm glad the happy one existed too.

God this game played with my heartstrings. I cried after, and I got the happy ending, haha. Please continue to make games, especially if they are like this. I love the kinda constant question of Silas' humanity. It reminds me a bit of a VN that I cant remember the name of that also includes androids learning to love. Its always been an interesting concept to me... What humanity is, and what can have emotion. 

Anyway, it was an awesome game, thank you so much for sharing it with us.

Cheers!

I had a lot of fun with this visual novel and I think it was great for being free.  While I didn't think as highly of it as I think I would have had I gotten a better ending, I still had fun with it on a livestream on my youtube channel...

Feel free to watch my first and only experience with this VN here:

Hey,

i got the Tears Ending first and my heart's literally broken rn lol. Btw, is it possible to get all of the CG's (Kiss CG 'n stuff) but DONT get the Romantic/Happy End? Because if Tear's supposed to be the romantic end, that'd be even more heartbreaking considering that they're not together ._. I'd appreciate it if someone could explain this to me :)

Second request, could someone  explain me how to get the other endings? I just can't seem to get them and i didnt find and walktroughs in the internet..

(Sry that i'm just asking questions, once i got all of the endings i'll write a proper review of the game, but first i want to enjoy full-game-experience haha :D)

Greetings,

komae :)

I love it that makes me wonder how could you just give it away as a free game (not that I complain though).  Thanks so much!

Definitely look forward to anything comes from you in the future!! ^^