Take a Hint

Take a Hint is a really short visual novel that puts me in a fairly simple situation. I play as Delfina, who has finally had enough of watching her best friend Ailén stay with a boyfriend who is clearly bad for her. I have to show Ailén what I have found and try to get her to accept what is happening. The whole thing takes around 15 to 20 minutes, so this is definitely more of a quick story than something I am going to spend hours playing. I actually think the short length suits it because the game gets straight to the point instead of filling the story with loads of unnecessary scenes. The conversation system is the main thing I enjoyed. I am not just clicking through dialogue because I have to decide how I approach Ailén and when I should push the conversation further. Delfina has already done the investigating, so there is a nice little feeling of trying to put the right pieces together and get her friend to see what I can already see. The comic book style presentation also works really well for this sort of story. The characters have strong expressions and the panels make the conversations feel more like I am reading a short comic than playing a traditional visual novel. I also like that the game is not really about winning an argument. Ailén is dealing with a toxic relationship, and knowing something is wrong does not automatically mean I am ready to accept it. That gives the conversation a little more weight than I expected from such a short free game. Delfina is frustrated because she knows what is happening, but she also has to be patient and figure out how to actually reach her friend. I think that is the strongest part of the writing because the conflict feels like something that could happen in real life rather than some huge dramatic mystery. The biggest weakness is obviously the amount of content. There is not much room for the characters or story to develop beyond the central conversation because the whole game is over so quickly. I get a few different outcomes depending on my choices, but I am still dealing with the same basic situation and the same characters throughout. There are also only five achievements, so there is not much extra reason for me to keep replaying it unless I specifically want to see the other outcomes. I would have liked another chapter or two because I think the idea could have supported a longer story without becoming repetitive. I also think some of the choices could have had a little more impact. I like being able to decide how Delfina handles the situation, but because the game is so short, the choices naturally have to lead me toward a fairly small number of outcomes. That means I am sometimes choosing dialogue based more on what I personally want Delfina to say than trying to work out a complicated strategy. I do not think that is necessarily bad, though. This is clearly designed as a short narrative experience, and I would rather have a simple choice system that fits the story than a fake gameplay system added just to make it seem deeper. Overall, Take a Hint is a nice little visual novel that does what it sets out to do without making itself bigger than it needs to be. I like the comic book presentation, the central friendship between Delfina and Ailén and the fact that the story deals with a difficult relationship without turning it into something ridiculous. The short length is the biggest limitation for me because there is only so much I can get from a 20 minute story, but the fact that it is free makes that much easier to accept. I would have liked more scenes and a little more development, but as a quick story with a clear idea and a decent amount of personality, I think it is worth my time. Rating: 6.7/10