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Cinders

Cinders is a mature take on a classic fairytale with a heavy emphasis on player choices and role playing.

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Critics

Storyline

Cinders is a witty young woman living with an overbearing stepmother and her two daughters, as if she was reenacting a certain well-known fairytale. But unlike its protagonist, Cinders is not afraid of taking fate into her own hands. Even if it means breaking the rules.

Trailers

Screenshots

Very Positive

787 Steam reviews

Review History

Reviews

787 total

≥h

Steam User 7379STEAMRecommended

fun sweet visual novel with some replayability. actually looking for something similar now that i've finished it. time is inaccurate, its more like 8 hours

Mar 29, 2026·6h·Verified

Steam User 6236STEAMRecommended

I dont know how I forgot to review this game. But OH WELL!!!

I think its a really good Visual Novel style game with a fun spin on a classic fairytale setting. The game itself was not that long, but overall for what the game was advertised it was a fun adventure.

The visuals were beautiful, I loved the artstyle.

Hard take, the game itself is not worth the 20$ price tag concidering the length and everything, but if you ever find it on sale, I would highly recommend it, its fun, short and satisfying.

Mar 1, 2026·3h·Verified

Steam User 3893STEAMRecommended

Cinders is a gorgeous visual novel that reimagines the Cinderella story with real depth and agency — the animated backgrounds, sparkling text effects, and sweeping soundtrack make every playthrough a pleasure to experience. What sets it apart is how your choices genuinely shape Cinders' personality and fate, with a branching symbol appearing whenever a past decision alters the story, which kept me constantly engaged and invested. The characters, especially the stepmother and stepsisters, are far more nuanced than their fairy tale counterparts, giving the story a grounded, almost modern emotional weight. My only real gripes are that the dialogue can occasionally veer into preachy territory and the romance options feel a bit thin, and the $20 price tag is steep for a game you can finish in a few hours — definitely wait for a sale. That said, if you catch it at a discount and enjoy story-driven games, this is one of the best visual novels you'll find outside of the anime genre.

Feb 21, 2026·16h

Steam User 9199STEAMNot recommended

A fun game but the UI makes it so you can't screenshot when you get all trophies/clear all routes + the skipping goes on for a LONG long time, rather than cuttng to the next scene where there's fresh dialogue, also the rollback function is really slow and limited by the flowers (i think that's what it is) meaning you can't roll back past decisions/certain scenes, if that's not the case somehow then it's flawed all the same bc it's hard to use (rolling back with the mouse means no control, rolling back with the up key means you have to do it basically one sentence at a time). Considering how much replaying is necessary to get medals/get all ending variations the skipping being so time consuming is pretty unforgiveable.

There's also the fact that while I really enjoyed the changes you can make to the mc's character with your choices, you're pretty much left to guess (based on past experience with multiple replays) which choice does what + the mystery of what exactly happened to her mother to make the friends she did or get killed by the fairy (and what exactly the fairy's price in any of the routes is) never really gets resolved or explained and you only have a very limited amount of time to spend with any of the love interests, this is forgiveable with the prince who it makes sense for story reasons is hard to meet with but the other two? Eh.
I do enjoy it though! I mean I unlocked all endings even after getting the medals and I wouldn't have bothered if the game wasn't fun (provided you were succeeding in unlocking a new bit of dialogue for example), the arts great, there's a sincere attempt to make the characters complex in their motivations and ideals (except for the fairy and ghete and the handyman dude who taunts them for ... reasons???) and I appreciated the themes of fate vs autonomy and understanding vs ruthlessness.
Wish I could leave a mixed review instead of a negative or positive.

One thing that would've been really fun would be if you could romance ghete or the fairy. Or maybe get your relationship good enough with your sisters to run away all three of you instead of just doing it alone.

Feb 21, 2026·11h·Verified

Steam User 3295STEAMNot recommended

I played through enough to get all the endings, and I kinda wish I wouldn't have. This game is just not that good. The writing feels like it was done by a teenager, and the characters were so shallow. The character art for most of the females was exactly the same, except for different hair and clothes. It was boring and predictable in alot of places, and at other times it didn't make alot of sense. The only redeeming quality this game has is the location art, but you can't take screenshots of it for some reason? Very forgettable experience.

Jan 2, 2026·9h·4·Verified

Steam User 6388STEAMNot recommended

Pas le coup.

Nov 1, 2025·5h·Verified

Steam User 4168STEAMRecommended

Gorgeous game with an interesting story!

Sep 28, 2025·9h

Steam User 3965STEAMRecommended

The artwork is nice and I liked being able to do a playthrough without relying on a romantic partner to save her.

Sep 18, 2025·8h·Verified

Steam User 6261STEAMNot recommended

Every time I see this title in my library I feel a little bit pissed off, because that's how I felt like while playing it. It's been years but I STILL remember how bad it was, and now I finally decided to write a review.
The writing is absolutely terrible, this is what I remember most vividly. The dialogues went on and on were painfully cringe and often repeating and/or redundant. I don't remember much of the story except that it was shallow and childishly written and I hated it.
The art is very off-putting to me. I like most of the backgrounds, but the characters look like barbie-dolls in full glam hair and make-up. It looks WEIRD! They look lifeless, it doesn't help that they just stand there barely moving their mouth.
I realized I'm probably not the target audience, but young girls deserve better games than this.

Sorry I felt like I was a bit too mean, I don't like leaving such negative reviews, especially for indie games. So I want to say something positive. I really like the outdoor nature scenes, they are beautiful, almost like a painting you could hang up on a wall.

Aug 24, 2025·3h·9·Verified

Steam User 6926STEAMRecommended

Absolutely stunning style and artistry!
A semi-short Visual Novel where your choices dictate your fate
4 different endings
Will you remain pure of heart from your mistreatment or twisted with malice? Either way you take the lead of strong-hearted Cinders and navigate her fate.
Skip option available for already read dialogue
Truly loved the visual intricate design, didn't notice any mistakes in grammar or spelling and there is a decent amount of text if you choose to skip none of it. Character interaction is moderately detailed with a few intriguing characters.
Personally for dialog, art and theme, I recommend this one for a decent read.

Jul 5, 2025·12h·1·Verified

Steam User 7759STEAMRecommended

A good solid story with decisions that actually matter. Not too cumbersome to go back and see other endings either with the handy skip feature.

Jun 23, 2025·4h·1·Verified

Steam User 0527STEAMRecommended

Cinderella but Gilmore Girls

Jun 15, 2025·3h·1·Verified

Steam User 8605STEAMNot recommended

I had this game gifted on my birthday as taken from the top 10 of my Wishlist and I was really excited to try it. I downloaded on the first opportunity and soon I sat down with tea and snacks, my cat nested on my laps I opened the game and let the story engulf me.
Or so I hoped.
With a deep regret I have to say that I cannot recommend this game.

Let's starts with positives:
- visually beautiful
The artwork, the small animations of speaking, how scenes are connected, music... All of those small things were polished and detailed into an aesthetically pleasant and coherent entity.
- working smoothly
Technically well done. Possibility to Save on every step and Autosave on Quit make it convenient to play as much (or as little) as one wants. No glitches (so far), no junk, no weirdness. UI/UX very intuitive although there is no much of it.

Now the reason why I even write this review.
- the plot is questionable
Personal opinion but I loath to be dumped into an action, forced to make choices based on characters that I don't know at all whilst having a Big Bad Thing that happened which is about to be revealed and then... "7 days earlier"...
Safe to say my keyboard had a hard time.
- the writing is atrocious
I noticed that my wrist was hurting. Then I realized it was because I was spamming the space (and the mouse click to have some variety) in a mad speed excited for the story to happen. I click and I click and I click and I click... Two sessions (and two hours) later I paused in the middle of the dialog and stared blankly at the screen with a dark realization hitting me:
"This is not going to get better."
To separate this big statement into smaller chunks:
- characters are straight up boring and/or unlikable to the point I don't care about them/what's gonna happen to them
- they are all preachy/playing self proclaimed psychologist/having nothing to say and yet yapping for dozens of slides
- there is so much unnecessary dialog which brings absolutely nothing to anything and makes me feel like I waste my time
- choices matter, but do they? It sure didn't look like it.
- the writing itself its just not good (maybe it would be for a 15-year-old fanfic project but not here). I though maybe I am just picky so I've read few random dialog lines to few of my friends and the opinions were from "read worse" to "could be better". This is not the reaction one wants from a game that is a visual NOVEL.

I love books and I love video games. Getting a visual novel felt like best of both worlds. Yet my enthusiasm was swiftly executed by yours truly. Saddened by that fact I felt obligated to remove another visual novel from this dev team from my Wishlist. Frankly, I feel deceived by the gloating reviews and enticing self description and this comes from someone who actually enjoys average stories. I am a firm believer there is a beauty to be found anywhere and it seems that this aspect of this game had been unfortunately lost on me.

And Cinders... Cinders will stay for some time on my desktop. Maybe I will feel inclined to give it a second chance. Maybe there will be a rainy day where I don't feel like anything too involving and this icon will catch my eye. Maybe... Or maybe it will just gather dust, counting days since "last played" until I remove it with "no hard feelings, kiddo. It's just a business" vibe as clean the last of its files from my PC.

May 5, 2025·2h·14

Steam User 7965STEAMRecommended

art felt like being in an old painting it was nice. Think the twist on cinderella was nice but I felt like I wasn't compelled to do other endings. As if there wasn't as much of a drive or goal for those plots

Mar 21, 2025·3h·Verified

Steam User 1800STEAMRecommended

[h1]Cinderella as You've Never Seen Her Before[/h1]

Cinders is a somewhat gritty retelling of the classic Cinderella story with at times bitingly brilliant writing and utterly enchanting visuals. I have played a lot of visual novels and story-centric simulators, but I’ve yet to find any with the same immersive beauty. Topped off with a gently magical musical score, Cinders is the complete package and a wholly unique experience without being too big of a time investment. In fact, I was able to stream one whole path in around seven hours. The gameplay is pretty standard and the story is engaging; everything you could want from a visual novel. However, fans of more complex stories might find this one to be a bit simple and short without too much variation. Given how easy it is to go back and get the other endings, I would recommend probably purchasing it on sale rather than paying full price for it.

[b]Check out my full review[/b] at
[url=https://tailsbythefoxfire.wordpress.com/2025/03/16/cinders-cinderella-as-youve-never-seen-her/] Tails by the Foxfire [/url]

Mar 16, 2025·10h·1·Verified

Steam User 0416STEAMRecommended

Dec 26, 2024·3h·Verified

Steam User 0847STEAMRecommended

I thought the story was okay. There were a couple great moments here and there, but it was pretty simple and mostly predictable. But I absolutely love the art. This game is gorgeous, and I think it makes it worth playing, even just a little bit. I'm also a fan of how the title screen updates with each ending you get.

Oct 25, 2024·2h·2·Verified

Steam User 5657STEAMNot recommended

The game has excellent workmanship and high quality. But this game wasn't meant for me and didn't work for me.

Jul 31, 2024·21h·1·Verified

Steam User 0584STEAMRecommended

lots of choices that have impact on the MC's personality and the people around on her

Jul 6, 2024·4h·3·Verified

Steam User 2601STEAMRecommended

A feminist retake on cinderella that's not too on the nose about it. Also it looks gorgeous and has A LOT of endings. What's not to love about it?

May 10, 2024·7h·Verified

Steam User 9348STEAMRecommended

เกมนี้เราจะได้เล่นเป็น Cinderella ที่เราสามารถเลือกเส้นทางของตัวเองได้ สามารถแต่งงานกับเจ้าชายตามเทพนิยาย หรือ วางแผนเอาบ้านคืน ยาวไปถึง วางยาแม่เลี้ยง จะเป็นนางซินสายสว่างหรือนางซินสายดารก์ เราเลือกได้เองหมด สนุกดีค่ะ แนะนำ

Mar 1, 2024·9h·Verified

Steam User 3771STEAMRecommended

A pretty neat CYOA visual novel game that's short, pretty well crafted for it's budget and based on the tale of Cinderella with some loose caveats.

Feb 24, 2024·3h

Steam User 5035STEAMRecommended

Jogue como a Cinderela nesta visual novel curtinha e escolha seu destino para ser desde uma garota sonhadora até uma completa fdp. Com várias possibilidades e finais, o jogo foca nas mulheres da história e o que as levou a serem como são. Artes maravilhosas e ost linda

Feb 2, 2024·8h·Verified

Steam User 7200STEAMRecommended

ive played this game for years, bought it just recently for myself. stunning visuals, great story, and amazing branching.

Dec 30, 2023·11h·Verified

Steam User 2005STEAMRecommended

This game was surprisingly refreshing, I would recommend this game if you like choice-based visual novels. This is not the Disney version of Cinderella, it's much more fascinating. I'm looking forward to giving it a second go to see an alternative outcome sometime in the near future.

Dec 28, 2023·7h

Steam User 6532STEAMRecommended

I'm not entirely sold on this game, so I almost gave it a thumbs-down.....

The positives are the artwork and the basic structure of the story-line (hell, it's a classic....you can't go wrong!).

BUT, be aware that no matter how hard you try to be a decent, forgiving human being while making choices for the Cinderella protagonist, easily three quarters of the endings are either bad for you or result in you becoming an unpleasant, borderline tyrannical ruler of the kingdom. Not that anyone should expect a "happy ending" in a fairy tale (I think we all know how dark most tales actually were before being cleaned up for the modern masses), but the vast majority of the possible endings are of the downbeat variety, REGARDLESS of how many "good" choices you make.

As well, you'll have to play through this sucker multiple times to get all the achievements, let alone every possible ending, so the dialogue and music (and even the pretty artwork) starts to get thin real fast.

So, why on earth am I recommending it? Because the core of the game is solid and even two or three playthroughs weren't enough to take away the entertainment/fun value.......after that point, and trying to be a completionist, yeah, it stopped being fun. But if you're not the sort who needs to get every achievement and see every ending (and even all the different endings aren't THAT different from each other), then it is enjoyable, up to a point.

So, tepidly, weakly, half-heartedly recommended.

Dec 12, 2023·4h·7·Verified

Steam User 8567STEAMRecommended

Great game if you life this genre, beautiful Art, story, make your own choice, it is like an interactive book

Nov 27, 2023·7h·Verified

Steam User 5005STEAMRecommended

Cinders é uma aproximação um pouco diferente ao conhecido conto de Cinderela.
Possui belos gráficos e boa trilha sonora.
Suas escolhas importam, então prepare-se para finais inesperados.
Apesar de tudo, achei um pouco curto demais.

Oct 4, 2023·9h·1

Steam User 2289STEAMRecommended

It is quite good.

Aug 2, 2023·5h·Verified

Steam User 1870STEAMRecommended

It ran well and the story was fine. It wasn't too memorable, but I didn't regret the purchase.

Jul 11, 2023·4h·Verified

Steam User 6829STEAMRecommended

В целом игра выполнена достаточно компетентно и оставляет приятные впечатления, но не стоит возлагать на игру очень большие надежды. Кроме текста и не очень частых выборов в игре геймплея никакого нет, да и выборы в некоторых местах как будто напрашивались, но их нет. Визульный стиль хоть и приятный, но локаций очень мало. Текст по большей части написан неплохо, иногда попадается что то интересное и персонажам пытаются придать глубины, но местами он выглядит несколько натянуто и не к месту и некоторые выводы герое выглядят не очень обоснованными. Но в целом интересное прочтение старинной истории с помощью современных технологий.

Jul 4, 2023·5h·Verified

Steam User 2856STEAMRecommended

The artstyle is beautiful, and the choices that we made will really impact the next story. I like their characteristics and the way they banter lol.

Jun 21, 2023·6h·Verified

Steam User 1414STEAMRecommended

tl;dr very immersive, I love some characters and the structure is great, but the writing isn't

Romance and male LI are okay, though the most interesting part of the game is [i]definitely[/i] the stepfamily, all three women are cool! (and tbh I would LOVE a [spoiler]Sophia[/spoiler] romance!)

The best part is definitely the choices: all justified, all matter, all logical (and satisfying: slight spoiler [spoiler]my second palythrough I was thinking Cinders was nicer, but maybe *too* nice, and guess what :D it's more nuanced than good Cinders/evil Cinders![/spoiler]. And getting all the variations is easy and satisfying (you even get stats to know how much you're missing!) - though at some point it does become "autoskip 90% of the game to get three new lines". The actual game is like 5 perfectly enjoyable hours.

So really, it's very well done! And the story is pretty well crafted!
The only problem... is the writing. Everyone, Cinders especially, is so preachy, and in such unnatural manner (and in my opinion, on uninteresting topics - I didn't really need to know what Cinders thinks about Fate). It makes a lot of conversations boring and/or forced (just imagine mending relationships...), which is a shame, because sometimes the dialogue is really good! Some banter is really fun, and I enjoy the dynamics between some characters. If only it was all the time.

I definitely recommend it, but I wish it was [i]better[/i], because with slightly subtler writing it [i]could[/i] be. After all I kinda want to go back to the world even now.
Also the music is great.

(Actually one tiny rant: [spoiler]"what sort of person would want their own family imprisoned [for doing something illegal]?" WELL I DON'T KNOW MR BRIGHT AND HAPPY I SURE WONDER[/spoiler]. I felt that the writers believed that too and I did Not vibe with that)
(And I kept expecting the [spoiler]fairy deal[/spoiler] to come back, but I guess not? It's not necessarily bad, it's really not needed, but I was kinda interested)
+ the wiki is really good

Jun 19, 2023·8h·Verified

Steam User 6056STEAMRecommended

Well written and excellent artwork. The story of Cinderella retold in way that allows you to see the motivations and desires of the characters, getting you to emphasis with characters you wouldn't have before. Four different endings with each ending having different outcomes based on how your choices have influenced Cinder's personality, her relationship with her family, who she is in love with, if anyone, etc.

Jun 14, 2023·7h

Steam User 8351STEAMRecommended

Great visual novel, was a lovely time revisiting this rare gem of a game I discovered back in 2012 :) I love these characters and this amazing story and I wish there was a sequel! Each choice matters and I was very surprised on what ending I originally got (let's go with Grim Fate lmao). Please give this game a chance if you want a great compelling story.

Jun 13, 2023·12h·Verified

Steam User 2686STEAMRecommended

This game is an absolute gem and it actually scored me a good grade on a university paper.
This is a definite must buy for everyone interested in Visual Novels.

Starting of with the obvious positive points: the art is stunning (the game is worth the price just for this); everything technical in this game works with incredible fluidity, from the menus to the dialogues; the choices HAVE consequences, you have several endings to go through with a ton of variations; the characters are all great and well written.

This is basically a really good retelling of the Cinderella story with a more believable main character, "villains" who are not just evil for the sake of being evil (this retelling made me feel more sympathetic for the "evil stepsisters" than Cinders at times, even the stepmother!) and a ton of believable alternative endings.

I have used this game as a case study for the adaptation of literary classics to the interactive digital medium and it was a joy to study and analyze it. In the end, it managed to pull the interest of at least one close minded professor, who cringed when I mentioned the medium of videogames at first. It made me hopeful that there can be more well made adaptations in a modern medium like gaming in the future.

May 30, 2023·7h·Verified

Steam User 8527STEAMRecommended

Una de las visual novels más bonitas que he jugado. El arte es precioso, y tiene suficientes áreas y personajes para que tus decisiones sean significativas, haciéndolo rejugable.

May 30, 2023·10h·Verified

Steam User 1044STEAMRecommended

A masterclass in dialogue and characterization. Cinders not only has compellingly-written characters, but provides meaningful choices and genuinely branching paths through an exciting variation on an old tale. Some might consider the connection to the prologue potentially contrived, but I think it's brilliant. There are places where mileage may vary, but I find it hard to bring much against Cinders -- the music is elegant, varying from mysterious, to ominous, to charming. The art is beautiful, and has just the right amount of otherworldliness at times, and the character sprites are great.

Cinders is just a flat-out excellent visual novel.

May 26, 2023·17h

Steam User 2491STEAMRecommended

Hello, nice you´re here.

Cinders is based on the fairy tale Cinderella, not as dark as the original by the brothers Grimm but also not a fluffy Disney version. The gorgeous illustrations create a great feeling while playing. It´s got this unique atmosphere I very much enjoyed. The characters are also introduced in a very fitting way. The somehow sinister atmosphere really gives a new meaning to the story.
The story proceeds by developing Cinders´character, which is done by different choices. The game is not very long, but there are quite a lot decicions to be made. You may do them again or rewind if you are not satisfied by your choice. Saving is recommended too.
The different relationships the main characters have influences the endings of course. Every decision is important and it is not your duty to make everybody happy. Sometimes even Cinders finds a bad ending.

The game is not very long, so perhaps buy it in a sale.

Best decision is to have it with cookies!

Peppermint Meltaways

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
FROSTING:
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons 2% milk
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 to 3 drops red food coloring, optional
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies

Directions

In a small bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Beat in extract. In another bowl, whisk flour and cornstarch; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Refrigerate, covered, 30 minutes or until firm enough to handle.
Preheat oven to 350°. Shape dough into 1-in. balls; place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 9-11 minutes or until bottoms are light brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
In a small bowl, beat butter until creamy. Beat in milk, extract and, if desired, food coloring. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spread over cookies; sprinkle with crushed candies. Store in an airtight container.

Apr 3, 2023·9h·10·Verified

Steam User 6380STEAMRecommended

It's a fun enjoyable game, but I do feel that the ending was a bit rushed.

Apr 2, 2023·6h·Verified

Steam User 7646STEAMNot recommended

Mar 17, 2023·10h·Verified

Steam User 4464STEAMRecommended

the opinion on this game depends entirely on what you expect from it. The story is deep with characters who each have their own agenda, morals, goals and struggles in life. The MC is strong and not afraid to stand up for her ideals and to forge her own path in life.

For me personally, this wasn't the game I was hoping for though. First of all, the dialogues were very long and bothersome, choices being wide apart sometimes. And a lot of information is repeated as well.
Second of all, I enjoy this genre mainly for the romance. And so far this game hasn't offered any romance. It just offers a story of politics, characters trying to gain something.
I also found the choices difficult at times. By which I mean, hard to guess what the long term effect might be. This can be a good thing since it means the story is far from being just black and white. But personally I like things to be more clear and straightforward.

So yeah, for me this wasn't what I was hoping for. But if you're just looking for a good story, beautiful artwork and a MC who stands her ground, this could very well be a game for you.

Mar 17, 2023·2h·Verified

Steam User 5917STEAMRecommended

Its great the story and visuals are pretty

Feb 26, 2023·29h·Verified

Steam User 6533STEAMRecommended

I was pleasantly surprised with this game. I found Cinders to be a very likeable character. I like the variety in dialogue options and the kind of person you can make Cinders be. I love the art style, and the backgrounds are absolutely breathtaking. The music is good too. I would recommend buying this game when it's on sale though because you can finish this game in just a few hours.

Jan 24, 2023·5h·Verified

Steam User 3512STEAMRecommended

I don't recommend buying this game outside of a sale.

It's a very short VN with maybe 4 hours of story content.

The dialogue is fine but a bit preachy at times, the characters are also fine though a bit one-track.

Jan 14, 2023·2h·Verified

Steam User 8885STEAMRecommended

I think the main pro for this game is all the variations it has.

Dec 26, 2022·7h·2·Verified

Steam User 0716STEAMRecommended

I liked the graphics and the story was not to bad, so thumbs up overall.

Dec 10, 2022·10h·Verified

Steam User 6949STEAMRecommended

Not bad for a single play through, particularly if you're as Cinderella-mad as my wife is.

Oct 4, 2022·4h

Steam User 6016STEAMRecommended

i liked it

Oct 1, 2022·11h

Steam User 5256STEAMRecommended

----A unique take on the classic fairy tale---
If you grew up watching the Disney movie or read the original brothers Grimm version, you are guarantee to like this take on Cinderella. The visuals are interesting and the music sets the tone on an mature take on the subject matter.
There is a lot of replay here as it takes several playthrough's to see everything.

I want to point out that Cinders is an experience that can be enjoyed by both genders.
Thanks Moacube.

Aug 23, 2022·26h·Verified

Steam User 6034STEAMRecommended

Cinders has one of the best female protagonist in a Visual Novel. The choices, while not always perfect, vary differently and can lead to many paths and shape the protagonist as a whole. Whether she becomes a weak woman or a strong queen, it is totally up to the choices the player has made throughout the whole story.

Another big plus for this game is certainly the visuals. It's unique and gives off the whole 'dark fairy tale' feeling I think the game wants to go with, with amazing original background that feels surreal and magical. I also like the nice little touch of decorating the protagonist/Cinders in the Main Menu with various trinkets as you earn Achievements, which is also called 'Rewards' in the game.

It is fairly short and sweet, and while it stays somewhat true to the original story, there are so many turns and twists that can lead you to get an unexpected ending with Cinders. In my opinion, the game also did a good job on making the player feels as if the choices they have made are incredibly important, not only for the story as a whole or what kind of ending you get, but also the protagonist's personality and relationship with other people.

Which leads to the other characters beside Cinders herself, which are heavily layered and feels human, with Cinders uncovering the layers hidden beneath the mask they put on as Cinders get closer with them, allowing her to see another version of the characters, which are not merely black and white, but are human beings that are full of uncertainty and flaws, some of which they will try their best to overcome as the story progresses.

All in all, I recommend Cinders for those with a love of Visual Novels, especially one with a Female Protagonist that is not passive and one where the choices feel significant and game-changing.

Jun 27, 2022·5h·4·Verified

Steam User 3558STEAMRecommended

This game had good reviews so I gave it a try. It certainly has some ... exotic graphics one needs to get used to, but overall it's well drawn. The story (based on Cinderella) is an interesting twist, or should I say a more down to earth approach, which I found quite refreshing. The variations to the story were amazing, it's not just a linear story but also with whom you end and what your character is that influences the ending.

Just a pity that it's a short story, still all in all I'd absolutely recommend it!

May 17, 2022·10h·Verified

Steam User 3418STEAMRecommended

I picked this up a while back, maybe two or three years ago when it was on sale. I can't exactly say why, I guess the art appealed to me, and I didn't know exactly what it was.

Now that I've gotten around to firing it up, I can tell you it's a retelling of the Cinderella story, with some twists. It gives the Step Mother and wicked sisters some character beyond just being selfish and evil. Oh, they are still awful people, but this version of the story is making them somewhat relatable if not understandable.

I am not this work's target audience. I am nearly a 40 year old man, not a teen girl or young woman. Still, I'm finding it rather enjoyable. I'm kind of invested . And the writing has made me chuckle a few times. I also very much like that you know you have consequences because the story gives you a little symbol when something is happening now, because of an early choice you made. It's basically saying, this scene would be playing out different if you made different choices to get here. Something about that appeals to me.

There is a flavor of feminist girl power woven into it, bit it's not overbearing. I'd dare say it could go unnoticed by some. Though, you'd have to be a complete normie that does not follow politics, the culture war, or "current events" (that's in quotes as this is now 10 years old) whatsoever to totally miss it. Still, while it's there, it's not too in your face about it and so far, it's not doing so at the expense of men, so I can happily over look it as a flaw, if it is a flaw. I think the art is excellent, and the music is very well done. I'm strongly considering picking up the sound track either here on Steam or on Bandcamp.

Assuming it's a male that is reading this review. Sorry ladies, I can't really speak to you on this point unless you typically dislike things aimed at women, in which case listen up because this will apply to you as well. But if you have no tolerance of the female perspective or things generally aimed at a female audience, then this one is not for you. If you have no tolerance whatsoever for even the weakest of feminist claptrap and female empowerment, then this is not for you. If you can however over look those things for sake of decent writing and characters and music and art, then I say it's totally worth checking out.

May 16, 2022·6h·1·Verified

Steam User 0202STEAMRecommended

Lovely story and meaningful choices. I really enjoyed spending time with Cinder and her various life paths. It's worth every penny.

Apr 17, 2022·8h·1·Verified

Steam User 8298STEAMRecommended

Cinders is a charming little game which will appeal to fans of visual novels involving psychology/social interactions and romance options. There's not much replay value once you play through a few times, but the artwork is beautiful and the dialogue good. I don't usually play this sort of game but really enjoyed Cinders.

Mar 16, 2022·6h·Verified

Steam User 0680STEAMRecommended

Very very nice!

Mar 14, 2022·10h·1·Verified

Steam User 5377STEAMRecommended

Cinders nada mais é do que um jogo de romance visual QUEBRANDO O CONTO DE FADAS e foi isso que me chamou atenção já que a minha história favorita dos contos de fadas é Cinderela. Então, Cinders é uma jovem espirituosa que vive com uma madrasta autoritária e suas duas filhas como se estivesse reencenando um certo conto de fadas bem conhecido como dito anteriormente a Cinderela, mas ao contrário da protagonista, Cinders não tem medo de tomar o destino em suas próprias mãos mesmo que isso indique quebrar as regras. Sendo assim, o jogo analisa quatro mulheres e o que as tornou quem elas são, trazendo essa junção de uma história sobre liberdade, sonhos, irmandade, amores (até amantes dependendo da escolha feita rs) e encontrar seu próprio Felizes para Sempre que pode não concordar exatamente com a moral obsoleta dos contos de fadas clássicos e é isso que torna o jogo bem divertido, bem misterioso e empolgante.
Adentrando mais sobre o jogo ele possui múltiplos finais obtendo 120 pontos de decisão e mais de 300 opções de escolhas. Então, o jogador possui total controle sobre a personalidade do personagem principal, assim como a sua história que vai desenrolando.
Eu amei os detalhes do jogo, o soundtrack, a arte em si que é bem construída e por podermos ter liberdade de escolha para diversas descobertas boas e ruins ao mesmo tempo.

Mar 10, 2022·6h·2·Verified

Steam User 9848STEAMRecommended

What won me over straight away was the premise of an alternate interpretation of Cinderella.

The artwork is gorgeous, vibrant colours and detailed characters, I loved how as you got each ending it added to the title screen.

I enjoyed the characters, they were interesting and felt like they had substance. Especially love the detail that went into the stepsisters & stepmother. Personally enjoyed the ending where Cinders developed a better relationship with her step family the best. Initially felt dislike the unfairness of the step family, as usual with Cinderella interpretations but Cinders managed to evoke empathy for the three women. Overall I felt the characterisation for the female characters was stronger than the male personally.

For me Cinders has been worth every penny and a pleasure to read.

Mar 8, 2022·5h·2·Verified

Steam User 1305STEAMNot recommended

If you're looking for a wattpad adventure into the cinderella world - this is for you.

If you have any semblance of wanting to roleplay sort of appropriately to the time or wanting to roleplay adults as opposed to bratty teenagers - this game is not for you.

I - unfortunately - fell into the second category.

Feb 28, 2022·4h·3·Verified

Steam User 3297STEAMNot recommended

the artwork is really not my style. still wanted to try it cuz i love the growing up game and one of the developers made this back in the day, but i guess the art is really unappetizing to me.

Feb 18, 2022

Steam User 4985STEAMRecommended

Excelent game! Smart banters, very impressive main characters, distinguished side characters, grey situation, relatable social matters, well learned lesions, well built plot, satisfying endings.
P.S: Interesting rewards!!

Feb 7, 2022·19h·1·Verified

Steam User 6735STEAMRecommended

一开始挺有兴趣但是玩到结局对剧情有点失望啊？是我期待太高了？

可能是因为建立在童话上，这个故事主线差不多都定了，细节上说实话就大同小异……还挺多周目劝退的。不过确实丰富了童话的很多细节，灰姑娘变得有意思很多。

Feb 2, 2022·11h·1·Verified

Steam User 6232STEAMNot recommended

This looked so good on the trailer, and I normally like visual novels but the combination of wooden characters looking the wrong way, the tingly noise for ever sentence and the confusing intro timeline mean I refunded it very quickly. Because of that I can't do an in depth review but honestly this game was just not for me. Personally there are better and nicer looking visual novels out there.

Jan 15, 2022·Verified

Steam User 2755STEAMNot recommended

Визуальная новелла, которая привлекла меня своей прекрасной рисовкой. К сожалению, очень часто за красивым артом скрываются многочисленные недостатки в других игровых аспектах. Основной недостаток этой игры - ее безмерная и безумная текстовая затянутость. Тексты настолько однообразны, скучны и занудны, что даже читая почти с такой же скоростью, что и на русском (английский тут простой) я очень устал. Что я получил в конце? Нелинейность есть, я открыл три концовки. Но она номинальна. И вот почему: всегда есть бал, бессмысленный разговор в эпилоге о том что “ууу, все не так просто!”, но нет последствий! Конечно, я не получил пару явно плохих достижений, но даже с теми выборами, что сделал я, концовки должны были иметь какие-то другие последствия помимо “и жила она долго и счастливо”. Не буквально, разумеется, но что-то вроде. Концовки блеклые и невыразительные. Мне больше всего понравилось забрать поместье себе (без жертв).

Музыка в игре приятная, хотя и однообразная, а вот геймплей с безумным количеством текстов и абсолютным отсутствием других элементов - очень скучный. Но для визуальной новеллы это простительно. Атмосфера неплохая. Сюжет хороший. Авторы попробовали переосмыслить набившую оскомину сказку о Золушке, сделав ее персонажей более реалистичными. Это привело к тому, что злиться и ненавидеть в игре особо некого (ну, можно мачеху, хотя и для нее подобрали какую-никакую мотивацию, которая, впрочем, ее не оправдывает). Мне в новой трактовке очень понравилась одна из сестер - София. Остальные в целом слабоваты. А еще, пользуясь случаем, скажу, что главный злодей в сказке (не в этой игре, а в целом в Золушке) ее почивший папаша, который женился на злодейке в ущерб своей единственной дочери и сдох, оставив ребенка на растерзание. Фу таким быть.

Резюме:
Графика 9/10
Музыка 6/10
Геймплей 4/10
Сюжет 7/10
Атмосфера 6/10
Итог 6/10

Если любите Золушку и визуальные новеллы, то можно, иначе подумайте хорошенько. Очень нудно.

Jan 15, 2022·25h·2·Verified

Steam User 2114STEAMRecommended

this was a well written and fun game,you will beat it in around three to 5 hours.I really liked the main protagonist,and her sister Sophia.Worth the purchase!

Jan 10, 2022·6h·1·Verified

Steam User 7146STEAMNot recommended

Cinders is about a young woman that sets out to prove to her stepmother and stepsisters that she is strong, independent, and capable of determining her own fate in the world. The story has a relatively light tone overall, with occasional witty dialog; though using 21st century speech, which largely doesn't really fit the time period of the game. Cinders contains a number of dialog choices that shape the direction of the narrative, largely focusing on three different areas; the relationship between Cinders and her step-family; her relationship with one of three potential love interests, and her relationship with an advisor. The decisions result in one of four major endings, each with a number of different variations. All told, there are a few dozen different possibilities.

With respect to the narrative, it's mostly okay; but I'm not sure I can say it's better than okay. For the most part the romance element is quite thin, as it's really not until the end game summary do you learn what happened. The parts with the advisor seem incomplete, and when all is said and done, almost every single ending (and there are a lot) has something negative. I completed every ending and variation and I can't really say there truly is a "happy ending". And like many visual novels, much of the content is shared and there are occasional sections that don't entirely make sense based on your choices.

Graphically, the backgrounds are really nice, there are simple animations like glowing lights or flickering fires. The sprites are okay, though nothing special and most everybody tends to frown a lot. There isn't a lot of variation in the music, but what's there is fine; it never got grating.

Cinders lacks almost all the features that you would come to expect from a visual novel:
- There is no CG anywhere in the game, only backgrounds with sprites.
- You cannot hide interface
- You cannot take screenshots
- There is no log of conversations
- You cannot rewind to a choice, in fact, you mostly cannot rewind at all; any screen transition prevents rewinding. You cannot rewind if you skipped farther than you wanted. When you can rewind, the entire screen fades to black, there's some swooshing sound, and then the screen reappears. Perhaps they should have spent that engineering time on implementing a proper feature instead.

At $20, this is an incredibly high priced novel for something that is missing so much standard content. A single playthrough is probably around 4 hours or so and you'll get more out of it if you decide to go for all the achievements and variations but with so many missing features, I really can't recommend paying anything more than about $5.

Jan 9, 2022·11h·1·Verified

Steam User 3910STEAMNot recommended

Terribly written, full of errors, characters are flat and uninteresting.

Nov 26, 2021·4h·Verified

Steam User 5219STEAMNot recommended

In the First playthrough, I had good time with it. But it got real old after that.

Nov 5, 2021·3h·2

Steam User 5943STEAMRecommended

I've been eyeballing this game since I joined Steam, and finally got around to buying and playing it.
I was very pleased with the result.
This is a very nice game. I would call it the most interesting Cinderella retelling I've come across. The characters have layers and witty banter. The plot is fantastic. The story choices are many.
My favorite parts of the game, though, are actually the backgrounds and the soundtrack, because they both remind me so much of Odin Sphere, my favorite JRPG ever (and which is worth a try, y'all--wink, wink). But more than that: they're positively gorgeous. I can hardly describe it here; just look and listen to the game yourself.
I usually follow game guides to the letter when playing visual novels, because I don't like getting bad endings, but I didn't do that for Cinders (and not just because I couldn't find a complete guide). I've only done one playthrough so far, but I obtained a good ending (I think), and I had fun getting there.
My only regrets... [spoiler] If I'd known how much I would come to like the stepsisters, I would have tried from the beginning to get on good terms with them. In the ending I obtained, Cinders got the prince but lost all contact with her step family. The stepsisters are by no means good people, but they're multi-faceted and interesting, and I wanted to be "friends" with them.
Also, the ending was kind of abrupt. I was expecting to see something with the "price" Cinders paid to the Fairies, but that plot point went nowhere. And what was the deal with the shady character? How did he know the fairies? [/spoiler] I guess the only way to find out THAT part is to play again...
Overall, this game is fun. Don't let the bad reviews drive you away; those seem to be from people who don't understand what visual novels are. Cinders should definitely be in the library of every visual novel lover!

Nov 4, 2021·7h·Verified

Steam User 3474STEAMRecommended

Wonderful art, and wonderful take on the classic story with intrigue and variation.
Can be wholly completed fairly easily, but the still worth receiving the experience of all the options this game has.
[spoiler] I might be a little biased at the artistic take of Cinderella being a redhead, though [/spoiler]

Oct 6, 2021·11h·Verified

Steam User 9684STEAMRecommended

I really liked playing this game. The talks and discussions, the reflexion of Cinders... I really like the characters and how mature the thinking processes are. It is so interesting to see and play really.
The only downside to me was that it was kind of streamlined in the end and I did not feel I could really act according to my pick? Like, there's this moment that makes you torn about your romance choice, but it will happen anyway and then you feel like you may have committed a mistake. Which is cool cause you can relate to her situation better, but at the same time I'm like - wtf xD why do I have to feel torn now? lol

But I liked the talks and the art and it was a really nice game!

Sep 28, 2021·6h

Steam User 7895STEAMNot recommended

You are not buying a game, you are buying a visual choose your own adventure book. There is one 'gameplay' element and that is the choice of dialog, certain choices get you different endings.
If that sounds like its for you then I can recommenced it, otherwise if you like a bit more interaction and puzzles there are plenty of visual novels on steam with more gameplay.

Sep 15, 2021·5h

Steam User 1598STEAMRecommended

Небольшая игра, но в совокупности сюжет, геймплей, графика и звук оставляют хорошее впечатление.

Sep 7, 2021·5h·Verified

Steam User 0975STEAMRecommended

Along with being a damn good visual novel, this game has shockingly poetic and well-written dialogue. I wasn't expecting a fairytale-based VN to have writing of that caliber, honestly.

This ♥♥♥♥ was ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ GOOD.

Sep 3, 2021·5h·1·Verified

Steam User 5339STEAMNot recommended

Charming art, but that's where the positives end.

Aug 28, 2021·4h

Steam User 9930STEAMRecommended

If you like choice based games, this is one of the best! For one thing, the art is lovely. It's a good coming-of-age read, and your choices really do matter. Many different endings. You can make your MC into all kinds of different people. For a game based on a fairytale, this one really makes you think! Definitely replay-able, and a good skipping mechanic.

Aug 10, 2021·17h·1·Verified

Steam User 9582STEAMRecommended

While I don't usually play a lot of visual novel games, I decided to give this one a try after seeing someone play it on YouTube. When it comes to making decisions, there are a lot of them and sometimes it can be hard, especially considering the number of decisions throughout the game. The artwork is gorgeous and the music is beautiful. If you would like to see my game play of this game, click on the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsXl7B_o9lvsxUQXgfTwlbuJFDns-mGst

Jul 17, 2021·6h·1·Verified

Steam User 9490STEAMNot recommended

The story isn't very unique and the endings are all very similar. The dialogue stays the same despite the few decisions you can actually make.

Jul 8, 2021·6h·Verified

Steam User 5935STEAMRecommended

Cool art style and fun retelling of an old tale

Jul 7, 2021·12h·Verified

Steam User 7481STEAMRecommended

Nothing wrong with a dash of ancient fairy magic to wear a Royal Tiara.
Rhaid rhoi amser i'r hud i weithio.

Jul 4, 2021·8h·Verified

Steam User 1579STEAMRecommended

The artstyle is lucrative on the eyes. There's style in the words that portray the character. Although a little rush it was a very pleasant read. Depending on your reading speed I would say it takes 3 to 5 hours on the routes. The soundtrack matches well with the environment and cues.
the mouth movement weirds me out.

Jun 29, 2021·7h·Verified

Steam User 1503STEAMRecommended

The art and writing are good, and there's a fair bit of depth to the story and characters. I did enjoy this

Jun 27, 2021·18h·Verified

Steam User 8650STEAMRecommended

This is a rather average VN that is a retelling of the classic Cinderella story. The writing feels stiff and scripted at times but there's nothing too cringe worthy. I enjoyed that the different routes you unlock change the appearance of the main menu as you play through the game. I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend this one but it's short and mildly entertaining. The music and artwork were the best part of this experience.

May 21, 2021·4h·5·Verified

Steam User 9090STEAMNot recommended

Why did I spend so much for this- I was looking forward to it! Like the first playthrough is great, but then it becomes a chore afterwards because the ends aren't really worth it, why am I getting so few lines about these great changes??? It doesn't feel all too impactful after a couple runs...
And the men look and don't seem appealing to me in what character they show in the vn, so I don't even want to bother. At least the family has some great style in their clothes and design, it really grew on me, and y'know the dynamics is really interesting. And the drama! Like it was all there, but it would've been okay to flesh it out some more and get more moments, I don't know, something! I don't even want to 100% it! Because what's even the point anymore, for what, 2 flimsy sentences about Cindy's fate? Ugh.

May 20, 2021·4h·4·Verified

Steam User 4429STEAMRecommended

I love the story based aspect of this game and the choices you can make

May 10, 2021·6h·Verified

Steam User 6657STEAMRecommended

A Cinderella tale retold really well. Expect complex characters, meaningful choices and freedom in pursuing your own path. One of the best otomes I have ever played.

May 9, 2021·10h·Verified

Steam User 8650STEAMNot recommended

There's an abundance of choices to make and outcomes to receive and the art style is quite nice, but I was never that excited to be playing the story. I've read quite a few visual novels and other similar story driven games, and this was the first time I was not able to care about any of the characters. It's not that they don't have theoretically interesting backgrounds and motivations (for the most part) it's that the we learn so little about any individual character and what we do learn is simply told to us in a superficial manner. Maybe it is because the game tried to do so much with the variety of routes and endings that the characters ended up falling rather flat, making well written story unable to engage readers on an emotional level.

Mar 26, 2021·5h·Verified

Steam User 3722STEAMRecommended

Como seria se você pudesse ter controle das ações da Cinderela no conto de fadas? Há muitos finais interessantes e suas escolhas fazem detalhes mudarem em todos eles. Adorei o jogo, as personagens e a opção de poder tomar o próprio rumo. Fiquei com vontade de ver um Cinders versão Mermaid. E outros jogos nesse estilo da mesma empresa. Se você curte visual novel, é uma ótima opção mesmo.

Mar 20, 2021·7h·1·Verified

Steam User 9042STEAMNot recommended

The art was beautiful, but the dialogue was cringe-worthy. Not compelling enough to give it any more of my time.

Feb 28, 2021·7·Verified

Steam User 0725STEAMRecommended

I really enjoyed this game - It is the first real visual novel I've played and it certainly was a nice palette-cleanser between the larger games I tend to play!

Some of the endings were surprising and didn't turn out quite how you'd expect. It was nice to see the other side of the characters from the traditional Cinderella fairytale too. Visually, it was a lovely aesthetic too.

Would recommend for sure :)

Feb 22, 2021·4h·1·Verified

Steam User 9350STEAMRecommended

Cinders is an original visual novel featuring a strong protagonist, an interesting cast of characters, and a very complex branching system that is inspired from the Cinderella fairytale. The initial playthrough and the first subsequent playthrough were fun, but trying to find all of the ending variations can be daunting and frustrating.

The Good:
+ Cinders, the protagonist, is well-crafted. Depending on your choices, she can be Good, which translates to kind and a little naive, Bad which means selfish and manipulative, or Smart. For one ending, she can be a balanced mixture, neither ambitious nor naive.
+ Stepsisters Gloria and Sophia were very well-written. Distinct, flawed but relatable characters all around, to be honest.
+ The complex, branching/variation system (which also has its flaws...). I loved how many choices there were--it really felt like each choice made a difference. The multiple components changing each ending was cool too.
+ The soundtrack. While it wasn't something I would be purposefully jamming to outside of the game, I was nevertheless impressed by the quality.
+ The UI was very smooth. No crashes.
+ The dialogue was pretty sophisticated, which surprised me. I especially liked Tobias and Cinders' banter.
+ The conflict and issues were complex and depicted realistically. Cinders can befriend her stepsisters, who aren't "evil" but have been growing up under the stifling thumb of their social-climbing mother, or she can antagonize them and overthrow their mother.

The Meh:
o The LIs' designs. I feel bad saying this blatantly, but while the women looked awesome, the guys just... looked a bit weird, with regards to their proportions. Tobias's head seemed gigantic.
o Getting all of the variations was very frustrating. Cool idea, but I think there were too many.
o The endings felt a bit unfinished, what with the dialogue between the Shady Character and the Fairy/Witch. It almost felt like there was supposed to be a sequel or epilogue, as especially when you choose to get help from the Fairy, all that talk about Prices make it sound like Cinders is going to owe her big... but nothing comes of it?
o Sometimes the narrative and dialogue felt too heavy or overly witty. There were some scenes where the characters talked themselves in circles.
o The Prince. Cinders only gets that one scene at the ball with him. While Tobias and Perrault were well-rounded, the Prince never really shines as a love interest.

The Oogly:
- Nothing.

Overall, a worthwhile VN. I loved the story and the characters, for the most part, but it does play a bit tedious after a while for anyone who is a completionist trying to get all of the ending variations.

Feb 22, 2021·9h·5·Verified

Steam User 1687STEAMNot recommended

A beautiful game with a great concept, but ultimately, disappointing.

Feb 15, 2021·17h·Verified

Steam User 0917STEAMRecommended

[h1]Personal Review[/h1]

[b]In my opinion the persona Cinders (protagonist) is, considering her circumstances in this visual novel, waaay too sure of herself and venturous to be realistic. Especially since she has lived as a cleaning maid for years... and now all of the sudden she decides to take charge while she seems to be quite cunning about it as well – to get things her way. I understand that she wants to take control, but there is too much contrast between the two. As a result I can’t really sympathize with her persona or the story. It gets weird at times where there are no choice options provided that I personally would want to pick to follow a – for me – realistic path. Also at times there is a lot of text that could’ve been a bit less. Despites my criticism I’m still positive, but I do think the visual novel [i]Solstice[/i] (same developer and producer) is better written.[/b]

Feb 13, 2021·14h·Verified

Steam User 2012STEAMRecommended

Cinders is a visual novel that retells the story of Cinderella. You progress through the story, reading dialogue, making choices, and determining Cinders' ultimate destiny. You can give Cinders her fairy tale ending, mend her relationship with her step-family, or see her lose her life, all depending on the choices you make.

The gameplay is pretty simple and typical of a visual novel: you click through the screens, reading a lot of dialogue and sometimes making choices that push the story forward. At the end, it gives you an epilogue that tells you the outcome of your choices. There's a screen where you can track your progress in collecting each type of ending, and it doesn't spoil the ones you haven't gotten yet. The achievements are all related to different endings as well, and you don't need to collect all the endings to get all the achievements.

The story is really enjoyable. You can play Cinders, the protagonist, with a number of different personalities. She can be spiteful or forgiving, a magic-loving dreamer or a practical realist, or some blend of all of those qualities. You can get to know the nuanced personalities of her stepmother and stepsisters, and have independent positive and negative relationships with each of them. You can choose between a couple of different love interests, a couple of different fairy godmothers, and a number of different ways for Cinders to strive for her happy ending. The family members and side characters all have interesting personalities, and the different story choices that I've played through have all been enjoyable. You need to play through it a number of times to experience all that the game has to offer.

The artwork in the game is really beautiful. The backgrounds and character designs are all done in a nice, hand-drawn art style, and the backgrounds in particular are all really nice to look at. There isn't any voice acting, but this doesn't bother me because the music that they have instead is really pretty.

There are a couple of small negatives about this game for me. The dialogue can be a little long-winded, and often feels a little more like eloquent prose than realistic conversations between people. Occasionally, this feels a little heavy-handed, but for the most part, it's not that big of a deal. The bigger issue, and the dialogue does tie in with this, is that replaying and trying to get different endings can feel very repetitive, especially with some longer scenes where you don't have any choices to make. The way some of the choices are worded, it's also a little hard to tell what your choices will result in in a particular instance (is this option nice or mean, for example).

Overall, Cinders is a nice retelling of Cinderella and a pretty good visual novel. If you enjoy fairy tales and choice-based stories, you'll probably enjoy this one. 8/10

Feb 6, 2021·12h·10·Verified

Steam User 3617STEAMRecommended

absolutely gorgeous artstyle, beautiful and compelling story and characters, i couldn't help but fall in love with this game within a few minutes

Feb 6, 2021·8h·Verified

Steam User 0772STEAMRecommended

I adore this game, it is a little jewel that makes you really think about the story.

Jan 18, 2021·6h·Verified

Steam User 2204STEAMRecommended

I wasn't sure about this one, but I have ended up really enjoying it! It got my attention enough to want to find and play another route right away! So it definitely got me invested and curious enough to keep pursuing routes.

PROS: gorgeous art, interesting banter and refreshing interpretations of the classic Cinderella idea/tropes.
CONS: some dialogue scenes are kinda long and repetitive (I know that's what skipping is for, but as a completionist I always worry I'll miss something)
PRO/CON (depending on opinion): It's on the shorter side

Jan 4, 2021·27h·1

Steam User 0986STEAMRecommended

I love the artwork of the game! It's a very beautiful game and the music is lovely as well. I like the plot and the romances but honestly, my favorite part is the relationship with your two stepsisters. I felt like those two relationships were really well developed and I was incredibly invested in their story lines and also their story line with each other. Never would have thought a game based on Cinderella would have my favorite part be the "evil" stepsisters but they're the best part. Lots of nuance, even with the stepmother. I ended up still disliking her and disagreeing but I could see why she did the things she did and almost couldn't blame her. Love this game!

Dec 27, 2020·13h·1

Steam User 0274STEAMRecommended

This game is one of my favorite visual novels. Great art and fantastic character design and a unique take on the Cinderella story. I'm personally not a big fairy tale fan which was why I was very pleasantly surprised by how this game kept my attention. I really liked the moral themes and the story branches beyond simply the romance options. The different endings that were all satisfying or unsatisfying in their own ways and offered different forms of resolution to the protagonist's grievances and desires were really what made this game stand out to me. I do wish there were more interactions between characters and that the game was a bit longer, but I still greatly enjoy the game and heartily recommend it.

Dec 25, 2020·8h·1·Verified

Steam User 1612STEAMRecommended

Okay, so there's a lot I would like to say about this game because this type of game (visual novels) is personally a guilty pleasure of mine so I would get some kind of enjoyment whether the game is good or bad. However, I want to write a very honest review that way other players can decide if it's for them or not so here are the pros and cons.

Pros:
-A lovely soundtrack that is quite atmospheric
-The gorgeous art style that has so much detail within every background and the character design
-Interesting way of dishing out rewards via the home screen, never seen that before in a game and I think it's a cute detail
-Interesting characters such as Cinders herself in certain pathways and especially Perrault and the local witch doctor
-Fun writing, very tropey and chicle at times but this is a game that is very self-aware of itself and its audience so takes advantage of the tropes in the best ways

Neturals:
-Honestly this is a nitpick and I know it's probably because it was the popular thing to do with visual novels at the time when this was published but the moving lips really bother me at times. I would prefer for the illustrations to not move their lips and just emote through the drawings. Perhaps a bit of voice dialogue to spice things up like Hades did this year? But again a nitpick.
-Pretty short game could have added much more (The most you will get out of this game is 7 hours and that's unlocking every ending)
-I would have loved for this game to include a click and find aspect or some other gameplay element (Would have really pushed this piece to excellent!)

Cons:
-Can be boring and slow at times
-Leaves a lot of interesting plot things unanswered, for example, everything about the Lake Fairy, most of Cinders mom, and more about the witch doctor as well as the shady character placed throughout the story in order to advance it (a shame because this stuff was interesting)
-Can at times be confusing and overly philosophical (feels like the characters are recycling the same argument and dialogue)
-Lastly, as much as myself and many other gamers love fanfiction esc tropes this game can totally go over the top with that at times. Lol we get it it's not the fairytale story we were told it's different! But again a loveable nitpick.

Overall Summary: If you are not a fan of visual novels, spins on fairytales, or short indie illustrated tales this is not the game for you. But if you do like short indie games to see what they're about but the game on sale like I did as $20 is frankly too much and I would be much happier paying between $5 to $10. However, I loved this game despite its flaws as there was clearly a load of effort put into making this game. So if you like the tropes, the art style, and just want a relaxing fun little visual novel to spend a long afternoon going through this is the game for you.

Dec 15, 2020·4h·3·Verified