Aelfric the Wondrous
A downloadable game
Plot
Aelfric von Claymondt can slay any foe! Even the Witch of the Great Plains!
After all, he is the chosen hero who will defeat the Demon King once and for all!
But it probably wasn't written in the stars for him to blackout in the town he'd just saved.
He wakes up the next morning in a random villager's home...
Features
- 14,000+ words (1 hour playtime)
- JRPG parody + gay romcom??
- Hero x villager
- Kinetic novel
Follow Development
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Aelfric the Wondrous is a one woman show made by me, Amy!
Download
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Comments
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This game… was inspired by the BL manga, Ringo Ki kara Ochiru, wasn’t it? Aelfric definitely shares that same arrogant-yet-somehow-refreshingly-innocent personality that Kurokawa has. It’s one of my favorite mangas (I’ve re-read it at least 8 times), so I’m excited to see your take on it.
Oh most definitely haha I didn't think anyone else would know the manga. I love Kurokawa and the original manga a lot and AtW follows its general plot (some lines are even word for word the same). I'm not sure if you know but the original writer passed away. Originally I made this story as a little homage so the characters can "live on" in a way. AtW does end up diverging halfway through so at least it can stand alone. Even though it's similar, I hope you liked Aelfric the Wondrous!
GAH. THIS LIL GAME WAS SOO CUTE!!!!
i loved the suble hints of lore here and there and honestly how relateable...certain characters were (i am so oblivios to romance CONRAD YOURE NOT ALONE)
i loved playing this before i went to bed it was very nice to wind down with :]
if you need smth to play for an hour or just wanna have a good time and read a cute n funny story i 100 percent reccomend!
SOOOOOOOOOO CUTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Kinetic novel? oh you mean a digital picturebook! 👶
so you don't read comics or manga either judging by that statement... laaameeee
MY HEART IS EXPLODING WITH HAPPINESS! this is so cute!!!
Fantastic game! I loved the humor and sense of heart throughout. <3
My God this was SO! GOOD! Definitely a game to add to my comfort titles.
I've been holding off on commenting on this because I wanted to try and come up with something better to say than "Aelfric is cute! Conrad is cute! This whole game is so cute!"
So, sorry for this series of disjointed thoughts, haha
I fell into the same trap as Edmund did. From his looks, I thought Aelfric was going to be much more of a jerk. The fact that he's just... earnest and whimsical is extremely charming. A v good boy for sure.
I loved all the little RPG world jokes and aesthetic touches, especially the nostalgic sound effects! I read it with a friend and we both laughed out loud quite often. I know the slimes are right here on the page's bg, but I quickly forgot about them and when one showed up in-game, I died laughing xD
All in all, the story is extremely sweet, and all the characters are so charming and interesting. I really loved it! Especially Conrad. What a cutie T-T
(btw, Edmund must secretly be a slime, because he jelly af...)
Hehehe thank you Milo :^)
The game would be so different if Aelfric was a smartass, but he is in fact a himbo. Maybe he and Edmund would've gotten along lol I'm glad yall got a laugh out of it and yesss I also enjoy Conrad!! Good taste.
I will say Edmund doesn't necessarily deny that he is jealous of Aelfric XD
Aforementioned friend here! =D
The game was extremely charming and endearing! I liked both Aelfric and Conrad quite a lot, and found their relationship quite sweet. Aelfric being so instantly and intensely smitten was adorable to read (I love me a good lovestruck boi), and I was really rooting for the two of them by the end!
Hehehe i had a hunch it was you! Thank you for your thoughts Bri I'm glad both of you enjoyed the game. It's quite fortunate Aelfric happened to be Conrad's type as well LOL I had a lot of fun writing their dynamic :^)
(Anyone reading who hasn't played, go play it's literally magnificent!)
Man this game was fantastic! For something so simple and funny, it was also one of the most seamlessly romantic and genuine stories I've experienced! It felt like it all came together perfectly and there's nothing I would change about it. Everyone is lovely and nuanced, the story pokes at the JRPG stuff but also takes it super seriously?
Honestly I felt a lot of jealousy while playing but also just love the hell out of it, I want to work like Edmund to be as good as story telling as you are! Like he wanted to be as good a hero/knight like Aelfric was. The story was so mature and charming.
So charming, everyone swept me off my feet. It was everything as advertised in more, this game deserves all the good reviews it gets and more! It's truly understated.
You can consider me a fan if there is more like this to come!
Great work here, also it's a great BL kinetic visual novel, all things I love myself and have written. It's nice to know I'm not the only one <3 I aspire to make such a lovely cast of characters that will have readers/players thinking about for years to come! Congrats on a wonderfully polished and charming game!
I can't sing it's praises anymore!
Aw thank you for the lovely review! I'm glad you enjoyed the game and characters, they are very dear to my heart <3 I'll have to play your game sometime! Sometimes a good kinetic novel is better than a dating sim hehe
My future stories will definitely not be this happy, but I definitely want to get around to making a sequel haha
awww that’s sweet of you! You made them very easy to enjoy 💕 and if you do decide to play the game just take your time with it, as it’s quite lengthy 😅
Oooh a sequel would be so much fun! And oooh you’ve got darker stories under your belt? I’ll probably be a mess, but I will tune in none the less.
I may or may not have already started reading it haha and thank you! Hopefully I'll be able to release a few more games within this next year :')
Okay... I played this game expecting a fun story with a bit of romance and... I discovered one of my favourite games ever.
I... really don't know how to organise my thoughts about it because... the game matches the description and my expectations. It's funny, it's cute, it has action, it's very pretty, it's a romcom, Aelfric is a himbo... So... I shouldn't have been surprised like this...
And yet... I'm confused... I cried playing this?? The responsibilities Aelfric has to carry, the fact that he loves them but also aspires to something as simple as choosing where he lives, Conrad almost putting aside his feelings because of heteronormative pressure, even the extra scenes to be honest... I cried? I cried so much?? I cried at a cheeky joke (the arm-wrestling)? I... What?????????
I really think I... fell in love with Aelfric and Conrad, but in the most platonic meaning possible? I-I don't know, really but... I felt close to them? So close... The way Aelfric is so sure of his feelings that he sends love letters detailing them and him not taking anyone else's opinion into account is so obvious for him? In general, characters struggle to express their feelings, especially men, but Aelfric being so intense and open about them? Him helping out in the village with all his heart? I...
I'm literally a writer, and the type who overthinks everything, puts a lot of tiny details into his work and loves to overanalyse others'... and here... I just cannot do that... I really lived something transcendental and I can't pinpoint why. I don't know the reason, you just... spoke to my feelings in a way I've never experienced and I don't know how to wrap my head around it, and it's giving me a headache and at the same time, I feel mesmerised, as if I were in some sort of trance...
I really am speechless, and sorry for leaving such a confused comment here but... I really enjoyed this game. I enjoyed it a lot. It's clearly going to become an obsession of mine... Seriously, it's certainly in the top 10 fictional and/or artistic experiences I've had in my life. I remembered having felt this once, at sixteen, when I discovered Phaedra from Jean Racine. With the years, I've got to know this theatreplay better than anyone, and I can analyse every single detail of it...
I'd like to give time before stating anything like that but... this might be my favourite game ever? And I don't know why? I can tell you put a lot of heart in it but so does everyone...
Well, I'll stop there because I feel like I'm not making any sense at all andd I apologise for this troubled review. But if anyone is reading me: go play this game, it's a fun and cute story! I do feel like my experience is quite unique so I can't promise you're going to have one of the most fundamental or transcendental experience of your life like I did, but you're definitely not wasting your time: the music, the GUI, the art are all very good, and the story is a cute one to follow.
And to conclude... thank you so much.
I had to think about how to respond to this comment because it's also astounding to me haha. First, thank you for the review, this is quite the endorsement! If you ever find out what it is that made this a transcendental experience for you I'd love to know!
Some backstory: This story is heavily influenced by a oneshot manga I read some time ago. I was similarly obsessed with this oneshot because it had something I couldn't find anywhere else but the author has since passed away. I think it affected me pretty badly knowing there quite literally would not be anything like it again. I read it in 2015 and to this day I still think about it and needed a continuation of the story in some form so I made Aelfric the Wondrous. The humor and overall vibe is the same but the setting and development is wildly different. Conrad and Aelfric's dynamic, however, is near identical to the couple in the source material. I was extremely obsessed with the oneshot that inspired this game, so even though I made it...I kind of know what you mean! I also feel silly about my thoughts on the matter so I didn't include it in the artbook but this is between you, me, and the people who happen to read this comment.
I tried my best to retain the spirit of the original oneshot, so maybe that's what it is? AtW is different enough to where it can stand alone, but it otherwise would not have existed without the source material. And the source material is very very close to my heart. I'm glad it can live on when people play my game.
This was more than interesting to read, thank you for such a detailed and touching answer! Perhaps, this is a first clue to understand why it touched me so much: you put a lot of a thing you love and, more importantly, that you wanted to pass on us. I must have caught all the affection and the reverence you have for this one shot (by the way, if I may ask: what is it? I'd be definitely curious now!). Funny enough, I have something similar in mind for O2A2, something very influenced by Phaedra (which I mentioned in my previous comment, haha) and, well, I haven't written it yet because of rules, but I kinda understand where you're going from in that regard, I think (I guess I never really talked about what this project was about yet, so, I suppose it's something else between you, me, and anyone reading, haha).
Also, I had some time to think about it (literally spent my day with no thought or feeling but Aelfric and Conrad), and I realised a few things:
- I really love Aelfric's devotion in everything he does: his duty as a hero, and his love for Conrad. In particular, regarding his love, he shows him in what could be seen in a shallow manner (showering him in gifts) but also in what could be seen in a more profound manner (by helping the people in the village and getting closer to Conrad's lifestyle; in particular, seeing them bond after a delivery was good). I think it touched me that both weren't opposed to each other: that these signs of affection, shallow or not, can coexist and be reflections of what is true deep down: love.
- The inversion at the end of the story was clever: after having seen Aelfric trying so hard to embrace Conrad's lifestyle, seeing Conrad doing the same conveyed in such a unique manner the extent of his feelings for him. It has touched me to.
- But overall, I think I lost it in the barn scene, the one in which Aelfric tries to find Conrad, to find an explanation before leaving to fulfill his duties. I do think Aelfric was extraordinary in this scene, and there really was something that broke me in it... Perhaps it's the purity of Aelfric's feelings? Pure enough to have a real and honest talk, without feeling shame for exposing his feeling; and pure enough to respect Conrad's decision and to give him the space he needs. But I've already seen that, but the execution there... has something I have yet to identify, haha.
So, I suppose I make more sense than yesterday (at least I hope!), but naturally, it's going to take me much more time I think to really understand it (hence my curiosity for the one-shot!). It took me years to understand everything I loved about Phaedra (and even so, I read it everyday and discover new things, but I do think I have the gist of it after eight years!), so I don't think one day would be enough but... I'm still willing to discover more about these characters (and you have no idea how happy I got when I saw the word that the sequel was outlined in the artbook, haha).
Sure! I can message you on twitter about the oneshot :) After your comment I had to look up what Phaedra was about lol
Aaa I was hoping someone would notice that the first and second half mirrored their lifestyles! It's so insane that anyone other than myself would think so much about my characters so I really enjoyed reading your analysis and how you interpreted them :')
I agree, Aelfric is very devoted--I've always thought of it as ambition. He never does anything halfway and has a tendency of overworking himself. I think the difference between him and other heroic/ambitious characters is he struggles every step of the way. A major conflict he has is he cannot read social cues. That's why the barn scene is quite sad because Aelfric assumes he didn't communicate himself correctly which is why he restates his feelings. He's desperately trying to get a direct answer from Conrad because he doesn't know how to interpret an ambiguous one. I think readers can generally pick this up, but know Conrad can't give him the answer he needs. When the scene ends, Aelfric believes he's once again misread a situation even though it's not the case. He did everything right and still failed.
I don't know if that at all explains anything or simply restates what you already know LOL. Tbh I imagine Aelfric is probably on the spectrum even if I didn't intentionally write him that way. This is just the way he is--as much as I describe him as a himbo that would imply ignorance but he's aware and acknowledges his own faults but can't really do anything about it. Even if it causes problems sometimes, he accepts himself for who he is.
Anyways I could probably pick apart my characters all day, so thanks for giving me the opportunity to talk about them! I'll keep writing them and I'd love to hear how your thoughts develop over time :^)
Will definitely reach out, thanks! And yes, Phaedra is a far less wholesome story, haha (I really enjoy story involving a fatality the characters fail to overcome because it is too overbearing…)
And of course! Even from a narrative standpoint, now that I think more clearly about it, it was necessary for Conrad to do so, to prove his own feelings to Aelfric. But it also helped with deepening their connection: they understand better the weights each bears (especially with the whole Bloodbane situation), and somehow, they manage to know each other in a deeper and truer fashion.
Seeing Aelfric’s struggles was interesting too! Admittedly, we haven’t seen much of his actions as a hero, but for the endgame, but I really appreciated the fact he struggled with farm activities and with getting the cues in general. But to see him try his hardest to get better at it sounded very true and very real, which I enjoyed.
Oh, and Aelfric having ASDs makes so much sense, now that you phrase it like this! I recently wrote a character like that and really got attached to him, so it must explain it (won’t go into much details, I saw you added the game in which he appears to your otome jam collection, so I’ll let you discover it when you feel like it fgtyh). But yes, Aelfric doing things right and somehow still failing… maybe that’s also why was so disheartening about him in this scene. A friend also pointed out that, despite the fact he wants to reject it, Conrad doesn’t manage to tell him he doesn’t love him… What can I say, I’m a sucker for romance, haha…
And I’m happy you got to talk about your characters, because I’m very happy to read about them (predictable I suppose, haha)! Will definitely continue to share my thoughts with you (don’t know what is better, haha… I wouldn’t want to saturate the itch page, but at the same time, I feel like an itch notification is less suffocating than a twitter PM one, and I don’t want you to feel pressured to answer to my thoughts and confusion, haha!)
Omg sorry for the late reply, I meant to respond sooner but lost track of things!
Yeah, I was definitely thinking about how Conrad had yet to prove his love, because while it was shown he had liked Aelfric the whole time he didn't act on his feelings. You really summed up what I was trying to achieve! As for Aelfric, there is definitely a lot more to his backstory and the whole Bloodbane thing was just the tip of the iceberg. I'm glad by the end of the story people could see him for who he really is!
Honestly I have such brainworms about them it's not even funny, but yeah Conrad refusing to reciprocate really was because he didn't want to end up hurting him :'^) Like in a way that was how he showed his love however much it hurt. Another thing that is unspoken but true is that Conrad genuinely likes Aelfric for who he is, as opposed to viewing him as a hero, or him being handsome or charming the way most people are smitten with Aelfric :_;
But yeah I will send you the oneshot! Itch.io is a little less intuitive for me because I sometimes forget to check it but honestly I love talking about this stuff because I like dissecting my own characters and work so do not worry about that. I love talking about my ocs like who doesn't lmao
CONRAD AND AELFRIC ARE JUST THE CUTEST THINGS 😻😻😻
STOPP THIS WAS SO CUTE! I loved the characters so muchh, it was so endearing and even for such a short experience i got so much out of it. Their dynamic is absolutely adorable.
Thank you for playing my game!! 😢
oh my god i loved this game so much!! the art is just stunning, i loved the RPG feel and music and aaaah the characters are just wonderful. i may or may not be in love with aelferic especially <333 thank you for making such a wonderful game!
Hehe im glad you liked it <3
Beautiful, will cherish in heart forever
ok now that I've played the game I get to come back and leave an intelligent comment
(spoilers ahead!)
First of all, I love the sound design! The first thing that caught my attention was the soundbyte voices of each character - I thought each one was really fitting and it made me want to sit and 'let them talk' so to speak, rather than speed through text like I normally might. The music is so nostalgic! I used to be a big fan of the old-school Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series and the choice of soundtrack brought the same feeling back (I haven't played many other jRPGs but I imagine that's what the vibe was based off of?). Also the game-over sound effect when Aelfric passed out at the beginning of the game actually made me cackle lmaooo
Speaking of Aelfric!! My beloved!! What a lad! A beautiful man with only a half a braincell left in his head! He is the perfect combination of a shoujo manga love interest and a RPG protag but somehow cannot be both at the same time. Except most of the time he's just a goofy silly guy. I do love that he's a very moral guy though, even when it comes to love...
Which, the scene between him and Conrad in the barn broke me. Actually though all of their scenes are so good. I love how put-together Conrad seems until after the barn scene / at the scene afterwards with Edmund, and then it's just like, oh, he's as much of a fool in love as Aelfric is. Just the way you write too - you are incredible at the art of characterization through dialogue and I love the banter between characters as much as the story itself.
Speaking of scenes, I f*cking love the fight at the end. Such an interesting twist on the shining angelic noble hero! I think Bloodbane being the way it is gives a lot more depth to Aelfric's character than if it was just a simple sword, and also is a really good illustration of both his strength and the responsibility he shoulders. It's like a very small glimpse into what the job of being a legendary hero is actually like that the demon fight on its own wouldn't have revealed. If that makes sense.
I did donate the $5 for the artbook and it's so worth it!! I love all the art + the character bios, and the INCREDIBLE AMOUNT of bonus art was adorable. I always like seeing people's sketches and seeing that little insight into their creative process. If u are reading this comment and ur like 'should I get the artbook?' yes you should get the artbook
And I could go on and on and on about the art in this game honestly. The character designs are immaculate, the backgrounds are so lively and beautiful, the CGs are masterful, just all of it is so incredible to look at. I could tell just by looking at the preview pics how much love went into this game.
Anyway I'll shut up here because this is already becoming an essay. But thank you for an amazing game :)
- Walt
great game, 10/10! i especially loved the part where Aelfric was there :)