i've only known cove for a few days, but if anything happened to him, i'd kill everyone in this room and then myself
my favorite visual novel, ever, and i've played quite a bit. i literally made an account just to comment on this. the writing and concept is so good--you can get so emotionally attached to the characters. i cried at the ending
this ONLY drawback i can think of is you get so emotionally attached to cove in his first personality, you can't get used to the second playthrough
I would love a dlc so we can know more about Shiloh, i got really curious about his controversial personality and him forgetting about everyone. I can barely hold my curiosity about that Nate guy and what he meant about being obliged to live with Shiloh for a year! I love the game and i have to say that i discovered myself being demisexual and panromantic together with Cove on my route, it was a pleasant surprise given how muddled and confused my mind would get whenever I tried thinking about my preferences. Thank You for this amazing game <3
I was able to understand a lot about myself through Cove and it helped in making me feel less insecure and worried. I don't as out of place as im used to :D
I'm so glad the game was able to help you feel reassured! That's wonderful. And Shiloh and Jeremy are cameo characters from our older series, XOXO Droplets. Nate is also one of the friend/love interests from that game.
This is an absolute 10/10! I really love the character development Cove had when growing older and how I can freely interact with my two amazing mothers and not just leave them to dust, y'know? The whole experience was fun and not me crying because of Terri 😭 I love the inclusiveness, it makes me feel like home <3
10/10 loved every second of this game! I downloaded it out of boredom not expecting much but was quickly absorbed by the story and characters. Perfect game 100% and I love Cove with every fiber of my body! The second I can I will be buying the DLCs so I can binged this game again! My only complaint is that step 4 wasn't a full thing like the other steps are.
So, I can't remember if I've ever left a comment on this game before, but I'm going to leave one now, in any case.
I've been following this game since a little before step 3 released, I believe, and I've been in love with this game ever since. It's really exciting that we've finally gotten to the end, even if I only joined along the way.
I think what first made me fall in love with this game was the sheer customization of the main character. It's not just a game where you project onto the main character, you can literally be the main character. Of course, you also don't have to be, and the main character can be someone completely different. The game is all about your choices and what you want the experience to be, which in some ways was really refreshing.
Of course, that's not the only thing I love about the game. I think what really made me stick around was Cove Holden himself. I really enjoyed getting to know Cove in every step, and seeing how he changed as he got older, and being able to grow up alongside him. Plus, as someone who's autistic, it was really nice to see representation in the game, especially representation I found very relatable in a lot of ways. To be honest, I can't entirely put into words how much I really grew to care about Cove during the course of this game, but in every single playthrough, I can never bare not romancing him. He's just too lovable.
But Cove's not the only great character in the game, pretty much every single character I like. Even the ones I didn't like immediately, like Lizzie or Baxter, once I started to get to know them, they really grew on me. Though I have to say, I think my personal favorite has to be Cliff Holden, Cove's dad. Pretty much the moment you meet him, you can tell he's a character with his flaws, but you could always tell that he meant well. Certainly, he makes plenty of mistakes and missteps, but it's never out of a sense of maliciousness or anything like that. He just doesn't always think it through in his rush to make the people he cares about happy, and I really like his relationship with Kyra later on. How much you can tell they still care about each other, even if they don't want to be together anymore. I think it's really heart-warming how supportive he is of her and her new relationship.
In terms of the mechanics themselves, and the way we get to experience our life from childhood to adulthood, I really enjoy it. In childhood, I kind of had to grow up earlier than most, god knows how many times I was told how mature I was for my age, so it's really nice to be able to experience being a kid again, and getting to experience some things in this game that I wasn't able to in my actual childhood. As for the older teenage stages, it was really nice to sort of experience being a normal teenager. I ended up being homeschooled from 6th grade onward because of some stuff going on with the public school. It just hadn't been a good fit, but I felt like I missed out on some of the social stuff you'd normally get at those ages. So it was really rewarding, personally, to play through those stages. And of course, step 4 was a wonderful ending to the game, and it was so nice to see so many of the characters from across all parts come together at the end.
That's not to say there aren't some things I'm perhaps not fully satisfied with. Not that they're bad mind you, just maybe a little lacking. Keep in mind, most of these are things that have been improved on in OL2 already, so it's clear GBpatch already knows. My first one would be only being able to choose one set of pronouns, and therefore only being able to be male, female, or non-binary. Again, this is something that's already been improved upon in OL2, it's just slightly unfortunate when you're gender-fluid, like me. Another is definitely how the comfort level towards Cove isn't really just towards Cove, it's more like your characters general disposition. I always have to go with nervous, since I'm a very nervous and anxious person, but I tend to fall more into the relaxed or direct comfort levels when it comes to people I'm friends with or have crushes on. Of course, again, this is something that seems to already be improving in OL2. My last thing is that they made Cove just too lovable, I can't even consider trying out Derek or Baxter and seeing what they're all about, because my heart breaks at not forming that same bond with Cove. Unfortunately, it appears it's only going to get worse for me with Tamarack and Qiu in OL2. Damn you, GBpatch, and your nefarious ways!
Now, if you've gotten through the entirety of my lengthy review, or just scrolled down to see my final thoughts, here they are. If you're thinking about playing this game, you should. It's an amazing experience, and I highly recommend giving it a shot. Trust me, you won't regret it. If you're thinking about buying the dlc's, again, you should. They're well worth it, and they're wonderful additions to the game that help really maximize your experience. Plus, they help fund a very talented developer, who clearly puts a lot of care and attention into their games.
Lastly, to GBpatch themselves, thank you so much for making this game. It is one of the most enjoyable games I've ever played, and one I'm guaranteed to replay again and again, especially when I'm looking for some comfort. I wish you a lot of luck with both OL2 and your other projects, and I'm so excited to see where you go next.
IM NOT EVEN LEGIT JOKING WHEN I SAY I STARTED BAWLING. The amount of details, the incredible story, honestly just everything! I spent hours playing this game and i can't believe i started crying when i saw the words "the end" on my screen. Buying the DLCs for sure!! By far my favorite visual novel.
No one will understand how good this game ISSSSS, like its actually insane what GBpatch is doing , like the quality?!?!?! HELLO?!?!?! ITS CRAZY GOOD i've spent hourssss on this game bc it makes me feel so happy and theres so many choice?!?!? actually insane.
LEGIT CANNOT PUT INTO WORDS HOW MUCH I LOVED IT!!! However, I will still try! I loved the attention to every single little detail, the amount of effort that went into this honestly blew my breath away!!! The fact we get to change and grow throughout the story and that personal lil details about us are included is such a sweet and thoughtful touch!
Absolutely buying the DLCs when I have the chance!!! Thank you guys so much for such an amazing, inclusive, immersive, unique, and emotional story! 10 million outta 10!
Wonderful visual novel! This is easily the best I've read/played, so heartfelt and in-depth. I even bought all DLCs on both itch.io and Steam.
Out of curiosity, have you ever thought about this game being on the Switch? If so, I imagine the price would be the total of all DLCs if joined as one release, since the base game is free. That would be awesome! But I totally understand if it's not feasible, and I respect that. I'll continue to play the game on my PC laptop and Android phone with no complaints at all. (But do know that it would be an instant buy from me if on the Switch, lol).
Okay, first of all...I want to say sorry for not leaving a comment until now. I did not have an itchio account when I first discovered this game aaaand when I finally did, my daily life kept me too busy to leave a proper comment. I have so many things I want to say, but...I guess I better start from the beginning. I found this game for the first time many, maaaaaaany years ago while looking for something to play since I barely had any options available for me. Then I came across this game. I really liked the art-style and the game unusual mechanics for a visual novel caught my interest (though back then I thought it was a little disappointing to only have one *love* interest), so I decided to give it a try and.......Oh-MY-GOD, I FELL IN LOVE INSTANTLY!! The music, the atmosphere, the characters, the customizable options, EVERYTHING WAS PURELY A MAGICAL EXPERIENCE LIKE I HAD NOT EXPIRIENCED BEFORE!!! Back then there were only the 1st step and two moments from the 2nd step in it...but I really loved every single sec of it! So much so that I showed it to my best friend right away and we both got SO hooked with it! Since then, we both have been checking and playing each new update till the game was finally completed. Even now, we keep playing it with so much joy that it is practically impossible to surpass by another game. Cove, Derek, Baxter, Lizzie, Miranda, Terri and everyone else have become almost like a real family to us, and is always sweet yet sad to see them again in each new playthrough. It is also really fun to try to find as many possible variables depending on our choices and personality traits with Cove, hehe. It just shows how much effort and detail you guys put into it!
As I said before, I first did not feel much for Cove as the only *route*....but he soon made me realize how wrong I was. Cove is just really the cutest and sweetest guy in existence!!! OwO And we both just cannot get enough of him and how much he makes us blush X3
Oh! But we also really like Derek and Baxter! They are different from Cove in almost every aspect, but they both surely can be such sweethearts too that it is amazing! :D My friend really likes Derek and I personally feel pretty curious about Baxter, so we are really glad they had their own paths in the game!! Sadly...we do not have money nor a functional way to pay for their DLCs (or any other of the DLCs for that matter, really :/)...buuut well!
Anyways, it is not need to say that this game has become one of our favorites of all times and we deeply thank you for making that possible. We both are looking forward to OL2 and every new sensations that it will bring, so we wish you the best of lucks!! We will keep supporting you guys...even if it is just in spirit >w</ So, keep doing your good job!!
I love visual novels but this one is by far one of my all time favorites! I adore the characters and the details that was put into this game, there's not many that is as interactive as this one is. I loved how the choices I made and time I invested in the relationships truly mattered and didn't just end with that as simple meaningless choice to add more dialogue. It always made my heart skip a beat whenever a gift was still being used years later or when a choice I made was brought up again in the next steps like a true memory.
The DLCs didn't disappoint either. The extra events just added to the experience and made my relationship with Cove seem even closer. To have our friends and family recount the events of the story, the have the constant teasing of Cove and the running jokes... to see every choice I made, no matter how small, get mentioned in the wedding that I even got to plan myself (with the help of Cove~) I have never cried so much over a game. It was as if it was my actual wedding with my childhood best friend!
It truly warmed my heart to see something so customizable that it also includes anyone that would possibly play this game from sexuality to gender identity to religious beliefs even down to dietary preferences!
Thank you for creating such an amazing story with these beautiful characters! I enjoyed being able to grow up with my crybaby Cove and the gang. It's definitely something I'll replay time and time again.
(P.S, If you ever want to drop an sequel or a new DLC where Cove becomes a dad... I'll be the first in line!)
ive played this since like the 2-3rd stage came out and i LOVE visual novels, but this was by far my favorite since 2020 and still is and will be for years. OL2 maybe aswell become one of my faves, I ADORE YOU SM DEV/DEVS!!
i just love the game and it always breaks my heart when i try to tell cove about the first meeting of the mc and Cliff. But its also so heart warming and it deserves ALL THE LOVE IN THE WORLD AA (I cry everytime) but thank you sm for this game and the new our life. i wish you luck on everything you do!! 💓💓
binge played this like literally for 8 hours straight and... i cried and it's just so cute :( 100% buying the dlc's (literally all of them) once i get my paycheck and i play around w more options
I'm afraid I don't know what the situation is. Do you mean you can't download it from the site or you have the file on your device but can't extract it?
I'm sorry, that's something that has been happening for some people since the engine we used updated. Here's the advice we can give, but I can't be certain what if any will be what you need to do to make it run better. It's device-specific and I don't know what's going on with your device, unfortunately.
Pressing Shift + G and change the renderer. Changing it to ANGLE renderer.
Updating graphics cards and/or changing their settings. If you have multiple cards, switching the one you're using.
Updating drivers to the latest version. And going out of your way to try making them update rather than leaving it up to the device to register on its own that an update is needed. Sometimes updates aren't pressing enough to be reported automatically but can still be done.
Turning off the game's animations
Turning off "Game Mode" if you're on Windows 11
Enabling "Optimizations for windowed games" Windows 11
Verifying the integrity of the game files through steam
Playing in windowed mode, or trying to reduce the size of window mode
Creating a desktop shortcut and launching it from there
After deleting and installing the newest version of the base game, I'm having issues playing the newer versions of the DLC from a previous load file. For example, when attempting to play the "Late Shift" content, I get the following error message when accepting Baxter's invitation to his condo. Here's the error message in its entirety:
I've checked my computer drivers and they're all updated. So I'm honestly not sure what's going on with this newer version...
Quick addition: I do have the latest versions of the DLCs I've purchased on my system to. When the laptop version wouldn't work, I tried to access everything through the itch.io app. Still no luck.
I'm sorry, if a save file is too old it's possible it won't be able to work with the new content. If your prior file can't function, often the only option is to start a new file fresh in the most up-to-date version of the game.
There should be a "save" folder in the overall Our Life folder where you can see the files. If those are missing, they might be saved elsewhere on the device, but I wouldn't be able to say where. It'd depend on your specifics.
I havent replayed the game in awhile and saw this. I was just wondering if i had to do anything to update these? Like do I redownload the DLCs? Or is this telling me that they have been updated?
It's saying you should remove the DLC files for Step 2, Step 3, and the Wedding DLC, download the latest version of those, and add the updated files into your Our Life game! folder
I'm sorry, this is an issue that's appeared since the engine we use updated. Unfortunately, it depends on the device for what's going on and I can only guess what needs to be changed to make it run better. Here are the usual suggestions, though none of them are guaranteed to work.
Updating graphics cards and/or changing their settings. If you have multiple cards, switching the one you're using.
Updating drivers to the latest version. And going out of your way to try making them update rather than leaving it up to the device to register on its own that an update is needed. Sometimes updates aren't pressing enough to be reported automatically but can still be done.
Turning off the game's animations
Turning off "Game Mode" if you're on Windows 11
Enabling "Optimizations for windowed games" Windows 11
Verifying the integrity of the game files through steam
Playing in windowed mode, or trying to reduce the size of window mode
Creating a desktop shortcut and launching it from there
If there's something we can do about it on our end, we'll try to make that happen!
Thank you for taking the time to help me! I really enjoy this game and have always and always will be grateful for your dedication to create something that many people enjoy (Me included!). Every time I play I am always surprised and excited about the details and reactions each character shows alongside the vast customizability of the mc and their personality. I love the different branching paths and choices you can make and the love and support you feel no matter what you do or who you choose to be. Even after finishing the main game you have continued to provide various extra content and events that I am excited to play through in the future when I am more financially stable so I can afford the different patches. I am in love with this game and I am looking forward to what you do in the future!
This game literally had me kicking, screaming, giggling, and regretting big time that I kept my crush on Cove hidden for too long. HE IS SO CUTE. And I love how inclusive this game is, my gosh! I still have Step 4 to go, but when I say I dedicated my entire day to this... it's my first itch.io game and I'm so grateful it's available!
I downloaded it on the android version but whenever I press start it kicks me out! I got the new version our life n&f and it was fine idk why it's kicking me out?
OL1 is much, much larger than the OL2 demo. It's possible your phone is having trouble loading it. You could try opening up more space and closing other things that might be running!
can i just say, i downloaded the base version 3 hours ago, and im now pausing midway to scoop up all the DLC before i make it to step 3. love this game so much and i cant wait for the NF!
Gah!!! This was so amazing and wonderful, thank you. <3 ^^ I got all the DLC at once and played through everything, and man, my heart was NOT ready. Funnily enough, as I've recommended this game with my friends, one asked if I had taken part in making it because it "sounds" like my writing. I was so flattered, haha. And also happy because I got an amazing sense of kinship from playing this game. <3 <3 I felt like.... there are people out there who feel the same things I do, you know?
The one thing that was a bit confusing for me was *spoiler land*
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In the Baxter DLC, he asked my character out. In the next scene, they had a kiss and it was... like.. no big deal? So I assumed they must just have that kind of relationship? They also exchanged hotel room keys, so I assumed they were intimate. Then though, with the kiss scene in the hotel room, the MC was thinking to herself that this relationship was just supposed to be short term or for the summer or something like that, and I was like- when did this conversation happen? I felt like I had missed something.
When I read your blog, I saw how Baxter wouldn't have been intimate with someone when it was supposed to be such a short time (despite his intro). Which- fair, fine. But then... my character felt like she psychically knew about this somehow? I didn't think I had heard any stipulations in the asking out scene. And from the way they say they are boyfriend and girlfriend, it sounds more committed than that? And other people also treat your relationship as a committed thing?
I kinda understood some of the setup when we got to the most painful, visceral ghosting I've ever seen in my life (oof x)). Basically though, all the pieces feel like they're set up to have the MC thinking they're dating and can continue a relationship but Baxter cuts them off at the end. But, the scene in the hotel room didn't read that way. Plus, would've been nice to have some sort of acknowledgement for the first kiss with Baxter.
Anyways though, this game is amazing and transformative and wonderful and GAH. I have so many FEELINGS. >o< Thanks for giving us a wonderful life.~
I'm sorry, I don't know what choices you made but Baxter is always meant to say quite directly that he's only a suitor for the season when he asks you out and it's essentially a fling. He shouldn't ever ask the MC out as though it's a normal relationship. If you missed the conversation about that perhaps there was a bug where it got skipped.
I went back and chose some other things, and I see what you mean. What I chose:
***Spoiler land***
B: To cut to the chase, I'm asking you out
MC: I don't treat things that lightly.
B apologizes, expresses his interest, etc. Says he's not incredibly romantic, but... (kinda sounded like "but I like you" >o<)
MC: Maybe... I'd be ok with that.
Then, he doesn't give the suitor of the season line or anything. MC just asks if they should tell people, they talk about it, etc.
When I went to my family, I said I had a boyfriend. Like, not an option to just be like, I am going on a few dates with this guy, full-out boyfriend. xD Which is a conversation I thought most couples usually had after... a while. Not right off the bat xD. Being able to say that you are just casually going on a few dates with this guy might've been a nice option (plus being able to have a first kiss >o<... and actually having some kind of conversation about physical boundaries. Or, it might come up at some point within the story!)
As described below, I didn't kiss him in the asking-out scene, only in the hiking scene on the log, and there was no particular reaction there. Maybe you react as if it's your first kiss in other scenes?
Thank you for letting me know about the confession scene! Though, there isn't meant to be a reaction to whatever your first kiss is with Baxter because the relationship isn't the kind where the first kiss is a big moment like it is with someone like Cove. It's just very casual and not something he has a real reaction to, haha.
Ah, I see! My character hadn't kissed anyone ever before, so since she didn't react to it at all, either, I assumed they must have kissed before... like, more time had passed or something? Anyways, that's the impression I got, so I was confused for a while. x)
EDIT: And especially since she was catching feelings, even if she had kissed someone before, I feel like the first kiss with a particular person*can be* special >o<
A fellow recent player of Baxter's DLC here to address the spoiler question/concern as best as I can:
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So it might play different depending on dialogue choices and how direct/shy your character is set to be towards Baxter (this creator does an AMAZING job making every playthrough unique if you choose different traits and options), but I do know that for my playthrough (direct crush stage with him, with an MC who leans towards playful banter and direct statements) Baxter says upfront that it's only going to be a summer fling. Quoting from that scene in my save file: "Well, before I get too carried away in excitement, I must own the fact that this is not a grand romantic overture. I doubt you would believe me if I was claiming to be your one and only for all time. I am nominating myself as a suitor for the season. A charming summer adventure: no more, no less. I don't care what label you'd choose to put to this arrangement. I could be your boyfriend, or nothing at all."
And then it sort of does develop-- or can be allowed to develop-- where MC really catches some serious feelings and it's not just a fling for them after all. MC does tend to refer to Baxter as something more than a mere fling, giving friends and family the sense it's a more serious thing than it is. And Baxter can (potentially?) hint he's feeling more than a fling too. But given how he sees himself and how his character is (beautifully) written, just because he might want something more doesn't mean he will let himself have that.
I'm not sure I know what you mean as far as the first kiss and reactions (or lack thereof) and how that translated to their intimacy. It was described as 'chaste' and 'tender', and afterwards Baxter "laughed quietly behind his hand. There was no chance of you making Baxter shy, but there was a definite coyness to his temperament, and a faint flush to his cheeks." (again, just copying from my save file, and there's every possibility it plays differently to different MC attitudes). To me, he came across as just a smooth 'player' (in the most innocent and childlike sense) who rolled with the punches from a forward MC. But I do know what you mean that the exchanging of keys can imply there was a much more intimate relationship happening off-screen, I suppose!
Oooo, interesting! Yeah, I went back and chose some other things. Replied above. I do find it odd that you go straight to boyfriend. xD That implies a lot more commitment to me. It's usually a whole thing, I thought, in real life. xD But this isn't discussed really in the game at all?
As for the first kiss, my MC didn't kiss him in that scene. She just hugged him. She kissed him went they went on their nature walk on the log. <3 It was cute, but given the absolute lack of reaction (I guess the first kiss reaction only happens if you do it in the ask out scene?), and the earlier exchanging of keys, I was like, OH, ok, they're in THAT kind of relationship. xD Just a bit more conversation, or thoughts, or something, I feel like, could smooth it all out. But yes, it's all amazing and I adore how much personalization goes into everything!! >o<
I cannot describe my love for this game omg, it's so cute and I adore it. I really wish more dating sims were like this honestly. So looking forward to the full release of the next game too!!!
Amazing game. And I got to say, that each of the other character DLCs are filled with content and great for purchasing as well. Loved Derek's route. And now I'm excited for Baxter. <3
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i've only known cove for a few days, but if anything happened to him, i'd kill everyone in this room and then myself
my favorite visual novel, ever, and i've played quite a bit. i literally made an account just to comment on this. the writing and concept is so good--you can get so emotionally attached to the characters. i cried at the ending
this ONLY drawback i can think of is you get so emotionally attached to cove in his first personality, you can't get used to the second playthrough
I would love a dlc so we can know more about Shiloh, i got really curious about his controversial personality and him forgetting about everyone. I can barely hold my curiosity about that Nate guy and what he meant about being obliged to live with Shiloh for a year! I love the game and i have to say that i discovered myself being demisexual and panromantic together with Cove on my route, it was a pleasant surprise given how muddled and confused my mind would get whenever I tried thinking about my preferences. Thank You for this amazing game <3
I was able to understand a lot about myself through Cove and it helped in making me feel less insecure and worried. I don't as out of place as im used to :D
I'm so glad the game was able to help you feel reassured! That's wonderful. And Shiloh and Jeremy are cameo characters from our older series, XOXO Droplets. Nate is also one of the friend/love interests from that game.
This is an absolute 10/10! I really love the character development Cove had when growing older and how I can freely interact with my two amazing mothers and not just leave them to dust, y'know? The whole experience was fun and not me crying because of Terri 😭 I love the inclusiveness, it makes me feel like home <3
Recommend to play! You'll have lots of fun!
10/10 loved every second of this game! I downloaded it out of boredom not expecting much but was quickly absorbed by the story and characters. Perfect game 100% and I love Cove with every fiber of my body! The second I can I will be buying the DLCs so I can binged this game again! My only complaint is that step 4 wasn't a full thing like the other steps are.
So, I can't remember if I've ever left a comment on this game before, but I'm going to leave one now, in any case.
I've been following this game since a little before step 3 released, I believe, and I've been in love with this game ever since. It's really exciting that we've finally gotten to the end, even if I only joined along the way.
I think what first made me fall in love with this game was the sheer customization of the main character. It's not just a game where you project onto the main character, you can literally be the main character. Of course, you also don't have to be, and the main character can be someone completely different. The game is all about your choices and what you want the experience to be, which in some ways was really refreshing.
Of course, that's not the only thing I love about the game. I think what really made me stick around was Cove Holden himself. I really enjoyed getting to know Cove in every step, and seeing how he changed as he got older, and being able to grow up alongside him. Plus, as someone who's autistic, it was really nice to see representation in the game, especially representation I found very relatable in a lot of ways. To be honest, I can't entirely put into words how much I really grew to care about Cove during the course of this game, but in every single playthrough, I can never bare not romancing him. He's just too lovable.
But Cove's not the only great character in the game, pretty much every single character I like. Even the ones I didn't like immediately, like Lizzie or Baxter, once I started to get to know them, they really grew on me. Though I have to say, I think my personal favorite has to be Cliff Holden, Cove's dad. Pretty much the moment you meet him, you can tell he's a character with his flaws, but you could always tell that he meant well. Certainly, he makes plenty of mistakes and missteps, but it's never out of a sense of maliciousness or anything like that. He just doesn't always think it through in his rush to make the people he cares about happy, and I really like his relationship with Kyra later on. How much you can tell they still care about each other, even if they don't want to be together anymore. I think it's really heart-warming how supportive he is of her and her new relationship.
In terms of the mechanics themselves, and the way we get to experience our life from childhood to adulthood, I really enjoy it. In childhood, I kind of had to grow up earlier than most, god knows how many times I was told how mature I was for my age, so it's really nice to be able to experience being a kid again, and getting to experience some things in this game that I wasn't able to in my actual childhood. As for the older teenage stages, it was really nice to sort of experience being a normal teenager. I ended up being homeschooled from 6th grade onward because of some stuff going on with the public school. It just hadn't been a good fit, but I felt like I missed out on some of the social stuff you'd normally get at those ages. So it was really rewarding, personally, to play through those stages. And of course, step 4 was a wonderful ending to the game, and it was so nice to see so many of the characters from across all parts come together at the end.
That's not to say there aren't some things I'm perhaps not fully satisfied with. Not that they're bad mind you, just maybe a little lacking. Keep in mind, most of these are things that have been improved on in OL2 already, so it's clear GBpatch already knows. My first one would be only being able to choose one set of pronouns, and therefore only being able to be male, female, or non-binary. Again, this is something that's already been improved upon in OL2, it's just slightly unfortunate when you're gender-fluid, like me. Another is definitely how the comfort level towards Cove isn't really just towards Cove, it's more like your characters general disposition. I always have to go with nervous, since I'm a very nervous and anxious person, but I tend to fall more into the relaxed or direct comfort levels when it comes to people I'm friends with or have crushes on. Of course, again, this is something that seems to already be improving in OL2. My last thing is that they made Cove just too lovable, I can't even consider trying out Derek or Baxter and seeing what they're all about, because my heart breaks at not forming that same bond with Cove. Unfortunately, it appears it's only going to get worse for me with Tamarack and Qiu in OL2. Damn you, GBpatch, and your nefarious ways!
Now, if you've gotten through the entirety of my lengthy review, or just scrolled down to see my final thoughts, here they are. If you're thinking about playing this game, you should. It's an amazing experience, and I highly recommend giving it a shot. Trust me, you won't regret it. If you're thinking about buying the dlc's, again, you should. They're well worth it, and they're wonderful additions to the game that help really maximize your experience. Plus, they help fund a very talented developer, who clearly puts a lot of care and attention into their games.
Lastly, to GBpatch themselves, thank you so much for making this game. It is one of the most enjoyable games I've ever played, and one I'm guaranteed to replay again and again, especially when I'm looking for some comfort. I wish you a lot of luck with both OL2 and your other projects, and I'm so excited to see where you go next.
Now go play the game, if you haven't already!
Im unable to download the game at all. The dlc's have no problem but the main game always fails. :(
IM NOT EVEN LEGIT JOKING WHEN I SAY I STARTED BAWLING. The amount of details, the incredible story, honestly just everything! I spent hours playing this game and i can't believe i started crying when i saw the words "the end" on my screen. Buying the DLCs for sure!! By far my favorite visual novel.
No one will understand how good this game ISSSSS, like its actually insane what GBpatch is doing , like the quality?!?!?! HELLO?!?!?! ITS CRAZY GOOD i've spent hourssss on this game bc it makes me feel so happy and theres so many choice?!?!? actually insane.
LEGIT CANNOT PUT INTO WORDS HOW MUCH I LOVED IT!!! However, I will still try! I loved the attention to every single little detail, the amount of effort that went into this honestly blew my breath away!!! The fact we get to change and grow throughout the story and that personal lil details about us are included is such a sweet and thoughtful touch!
Absolutely buying the DLCs when I have the chance!!! Thank you guys so much for such an amazing, inclusive, immersive, unique, and emotional story! 10 million outta 10!
Wonderful visual novel! This is easily the best I've read/played, so heartfelt and in-depth. I even bought all DLCs on both itch.io and Steam.
Out of curiosity, have you ever thought about this game being on the Switch? If so, I imagine the price would be the total of all DLCs if joined as one release, since the base game is free. That would be awesome! But I totally understand if it's not feasible, and I respect that. I'll continue to play the game on my PC laptop and Android phone with no complaints at all. (But do know that it would be an instant buy from me if on the Switch, lol).
Thank you very much. We might be able to release it on Switch someday, but I can't guarantee it right now!
OMG this game was so so so good!!
does anybody know how to clone a fictional character pls im b b begging
I wish I could erase my memory and play this game over and over again. 😭
u would play starry flowers (and im playing that thing first time)
Okay, first of all...I want to say sorry for not leaving a comment until now. I did not have an itchio account when I first discovered this game aaaand when I finally did, my daily life kept me too busy to leave a proper comment. I have so many things I want to say, but...I guess I better start from the beginning. I found this game for the first time many, maaaaaaany years ago while looking for something to play since I barely had any options available for me. Then I came across this game. I really liked the art-style and the game unusual mechanics for a visual novel caught my interest (though back then I thought it was a little disappointing to only have one *love* interest), so I decided to give it a try and.......Oh-MY-GOD, I FELL IN LOVE INSTANTLY!! The music, the atmosphere, the characters, the customizable options, EVERYTHING WAS PURELY A MAGICAL EXPERIENCE LIKE I HAD NOT EXPIRIENCED BEFORE!!! Back then there were only the 1st step and two moments from the 2nd step in it...but I really loved every single sec of it! So much so that I showed it to my best friend right away and we both got SO hooked with it! Since then, we both have been checking and playing each new update till the game was finally completed. Even now, we keep playing it with so much joy that it is practically impossible to surpass by another game. Cove, Derek, Baxter, Lizzie, Miranda, Terri and everyone else have become almost like a real family to us, and is always sweet yet sad to see them again in each new playthrough. It is also really fun to try to find as many possible variables depending on our choices and personality traits with Cove, hehe. It just shows how much effort and detail you guys put into it!
As I said before, I first did not feel much for Cove as the only *route*....but he soon made me realize how wrong I was. Cove is just really the cutest and sweetest guy in existence!!! OwO And we both just cannot get enough of him and how much he makes us blush X3
Oh! But we also really like Derek and Baxter! They are different from Cove in almost every aspect, but they both surely can be such sweethearts too that it is amazing! :D My friend really likes Derek and I personally feel pretty curious about Baxter, so we are really glad they had their own paths in the game!! Sadly...we do not have money nor a functional way to pay for their DLCs (or any other of the DLCs for that matter, really :/)...buuut well!
Anyways, it is not need to say that this game has become one of our favorites of all times and we deeply thank you for making that possible. We both are looking forward to OL2 and every new sensations that it will bring, so we wish you the best of lucks!! We will keep supporting you guys...even if it is just in spirit >w</ So, keep doing your good job!!
I love visual novels but this one is by far one of my all time favorites! I adore the characters and the details that was put into this game, there's not many that is as interactive as this one is. I loved how the choices I made and time I invested in the relationships truly mattered and didn't just end with that as simple meaningless choice to add more dialogue. It always made my heart skip a beat whenever a gift was still being used years later or when a choice I made was brought up again in the next steps like a true memory.
The DLCs didn't disappoint either. The extra events just added to the experience and made my relationship with Cove seem even closer. To have our friends and family recount the events of the story, the have the constant teasing of Cove and the running jokes... to see every choice I made, no matter how small, get mentioned in the wedding that I even got to plan myself (with the help of Cove~) I have never cried so much over a game. It was as if it was my actual wedding with my childhood best friend!
It truly warmed my heart to see something so customizable that it also includes anyone that would possibly play this game from sexuality to gender identity to religious beliefs even down to dietary preferences!
Thank you for creating such an amazing story with these beautiful characters! I enjoyed being able to grow up with my crybaby Cove and the gang. It's definitely something I'll replay time and time again.
(P.S, If you ever want to drop an sequel or a new DLC where Cove becomes a dad... I'll be the first in line!)
ive played this since like the 2-3rd stage came out and i LOVE visual novels, but this was by far my favorite since 2020 and still is and will be for years. OL2 maybe aswell become one of my faves, I ADORE YOU SM DEV/DEVS!!
i just love the game and it always breaks my heart when i try to tell cove about the first meeting of the mc and Cliff. But its also so heart warming and it deserves ALL THE LOVE IN THE WORLD AA (I cry everytime) but thank you sm for this game and the new our life. i wish you luck on everything you do!! 💓💓
binge played this like literally for 8 hours straight and... i cried and it's just so cute :( 100% buying the dlc's (literally all of them) once i get my paycheck and i play around w more options
cove is hot
Gay game
i cant open the file, it keeps on just showing the internet explorer for a second and then it disappears- :'D
I'm afraid I don't know what the situation is. Do you mean you can't download it from the site or you have the file on your device but can't extract it?
i have the file but i cant open it
HOLD UP, HOLD UP. I DID IT DW, SO SO SORRY TO BOTHER YOU I GOT IT NOW THANKS :DD
is anyone elses game like, bugging? my backgrounds and character sprites keep flashing white.
Yeah it's doing the same for me 😅
I'm sorry, that's something that has been happening for some people since the engine we used updated. Here's the advice we can give, but I can't be certain what if any will be what you need to do to make it run better. It's device-specific and I don't know what's going on with your device, unfortunately.
Pressing Shift + G and change the renderer. Changing it to ANGLE renderer.
Updating graphics cards and/or changing their settings. If you have multiple cards, switching the one you're using.
Updating drivers to the latest version. And going out of your way to try making them update rather than leaving it up to the device to register on its own that an update is needed. Sometimes updates aren't pressing enough to be reported automatically but can still be done.
Turning off the game's animations
Turning off "Game Mode" if you're on Windows 11
Enabling "Optimizations for windowed games" Windows 11
Verifying the integrity of the game files through steam
Playing in windowed mode, or trying to reduce the size of window mode
Creating a desktop shortcut and launching it from there
can someone tell me the name of the flowers??
White linen poppies
After deleting and installing the newest version of the base game, I'm having issues playing the newer versions of the DLC from a previous load file. For example, when attempting to play the "Late Shift" content, I get the following error message when accepting Baxter's invitation to his condo. Here's the error message in its entirety:
I've checked my computer drivers and they're all updated. So I'm honestly not sure what's going on with this newer version...
Quick addition: I do have the latest versions of the DLCs I've purchased on my system to. When the laptop version wouldn't work, I tried to access everything through the itch.io app. Still no luck.
I'm sorry, if a save file is too old it's possible it won't be able to work with the new content. If your prior file can't function, often the only option is to start a new file fresh in the most up-to-date version of the game.
Oh thank goodness! I thought there was a much more major issue. What an easy fix! Thank you so much for your help!
No problem!
hi! where can i view my saves in my files because at the moment i can only access the game and its contents?
There should be a "save" folder in the overall Our Life folder where you can see the files. If those are missing, they might be saved elsewhere on the device, but I wouldn't be able to say where. It'd depend on your specifics.
I havent replayed the game in awhile and saw this. I was just wondering if i had to do anything to update these? Like do I redownload the DLCs? Or is this telling me that they have been updated?
It's saying you should remove the DLC files for Step 2, Step 3, and the Wedding DLC, download the latest version of those, and add the updated files into your Our Life game! folder
Thank you!!
No problem!
I noticed in the game the screen was flickering? Is there a way to fix this?
I'm sorry, this is an issue that's appeared since the engine we use updated. Unfortunately, it depends on the device for what's going on and I can only guess what needs to be changed to make it run better. Here are the usual suggestions, though none of them are guaranteed to work.
Updating graphics cards and/or changing their settings. If you have multiple cards, switching the one you're using.
Updating drivers to the latest version. And going out of your way to try making them update rather than leaving it up to the device to register on its own that an update is needed. Sometimes updates aren't pressing enough to be reported automatically but can still be done.
Turning off the game's animations
Turning off "Game Mode" if you're on Windows 11
Enabling "Optimizations for windowed games" Windows 11
Verifying the integrity of the game files through steam
Playing in windowed mode, or trying to reduce the size of window mode
Creating a desktop shortcut and launching it from there
If there's something we can do about it on our end, we'll try to make that happen!
Thank you for taking the time to help me! I really enjoy this game and have always and always will be grateful for your dedication to create something that many people enjoy (Me included!). Every time I play I am always surprised and excited about the details and reactions each character shows alongside the vast customizability of the mc and their personality. I love the different branching paths and choices you can make and the love and support you feel no matter what you do or who you choose to be. Even after finishing the main game you have continued to provide various extra content and events that I am excited to play through in the future when I am more financially stable so I can afford the different patches. I am in love with this game and I am looking forward to what you do in the future!
Aw, thank you! That's very nice of you to say. I hope my suggestions will help.
This game literally had me kicking, screaming, giggling, and regretting big time that I kept my crush on Cove hidden for too long. HE IS SO CUTE. And I love how inclusive this game is, my gosh! I still have Step 4 to go, but when I say I dedicated my entire day to this... it's my first itch.io game and I'm so grateful it's available!
I downloaded it on the android version but whenever I press start it kicks me out! I got the new version our life n&f and it was fine idk why it's kicking me out?
OL1 is much, much larger than the OL2 demo. It's possible your phone is having trouble loading it. You could try opening up more space and closing other things that might be running!
Ho do you play? xD
Omg, I am so dumb-
can i just say, i downloaded the base version 3 hours ago, and im now pausing midway to scoop up all the DLC before i make it to step 3. love this game so much and i cant wait for the NF!
This game made me feel things. Never has a game made me feel nostalgic for things that I never really experienced.
Gah!!! This was so amazing and wonderful, thank you. <3 ^^ I got all the DLC at once and played through everything, and man, my heart was NOT ready. Funnily enough, as I've recommended this game with my friends, one asked if I had taken part in making it because it "sounds" like my writing. I was so flattered, haha. And also happy because I got an amazing sense of kinship from playing this game. <3 <3 I felt like.... there are people out there who feel the same things I do, you know?
The one thing that was a bit confusing for me was *spoiler land*
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In the Baxter DLC, he asked my character out. In the next scene, they had a kiss and it was... like.. no big deal? So I assumed they must just have that kind of relationship? They also exchanged hotel room keys, so I assumed they were intimate. Then though, with the kiss scene in the hotel room, the MC was thinking to herself that this relationship was just supposed to be short term or for the summer or something like that, and I was like- when did this conversation happen? I felt like I had missed something.
When I read your blog, I saw how Baxter wouldn't have been intimate with someone when it was supposed to be such a short time (despite his intro). Which- fair, fine. But then... my character felt like she psychically knew about this somehow? I didn't think I had heard any stipulations in the asking out scene. And from the way they say they are boyfriend and girlfriend, it sounds more committed than that? And other people also treat your relationship as a committed thing?
I kinda understood some of the setup when we got to the most painful, visceral ghosting I've ever seen in my life (oof x)). Basically though, all the pieces feel like they're set up to have the MC thinking they're dating and can continue a relationship but Baxter cuts them off at the end. But, the scene in the hotel room didn't read that way. Plus, would've been nice to have some sort of acknowledgement for the first kiss with Baxter.
Anyways though, this game is amazing and transformative and wonderful and GAH. I have so many FEELINGS. >o< Thanks for giving us a wonderful life.~
I'm sorry, I don't know what choices you made but Baxter is always meant to say quite directly that he's only a suitor for the season when he asks you out and it's essentially a fling. He shouldn't ever ask the MC out as though it's a normal relationship. If you missed the conversation about that perhaps there was a bug where it got skipped.
But I'm glad you enjoyed his story!
Oh wow, thanks so much for responding!! >o<
I went back and chose some other things, and I see what you mean. What I chose:
***Spoiler land***
B: To cut to the chase, I'm asking you out
MC: I don't treat things that lightly.
B apologizes, expresses his interest, etc. Says he's not incredibly romantic, but... (kinda sounded like "but I like you" >o<)
MC: Maybe... I'd be ok with that.
Then, he doesn't give the suitor of the season line or anything. MC just asks if they should tell people, they talk about it, etc.
When I went to my family, I said I had a boyfriend. Like, not an option to just be like, I am going on a few dates with this guy, full-out boyfriend. xD Which is a conversation I thought most couples usually had after... a while. Not right off the bat xD. Being able to say that you are just casually going on a few dates with this guy might've been a nice option (plus being able to have a first kiss >o<... and actually having some kind of conversation about physical boundaries. Or, it might come up at some point within the story!)
Anyways, hope that's helpful?
Thanks! :D
As described below, I didn't kiss him in the asking-out scene, only in the hiking scene on the log, and there was no particular reaction there. Maybe you react as if it's your first kiss in other scenes?
Thank you for letting me know about the confession scene! Though, there isn't meant to be a reaction to whatever your first kiss is with Baxter because the relationship isn't the kind where the first kiss is a big moment like it is with someone like Cove. It's just very casual and not something he has a real reaction to, haha.
Ah, I see! My character hadn't kissed anyone ever before, so since she didn't react to it at all, either, I assumed they must have kissed before... like, more time had passed or something? Anyways, that's the impression I got, so I was confused for a while. x)
EDIT: And especially since she was catching feelings, even if she had kissed someone before, I feel like the first kiss with a particular person*can be* special >o<
Thanks!
That's understandable. Though, I'm afraid it's not something we'll be able to add into the story!
A fellow recent player of Baxter's DLC here to address the spoiler question/concern as best as I can:
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So it might play different depending on dialogue choices and how direct/shy your character is set to be towards Baxter (this creator does an AMAZING job making every playthrough unique if you choose different traits and options), but I do know that for my playthrough (direct crush stage with him, with an MC who leans towards playful banter and direct statements) Baxter says upfront that it's only going to be a summer fling. Quoting from that scene in my save file: "Well, before I get too carried away in excitement, I must own the fact that this is not a grand romantic overture. I doubt you would believe me if I was claiming to be your one and only for all time. I am nominating myself as a suitor for the season. A charming summer adventure: no more, no less. I don't care what label you'd choose to put to this arrangement. I could be your boyfriend, or nothing at all."
And then it sort of does develop-- or can be allowed to develop-- where MC really catches some serious feelings and it's not just a fling for them after all. MC does tend to refer to Baxter as something more than a mere fling, giving friends and family the sense it's a more serious thing than it is. And Baxter can (potentially?) hint he's feeling more than a fling too. But given how he sees himself and how his character is (beautifully) written, just because he might want something more doesn't mean he will let himself have that.
I'm not sure I know what you mean as far as the first kiss and reactions (or lack thereof) and how that translated to their intimacy. It was described as 'chaste' and 'tender', and afterwards Baxter "laughed quietly behind his hand. There was no chance of you making Baxter shy, but there was a definite coyness to his temperament, and a faint flush to his cheeks." (again, just copying from my save file, and there's every possibility it plays differently to different MC attitudes). To me, he came across as just a smooth 'player' (in the most innocent and childlike sense) who rolled with the punches from a forward MC. But I do know what you mean that the exchanging of keys can imply there was a much more intimate relationship happening off-screen, I suppose!
Oooo, interesting! Yeah, I went back and chose some other things. Replied above. I do find it odd that you go straight to boyfriend. xD That implies a lot more commitment to me. It's usually a whole thing, I thought, in real life. xD But this isn't discussed really in the game at all?
As for the first kiss, my MC didn't kiss him in that scene. She just hugged him. She kissed him went they went on their nature walk on the log. <3 It was cute, but given the absolute lack of reaction (I guess the first kiss reaction only happens if you do it in the ask out scene?), and the earlier exchanging of keys, I was like, OH, ok, they're in THAT kind of relationship. xD Just a bit more conversation, or thoughts, or something, I feel like, could smooth it all out. But yes, it's all amazing and I adore how much personalization goes into everything!! >o<
I cannot describe my love for this game omg, it's so cute and I adore it. I really wish more dating sims were like this honestly. So looking forward to the full release of the next game too!!!
this game made me cry 3-4 times thank you for your services
game
I’m totally in love with this game, the characters, the story, everything<333
My comfort game<33 I’m so attached to it, it’s a masterpiece fr
Amazing game. And I got to say, that each of the other character DLCs are filled with content and great for purchasing as well. Loved Derek's route. And now I'm excited for Baxter. <3