The Crown of Leaves Demo

Alternative ideas sometimes gain a lot of traction in video games, even if they appear to be pretty weird and unusual at first. There are many popular trends that are integrated into the industry as well, which means that games are yet another mirror for our society, just like movies or music. Hence, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there are so many human-animal hybrids in video games nowadays.

The Crown of Leaves is an interactive visual novel with role-playing and point & click elements as well, which means that the experience is a lot more engaging than what you are used to in the genre. The whole thing focuses on magic, fantasy concepts and animal-like humans that feature exaggerated features and unique personalities. Overall, the game is clearly not for everyone, but it’s tamer than other examples out there.   To begin with, you play the role of a young man/animal with dog-like appearances, who’s an expert decipherer. His trade is quite glamorous in the game’s world, but it all turns sour when he loses his credibility and has to go back to his home village. Here, people are far less acceptant of his science, so he must practice a much less glamorous job: being a jeweler. Thankfully, things get very interesting for him not long after accepting his first job.

Although the game follows classic visual novel concepts most of the time, there are many scenes that feature interactive elements. Thus, you have to click on items to examine them, and some can actually be picked up by the main character and used later on. The other important part of gameplay lies in making decisions that alter the story, since what you say affects how the plot progresses and how other characters see you.   Since visual novels are not particularly animated, the quality of the artwork is very important, and thankfully everything is well in the case of The Crown of Leaves. Every background is incredibly detailed and nicely colored, sporting gorgeous artwork and nice character design. Speaking of which, most characters feature multiple poses and facial expressions, which makes the whole thing feel more lively.

The Crown of Leaves might not be for everyone, but it’s a neat way to make contact with the genre, especially if you are not particularly fond of animals with human features. There’s a lot of humor in the dialog and the story, so it’s easier to get over the parts you might not approve of.