Creator's Comments:
dono [Creator]
A 6 stage gimmick needleventure game. It's a followup to I Wanna Sertraline.
Feat. Void Kid
wanna know something funny? i didnt credit the original stage 5 song. to rectify that, here it is: https://youtu.be/pt-Ho39I2SQ (cinnamon dragon blues)
[6] Likes
Feat. Void Kid
wanna know something funny? i didnt credit the original stage 5 song. to rectify that, here it is: https://youtu.be/pt-Ho39I2SQ (cinnamon dragon blues)
Rating: N/A
Difficulty: N/A
Mar 19, 2021
57 Reviews:
YaBoiMarcAntony
I wrote a joke review before, but having replayed the game recently and having given it a lot of time, I realize this game deserves a lot more than just a one line "funny" review.
Duloxetine represents all the good in fangames, both in terms of gameplay and in terms of the very creation of a fangame. In essence, I find this to be a celebration of the variety one can find within fangames as each stage is fairly different from the other in terms of design and even within each stage, there's a large variety in what you're doing. I Wanna Save My Boy has this sort of variety though it does not have the soul that Duloxetine has in my eyes, a soul given to the game through the little touches such as the various bits of block art in Abstractions or the snakey fellow in Hollowed Ground. Insofar as screen-to-screen gameplay is concerned, you really don't quite know what you're gonna get thanks to how willing tamano is to just toss an idea in and see how it fits. One might argue this breaks the cohesion of the game, but I find that semi-lack of cohesion adds an atmosphere to the game that it may not otherwise have. Each stage is markedly different from each other, but they all feel like different aspects of the same mind, one that follows a thought to its conclusion and then can jump to something entirely different within the blink of an eye.
The game is obviously personal to tamano (dono) and though what exactly the meaning of most aspects of the game is not quite clear to me, it doesn't make a difference because that personal nature gives the game that soulful touch which separates it from other fangames of this ilk. Tamano states that they're not a particularly capable person in many ways, but that they took what they had and threw it in a blender to try and make this game, something which I find really speaks to me as someone with similar difficulties of expression. While I will not say I've experienced anything close to the life that tamano has (I just don't know what life he's led) and that I've suffered similar issues as him, I will say that expression is a highly difficult thing to undergo just because of how difficult the options are. I may be good at music and writing, but those skills have nothing to do with the creative aspect of those hobbies as it is vastly more difficult to write a song or poem or story or anything that expresses my thoughts and emotions than it is to just play someone else's song or to write some essay for a class or what have you.
Fangames, however, benefit strongly from their ease of creation, something which separates it from most other forms of media. While it does certainly take skill to create a fangame, the barrier for entry is so much lower that really anyone can just head in and make something. Crimson Needle 3 features this concept in mind of just trying out any sort of idea that comes to mind and following those ideas to their natural conclusion, ideas which really took no coding know-how to create. While Crimson Needle 3 is about different emotions and whatnot, that core of exploration remains the same within Duloxetine, the exploration of odd concepts and ideas just to see them through to the end even if it seems silly or abstract. As such, you can really tell tamano's love for fangames within Duloxetine, a love which I feel myself and as such love the game itself more for it.
There may not be anything particularly fancy or shiny within Duloxetine, but it makes up for that with its soul and character as well as its interesting and highly enjoyable gameplay. I Wanna Save My Boy shares very similar ideals to this game and while that is a more well-designed game, I find this one to hit closer to the mark thanks to how comfortable and homely Duloxetine is. This game is honest, an open book that doesn't try to make jokes or cover up its genuine feelings, it is an expression of thought and emotion that I don't think I could find anywhere else but within fangames. Duloxetine is, in short, an expression of love.
[5] Likes
Duloxetine represents all the good in fangames, both in terms of gameplay and in terms of the very creation of a fangame. In essence, I find this to be a celebration of the variety one can find within fangames as each stage is fairly different from the other in terms of design and even within each stage, there's a large variety in what you're doing. I Wanna Save My Boy has this sort of variety though it does not have the soul that Duloxetine has in my eyes, a soul given to the game through the little touches such as the various bits of block art in Abstractions or the snakey fellow in Hollowed Ground. Insofar as screen-to-screen gameplay is concerned, you really don't quite know what you're gonna get thanks to how willing tamano is to just toss an idea in and see how it fits. One might argue this breaks the cohesion of the game, but I find that semi-lack of cohesion adds an atmosphere to the game that it may not otherwise have. Each stage is markedly different from each other, but they all feel like different aspects of the same mind, one that follows a thought to its conclusion and then can jump to something entirely different within the blink of an eye.
The game is obviously personal to tamano (dono) and though what exactly the meaning of most aspects of the game is not quite clear to me, it doesn't make a difference because that personal nature gives the game that soulful touch which separates it from other fangames of this ilk. Tamano states that they're not a particularly capable person in many ways, but that they took what they had and threw it in a blender to try and make this game, something which I find really speaks to me as someone with similar difficulties of expression. While I will not say I've experienced anything close to the life that tamano has (I just don't know what life he's led) and that I've suffered similar issues as him, I will say that expression is a highly difficult thing to undergo just because of how difficult the options are. I may be good at music and writing, but those skills have nothing to do with the creative aspect of those hobbies as it is vastly more difficult to write a song or poem or story or anything that expresses my thoughts and emotions than it is to just play someone else's song or to write some essay for a class or what have you.
Fangames, however, benefit strongly from their ease of creation, something which separates it from most other forms of media. While it does certainly take skill to create a fangame, the barrier for entry is so much lower that really anyone can just head in and make something. Crimson Needle 3 features this concept in mind of just trying out any sort of idea that comes to mind and following those ideas to their natural conclusion, ideas which really took no coding know-how to create. While Crimson Needle 3 is about different emotions and whatnot, that core of exploration remains the same within Duloxetine, the exploration of odd concepts and ideas just to see them through to the end even if it seems silly or abstract. As such, you can really tell tamano's love for fangames within Duloxetine, a love which I feel myself and as such love the game itself more for it.
There may not be anything particularly fancy or shiny within Duloxetine, but it makes up for that with its soul and character as well as its interesting and highly enjoyable gameplay. I Wanna Save My Boy shares very similar ideals to this game and while that is a more well-designed game, I find this one to hit closer to the mark thanks to how comfortable and homely Duloxetine is. This game is honest, an open book that doesn't try to make jokes or cover up its genuine feelings, it is an expression of thought and emotion that I don't think I could find anywhere else but within fangames. Duloxetine is, in short, an expression of love.
Rating: 9.0 90
Difficulty: 60 60
Apr 1, 2021
Chatran
Bit more needley for my tastes but it had a soul and that's what I care about.
[4] Likes
Rating: 8.7 87
Difficulty: 60 60
Mar 21, 2021
CanusAntonius
Duloxetine is one of the most enjoyable Needle games I've played and currently what I believe to be dono's masterpiece. It's riddled with creativity and a feel of passion that's unrivaled by most entries in the genre.
The design of Duloxetine feels completely unique to other stuff I've played, both through the standard saves as well as those that utilize gimmicks. A lot of this is done through unusual placement of objects, as well as ones with various sizes such as thin water lines or mini cherries. The gimmicks in the game are especially interesting, the highlight being keypick needle. I'd also like to mention that the visuals and aesthetic of the game is absolutely stellar, I think this has some of the most artistic usage of blocks and tiles in any fangame and it looks incredible. As far as issues, I really only had such with some parts of the Keypick stage which felt way harder than a lot of the game, especially the gravity flipper sections.
Overall, this is an absolutely amazing Needle game worth your time without a doubt. Highly recommended.
[2] Likes
The design of Duloxetine feels completely unique to other stuff I've played, both through the standard saves as well as those that utilize gimmicks. A lot of this is done through unusual placement of objects, as well as ones with various sizes such as thin water lines or mini cherries. The gimmicks in the game are especially interesting, the highlight being keypick needle. I'd also like to mention that the visuals and aesthetic of the game is absolutely stellar, I think this has some of the most artistic usage of blocks and tiles in any fangame and it looks incredible. As far as issues, I really only had such with some parts of the Keypick stage which felt way harder than a lot of the game, especially the gravity flipper sections.
Overall, this is an absolutely amazing Needle game worth your time without a doubt. Highly recommended.
Rating: 9.0 90
Difficulty: 60 60
Feb 17, 2023
Kilgour22
The apple cycles and key stage can eat my ass, but the rest is great.
[2] Likes
Rating: 7.5 75
Difficulty: 55 55
Aug 3, 2022
Nearigami
Difficulty rating is based on brutal mode, which is the intended difficulty of the game.
Calm mode to my estimate is about 50 diff, and fairly approachable if you aren’t that skilled at fangames, but want a good challenge.
I was a main tester of the game. I played through the game 3 full times. Twice on the brutal/original difficulty, and once on the easy mode. For reference, I legitimately never do that with any game I playtest.
Dono in my opinion has been on the cusp of becoming one of the best needle makers for a while, and in my opinion, all he needed to be considered one of the best in my books was a fairly beefy length game as opposed to the really short games he usually comes out with.
Not only does this game accomplish all of that, it also shows that Dono is still growing as a maker, experimenting with ideas and concepts he never touched before, while doing a good job of it.
The best way to describe this game’s style is corridor needle but also not at all. It’s all consistently very comfortable needle to play, but also varied in jumps and execution. This game will frequently implement new ideas into saves, and though they’re all minor, they prevent the game from feeling samey and assist with the pace.
The game is fairly beefy, with around 40ish screens total from my estimate.
Dono did a great job, and I hope to continue seeing him improve and do even better in his own way.
[2] Likes
Calm mode to my estimate is about 50 diff, and fairly approachable if you aren’t that skilled at fangames, but want a good challenge.
I was a main tester of the game. I played through the game 3 full times. Twice on the brutal/original difficulty, and once on the easy mode. For reference, I legitimately never do that with any game I playtest.
Dono in my opinion has been on the cusp of becoming one of the best needle makers for a while, and in my opinion, all he needed to be considered one of the best in my books was a fairly beefy length game as opposed to the really short games he usually comes out with.
Not only does this game accomplish all of that, it also shows that Dono is still growing as a maker, experimenting with ideas and concepts he never touched before, while doing a good job of it.
The best way to describe this game’s style is corridor needle but also not at all. It’s all consistently very comfortable needle to play, but also varied in jumps and execution. This game will frequently implement new ideas into saves, and though they’re all minor, they prevent the game from feeling samey and assist with the pace.
The game is fairly beefy, with around 40ish screens total from my estimate.
Dono did a great job, and I hope to continue seeing him improve and do even better in his own way.
Rating: 10.0 100
Difficulty: 60 60
Mar 19, 2021