I've yet to try Cute Knight (who has the time to play games anymore?!) but I'll have to give it a go sometime over the weekend.

Just out of curiosity, did you find the Halloween surprise?
 

No, I did not! I was kinda bummed about that, too, as I played through a complete game while I was dealing with Trick-or-Treaters!

My character seemed to get sick more often, but if there was an event I might have missed it. I was probably too busy down in the dungeons fighting banshees & vampires & stuff. It seemed that every monster on that level was undead, but that's usual for that level.

BTW, if you don't have the time to play other games, Cute Knight might be a good choice. You can play through a complete game in about two hours. Maybe longer the first time you play. I encounter something new every time though.
 

Hey! That's not an RPG! That's Princess Maker!

Which was actually really cool, so I may have to try it out. My daughter would probably enjoy it too.
 

Yup, Cute Knight openly cribbed from Princess Maker (which I have not played, so I only know about PM through descriptions).

Though Hanako Games did throw in the ol' Bards Tale style dungeon element to the game (random, for a slight roguelike feel). I don't know how much of an RPG aspect PM had, but Cute Knight seemed to do a good job of blending the two.

Of course, you can get MANY (most?) of the "good" endings in Cute Knight without even setting foot inside the dungeon. But it's my favorite part.
 

Princess Maker 2 had a simple dungeoneering section (which, of course, you could completely ignore if you weren't interested in it).

Being Japanese, Princess Maker also had some very, very weird endings. You don't play PM as the girl in question, you play the game as her father, and there's one ending where she actually ends up marrying YOU.

I tried the demo but I'm kind of stymied...how do I get my skills up? They don't seem to go up through use (no on-the-job training) and I certainly don't have enough money to go to school...basides, it's closed when the game starts.
 

The Cute Knight demo?

You do get skills going up through use --- and down, too, depending on the job. For example, tending to the animals tends to lower your job... I guess smelling like horse drops your attractiveness.

As far as the school being opened or closed, it depends on the time of year. You start the game on your eighteenth birthday, so if you chose a summer birthdate, the school will be closed.

Pay close attention to the hints on your birth sign for what skills you might have an aptitude for. Those are often your best choice for your starter career track.

While it's possible to buy a dagger and some armor and hit the dungeon right off the bat, I've not found it to be the best path to success. But with the right birth-sign aptitude, it is probably workable. The problem is that dungeon-delving usually increases sin (though it can reduce it if you have a skill in taming), and with any sin you aren't allowed to stay for free at the church to rest up. A 49 GP stay at the inn is really expensive in the early game, and camping out seems pretty risky and not very effective. Plus you may find yourself barred from the city ... but that opens up some new and exciting career paths...
 

sorry, but the Halloween bonus is *in-game* Halloween, not player Halloween. :) Somewhere in the game, something different happens on 10/31.

Which makes it pretty obscure, since you have to just happen to be doing one particular thing on that day.

Cute Knight focuses on RPG a little more strongly than Princess Maker does (and I believe the PM series has dropped the RPG aspect from later entries). PM doesn't have any crafting either.
 

I love having the little hidden, rarely-discovered stuff. That makes the game for me.

I haven't done much with crafting, yet. The last time I really got serious with crafting, I discovered the "oops" ending...
 

I keep on trying and I really love this game but my dream always gets really low and the game never seems to go anywhere. Is there something I'm missing?
Also, when I fail and try to start again, 9 times out of 10, I dont even get to play, I choose my birthmonth then it ends with the character being a slacker! SO frustrating, help?
 

The big trick is to start small. If you immediately plunge into the dungeon, it's going to be hard to keep your life in order.

What works for me is to start at one job, and really work it. Dream comes as a result of success (though I don't know if it applies if all you are doing is cleaning). You can also gain dream by celebrating on holidays, or taking an (expensive) vacation in the summer.

I usually choose the first month as a birth month, and things work out okay for me.