Now & Then
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Now & Then review
Discover branching paths, steamy scenes, and replay secrets in this captivating visual novel
Ever stumbled upon a game that hooks you with its mix of heartfelt choices and sizzling moments? That’s ‘Now & Then’ for me—a visual novel where your decisions shape steamy relationships with characters like Naomi, Sydney, Alice, and Carol. Released on itch.io by ILSProductions, this adult game blends emotional depth with explicit scenes, from tender encounters to intense group dynamics. I’ve sunk hours into its chapters, chasing every branch, and let me tell you, the replay value is insane. Whether you’re new or hunting that elusive threesome, this guide unpacks everything to maximize your playthrough. Dive in and make those choices count!
What Makes Now & Then Addictive?
Picture this: you’re scrolling through itch.io, half-bored, when a stunning piece of artwork catches your eye. You click, and moments later, you’re downloading Now & Then, a visual novel that promises more than just pretty pictures. Fast forward an hour, and I was utterly hooked, facing that very first, deceptively simple choice: comfort the shy Naomi or check on the fiery Carol. Little did I know, that single click wasn’t just a dialogue option—it was the first step into one of the most intricate webs of branching choices I’ve ever experienced in a Now & Then game. 🕸️
What makes this Now & Then visual novel so impossible to put down? It’s the thrilling, sometimes agonizing, power you have over the narrative. Every decision carries weight, shaping relationships and locking away entire realities. It’s not just about picking the “right” option; it’s about choosing your story. Let’s dive into the mechanics that make this game a masterpiece of player agency and discover how to navigate its most tantalizing secrets.
How Branching Choices Shape Your Story? 🔀
At the heart of the Now & Then game is a brilliantly simple yet devastating system: the love and conflict system. Think of it as a cosmic teeter-totter. Every choice that pleases one character often disappoints another. Choosing to spend time with Naomi might grant you a +1 to her love stat, but it could simultaneously apply a -1 to Carol’s, sowing seeds of jealousy or distance. This isn’t a game where you can max out everyone’s affinity with careful saves—it forces you to live with the consequences of your desires, creating a uniquely personal journey with every playthrough.
These branching choices in Now & Then aren’t just flavor text. They open up or permanently close off massive story arcs, intimate moments, and crucial character developments. The path you walk with Naomi from the very beginning is radically different from the one you’d share with Carol. The game remembers everything, and a choice in Chapter 4 can dramatically alter a scene in Chapter 12.
Here are 5 key choices that drastically alter your path in the Now & Then visual novel:
- The First Comfort (Chapter 1): Choosing who to comfort first sets the primary tone of your early game relationships and immediately starts tracking those all-important hidden stats.
- The Kitchen Conversation (Chapter 3): Deciding to be open or secretive with the group about your growing connections can build trust or create immediate group-wide conflict.
- The Sydney Proposition (Chapter 5): How you handle Sydney’s forward advance can fast-track an intense physical relationship or firmly establish a platonic boundary, changing her entire storyline.
- Defending Your Choice (Chapter 7): When tensions flare between the women, siding with one directly pits you against another, creating major love/conflict swings.
- The Midnight Meeting (Chapter 9): Choosing whose room to visit—or choosing to visit no one—is often a point of no return for deepening a specific romantic path.
The magic is in the replay. My first run was a dedicated, sweet path with Naomi, and I missed so much. Entire characters felt like background extras because I hadn’t made the choices that brought them to the forefront. It’s a game that demands to be played more than once.
Key Characters and Their Intimate Paths 💘
The soul of any great Now & Then visual novel is its cast, and this game delivers four incredibly distinct women, each with her own narrative weight and romance route. Unlocking their fullest stories requires understanding their personalities and what drives their love stat.
| Character | Love Max Tips | Key Scenes | Endgame Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naomi (The Shy Friend) | Be consistently kind, patient, and supportive. Avoid pressuring her. Defend her gently in group disputes. Her route explores emotional intimacy first. | Early comforting scenes, the heartfelt library talk, the pivotal “main lover” declaration scene. | Potential for pregnancy reveal in the final sequence. Can unlock a special threesome path if conditions are met. |
| Carol (The Fiery Leader) | Show strength, decisiveness, and challenge her respectfully. Do not be submissive. Admitting faults when wrong earns her respect. | The tense early check-ins, the argument that leads to passionate reconciliation, leadership moments. | Pregnancy is possible for her, but reveals are saved for the dedicated endings chapter. Her path is about earned respect. |
| Sydney (The Bold Flirt) | Embrace her directness and reciprocate her physical confidence. Hesitation can stall her route. Be playful and upfront about attraction. | The early and explicit intimacy option, the poolside conversations, key to unlocking the major threesome. | Another character with a possible pregnancy reveal in the endings. Her path is the most physically forward from the start. |
| Alice (The Mysterious Newcomer) | Pay close attention to her subtle hints and be genuinely curious about her past. Protect her secrets when asked. Hers is a slow-burn trust build. | The late-game revelation scenes that recontextualize her character, the tender moments after her secrets are shared. | Her most intimate scenes and potential pregnancy are locked until the final chapters, making her a true endgame romance. |
Understanding these Now & Then characters is your key to navigating the story. Want to see everything? You’ll need multiple saves. A pro tip from a seasoned player: the famous Naomi/Sydney threesome scene has very specific requirements. You need to have pursued Sydney’s path physically prior to committing to Naomi as your main lover, and Naomi must have expressed her bisexuality. On my first run, I was too loyal to Naomi from the start and missed it entirely! 😅
Latest Updates: Chapters 13-16 Highlights ✨
The world of the Now & Then game is constantly expanding, and the latest Now & Then updates have brought an avalanche of new content that deepens the story and character arcs exponentially. These chapters are where your long-term choices truly pay off.
Chapter 13 was a monumental update, boasting over 400 new renders and 10+ animations. This chapter focused heavily on the fallout of your declared relationships and ramping up the emotional and physical stakes with your chosen partner. The quality jump in the visuals here is staggering.
But the crown jewel of recent Now & Then updates is undoubtedly Chapter 16. This update introduced a groundbreaking replay unlock feature for its most complex scene: the Naomi/Sydney threesome. The developers understood that such a specific scene, locked behind intricate prerequisites, deserved a way for players to experience it without replaying dozens of hours. Now, if you’ve seen the required building blocks in previous playthroughs, you can unlock it directly—a fantastic quality-of-life addition.
My Personal Insight: The pregnancy arcs are handled with brilliant narrative tension. For Naomi and Alice, hints or reveals happen in the final story scenes, tying them directly to the main plot climax. For Sydney and Carol, their pregnancy conclusions are explored in the dedicated “endings” chapter, allowing for more focused, path-specific epilogues. It’s a smart way to structure such significant life events.
For players eager to experiment with how to unlock scenes in Now & Then without the grind, the modding community has created tools that let you adjust love and conflict stats manually. It’s a great way to force specific branching choices and explore blocked paths after you’ve played the game organically first. I’d always recommend a pure playthrough initially, though—the emotional impact is worth it.
So, what’s the ultimate piece of actionable advice? Save often, and save smartly. Create a new save at the start of every chapter. Your future self, curious about how to unlock scenes in Now & Then that you missed, will thank you. The beauty of this Now & Then visual novel is that your story is yours alone, shaped by every hesitant glance and bold confession. Now go on—your next choice is waiting. 🚪
There you have it—’Now & Then’ isn’t just a game; it’s a web of choices leading to unforgettable moments with Naomi, Sydney, and the crew. From nailing those branching paths to unlocking hidden threesomes and chasing final revelations, every playthrough feels fresh. My advice? Grab a save from early chapters, experiment boldly, and savor the emotional rollercoaster. If you’ve got your own wild stories or tips, drop them in the comments—I’d love to hear how your runs turned out. Time to boot it up again and chase that perfect ending. Happy gaming!
