Content warning: minor spoilers ahead

The medium of the visual novel, much like the romantic comedy genre it is often associated with, is one that, in popular culture, is mostly treated as a punchline, rather than a piece of art in its own right. Deconstructions can escape from this burden, as seen by the public reception on entries such as Team Salvato’s “Doki Doki Literature Club!” and Sassy Chap Games’ “Date Everything!” Often their reputations can survive on the assumption that these games are not really visual novels, or they are treated as acceptable in the public eye so long as they are not taken seriously. Rarely is a visual novel allowed to simply be a visual novel and still be good. 

This perception, however, needs to change because “Your Dry Delight” is both of those things.

Released on Aug. 17, 2018, by Argent Games, “Your Dry Delight” is a simple visual novel, following August Richter, a junior partner at the Cleveland Detective Agency, as he attempts to close in on a bootlegging scheme in 1920s Cleveland. The two main routes follow the alternate paths (and love interests) that you can take to his mission—either working closely with your airheaded senior partner, Leslie Clark, or collaborating with the pragmatic Jewish mafia boss, Meyer Eastman. While I found both romantic storylines quite sweet, with both routes showing different facets to each of their characters and their motivations to get the Prohibition-era policies under control, in my personal opinion, the game truly shines through its practice of historical and cultural research. 

At the beginning of the game, the player is provided with a glossary of terms and historical events that the narrative will intermittently reference, whether that be Cleveland’s cassata cake—which becomes an important plot point in the Eastman route—or an in-depth explanation of the Volstead Act. It is clear that “Your Dry Delight” cares deeply for its historical aspects, and major research went into the specifics of Prohibition-era mafia infighting in Cleveland. It brings to mind the possibilities inherent in the disciplines studied here at Case Western Reserve University. Oftentimes, it is presumed that once you enter higher education, it is necessary to abandon one’s creative endeavors in the name of stability and seriousness. Unless you are studying it, creating art is not presented as a viable career anymore. And yet, games such as “Your Dry Delight” remind us that this is not the case. The game’s soul rests on its attention to historical accuracy and record-keeping. The team had a passion for history—a fact made all the more apparent by Argent Games’ latest release: a historical romance set in the Wild West. The level of dedication and attention that Argent Games put into making “Your Dry Delight,” is made clear throughout the game, making it a very enjoyable, fluffy experience. 

This is not to say that “Your Dry Delight” is completely flawless. The art style, which is reminiscent of early 2000s Shōjo manga, may not be everyone’s cup of tea. It can be a major put-off if you’re unaccustomed to it, seeing as how the game is primarily based on a combination of the art style and its dialogue. I found it charming, but others I know have found it jarring. Additionally, while the game’s dialogue is stellar, it can fall into the trap of cheesiness, often conventional in the romantic comedy genre. Finally, while “Your Dry Delight” wears its research chops proudly on its sleeve, it does have some minor gaffes, such as mentioning a “Federal Bureau of Investigations” which was simply called the “Bureau of Investigations” in the 1920s. One last key point is that the game itself is rather short, with both main routes and an additional true ending route coming in at around three hours of leisurely playtime. And yet, in my opinion, this brevity is only a side effect of one of the greatest bonuses of “Your Dry Delight”: It is completely free. For someone first experiencing the visual genre medium, or even a broke college student who may want to keep exploring the genre, its nonexistent price tag makes the game incredibly accessible.