It’s been said that the grass is greener on the other side, but Is that always true? Perhaps more importantly, is the protagonist in today, tomorrow about to find the answer to that question, pondering whether to leave home or stick to the comfort of familiar territory?
As someone who likes to travel but enjoys returning home about as much, had I been the protagonist in this visual novel, answering that question would have been simple: stay. I’m sure that’s how many others also feel if forced to choose between those two options. According to its creator, the experience came to be drawing heavily upon “the challenges that many Venezuelans, young and old, face today: should I stay or should I go?”
While it doesn’t take long to reach all endings, the theme and topic(s) found within today, tomorrow did get me thinking, and not just regarding how I would review a game with such a short runtime either. Leaving your hometown behind in search of greener pastures isn’t quite as common in 2023 as it was a century or two back, but it is most certainly still a thing, and even the grand old optimist in me refuses to believe that everyone – or even close – find what they’re looking for.
Much like the game depicts, one key problem with venturing outside, well, familiar territory, is… the uncertainty. Whether your reason for wanting to leave is a lack of employment, quality education options, or something else entirely, there is no guarantee that you’ll find it wherever the road might take you. Sometimes the bridge you cross isn’t just metaphorical, and who’s to say you’ll even like what you find at the other end of it?
All that said, I definitely liked what I today, tomorrow allowed me to experience, and was quite surprised at how much its creator managed to do in just one week; especially since it was their first attempt at a visual novel, on top of that. I mean, sure, it was made for the Only One of Any Asset Visual Novel Jam ~Queer Edition~! game jam, so the scale had to be kept in check at all times, but even so. A rather impressive effort, and one I’d certainly recommend giving a go.
today, tomorrow is available on itch.io.
