Marble Maid is a lewd “marble game” about catching (literal) dust bunnies and unlocking lewds.
At-a-glance
(Adult) Content?
(F, FxF, FxM) Sexual content.
Censorship?
No. Woot! Woot!
Hours of Gameplay?
Six or seven hours.
Modding Support?
No.
Patch Available?
No, not necessary.
Foreword
I received a free copy of this game from the developers. Marble Maid is intended to be played with a gamepad, and I don’t have one — I play with a mouse and keyboard. My experience will differ from someone with the suggested peripherals.
Gameplay
Collect dust bunnies to unlock lewds, taking care not to fall off the playing area. The goal of each stage is to collect at least three (of five) dust bunnies and reach the “exit” within a time limit. There are a variety of obstacles to tread, including bigger-bunnies, cleavers, ovens, rival-maids, toast, and worst of all, a distinct lack of walls — your worst enemy is the very floor, for it’s all too easy to slip-off and mess up. Thankfully, the only penalty for dying is time, which unfortunately is worth its weight in gold. . . if time weighed as much as gold. Many stages feature “hour glasses” which grant an additional ten seconds, though their necessity depends on your own skill: It’s possible to breeze over many sections through skillful maneuvers (or dumb luck.) Be on the look-out for hidden sign posts — they hold the key for special lewdies!
I don’t know if it’s just me, but the controls feel slippery — it’s like moving on greased ice.
There should be a means to adjust sensitivity. I get Marble Maid is intended to be played with a dedicated controller, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be keyboard friendly. I’ve played a few shoot-’em-ups that incorporate a “slow” button, which is typically located nearby the movement keys (such as the “Shift” key). This button literally slows the player down, allowing them to weave between projectile-ridden screens when the default movement speed is too imprecise. Marble Maid would benefit immensely from some form of adjustable speed, which could be better utilized with reconfigurable control schemes.
I mean, c’mon! Who thought “Enter” should pause the game!?
Story
Marble Maid has been employed to clean the dirtiest mansion she’s ever faced — not only is it swarming with dust bunnies, but those dust bunnies are dirty-minded too! She is also joined by Nega Maid, a rival purple-haired cleaner that was probably hired before Marble Maid (and isn’t about to share her turf!)
Visuals
The titlescreen looks alright, but I thought the animation and lettering were pretty rough. The animations were somewhat dizzying, and as the menu pans around the playable area there isn’t much to see. From “Options”, you can adjust audio preferences or reset your game data. There is a “Gallery” to review unlocked CGs, which is accessed in-game via the “hub”. Unfortunately, CGs are displayed as “pop-ups” in-game and cannot be fullscreened.
The Goods
The main gallery has nineteen static CGs to unlock, but there are “behind the scenes” and hidden CGs as well. I counted over twenty lewd or suggestive CGs in the game files, of varying lewdness. The core gallery showcases Marble and Nega Maid in variety of erotic or (masturbatory) sexual positions, though only one CG features them together. The artwork in these CGs is highly stylized, and if you’re not a fan of cartoons or “chibis” you won’t like Marble Maid‘s sexual content. There are a handful of “bonus” CGs, each rendered by a different artist. Overall, the artwork is high-quality, but even if there was a proper in-game gallery it’s not in the correct aspect-ratio for borderless fullscreen.
Verdict
If you like “marble games” and don’t care about lewds, Marble Maid isn’t a bad buy. There are tons of stages to see, and there are meaningful challenges to overcome. This game is designed in such a way that it’s easy to pick-up and play, with content that can be enjoyed even if only have a few minutes to spare. Unfortunately, the lewd content, though well-drawn, fails to deliver a lewd experience. Marble Maid‘s lewd delivery is no better than a run-of-the-mill adult puzzle-game. . . but hey, lewds are always welcome in my book!
