Saturday 15th March 2025 was my very first Streamerversary: the one-year celebration of me reaching Affiliate level on Twitch. To celebrate, I took a break from my ongoing Spirittea playthrough to take a look at a short-but-sweet visual novel favourite of mine: Cinders. Initially I just came to it because I enjoyed it, wanted to share it, and was fairly confident I could finish it inside of a stream. As it turns out, this choice was actually very fitting for March (which also hosts International Women’s Day and my mum’s birthday) by showing us a different side of Cinderella, her wicked step-family, and even the fairy godmother! Let’s dive into what made this story so special and why it’s probably my favourite adaptation of the tale.
What is Cinders?
Developed and released in 2012 by indie studio MoaCube, Cinders is a somewhat gritty and feminist retelling of the classic Cinderella story, turned on its head by its representation of the wicked Stepmother and her daughters, the fairy godmother character, and even Cinderella herself. MoaCube class themselves as a collective of independent developers who make games that are “personal and pretty”. This is definitely the impression I got from Cinders, from the at times bitingly brilliant writing to the enchanting visuals by illustrator Gracjana Zielinska.
I have played a lot of visual novels (Ever17, Highway Flowers, Fault: Milestone, Steins;Gate, and more) and story-centric simulators like Kemono Teatime, but I’ve yet to find any with the same immersive beauty as Zielinska’s style brings to Cinders and Solstice, MoaCube’s 2016 return to the genre. Topped off with a gently magical musical score, Cinders is the complete package and a wholly unique experience without being too big of a time investment. In fact, I was able to stream one whole path in around seven hours.
What’s so Special About This Cinderella Retelling?
Aside from the visuals, the next thing that stood out to me about Cinders was the tone. The story begins with Cinderella’s stepsisters having a frantic conversation in their dark foyer about Cinders’ plot while the captain of the royal guard hammers on the door. We’re told that the sisters didn’t think Cinders had it in her, that she was planning all this time–essentially we begin at the end and it sucks you into the story immediately. Of course, we can’t know yet just what Cinders’ plans were, because that is for the player to decide.
A detail I adored about Cinders especially wasn’t just Cinders’ wit; it was how realistic she felt, and how charming she was as a person, even with her various flaws such as naivete, curiosity, or temper–another aspect that’s determined by the player’s various choices throughout the game. At first she’s content to sit and wait for fate to save her, but she can be guided to take things into her own hands as she reaches her limit. At the ball, she doesn’t necessarily flee because she’s afraid of being discovered; in my route, she hurried home because her shoes and dress were too tight. Relatable queen. So many of us have been there!
How Many Endings Does Cinders Have?
It’s not uncommon for games to claim your choices matter while actually minimising them, creating optional outcomes like what colour hat a character wears or what song is on the jukebox in a certain scene. Not with Cinders. When MoaCube tells you that every decision you make will have an impact on the story, they mean it; will Cinderella repair the relationship with her step-family or seek revenge on them? Will she go for the prince or pursue a romantic relationship with someone else? Will she overthrow her stepmother, kill her, employ her as a royal advisor, or forget about her entirely? Or will she leave it all behind and seek her own fortune? Who will she trust, if anyone, to break free from her unfortunate circumstances?
Cinders has four overarching endings available with many mix-and-match multiple outcomes that change depending on who the player chose to bond with and what kind of person the player decided that Cinders would be, from kind and fair to cruel and callous, should the player decide to perpetuate the cycle of abuse in which Cinders is stuck and become a mirror image of Carmosa in order to get ahead. As we see, Carmosa wasn’t always the wicked stepmother; she had a life of her own before her circumstances changed her. It’s even possible for Cinders to meet a grim fate and die an untimely death based on the path she chose–the question then is who, if anyone, mourns her passing.
Should you Trust the Fairy in Cinders?
One of the final choices the player gets to make is who to trust–essentially who to make her fairy godmother figure in pursuing her path to happiness, whether that’s going to the ball or striking out alone. While the traditional story of Cinderella might at first make you think that the Fairy of the Lake is the obvious choice, one of the main themes of the game is, appropriately, choice and free will. Rather than your typical storybook fairy, the Fairy of the Lake reflects a far more folklore-y style of fae, ready with a bargain and a trick that could turn Cinders’ brighter future into a golden cage. Worse, the fairy’s power might lead Cinders to force her way via magical manipulation rather than coming at her opportunities in good faith, hardly separating her from Carmosa’s underhanded influence. But it all comes down to you in the end: how much are you willing to pay for freedom?
Cinders does wonderfully when making you question the true motives of its characters, reminding you with cruel lessons that books should not be trusted by their covers; not everything or everyone is what they seem, (perhaps even including herself Cinders herself!) and the only thing you can count on truly is hard work, wit, and determination–concepts to which Cinderella is no stranger.
Where Can You Play Cinders?
Cinders is available on Microsoft Windows, Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, XBox One, and Mac, and with Spring Sales popping up across platforms, there’s no better time to give it a try. With any luck, maybe we’ll be able to change MoaCube’s mind about scrapping that sequel following Sophia! If you want to take a look at the game in action before you buy though, keep an eye on my YouTube channel and this page; I’ll be uploading the vod of my Streamerversary playthrough as soon as I can!
Thanks for joining me on this special occasion! I hope I’ve convinced you to give Cinders a try. If you’ve played it before, then I’d love to hear your opinion in the comments below. I’d also be happy to hear your recommendations for other titles I might like.
Thanks for reading this review and I’ll see you next week for more Tails by the Foxfire!
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