Faulty Apprentice

Editorial Worth it

Faulty Apprentice is a visual novel with character-driven storytelling and art that players consistently praise as a strong point. The narrative follows a farm boy navigating relationships with multiple instructors across a 20-day cycle, with five DLC episodes that expand the story. Most players who finish it rank it among their favorites, citing engaging writing and attractive character design. The main criticism centers on pacing: the sheer number of characters, combined with a day/night dialogue cycle, creates a grind feeling—players report spending hours on repetitive mechanical interactions rather than enjoying the story, especially early on. This is a design flaw, not a writing one, and it won't appeal to everyone, but the game delivers strongly for those patient enough to push through. On the technical side, the build is stable for Windows; Mac versions are limited (32-bit only, no Catalina/Big Sur support without manual workarounds), and DLC 4–5 are Steam-exclusive, which fragments the experience depending on platform.