Joyful Stick: Claire’s Quest Gold
Trigger Warning: The following game review mentions sexual assault, unwanted advances, sexual violence, knife play, breath play, sexual slavery and more. Claire’s Quest: Gold is a niche-focus, “hardcore” hentai game. This is your only warning.
Welcome yet again my lovely deviants to Joyful Stick, our video game review series. Miss the last entry? You can read it here. Today, we’re going to be talking about Claire’s Quest and all the things that accompany the umbrella phrase of “hardcore” in kink.
Before we go any further, I feel it pertinent to mention that this game was provided free of charge by one of my patrons to review. They in no way are affiliated with the devs of Claire’s Quest, nor am I. Being provided games to review by patrons, readers, or the devs themselves in no way affects my observations or opinion of play. Neither Joyful Stick nor Splathouse can ever be bought, as I am dedicated to providing a safe haven for sexual self expression and kink media. As such, while I will never turn away from being gifted a title, I will always mention when one has been provided for me rather than suggested. I would like to thank the patron in question personally, as I feel this review is going to open a great dialogue.
Without further delay, let’s begin.
A Beast With A Lover’s Smile
We had talked about this for weeks.
Every minute detail, every single possibility had been discussed in depth. We took all the safety precautions. We asked each other again and again if we were really, really sure the other wanted what we were about this evening. We had safe words. I’d learned how to tie a knot they could get out of if they really needed too.
Yet here I was, humming before the table. On it were four knives I’d hand picked for the evening. Small, thin things. Shiny and sharp. I’d opted for thin blades over something imposing and classic like a Buck 119. The Buck, while absolutely leaving an impression, had a wide blade that wasn’t suited for our festivities. I needed something that could slip in easily without leaving a mark. All the while, I hear them breathing against the gag behind me. Loud but calm. Good.
I go right on humming as I make a show about selecting a blade. I trail my fingers across the table, and pick one up. It’s a stiletto. A cheap thing I picked up somewhere, but it could still hold an edge. I twirl it between my fingers and deploy it. They give a sharp inhale, and I tilt my head up to gaze at them. I stop humming, and round the table. Their chest is rising fast as I spin the spindly blade between my fingers. Careful now, careful. Don’t want to drop it on them.
My hands are as deft as the straps of their dress are thin. They fall away and reveal the strapless bra beneath. I give a dark chuckle then, one I typically reserve for when I’m playing villains. As the blade sliced at the fabric, they hadn’t exhaled at all. They did now, at a faster pace. I bend low, my lips close to their ear as I whisper.
“Well, aren’t you pretty as a peach? I don’t think I need to use this horrid thing anymore, do you? Hrm?”
They grunt through the gag, and take a deep inhale. They’re about to burst from their bra. I smirk and deploy the blade once more. I free them of it in a single tug. They let out a gasp, their eyes wide as they meet mine. I put the blade away with a flourish. A single second, and it’s in my pocket. Close, but hidden. As I cup them, I smile and kiss the space over their heart. It’s beating strong-but not quickly. Not in a panic.
“Good. You’re doing so good,” I tell them.
I’ll spare you the rest (use your imagination, you perverts). I don’t mention this scene (with the consent of those that were in it) to gloat. Rather, to illustrate what “hardcore” is to me. “Hardcore” is something that’s quite a few steps beyond “normal”, or even “hardcore” by other people’s standards. “Hardcore” to me is knowing your partner(s) on such an intimate level of trust that you’re unafraid to discuss desires you might not be able to elsewhere. It’s to be so deeply in tune with the needs of your partner that you’re unafraid to suggest, to try, and to be a part of something that (perhaps out of context) looks like a horror show to some. Knife play, predator-prey, breathe play, impact play, wax play, hypnosis, bulling, bondage and more are all “hardcore” things I’ve done.
But it was only after extensive talks with my partners. I would never commit to a scene without the utmost safety of all involved in mind. Because gods, if I actually hurt someone, I’d never forgive myself. I’m a big mother fucker. I’m strong. I’ve often outmatched people I’ve been with. The possibility of actually, factually hurting someone is something that I constantly worry about.
My definition of “hardcore” may share similarities with yours-but it’s unlikely the two are exactly alike. More like kinky, latex clad neighbors. They wave at each other and may even share a barbeque or two, but they’re not precisely alike. They may even vary wildly. Despite being into knife play, the thought of actually making my partner bleed (be it on purpose or not) fills me with dread. It would instantly ruin a scene for me as a thousand “sorrysorrysorryohgodsorrysorrysorrys” fled my tongue. That’s before we get to the incredible importance of aftercare, too.
The variance of what “hardcore” is to people is what inspired the direction of this review. Claire’s Quest: Gold is undoubtedly a “hardcore” game-but not by my definition of it.
Girl Against The World
Claire’s Quest stars the titular Claire, a white, blonde haired and lithe heroine. She’s the daughter of a powerful, popular knight. She lives with her parents out in a cute little cottage in the woods on a continent that’s undergoing some pretty violent upheavals. Yet, the immediate nature of that violence seems so far away as the prologue begins. Claire wakes up, washes her face, makes her bed and gets breakfast. She chats with her mom about their plans, then hauls in some firewood. All the while, dialogue boxes pop up explaining the basics of what grows into an intricate system. The opening to the game is likely the last few moments of real calm you’ll experience throughout the title.
It lasts roughly twenty minutes.
Just as Claire and her mom are getting ready to go to the market, they’re cornered by pig-orcs. Claire’s mother urges her to run for the forest to safety. Claire refuses, but is left little choice as the orcs close in on her mom. The player is left to wonder what exactly happened as they make their way through the monster infested woods towards a refugee camp-where safety is anything but promised. If you can avoid being pinned down and fucked by a monster you’re left with a handful of options on how to progress from the camp towards town. Do you offer your body to the lascivious guards? Do you make what little pocket change you can to pay off the smuggler to get you across? Or do you generate the cash to actually pay your way through, dignity intact? For every way, there’s trials and tribulations, different stat upgrades and more.
I feel these two paragraphs illustrate one of the main draws (and issues) I had playing Claire’s Quest. The game is truly an RPG in the “old school” vein of Fallout, Baulder’s Gate and others. There are usually no less than a handful of ways to solve a major problem, with plenty of sidequests to facilitate you as well. The title is massive in a way I haven’t really experienced with this series before. There’s a liberty with play you won’t find with similar genre ventures. Yet the price of liberty often comes at the cost of Claire’s dignity.
Claire isn’t a fighter or a ruffian. This isn’t to say she’s defenseless-there’s plenty of dialogue options that offer smarmy replies and keen wit. Rather, this isn’t a title like Melty’s Quest where you’re expected to throw hands with big-cocked monsters. Claire works through challenges by talking-or submitting and giving her body over, sometimes without her consent.
In the refugee camp, I let an old man grope me for money because I needed it for the smuggler. For me, it was better than whatever the guards had planned. When I made it further in the game, I had the option between paying a pirate captain two-hundred gold for safe passage on his ship, or being smuggled in by a first mate for one hundred gold. I chose the latter to start with, only to be sold off to pay the first mate’s debt to a pimp. The pimp then put me “to work” against my will in a place called “the meat pit”, where I was stripped of my clothes and threatened with violence if I didn’t comply. I could work my way out, sure-but that seemed so dreadful. So I save scummed.
The two hundred gold option gave me a safe ride with a bed to a beautiful continent where the story unfolds in a totally different way. When I said there was a ton of content, I wasn’t lying. This is spiced with a fairly robust RPG stat system, a hunger/health system and more. Claire can get sick, exhausted and even lose her mind if you’re not careful. All the while, you’re forced to make choices for Claire’s survival. As a refuge, Claire is often shunned by townsfolk, employers and more. This makes finding a safe place to rest our head (much less something to eat or medicine when we need it) an ongoing struggle that drives the narrative. While you’ll make friends during your journey, many people treat Claire with a purely transactional mind.
You’re going to save scum almost as often as you’re betrayed.
This amount of detail is incredibly thorough for something that looks like it was made in RPGMaker. Claire’s quest is deceptively deep for what it is, and there’s never a moment you don’t have something to do. However, there are lulls during play where you’re grinding money for room and board while also trying to save enough money to do XYZ thing. These “jobs” are simple and quick, but can add up with playtime fairely quickly. Yet you play through them because of the twists and surprises that await you while working.
I was a house keeper for a while, and carried on a love affair with the families son. Then I was a bar wench that leaned into getting groped for tips-right up until a group of patrons caught me as I was changing and raped me. Both of these events show how quick the pendulum and assumed safety of Claire can swing without so much as a warning. It can be jarring and alarming and often is-yet there’s portions that feel arousing as well. The fear of getting caught in public with a consenting partner, the success of seducing a noblemen are bedfellows with horrors I’d never imagine happening to anyone.
It’s all on display with digital stills for the player to see and bare witness to, without an option to shy away from the worst of it. Which brings me to my biggest point of critique with Claire’s Quest:
The game is “hardcore” by a definition that isn’t my own. I will not discuss nor punch down people who are into consensual non-consent or aggressive/violent sexual scenes. I have been in this business far too long to not have come to understand why people enjoy such things in a safe manner like video games or other media. However, it’s not for me. This particular flavor curls my lips just a bit too sour for my personal tastes. I could take the seduction, the double-handedness of Claire’s own cunning. But the scenes where no consent was implied was a bit much.
That’s more than okay, too.
Because for those who enjoy such things, Claire’s Quest is a narratively deep dark fantasy title with tens of hours of content. I played afternoons straight and barely scratched the surface of what’s here. Yet, I can’t proceed any longer. I enjoyed my time with the title, but there came a point I had to put it down. For others, that point may be at the 100% mark. A tremendous amount of effort, talent, bug fixing and design went into it. The decision trees branch towards the sky.
If you’re in the market for such content or can tolerate it for what’s arguably one of the most varied titles I’ve reviewed, Claire’s Quest is an easy recommendation. However if you’re like me and your line for “hardcore” doesn’t cross what’s listed here, think twice before purchasing.
Love you all deviants.
-j