Talking Jest Messters with Elseth: The Punniest Visual Novel You’ll Play
Hey everyone! In this podcast episode, we got the chance to chat with Elseth (Else), the brilliant (and very pun-loving) creator behind the otome visual novel Jest Messters.
If you’ve ever wondered how a silly notebook full of puns could grow into a full-on game with romance, mystery, and comedy, this is the story. Else talks about how the idea first came together, the inspirations behind each love interest, and how much of their own personality they’ve poured into the main character.
We also get into the fun side of development-collaborating with artists and musicians, juggling feedback from fans, and teasing what’s coming in the extended demo and the future Kickstarter.
Listen to the full podcast here:
Highlights from the Jest Messters Podcast
Elseth (Else):
Hi, I’m Elseth from Else Games and you can call me Els. I’m the sole developer of Elseth Games and I’ve been dabbling in creating visual novels for about seven years now since I was in high school. And for Jest Messters I’m the writer and the programmer. Jest Messters is a remake of a very old visual novel, my first otome game actually. It’s called The Punniest Pun Master and it has the same characters, similar story, but with like really bad art, writing and music.
So how Jest Messters came to be is that back then when I was in high school and middle school I used to collect puns and I put them in like a notebook and I needed an outlet to show off my puns. So I started this really wacky story about a girl who’s cursed to spout puns 24-7. So yeah, that’s how Jest Messters came to be.
Elseth (Else):
So as I mentioned before I had a pun book, I actually have two volumes of them. Yes, I kind of like two notebooks full of them. I still have the notebooks right now like right with me. I have it. I remember putting it in a digital copy but it was in my old computer back then and I kind of lost it. Maybe 300 or 400 puns? I don’t remember anymore. Unfortunately, I’m not so punny anymore. Anyway, I became like a boring adult. But anyway, when I was in high school, it was a pretty colorful time in my life.
Some of the events that happened in Jest Messters are inspired by things I experienced back in high school. I like to daydream a lot, so I came up with this silly plot and the mystery that goes behind the pun curse. I did my best to make Jest Messters a lighthearted, meme, chaotic kind of visual novel. But you’ll soon find out that it’s not all sunshine and rainbows; there’s something deeper in it.
Elseth (Else):
There are four love interests at the moment.
Riko is your classmate, the first person you meet. He comes from a renowned family of scientists and geniuses, and he’s considered an academic prodigy. He’s a classic tsundere with a rivals-to-friends-to-lovers dynamic.
Seth is your senior who first saves you from bullies. He’s that person at school who has unfounded rumors around them—people say don’t get involved, but in truth he’s not as bad as people think. I wanted to portray that misunderstood archetype.
Matt is the childhood friend and self-proclaimed Meme Lord. I love when they’re together because they share one brain cell. He’s silly, but not just comic relief, he’s deeply connected to the protagonist because he knew her before she lost her memories, so he holds secrets.
Phoenix is Neim’s next-door classmate, a top model and actor. I wanted him to start as trustworthy, but later reveal darker layers. He’s very important to the overarching mystery—he initially approaches the protagonist because he needs something from her tied to what he’s desperately searching for.
Elseth (Else):
I kind of relate to the protagonist and project my personality into her. Some events and feelings she has are things I’ve felt myself. Sometimes when I write her, I relive embarrassing or painful moments from my past and pour that into the writing. Pain can be useful because you can transform it into something that makes others feel.
With her curse making people laugh, I wanted to balance that awkwardness with real social and emotional hurdles of school life. And yes, of course, I’ve had thousands of those awkward moments myself. With the number of puns I say daily, I’m used to it, if people laugh or ignore me, I just say another joke and move on.
Elseth (Else):
Yeah, so actually I didn’t expect Jest Messters to gain as much traction. It was a pleasant surprise. I think it’s because of Otome Jam. Yeah, the visibility of Otome Jam.
So special thanks to Aqua of Crystal Game Works, the host of Otome Jam. Thanks for organizing it. And the feedback I got from players has been pretty receptive and some of them even emailed me for constructive feedback which I really appreciate. Thanks to all the players, their encouragement and feedback really helped me polish the game even more and it really motivates me. Without players there’ll be no game,
Elseth (Else):
The extended demo will have shaded sprites by Apririnn, new CGs, an achievement system, and new music by Mijil Pamungkas. Some current tracks are royalty-free, but we’re replacing them. The common route will also be slightly longer.
For crowdfunding, we plan to launch on Kickstarter around February or March 2026. The funds will mainly go to pay Apririnn and Mijil Pamungkas since I’m currently commissioning them with my personal money. Hopefully the studio grows enough to become self-sustainable.
Elseth (Else):
The extended demo will contain the shaded sprites by Apririnn. We’ll have new CG’s, hopefully we’ll make it in time. There will be an inventory achievement system with art from Yui, who is another team member doing inventory art. We’ll also have more fun scenes and new music composed by Mijil. Some of the music we use right now comes from royalty-free assets, but we’re going to replace them with Mijil’s soundtracks.
Yes, there will be new scenes too, so the common route will be slightly longer.
Elseth (Else):
I hope this game could make you smile or maybe laugh, and that you could see yourself and relate to the characters. I want it to be a source of happiness in your life, because life is already tiring and dreadful as it is. I’ve made a lot of tragic visual novels that make people cry, but this time I want to compensate for that. Jest Messters is my way of saying, here’s a reward, here’s laughter after all the tears.
During the podcast, Else shared some behind-the-scenes goodies with us — from old character sprites and silly memes, to early CGs and even hand-drawn art. The team had fun laughing over ancient designs (including “ugly” old sprites, according to Else), running jokes about Just Matt, and even a Titanic parody CG that Else proudly admits is their favorite.
It’s a lighthearted glimpse into the creative process behind Jest Messters, showing how much humor and heart went into the game long before it became the polished demo fans know today.
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