Now & Then

Master Choices, Scenes, and Endings in This Gripping Adult Game

Ever stumbled into a game that hooks you with steamy choices and branching stories that keep you up all night? That’s Now & Then for me—a choice-based visual novel where every decision shapes your path through intense relationships and wild encounters. From fingering tense moments with Carol to unlocking threesomes with Naomi and Sydney, this game delivers thrills in chapters packed with renders and animations. I’ve replayed chapters obsessively to max love points and hit those secret endings. If you’re diving into Now & Then, this guide shares my personal strategies to conquer it all, whether you’re chasing Carol’s nerve points or Naomi’s trust.

How to Master Choices and Points in Now & Then

Let me tell you about the time I thought I was being the strong, silent type with Carol. 😅 We were having a tense moment, and I chose to say nothing, thinking it was the mature move. Big mistake. I missed a crucial +1 love point and spent the next two chapters scrambling to recover. It taught me one thing: in Now & Then, every single choice has weight. If you’re here, you’re probably tired of hitting dead ends or missing the scenes you want. Don’t worry—this chapter of our ultimate Now & Then walkthrough is your blueprint to mastering the system, maximizing points, and unlocking every thrilling moment. 🎯

This isn’t just about clicking through; it’s about understanding the delicate dance of emotions in a broken world. Your Now & Then choices directly build Carol love points and Naomi trust stats, which are the golden keys to extended scenes, special dialogue, and ultimately, the endings you desire. Think of it as a relationship strategy game wrapped in a survival horror story. Ready to become a master? Let’s dive in.

What Are the Best Paths for Max Love and Trust?

The core loop of Now & Then is beautiful in its simplicity: talk to the girls, make choices that align with their personalities, and watch your influence grow. But beneath that simplicity is a web of cause and effect. 🕸️

For Carol, it’s all about love and security. She’s been through trauma and responds to kindness, protective instincts, and moments of genuine emotional connection. Boosting Carol love points Now & Then often comes from being her rock. Comfort her when she’s scared, stand up for her, and show empathy. It’s not just about grand gestures; sometimes it’s the small talk in the safe house that adds up. My go-to strategy? Always check in on her personally. When given the option to “Check on Carol” versus dealing with a practical task, the personal touch almost always yields a point.

For Naomi, trust is earned through respect and capability. She’s pragmatic, skilled, and values survival above sentimentality. Gaining Naomi trust Now & Then means demonstrating you’re a reliable partner in this apocalypse. Support her plans, contribute to defenses, and show competence. She admires strength, but not brute force—thoughtful, strategic strength. A perfect example is in Chapter 7: if you Apologize to Naomi after a particular conflict, it shows humility and respect for her feelings, netting you a precious +1 Trust.

The ultimate goal for many players is how to max points Now & Then for both women. This is the tricky part, as their desires can conflict. It requires a careful, chapter-by-chapter approach, often saving before major decisions to test outcomes. The golden rule? You cannot please everyone all the time. Sometimes a choice will give +1 to one and -1 to the other. The secret to a “perfect” run is knowing which losses you can afford to recover from later.

Unlocking Key Scenes Like Carol’s Oral and Fingering?

Ah, the scenes we all work towards! 🔥 These intimate moments are the reward for your careful point accumulation. They’re not just titillation; they’re narrative payoffs that deepen your connection with the characters. Let’s break down how to unlock some of the most sought-after sequences.

These scenes are typically locked behind specific love or nerve thresholds and require you to make the correct sequence of Now & Then choices. For instance, the much-discussed oral and fingering scene with Carol isn’t just one choice. It’s a culmination. You need a high enough love score and you must navigate a previous intimate moment successfully.

Here’s a pro-tip I learned the hard way: During an early intimate opportunity, you’ll be presented with options like Finger or Oral. You can only choose each once. The key is to get her to climax three times during these interactions to secure that +1 love point. If you fail, you miss the point and make future unlocks harder. It’s a mini-game within the game! My advice? Go slow, pay attention to her reactions, and don’t rush the clicks.

Chapter 7 is a major hub for this. The Now & Then Chapter 7 guide portion of your playthrough is critical. After a stressful event, you’ll have the option to Check on Carol. This leads to a comforting moment that can turn intimate. Choosing to engage and then selecting the right action (fingering) here costs you -1 Nerve, but it’s a vital investment for her love path. Meanwhile, if your relationship with Naomi is on track, you might find yourself with the option to watch her relieve tension alone, a scene that builds a different kind of intimacy and trust.

Remember: These scenes are chapters in your story with them. Rushing or using a walkthrough without context robs you of the build-up. The anticipation is half the fun! 😉

Avoiding Conflicts: Balancing Naomi and Carol Stats

This is the true test of your managerial skills. Juggling Carol love points and Naomi trust can feel like a teeter-totter. Push one side up, and the other might dip down. 😬 The game expertly creates tension not just with the infected, but within your own shelter.

The “teeter-totter effect” is real. A classic example might be deciding how to spend a scarce resource. Giving it to Carol might show caring (+1 Love), while insisting it be used for the perimeter defense aligns with Naomi’s mindset (+1 Trust). There is rarely a “both get a point” option in these direct conflicts.

So, how do you balance?
* Track Religiously: Mentally note or even jot down when you gain or lose points with each. The game’s feedback is often subtle.
* Compensate Strategically: If you must take a hit with Naomi to advance Carol’s path, immediately look for the next opportunity to earn back Naomi’s trust through a supportive action or dialogue.
* Use Chapter Breaks: Points are often reset or less critical at chapter transitions. Use these as natural points to re-balance your focus.
* Save Before Branches: This is non-negotiable. Before any major story decision, save your game. Test the outcome. See who it affects and by how much. This is the single best way to craft your desired path without restarting the whole game.

To visualize the tug-of-war, here’s a breakdown of some pivotal Now & Then choices and their outcomes:

Beyond the main love and trust stats, your kink choices add another layer of personalized flavor. These are often presented during intimate moments and don’t always affect core points, but they unlock specific dialogue and role-play scenes later in the story. They’re your way of tailoring the relationship dynamics.

• Incest Play/Daddy Calls: This leans into a protective, dominant dynamic. Choosing this can unlock unique, affectionate dialogue in future safe-house interactions.
• Schoolgirl Play: If you express interest in this, it sets up a special costume-and-roleplay scene that becomes available in Chapter 12, provided your relationship is strong enough.
• Butt Stuff (Anal): A more adventurous option that, if chosen, will be referenced and become available in later intimate sequences as a natural progression.
• Nothing/Vanilla: Choosing the more straightforward option keeps the focus on emotional intimacy, which can lead to its own set of tender, narrative-focused scenes.

Ultimately, mastering Now & Then is an exercise in patience and attention. Rushing through clicks to get to “the good stuff” is a surefire way to miss the nuanced writing, the character development, and the satisfaction of a well-earned scene. Use this Now & Then walkthrough as a map, but don’t be afraid to explore a little off the path. Save often, think about what each character truly needs in the moment, and enjoy the slow burn. The payoff—whether it’s a cherished ending or a perfectly unlocked scene—is worth every careful choice. 🏆

Diving into Now & Then transformed my gaming nights with its smart choices, steamy scenes, and replayable branches—from Carol’s intimate moments to Naomi’s paths and those epic threesomes. My biggest takeaway? Save often, chase those love points, and experiment with kinks for the full experience. Whether you’re balancing stats or hunting endings like pregnancies with Alice or Sydney, this visual novel rewards patience and strategy. Grab your save file, fire it up on itch.io, and share your wildest unlocks in the comments—what’s your favorite scene?