Pyreflies
2021
;w; This game is so cute and so soft and so gay and every second I spent playing it gave me serotonin I was desperately in need of. An honest 10/10 for me.
At the beginning you pick from 4 character portraits (2 more femme-presenting, 2 more masc-presenting) and regardless of which you pick you can choose he, she, or they pronouns for both you and your spouse. Also both characters are elderly and have an adult daughter, so depending on how you play elder gay rep!! Aaaah!!
Also also the game takes place in Canada, and the more masc-leaning character designs are brown skinned and at least the long haired one reads as very indigenous-coded which also makes me super happy!
The game is about learning to deal with grief in a healthy way, and involves fishing and cooking and working with your community to better your town. There's also a strong theme of how unfounded superstition, "magical thinking", and unchallenged ignorance can destroy lives and communities, and how to combat that.
All-in-all a spectacular game, please do yourself a favor and play it.
At the beginning you pick from 4 character portraits (2 more femme-presenting, 2 more masc-presenting) and regardless of which you pick you can choose he, she, or they pronouns for both you and your spouse. Also both characters are elderly and have an adult daughter, so depending on how you play elder gay rep!! Aaaah!!
Also also the game takes place in Canada, and the more masc-leaning character designs are brown skinned and at least the long haired one reads as very indigenous-coded which also makes me super happy!
The game is about learning to deal with grief in a healthy way, and involves fishing and cooking and working with your community to better your town. There's also a strong theme of how unfounded superstition, "magical thinking", and unchallenged ignorance can destroy lives and communities, and how to combat that.
All-in-all a spectacular game, please do yourself a favor and play it.
2021
A very, very good game. I maxed out my relationship with every weapon because I legitimately loved them all. I am very glad that they added a warning at the beginning about the whole main plotline with Eric, because if I had played prior to that (and hadn't already heard about it), I would probably have rated this game lower.
This isn't a spoiler since that warning is presented at the beginning and you have the opportunity to opt-out of it, but just to forewarn you, Eric is a stalker. It's VERY uncomfortable. But I also think that the storyline is handled in a very responsible way, it's NEVER presented as an okay thing, and it wraps up in a good way.
Outside of the Eric plotline, everything else is super wholesome and sweet. Your family in-game are excellent and supportive, all your prospective dates are really interesting people, and the combat is very fun and rewarding to master.
This isn't a spoiler since that warning is presented at the beginning and you have the opportunity to opt-out of it, but just to forewarn you, Eric is a stalker. It's VERY uncomfortable. But I also think that the storyline is handled in a very responsible way, it's NEVER presented as an okay thing, and it wraps up in a good way.
Outside of the Eric plotline, everything else is super wholesome and sweet. Your family in-game are excellent and supportive, all your prospective dates are really interesting people, and the combat is very fun and rewarding to master.
2020
This game is both VERY good and tells a VERY important story. But also, holy shit does it need like a dozen trigger warnings. Do not be fooled by it's colorful and cute art style, and don't play it if you're in a particularly vulnerable mental state. This game tells very real stories from very real people that are VERY TRAUMATIC and you need to be prepared for that because I was not.
If you're in a place to handle some real fuckin' traumatic shit with a hefty side of unreality, then it's a beautiful and moving piece of art. But please don't play it if there's any doubt that it might make you spiral, because this shit is HEAVY.
If you're in a place to handle some real fuckin' traumatic shit with a hefty side of unreality, then it's a beautiful and moving piece of art. But please don't play it if there's any doubt that it might make you spiral, because this shit is HEAVY.
2016
An amazing, beautiful game. Kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end, which is a lot to say about a walking simulator. Absolutely exemplary of the genre. I would consider this a must-play.
2019
An absolutely delightful game! Very cute, very fun. A great way to lose a lot of hours without realizing it. If you like farming sims and crafting games, you're gonna love this. Thunder rod is SLIGHTLY broken but also makes the game at least 2x more fun because you go from hacking away at things with your pickaxe to BLASTING THROUGH THE LANDSCAPE WITH THE POWER OF ALMIGHTY THOR.
HOW CAN I REVIEW THIS GAME WHEN I CAN'T STOP CRYING?!
2014
If you didn't have thalassophobia before...
But in all seriousness, this game is gorgeous. Who doesn't want to explore an alien sea, identifying weird little fishes and plants? It's ridiculously fun, the main plotline is surprisingly deep, and it's a true challenge to get yourself off the planet for the first time.
But in all seriousness, this game is gorgeous. Who doesn't want to explore an alien sea, identifying weird little fishes and plants? It's ridiculously fun, the main plotline is surprisingly deep, and it's a true challenge to get yourself off the planet for the first time.
I haven't finished this one yet, but it delivers on a lot of the expectations the first one put in place. There's definitely a stronger learning curve with this one, and it expects you to already be familiar with the Subnautica concept.
But tbh this game deserves legendary status based solely on the (probably unhealthy) attachment you immediately form to the space-heater flowers the first time they save you from hypothermia.
But tbh this game deserves legendary status based solely on the (probably unhealthy) attachment you immediately form to the space-heater flowers the first time they save you from hypothermia.
2015
What could I POSSIBLY say about Undertale that hasn't already been said? It's a masterpiece. A pure example of video games as art.
I played the demo and was immediately hooked, then bought the game the second it came out and beat a pacifist run in a single sitting.
I played the demo and was immediately hooked, then bought the game the second it came out and beat a pacifist run in a single sitting.
2021
It's a very cute and relaxing game. I really enjoy that it tells a cohesive story purely through environmental storytelling. That being said... It's pretty underwhelming for the price.
By the time I got to the last house, unpacking everything and having to move so much of it from one room to another just became super tedious, and I really only finished it for the sake of completion.
By the time I got to the last house, unpacking everything and having to move so much of it from one room to another just became super tedious, and I really only finished it for the sake of completion.
I played both 999 and Virtue's Last Reward when they came out on the DS and 3DS respectively. They're both excellent games, and I was excited to get to play them again on PC. If you enjoy puzzles / escape room games and haven't checked this series out, I highly recommend it!
2019
A super fun and interesting game. Like The Stanley Parable with physics (and physics-bending) puzzles. The various narrators you have along the way keep things interesting, and some of the puzzles are pretty obtuse but not so difficult as to be frustrating. I don't know if any game (outside of old school point and click adventures lol) has ever forced me to think so far outside the box
2020
All of Subnautica's delightful alien creature identification, (almost) none of the existential horror! I don't want to spoil anything about this delightful experience, so all I'll say is that I beat it in two sittings because it had my absolute RAPT attention. It would have been one, but sadly I needed to sleep.
2021
This game is SO CUTE! It has a lot of the feel of Animal Crossing, but you're a psychopomp wilderness scout trapped on a cursed island and helping the local ghosts overcome the things tying them to this world. It's only meant to be played for a couple hours a day, and you WILL run out of things to do, and that might frustrate some people, but I think it's a positive thing. This is not a game meant for speed-running. Take your time, get to know the bears, feed your ghost critters, decorate your campsite. Just relax. Make yourself at home in Cozy Grove.
2022
This game has a lot of potential. It's fun to play as-is, but if you don't have a group of friends to play with you, the landscape is honestly pretty sparse. I look forward to seeing how it improves as the development process goes on!