I don't typically enjoy games that take a "gamer" aesthetic; they tend to be ham-fisted in delivery and chock to the gills with cringey memes. Arcade Spirits doesn't always avoid that trap, but it still happens to have some compelling writing and endearing characters. I do feel the writing at times is a bit uneven, especially as the game moves to its latter half and forces your hand in conversations in a way that you may not have wanted. And the overarching "conspiracy" doesn't really intrigue me and takes focus away from the interesting bit of the story--namely you helping run an arcade with a cast of colorful characters.

Still, even with the weird oddities, it's a pretty decent title.

This review contains spoilers

I named my cat Sissel, what more can I say?

I wouldn't say it's the GOAT Picross game, but it got me into Picross in general, so I'm pretty thankful for it!

A game I've had a lot of fun with, but I'll probably never sit down and actually complete.

An absolutely wonderful game I'll never truly finish. I love it to pieces, but I'm happy with my experience as is, and don't want to ruin it by trying to force myself to see the ending.

Love the game, but my vocabulary just isn't good enough to advance :(

2017

Really fun game, but I've come to terms with the fact that I'll never be good or patient enough to finish a run.

Fantastic game, but I get too tilted playing it to complete :(

Be careful if you have issues with anxiety! This game is really neat, but it can also shoot your anxiety through the roof. If that's not a concern, I recommend it!