My #1 of 2021. I'm agog it's made by a 4 person studio - the studio Petit Depotto - this game is exemplary. You play through randomized confrontations out of The Thing or Werewolf, trying to identify and freeze those corrupted by an alien entity. The game does a lot with little, enabling brutal confrontations and betrayals while still building affinity with every character.
Betrayals are ephemeral but still brutal, and you easily slip into and out of love/hate with every character on a loop-by-loop basis. It gestures at existentialism while still being relatable, sweet, and overtly weird. It indulges in the right amount of meta, keeping you moored while still engaging some wtf/"existence is collapsing" subroutes. It lightly undermines the VN gamefeel, asking you to modulate your engagement and only pay about 70% attention (for your sanity). After all, if you were trapped in a time loop with prickly YA's, you'd space out regularly. The game thrives in unexpected trials, the NPC AI just complex enough to keep things propulsive, and the relatively simple core loop still padded out with a shocking # of unique outcomes.
Over time you unravel the exceedingly strange conditions of everyone's circumstance- it's all some very crunchy and mesmerizing lore. The soundtrack and aesthetics are perfect, with stunning character designs and CG's, and the sfxs never falter despite a lot of repetition. Some of the best gamefeel in any VN. It moves lightning quick. It has like, a nearly meditative pace of trial and error. Overall it succeeds not only as an incredibly rapid and engaging 1P social deduction game (the best in an uncrowded field) but as a very specific sim. Absolutely adore this game.
Betrayals are ephemeral but still brutal, and you easily slip into and out of love/hate with every character on a loop-by-loop basis. It gestures at existentialism while still being relatable, sweet, and overtly weird. It indulges in the right amount of meta, keeping you moored while still engaging some wtf/"existence is collapsing" subroutes. It lightly undermines the VN gamefeel, asking you to modulate your engagement and only pay about 70% attention (for your sanity). After all, if you were trapped in a time loop with prickly YA's, you'd space out regularly. The game thrives in unexpected trials, the NPC AI just complex enough to keep things propulsive, and the relatively simple core loop still padded out with a shocking # of unique outcomes.
Over time you unravel the exceedingly strange conditions of everyone's circumstance- it's all some very crunchy and mesmerizing lore. The soundtrack and aesthetics are perfect, with stunning character designs and CG's, and the sfxs never falter despite a lot of repetition. Some of the best gamefeel in any VN. It moves lightning quick. It has like, a nearly meditative pace of trial and error. Overall it succeeds not only as an incredibly rapid and engaging 1P social deduction game (the best in an uncrowded field) but as a very specific sim. Absolutely adore this game.