Bio
I love video games. :) I also love wrestling and cats. I'll only post reviews here as I play/replay stuff, so they're fresh in my mind.

Review guide:

The criteria I rate with are as follows:
- Visuals (graphics, art direction, color design, UI)
- Sound (music, voice acting, sound effects)
- Story (plot, writing, characters)
- Gameplay (mechanics, controls, level design, systems)
- Worldbuilding (lore, environmental design, atmosphere)
- For stuff that doesn't really have a story (i.e., Tetris or Donkey Kong Country), I instead rate replayability. These types of games are all about hooking you on the gameplay/keeping you engaged, so I feel that it's fair to rate that.
I give a short number review before going in-depth for these sections.
Personal Ratings
1★
5★

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On Schedule

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Favorite Games

Lisa
Lisa
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number
Fallout: New Vegas - Ultimate Edition
Fallout: New Vegas - Ultimate Edition
Hollow Knight
Hollow Knight
BioShock
BioShock

068

Total Games Played

020

Played in 2024

447

Games Backloggd


Recently Played See More

Fallout 3
Fallout 3

Mar 21

The Crooked Man
The Crooked Man

Mar 04

Ubermosh
Ubermosh

Mar 03

Assemble With Care
Assemble With Care

Feb 27

Doom 64
Doom 64

Feb 26

Recently Reviewed See More

Assemble With Care is one of the most relaxing games I’ve played in a long time. It’s got satisfying gameplay, stunning visuals, and wonderful voice acting. Everything about it oozes with charm, in a way where I can just see how much love went into its development. For only being an hour and a half long, it definitely leaves a lasting impression.
We play as a traveling repairwoman named Maria, whose most recent stop has taken her to a European city named Bellariva for their annual food festival. While there, she finds repair jobs to make pocket money - and she ends up meeting a cast of lovable characters, each with their own sentimental items that need fixing.
A big part of Assemble With Care’s story focuses on that exact sentimentality toward beloved items, and the personal stories we attach to them. The very first job Maria takes on is making the tape player owned by a girl named Izzy play again; we learn afterwards that it holds a recording of Izzy’s deceased mother singing her a lullaby. Each and every item we work on throughout the game is similarly important to its respective owner, for one reason or another.
Little Izzy is the first of our side characters, followed by her father Joseph, Bellariva’s mayor. They have your classic “busy dad” arc; he throws himself into his work because of the sadness over losing his wife, but his relationship with his own daughter is suffering because of it.
The second half of the story is made up of Carmen and Helena, a pair of sisters struggling to maintain their long distance relationship during financial difficulties. Carmen is warm and a bit absentminded, while Helena is the aloof and responsible older sister. Carmen owns a humble Bellarivan cafe that’s, unfortunately, not making any money. She calls Helena hoping to borrow the entry fee for the food festival (and by extension, the contest held during to be declared the best food in the city.) However, this isn’t the first time she’s asked for money, and Helena decides to visit from the big city to discuss things in person.
Assemble With Care’s overarching theme focuses on the reparations of these familial relationships as much as the items themselves; in fact, Maria must learn to address her emotional distance from her own parents after having left to travel. But this pinpoint focus on blood family is, unfortunately, the weakest part of the whole game for me. Not because it’s badly written, although I do feel the last few acts are a bit rushed and could’ve used one or two more levels. It’s because, as a queer person, I simply don’t believe that blood relatives inherently deserve to be called family and receive your unconditional love and support.
Izzy and Joseph, Carmen and Helena, both pairs truly love each other and work through their differences - but that’s not always how it is in real life. I find plots that hammer home how important family should always be just don’t resonate with me. Sometimes it’s genuinely better to not have those people around.
Another gripe I have on the story side of things is Maria herself. She’s a likable character, but she rarely feels like more than an observer who just happens to witness the healing of these relationships. We’re not even present when either pair finally make amends - we just hear about it later. I would’ve liked for her to be a more active participant in not just the gameplay, but the world unfolding around her.
All of that being said, I still do like the cast in Assemble With Care, and I think a big reason for that is the voice acting. Each character not only has a distinct and memorable voice, but the VAs do a great job of conveying emotion in their performances. Where the story is a bit generic and predictable, the VAs still manage to inject life into it; they’re what really make everything feel believable.
Just as good, if not better, is the music. In fact, I think this is one of my favorite soundtracks I’ve heard in a while! It beautifully captures the coziness of small town vibes, and maintains the perfect relaxing atmosphere throughout the entire story. Many pieces are led by keyboard, and there’s occasionally an acoustic guitar; in fact, a lot of them sound like what you might hear played at a coffee shop somewhere just like Bellariva.
The art is also absolutely amazing, presenting the narrative through a unique, storybook-like lens. ‘Cutscenes’ that play before and after a repair are actually a series of ‘pages’; each ‘page’ shows off a piece that truly feels like you’re looking at a real-life painted canvas. The color palettes are warm and full of life, especially against the standard stark white background of the ‘page’. The presentation makes Bellariva feel like a real place you’d dream of visiting one day.
That’s not to mention the stunning character art! Each cast member has an exceptional design, with bold shape language and amazing color combinations - the latter of which connect them directly to their respective family member. Joseph and Izzy’s clothing share a rusty red and sky blue, while both of their neck accessories (a tie/headphones respectively) are pale yellow. On the other hand, Carmen wears bright yellow and warm shades of blue, while Helena wears more cool, chic blues and chartreuse; these similar-but-different tones perfectly convey their familial closeness yet totally opposite personalities. Carmen also has a striped towel over her shoulder that matches Helena’s shirt closely!
The repair sections are possibly even better-looking, bringing motion to the game’s beautiful art style. Each level has a unique background that matches whichever setting Maria is in, from tiled floors to a tablecloth covered in Izzy’s doodles. The colors are, of course, as consistently wonderful as ever - and another specific standout here is the detailed lighting. In scenes taking place outside, the entire screen is well-lit, with only a few shadows casted here and there. If she’s inside, she’ll work in the light from each setting’s unique window. You can clearly make out the shadows left by not only these windows, but by nearby plants as well. It all adds so much to the atmosphere.
Even Assemble With Care’s pause menu is aesthetically considered, taking the form of a clickable coffee cup in the corner (or a half-eaten cookie in the epilogue!) But my favorite part is easily the texture work. The objects look as if they’ve been painted with a brush; their textures move back and forth slightly to bring life to them. You can clearly tell plastic from painted metal, and painted metal from unpainted.
The gameplay itself is simple, but very effective. It’s always clear what your next step is for a repair; the satisfaction instead comes from how tactile it feels to actually do all of it. Unscrewing screws, removing parts, connecting wires - it feels as if you really are Maria, with her practiced ability to make things tick again. Personally, I preferred this method to a more puzzle-heavy alternative. I was worried before playing that potentially complex mechanics based around a real-life skill (which I don’t possess) would be too difficult for me to engage with.
The best part, though, are the little interactions you or the other characters may have with an object while finishing up a job. It feels so rewarding to get these moments of flavor and character building. After you repair Izzy’s tape player, you get to hear her mother’s lullaby. While putting together a neon sign for Carmen’s restaurant, you can choose between three foods to add to it (a pizza slice, an ice cream cone, and a margarita.) You even get to play a quick and easy little minigame on a GameBoy equivalent after fixing it. There’s even more, but you get the picture, I don’t want to spoil all of them!
I also really appreciate the wide range of objects and types of repairs you’re doing. Some jobs are for antiques or family heirlooms, while others are for electronics. There are even fake brand names given to each object, displayed at the top of the screen after finishing a job.
There’s a surprising amount of good worldbuilding moments in Assemble With Care - even if it’s not very intricate. For example, the game almost never discusses money directly. All we know is that Maria needs some to attend the food festival, that Joseph will pay Maria for her work, and that Carmen’s business is failing. Yet, we never see Maria charge a client on-screen. These interactions are simply left out. This omission of the finance talk makes the game feel all the more cozier; you just don’t have to think about capitalism more than needed for the sake of the story.
To wrap up, Assemble With Care may not be a perfect game, but it has many strengths. It’s fun, it’s relaxing, it’s heartfelt, and it’s unique. The presentation is immaculate, and the gameplay is close to perfectly executed. I came here for a casual, calm experience, and that’s exactly what I got.
Its only real blind spot is a slightly bland story that doesn’t personally connect with me - still, it very well could you. It’s worth playing either way in my opinion, though, as its pros heavily outweigh any cons. This is simply one of the most charming games I’ve played in a long time.

Visuals: 5/5
Sound: 5/5
Story: 3/5
Gameplay: 4.5/5
Worldbuilding: 3.5/5
Overall Game Score: 4/5 [4.2/5]

Do you love cats? Do you want to “collect” them virtually without the added worry of virtual pet care? Then Neko Atsume is the mobile game for you!
Most have heard of this iconic game already - in fact, it turns nine years old this year. But I think it’s definitely still worth paying attention to, even today. For starters, I prefer mobile games that are completely casual and not too time consuming, given that I can become far too invested in them otherwise. Neko Atsume strikes the perfect balance of keeping your interest and respecting your time.
The gameplay here revolves around filling up food bowls to attract kitties to your yard. There are a few different foods available for purchase, having better attraction powers the more expensive they are. And once you put the food out, you must leave the app to wait real-time for your visitors to show up! You can then snap pictures of them to keep in their individual photo albums. Once one leaves, they’ll give you a gift of in-game currency.
More interesting than the food in the shop are the furniture selections, the main thing you’ll need to save up for. There are all kinds of beds, toys, scratchers, and other goodies to buy and place in your yard. You’re then rewarded for their purchase by getting to watch and photograph your kitties using them during their visits! Something to keep in mind is that only certain kitties will interact with certain objects.
There are over 60 cats to “collect” - including rare ones that only show up under certain circumstances. There’s also a ‘catbook’ that keeps track of who you’ve already discovered, with their page becoming fully available once you spot them yourself during a visit. Aside from being able to rename them here, there are stats for their personality, power level, coat color, number of visits, and the top three goodies they’ve used. You can also set each cat’s profile picture to anything from their personal photo album!
Every cat also has a unique memento which they’ll eventually present to the player! These are earned by feeding them enough to become good friends, after which the item will be displayed on that kitty’s profile. It’s an extremely simple - almost rudimentary - collecting mechanic, yet it matches perfectly with the casual style of Neko Atsume as a whole. There’s just a bit more flavor to the gameplay because of them, giving you one more reason to stick with the loop for longer.
However, while the casual approach is well-suited for this type of app, the big downside is that it will eventually become dull. The relaxed nature and immediate gratification of adorable kitties make it super easy to come back to - but you’ll probably fall out of doing so eventually, because there’s just not much to actually do. Don’t get me wrong, I love having something as peaceful as Neko Atsume available at any time, especially when I need a pick-me-up. Yet I can’t deny that the game would’ve been even better if there was at least a petting mechanic (this was rectified in the VR version, at least.)
Despite having flawed gameplay, Neko Atsume still stands out from many other mobile games; and a big reason for that is its wonderful visual presentation. The cartoony style may seem simple at first glance, but it’s genuinely charming and perfectly executed. I especially love the bold colors and thick lineart.
Of course, the best part is easily the kitties themselves! Each one is unique in appearance, with all sorts of natural coat colors (white, brown, black, gray, or orange) and patterns (solid, striped, spotted, or a mix of the latter two.) My personal favorite is Peaches, who possesses a yellow-ish coat with light brown spots - one of which on their side resembles a heart!
Contrary to the others, the rare kitties are a bit more outlandish, usually possessing a silly costume or some otherwise unique trait. The most famous character from the entire game is easily Tubbs, a rare cat who’s much larger and fatter than the others; he shows up and eats your entire food bowl before leaving a huge tip. Another example would be Guy Furry, a black and gray feline dressed in a chef’s clothes and hat.
The kitties aren’t the only amazing thing about the art, though! Another element that I really love are the many interactions that the kitties have with their furniture and toys. There are a variety of poses and simple animations, sometimes multiple for a single item; a cat could be laying in their bed either curled up and fast asleep, or awake with their head up and alert. This is why purchasing new goodies is so rewarding (aside from the innate satisfaction of decorating), because you’re always excited to see how the cats use them. Rare cats even have unique interactions, like Guy Furry, who can make pizza on top of an oven or a sundae in a vase!
The sound design isn’t quite as noteworthy or fleshed out as the visual side of Neko Atsume, yet what’s there still manages to be effective. Even though there’s only one background song, it's very cute and catchy; the leading instruments in it are a keyboard and xylophone. Meanwhile, UI selections make satisfying ‘pop’ and ‘click’ noises, with a few ‘meow’s for good measure.
In conclusion, despite not being flawless, I think Neko Atsume still holds up even nine years later. It’s a great casual mobile game with lots of cute cats and furniture selections (plus no ads!) You may not stick with it forever, but it’ll likely keep you entertained for a good long while - and it’s effortless to jump back in whenever you’re ready to. I highly recommend Neko Atsume, especially to fellow cat lovers!



Visuals: 5/5
Sound: 3.5/5
Gameplay: 3/5
Worldbuilding: 4/5
Replayability: 3.5/5
Overall Game Score: 4/5 [3.8/5]

Coming off of A God Who Lives In Your Head, I was really excited for some more ‘weird art’. This time it came in the form of ZeroNorth ZeroWest, a game released in 2018 that’s heavily inspired by LSD: Dream Emulator.
If you don’t know what LSD is, then let’s start there. The player explores abstract environments, where if you touch any object, it warps you to a completely new world. There are strange events you may encounter strewn throughout. It’s a fascinating concept - even more-so because it was released on the Playstation 2 in 1998. It never got a US release, unfortunately, but it has become a cult classic all over the globe. I would love to play it myself one day.
Over time, I’ve found a few indie games that clearly have LSD’s DNA baked in. You explore abstract worlds endlessly, no way to win or lose. ZeroNorth ZeroWest is one of these games. And while I doubt this is the best form of the mind-bending genre, it’s a decent little project with some cool ideas.
0N0W opens with an interesting live action short from the POV of our protagonist. The nondescript man wakes up, prepares for his day, packs, and gets into his car to go on a long road trip. We pass all sorts of varying landscapes - some which, I swear as a Georgian, look eerily familiar to me - before it rather seamlessly transitions into the actual game. The man pulls into a small town’s gas station and steps out of the car, handing control over to the player.
From here, you’ll briefly visit the game’s only actual location; this town block sitting amidst an otherwise desolate countryside, the only open building being a local theater. Once you enter, you’re teleported into the alternate dimensions that will make up the bulk of your experience.
If you’re lucky, you’ll start your new foray into a world inside of a small living space - one of the only shreds of real humanity present during your exploration. Some persistent themes throughout these houses (or, sometimes, apartments) are a clock and a TV, the latter of which will display trippy static effects if you interact with it. Otherwise, the interior is altered slightly for whatever world you’re currently in. You may not even get the quick comfort of a house, though. Sometimes you’ll just open smack-dab in the middle of a strange forest, or on floating platforms.
You’ll immediately notice that the ‘visual shine’, for lack of a better term, is altered between many worlds - neon, black and white, a cloudy blur. 0N0W is slathered in these loud aesthetics. Meanwhile, the core art style relies on geometric shapes to convey the world around you. They may take the form of a huge, bustling city, with tall skyscrapers and streaks of light in the pits representing never-ending traffic; or you may encounter a barren desert, the horizon dotted with strange monuments to run towards. Everything feels alien yet slightly familiar.
Additionally, there are unique worlds in which you traverse trippy, kaleidoscopic landscapes void of… well, literally anything except for the player. There’s barely even a sense of direction as you wander around without a ground or sky. The game’s usual color palettes can already be hard on the eyes, but these often feel nearly impossible to look at. It’s a really harsh aesthetic. That’s not to mention that these kaleidoscope worlds are paired with even more basic gameplay and player engagement than the regular ones. Still, I enjoyed them for what they were. I particularly liked how, instead of traditional loading screens between maps, you’re flung through the same kind of scenery. You can even look around during!
Many of the worlds are, in fact, copies of each other with a different ‘shine’ and a handful of smaller changes. Their most interesting features are usually the details specific to each individual world - moments of humanity buried beneath. In a city, I came across neon graffiti. There are TVs hidden in some corners, as well as doors that will lead you to your next world. I discovered that the desert maps house a huge building with the roof caved in; my favorite version had tables with chairs, a corner filled with shelves of books, and even a car.
Many strange ‘creatures’ roam around, although they don’t acknowledge the player in any way. Examples of their physical forms include smooth blobs, spiky blobs, or bug-like swarms. These also harbor a sound design bit I really liked; if you approach, a noise - ranging from computer beeps to machine whirring - will emanate from them and gradually become louder.
In fact, the sound design as a whole is probably my favorite part of 0N0W. Serene ambience makes up the ‘soundtrack’; and it’s occasionally intertwined with sound effects such as crickets chirping or radio crackles. Most of these effects are, similarly to the creatures’ noises, directional hearing tied to certain places or things in the environment. You’ll naturally encounter them as you explore, allowing you to have a personal hand in the relaxing soundscape. It’s nothing new or groundbreaking, but it’s very enjoyable.
Contrarily, even though the visuals are quite striking, they still ended up feeling empty after a while. This is largely due to the absence of nearly any direct input from the player; though the audio transforms slightly during the player’s journey through an area, there’s no meaningful way for them to participate in the visual side of things. I genuinely enjoy the hand-made quality each world has in 0N0W... but the game is just tedious to play after 20 minutes, during which nothing new is introduced except some aesthetics. It also doesn’t help that, across my own playthroughs, I kept running into a frustrating issue where I’d loop through the same few worlds over and over again (though the specific worlds would change each time.)
I did eventually realize that there’s a useful menu binded to ‘M’ that makes navigation much easier. It’s really my own fault for not trying the button sooner, since the controls are displayed each time you boot up. Anyways, aside from the expected volume control and main menu return, this has a few other useful options. The most useful of these takes you to the ‘world selection menu’ that’s unlocked after playing for the first time; even though the're all named discreetly using code here, you can at least guarantee you’ll be seeing new things. There’s also one that takes you to a ‘door room’, a black void with a few doors that lead to different places. This adds a bit more of the intended randomness back into the mix.
Having more control over my 0N0W experience like this definitely improved my enjoyment of it! Still, I can’t help but dislike the fact that I had to use a menu to get a good selection of what the game had to offer; I would’ve hoped that it could do that on its own. The original intention was to journey through a random selection of worlds seamlessly, and I felt like my experience was constantly disrupted because I had to use the menu so much.
Either way, there’s unfortunately only so much entertainment to get out of 0N0W. Once you’ve visited all of the worlds - which may take an hour or two, depending on how much time you spend in each - there’s really nothing else to it. I’ve been enjoying booting it up now and then while I write this review, but only ever for a few minutes at a time. I recently discovered that there are a few secret worlds thanks to a guide… but I honestly would’ve preferred for them to be as accessible as the rest, just to round out the content a bit more.
The last thing I want to discuss before wrapping up is the VR version of 0N0W, a free DLC included with the base game. This is definitely the most immersive way to experience the atmosphere. Only five of the maps are available in this mode - most easily accessible through keybindings - but I had fun just roaming around and taking in the sights. The only big issue is that there’s a 50/50 chance your corneas will be assaulted with nauseatingly bright visuals.
At the end of the day, 0N0W is more of an interactive art piece than anything - an abstract, inscrutable experience that forces you to draw your own conclusions. I definitely appreciate its style, and I think it has a certain charm; but I’m not sure I’d necessarily recommend the game as a whole (especially at its five dollar price tag.) It can get dull quickly, I suspect especially so for players without the patience or interest required for this type of game.


Visuals: 4/5
Sound: 4.5/5
Gameplay: 1/5
Worldbuilding: 3/5
Replayability: 2.5/5
Overall Game Score: 3/5