I know that you know that there's something insidious inside this game already. You're not certain what exactly the catch is, other than you're expecting something less than normal. It's fine, really. In the past I've found once the game's cover is blown, the whole experience is a house of cards and collapses down.

Not this time. You can put your guard up but the game knows you're on edge. By that I mean it knows how to lower your inhibitions enough to get you to poke your head out and really enjoy the game for what it is.

The story is... well, I won't go in to too much detail, but it doesn't really drop anything on you like an anvil. It's a normal enough dating simulator up until you really get invested in it. The characters are archetypical enough to recognize by just looking at them. I don't really know enough about these types of games to comment on originality, but they're all more than just passable in my books. It was, at points, a cute, wholesome game about a literature club that also helped you become a more confident writer. At points, it felt like these characters were living through the pains I have long forgotten afflicted me. It ripped off band-aids and peeled the scab off with a knife. And all of it's before the game lives up to the disturbing content warning.

As for the horror aspect of the game, it's underplayed. It's not like every 3 minutes you're getting spooked out of your pants or something, it's a lot closer to a constant reminder hanging over your head that there's something very dark and very insidious playing out, and you're stuck, unable to help.

And that's probably because there is no gameplay. I don't know how these games work usually, but I was expecting something, be it one of three irrelevant dialogue choices, simply chosing who to spend the day with, or, I don't know, more literature? Instead, you write poems in between scenes that are nothing more than word association with one of the characters. Make no mistake, this is a Visual Novel, as in you are reading text and illustrations as they're unraveled before you like a carpet.

As for thematics go, It's by the numbers. Even though it's practically a match in a matchbox, I can't really get enough of backgrounds or soundtracks in the style of these kinds of games; it just feels so warm and simplistic.

Technologically speaking I don't think there are any bugs, but glitches are this games' most used method of horror, so it's really hard to tell

I know I don't sound excited about this game, but it really was one of the most outstanding experiences I've had in a video game. As far as free to play games go, this has to be one of the best in the market. I recommend this to everybody who wants to go on a journey, stare into the void, and leave better for the experience. It's 3 hours tops, and it's certainly going to be my 2017 Game of the Year

I know that you know that there's something insidious inside this game already. You're not certain what exactly the catch is, other than you're expecting something less than normal. It's fine, really. In the past I've found once the game's cover is blown, the whole experience is a house of cards and collapses down. Not this time. You can put your guard up but the game knows you're on edge. By that I mean it knows how to lower your inhibitions enough to get you to poke your head out and really enjoy the game for what it is. The story is... well, I won't go in to too much detail, but it doesn't really drop anything on you like an anvil. It's a normal enough dating simulator up until you really get invested in it. The characters are archetypical enough to recognize by just looking at them. I don't really know enough about these types of games to comment on originality, but they're all more than just passable in my books. It was, at points, a cute, wholesome game about a literature club that also helped you become a more confident writer. At points, it felt like these characters were living through the pains I have long forgotten afflicted me. It ripped off band-aids and peeled the scab off with a knife. And all of it's before the game lives up to the disturbing content warning. As for the horror aspect of the game, it's underplayed. It's not like every 3 minutes you're getting spooked out of your pants or something, it's a lot closer to a constant reminder hanging over your head that there's something very dark and very insidious playing out, and you're stuck, unable to help. And that's probably because there is no gameplay. I don't know how these games work usually, but I was expecting something, be it one of three irrelevant dialogue choices, simply chosing who to spend the day with, or, I don't know, more literature? Instead, you write poems in between scenes that are nothing more than word association with one of the characters. Make no mistake, this is a Visual Novel, as in you are reading text and illustrations as they're unraveled before you like a carpet. As for thematics go, It's by the numbers. Even though it's practically a match in a matchbox, I can't really get enough of backgrounds or soundtracks in the style of these kinds of games; it just feels so warm and simplistic. Technologically speaking I don't think there are any bugs, but [spoiler] glitches are this games' most used method of horror, so it's really hard to tell [/spoiler] I know I don't sound excited about this game, but it really was one of the most outstanding experiences I've had in a video game. As far as free to play games go, this has to be one of the best in the market. I recommend this to everybody who wants to go on a journey, stare into the void, and leave better for the experience. It's 3 hours tops, and it's certainly going to be my 2017 Game of the Year