itch.io

★★★★★

side-scrolling platformer, puzzle, rpg exploration, turn-based timed based combat

What a gem of a game. I could not stop playing, & when I did I could not stop thinking about it lol. Intriguing characters and storyline. Perfectly executed gameplay.  Endearing art & soundtrack. The developers put a lot of thought into every aspect of the game & it shows!! 

• learning about the world through dialogue with other characters instead of a tutorial/reading some narrative... 
• time-based combat (a perfectly executed take on the classic time-based combat, eliminating the frustration of having to wait your turn helplessly & keeping the intensity of combat - as you have to time your attacks right & act on reflexes!)

The twists in the story are so well done too!! They don't just come out of nowhere, as there is quite a bit of foreshadowing. & whenever something is revealed all the pieces of the puzzle come together so perfectly it's satisfying. 

This game is so smart, thinks out of the box, & gets pretty meta in parodying classic tropes & of the concept of games itself lol.

I've found my fav game ever!! <3 

★★★★★

1-3 hours. + moderate replayability

1st playthrough: 200 runs.

My favorite game from the bundle so far!!! 

It's just genius. I'd thought that the 1 minute-limit would make for a very frustrating game, but this is so well designed that every run is satisfying. Even when you "waste time" you gain precious information for your next minute run! 

★★★★★

1 hour or so

I learnt so much about death and the process around it through this game. It handled such a tough subject in a soft, respectful, and serene way. 

★★★★★

I love this little brat!!! He comes & nibbles on my cursor & actually runs off with it LOL. Leaves little muddy footprints all over my screen. & pulls in memes. 

It's not a game perse, but it's definitely entertaining. It's nice to have a lil computer pet as companionship, especially if you're working from home through this covid!!

★★★★☆

a few minutes

Super cute mini-game played in browser. Take photos of bunnies, feed them carrots, and get those likes <3 

★★★★☆

45 minutes. + low replayability (easter eggs/slight variations - but only one ending)

My first playthrough. I had my hands over my eyes half the time lol

I'm not someone who can handle horror games, but have been challenging myself to face my fears by playing some horror games.. I thought this would be a good game to ease into, and was very drawn to the cute art-style. 

I appreciate that there wasn't any cheap jump-scares, but rather, the uneasiness came from the atmosphere - music, subtle noises & changes in environment. It was a good buildup that kept me on edge the whole time!!! 

★★★★☆

Many hours of playtime (12? I didn't count). + moderate replayability for other romances/personality/variations of ending.

Haven't played a visual novel in ages, this was definitely a good one to start with again! Love the aesthetic, interesting setup, & engaging storyline. You choose who you want to be: empathetic, gutsy, funny, ambitious, level-headed... Pretty inclusive game with representation of BIPOC, non-binary persons, aromantics.. I also like that for a romance game, the climax of the game wasn't just getting your partner! But actually riding out life together and facing life's challenges. It brought more depth into the relationship & to the characters as well. Also appreciate how it captured the heaviness of depression/hopelessness ~ & also the importance of support of loved ones in reaching your dreams.

★★★★☆

1-2 hours. 

If you can, play this on your phone instead of the computer. It definitely pulled me in with how real it felt - to the point that I freaked out when I accidentally clicked "call dad" when reading through messages, & felt relieved when I realized the phone had no more credits LOL. (phone anxiety anyone??) 

A well-made game that has beautiful aesthetics, calming music, & a really good narrative. It's intriguing to uncover the story though piecing together messages/emails/reading through forums. Also the way that the game approaches heavy topics is very relatable & real. 

★★★★☆

30min - 1 hour

I felt the amount of effort, thought, & love that went into this mini RPG project by the maker. Included in the download bundle was a little cheatsheet diagram drawn by the maker if you wanted to refer to it and get all the endings, which I thought was useful. Also the secret room was really cute & fun. 

★★★★☆

watch me play!

Lingotopia is a really fun way to learn a new language! 

The idea of recreating the experience of immersing yourself in a country where everyone speaks the language while you don't is great!!

I love the little world and the quirky characters. I also really like the funny sounds they make haha. If you pick one of the official languages there are voiceovers for the sentences which is very helpful! There are also community translations for other languages if you'd like but I don't feel as equipped to learn without the voiceovers (not confident in how to pronounce things in other languages). But it's cool to have that option!

There were a few glitches on my playthrough as you can see in the video, I'm not sure what set it off.. From what I've read on the game page, I think it's a bug specifically when learning Japanese and has to do with switching between romanji and hiragana. So I guess try not to click on that too many times? 
Anyways I had to delete the app and re-install it because restarting my computer didn't help restart it :( So I had to start from the beginning again.. BUT it's not too repetitive because the questions they ask differ a bit each play through. 

As for the game play, I think it's cool! I was a little bit lost and had no idea what I was replying when they asked me questions tbh lol. I think if you pair the game with more efforts at learning (translating the questions while you play) it might be more effective? But it's fun to be confused and to just wing it though hahahah. I think that's the point of the game, figuring out things from context in bits and pieces. 

Anyways, I think it's a great game! Fun, cute, & educational too. You should definitely play this if you are picking up a new language!

★★★★☆

This game is so wholesome! Adorable art, & raw feelings that tug at the heart. tbh I am a binary-cis-privileged person and it really calls attention to how I take that forgranted & how harmful the gender binary is! The game presents this such an accessible way. 

The only issue I had was a technical one: the "click to advance" button didn't disappear and it blocked some dialogue :( Maybe it is just on my computer. 

Also I think it would be nice to have some background music/sounds as well. 

★★★★☆

3 minutes. +replayability.

lol this game tickles me.

the quirky mr mayor draws 3 cards for you, tells your fortune, recounts a story & offers you questionable snacks. 

★★★☆☆

5 minutes.

short & sweet pixel exploration game played in browser. 

★★★☆☆ 

Few minutes - hours. Best played on phone. 

word games + tetris??! yes please!! 

Simply addictive for a tetris addict like me lol

Just really hard to play on the computer with a mouse though. So if you have an android you should play on there instead! (developer linked it in comments)

★★★☆☆

A really challenging word puzzle. You need chess-like tactics to win!! 

★★★☆☆

Best played on a phone/tablet

Very cute concept of injecting pastel colors, power ups, & flexibility to an otherwise rigid & serious game. I really wanted to like this game but it didn't leave a strong impression on me. Perhaps I have to give it more time....

Some issues I had was that I wasn't sure how many moves I had? There is a timer but I couldn't figure out what that actually meant in moves/time taken. Additionally it wasn't totally clear in how you win/score more points. I'm guessing just collect the nacho chips & powerups give you boosts? 

Still a good puzzle game though & interesting twist on the classic chess game!

★★☆☆☆

a few minutes

"ahhh. a peaceful game" is what I thought. but NOPE this game gave me so much anxiety LOL. It's really hard to control the fish :( The controls are simple enough, just left & right but omg I was just swimming in circles & never in the way I wanted. I would never survive this world as a guppy!!! 

Just not for me but maybe you'll enjoy it? The visuals & music is beautifully calming even if the gameplay is stressful af.