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Short with some moments that i resonated strongly with, yet felt on a whole a little surface-level and underwhelming. The lack of agency in parts served the narrative and spoke to the disorder’s all-consuming grip over your brain, yet the choices’ complete lack of influence over the narrative path made it rather fatalistic and limited in what it was trying to say. Whilst I know this is an illness that so often kills, and is incredibly dangerous & fatal, having no path to any other ending than hospitalisation (alongside the somewhat lukewarm dialogue) made me both care only a little for the world that was built, and not enough to feel it was at stake as the character’s state deteriorated.

But overall, a great game for a jam, on a topic that is both incredibly underrepresented in media, yet also hard to “get right”. But above all, I’m so glad this was created as there need to be more tries to do so. An incredible well done to the team <33

A brilliantly simple concept, executed in a beautifully nuanced way. I mean, come on; a love story between personifications of time and space (and… nothing)? An innovative take on the “doomed, destined love” trope that wraps it around, turns it on its head and emotionally unpacks it until its core is laid out for all to see. The rewind mechanic was surprisingly intuitive and not overly complex at all, which made the gameplay smooth and seamless. Beautiful art, simple yet gorgeous music and animations, and a short (but sweet) story. A real gem.

Another hauntingly brilliant entry from Via, the creator of one of my favourite games of all time here, (Don’t) Open Your Eyes.

radio.Signal is also simple in concept, and as such, benefits immensely from its multiple playthroughs (or at least, save-scumming to get all the endings, which i felt incredibly motivated to do). Especially due to the subtle hints to the hidden final “Basement” ending, and how to unlock it - and it revealing an integrated, devlog-style reflection on the game that actually made me enjoy and appreciate it even more by understanding the dev’s perspective on the thought process behind making it… was phenomenal.

Even without this “final” ending; all in all, terrific writing, meditative and psychologically ominous content, visually striking CGs and very fitting music & SFX. A thorough, satisfying, all-around chill.

The large majority of this game felt almost a little too gratuitously self-aware and “meta”, making me reflect upon what being “meta” means and the point at which it begins to destabilise the story and the very fabric of reality. However, it played brilliantly into the conclusion, which was so simplistic yet beautiful - because the player stayed, despite there being no save options, no meaningful choices, no “actual eroge”, no “payoffs” - the “protagonist” was able to feel even just a little loved. But also realise that others’ actions, not just their words, are a testament to this. A thoroughly worthwhile play <3

A visceral and moving poem/game, with vivid accompanying imagery and a minimalistic soundtrack which was both immersive yet isolating. Shorter and a bit less detailed than expected, but there’s a certain beauty in the one simple choice and how suddenly it all ends, regardless of the path taken. <3

A truly unforgettable experience. The mere premise of trying to fall asleep as something begs you to open your eyes had me with its breathtaking simplicity yet endless possibilities for exploration. The dev(s) capitalise on this and conduct - with an impressively small (2-3) handful of CGs plus incremental character overlays - a surreal deconstruction of what it can mean to see, to be seen, and to be denied either luxury/curse.

A surreal, captivating aesthetic done very simply yet effectively with ASCII-fi-cation (wondering how you did this, too!!) of images. A short, existential pondering that hides darker undertones, with a resoundingly chilling atmosphere. It left me wanting more, and perhaps for a slightly deeper exploration of the characters and the true nature of “F0llow3r” as well as Yume, in the future. But also - can stand alone perfectly well. Terrific <3

A really simple concept that was executed in a beautiful manner. The art style is breathtaking, and the various music tracks are heartfelt and soulful. It was a little shorter than even I expected, and I feel could have had a tad more development, but the characters were built to feel 3D enough within such a short span of time that it’s frankly quite impressive. The devs really latched on to how little parts of us are reflected in our everyday environment, and the emotional resonance and anchoring of the memories they hold. A brilliant, heart-warming and grounded game <3