An adventure game about old computers, community, creativity, fandom, gender, and the internet. Alex Cole is a teenage trans girl in 1999 who has yet to figure herself out. She spends much of her free time on the internet, browsing a fan forum for her favorite magical girl show, and chatting with her friends. Join her on her story of self-discovery through friendship and media as she explores her computer for the treasures and curiosities of the early internet.
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a stunning entry in what is fast becoming my favorite genre of game: nostalgic y2k online adolescence simulator. thoughtful, character-driven, authentic, and intelligent about the interaction between game form, aesthetic, and story. I could write more but I kinda just want to luxuriate in how impressive and delightful and homey of an experience it was
has me very much missing a pink seahorse avatar friend who was a cross between prplsqrl and jenni. kaya if you're out there, I hope you are well!!!
has me very much missing a pink seahorse avatar friend who was a cross between prplsqrl and jenni. kaya if you're out there, I hope you are well!!!
This review contains spoilers
I owe this game a lot. The moment I finished playing it I reach the tipping point of my closeted self and gathered my parents and sister in the living room and told them I was trans. The year that I spent closeted felt equivalent to the 2.5 I've spent out, even if we were in lock down.
This game also instilled in me a saying that I say to myself and others whenever I feel lost: "You'll figure it out, and it'll be okay." <3
This game also instilled in me a saying that I say to myself and others whenever I feel lost: "You'll figure it out, and it'll be okay." <3
It's like Hypnospace Outlaw for trans people. Gonna make sure I buy this for all the eggs in my life. It's been a while since I've been this immersed in a game world and it's characters. The writing style may turn a lot of readers off, but beneath it is the best portrayal of trans discovery I have ever seen in media. Beyond some pretty serious bugs and a weirdly rushed maturity of the player-character in the final act, I found the game near-perfect in the portrayal of ideas, vibes and the era. It felt like I was interacting with real people in my life, and their unique flaws, talents and reactivity made the experience absurdly believable. This is something I strongly recommend, especially if you're trans or questioning your gender identity.
Me levou oito horas (de uma vez) pra terminar todo o jogo: valeu a pena. Embora as escolhas de fala não pareçam influenciar muito no desenvolver da trama, isso não me incomodou: a trama é o que torna o jogo interessante, sem muitos desafios na gameplay, salvo puzzles aqui e ali. Alex conta a sua história através desse point & click e visual novel, como um filme slice of life: acompanhamos o que pode ser os capítulos decisivos na vida de Alex em uma pequena fração de dias e horas sentadas a frente do computador, conversando com (até então) desconhecidos e desconhecidas em um fórum online de seu anime favorito. As conversam vão se desenrolando e Alex acaba descobrindo muito mais do que sabia sobre si diante da pequena troca de mensagens e auto análise que mesclam a trama da animação japonese da qual é fã com a própria vida. No fim das contas, Alex vai dar um jeito.