Dokkanojo
2021
Just a very simple, delightful little word game that's so easily replicable that not even the New York Times can ruin it.
What seems like a very simple, flash-in-the-pan management game is ultimately none of that at all.
Needy Streamer Overload is a game that doesn't pull any punches as it explores the myriad ways that the internet unnoticeably changes our brains and thought patterns, and that unflinching devotion to honesty, even in the face of extremely dark, disturbing content matter, is what it makes hit so hard. None of it is for shock value, sheer meanness, or the pursuit of edge aesthetic, though. It's simply what's required for the game's message, and game's message is devastatingly poignant.
NSO is distressingly genuine, with the mirror it holds up to society and ourselves casting a wide enough net that you're bound to see seeds of you or someone you know in something that happens to Ame. And, well...that sucks. And it's hard not to feel like I need to do something for myself because of that.
Needy Streamer Overload is a game that doesn't pull any punches as it explores the myriad ways that the internet unnoticeably changes our brains and thought patterns, and that unflinching devotion to honesty, even in the face of extremely dark, disturbing content matter, is what it makes hit so hard. None of it is for shock value, sheer meanness, or the pursuit of edge aesthetic, though. It's simply what's required for the game's message, and game's message is devastatingly poignant.
NSO is distressingly genuine, with the mirror it holds up to society and ourselves casting a wide enough net that you're bound to see seeds of you or someone you know in something that happens to Ame. And, well...that sucks. And it's hard not to feel like I need to do something for myself because of that.
2021
Under the Newgrounds pastiche is a very bingeable game with a satisfying gameplay loop that can easily eat away an afternoon before you know it.
I would never say I liked the first game. I think the soundtrack is amazing, and the potential was there for something great, but it's a game that ruined anything good it had going for it by being absolutely mean-spirited, and full of spiteful punching down.
But like I said, that potential was always there for something really cool, so of course I wanted to check out a sequel. And while the same year's NEO The World Ends With You gets a fond spot in my heart for managing to capture exactly what the original game had done, Caligula 2 gets a fond spot in my heart for managing to wash out every bit of the bad taste the original had left with me all those years ago.
It's engaging from start to finish in gameplay and storytelling, kind and humane in a way games seldom are, and has a ridiculously good localization behind it that sells all the emotional highs and lows of the script.
It's so hard to believe it's from the same writer as the original, but I have the utmost respect for the growth he's shown here, both as a writer and a person.
This game is fabulous and lovely, and I recommend giving it a chance, especially if you just couldn't stand to original.
But like I said, that potential was always there for something really cool, so of course I wanted to check out a sequel. And while the same year's NEO The World Ends With You gets a fond spot in my heart for managing to capture exactly what the original game had done, Caligula 2 gets a fond spot in my heart for managing to wash out every bit of the bad taste the original had left with me all those years ago.
It's engaging from start to finish in gameplay and storytelling, kind and humane in a way games seldom are, and has a ridiculously good localization behind it that sells all the emotional highs and lows of the script.
It's so hard to believe it's from the same writer as the original, but I have the utmost respect for the growth he's shown here, both as a writer and a person.
This game is fabulous and lovely, and I recommend giving it a chance, especially if you just couldn't stand to original.
This game actively tries to dissuade you from playing it at every turn by making nothing meaningful or enjoyable.
2020
Fun, cute little room escape game with good art and characters.
2022
The deck-building, tower-defense gameplay is surprisingly compelling and competent, and though the translation has some messy bits here and there, the writing is very fun and delightfully sapphic.
The destruction is certainly fun, but the combat is terribly considered, with no better summation of that than the fact that the button to take cover is also the same as the button that incidentally destroys your cover.
2015
A phenomenal game with a fascinating outlook on community and divinity that's compelling the whole way through. An absolute masterpiece.
2018
A suspenseful, folklore-rooted horror VN with amusing twists and charming characters, and writing that is every bit as clever as it is funny.
2014
I love the puzzles, but adore the writing even more. There's so much here that is so, so good, and it's somehow from the people that made Serious Sam? Sure, why not?
2017
The girls are gay, the pun is good, the game is fun.
2015
vgperson undoubtedly knows a lot about RPG Maker horror, and it's clear that they've drawn on a lot that works here. The tension is great, the story is touching, and it's a game that speaks to me in a way almost nothing else does.
2019
A fairly unique VN with tight, humorous pacing and a lot to uncover about its interesting characters. A fantastic game that I'd love for more people to try.
This is a game I enjoyed immensely, and respected the more I played of it, not just for how it sets itself relative to the original's legacy, but because I genuinely thought I would hate everything about this after Kingdom Hearts 3. I suppose, begrudgingly, I must admit that I don't dislike Nomura half as much as I thought I did.