Cibele

Had this in my library for years. Should have stayed buried. It's short, but long enough to be annoying.

I don't think it lives up to its own potential, but I still appreciate it for what it is. Another reviewer remarked on the game making them reflect on their own experiences growing up with online gaming, and I felt the same way. It can't be denied that it is at least somewhat compelling, but I feel that it could have done more. This is less of a "game" and more of a "minimally interactive movie" / "short story told through the medium of 'video game.'" It's worth checking out, but don't let expectations drag your experience. It's an artistic expression of a very real and vulnerable experience which its composer brings her full Self forward to perform and express, and this takes far more courage to perform than any courage it takes to drag it all down in an anonymous review.

this is a very special game. it's awkward in all of the right ways to really show what falling in love for the first time in your life looks like at this point. play it if you enjoy vignette style narrative design. voice acting is a little one note though :/

Cibele isn't your typical game - it's an interactive memoir about online romance in the early 2000s. You experience a 19-year-old's story through her desktop files, MMO conversations, and real-life video sequences. The "gameplay" is intentionally simple, mostly clicking on enemies while chat conversations unfold, but that's not really the point. What makes this work is its raw authenticity. From the awkward selfies to the earnest poetry drafts scattered across the desktop, everything feels genuinely pulled from a real teenager's computer circa 2005. The story of Nina and Blake's relationship unfolds naturally through chat messages and voice conversations, capturing both the unique intimacy and complicated nature of online relationships. At just over an hour, it's quite short and ends somewhat abruptly with a "To Be Continued." The MMO sections can become tedious, though this seems intentional. But despite these limitations, Cibele succeeds as a time capsule of early-2000s internet culture that tells a very human story about connection, vulnerability, and growing up in a digital age. If you're looking for real gameplay mechanics or a traditional romance story, this probably isn't for you. But if you've ever formed meaningful relationships online or appreciate experimental narrative experiences, you'll likely find something that resonates here. Best played in one sitting with headphones on.

I just thought this was a story-driven game. But after a promising start (a desktop, you can read blogposts and watch pictures) you start a boring "game" of senseless grinding. I thought this was something like a walking simulator, but this is just borign. If I want to grind, I play .. MMOs or something.

Hmm this is a tough one. The story was underwhelming, the "gameplay" is atrocious. [h2] Only good to relive a very specific type of time in your life [/h2] However, I enjoyed one part of the game enough that it could be a recommend. During the gameplay part (which consists of just clicking on a monster once and then wait until it dies), there is actually an important wrinkle that makes things slightly more complicated: I don't think it branches the story in any way, but your absolutely ♥♥♥♥ of a e-boyfriend gets mad if you're not focused on dealing with the mobs. The problem is that a bunch of friends are writing to you while playing, and if you don't check your other apps simultaneously, you'll miss out on story beats. So either you keep your bleurghfriend happy, or you lose all your friends. The way this was implemented was so true to how playing MMOs is with an SO or needy friend and I truly enjoyed it. I loved trying to answer all the chats and read all emails, while also making sure your assy assfarty boyfriend is content. Again I don't think it affects the story in any way, but it worked so well as a simulator that I was engaged anyway. Unfortunately, as mentioned, the story itself is really lacking, so the contents of the chats are vapid and meaningless. But I recommend if you just want to play a "Playing MMOs with your abusive SO"-Simulator.

I have mixed feelings about this game. On the one hand, I'm glad it exists. It's cool to see different kinds of games, different stories. I'm always in favor of pushing on the boundaries of what games are and what kinds of stories they can tell. As others have mentioned, it's a very cringey game, but that's sort of the point. It feels very real in that way. On the other hand, there's not much here. It's a very *small* story, and one that at times lacks depth. It feels like a first draft in many ways. Some interesting ideas, well-delivered, but incomplete. I'll tenatively recommend Cibele as a game that tries something different. Is it ultimately successful? I'm not sure that it is, but I think this is a place where it's worth rewarding points for trying.

Little short game, about real human connection. Totally recommend

no windowed mode, poor scaling support on non 16:9 screens, and less a game and more an interactive movie. Not sure what I expected but it was short and in the backlog so I played it. do not recommend

Gotta respect someone that's called HentaiPhD.