[b]Don't buy this game YET![/b]
And I don't mean that in a rude way. I actually really like this game and I see A LOT of potential in it. I had a lot of fun playing it, I giggled, I literally moved my feet around during some interactions, and I haven't played another game in a while that made me react like that.
But if you're expecting a complete game experience right now, [b]wait.[/b]
I knew this was Early Access, but I don't think I was prepared for just how early the Early Access actually was. That's partly on me for not investigating more before buying it, so take that into consideration. But when I saw the gameplay and how much of the game seemed to be available, I genuinely thought I would at least be able to finish one complete route.
Instead, I reached "Route Coming Soon."
My first route was Pochi, so I initially thought, "Oh, maybe she's a secondary character and her route is something they're adding later." Then I went for Equinox and... [b]also Route Coming Soon.[/b]
And that's when I realized: "Wait. I paid for this game and I don't actually have an ending yet." 😂
Again, [b]I know it's Early Access.[/b] I understand what I bought. But personally, I didn't feel much of a difference between the demo and the Early Access version besides getting to choose who I wanted to pursue. That was a little disappointing.
So my advice is: [b]if you want the full experience, don't buy it yet.[/b] Wait until the routes are complete.
If you know what Early Access means and you're happy to support the developers while the game grows, then I think buying it now is completely fair. I also remember seeing that the price may increase when the game is finished, so buying it now and waiting until the full release might actually be a good option.
I would LOVE to see some kind of development roadmap, though. I played another Early Access game, Mistria, that had information about when they expected the full game, and I really appreciated being able to plan around that. I am absolutely the kind of person who will prepare every walkthrough and route beforehand so that when the game is finally complete, I'm READY. 😂
[h3] Routes[/h3]
I had some trouble with Dolphin Daddy and Wizard.
I tried making different choices repeatedly and couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong without a guide. With Wizard, I eventually understood that my personality just doesn't match what he wants, which makes sense in hindsight—but without a walkthrough, I probably never would have figured that out.
And when I finally completed Dolphin Daddy's route with a guide, I was like, "Okay, I see what you were trying to do here."
So I think the routes could benefit from giving the player a little more feedback about what they're doing, especially while there aren't complete walkthroughs available.
[h3] The emails [/h3]
I [b]really like the idea of the emails.[/b]
I actually think they're a really clever way of teaching people about cybersecurity without making it feel like a cybersecurity lesson.
My problem is that sometimes I don't have enough information to determine whether something is phishing.
For example, if I get an email saying something like, "We're going to see you tomorrow about your loan," but I don't know whether I have a loan with that company, how am I supposed to determine whether it's phishing?
Some of them are much easier. The school-related ones, for example, can have obvious red flags. But when I get something like "This is your dentist, you have an appointment tomorrow," I'm sitting there thinking:
"Okay... do I HAVE a dentist appointment tomorrow? Is this actually my dentist? HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW?" 😂
If the intended lesson is that suspicious emails should be checked against information you already have, I think the game could give us a little more context to make those decisions.
Also: [b]I want more money emails.[/b]
I liked the idea, but right now I didn't really understand the importance of money outside of sending Super Chats. I got to the point where I was like, "Okay, I sent all my Super Chats... now what?"
Obviously, this is an early version of the game, so I'd love to see money become more meaningful if it's going to be an important mechanic.
[h3] Minigames [/h3]
I didn't really get to experience the typing minigame properly because I was playing on a controller, and typing with the controller wasn't really happening. 😂
I know the game isn't currently designed around controllers, so I'm not really holding that against it. But if controller support becomes a thing in the future, it might be worth considering an alternative minigame for controller players.
That said, [b]I REALLY appreciated that the minigames were optional.[/b] Because of that, playing with a controller didn't negatively affect my overall experience.
[h3] The characters ❤️ [/h3]
Now for the part where I have to say that I REALLY enjoyed the game.
The voices are fantastic.
The characters feel like actual people, and that's probably one of my favorite things about the game. I kept thinking:
"Oh my God, I know someone like this from Discord."
And sometimes the dialogue would have me thinking:
"WHY IS THIS SOMETHING I WOULD ACTUALLY REPLY?!" 😂
The characters are also ridiculously handsome/beautiful. Just saying.
I also really appreciate the representation in the character designs, especially skin tones. I have darker skin myself, and a lot of otome games don't really give me characters that look like me, so seeing more variety here genuinely made me happy.
I wouldn't call it perfect diversity yet, because I think there's still room for more variety in the models, but I really appreciate the direction it's going in.
[h3] The chats [/h3]
I think the global chats could have more impact and variety depending on the route you're currently doing.
After my first route, I basically started clicking through the Insta chats because I knew most of the conversations weren't going to have much impact on what I was doing.
And honestly, I think that's pretty normal for an otome game. Once you've seen similar conversations multiple times, you start thinking, "Okay, I know this doesn't matter."
I'd love for the chats to change more depending on who you're pursuing.
For example, if I'm doing Zeta's route, maybe some conversations could reference him more, or my replies could feel more connected to what I'm currently experiencing. It would make the social media aspect feel more alive and make me want to actually read everything instead of eventually clicking through it.
[h3] Overall [/h3]
I almost never write Steam reviews, but I really enjoyed this game, and I can see [b]A LOT of potential here.[/b]
I'm happy to support the project while it's growing. I genuinely want this game to become something great because the concept is absolutely my cup of tea. Dating + social media + the chaotic reality of online personalities? [b]Yes. Give me more.[/b]
So I'm not writing this review to roast the developers or say the game is bad.
Quite the opposite.
I'm writing it because I [b]want this game to succeed[/b], and if even one thing I mentioned here helps make the final game better, then I'm happy I wrote this.
For now, though:
[b]Don't buy this game yet if you're expecting a complete experience.[/b]
[b]Buy it if you want to support the developers and don't mind playing Early Access—or buy it now and save it for when the routes are actually finished.[/b]
I'll definitely be coming back.
Thank you for reading! ❤️
