So I never really write Steam reviews, but I felt the urge to write something for this one.
Look, Imma make this simple for you. If you’re here and wondering if the game is worth checking out… play it. The game is (IMO very, very) good. The first chapter is free. It’s about three hours or so. Know if you like the first chapter, the game only gets better and better as it goes along. Cool? Cool.
Now let me yap, because this game is peak.
Reading the dev’s blogs, he mentions his main inspirations being Undertale, Paper Mario, and Off. Credit to him, I can definitely feel those inspirations. Bossy had a vision, and I think he aces the creation of that vision. I imagine for most people the issue will not be in the execution, but rather that vision is in itself appealing. And, well, the second I heard that I was like “I gotta check out this game!” Growing up, I was super into the older RPG Maker horror games like Ib, Mad Father, The Witch’s House, etc. and Off was one of the first games I really got obsessed with, shilling it to as many friends as I could. It feels like this game was made for me specifically lol.
The plot of Muffles’ Life Sentence is, on the surface, pretty basic. You’re a new inmate at a prison complex. Escape and win your freedom. However, the game also sets up a mystery right off the bat. Everyone in the prison complex has had surgery to have every inmate’s appearance reflect the crime they have committed. So what do you look like? You are blank. Any form of identifying features have been removed. You have no memory of your past. Your mouth is sewn shut so you can’t even speak.
What did you *do* to earn this surgery? Who *are* you?
It’s so intriguing, and the surgery system also makes the cast of characters you run across in the game extremely diverse and memorable. Just like its inspirations, while the game sets you up with a potentially more serious plot, there is a TON of humor in this game so it never feels bogged down at all.
Actually, that’s one of this game’s biggest strengths. It’s very snappy. Nothing feels drawn out or like a waste of time. And yet the game offers a lot of content for players to seek out. But before that, I need to talk gameplay.
See, this is the one part that gave me caution. Muffles’ Life Sentence is a deck-builder, and I’ve never been into deck-builders all that much. I *personally* find myself getting confused early and bouncing off of them, usually due to them throwing a bunch of different mechanics or statuses at the player. MLS does manage to avoid this, however, but I think players into deck-builders will find they have the opposite problem of the combat being too simple initially.
A key part of MLS’s combat is the guarding system, where once a bar is filled by playing cards, the player won’t take any damage for that turn before resetting the bar to zero and needing to fill it up again. Everything in the system is built around either doing damage more effectively or giving you more agency in order to block at the right times. But at the start of the game your deck is very limited, so you either can do “basic attack” or “basic guard”, and the ability to add cards might take a little longer than players expect.
Maybe my favorite part of the entire game, from a design perspective, is how you get stronger. This game is true to its word. There’s no random encounters. There’s no EXP. There’s no leveling up. Instead, you gain max health and the ability to hold more cards from finding stashes around the world. The world of Muffles’ Life Sentence is a lot of fun to explore, and the player is rewarded for taking the time and doing so. In addition, by… let’s say interacting with certain characters, you will be able to learn more about those characters’ pasts. When you learn more about them, you get another card tied to that character. The characters in this game are such a strength, and again the game rewards you for exploring and getting to know the character. For example, take Half-Croc, an aggressive, cannibalistic inmate you meet in the first chapter. By exploring and finding more of Half-Croc’s memories, you get more of Half-Croc cards. Because Half-Croc as a character is aggressive his cards are very aggressive, based around drawing and playing as many attacks as possible, while also giving bonus damage when low on health.
I LOVE this. It all just flows so seamlessly, blending world-building with character development with skill progression. Because each character is built around a singular “idea”, the game never overwhelms the player with terminology, AND there’s a way to test out new cards so you can see how they exactly function. The one, IMO small, drawback is that, as mentioned, because the player is steadily gaining cards as they play and explore, it means it will take a while before the system really has enough space for the player to really dive into customizing the deck. If you play the first chapter and find the combat overly simplistic or even dull, I honestly can’t blame you. But I PROMISE by the time you get to chapter 2 it gets a lot better, and by the end of the game there’s a TON of customization that the player can really dig into. If you’re like me and not into deck-builders this probably won’t be a big deal, but if you’re experienced and looking for something new to play, just be forewarned.
Jumping back to the plot, I really want to applaud the writing. The writing is SO. FREAKING. GOOD in this. The plot goes in some *really* unexpected directions in places (in a good way!) You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. I waited to write this until I finished the story, and I can say it held up the whole way through. There’s no quality drop-off, and the game does answer every question it sets up. Really, the less you know going in, the better.
Oh, and the music! Can’t forget the music! The soundtrack of MLS is fantastic, and you can literally listen to it on Youtube. There’s a *huge* variety of music styles represented, and there’s even new music when you play New Game +.
I don’t know what else to say, man. If this game looks up your alley, I promise you’ll come away loving it. Scout’s honor. If you’re intrigued, literally zero reason not to at least try it. If you’re not interested… why did you read this far, you sicko?
And look, I know this ain’t gonna be a game for everyone. But it deserves far more success than it currently has. Undoubtedly. This game has infested itself in my mind for the past month, and I hope it infests itself in yours as well.
You are Muffles, a surgically mangled inmate of the Maddox Prison System with a stolen past and the power to wear the faces of others. Freshly sentenced to life in prison with no memory of the crimes you’ve committed, you must go on a journey spanning a chain of prison islands to confront the Warden and discover the truth of your past.
