//TODO: today

I rly like this one ^w^ It's a comfy but also relatable slice of life VN, dealing with mental health as well as monetary challenges (like depression & anxiety, or the looming threat of eviction)

PHOENIX MY BELOVED

☀️

//TODO: today (2021, разработчик и издатель — Boys Laugh +) — бесплатная визуальная новелла в жанре «slice of life» с элементами магии реализма. Суть: прожить фрагмент жизни главного героя (Тила), который сталкивается с бытовыми проблемами и получает помощь от загадочного ИИ. Ключевые особенности: жанр: визуальная новелла, приключение; сеттинг: повседневность с нотками магии реализма; выбор местоимений и романтических предпочтений; несколько концовок; пастельная эстетичная графика; атмосферный саундтрек; платформа: PC; режим: одиночный; модель: бесплатная; длительность: ~4 часа. Минусы: повторяющиеся музыкальные треки; неспешный темп повествования; узкая целевая аудитория (любители визуальных новелл). Итог: трогательная история о преодолении трудностей и поиске себя — подойдёт тем, кто ценит глубокие нарративы и уютные визуальные новеллы.

Overall, this is a very cute game that sets out what it achieves to do. I doubt you're going to be strictly surprised by anything, but it's still rather charming in its own right. If I had to critique anything, it would be a certain story beat that happens. [spoiler]Given that in my run, Teal was putting their life together thanks to Joyce, their reason for leaving didn't really fit much at all. I understand there was more to it, but it sort of feels like it happens to allow for a bit of drama in the third act.[/spoiler] Overall, though, I think what this game acheives is fun and cute, and worth the time to check it out. The game does a really good job of making you feel a bit of pressure in how you manage your day to day, and that the efforts you put in ultimately pay off. It's not very hard, given as long as you're putting in effort, you'll usually find the victory you're seeking out. [spoiler]I suspect, though, that this is why most people have gotten the Phoenix ending, since that's what the ultimate payoff is once you achieve what you set out to do. I'm not entirely sure what one would do in order to achieve the Joyce ending as an alternative.[/spoiler] As someone who played this to study dating sims, it's certainly insightful, and I wish the creators luck on their endevors, given this one shows some real promise in several aspects!

//TODO: today is a short, gratuitous and well written cozy visual novel. It has a very pleasing artstyle, both visuals and music and the writing is pleasant to read through. While this might make it hard to distinguish from other visual novels, if there's one thing I can say about it that I definitely don't see in other Visual Novels is how much it cares about letting the player express their gender and sexuality in this game. Accomodating romantic preferences, appearance and the pronouns you are referred to, it shows a level of care in making sure the player can feel represented (though to be fair, with romance being prevalent in the genre as a whole, I don't know how much aro/ace representation is viable here). The story is honestly super interesting to me. While the current AI landscape is terrible and is making me retroactively cringe at it, this is a story set in a (not that distant) future where sentient AI can be helpful assistants and you find an opportunity to have such a digital companion. A story about trying to achieve self actualization with a good and charming cast and while it has its more tense moments, it never strains you emotionally to the point of being an exhaustive experience. An easy recommendation for a cozy, chill game.

Positive: Free to play and very accessible ✔️ A visual novel with choices, multiple endings, and a relaxed slice-of-life vibe ✨ Simple narrative style that’s easy to follow without pressure Includes Steam achievements to encourage exploration 🎯 Negative: Very text-heavy, and pacing may feel slow for some players Content is quite limited unless you actively explore all branches Not available in French (English only) — might be a drawback for non-English readers 🏆 Completionists & Achievement Hunters: There are 11 Steam achievements tied to different choices and outcomes. Because of branching paths and multiple endings, unlocking everything usually takes more than one playthrough. Plan some extra time if you want to see all variations and get 100%. Overall: A short and thoughtful visual novel about life, choice, and small consequences. It’s best enjoyed by people who appreciate narrative games and don’t mind reading through multiple paths to uncover everything.