The Backlog: These Kids Need Therapy

I was hoping to post this last month, but got distracted and needed time to collect my thoughts. My next post will feature more romance themed VNs, but I'd like to include other genres. It's a big "we'll see" moment.

Chaos;Head: Noah — I finished this just before the new year, and while I have so many feelings and things I could say about Chaos;Head, but I wanna keep this spoiler free, and maybe make a separate post for those who don’t care about spoilers and those who are familiar with the game. For those who don't know, it's a scifi horror VN, where one's delusions can actually change reality, and some of these people wield really cool swords. Cool concept, terrible MC.

This was a hard game to get into, because the MC is so damn insufferable, yet I was conflicted because I saw old aspects of myself in him, such as social awkwardness and not wanting to be around people for prolonged periods. But also, Taku is…such a complicated character. When he’s close to falling to pieces and wants to crawl into a hole, he admits to being a creepy little otaku who plays games all night, faps to his favorite figure and H games, etc. He rejects the role of “hero” that so many want to push onto him. He would rather other people bend over backwards to protect him from his pursuers. Thankfully you aren’t in his head 100% of the time, and get some breathing space with more levelheaded characters.

And then there’s the horror aspect of the game that I love most! The game regretfully picks up around the 5th chapter (typical of the SciAdv series), and there’s an excellent moment where Taku nearly breaks down because he knows things are dire, that he has to be less of a coward and not only stand up for himself, but the little sister he claims to hate. He gets some good development by the end of the game, which I appreciated. Still not the best specimen, but I was really rooting for him. And it was so damn satisfying to see him take some fucking responsibility and stand up.

Goblet of Mercy — A game from one of my favorite devs, Sun Labyrinth! This game is part of a large and rich world. And there are vampires, which I love. This is a game I’ve had on my backlog for far longer than I like, so was happy to finally get into it! It’s more contained than her other games, mostly set in a cell while the Empress works her influence on you. But with the right choices, you can manipulate and even out maneuver her. This is probably the best intro to the world of Aeser.

Lost Connections — Cute little VN about a person with some serious confidence issues, who joins a support group at the start of the game. Later, they have the opportunity to start a relationship with another member, but because it’s a game about confidence and self-improvement…yeah. It’s short and can easily be played in 20 minutes. Had a few achievements too, along with two hidden ones. I recommend checking it out, especially since it’s free.

(val)iant, or val’s guide to having a broken vag — This is basically sex ed for queer people, haha. Plus the BS that is pelvic pain. I can relate, to an extent. Mine was more spontaneous and what some refer to as “butt lightning,” but mostly resolved with diet to treat endo and fibroids. Gluten and dairy were the main offenders. All that aside, this was a really fun and robust game! There were more minigames that paired well with Val’s emotional state, such as tetris, jigsaw puzzles, and rhythm games. It’s also just very cute and well done (and free).

you’re just imagining it — This technically wasn’t on my backlog, but I played it shortly before Val’s Guide. It’s a simpler concept, but relatable all the same.