Game Review: Arcade Spirits

I'm playing through the itch.io Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality. You can follow along with all my game reviews.

I've never played a dating simulator before. I'd heard of them, and their weird parodies like Hatoful Boyfriend, but this is my first time playing one. And, I'm delighted to say, Arcade Spirits is delightful.

The game looks gorgeous, the voice acting is top notch, and the sound design is just perfect. It's also really, really funny. I don't think I've laughed like this at a game since I last played Day of the Tentacle.

Unlike the previous conversation games I've played, there's a real sense that the choices you make effect what happens as the game progresses. It is wry, self-knowing, has lots of classic game references, and makes a good effort at inclusion.

I'm still playing through it and enjoying all the twists and turns it takes. My only criticism would be that the story progresses kinda slowly. But I expect that's normal for these games.

Oh, and it works perfectly in Linux.

Right, I'm heading back into it to see how many people I can seduce.