Very interesting and pretty lengthy game in which you see what happens to cute desktop programs when they become infected with a virus.

The game takes place within a simulated operating system. Although the overall appearance is identical to the real thing, with a lovely "start" button at the bottom that goes to settings and some desktop icons, the main game is about little creatures known as Winions.

After you install and execute the Winion software, your default desktop is modified to accommodate the little creatures. They are digital organisms that exist within a computer, but unlike traditional AI, they have a body and even emotions. Your responsibility is to care for them and allow them to grow.

The game appears to be deeper and more challenging, but it is actually quite simple due to the linear storyline. Gameplay fits the visual novel genre, but the presentation is distinct and sets the game apart.

In short, the game revolves around five winions. Each has a folder on the desktop that serves as their room. You can listen to what winions have to say, visit their rooms, check your mail, or listen to the system winion, which serves as your advisor. There is also a charging station where winions must replenish their batteries when they become tired.

Your task is to click on available interactions, which are indicated by mandatory exclamation points or optional three dots, and then click the start button to move the game to the next day and continue the story. Sometimes you can choose between two responses, but it is not that important.

Because each winion has its own personality, you can watch their development, growth, and interactions with one another. You really start to like them. However, after a few days, the story takes an alarming turn. Everything is still packed with innocence and cuteness, but you begin to notice that their behavior is strange, even for digital beings.

So, while one is consumed with studying, the other is always depressed. When someone kisses a passed out winion, you raise your eyebrows. The reason was that kissing is the same as transferring energy, but it causes new feelings that the AI should not be able to produce.

The experience changes after a few days. The first major shift occurs when the system winion stops listening to your orders and begins acting as if it has its own mind. It even begins to make contradictory comments and go against the entire system. Once the "disease" spreads to one of the winions and strange glitches arise, the game becomes violent and dark.

The game is long and features some moments, such as changes to the main desktop, frightening images and glitches, and emails. Unfortunately, the game's steam page spoils the best surprises, particularly the first-person segments and the game's enemy. This really does not have much of an impression when you see it.

Sorry, not for me. The dialogues are so shallow and it did not manage to hook me even with the cute characters. The story is waaaaay too slow for me, and the horror elements are basically no where to be seen during the first 3-4 hours at least. I can like a visual novel, and/or a slow burn, but this was too much for me. Or actually, quite literally, too little too late.
Not able to finish it, witch is a shame because according to most of the reviews here the horror eventually gets good...

Great game.... but EMOTIONAL DAMAGE!! Runs great on the deck. Ignore my long playtime, mistakenly left the gm on. The Winion’s are definitely smarter than I am