Recent reviews by smolcasm

I'd like to preface by saying visual novels and h-games are not my usual cup of tea; I was an outsider to these genres, inferring from my shallow understanding of their conventions that they just weren't for me. Nonetheless, I heard about Mice Tea from a few of my mutuals, and it intrigued me; after letting it sit on my wishlist for over a year, I decided to give it a try, just to have a taste for myself, and before I knew it I had 100%ed the game.

I heartily recommend Mice Tea. At risk of sounding corny, it's good to the last drop.

I absolutely adore each of the main characters. I found the protagonist instantly likable, and for the most part felt quite comfortable putting myself in her shoes, yet there was also this depth and nuance to her that I continued to uncover over the course of each story route, much to my delight. Her boss, while difficult to talk about without spoiling things, was also a character I quickly found myself liking and relating to. Julie and Gavin each have very different temperaments than I tend to find myself drawn to, but their obvious warm regard for Margaret endeared them to me as well, and I found myself very much appreciating both as I progressed through their routes. Interestingly, I didn't think I liked Sylvia at first, but I found her theme catchy (the music in this game is great btw), and I found myself oddly looking forward to each of her appearances; it wasn't until I played her route, though, that I genuinely felt I understood her character. Out of all the cast, I think I came out liking and relating to Sylvia the most.

Mice Tea is also kind of a potpourri of some of my favorite kinks, and to my astonishment and amusement, none of them felt particularly underserved by the narrative. The prose is often steamy and indulgent, but never vapid. All of these details, however, would still likely have fallen flat for me if I hadn't been primed to get emotionally attached to these characters by way of earnest, heartfelt scenes and intimate, lifelike dialogue; the apparent zany transformation hijinks belie a grounded, down-to-earth approach to romance and self-discovery that really hit home for me. I'm not ashamed to like this game; it is an awesome work of art, and clearly a labor of love.

So, yeah. Buy Mice Tea — if not for yourself, then at least for my friends who added this game to their wishlist as soon as they saw me playing it :P

I can say, without hyperbole, that there is no better or more accurate 5e combat sim CRPG on the market than this. (No, not even THAT one.) While not the most polished or spectacular game of its genre, Solasta: Crown of the Magister is nonetheless THE definitive tabletop RPG experience in video game form, no tabletop required.

Come for the campy, yet mildly intriguing main story; stay for the user-created campaigns. And you'll be staying awhile; there's enough content here to keep you satisfied for years to come.

Addicting. One more turn is never enough.

This is the greatest game in the Fallout series, bar none. If only it were more complete.

This is a compelling RPG, and is, story-wise, perhaps the strongest installment in the Elder Scrolls series. Though many aspects of this game haven't aged well, it's a must for fans of the fantasy genre.

Without a doubt, this is the definitive action RPG.

Undertale deserves all of the hype it gets. On the surface, it's the tale of a human in a hidden world of monsters. Looking deeper, it's simultaneously a love letter to classic RPGs, a digital poem about philosophy, and an interactive chiptune opera.

This game balances the elements of story, sport, and soundtrack in a splendid, if simplistic, style; the characters are compelling, the encounters are entertaining, and the music is magnificent. What other games accomplish through robust engines, breathtaking graphics, and other such modern conventions, Undertale achieves through a coherent narrative that blends well with the game mechanics.

If you're looking for a triple-A title that reinforces contemporary industry standards, look elsewhere. This game isn't remotely similar to the prolific first person shooters that dominate the market today; Undertale is a bullet hell of a different caliber entirely.