Recent reviews by sonflower

wet asphalt, oak, and dusty tomes; the stillness of a scorching midsummer. steel. static. air rich with decaying fruit. everyone drunk on music, nostalgia, spirits, memories. sweaty. sobbing. not quite there

phoenix springs is a point and click neo-noir mystery game which is enjoyable if you give yourself over to its sensuality and love for the abstract. its mechanics are straightforward - mainly clicking on a list of clues, actions, and objects to tease out information on your missing brother from the grimy world around you - but its story is slow and nonlinear with few clear cut answers. a guide may come in handy if you find yourself running back and forth a little too much.

yet, if you can match its pace, it's so worth it. the voice acting is excellent and noise and synths build swells of dread throughout the entire game. also, a major shout out to that art style. you can almost smell the ink from a woodblock print or comic book page in every single scene. it's so striking!

there are a few visual things to be mindful of, however. a fine layer of rippling static overlays the whole game. if any of you also experience visual snow, it's pretty similar. there are also some white screens and, near the end, some flashing imagery. this is one of the few cases where i see these elements as being powerful creative decisions, but there isn't any warning in the game or any way to turn them off. so just a heads up. you can turn subtitles on or off, though.

so, if you are okay sinking into something gritty and rather lynchian, i definitely recommend giving phoenix springs a try. it demands you slow down, but there's something beautiful in breathing with wherever a game takes you.

an unexpectedly captivating game which joyfully bends the definition of a jigsaw puzzle fifty times over. it's certainly for fans of lateral thinking puzzles.

in terms of accessibility, the game features a colourblind mode and multiple options for hard of hearing people. there's nothing flashing, though white screens and light backgrounds are prominent. and, if you ever get stuck, the creator has your back with a website featuring hints for each puzzle. (also, it didn't take me five hours. the game was left open!)

i really didn't expect this one to pull me in as much as it did. i lost count of all the 'woah... cool!!' moments inspired by its creativity. so satisfying. 'strange jigsaws' may have just refreshed my love for puzzle games! what a solid way to start off 2026 (:

(also posted to backloggd)

an engaging mystery which soon blossoms into something heartfelt, this game asks you to piece together scattered statements from those connected to the unsolved disappearance of a young girl.

it's an extremely grounded game with realistic characters and compelling dialogue. it's also super text-based - you basically sift through sprawling chat logs, making connections and unlocking new information to reference. it's totally my thing, but, if a wall of text will put you to sleep, it may not be yours.

the main issue, however, is that there's no tutorial! i recommend looking up a guide if you're ever frustrated by the mechanics. coloured text indicates important and interactive names, dates, keywords, and different puzzle types. there's also a map in the bottom right corner... definitely use that. it helps the ui feel less tedious by the end.

'no case should remain unsolved' also uses dark, gentle tones with only the occasional tiny splash of bright colour. so nice!! all its movement might've been a bit dizzying if i'd played with a migraine, but it wouldn't have been a huge deal.

otherwise! what a satisfying game! i loved wrestling with its patchwork story, making up my own theories, and flowing with its shifting emotions. i had a lovely afternoon playing. it's fun to unravel the mystery, yet it also makes you want to go hug your loved ones after, you know? i can't help but find that beautiful.

what an incredibly satisfying sequel. we've probably all reached a point in a story that is so intense, so high stakes, that we catch ourselves giving in to reading a few paragraphs ahead. misericorde volume two: white wool and snow delivers so many of these moments in a medium that denies you the quick satisfaction of its answers. the tension is delicious, driving, impossible to turn away from... even moreso than in the first instalment. i recommend it a thousand times over.

our protagonist, poor hedwig, is still deep in unraveling who killed one of her fellow nuns. as she befriends her new sisters, the paranoid guilt from straying from her faith and spying on the others threatens to break her... yet we also see her become more confident, more herself, even in her deception.

we also see her wrestle with that painful contradiction, whether it be laughing, leaping in the rain; with her heart racing as she tells yet another lie; and in the way she clings steadfast to ideals of justice that even she struggles to believe are worthwhile. it's so beautifully done. and, for all of this, we're left wanting even more answers than we're given. this is absolutely a visual novel for those who love character studies.

misericorde volume two also dives a little more into how the supernatural intersects with faith. the real and the mystical blur together until it's hard to discern what is rooted in illusion and what isn't. 10/10, honestly.

this game is more explicit than the first. there's blood! and sapphic sex! and a whole lot of wild fluidity in sexual relationships and attraction, giving hedwig plenty of moments to panic over. but, for those not as inclined, violence and nudity can be censored. i believe images are all that's censored and not text. i'm uncertain, though. the game immediately called me a pervert for my decisions. but, if anyone needs to know the level of censorship, i'm happy to go back and check things out for you. just let me know!

in terms of migraine, high contrast black and white is not easy on light sensitivities without a screen dimmer. there are a few scenes with flashes of white, and the last chapter is the brightest. (this excludes the hidden chapter you can find after the game ends)

misericorde is straight up one of the most gripping stories i've ever read and certainly one of the best visual novels. i love every character so much. even in their flaws, there's beauty and playfulness and compassion, women trying their best to enjoy their lives. white wool and snow was an instant favourite, even with the last instalment still on the way. do yourself a favour and check it out. <3

the whole time i played this game i kept thinking the very specific thought that milo and the magpies feels like something made by a birdwatcher in their fifties. it turns out that's because it pretty much was!

it's partly the aesthetics and partly its subdued sense of humor - however, while i may not be the intended audience and not everything was my vibe, i'm not sure if i've ever felt as calm and embodied after playing a game as i did when this one ended. the piano music, the handpainted art, and all the pretty imagery of trees and birds just put me right at ease.

this game is a simple point-and-click adventure that tasks you with helping a lost kitty find his way back home after being scared off by magpies. there isn't much more of a narrative, though! it's cozy and only took about ninety minutes to complete.

unfortunately, i got stuck on a level with a very annoying barking dog. i probably should have looked at a guide sooner as the repetitive sound broke both the flow of my experience and my concentration a fair bit. checking a guide was worth it, and i otherwise didn't find anything frustrating.

a heads up that for some lightning flashing at the end, but (for me) it was infrequent enough not to set off a migraine attack.

i definitely recommend saving this one for a cozy evening or a rainy day, or perhaps even an early morning spent on the porch! at heart, milo and the magpies simply calls for hot chocolate, a fluffy blanket, and a kitty asleep in your lap.

(copied from my backloggd, but edited for steam)

back in 2019, the artist 'in love with a ghost' released a song quite dear to me - the ending theme for heart of the woods. i vaguely knew it was part of a visual novel, but i didn't know how much i'd love those just yet. it was exciting to finally experience such a lovely song as it was intended!

heart of the woods is a fantasy, lesbian visual novel in which a youtuber, tara (who's trans!), and her manager, maddie, head to a remote village. they crash at a fan's cabin to film an episode based on local legends and the paranormal. as maddie is leaving the show, things are tense, and it's not relieved even by discovering they're very much in danger - although it all certainly doesn't stop maddie from falling in love with a woman who died 200 years prior.

you'll get to make decisions only three times, and there are three possible endings. its narrative balances sugary sweet romance and soft visuals with surprisingly realistic dialogue, nuanced interpersonal conflicts, well written characters, and a willingness to stare grief in the face. it even has pretty solid voice acting and beautiful art! if you find anyone's personality abrasive, as you very well might, give them a chance. every character's anxiety comes through differently and no one is the same by the end.

there are a few cheesy parts - the antagonist often felt melodramatic, some of the in-game music didn't hit for me, and i struggled with one character's tendency to always be excitedly yelling (although you can control the volume of individual character voices!), but they're not a huge deal overall.

sudden white screens were hard for me with migraine, but the game still boasts a ton of accessibility features, such as image descriptions, turning off screen shake, a dyslexic friendly font, etc.

anyway, it makes my heart so happy to know that one of my favourite songs is part of such a charming story. heart of the woods is enchanting, as good with dread as it is with gentleness, yet certainly leaning more into a grounded sense of calm. i'll definitely be checking out more from this studio. so if you play, enjoy! and, if you get the good ending, let the credits finish for the epilogue.

p.s. i left the game running by mistake so many times!! i have no idea how long i played for. it was not for twenty four hours. okay, have fun <3

"...You think of your relationship to your own body, this frame that you were forced into that has never quite felt like your own. You realize that this feeling is not unique to you. No one gets to choose their body. Everyone has to contend with the entropy of their flesh.

And, in that realization, you suddenly feel less alone."

citizen sleeper 2: starward vector may not always have the smoothest experience in terms of mechanics, but nearly every decision made serves its narrative beautifully. this game is largely a direct commentary on data rights and digital sovereignty, on the dangerous, nonconsensual commodification of who we are. it explores who controls what and how this power is abused, how everyday people pay the price with our bodies and mental health, and how this particularly intensifies life for many of us who are chronically ill.

just as in citizen sleeper 2, people in reality are pushed to their limits again and again solely for the gain of systems who disregard our suffering and ultimately view us as disposable. but we build community, when we can. we strive for better.

i played on the easiest mode, the one recommended for those who want to focus on the story. even here, the game is intense in a way the first game simply isn't. you again play as an escaped android being hunted down by your captor. but you're hopping from place to place, taking on contract work to afford your journey, having to always think ahead to avoid his deadly grasp.

something unknown also happened to you when you first fled - you are now running with few memories and a sense of wrongness in your body. and, while there are no to-the-minute timers, stricter dice mechanics and set amounts of turns help build a sense of urgency. nonetheless, you (and a close friend who escaped with you) befriend others along the way and slowly gather your own crew.

i've seen a fair bit of dislike for things i really loved about this game, things that i felt were well thought out from a story perspective. so i want to get into that a little bit.

for example, many maps feel similar to one another. a distinct sense of place at first glance is rather lacking compared to what we're given in the first game. but, as most of these places were originally designed by corporations, i found the repetitive aesthetics felt like a reflection of their far reaching, utilitarian influence. the story's elegant writing, not the art (although it's also well done, alongside yet another stunning soundtrack), provides a peek into the unique lives and experiences of inhabitants through encounters and conversations, slowly painting a larger image of place and interconnectedness over time.

not to mention that you are playing someone transient. sense of place can be something built through familiarity, something your character is constantly denied in spite of their desires. and they're not the only one. many of these areas are inhabited by refugees and by those who have also recently lost what they once had, far from home and now building anew in the ruins of the past.

i also love the crew you gather! even though you live with your crew, interaction is mainly during their own storylines and the ways they're naturally woven into your story. it's fantastic. games frequently present transactional relationships: if you do this thing you know a character likes, or give them the right gift, you are one step closer to getting another point to unlock even more access to them. non-player characters also often tend to revolve around the player - they may be available at predictable times of day, if not always, for you to engage with to some degree.

citizen sleeper 2 grants its non-player characters tremendous agency in that they are not at your beckoning call. through gradually building trust with them they may ask to join your crew. eventually. and even then they only give you a bonus of two dice each (make sure to bring people out on contracts who will cover your weaknesses, though - you have each other's backs!).

playing to focus on the story doesn't make me the best person to speak to the dice mechanics. you can die in this game and on easy mode i never came close to it. nonetheless, i know the mechanics are convoluted and often partly why people describe this game as frustrating - a set amount of dice per day, multiple ways dice can break or be debuffed, skill checks, a stress bar that goes up if you fail a roll... these elements aren't perfect, but honestly? aside from wishing you could have multiple save files per game, i love the narrative concepts here so much that i don't mind the flaws.

see, in my experience, the frustration in this game felt so deeply familiar as someone chronically ill that it drew me in. rolled too low to do anything this cycle? well, often with chronic illness, some days you can't do anything but stay home and still time ticks on whether you like it or not. sometimes your body doesn't even seem like yours. eventually it isn't tragic, it's just the way things sometimes are... although it certainly is infuriating if you remember the way capitalism and those who puppet its machinery have ground you down for their own benefit. sure, you can risk pushing yourself past your limits, like with the push mechanic in this game, but it might not be worth the pain it causes. it's like that whether you're disabled or not. perhaps you'll just try again tomorrow.

and yes, it was migraine friendly for me! i appreciate that this one was a birthday gift <3 it is just so lovely to play a queer game that has so many parallels to my own views of and experiences in this wild world we all share.

lastly, citizen sleeper 2 excels at weaving success and failure seamlessly into its story - did your contract crash and burn because of your low rolls? okay. you may not get what you planned for, but as long as you don't die the story continues on and so do you and your loved ones, making the best of it if you're open to where failure takes you.

so everything may fall apart - your plans, your body. but not your stubbornness, not your commitment to keep going, not your love for a world that is nowhere near as forgiving as it should be. still. you're here. let's keep trying.

"But mistakes can so often become the most powerful and meaningful of emblems. They can guide a being more strongly than any success ever could.

That's because at the heart of every mistake is the possibility of change, of a shift in the status quo. You have lived a life of mistakes as much as a life of successes, and look where it has brought you.

So you accept the memory, let it wash over you like the sun."

(originally posted on my backloggd)

the house in fata morgana surprised me by being truly as beautiful and powerful as i've heard many say. the art feels like something from a storybook (so many facial expressions on its delicately drawn sprites!), its music will stay with me for the rest of my life, and the care poured into its characters and intricate story completely won my heart. *so* lovely. as others have said, it is definitely a visual novel that's best experienced without knowing too much of what's ahead. still, you should know some of what you're getting into.

the basic premise is that you awaken in a dark mansion with a maid kneeling at your feet. she somehow knows you, although you don't know who you are. so, to help you regain yourself, she walks you through a series of memories that take place within the house.

the house in fata morgana is a genuinely brutal tragedy. it has themes of grief, relationships, martyrdom, misogyny, patriarchy, power, isolation, religion, ideas of normalcy, forgiveness, and obsession. there are men being awful. you will see characters in their lowest places, struggling with mental health and who they are. even when it's a little on the nose or theatrical, fata morgana handles these themes with impressive grace. this visual novel is easily a favourite of mine.

for content warnings, there is also torture, murder, gore, sexual assault (mainly off screen, but still intense), and abuse. there are more warnings you can look up, at the risk of spoilers! as well, the authors note that not all the language they use they agree with, but that occasionally makes it hard to tell what words are used intentionally or not. (so, a reminder that words like 'w**re' and 'savage' aren't to be used as insults, and to call sex workers what they are - sex workers, etc.) later in the story, i was also surprised by someone leaning hard into bioessentialism. but! i'm glad i kept reading. many characters in fata morgana deserve a chance to grow. considering their circumstances, they often have so much working against them.

it was the story's tenderness that caught me off guard moreso than the brutality, however. what a relentless, heartbreaking examination of seeking a better everyday life! the story as a whole just has so much love, patience, and respect for its characters and the trauma they carry. one scene depicts someone experiencing gentle touch at the hands of a lover after knowing only violence - i had to take a break afterward. i will never forget the beauty of that scene.

in terms of accessibility, fata morgana includes extremely photosensitive characters while unfortunately ignoring any readers who might be similar. there are a few white screens and many intense rapid flashes of white as the story unfolds. some can be predicted, but definitely not all of them! they were effective, i guess? they didn't make me feel good.

but. otherwise. some things quite close to my heart fata morgana has spun into words and set to one of the most stunning soundtracks i've ever heard. its characters truly seem to breathe, grounded by the music and brought to life by lovely prose and detailed art - with its cheesier moments being easy to forgive. and, while the story may not get everything right, it's powerful to find characters so well written that you see parts of yourself reflected back to you even if you took your own path and live a different identity. the moments i couldn't strongly relate to also had such emotional weight that i could still appreciate everything very much. the story felt quite long, but it is all so expertly woven together that in the end i didn't mind.

so, if you're okay with its themes, i'd recommend the house in fata morgana again and again and again. it's worth the time for something this beautiful! i would adore if, perhaps, we both fell in love with this flawed masterpiece.

playing this was a powerful experience as i have had the same symptoms as the protagonist for quite a long time. all over body pain. fatigue. flares of intermittent burning, tingling, and numbness primarily in my hands and arms. on high pain days i'm thankful that visual novels are my favourite kind of game, seeing as i can often let them play out before me without pressing many buttons.

earlier in december, after twelve years and a referral that took three years to go through and that, by chance, brought me to an expert in what turned out to be my specific issue, i finally got a significant diagnosis. there may be more to come, yet it's relieving to be diagnosed. still. it makes me angry that i count as lucky.

it's safe for me to say this game is *accurate*, at least in my experience. if you'd like a bit more knowledge on what it's like to be chronically ill while navigating the medical system, check this game out! but i encourage anyone curious to give it a try, even if you relate to the game. while not super in depth, it could likely either be validating or eye opening. at least a little bit.

the goal of this simple game is to get a diagnosis for what's causing your chronic pain. it's pretty much a simulator of the process, requiring management of meds, doctors, rest, fun, and work, to balance financial stability, mental wellbeing, and, of course, pain. everyday life stuff.

i suppose one thing it doesn't touch on is what comes after a diagnosis... after possibly years of seeking what you need, if you finally get it, it might be time for more targeted pain management (if possible), lifestyle changes, more appointments, and so on! but the initial diagnosis is perhaps the biggest hurdle.

so try to be gentle with yourself, if you are facing similar struggles as shown in this game, and with those around you who also have to push through similar systemic issues all just to have pain and disability - eventually, hopefully - taken seriously! the game is right: it's not fun. we often know our bodies far better than those who gatekeep care.

play the game if you're curious, though. (: it took me less than twenty minutes. it has some bright screens, but nothing that hurt me with blue light blocking lenses.

okay? ...okay. but either way, i love you. i hope you get some rest. 💙

this vn is lovely so far - slow, dark and dreamlike, and somehow quite gentle even when it feels suffocating deep in the heart of all the heaviness it portrays.

the music is incredible and the whole thing manages to read like a poem, yet nonetheless the conversations feel natural. it's beautiful and inspiring! and i'm happy for simple but important details too, like being able to skip back to reread text. i'm looking forward to the full release. <3