I'm gonna be honest. The only reason I bought this 8 year old game in 2022 is because of all the memes that sprung up earlier this year. So I spent 19.99 Euros to understand the origins of these memes. What I got instead, was a timeless masterpiece of a game that got me addicted just after beating the tutorial, which has one of the best, if not the best bossfight ever. But truth be told, the soundtrack is hard-carrying this game. Sure, the gameplay has its moments and the graphics are not half-bad for being 8 years old, but the soundtrack is just a chef's kiss. I still have not found another game that has a soundtrack on par with this gem. And then you have the characters. I don't know how, but they are all just so likeable, even with the small exposition each character gets in the campaign. If there is one issue this game has, it is the camera system. It does not feel good using it a lot of times, and might even get you killed. Trying for an 100% on this game can also be a bit tedious but if you are just playing it for the enjoyment, then this game delivers. All in all, I have no major complaints with my purchase and I have zero regrets buying this masterpiece. I thank the memes for introducing me to this game. After all, memes are "the DNA of the soul". ;)

After seeing Doki Doki Literature Club and MiSide doing a collab on Steam sold this game for me. Considering the fact that I see DDLC as one of my top 10 games of all time, if not the best, got me interested in what the game has in common that made the two collab. On the surface, this is your classic waifu dating simulator. Mita, with her Japanese default voice, is your digital companion you meet through an app on your phone and after "playing with her" on your phone for multiple days straight, she makes it possible for you to "meet her" ingame. Once there, you get to spend time with her. Inheriting all the classic traits of a lovable companion, like kindness and always insists on doing what you want. You interact, play video games, cook food and generally just have a great time together. But just like DDLC, this game has the psychological horror tag to it which means there is more to Mita than meets the eye. In order to avoid spoilers, I will not go into detail, but let's just say she has a dark side she does not want you to know about. And once you as a "player" (that is what you are referred to as ingame cause the game likes to be self-aware) start to investigate and realise the cracks in her facade the horror elements starts showing. Or you can choose not to notice these cracks and live happily ever after. The game can be seen as "harem" considering the fact that you meet multiple other versions of Mita as well, in your quest for answers. These other versions differ in personality: some are more kind, others more energetic and some a bit hostile. But here is where I have to state my honest opinion. I liked this game, like a lot. Probably one of my top 10 games played in 2025, but it's not on par with DDLC in my overall rating. Like don't get me wrong, the game was great, but I felt like it gravitated a bit much towards the horror aspect. The characters are not as fleshed out and you don't spend as much time with each character like you do in DDLC. But that is besides the point. This review is about MiSide and not DDLC. But one cannot help to draw similiarites between the two games. The soundtrack in this game was decent. Most of it, is just ominous, horror music but the main menu music is straight up fire. I enjoy the "fourth-wall breaking" aspects of the game, like how Mita gets upset at the main menu if you try to close the game or how the "Exit game" button tries to avoid your mouse when you hover over it. Now, about the psychological horror aspect of the game, which I liked a lot. Apart from the occasional scare here and there (got scared a few times), it makes you question your every day, monotonous lifestyle and if there was a way to get away from it all. I can relate to this on a deep level, cause much like the protagonist, my life is just spent inside this square box of a room and I barely go out and each day feels the same, whether it is a Monday or a Saturday. So I definitely fall into the target audience, especially considering the fact that I don't even have a Valentine for this year's Valentine's day for example. All in all, this was a great game and an experience for me, that I will cherish fondly. The game had a great mix of enjoyable characters, horror and dating simulator. It made me question my current lifestyle and to some extent agree with some of the underlying messages the game was trying to relay to you as a player. Definitely a game I would recommend. An enjoyable 10 hours of gameplay with a creative and fun 100%. 10/10, would bonk Cappie on the head again.