Okay, hivemind, what games are y’all into right now? I’m loving Hello Kitty Island Adventure on my switch, but there’s a lot of real-time waiting around and I’m looking for something I can really sit down and veg out with. I like cozy, indie, horror, and resource management, and I can also get down with a good dating sim. I tagged some of my favorites, and I mainly play Switch and PC. Give me some recommendations, please? 🥺
With the Bioware implosion and the likely end of Dragon Age, a lot of people have been saying "just buy indie games, they're better!" Unfortunately, indie stuff has a harder time getting heard about by people who don't eat, sleep, and breathe that medium.
There's also the reality that triple-A rpg games provide types of experiences that, to my knowledge, a lot of indie games can't match because of lack of funding (long-running play times, a lot of customizable choice options, romance, queerness, and immersive lore being top things that come to mind). But smaller games can still capture individual elements really well.
Since so much of it is word of mouth to hear about this stuff? If you know of any indie games with elements that might appeal to Bioware players, why not use this moment to boost them, or browse for new games yourself?
I'll start with 2 of my own:
Arcade Spirits
This is a visual novel where the basic premise is that the arcade game crash never happened. You live in an alternate 21st century where arcades are still prevalent. And you meet/hang out with a lot of people in the Arcade. Who you can choose to get together with, if you're interested. And then replay if you want to romance someone else.
It's been a while since I played this game and I'm not sure it was entirely my thing. But it's probably the only overtly queer dating sim I know of, besides like, Dream Daddy, which I've never played. It also deals with stuff like trying to find stability for art/small businesses under capitalism, building community. If I recall, it's trans inclusive in terms of the character you play and your romance options as well. If what you like best about Bioware games is queer romance, this is probably a good indie choice.
Citizen Sleeper
I've been yelling about this game for years, because it's one of my favorites. To the point that I've actually replayed it. Which is how you can tell I really like a game.
This is an anticapitalist rpg where you are a corporately-owned robot with biological elements. Now you've escaped to a small struggling space station, but your body will not survive on its own outside corporate control. You must do work, build relationships, and manage your energy levels in order to survive.
Gameplay mechanics are like if a visual novel had the dice roll element of Disco Elysium. The tone is sort of desperately wistful, and all the music is lofi, giving it a dreamlike, melancholy, quietly hopeful vibe. One might say it feels both moody and cozy.
If what you like about DAO/DA2 is being able to play as a fantastically marginalized character trying to carve out a space for yourself in an oppressive society that has no place for you? This isn't exactly "gritty" in the traditional Dragon Age sense. It's somehow both sadder, and a lot more chill; at times even sweet. But the game relies heavily on dice rolls and managing your resources in the beginning, and things often feel bleak and difficult, especially to start out. Also you can participate in a little direct action, if you play a certain way.
Nobody uses gendered language for you, and because of the way it works you won't "see" yourself very much. But there's three default bodies you can choose from which all have different base proficiencies, with one body presenting as more traditionally masculine, one a bit more feminine, and one that seems a little more androgynous. It's also inclusive in that you'll meet other unmistakably queer people throughout the game.
There's supposedly multiple endings, though I don't think that means the same thing as it does in most games. I won't say more due to spoilers.
And last but not least, the sequel came out this weekend (which is what reminded me to make this post in the first place!!). The original Citizen Sleeper is on sale now through Feb 14th on Steam for like 70% off ($6 US). Or a bundle of $25 US for both the game and it's sequel.
A lot of dating sims are like "pick the right options for the best ending!" (often with some wiggle room), but that's not how any relationships work irl, platonic or romantic. The only time i've ever seen this properly addressed is in Arcade Spirits: The New Challengers, which has a stat system based on what personality traits are associated with each choice, and those are more for character building than anything else (although it does get you points with whichever characters value the personalities you have the highest stats in), but there's ALSO the "no good choices" mechanic, where your answer is never going to be, well, a good choice. Sometimes it's because every choice fucking sucks, sometimes it's because the main character has a lot of shit they need to work through and it's a character moment to understand what makes them the way they are. But even when we fuck up an interaction, real people are often willing to give the benefit of the doubt, and if they aren't, well, they're probably not worth your time. You can accidentally be ableist to someone and like. maybe they'll give you another chance. You can end up pushing your loved ones away, but they'll try to help you because they know you. They know you're hurting.
Anyway play Arcade Spirits: The New Challengers. The game needs more love than it's gotten. I need to replay it myself.
