Recent reviews by Nightlily

I love this vn so much. I was initially interested in it because of the art style (which is genuinely gorgeous) and then I found out about the potential for disaster relationships and I couldn't throw my money at it fast enough lol. Shout out to the Ari/Marius/Raeann dynamic in particular; chaotic-stupid power level off the charts and we love that lmfaoooo. 1000% would kill and die for them again <3 The characters all have such vivid personalities and so much heart that by the end even characters I didn't end up interacting with too much were still tugging at my heartstrings.
On top of that, basically every choice really feels like it matters. Currently partway through my second playthrough and although I was initially going to rush through it to see a different ending, I truly immediately got sidetracked by curiosity and I'm so glad for it because it ended up being a super fascinating route. And I love that I can't even call one choice better than the other. This really doesn't feel like one of those vn's where there's a "right" way to do things, it's just up to who you are and how you wanna do things, and that's honestly the most powerful move for a game imo.
So much fun. Can't wait to get back to it and let this game destroy my heart more <3

If Found is a game that I've been meaning to review for quite a few days now, but it's hard for me to express just how precious and good this little gem is. First off, Kasio is such a easily lovable character, and the other three main kiddos are very full of personality and charm too. They make it so easy to get caught up in the story, also helped greatly by the way the story is presented in the first place. It unfolds so smoothly and erasing everything to progress the story is quite satisfying and engaging (especially considering I went into this thinking it would play like your standard visual novel, just clicking to advance dialogue). Not to mention it's a delight to look at. The colors are gorgeous and the art style itself is really cozy and looks fantastic. Oh, and the music! After the initial track, it's so subtle for a while but before I even noticed it, it really came up and into its own. After finishing, I couldn't help getting the soundtrack especially to hear the last few songs again.
The only real bone I have to pick is that the sci-fi bits toward the end feel a little out of place, especially since by that point I was so utterly invested in Kasio and what was happening with her that the other storyline only served to detract from the experience for me and break immersion. Especially in the epilogue where I picked Aunt Mags to see if she was still in Kasio's life and I was suddenly treated to space pirate stuff???
But regardless of that small qualm, this game has such a meaningful and heart-filled story to be told. Absolutely worth it, particularly if you love character-driven stories <3

I don't usually write reviews for games, but this one...This one is special.
The story is insanely compelling. I finished it in only a few sittings and it took that long purely because there were a couple parts so heartbreaking that I had to put it down for a bit, otherwise I'm sure I would've pushed myself through it all in a day. I love a good mystery and man, does this one deliver. The characters are unique; you'll love some, you'll hate some, but in the end they all really do bring life to the story. There's just one that is significantly blander than others. He has some spotlight early game, but then becomes very flat and two-dimensional shortly after, though it does seem he was designed that way. It's a shame, but it almost doesn't even matter since the other characters are so interesting and a few MUST BE PROTECTED AT ALL COSTS, ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥.
The gameplay is engaging too. The powers that you unlock as you go are pretty fun to mess around with. Admittedly, I forgot to use a couple special mechanics a few times but not because they're uninteresting, simply that the game reminds you of these after you switch characters the first couple times but fails to even tell you what some of the later character's abilities do in the first place. Which is fine for most of them, almost all of them are easy enough to figure out, but one is still a complete mystery to me despite completing the game and each of its endings.
All that said, Why Am I Dead At Sea is an excellent game that very unexpectedly has climbed to the higher ranks of my favorite games, and it's probably going to stick in my mind for a long while. If you're looking for a game to keep you on your toes and maybe emotionally punch you in the gut a few times, and you're not averse to some darker themes, definitely check this one out.

One of the absolute best games that tackles depression and suicide, and WOW does it tackle them without hesitation. The Cat Lady does this while being surreal and badass, yet still totally understandable and relatable. It also has a way of being wonderfully empowering. My online Steam hours don't reflect it, but this is a game I find myself coming back to whenever I hit a really rough spot (which is something I can't fully recommend because honestly, the beginning is quite hard to get through in one piece when you're in that vulnerable state) because it feels so familiar, even on your first playthrough. Like, you can tell that this was made with the utmost care, and by someone who's hit those lows before and gets it. Susan is such a real character, you can't help but feel for her. Major props to the voice actress Lynsey Frost because she definitely helped a lot in that regard. Susan would not be Susan without her.
The atmosphere is really something else. The game does a very good job of isolating you and letting you know that you are in the world of The Cat Lady now, and there will be some goofs and badassery and general weirdness, but it will all be with a somber, thoughtful undertone and it works so beautifully well. The soundtrack lends a lot to this, it's simply stunning.

I have to admit that I'm finally writing this review after playing through this five times or so because I have now gotten the golden ending which I did not realize was a thing and I am so overwhelmed by happy tears and love for this ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ wonderful game that I could not stop myself from attempting to infect others with my adoration for The Cat Lady.

Tl;dr: this game is a masterpiece and I love it with everything I have

Kholat does a splendid job of creating an eerie, unsettling atmosphere almost right from the get-go. The music is a great aid to that.
If you're bad with a map and compass, I have some bad news and some good news. Bad news is that you're going to spend quite a lot of time looking at these tools, figuring out which way to go, and then realizing you have absolutely no idea where you are. But worry not, good news is that you're going to find that you come out of this game with much better directional skills than you had before! :D
I've seen complaints about the story and lack of explanations, and I can't say I 100% disagree. In the moment, while going through the game, the notes and clues didn't always seem to really have any connection to each other, and that was okay. But then you get closer to the end and start realizing the way in which they're supposed to be connected, and then you finally get to the ending and, well, it all just falls a little flat. I feel like this is one of those games that would very much have benefitted from a scattered and inconclusive story/ending (especially considering the actual event this is based from). Things are far more terrifying when they're left to the imagination.
All that said, I do still recommend Kholat. Maybe not a 'YOU MUST PLAY THIS' but more of a 'If you're looking for a spooky time, this is a good one.' Despite the ending, it's still an extremely enjoyable journey that does a very good job of putting you on edge and keeping you on said edge, letting you squirm a bit. Also teaching you how to use a map and compass! :P

Kokurase is a game I had a lot of fun with. I feel like it is important that I note that I think of it as less an RPG and more a highly-interactive visual novel. There is a lot of running around, but you'll be doing a good amount more reading than anything else. On that note though, the story is very entertaining if you're into high school romance hijinks. The art style is quirky and appealing, and the music is splendid. A couple tracks do get a little old by the time you get to ep 3 since they play so much, but there are a couple of really stellar tracks introduced in that same episode that balanced it out for me.
Can't wait for the next part which, if the end of ep 3 is any indication, will give us some nice and much-needed backstory for a couple of our main characters.

Year Walk is an enticingly atmospheric game. It does a wonderful job of building tension as you're wandering through the woods with the beautiful soundtrack. The puzzles are all satisfyingly challenging (though that does not extend to the achievements; a couple are strangely obtuse for no reason but are at least easy to obtain with a guide).
Most of all, I appreciate the in-game encyclopedia of the folklore inspiring the game. Read through it as soon as I started up the game, and I felt like it really added to the experience, knowing a bit about the creatures I would run into. Also did a good job of really setting the tone for the game.
The two endings do leave something to be desired, but (for what feels like the first time ever) I wasn't too put off by this. For me, Year Walk was very much about the journey rather than the destination. The story, when we get down to it, is frustratingly heartbreaking. But if you're able to put that aside, it's a great little game.
Ultimately, a short but worthwhile adventure.

Note: Played four runs of this offline, so time recorded is really about a fifth of what I actually spent on it.

Oxenfree is one of those games that I love so much that I fear recommending it to others because most of my explanations have a habit of devolving into "It's so good just PLAY IT," but I'll try my best.

I'm sure I'm biased because I love these kinds of peculiar supernatural setups, but the story is so engaging. The excellent voice work and soundtrack definitely contribute to that in a big part, but I think the way dialogue is done also helps. I do feel like dialogue options tend to disappear a bit too fast, but once you realize, "Oh ♥♥♥♥, I can't wait for them to finish their thought, I have to chime in now!" it gets a little easier. And those moments felt a lot more natural than when you have a choice to make or an action to do that takes a bit of time, resulting in characters impatiently continuing to talk to fill the silence.
Performance-wise, the game ran more or less fine but for whatever weird reason, the Discovery Cliffs (the bottom half in particular) slows the framerate a ridiculous amount. I have no idea why, but if I had to pick a bone with this game, that would be why. It happens for seemingly no reason (no sfx or anything happening on screen, just traversing down the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ rocks) and it really destroys any sort of immersion that may have built as you were getting into the game and meeting the other two members of the group.
Those things aside though, it's a really fun game with great atmosphere, good characters, and an amazing story. Not to mention the replayability. The game practically compels you to come back and go through it again and again, especially when you realize that things are a bit different during subsequent playthroughs.
An instant favorite. Can't wait to see what Night School Studio does in the future.

I played this offline in early access, so my playtime should be closer to 2.5 hours or so, but this still is a fairly short game all the same. Typically I don't really like such short games. A few hours can't possibly be enough time to really get a satisfying experience, right? This is more or less the only gripe I have with the game, though. I just wish there was more. It's a charming platformer with creative worlds to explore and nice atmospheric music to really suck you into this strange little land. (Oh, and a copy of the OST comes free with the game!)
There are some bugs here and there, but I personally didn't run into anything gamebreaking, so I can't say I was too put-off on that front. Even then, the dev has been in the forums working to fix things as people report them, so with any luck that point will be resolved with time.
As an inexpensive game that clearly has so much love put into it, I'd say despite the short hours it lasted, it was 100% worth the money I spent on it.

This game. THIS GAME. It's so quirky and hilarious and challenging and COMPLETELY addicting. I'm fairly certain I'm now doomed to play this for the rest of my life. And I'm quite okay with that. Add on to all of that the fact that I managed to grab this wonderful thing on sale for 99 cents, and I kind of feel like I totally robbed someone and took off with their first-born child. Like a ninja.