A few short months ago, I looked at my list of completed games for 2026, and I felt behind. I started the year off strong, and things tapered off quickly, which is when I had this crazy idea. What if I play 7 games in 7 days?

I loved the idea, then did nothing with it for a few more months. But recently I took a challenge with my friend to spend less time on my phone, and well, I got bored, or maybe motivated? And I started the 7-day game challenge.

For this challenge, I made a Steam collection of games under 4 hours using the ever-helpful website, howlongtobeat.com

I went through all my cozy games and was left with a hefty list of 38 potential games for the challenge. Each day, I picked a game on the list, and the only rule was to finish each game in one day.

Today, I’m here to say… “challenge complete!”

Below are my thoughts on each game I played and how long it took me to beat them.

Day 1: Find Your Words

Day Played: Thursday | Time to Beat: 66 minutes

This game is designed to shine a light on the ways we communicate beyond speech. You play as a non-speaking kid attending summer camp. It features a small open world where you’ll use a communication binder to make new friends and complete camp activities.

This game was short and easy, with a cute story, and was worth playing considering it’s free! It was a nice game to start the challenge off with and ease myself into completing one game a day. The vibes are similar to A Short Hike or other small open-world games.

Day 2: A Tiny Sticker Tale

Day Played: Friday | Time to Beat: 2.3 hours

In this game, you’ll solve puzzles by collecting and placing stickers around the world. Nearly everything in the game is a sticker waiting to be collected. And nearly every sticker has a purpose.

I loved the puzzle elements in this one. Not only are you placing stickers to help NPCs with their requests, but you also organize your stickers onto your sticker sheet, and if they don’t fit, you can’t take them with you… Sticker management in place of inventory management, I kinda love it. The puzzles were just challenging enough at times to keep me on my toes, but not frustrating.

Day 3: Lil Gator Game

Day Played: Saturday | Time to Beat: 3.8 hours

In Lil Gator Game, your goal is to get your older sister to take a break and play with you. And this sends you on an open-world adventure that’s all about imagination and nostalgia. You’ll explore the world, collect supplies, and make new friends in this Zelda-inspired adventure.

I love all the Zelda references, and the story is very cute, but I have a bad habit of skimming through dialogue, and I did myself a disservice about an hour in when I started skimming. The world is much bigger than I anticipated, and there are a decent number of quests to complete. After completing the game, you’ll receive a megaphone, which makes it easy to find NPCs that you still need to help. I thought this was a nice touch, and it got me to play the game a little longer after hitting credits.

Day 4: Toem: A Photo Adventure

Day Played: Sunday | Time to Beat: 5.2 hours (including post-credits content)

In this game you’ll use your camera to solve puzzles and collect stamps that will grant you bus tickets to your next destination. Once you collect enough stamps, the bus will take you to the next stop until you reach the final scenic destination.

I adore the use of the camera to solve puzzles, the black and white aesthetic, and the surprise at the end. It’s an easy game to get started- not tutorial-heavy. It has lots of items to catalog with your camera if you want, and a little bit of back-and-forth on the maps, but not in a frustrating way. Some things were hard to find and solve, but most of the time, it was pretty straightforward. This game has an entire bonus area after you hit credits, which gave me an additional hour of gameplay.

I’m excited for the second game!

Day 5: Behind the Frame

Day Played: Monday | Time to Beat: 71 minutes

Behind the Frame is a narrative-rich game with some puzzle elements. You play as an aspiring artist who is working on the final art piece for her gallery submission. You’ll uncover an emotional tale as you immerse yourself in the story and the game.

This game is a piece of art, and I know that all games are art, but this… this was a masterpiece. In just one hour, this game told an epic story of friendship and love that left me in tears and will probably stay with me for a long time.

The music was moving and brought the game to life. The gameplay was simple yet elegant, and made you feel like part of the story. I can’t go into the story without giving much away; you’ll just have to experience it for yourself. It’s poetic.

Day 6: Assemble With Care

Day Played: Tuesday | Time to Beat: 2 hours

In this game, you play as Maria, whose line of work is fixing things. You’ve just arrived to a new town and you’ll quickly get to know some of the townsfolk as you help them by repairing meaningful objects. This is a puzzle game, and you’ll be taking apart items, fixing what’s broken, and putting them back together again.

To be honest, I started this one a few years ago while on a road trip and didn’t get a chance to finish it. I’m glad I finally sat down and finished the rest. I find the puzzle mechanic here very interesting. It may seem a bit daunting at first to take apart an item, fix it, and put it back together. But there are some good visual and verbal hints to help you along the way. The story is sweet and the voice acting was a nice touch. I played on the Steam Deck, and I do wonder if it would be better played with a mouse and keyboard. I found the Steam Deck trackpad controls to be a bit finicky at times.

Day 7: Teacup

Day Played: Wednesday | Time to Beat: 87 minutes

You play as a shy frog named Teacup who is getting ready to host a tea party at her house. But the day before the party, you realize you are completely out of tea. You must venture through the world, and by helping those around you, you’ll find all the ingredients you need for your tea party.

This one was very slow-paced, and honestly, kinda boring. The story and gameplay are very simple - just walking around and solving a handful of puzzles. I just don’t think this one was for me. The story lacks depth to make it feel meaningful, and the mini-game puzzles didn’t add much to the experience. I did, however, love the art style and the music.

Challenge Complete

My two favorite games from the week were A Tiny Sticker Tale and Toem. I had the best time with these puzzle games and felt they both offered a unique experience I haven’t seen in other games.

Honorable mention goes to Behind the Frame for its memorable and heartwarming story.

What I Learned

Now that the challenge is complete, I’ve realized that I’m probably spending too much time on my phone. Each of these games was completed in the same amount of time as a single doomscroll session. Yes, I have scrolled for 4-5 hours before, and so have you. Don’t try to hide it! But even an hour of scrolling can keep you from some amazing experiences, ones that you’ll actually remember the next day.

My advice: put down the phone, play more games, read more books, enjoy more hobbies, and make life more memorable.

Want to SEE my 7-day journey? You can watch it on my YouTube channel. I appreciate the support!

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Two years ago, I covered my very first Steam Next Fest. I was new to YouTube and long-form video content, and I was excited to put a video up. I scrolled through hundreds of games and picked around 30 demos to play. One of them was Wax Heads.

I played the demo and fell in love. About half the demos I played made it to my little list video, including Wax Heads. It was so much work, but today I can say it was worth it.

Earlier this year, Wax Heads finally announced their release date. And before I knew it, I had a key in my hand with a sponsorship deal and I felt like I had come full circle.

Enough back story… let’s talk about the game I waited 2 years to play. Did it live up to my expectations?

Before we get into it, yes, I was sponsored by the team behind Wax Heads for a long-form video on my YouTube channel. But this post is not sponsored. And either way, it doesn’t change how I feel about the game. Spoiler… I love it.

What is Wax Heads

In Wax Heads, you start a new job at Repeater Records, a struggling record store owned by a former rock star. You’ll quickly learn the ropes and be selling records to customers in no time.

At first glance, you might think this is a management sim, but it’s actually more of a narrative puzzle game. We’ll dive more into that later.

I feel like this game combines elements of Tiny Bookshop and Good Pizza, Great Pizza. In Tiny Bookshop, your customers ask for recommendations, and in Wax Heads, you’ll be advising each and every customer on what to buy. But similar to Good Pizza, Great Pizza, your customers aren’t always very clear about what they want. In fact, they will never outright tell you what they are looking for.

And this is where Wax Heads sets itself apart (besides the unique punk-rock vibes), it adds some interesting puzzle elements that you can’t ignore if you want to be a great record salesman.

The Coolest Indie Game Ever

The record store feels cool, retro, funky, but still cozy. And all the music is original, and it’s excellent. I ended up purchasing the soundtrack on Steam, and I’ve been listening to it all week. I read online that the art for the game was inspired by Scott Pilgrim comics, and the final result absolutely adds to the overall vibes of the game. Everything here is working in unison to create the perfect punk-rock cozy world

Gameplay

Each work shift, customers will ask you to help them find a specific record, but they don’t exactly tell you what they want. You need to use the clues around you to find the right album. Clues can be found in all sorts of places, from what customers say to what they are wearing. Clues are also found in the album art, songs, artists, descriptions, and even your phone’s social media app, as well as various magazines.

The good news is there’s no rush here. Customers won’t line up, just take your time, explore the store, and find the record at your own pace. No penalties. Once you find the album you think is right, you can sell it to them, and you’ll find out right away if you got it right.

On top of all that, there are hidden secrets in the storage room, and don’t forget you can take work breaks and play Diggy Doggo on the arcade machine. It’s actually pretty fun, but very tricky.

My Experience

One of my favorite moments was when my coworkers invited me to the local bar to hear their band. While we were there, I got to help pick out everyone’s drinks and listen to the band play. This felt like a continuation of the gameplay mechanics, but in a different setting. It was completely unexpected and added a ton of depth to the game. Because this game isn’t just a shopkeeping simulator. It’s about the lore, the characters, the bands, your coworkers, and your rock-star boss. And it all comes together with nostalgic retro flair, drama, and quirks.

I finished the game in about 8.5 hours, and I really loved the story. By the time I finished the game, I felt like I knew all the ins and outs of the store. I knew everything about all the fake bands, their drama, their history. And I felt like a part of the community. My customers became regulars, and I helped them do more than just find music. My coworkers became friends, and I watched them achieve their dreams.

My Rating

I rate all my games out of 5 stars. This is an easy 5. It lived up to the hype I created in my head and even surpassed my expectations. I’m also a fan of the price, and think for $14.99 it’s well worth it, but I recommend you splurge on the soundtrack after you complete the game.

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I’m making a shift. I’m playing more retro. And I’m loving it. My first completed retro title of the year is Princess Debut. I’ve been playing on and off since February, which is a bit long considering this game took me just 4 hours to complete. I don’t think I can play a rhythm game for 4 hours straight, so cut me some slack, please. 10-15-minute intervals were my sweet spot.

Despite its repetitive gameplay, I fell in love with Princess Debut. If you’ve never heard of it, this girly pop game came out in 2008 on the Nintendo DS.

You play as a schoolgirl who finds herself transported into another realm where she meets a princess who looks just like her. The princess doesn’t want to attend the big ball at the end of the month, so you switch places. Now you have just 30 days to learn how to dance and find a hot date for the ball.

You’ll meet 6 princes and have various opportunities to select one to be your dance partner. Each day you wake up, go to dance practice, and explore the small kingdom in hopes of running into a prince and going on an impromptu date.

There are 1 or 2 minor dance competitions leading up to the final ball but mostly you practice dancing in the dance hall. Dance practice consists of a rhythm game where you guide the stylus across the bottom touch screen to complete the lines and shapes provided to you. It’s very important that you practice every day and use all your stamina (which increases as you level up). As you level up, you unlock new songs with different patterns to trace, and some of them get pretty tricky!

You don’t just unlock new songs; you can also unlock new outfits. Hats, hair accessories, and tiaras will grant you new outfits, and let me just say, some of them are a little risqué. You can obtain these items from leveling up, winning the smaller competitions, going on dates, etc.

In the end, you attend the ball, some drama goes down, but you’ll get the chance to live happily ever after with your final dance partner.

Then it’s time to replay. Why? To unlock the second set of music tracks, duh?! Oh and we can’t forget, we have to marry every prince, see every scene, and get every accessory to unlock every outfit.

I can see why so many women in my TikTok comments have raved about this game whenever I so much as mention it. I never played it or even heard of it before 2024, and I honestly picked it up on a whim after seeing a video on it. And despite the fact that I have no nostalgia for this game, the young girl in me embraced it with open arms.

It reminds me of the days when I would save scum in Harvest Moon SNES to see all the cut scenes or replay it over and over to marry each bachelorette. While I don’t often gravitate toward dating mechanics in modern games, there was something about this title that was so simple and endearing. It was easy. I didn’t have to memorize a list of their favorite foods or use a guide. We just danced.

I rate all my games out of 5 stars. I’m happy to say, in my book, Princess Debut is a 5-star game, even in 2026 with those crunchy pixel graphics. It holds up. And I want more.

Thank you all for reading, friends. Happy gaming, happy collecting, and we’ll see you in the next article, whenever that may be!

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I was skeptical going into this release. After seeing the first trailer for Pokémon Pokopia, I found it hard to believe that this game could be worth the $70 price tag. The world looked small, and honestly, it looked like there was very little to do. Surely this game is better suited for a $50 price range.

As we got closer to release, Nintendo did something right. They released more gameplay footage during the Pokémon Presents and followed up with a Treehouse event featuring the game. The Pokémon Presents trailer showed off a much bigger world that had me rethinking my original opinion. We were burned by Mario Kart World when they released a direct that showed no new features, so this was a pleasant surprise.

And then the reviews dropped. And they were great. In fact, it became the highest-rated Pokémon game in history. Or so I’m told, someone fact-check that, please. At this point not only have I gone from skeptical to excited for the game… but I found myself reevaluating my stance on Game Key Cards. I spiraled hard on this. The pros and cons, are an article for another day. Ultimately, launch day arrived, and I got my very first Game Key Card. But we’re not here to talk about GKC’s. Let’s talk about the game.

I think I’m starting to like Pokémon Pokopia

Day 1, I plug in my useless piece of plastic GKC and download the game. I decided to stream my first day of the game on YouTube. In the back of my mind, I thought the worst thing that could happen is we get time-gated about 2 hours in and switch to playing Animal Crossing.

2 hours later, and I can’t finish a single sentence or thought on stream without interrupting myself with a shiny new thing on screen. “Yeah, so as I was saying chat… what’s that?!”

I was very worried that we would run out of things to do, but I could have streamed all night if I hadn’t had to stop for dinner. Which only stopped me for a short while, as I jumped straight back into the game as I digested my delicious homemade quesadillas.

Story

The story here is quite simple, but even though I’m not far at the time of writing this, I have a feeling there will be lots of references to the original games. You’re a ditto, and you find yourself in this sad and dreary world that could use some help. You meet Professor Tangrowth, who enlists your help. Professor Tangrowth believes that if we restore the land, build habitats, and bring Pokémon back into the world, humans will return to this once thriving village.

Gameplay

So what is it like to play Pokémon Pokopia? Is it like Animal Crossing? No, I wouldn’t say so. It has similarities, yes, but it’s doing things quite differently. Instead of placing down villager homes, you’re building small but effective habitats for your favorite Pokémon to spawn into. Every habitat attracts different Pokémon, and spawn times and rates vary by rarity, time of day, or even the weather.

Once you have a new Pokémon friend, they’ll ask you to help make their habitat more comfortable. Some will leave you gifts to pick up, and others will teach you new abilities. And multiple Pokémon can follow you around at once, offering up their skills to your disposal.

Pokémon are a vital part of this world, as they will help you build and nourish the landscape around you. You can’t fix this world on your own! And the Pokémon are very lively in this game. They chase each other around, laugh and play, and every time I build a new house for them, I swear they throw a party.

Crafting is another big element of the game. These items are used not just to decorate, but to improve habitats for your Pokémon friends. Recipes are found throughout the world or can be purchased at the PC.

There are requests to fill, and challenges (similar to ACNH Nook Miles) to complete, and so many things to discover in the world. From new resources to Pokémon traces that give you information about new habitats to build. Poké Balls are all around with a variety of goodies inside. Everywhere you look, there is something new, and even in places that you’ve already looked before.

On top of all that, you have the main story, which will see you questing, discovering Pokémon, and learning new abilities across many biomes.

I really like Pokémon Pokopia

I had to pull myself away from the game to finish writing this. It’s just that good. Can y’all just finish reading this so I can go back to my game? Geesh!

All joking aside, this game has quickly become a favorite for me. I can easily see myself putting 70+ hours into this game, which would make the game well worth its price at $1 per hour of gameplay.

I had a ton of fun playing this weekend and even made the whole weekend Pokémon themed. There is something really special about that feeling you get when you don’t want to put a game down. It’s something I think most gamers chase. And when you find it… It becomes a core memory, like your first time playing Pokémon Red or Blue. It sticks with you forever.

Headings brought to you by the viral “I’m really starting to like…” trend on Tiktok. Did you catch the reference?

4 Years In The Making

Many moons ago, my brother, who is also an avid gamer, recommended a game to me. That game was The Wild at Heart on Nintendo Switch. Being that good younger sister that I am, I took his recommendation to heart. I bought the game on my 34th birthday.

It sat on my shelf.

Four years later, I decided it was time to finally play the game, which leads us to today.

I Should Have Played This Game Sooner

I always intended to play this game in autumn, but it just never happened. This year, I compiled a mini backlog of games that I’m committing myself to play in 2026. This game made the list. And yet, when I was contemplating which game to play this January, I almost didn’t pick this one. I found myself wanting to save it for autumn. But one screenshot changed my mind.

This wintery scene, found on the back of the Switch game case, was exactly the vibe I was looking for. You see, I have developed this cozy habit where I like to play games that match the current season. We’ve had an unusually warm winter for my neck of the woods, and I was craving a snowy wonderland.

Into The Woods, Into The Woods

In the Wild at Heart, you play as Wake and Kirby, who have both run away from home. They find themselves in a mysterious forest where they can command herds of Spritelings. These Spritelings have abilities that help you solve puzzles, defeat enemies, and explore further in the world.

This world is an autumn dream. Yes, I was looking for a winter wonderland, but fall is my favorite season, and I suppose I can appreciate fall vibes during IRL winter.

The game art is absolutely gorgeous. I haven’t seen a game capture those warm autumn tones better than this game. Well, except for maybe Witchwood, but that’s a story for another day.

Is Pikmin a Lemmings Dupe?

Going into this game, I knew that it would be like playing a Pikmin game, but I had never played a Pikmin game myself. This was a new experience for me, and I soon realized that Pikmin-style games are actually a lot like the Lemmings games from the 90s. I did play Lemmings growing up.

Similar to both Lemmings and Pikmin, your Spritelings are not immune to danger. However, it’s not nearly as stressful as accidentally sending all your Lemmings over an edge and into a pit of lava.

As you progress, you build up your army of Spritelings and unlock different types of Spritelings that can handle different enemies better and interact with different objects.

Is There Another Word For Puzzles?

At its core, this is a puzzle game. Unlocking new areas and acquiring key items all require you to solve a puzzle. I loved this part of the game. The puzzles were just difficult enough for you to use all that gamer brain-power without feeling frustrated. Although I will admit that I had to use a guide on two occasions.

If you’re into collecting, there are also hidden cats around the world. Sadly, I did not find all the cats. As you can see, I’m not a completionist by any means. Oh, but finding the cats… requires solving a puzzle. I can think of at least one cat that I left behind because I didn’t solve the puzzle and moved on with my playthrough… woops!

I feel weird that I used the word puzzle six times in this section. I don’t think there is another word for puzzles… seven.

How It Makes You Feel

In the end, when I review games, a big part of my experience is how they make me feel. Don’t get me wrong, game performance, functionality, controls, and mechanics are all very important. But when it comes to my final rating, how I feel when playing a game will determine that last star. I rate all my games on a 5-star scale. The Wild at Heart was a cozy experience for me. One that had me excited to play every night before bed. I felt immersed in the world from the setting and the music to the puzzles, which I couldn’t get enough of.

My final rating for The Wild at Heart, is 5-Stars.

Don’t sit on this game. Buy it, don’t put it on your shelf, play it. You can thank me later.

P.S. I forgot to mention that ‘scary’ guys come out at night. Have fun!

The DS Era We’ll Never Let Go Of

While I didn’t quite grow up playing DS games, I dabbled in games like Harvest Moon Grand Bazaar in my college years after my sister loaned me her coveted DS lite. Fast forward another decade, and I started my video game collection journey with a huge emphasis on retro handheld Nintendo games.

In fact, the first item I added to my collection was a white Nintendo DS lite.

The DS is full of girly pop retro games and I’ve managed to collect and play quite a few of them. But what if you mashed up a bunch of games that some might even consider to be shovelware, and turned it into one game you could play with your friends? And what if it were free?

Introducing Heartopia

That’s basically how I’d describe Heartopia. When I first started playing this game after its launch on January 7th, I couldn’t quite figure out why I loved it so much. But as I was out on my daily walk with my fluffy fur ball, I realized something.

On our walk, I happened to be listening to one of my favorite cozy podcasts called Tea with Honey. They were talking about playing Nintendogs in 2026. As they were chatting, I pondered on playing Heartopia and the dog and cat training system it has. Then it hit me. Heartopia is just like every cutesy DS game I never got to fully play.

Heartopia Feels Like a Love Letter to DS Games

Heartopia is full of cozy game mechanics from classic farming to mimicking IRL hobbies that are not frequently represented in games. Let’s break them all down.

Nintendogs

Nintendogs offered an experience we have yet to see replicated in modern games. Caring, playing, and training your pet to be the best fur ball on the block. Complete with voice commands and touch screen controls, this game is a staple amongst retro cozy gamers.

Many modern life simulation games include pets, but what most games fail to implement are training mechanics that help you bond with your animals.

In Heartopia, you can train your dog or cat to perform new tricks. Not only is it cute, but it feels more authentic to IRL pet keeping. And your pets get hungry too. Feeding your pet to max its fullness level will result in your pet giving you money a few hours later. Yes, your pets pay you. You can even bring your pet with you around the map as your companion.

Cooking Mama

I haven’t had the chance to add Cooking Mama to my collection yet, but I do know that it features a variety of mini-games. Failing a mini-game will result in a poor-quality or ruined dish.

While I don’t think Heartopia’s cooking mini-game quite compares in complexity to Cooking Mama, bad timing will result in a burnt dish. Burning a meal will lower the money it sells for and the amount of energy it can restore.

Heartopia’s cooking system lets you discover new recipes simply by changing out an ingredient. And all the dishes you cook can be displayed in your home or shared with friends.

Harvest Moon & Animal Crossing

Then we have the typical farming games and life-sim elements from farming games like Harvest Moon and casual games like Animal Crossing Wild World.

Harvest Moon on the SNES is the OG farming game, and every other farming game since then wants to capture its charm while adding its own flair. I’m not saying that Heartopia does something with farming that has never been done. In fact, it doesn’t. But farming is a big part of the game and leveling up your farming skills is essential to making good money in the game.

On the other hand, popular mechanics from the Animal Crossing franchise are brought to life in Heartopia. We have bug-catching, but instead of a net, you use a bubble wand. Fishing is, of course, included, but now we have fishing tours we can go on with friends or strangers.

And don’t just pretend to throw a party with everyone in town, throw a tea party with the party feature and invite everyone who is online in your server’s town. Interact with other players using two-player emotes, emojis, and chat features. You can even decorate and build your home with friends.

Imagine: Figure Skater

I need this one in my collection ASAP! Imagine: Figure Skater is a rhythm game in which you practice and compete in ice skating competitions. You learn new moves as you progress the game and I think there might be some dating sim aspects to this one.

Ice Skating was recently introduced to Heartopia in its latest update, Winter Frost Season. The update is live from January 24th to March 14th, 2026. During the update, you’ll find a large ice skating rink along the north side of the map by the Old Sea. Here you’ll practice your ice skating skills and enter competitions. Sound familiar?

As you level up your skating skills, you’ll unlock prizes such as in-game currencies and even new ice skates to wear. And I love that they gave us an ice skating floor tile that you can use to build your own rink for your home.

Jigapix, My Secret Diary, Easy Piano

I’ve seen jigsaw puzzle video games before, like Jigapix for the DS. But I’ve never seen a life-sim game put jigsaw puzzles in its game other than as a decoration. In Heartopia, you can buy, collect, and complete jigsaw puzzles. Simply place the puzzle on the floor and you can complete the puzzle solo or with friends. And just like in real life, you can keep the puzzle to redo it another day, or hang it up on your wall. If you need some extra cash, you can even sell the puzzles instead.

My Secret Diary is a life-organizing game for girls featuring mini-games, calendar planning, and journaling. Journaling is the key feature here. Heartopia has a writing hobby where you can write and publish books that you can either keep private or allow your friends to buy. You can keep a journal and capture the nostalgia of writing about your crush, or try writing something you think the community would enjoy.

And we can’t forget about the various musical instruments in Heartopia. Games like Easy Piano on DS let you play and compose music to your heart’s content. In Heartopia you can play instruments and produce music using the in-game phonograph. It’s fun seeing other players playing popular songs on the piano, guitar, bagpipes and more.

Why I’m Currently Obsessed

Honestly, I had no intentions of playing this game at first. I waited a week after launch before trying it, despite the fact that it’s a free game. Yes, it’s free! And even when I first started playing, I didn’t realize how quickly I would fall for its charm.

At first, I kept coming back to see the cute clothes in the shops, which are updated daily. Then I started getting into the decorating and building, which was tedious at first because the controls aren’t that great, but you get used to them.

Then the events started rolling in, and I unlocked more furniture and plot space. Next thing you know, I’m making tons of money and building an industrial-style kitchen, lofts, and wrap-around porches. And it’s only been 3 weeks since I started playing! My backlog is suffering. I’m missing events in other games. I’m obsessed.

And when I stop to think about it, this game is just a silly, meaningless game. It doesn’t tell a story. There is no end goal. But it’s everything I need in a game right now. It’s the childhood I didn’t experience because I didn’t have my own DS.

Will it be a flash in the pan? Will I be playing this for years to come? I can’t say for sure, but I’m having a great time.

Come Play With Me

Have I convinced you to play? If so, I won’t leave you hanging. Let’s be friends in Heartopia. My friend code is 241f0wfm (I’m on the global server).

Thank you for reading my very first article on Substack. I plan on writing about cozy games, video game collecting, and the occasional RPG.

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