Wes's recent activity

  1. Comment on Google must double AI serving capacity every 6 months to meet demand in ~tech

    Wes
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    I think that post may be an ad for LMCache. :) But yes, to their opening claim: I think that's certainly true. It's just that, as I mentioned above, training is still an ongoing investment at this...

    I think that post may be an ad for LMCache. :) But yes, to their opening claim:

    Running AI models (inference) over time costs much more than training them once.

    I think that's certainly true. It's just that, as I mentioned above, training is still an ongoing investment at this time. If/when models are ever "good enough" and they stop training, the race will certainly be over.

    Their graph shows that for open-source models (Llama, DeepSeek), it would take a few years worth of inference to match the initial training costs. For OpenAI, it's reversed. The older GPT-3 had higher inference costs almost immediately, whereas GPT-4 took about 1 year to match. I wonder if that indicates a change in efficiency for OpenAI's models over time.

    The math is made a little more complicated by the fact that models are now grown out from existing model checkpoints, rather than reset at each generation. The cost of training "GPT-5" is hard to quantify in isolation.

    Additionally, models are now used to train other models. They can be used to synthesize training data and judge responses, assisting in training future generations. They are also sometimes used to distill smaller models, which is more targeted than quantizing down a larger model. So the total cost of something like Google's Gemma is likely considerably smaller than that of Gemini.

    Anyway, I don't disagree with your main thrust which is that inference costs are going up over time, and there is an associated carbon footprint. It's something I'd like to see addressed as well.

    1 vote

  2. Comment on Google must double AI serving capacity every 6 months to meet demand in ~tech

    Wes
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    Inference would certainly overtake training in costs, but only if training is ever stopped. Right now, to the best of my knowledge, it continues in an ongoing process. They're constantly working...

    Inference would certainly overtake training in costs, but only if training is ever stopped. Right now, to the best of my knowledge, it continues in an ongoing process. They're constantly working on different modalities (video, speech, spacial models, etc), and creating new checkpoints on existing models to update their knowledge cutoffs. They're also creating many specialized models for specific applications (medical, scientific, research, etc).

    Inference costs will certainly go up as user demand does, and it seems likely that it will at some point pass training, but I don't think that's going to be for a while yet. Granted, the formula may change as new techniques are discovered that boost the efficiency of one side or the other.

    Regarding the Google Search preview, that model is bad. I can only assume they're running a barebones LLM at a very low cost, due to the scale. The "AI Mode" feature they offer to open to is much more sophisticated.

    It wouldn't surprise me if the rest of the search page is actually more expensive to generate than that LLM snippet is.

    7 votes

  3. Comment on Google must double AI serving capacity every 6 months to meet demand in ~tech

    Wes
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    That is also less of a gap than I'd have expected. Google may not have the same user numbers as OpenAI, but they do have a wider product range. I'm sure they're working within a similar order of...

    That is also less of a gap than I'd have expected. Google may not have the same user numbers as OpenAI, but they do have a wider product range. I'm sure they're working within a similar order of magnitude at least.

    Thanks for putting some real numbers to my supposition!

    4 votes

  4. Comment on Google must double AI serving capacity every 6 months to meet demand in ~tech

    Wes
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    I do think the headline is worse than it sounds. Doubling the "serving capacity" is very different than doubling the compute costs themselves. Serving (ie. inference) is only a tiny portion of...

    I do think the headline is worse than it sounds. Doubling the "serving capacity" is very different than doubling the compute costs themselves. Serving (ie. inference) is only a tiny portion of compute in comparison to training. They could likely double serving capacity a dozen times before the cost was even comparable.

    Also, since training is going to happen regardless, it actually makes sense to me to get more use out of these existing models by increasing their number of users. The costs aren't much higher, and it at least justifies the enormous investment.

    That said, I am certainly concerned about climate change, and do want to see these companies invest in clean energy to power their own energy-hungry server farms. They should be funding projects in nuclear, solar, geothermal, wind, and even hydro if the region is appropriate. They can do better to reclaim the waste heat that they're already producing, and create closed-loop systems for cooling.

    It seems the problem is that everybody has a "winner takes all" mentality. The only way to stem that is with government regulation. I would support legislation that requires all companies over a market cap to invest in energy alongside their own AI build-out. It might not be "fair", but it is necessary.

    Unfortunately, it's very unlikely to happen in the current political climate. Particularly as it would give China and other countries seriously investing in AI a leg up in the race.

    Personally, I don't think that's going to matter in the long run. Models are becoming commoditized, and the open-source community has shown that even smaller startups can compete. It seems likely to me that we're all going to run headfirst into a technological wall, eventually, at which point there will be no meaningful difference between models.

    9 votes

  5. Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion in ~games

    Wes
    Link Parent
    If you haven't seen it yet, Fireproof Games also made a full VR game called Ghost Town. I played the demo for it during one of the Steam Next Fests. It's more narrative-focused, and definitely...

    If you haven't seen it yet, Fireproof Games also made a full VR game called Ghost Town. I played the demo for it during one of the Steam Next Fests. It's more narrative-focused, and definitely leans into the spooky factor.

    The demo was pretty short, and apparently so is the game. So I probably wouldn't grab it at full price, but maybe on sale. (I'd say wait for a bundle, but these devs historically don't do bundles).

    1 vote

  6. Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion in ~games

    Wes
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    Ah, I like the double shot of espresso in your picks. Wanderstop seemed to garner a lot of attention when it first launched, but but I kind of forgot about it. I appreciate the reminder, and I'm...

    Ah, I like the double shot of espresso in your picks.

    Wanderstop seemed to garner a lot of attention when it first launched, but but I kind of forgot about it. I appreciate the reminder, and I'm glad to see it's been well-reviewed since then.

    I do like that it focuses a little more on the relaxed tone of a life sim, rather than the purely frenetic action of most time management games. Maybe I'm just unable to multitask. But I recognize that having those elements in the game - even without the time pressure - does add some direction, and gives you something to work towards.

    Coffee Caravan feels like it would be more stressful for me, but I'm glad you were able to enjoy it. The roguelike mechanics are a unique spin that seem like they'd add some replayability.

    All that said, I spent four hours on it and went an hour past when I was supposed to go to bed

    You may have had a little too much caffeine after all.

    3 votes

  7. Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion in ~games

    Wes
    Link Parent
    A Bird Story - Poignant and fleeting. In May 2024's Backlog Burner, I played (and loved) To the Moon. I've since finished a small experimental side-story in that same universe. A Bird Story is...

    A Bird Story - Poignant and fleeting.

    In May 2024's Backlog Burner, I played (and loved) To the Moon. I've since finished a small experimental side-story in that same universe.

    A Bird Story is indeed a story about a bird, but it's also one of childhood loneliness, escapism, and imagination. There isn't a single line of dialogue in this game's one-hour runtime, yet it still conveys those feelings that many of us would recognize -- even if we've since forgotten them.

    The story is told entirely through the lens of childhood, and blends scenes that are seemingly real with imagined ones. A school classroom might open into a playground or a forest path, and that works fine because those are the only set pieces that matter. This gives the game a dreamlike quality, or perhaps that of a patchwork memory. As a narrative device, I found it very effective.

    Like To the Moon, the soundtrack features a piano score which sets a somber mood. It doesn't reuse the same motifs, but feels familiar enough to create a connection to that world.

    I found myself pulled along in this kinetic adventure. I'm normally the type who explores every nook and cranny of a game world, but in this case, I was happy to just to play along and let the wind carry me.

    Paper Beast - Unusual origami.

    A lot of shorter VR titles are described as "tech demos", and for good reason. Early on, VR was still an emerging technology, and many of the first games were short and experimental. Everybody was still figuring out what actually worked, and it didn't make sense to invest in a full VR experience yet.

    That was my expectation going into Paper Beast, but I'm pleased to say that it's much more than a tech demo. It's certainly experimental, but it feels like a complete experience.

    The game uses a framing device to introduce itself. It opens in a clinical room where you've seemingly just finished constructing a "universe simulation". Now you just need to wait a few million years for it to run. The computer prompts, "Would you like to play 'SwirlyBeat' while you wait?" May as well, right?

    Click the colourful swirl that pops up and you're instantly transported to a party room. I don't really know how else to describe it, but it's sensory whiplash. Japanese rock kicks on as lights flash around you.

    You can use your VR controller to guide floating blobs of colour that circle around the room. A little experimentation shows these influence the different audio channels, amplifying the vocals or different instruments. It's honestly a ton of fun, and I was grinning while rocking out.

    I was immediately impressed by just how good the 3D binaural audio was. I could turn my head to perfectly locate objects by their sound. It was a treat for the ears, and this party room was a perfect showcase for it.

    Once the song ends, the room around you collapses and you find yourself in a barren landscape. This is where the "real game" begins, and we begin to meet the eponymous paper beasts. These are low-poly creatures that inhabit the world, seemingly made of simple triangles. However, they move, react, and generally behave as if they're alive.

    The creatures are one of the main driving forces of the game. They utilize a responsive (and sometimes creepy) bone system, and exhibit realistic dynamic behaviours like eating food that you offer them. Each species has certain personality traits and abilities, and you need to understand them to solve various abstract puzzles to progress.

    In one of the earlier levels, for example, I found a room filled with dung beetle analogs. After watching them interact, I realized they were collecting mud from the room, scurrying around to grow the mudball like a snowball, and then depositing it into a large mound. They did this to get closer to a floating jellyfish(?) they were attracted to. Using this knowledge, I maneuvered the jellyfish towards my exit to have the dung beetles help me build a path out.

    The game also features an impressive terrain deformation system and complex water physics. For instance, in one level I needed to build a wall to stop water from draining into a tunnel. There was a convenient tube-shaped creature nearby that took dirt in one side, and deposited it out the other. Blocking off the water allowed me progress.

    Admittedly, these features do have a very "tech demo" feel to them, in the same way that Half-Life 2's balance board puzzles were an exhibit of its engine's physics. I don't feel that diminishes them, though, and I do appreciate the more technical problem solving. The physics seem open-ended enough that you could likely solve some puzzles in unconventional ways.

    A few levels did take me a fair bit of trial and error. Even when I thought I knew the solution, it could take a while to test whether it worked. That does introduce some friction, which is felt more in a VR environment. I'd have preferred a more immediate feedback loop.

    The game is broken into chapters, of which I've finished about half so far. There have been hints at a meta-narrative about the simulation we created at the start of the game, so I'm curious to see just how deep that goes.

    The chapter structure and minimalist narrative remind me quite a bit of Journey, which I played earlier this year. It's certainly an art game, and that won't appeal to everybody, but there are enough puzzles to keep everyone happy.

    Paper Beast was originally made for VR, but they released a pancake version a few months later too. I don't know if the creature interactions or 3D audio will land in quite the same way, but I think the game would still be enjoyable on the whole.

    Lunacid - A grim plunge.

    Admittedly, I don't remember buying this game. I really had no idea what to expect when launching it. After playing for a couple hours though, it feels like the perfect pick for the "dungeon crawler" spot on my card.

    This is an RPG in the style of King's Field or Shadow Tower, two games that I must ignominiously admit to having never played, despite calling myself a Fromsoft fan.

    The gameplay itself is fairly old school, as you might expect. You're (quite literally) dropped into a sprawling dungeon, with many twisting paths and no map to guide you. You start with almost nothing and enemies are everywhere. It's up to you to survive, gear up, and overcome.

    In my first draft of this write-up, I complained that the enemies were far too damage-spongy. It would take a full minute to kill a slime! I found myself starting to run past enemies, hoping to progress and find better gear. (I did! A battle axe!).

    Well, guess who didn't read the game manual? It turns out, you need to hold the attack button to charge your weapon if you hope to do any damage. That might've made the first few zones easier. Admittedly, I both loved and hated running from enemies into unknown tunnels, hoping desperately to find a save point.

    The game manual is really beautiful, so I want to shout it out. It's a digitally rendered game manual you can flip through. It gives you a rundown of the story, character classes, controls, and yes, how to charge your weapon.

    The manual also hinted that real-world lunar cycles affect the game. That blew my mind, and I couldn't help but look it up. Apparently, the game boosts your "lunacy" level based on the current moon phase. Since I played right on a new moon, I had higher defenses but lower spell damage. Very weird!

    The dungeons are actually far spookier than I was expecting. The atmosphere can feel quite oppressive when it's dark, as you need to hold a torch just to navigate. The lighting engine feels great though, with coloured lights scattering off shiny surfaces.

    Shaders are used effectively to provide that old school nostalgic feeling. The game tastefully integrates effects like menu transitions, and a few less-tasteful ones like cursor trails. There are also a number of additional filters to choose from in the menu, including VHS and PSX modes.

    There are a few things that feel cutesy in contrast to the creepy. One of the friendly NPCs is a demon girl with a scythe, who bears a striking resemblance to a character from Shadow Tower. A nod, I would guess. The NPC dialogue uses synth voices similar to Animal Crossing, which feels weirdly anachronistic in this universe.

    Despite loving the overall aesthetic of the game, I still feel a little mixed on the gameplay. These dungeons are truly massive, and I know it will take me hours to go through and mentally map them out. However, now that I've found a battle axe and learned how to use it, I do have some urge to return to earlier areas to impose my might. No longer will those slimes get the better of me.

    2 votes

  8. Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion in ~games

    Wes
    Link Parent
    Nice one. I've only played the first The Room game, so I'm glad to hear that they continue to iterate on the formula -- and correct any missteps, where necessary. I bought these games on mobile,...

    Nice one. I've only played the first The Room game, so I'm glad to hear that they continue to iterate on the formula -- and correct any missteps, where necessary.

    I bought these games on mobile, thinking that tap interactions would feel more natural, but I've realized I almost never actually sit down and play mobile games. I might need to start including them in my backlog planning...

    But I think I'll try to pick up the rest of the Room collection on Steam during the next sale. They don't seem to ever get bundled via Humble, et al, and are cheap enough on their own.

    I felt like someone had read the things that I said were bad about the Room 3 and fixed them all in the Room 4.

    And so quickly too! Now that's service.

    3 votes

  9. Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion in ~games

    Wes
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Well done on the bingo! I guess I'm willing to look the other way on this review score fiasco, this time... Grim Fandango is a game that I feel similarly about. I love the mix of themes and the...

    Well done on the bingo! I guess I'm willing to look the other way on this review score fiasco, this time...

    Grim Fandango is a game that I feel similarly about. I love the mix of themes and the classic Schafer-esque writing. However, I don't think I'd enjoy actually playing it. I watched a Let's Play from a YouTuber I liked, and was able to get most of the good stuff without subjecting myself to '90s adventure game logic.

    If you find you're getting frustrated, I think using hints is totally justified. Thankfully the game is old enough that there's likely a lot of good resources in that department. GameFAQs will never let you down.

    Baba is a bit of a crowd favourite on Tildes. I've been meaning to pick it up for a while. It seems like the kind of game where you might be stuck on a puzzle for weeks, only to have a eureka moment while cleaning out the coffee machine.

    I do suspect it might be a bit mentally exhausting to play for long periods, though. Some puzzle games like Stephen's Sausage Roll took too much brain power for me.

    2 votes

  10. Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion in ~games

    Wes
    Link Parent
    I love that Transistor song. I haven't played the game, but I've most definitely listened through the OST on many occasions. The Spine and Paper Boats are also fantastic. Maybe I just really like...

    I love that Transistor song. I haven't played the game, but I've most definitely listened through the OST on many occasions. The Spine and Paper Boats are also fantastic. Maybe I just really like Ashley Barrett.

    I actually just bought Hades last month, so I'm looking forward to giving it a go. I guess it's officially on my backlog now.

    3 votes

  11. Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion in ~games

    Wes
    Link Parent
    Wow, now that is in contrast to your usual picks. Definitely one of the most unique titles submitted so far. It seems like the devs really enjoy the weird and dark, but also wanted to lean into...

    Wow, now that is in contrast to your usual picks.

    Definitely one of the most unique titles submitted so far. It seems like the devs really enjoy the weird and dark, but also wanted to lean into that to make a statement.

    I can definitely see the criticism of cultish thinking (or maybe it's meant to be educational), which I completely jibe with. I'm not sure what the takeaway is on the ethics of animal butchery, though. It's okay if you have love in your heart? I guess that works. We thank the Great Bleeding Pig for bestowing us with this lesson.

    Absolutely an acquired taste

    That's dark, Apple. That's dark.

    4 votes

  12. Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion in ~games

    Wes
    Link Parent
    Until now, my perception of Inkbound was "that spinoff game from the Monster Train devs that didn't do so well". It sounds like it's actually a lot more interesting than I gave it credit for. A...

    Until now, my perception of Inkbound was "that spinoff game from the Monster Train devs that didn't do so well". It sounds like it's actually a lot more interesting than I gave it credit for. A build-heavy roguelike with crazy scaling and multiplayer? Yes please.

    They do still seem like a small team (it took years for Monster Train to come to Android after iOS), so I guess I can understand them reallocating resources, but it does suck to see a game you love being neglected. It seems like even a skeleton crew could have worked on polish and giving the game a final send-off before calling it quits.

    I'm glad you're still having fun with it, though. And after all your practice in solo, you should be much more fearsome during your next multiplayer session.

    3 votes

  13. Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion in ~games

    Wes
    Link Parent
    Awesome! Loving the LP clips again. I've just finished watching them now. Tokyo Dark seems intriguing. I'm not hugely into P&Cs, but I enjoyed the beginning of the story, and the droning OST was...

    Awesome! Loving the LP clips again. I've just finished watching them now.

    Tokyo Dark seems intriguing. I'm not hugely into P&Cs, but I enjoyed the beginning of the story, and the droning OST was great for added tension. Weird about all that fresh red paint, though.

    I think it's actually cool that a recent-release happened to work out on your bingo card. It's nice to knock out a more recent game.

    Again, it's just anime girls (he said as he avoids playing Doki Doki Literature Club).

    You are wiser than me.

    Cassette Beasts was on my backlog too, so in a way I feel like I half-crossed it off by watching you play. I liked the inclusion of lyrical tracks. So many of my favourite OSTs cut in at the right moment with a powerful song (eg. Build that Wall).

    I did actually play Bytten Studio's previous game, Lenna's Inception, A very odd take on Zelda which embraces "glitch mechanics" popular with speedruns on the older 2D titles. Stack overflows, wrongwarps, and that sort of thing. Very unique title.

    Hacknet was given away a couple times, so you're probably right about that one.

    In Patron, you kind of blew my mind with "Sawyer" coming from "Saw-er", or one who saws.

    Good batch of games, and getting you close to a bingo in a couple directions.

    3 votes

  14. Comment on Hytale is saved! in ~games

    Wes
    Link Parent
    I haven't tried Hypixel's Skyblock, but I did play the original skyblock map back in 2011. I remember the year, because a friend confused it with the soon-to-be-released Skyrim, which led to some...

    I haven't tried Hypixel's Skyblock, but I did play the original skyblock map back in 2011. I remember the year, because a friend confused it with the soon-to-be-released Skyrim, which led to some laughs.

    It was one of the first "puzzle maps" I'd seen for Minecraft, with a focus on mechanics rather than building. There's now a bunch of modded skyblock-esque modpacks out there, but I feel the puzzle elements are mostly gone today.

    3 votes

  15. Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion in ~games

    Wes
    Link Parent
    Oh my god, is it ever! I already own this game from a bundle, but hadn't given it a proper look until now. You basically said the magic words to move it right into my own backlog though. (Two...

    I did finish it, and I very highly recommend it if the idea of "2D Sekiro-lite directed by Akira Kurosawa in 1955" is appealing.

    Oh my god, is it ever! I already own this game from a bundle, but hadn't given it a proper look until now. You basically said the magic words to move it right into my own backlog though. (Two steps forward, one step back)

    Skul sounds like it'd be interesting if not quite so grindy. There is something I enjoy about the "die until you win" game loops, but there needs to be checkpoints that feel rewarding as well. It can't just be 3% damage increases all the time. I at least need an "Atta boy!" when I beat a boss.

    Rogue Legacy really worked for me, whereas my submission earlier this week Moonlighter did not. But I also suspect it's just as much about mindset and expectations than actual game quality. On another day, or another (non-Backlog Burner) month, it might feel much better. Sometimes it's nice to have a game where you can turn off your brain and just watch number go up for a time.

    As an aside, I like the idea behind the head swap mechanic. It reminds me of swapping your shell in Another Crab's Treasure, or just Kirby games, I guess. It's a fun way to introduce some variety in combat, and keep the player on their toes.

    3 votes

  16. Comment on Duck Duck Go search AI curiously cited Tildes in ~tech

    Wes
    Link Parent
    You're right. I just tested it now and it worked fine. Last year, I got a request error when trying the same thing. Perhaps the user agent has been split in two then to address this situation....

    You're right. I just tested it now and it worked fine. Last year, I got a request error when trying the same thing.

    Perhaps the user agent has been split in two then to address this situation.

    edit: It does look like their search tool became generally available shortly after I finished writing the post.

    3 votes

  17. Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion in ~games

    Wes
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    I look forward to seeing your next bingo card, with the titles Super Robots Wars 1 through 29. Prodigal looks great, and I'm not surprised to find it already sitting in my own Backlog category on...

    I look forward to seeing your next bingo card, with the titles Super Robots Wars 1 through 29.

    Prodigal looks great, and I'm not surprised to find it already sitting in my own Backlog category on Steam. It looks like the tools do open up a fairly large problem space, with a number of ways to approach each room. Though I not sure there's enough for ~6 hours of content there, so I can understand it getting samey.

    I see that beating the game unlocks a randomizer, and that's pretty cool.

    4 votes

  18. Comment on Duck Duck Go search AI curiously cited Tildes in ~tech

    Wes
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    Tildes does block a number of AI crawlers via their robots.txt. I had trouble, for instance, using ChatGPT to collate pages when I was compiling data for the Book Club retrospective. I don't see...

    Tildes does block a number of AI crawlers via their robots.txt. I had trouble, for instance, using ChatGPT to collate pages when I was compiling data for the Book Club retrospective.

    I don't see any specific mention of DDG's crawler, though, so their tools may be given the green light.

    4 votes

  19. Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 2 Discussion in ~games

    Wes
    Link Parent
    Good one, and I'm glad to hear the game is working for you. The bingo is close, but how will you possibly find a remake in today's gaming landscape? I know the audio logs thing feels really...

    Good one, and I'm glad to hear the game is working for you. The bingo is close, but how will you possibly find a remake in today's gaming landscape?

    I know the audio logs thing feels really contrived, but I actually really like it as a game mechanic. I believe it was System Shock that came up with them as a way to provide background info without requiring the player to stand still for a cutscene, or to sit and read (which a lot of players will choose not to do). Instead, a voice conveniently narrates for you as you continue to hunt for loot or explore your environment.

    They can definitely be done poorly, such as by mistiming the length so they overlap with another cutscene/audio clip, or just relying on them for all exposition. Some of the audio logs in the Borderlands series are just atrocious. But when properly integrated into a game, I think they're a great convenience that I'm willing to suspend some disbelief for.

    By the way, the week 3 thread is up if you'd like to share any new updates there.

    2 votes

  20. Comment on November 2025 Backlog Burner: Week 3 Discussion in ~games

    Wes
    Link Parent
    Doki Doki Literature Club! - Who knew that literature involved so much reading? I'm going to try to avoid any major spoilers in this write-up, but I will touch on themes and impressions. To be...

    Doki Doki Literature Club! - Who knew that literature involved so much reading?

    I'm going to try to avoid any major spoilers in this write-up, but I will touch on themes and impressions. To be extra cautious though, I'll place my thoughts into a details box for those who prefer to go in completely blind.

    Doki Doki Literature Club! thoughts

    I've never been much of a visual novel player. The only one I'd tried before was the rather long-winded Don't Take It Personally, Babe, It Just Ain't Your Story, released by Christine Love in 2011. It wasn't a bad game, exactly, but it was enough to convince me that visual novels weren't really my thing.

    Still, Doki Doki had been recommended often enough - most recently by a friend - that I decided to give it a try. Since I was working on a "Form" card this week, it also seemed in the spirit of things to step out of my comfort zone. Well, consider me discomforted.

    I'll need to speak about this one largely in the abstract, as specifics will risk spoilers; forgive me if I use a lot of words to say very little.

    What I can say is that Doki Doki makes good use of its medium in several ways. Structurally, it explores the relationship between player and story through inventive methods. Thematically, it both leans on and criticizes the tropes inherent in visual novels, and possibly anime as a whole. It does so first by utilizing them, and then deconstructing them. I don't read it as blanket criticism, but rather the work of someone who sees room for improvement and wants creators to do better.

    Coming from the outside, I've often found anime and visual novel tropes hard to connect with. Characters often feel one-dimensional, defined by terms like "tsundere" or "moe", and existing mainly to fill a familiar role. They're placed into situations that feel equally artificial, with plots driven by coincidence rather than character agency: the pretty girl who accidentally bumps into you at the park; the assigned study partner who is startled into your arms when a lightbulb pops. It reads largely as wish fulfillment.

    This contrivance is most evident in the protagonist's role. Typically, through no effort of their own, a plain protagonist suddenly becomes the object of affection for several suitors. We know the affection is unearned, yet we can't help but feel it as our own and indulge as if it were.

    This sense of contrivance also extends beyond the characters themselves. In the real world, choices multiply potential outcomes. In a game world though, the further we progress, the more constrained our options become. We're led down a corridor towards a known "ending", adding yet another layer of artificiality. Are we really players making an impact, or just voyeurs along for the ride?

    Doki Doki seems aware of all this. It earnestly presents its own archetypal characters, inviting you to choose your favourite. It goes beyond just leaning on tropes to embrace them completely. Your protagonist is a bumbling idiot who couldn't catch a fruit fly, yet is treated as the most interesting man in the world. This intentionality feels almost subversive. It satirizes the satyr, in its own way.

    And yet, for all my waxing poetic about the overreliance on tropes and the kinds of writing they engender, I'd be lying if I claimed immunity. That group of cute girls still had me under their spell, and by the end of the game I wanted nothing more than to return to that place of indulgence.

    If my impression was that powerful even while being lampooned, I suppose I can better understand those who regularly play these kinds of games. It taps into a very human desire, and sometimes it's nice to wallow.

    A big part of that pull comes from the writing, and Doki Doki's is stellar. It carries emotional weight which left me affected by its difficult themes. The poems felt genuine and personal, and I particularly found the poem Bottles quite harrowing. Reflecting on its meaning led me to think more deeply about the characters and their roles.

    In the end, I don't know if I can say that I enjoyed this game, but I certainly don't regret playing it. It left me with much to think about and meaning to take away from the experience.

    All told, it took me about seven hours to finish, which is considerably longer than the How Long to Beat estimate of four hours.

    Doki Doki Literature Club! is available for free on Steam and itch.io. There's also a paid version available with some additional goodies. Given its subject matter, I would only recommend playing if you're currently in a good mental headspace.

    4 votes