To be honest, I have played too many games, from Snake and Arkanoid in the Symbian era, to later Java RPGs, and now to various masterpieces. To be honest, there are fewer and fewer games that allow me to calm down and write something. But this week I accidentally discovered this "Xiao Ninja Girlfriend Simulator", which actually made me feel like I was secretly playing a love simulation with Nokia N73 more than ten years ago.
Let me talk about my experience first. The name of the game sounds pretty cool. I guess the first reaction of many people is "It's another kind of development game that cheats money." But taking a closer look, I saw that it was free, had no in-app purchases, and the developer was a relatively unknown small company, so I downloaded it with the intention of giving it a try. I still remember the Java simulated love game we played back then. Although the graphics were simple, the plot and interactions were really engaging. I didn't expect this game to be so interesting in some aspects.
The game flow is very simple. You play a guy living in the suburbs and live with Xiao Nin (your virtual girlfriend). Our daily routine consists of chatting, helping with small tasks, cooking together, taking walks, etc. To be honest, this "paradise" setting really struck a chord with me. After all, the pace of life today is too chaotic.
What surprised me the most was Shinobu's dialogue design. It's not the kind of mechanical repetition of "good morning and good night". Occasionally there will be some very life-like thoughts, such as complaining that the weather is too hot today, or talking to you about a book she is reading. Although the level of AI is limited, it can at least be seen that the copywriter was thoughtful. It's not a boast, it's much better than the "plastic-feeling" love games made by some big companies.
Of course, if you are looking for high image quality, complex gameplay, and multi-line endings, this game may not be suitable. It is positioned as "short-term spiritual relaxation" and the operation is also very simple. Play for ten minutes before going to bed at night and talk to Xiao Ren, and you will feel calmer.
It's quite emotional to think about it. In the Japanese love simulations we used to play, a whole story could be imagined with just one pixel image. Now the picture is more beautiful, but it lacks the romance brought by imagination. Although this game is simple, the feeling of "simple companionship" reminds me of the days when I hid in bed and played "Heartbeat Memories".
Recommended to friends who want to find a place to stay quietly for a while. After all, it's free, so there's nothing to lose. Since the developer Hainan Star Jump dares to do such an old-school theme, at least it has a team with sentiments. I hope they can continue to optimize in the future. 😌📱💕