Jishogi

A really solid hidden gem of a game. The art is really charming, the puzzles are solid, and the writing really brings a good human element to it. There are some mechanics that are a bit rough around the edges but nothing you wouldn't expect from a standard RPGMaker game. The game does a really good job of giving you a character with her own personality (rather than a blank self insert) while also letting you feel like you you have agency. Since most of her personality is represented by her various thoughts and her past (and which thoughts she listened to), you can still get input from them while still making your own choices. In fact learning when not to listen to them seems to be one of the major themes. The story does a really good job of showing the flaws in both characters and systems. From a society that chooses not to believe and brush off victims in favor of not disrupting the status quo. As well as giving you a protagonist that isn't fully justified but more vindictive and vengeful. And since you can see into their minds, you get that extra human element of characters having thoughts that you know are wrong and shouldn't listen to, as well as cringe fantasies where everyone claps at how right they are. Big Spoilers ahead: The biggest issue I have with the game is that the endings feel like a bit of a wasted opportunity. They allude to things like losing memories, losing your mind, or the two of you melting minds together. None of these really happen despite there being "7" endings outside a couple. Most of them are just small variations on whether you go your separate ways, make up, and how much sexual violence you inflict on Fifield in the process. And most of the bad ends just feel kind of gratuitous which isn't a problem but there is an unlockable dev room incentive for getting all of them.

It's peak Yuri Don't worry about the puzzles too much. On first-timer intended settings it feels more like a physics puzzler. What with your pieces moving in a line until they're stopped or bounced off a wall.

I love this game so much. I love it to bits! Fifield is genuinely an AWFULLLL person though. But I love this game so much!