Joy Malignant

♥♥♥♥ slaps

[English version: see below] Joy Malignant ist eine interessante Erfahrung für alle, die gerne lesen und Wert auf außergewöhnliches Worldbuilding legen. Die surreale, dystopische Welt mit ihrer ungewöhnlichen Lore rund um Vergangenheit und Identität hat mich bis zum Ende gefesselt. Die Geschichte selbst ist mit rund drei Stunden zwar recht kurz und der Kampf gegen ein Regime erfindet das Rad nicht neu, ist aber sehr gut erzählt. Das Gameplay ist überwiegend textbasiert und erinnert in seinen Mechaniken an Spiele wie Citizen Sleeper. Entscheidungen beeinflussen nicht nur den Verlauf der Geschichte, sondern auch die Entwicklung des eigenen Charakters. Das zugrunde liegende System ist leicht verständlich und sorgt dafür, dass nahezu jede Entscheidung Bedeutung hat. Mein einziger größerer Kritikpunkt ist eigentlich, dass das Spiel so schnell vorbei ist. Das Ende fühlt sich eher wie der Auftakt zu einer größeren Geschichte an und ich hätte gerne noch ein paar Stunden mehr in dieser faszinierenden Welt verbracht. Wer kein Problem mit viel englischem Text hat und Lust auf eine kompakte, gut geschriebene Geschichte in einer ungewöhnlichen Welt hat, sollte Joy Malignant definitiv im Auge behalten. Reviewvideo (deutsch/german): https://youtu.be/M2NDnrIE07k ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [English version] Joy Malignant is an interesting experience for anyone who enjoys reading and appreciates unique worldbuilding. Its surreal, dystopian setting and the fascinating lore surrounding memory, identity and the past kept me engaged until the very end. At around three hours, it's a short game, and while the story of fighting against a regime isn't particularly original, it's told very well. Gameplay is mostly text-based and its mechanics reminded me a lot of games like Citizen Sleeper. Your choices don't just shape the story - they also influence your character's development. The underlying systems are easy to understand and make almost every decision feel meaningful. My only real complaint is that it ended too soon. The ending felt more like the beginning of a larger story, and I would have happily spent a few more hours in this fascinating world. If you don't mind reading a lot of English - or if English happens to be your native language ;) - and you're looking for a compact, well-written narrative experience in a truly unusual setting, Joy Malignant is well worth checking out.

Easily the fastest wishlist in my entire life: This game is brief, bizarre, and utterly profound. For the length it is, there’s so many moments that felt transcendent, or at least resonated in a particular way. Throughout the game, you encounter people who, quite literally, become their past. The city of Visceria is chock-full of grief, mourning, and regret. You’re given the incredible gift of shedding that, and getting to become whoever you want to be. In a place full of softly-undulating meat, and gore, you’re given the gift of impermeance, of being nothing at all, of not having a body to tie you down. But will you stay in this city, or try to find a way to escape...? Is it worth it to build a life, at all, in this place? if you enjoy games about regret, change, and the fantasy of starting over: This is the game for you. I think others are comparing it to Disco Elysium, which I think is apt, at least on a thematic level: At the core, both games are about staying, and engaging with the world, even if it’s horribly, horribly, cruel. About peeling off the outer layers of your skin, and seeing people for what they truly are. And, most incredibly: The possibility of becoming something different, something new. It’s got a surprisingly compelling story, despite having such a small team, and working with such a limited scope: But ultimately, I felt more moved by this than I have by dozens of other games combined, which were longer, and higher-budget. I’m honestly in awe that the game was able to show all of this in less than a few hours: Please, if you enjoy any type of story-based RPGs, this might just be perfect for you.

Calculating every decision I make to become the most swagged out person in the city.

A surreal, dreamlike short experience with mechanics very reminiscent of Citizen Sleeper. I love the unique setting, which is a strange mutated city after the world was affected by a godlike entity, and where people's actions and memories influence their physical appearance. For the price it's very good, but as I said it's quite short, and the replayability/branching doesn't seem to be huge. You can get a bunch of different appearances by the end though and I do like the way they culminate in your final form to show the kind of person you are. If you're obsessed with Citizen Sleeper (like me), this will scratch the itch

well-written short jaunt of a game. pretty comparable to citizen sleeper, as others have mentioned. worth the ten bucks (CAD)!

Can we move forward, despite our shortfalls? Does it matter who we were or mean to be? Or are we just a mosaic of our past experiences? Joy Malignant is an excellent, short, story-focused experience. One, which I will hold close to my heart, next to the few games that resonated with me, further building me up as a person. Gameplay The gameplay loop is simple - by allowing us to make chance-based choices, we progress through the story, while managing our resources. It is a simple concept, but aligns perfectly with the game's goal. We are not to focus on the gameplay itself, but what it is trying to convey to us. It's simplicity allows us to focus more on the writing, and it's procedural-rhetoric to convince us on the major introspective reflections that the game tries to convey. Simple does not mean boring. I did find myself enjoy grinding and thinking through my next steps, in order to maximize my ability to progress. Any further complexity might've impacted the game's pacing. Writing Before delving into the story. It is fair to say that the writing is done with great care. Despite the game being sotry-focused, similarly to a visual-novel - the dialogues aren't overly long, nor thrown at us all at once. The action is being presented to us in a well-structured manner, building up the tension amazingly. Story If you're a fan of classic literature (especially Dostoyevsky, Alighieri or Kafka) with a mix of Disco Elysium. Then the game is definitely for you. Story revolves around us. But who are we? That is the million dollar question. We are thrown into the middle of a world that is both distant, and similar to our own. The story unveils itself gradually, as we are not only trying to find ourselves, but what in the world is happening around us; relentlessly pulling us into the intrigue happening around us. With I could say more, but revealing anything specific would be counterintuitive to having the pleasure of finding out oneself. Music There aren't many tracks, but the once that play - build the perfect ambient and atmosphere for the game. The slow, somewhat dysonant - creates the perfect atmosphere. All in all, the game is short and great. Reflecting on many serious themes. It's one of the games that I will loathe to play again as if it were my first time.