You know, Valentine's Day is coming soon!
Not to take anything away from the numerous excellent games available in Steam's always changing "New & Trending" section, but I was drawn to With You when I hovered over it and saw two odd, one-eyed blobs with long legs. It's the classic cyclops appeal, after all. I'm unable to refuse! I was double in when I saw the magic words "co-op campaign." It certainly doesn't hurt that the game is free, and the same applies to the Itch.io release if you'd rather.
Why not? The user reviews for With You were all positive. I performed it. I believe some of you will want to play it with your preferred co-op partner after fifteen minutes. That's a straightforward, charming, uncomplicated "date game," in the words of its inventor Carol Mertz.
The closest point of similarity is probably if you've played Snipperclips; nevertheless, this has a much more calm and simple feel with some gentle guitar background.
Playing as variously shaped cyclops with a partner, the objective is to align your form with a corresponding contour, even if the obstacles vary from level to level. You can turn your head, squeeze yourself down, and lift each other up. These controls are all sufficiently simple to fit on a single keyboard.
Beyond the lighthearted mechanics and simple puzzles, however, I truly like the meditative atmosphere of With You. Mertz claims that while the game was designed with "romantic couples in mind," it also "aims to encourage healthier collaborative habits within any relationship." There's very little chance that your well-meaning team dynamics will result in any last-minute arguing, unlike, example, Overcooked.
"My intention with With You was to broaden the scope of a sub-genre of cooperative games that I like to call 'date games,' which are cooperative games that don't require violence and encourage cooperation among players," Mertz stated. "I've been able to build and maintain relationships, trust, and communication with friends, family, and romantic partners through these kinds of games."
I don't know whether I've ever seen that precise classification before, but looking back, I really love these kinds of cooperative games and the enduring memories they may create.
With You was a "solo student project [at the NYU Game Center], so it's very short, a little wonky, and made with a lot of love," the Steam store synopsis states plainly. Mertz spoke about this and more on Twitter; the background is quite likable and realistic."With You, I made ." as a '19 MFA candidate balancing employment, coursework, planning a gaming festival, etc. in a few months. We all know that 2020 was not a year for burnout recovery, but I had intended to spend time developing it and creating a complete release after overcoming MFA burnout. For the last several years, this project has hovered above me, feeling both *sort of* and *not at all* finished. It was just a month ago that I made the decision to release it in its original form, as I had presented it as my thesis, in order to let go and go on. I didn't have very high standards. I was blaming myself for not adding a splash screen, better instructional, more polish, etc. until I pressed the release button. Everything I promised myself I would do but was unable to generate the energy for. I prepared myself for reports that would highlight all the ways I had let my teammates down. I'm writing this with tears in my eyes to try to convey how much it means to me that others are finding enjoyment in it. It's helpful to have all these encouraging comments from gamers all around the globe because it serves as a reminder that you tried your best and it was sufficient.In other words,I'm happy that I stumbled onto this game by accident. It was just the pick-me-up I needed.