I didn’t count on a easy sport like Love, Ghostie to maintain my consideration so long as it did. The one matchmaking I’ve ever performed was in Harvest Moon or The Sims. In Love, Ghostie you play as a bit of ghost who’s attempting to assist a bunch of oddball housemates fall in love. That’s it. No fight, no stress, no timers ticking down, simply matchmaking and attending to know the residents that come and go from the manor.
While you begin out, you undergo a brief tutorial explaining precisely how issues work on this “afterlife courting sport”. A cute woman ghost will clarify the ins and outs to you. She may also be checking in on you each three days to go over your progress and let you improve your own home, together with a pair different issues. The premise is straightforward sufficient; the residents can’t see you, however you are able to do issues to extend their relationships, give them presents, and arrange dates or outings for them to go on. And in some way, the residents by no means query how these items are taking place or who’s doing it.
Love, Ghostie is about up in a means that doesn’t let you do the whole lot directly. Every day, Ghostie begins out with 4 motion factors. Each motion you full will price you one motion level. For instance, there are random gadgets positioned all through the home every day, and “stealing” an merchandise will price you one motion level. When you take the merchandise and present it to one in every of your housemates, it can price you an motion level. Organising dates and issues like that may also price you motion factors. You get the image. When you’ll be able to improve your manor, you’ll be able to improve the motion factors that you simply’re in a position to make use of every day, in addition to a couple of different issues.
It’d sound complicated, nevertheless it’s a very simple sport to get the grasp of when you begin taking part in. I really discovered myself getting invested in these characters’ tales and their personalities. You’ll study issues about them that may assist you determine who they’re suitable with and if they might be match/couple. There are not any mistaken solutions, however there are positively residents who’re extra suitable with others and ones who you’ll be able to blatantly inform wouldn’t be good collectively. An instance of this could be the emo giraffe and the bougie frog characters. Whereas they’re not technically an excellent match, they will nonetheless be buddies and develop a relationship. It actually all is determined by what you need.
A lot of the characters are likable, however there have been a couple of that I didn’t take care of, principally simply because they have been tougher to please or acquired upset over foolish issues. You’ll be capable to learn the dialogue and see some cutscenes as their relationships develop extra time. When you arrange a date, on the finish of that day you’ll get to view the date in a cute little Ghost movie show. A few of them go nicely, a few of them don’t. You need them to go nicely, however the mismatched {couples} who go on dates they hate are at all times the funnest to look at.
The sport is fairly cute general, in a storybook form of means. It’s easy, colourful, and charming. Every of the 12 residents really feel like they got here straight out of a bizarre cartoon you’d watch at 3am, with a mixture of shy, daring, messy, and fancy personalities. They’re simple to develop connected to, and watching their relationships change feels rewarding in an odd, satisfying means.
The gameplay is fairly addictive at first. Every day, you get a couple of motion factors. You may give presents, ship characters on dates, or enhance the manor. Gadgets and other people have little “tags” (like fancy, adventurous, lazy), and matching these helps construct relationships sooner. As soon as I acquired the grasp of that system, I discovered myself eager to see each potential pairing simply to look at how completely different personalities clicked.
That stated, Love, Ghostie does hit a ceiling in depth. When you perceive learn how to match personalities, the gameplay can begin to really feel repetitive. Dialogue generally recycles between completely different {couples}, and the simplicity that makes the sport so approachable may also make it predictable after some time. It’s a straightforward sport to play in brief bursts earlier than mattress or whereas chilling on the sofa.
Love, Ghostie is a heartwarming and delicate sport about love, acceptance, and connection all filtered via the eyes of a ghost with a giant coronary heart. It’s perfect for followers of cozy sims like Spiritfarer, Stardew Valley’s relationship elements, or Animal Crossing. It’s not lengthy or advanced, nevertheless it doesn’t must be. It’s a soothing expertise that lingers in its simplicity. The form of sport you play once you need to smile and unwind.
