Code Romantic Reviews

It’s a linear visual novel with interactive code segments, no branching routes or choices, just a straight path through a post-apocalyptic setting filled with emotional wounds, AI ethics, and... coding tutorials. I shouldn't have liked it. I don’t like linear visual novels, and I don’t like coding. But somehow, I enjoyed myself anyway. It’s meant to be an educational game where you learn C# functions. Now finished, can I code? No. Do I know some coding terminology now? Yes. Not a bad place to start if you're even vaguely curious about how code works and learning to do so yourself. Concepts like variables, if-statements, loops, and nested function calls are introduced slowly, in context, with plenty of feedback. You’re not writing 100% of the code yourself, instead, you’re tapping through drop down options and thinking through what makes sense for a single line of code that’s already 95% written. It’s more logic puzzle than blank-slate programming, which honestly works well for teaching and avoids overwhelming you. The relationships, both romantic and platonic, unfurl between those programming segments. I didn’t expect to care about a certain side character, but when the drama finally kicked in... oof, the feels. Honestly, I needed the story as a carrot to keep tapping through the coding puzzles. It worked, but this is not a game to play when you're sleepy. I played it about 2 hours a session, over three evenings. I'd buy the sequel if it came out. That's a recommendation eh?