A cabin, a basement, a princess who talks, and a game that lies to your face without blinking.

On gut instinct, Slay the Princess only edges past about a fifth of the games. That's a low spot. But the detailed profile tells a completely different story, and that's where it gets interesting. The art style explodes: ahead of 91% of titles, that pencil work leaves a mark. The wish to experience it fresh again climbs very high too, though go easy, that rests on few votes. Fun holds the average, connection isn't far off. What drags it down is controller feel, right at the bottom, and the desert island pick, barely better. The tension is sharp: a game that grips the imagination but that you don't take with you, because once the mystery is gutted, there's nothing left to handle.

That's the fate of many visual novels facing criteria built around the controller and replayability. The act of playing isn't the point here. The writing is.

So, who's it for? For you if you like a game that plays with your head, branching paths that contradict each other, and art direction that looks like nothing else. Much less so if you need something to actually hold in your hands.