Consume Me

Loved the demo and enjoyed the premise of the game, but unfortunately I do not recommend the full version of the game. The mini games and daily management were quite fun at first and the setup for serious consequences of disordered eating and unhealthy habits in general are intriguing, but unfortunately the game doesn't take it anywhere. Once you played the demo you pretty much saw all the gameplay the game has to offer and mechanically it gets a bit old over time. The gameplay does not really reflect the message that's trying to be conveyed. You can very easily manage all the main tasks and optional tasks with the time that's being offered. There are no consequences for eating way too much or way too little. Everything can be easily outsmarted with the mechanics and tools the game offers for you. You can stretch every day way longer than you'd expect and can get done with all tasks for the entire week in a couple days. Simultaneously the game is trying to convey how stressful Jenny's life is, but that message just never came across. I tried ignore the disconnect from story and gameplay and hoped for an interesting or relatable ending, but unfortunately the game didn't resolve things in a satisfying way. None of my actions or decisions had any consequences or meaning. I could chug countless coffees and energy drinks, stay up late every evening and go way beyond the tasks the game had set up to farm more skill points and money, but it never punished me for it on a gameplay nor a story level how you'd expect these unhealthy habits to catch up with you in reality. The game also pivots hard into religion at some point in the story in a way which feels a little forced. It didn't work for me. I'm not religious, but I understand that it can help some and to be fair the pivot into religion seemed healthier than some of the habits that I practiced throughout the game, but the story doesn't got anywhere with it either. It just fizzles away at some point later in game. Consume me did not resonate with me, but that doesn't mean it has to be the same for everyone. I can see a lot of people having a different experience with the gameplay being more challenging and reflecting the way that Jenny feels ingame better. I can see how some players may have had similar experiences growing up and could relate more to Consume Me. But ultimately it feels like the game ended up telling the story of Jenny Jiao Hsia, the developer of the game, which is valid and interesting in itself. I think a lot of players may feel a disconnect to the game and story the further they get into the game though. The game is quite affordable and if you like the premise of the game you may still get your money's worth of enjoyment.