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It’s been a while since I played What Is It Like to Taste, and I wish I had written a review sooner so I could write more precisely about all the things I loved, but…I think about this game so often. It was one of my favorites from the Toxic Yuri Jam, and back in July it made a room in my heart and it lives there forever now.

This game is just unspeakably beautiful. The colors, the character art, those panel-style CGs. There’s something about everything that feels so delicate and heartfelt. (I opened it while writing this review, and just seeing Aiyana and Emma and those gorgeous pastels absolutely melted my heart.)

It’s also so well-written. It had me under a spell from beginning to end. And on a similar note, I felt I could relate so much to Aiyana, almost to an uncomfortable degree, but also kind of a relieved one? As an intensely hermited gal who often fails to eat and take her stimulants, I don’t usually meet other intensely hermited gals who often fail to eat and take their stimulants. Or see them represented in media like this. So Aiyana is really special to me. She made me feel seen in a way I’d never felt before.

Anyways. I loved every minute of this game. It’s truly so spectacular, and even outside Toxic Yuri, it’s one of my favorites of all time. Thank you so much for making it.

And I wish I had a tenth of Adelaide’s moxie in life lol.

This is such a beautiful game!! Those corrupted photos are so dreamy! So mysterious! So uncanny! And they look so damn cool with those halves of pink static.

I hope this doesn’t sound callous, because it’s such a shame that you lost photos, especially any that were precious to you, but this game is such a cool thing to come out of a crappy situation! And it’s painfully relatable lol. You captured that ‘oh shit’ feeling perfectly. I really enjoyed reading your thoughts about all of this, and whenever I inevitably lose some of my files in the future, I’m going to instantly think about this game. And it will probably make me feel a smidge better about things lol.

(It’s also been great to see everybody in the comments chatting about memories and digital storage. This is such a nice corner of the internet. XD)

I love this game so much. Thank you for making it.

I had no idea font could be used this expressively. I felt like I could ‘hear’ the tone of the characters—their sharpness, frustration, sarcasm, resignation. So much emotion came across. And it was sooo beautiful. The words took up so much space. Sometimes I forgot to look at the forest, or I’d appreciate that a view was really pretty, but then I was swept up in the dialogue again, which feels so much like an emotionally-loaded walk.

And that awkward silence in the middle when Eline and Amilia stopped talking... It had WEIGHT. I found myself cringing, waiting, pleading for the ‘quiet’ to be over and the text to fill up the screen again. (Like in real life lol. But I can’t remember a time I ever experienced it in a game!) This felt so much like a real conversation. Also, the two times Eline turned back to face Amilia was like a breath of fresh air. I felt so much connection to her in those moments after watching her back for so long. It was like a validation of like, “Oh. We’re here together.”

It was also just a wonderful conversation. Even without knowing their history, the premise and dialogue clearly telegraphed the dynamic between these two. It was so relatable. I feel like I’ve had a similar conversation a few times before too. And Eline’s sentiments on places and belonging and contentment were so sweet.

PLUS the music and visuals were amazing!! Just wonderful all around.

Oh heck yes!! The skull and hood look so freaking cool! I love all the little details you added with this one too. It paints a whole scene. Thanks for playing and sharing this knight!!

That flaming skull. Those daisies. THIS IS INSPIRED.

UGH, I LOVE THEM. They both look so cool!! I’m so glad you were able to recreate your OCs, and I’d let that doctor put leeches on me any day lol. Thanks so much for playing!! I’m really happy you enjoyed it!

Thanks so much for making this template! I’m new to Godot and was a little intimidated at first, but all said and done this template was a breeze to use. (Click masks forever!!)

I never in a million years would have fulfilled my childhood dollmaker dreams had it not been for you guys. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! eyelette.itch.io/wickedaspect

Thank you, Bean. <3

A BEFORE AND AFTER?! This is so freaking smart. I love your knight and storytelling so much. Thank you for playing and posting this!

Oh thank you, thank you!! It makes me so deeply happy to hear that. I’ve been struggling a bunch with my work this year, and the background was seriously half the battle for me. An earlier, sadder, incomplete version of the background took me the same amount of time as this entire project. Starting fresh, drawing some dinky monsters and biologically questionable vines and imitation medieval calligraphy felt like the first step out of a dark place for me. So thank you kindly. ❤️

I adore your knights!! So glad to see those ink blots on a beautiful knight, and the all-white look is chilling. Using the WRINKLES AS SCRATCHES? Brilliant. Oh gosh, you all are so clever.

AHH! They’re all so gorgeous!!! I love them!! (CLOAK PINS AS EARS?! YOU BLEW MY MIND.) And oh hell yes, cursed women all the way!! Thank you so much for playing and for the kind words. LOL, love me some Sims Medieval. That game was a blast.