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Too Tired To Type
I honestly didn’t think I’d ever get round to writing this
blog. The week promised to be hectic and, true to form, work threw a few
curveballs that kept me on my toes.
It’s taken me until the bitter end of the week to summon the
energy (or motivation) to sit down and write. But ironically, that exhaustion brings me perfectly to today’s
topic: The blurred lines between a video game, an experience, and
a productivity tool.
Chill With You: Lo‑Fi Story sits squarely in that
grey area; it’s a title that really begs the
question: What is a video game in 2025? Because while this feels like an
aid, it’s also desperately trying to cram itself into a gaming costume.
The Hybrid Hustle
A bit of context: My job is hybrid — some days at the
office, some days at home. Best of both worlds, right? Home days mean lie-ins
and isolation from office pests. Office days mean social contact and actual
collaboration. But working from home has a motivational downside: No one’s
silently judging you into productivity.
Enter Chill With You, a Steam purchase born from the
desperate hope that a virtual desk buddy might stop me doomscrolling and get
some work done.
My New, Judgemental Desk Buddy
The premise is simple: It’s a "game" set in
a fictional world where an app pairs you with a study buddy. You work; she
works.
Upon booting it up for the first, you are greeted by a young
anime woman in her room, fiddling with her webcam. Her name is Satone — or
"Sa-to-ne", as she sounded out very slowly for me. I got the
distinct impression she could see through the screen, took one look at me, and
concluded, "Ah, an ignorant Englishman who barely speaks his own
language, let alone anyone else’s”. Bloody charming!
She gives you a quick tutorial of the interface:
- 📅Calendar: For meetings and plans. I used it to slot in work meetings and blog time.
- ✅To-Do Lists: You can run multiples of these. I set up one for the day job and one for the blog.
- 📝Notes: I’ll be frank — I ignored this. I’m old school; if I’m not scribbling in a physical notebook, is it even writing?
- ⏱️Pomodoro Timer: Set work and break lengths then the number of loops.
The Pomodoro is simple and effective. Want to work four
hours with 55 minutes work then a 5-minute break? Set four loops. Done.
💬A small critique here:
You can’t set custom lengths for individual loops; it’s a universal setting. I
would have liked to mix up the flow a bit more.
Cutscenes & Coffee Breaks
So, where’s the game element? Complete Pomodoro loops and
you earn XP, which unlocks chapters and cutscenes. These cutscenes
reveal more about Satone and reward you with items to customize her
environment. Some items are realistic; others are gloriously bonkers. I had a
whale swimming through space while fish floated by, and then Satone opened the
window to the vacuum of space — which was equal parts surreal and slightly
alarming.
You can mix realistic and fantastical elements to build a workspace that suits your mood: calming lo‑fi music, ambient world sounds, or your own playlist.
📋Note for developers:
Separate settings for time of day and weather would be lovely, and the rain
effect needs work — if Satone opens the window during light rain, the drops
splatter on a non‑existent pane of glass.
The Danger of Getting to Know Me
The narrative allows you to learn about Satone, but it is
heavily tilted as a one-sided affair. You learn about her; she doesn't really
learn about you.
Honestly, that’s for the best. It would be impossible to
program a character to react to every personality type. Plus, it would have
been weird if, after hour one, she realized I was a complete dick and refused
to talk to me — or worse, just sat there giving me the finger while I tried to
finish a spreadsheet.
It would be cool to see them add more characters in the
future, just to offer a different vibe or be able to pick a pairing that feels
more like you.
Satone has idle animations that sell the illusion of making
you feel like you aren't working alone — whether it be typing, jotting notes,
making coffee, opening the window, reading, even dozing off on a break.
Nudged, Not Zapped
❓The big question: Did it make
me more productive?
Short answer: Yes, but with caveats. It nudged me into focus
and made working feel less lonely, but it doesn’t do the heavy lifting. It
won’t shock you with electricity if you slack off by opening YouTube, and it
won’t magically motivate you on a bad day. It’s a tool that helps — not a
miracle.
But if you struggle with the silence of WFH, it’s worth a look. It’s £9.99 on Steam, and there is a demo that gives you a generous 5 hours of playtime. Your progress carries over if you buy it, which is a nice touch.
From Lo-Fi Focus to Festive Frenzy
That’s all from me for now. I need to get back to the day
job and focus on the final run into Christmas.
It’s that time of year where I start reflecting on the chaos
that has been 2025 and where on earth I want to be in 2026. I can’t say too
much about work right now, but let's just say there are a lot of moving parts,
and I have some serious thinking to do about my future.
On a lighter note, the next blog will likely cover the Steam
Sports Fest (running Dec 8th – 15th). I plan to dive into a few demos and
let you know what stands out.
😤Mini-Rant: I really
don’t understand why developers drop a demo for a festival and then delete it
the second the event ends. Surely it makes more sense to keep it up there. Let
people play your demo and get hyped for your game and follow its progress to
release!
Anyway, rant over. Stay warm, get a bit festive, and keep
gaming!
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