High school. A time of extremes. Anxiety, unrealistic expectations, and sudden shifts in our bodies are running at a record high. Every one of us has a different relationship with it. As they say, some feel like they peaked there, while others feel like they were barely stepping out of their cocoon. There is no universal experience that can speak to all of us, but one thing is for certain: this period of change has made all of us who we are now. Consume Me portrays the perspective of a teenage girl living through this tumultuous era, warts and all, to great comedic effect. And some blunt truths along the way.
Consume Me talks about the very particular coming-of-age story of Jenny, an insecure Asian student trying to find her place in the world. Exploring themes of acceptance, stress, and our relationship with food as the basis of it all, there really aren’t many games like this out there. The social commentary is so authentic that it might verge on the uncomfortable for some, but with its approachable art style, it presents serious subject matter presented in the most charming way possible.
The game is structured in a calendar-based system where you have to manage your mood, energy, and guts bar to not see the dreaded Game Over screen. And you most likely will. I believe this is by design. It becomes rather complex as the chapters progress for Jenny to pull off all the things she sets out to do. Dieting, maintaining a relationship with a boyfriend, getting high grades in school, and so on, is so overbearing to just think about that it is quite natural that, at some point, something has to give.
One of the pillars of Jenny’s struggles is with food, or ingesting calories, more precisely. You start every day, filling food items structured like shapes in a Tetris-like minigame to be able to perform well throughout it. Because she is dieting, this immediately sets off the alarms of how much she is pressuring herself to adhere to society’s expectations. Because this could sadly resemble some people’s restrictive habits, there’s a thoughtfully placed Content Warning message at the beginning of the game.
This might sound stressful at first, and even though it is, Consume Me tries its best to keep things cheery all the way. Easily managing the interface through a computer mouse, the goal is to fill every day with meaningful activities and not dramatically die in the process. Set to the tune of music best described as playful and cute, there are minigames galore that will keep you busy every single day.
Walking the dog, cleaning the bathroom, or doing the laundry are some of the mundane activities wrapped up as silly minigames that you will have to balance on top of her busy life. Strategically managing everything becomes manageable with the use of snacks like coffee for an extra free action or chips if she needs a quick pick-me-up. If you wear dirty clothes, it affects your mood and energy as well, so taking all of these things into account adds up.
Reading a book or exercising to burn calories from eating too many snacks also increases your skills. Leveling up each skill gives three choices, such as a new outfit that increases Jenny’s mood or a new activity like more effective exercises than aerobics (DISCLAIMER: Inside the game, not saying aerobics is not an effective exercise). There is a level of strategy that comes with each choice that you make, hoping for the best in each of the game’s multiple endings.
The minutiae of such activities become manageable when paired with spontaneous cutscenes that happen every day. Little scenarios like going to the mall with your best friend, or rubbing your puppy’s belly exponentially fill your mood bar (just like in real life) offer a much-needed break from the routine. A funny event that is triggered at some point is the Snack Attack, where our hungry teenager simply has had enough of her dieting and just goes all out and eats whatever she wants. Talk about relatable.
The developer has been outspoken about the fact that Consume Me is a loosely autobiographical retelling of her experience in high school. The trope of the overbearing parent trying their hardest for their kid to be an overachiever is on full display here. Not only does our heroine have to deal with her own self-doubt by talking to herself in the mirror, but as each new chapter dawns, a slew of tasks and side activities fills her journal to the point of exhaustion.
Accomplishing all the required and extra tasks in the to-do list is supremely satisfying, but not easy to pull off. Consume Me’s magic relies on balancing Jenny’s main “quests” and side activities, but not overextending her in the process. There are energy drinks to fit in just one more activity, but that can drain your other bars, or you will spend too much money on a coffee that was supposed to be for an expensive date with your beau. The micromanaging is a fun, if a bit rattling, gameplay system that brings the point home of how truly nerve-racking it was, and is, being a teenager.
Verdict
Consume Me will disarm you with its earnest approach to difficult topics like our relationship with food due to its smart structure. Set in a backdrop of joyful music and snappy minigames, its biting social commentary resonates on every level. Parents’ impossible expectations for our futures, immature romantic relationships, and uncomfortable family dinners all pack a punch in the way they are written. A sincere encapsulation of teenage angst with just the right amount of humor, reminiscing about one of the most formative experiences in a person’s life has never been so entertaining.
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Reviewed on PC
A code was provided by Hexacutable for the purposes of this review.
Developer: Hexacutable
Publisher: Hexacutable
Good:
+Fast-paced minigames are fun,
+Friendly music and artstyle lighten the mood,
+Tough subject matter is portrayed with nuance,
Bad:
-Increasingly difficult managing of tasks can prove stressful,
-Too much clicking can be tiring in longer sessions
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Consume Me
