The only game that deals damage to your soul

I found it hard to put this game down for more than a few hours before wanting to jump right back in. What makes Neon White so great is that even though the levels get crazier and demand more creativity as you work on improving your clear times the early levels do a great job of making sure you really understand the core concepts you're working with. They also don't burden you with many tips for things that improve your time in small ways. You're allowed to experiment at your own pace and it was very liberating.

I found the story to be oddly wholesome while still keeping its cool and dorky parts balanced. When I first heard there were dating sim elements I wasn't that interested, assuming it would involve dialog trees and such, but the rewards were just conversations and small challenge maps so I enjoyed them a lot as I got to see the side characters fleshed out. Of course the music was also a big highlight for me and I was surprised to see many others I watched who played / reviewed the game also enjoyed it. Every track puts you in the zone while also being kind of calming at some points, even some of the more intense ones. A favorite of the year for me, 1000%