Rather than doom-mongering that AI is going to kill us in the next two years, Limerence opts for the more human side. You play Claire, a happily married woman in her 30s who has a tight relationship with her kid brother, interesting parents, and a bestie of 20 years.
Claire and hubby are undergoing IVF treatment, which has been understandably challenging. When we join Claire, she’s heading towards her 12th attempt, and without question, a lot is riding on this, but Claire’s seemingly the only one invested in the process.
Limerence is an intelligent piece of fiction that has so many narrative threads to pull at; we could start making some metaphors about tapestry and the human condition. I’m being lazy – you can work that bit out.
Doom Scrolling
Everything in the game takes place from the perspective of Claire’s phone, and while this is a risky suggestion, it could have been better suited in a portrait perspective, similar to Acolyte or VOS: First Faiths.
Coincidentally, I played this primarily on my Retroid Nova, and the screens were disorienting as they’re supposed to be Claire’s phone, and I often was looking at the battery and time as if it were my Android device! And that crossover with reality is unsettling.
Limerence isn’t a horror game, but it’s terrifying. You can draw your own conclusions as to why I’d make this statement, given that the premise is Claire’s obsession with an AI app that serves as her ideal partner. It’s also in the title.
Monotony as a Feature, Not a Bug
Putting aside the ‘AI’s gonna kill us all’, Salix Games has created something monotonous as a game. Gameplay is looking through Claire’s phone: reading texts from her family and best friend, viewing spam emails and missed calls, and a few key websites.
It takes a while for the change that Claire is going to make, with the IVF treatment beginning on the 4th of February. When you start the game, I believe it’s the 5th of January, and it takes some time for it to kick in.
She’ll click through text messages and email receipts of beauty products, play back audio notes and check in with ongoing drama from all angles. After a segment, there’ll be a fade-out and then more texts. It emulates this aspect of life well, hence the monotony.
Active Listening
Yes, there are some dialogue paths, but they don’t seem to serve a purpose at first, though those micro-exchanges further develop the relationships and the interactions that follow. You soon start to become Claire, and it all makes sense when she downloads the LiAIson app and creates ‘Kai’.
Building a romantic companion is a way to cope. Yet this fantasy environment conflicts with her reality, and the relationships with her loved ones become volatile. Whereas she doesn’t have to try with Kai: he gets her.
We’re all using AI these days, whether it’s to spel cheque eras, or ask whichever agent you use a question like, ‘Which is the best Elden Ring build’, then get an almost perfect response. I get it. I’ve been anti-AI ever since it took away my writing gigs, but now I use it almost daily.
The Writing Is Where It Shines
But I still maintain that AI is (currently) a tool, and a tool in the wrong hands can spell disaster. A series of emotional and physical turmoil will not put you in the right headspace, and while Kai is indeed a tool, there are serious consequences once the user becomes reliant on it.
The presentation in Limerence isn’t anything special, but the voice acting is very good – as evidenced by the audio notes. There are also songs on the app that are pretty good, too, but the real standout is how natural the writing is.
Packed with nuances, wit, tragedy, and those speling mistaiks we all make, it’s authentic and immersive. If it weren’t for some technical quirks, I’d almost forgotten I was playing a game or that I was a voyeur, scrolling through someone else’s phone. I am Claire.
Technical Hiccups That Pop the Bubble
The issue for me was how formulaic the process was. Get an email or text, open it up and reply in real time. Close the text app, then the day advances. This rinses and repeats, and almost always, the day is triggered by closing the text app.
A notification would indicate a new message despite opening it, and the game would freeze. The only solution was to reboot Limerence and consequently repeat the same section. See the last comment added to this article.
Should You Change Your Status to: In a Relationship?
Even with the superb writing and the level of consequences, it’s hard to recommend this, as I think some will struggle with looking at a phone screen with limited autonomy, or maybe even the topics covered, as there’s a lot here, and if you’re sensitive, well…
If you can overlook that aspect and are willing to be open (unless you already have an AI partner you smooch with), I believe you’ll find a thoroughly engaging story. Limerence is potent, and I would suggest you give the demo some attention.
Update: This originally was a Limerence review that I worked on for some time, only to find out that it’s been postponed, so given the technical problems, it makes sense, but I’m not postponing my write-up – it’s still worth noting the game.
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