meat girl

This game has continued to stick around in my mind after playing.

SPOILERS(?)  no specific events but I discuss themes in detail and it would be better for someone who hasn't played to play this themselves before reading.

The entire dynamic between the two primary characters (not including the angel) is itself so deeply resonate with me and some of the fears I have in my own relationships. I've been both fearful (and knowing) that my loved ones have grown tired of me, and guilty and dissociated from growing overwhelmed and feeling "tired" of those I love. I think this game sticks with me as much as it does because it comes back to the message, no matter what your ultimate choice is at the end, that the doubts and overwhelm we feel is ultimately inconsequential to the importance of the deeper connections and affections we have for each other. We live in a world that feeds off of us for the name of profit, progress, false resource scarcity, "justice." It's unfortunately common for people to grow irritated with and hurt by one another because these are the things we can control - our relationships - even when they arent the source of the problem. We sometimes turn to hurting each other - or turn away from each other - when we don't have the option to turn away from the suffering that is unavoidable.

"You will never be enough" struck me. I stared at that panel for a long time. It's exactly what I'm afraid of, what a lot of us are afraid of, and it's true. In a lot of ways it's true. No matter how badly we desire we cannot bend the world to our whims. No love is great enough to heal the planet or lifelong, continuous trauma. I think that's something humans have been trying to cope with for a long time. We've got thousands upon thousands of stories based around the idea that our emotions themselves can be the source of tangible, physical power, change, and healing. It's part of why people practice witchcraft. But our care can only do so much.

I can't love her so much that her body heals. I can't grieve the world enough to clean our oceans or our skies. I can't anger enough to bring back thousands of species driven extinct by habitat loss and poaching, or enough to prevent further damage. I can only do what I can. I can be with her. I can participate in protests, when my body allows ever so infrequently. I can sign petitions and help others to care. I know it's not enough. I know the world is dying and that we are killing it. I know I'm not enough.

It could've been any of those thousands upon thousands of stories I've read/heard/watched that inspired this moment for me, but it wasn't. it was MEAT GIRL. And MEAT GIRL says that in spite of it all, we still choose to love one another, and care for each other anyway we can. I will spend my life picking up her trash and i will get tired of it over and over again but it doesnt matter. I love her and I chose her and we are sticking together through this horrific mess until mortality tears us apart and death reunites us again.

Thank you for making this game.

I loved this, it's cute and disgusting and creepy and adorable all at the same time

MEAT! MEAT! MEAT! Such a cute game!!

Ohhhh this was such an incredible game! Living meat and mycellium networks is just another way people want to find the perfect divine cure for the space that exists between people and their thoughts, and this was really well portrayed here. The atmosphere was really creepy at times, and I loved the angel's nonchalance the whole time while Vivian was walking around.

I definitely relate a lot to Vivian and her struggles, and was kinda similarly offended on her behalf by the end there. The art and the character designs are really cute too. I loved this!

I loved this story so much !! I found their relationship very relatable and I gotta say I currently struggle with the same issues as Vivian and I have learnt a couple of things from here ! Tysm Mala <3 the music and art style are great too !

hm, weird mushroom yuri...

STARBAGE PLAYTESTED THIS?? THATS HOW IK ITS PEAK

I love this game. I played it three times in a row. I love them. Sera, Vivian, and Maya. Beautiful girls. I hope the meat mycelium is as beautiful as I will always dream it as...thank you for making this. 

I love the way the characters talk to each other in this Ive grown quite fond of all of all three of them in such a short game!Ill definetly be following anything you do in the future

I got up to use the bathroom when the radio played and didn't expect to come back to a Tom Lehrer song lmfao

I can already tell this game is gonna be good just by the music choice and art style

This was extremely beautiful ^^. I would submit my soul to the devil for your art style. Do you want to meet in the mycelium network? I am all alone as well... 

it's incredible how much this game made me think about in such a short period of playtime. im surprised by how relatable it is... i really relate to Vivian (god i hope im not misremembering her name) in some way, I've found I don't feel emotions in the same way as some people do... great work

the character designs are so cute and i love the dialogue between the girls! also im a huge tom lehrer fan and i almost collapsed hearing the radio

this touched my heart…

Great game. Did you, by any chance, read The Vegetarian from Han Kang?

ahhhh... loved this, i really love the character portraits and, well, i want to join the mycelium network!

After talking to the girl a 2nd time she joins me but then  the game softlocks because I can't change the area or open menu without getting a now loading message into :

"Loading Error

Failed to load: img/characters/%24theangel.png"

what do you do after getting her to follow you tho?

you have to upload the title song on youtube or smth, it's too vibey

love between girls sweep

this is amazing and i might be a bit stupid but is this tied to the game flesh blood and concrete at all? if it is that's insanely cool hehe

I realy liked this game, it made me have many emotions, strange ones :), really enjoyed the atmosphere. Looking forward for your next projects!

I absolutely loved this. Amazing writing, lovely art, in a short digestible experience. Bravo!

Beautiful! Cool music and sounds too. Btw I think you mean conscience in the description.

This was a beautiful game. It's short but is packed with so many raw (quite literal lol) and complex emotions between all the characters. I can just say how appreciative I am with them just being some "weird", black lesbians just trying to live life. Ugh, I love it!

(I too would side with Maya and be one with the fungus than tough it out with society.)

Really cool and cold game, with a variety of emotions evoked while playing the game. Character designs are really cool, and so is the art as always! Really atmospheric as well.

I'm going to be thinking about this one for a while. The art is beautiful and I especially love Sera's design - she looks very innocent and human to a certain extent (especially in the sprites where she's looking off to the side). But she's also just unsettling enough to make it immediately obvious that there's something off about her, even if you ignored any other context.
Also love Sera's character in general. They're all well-made and complex characters for being in such a short game, but I especially like Sera.

10/10 definitely going to check out your other games at some point!

incredible! most of all i adore the visual cohesion and atmosphere you've managed to create, you evoke such a deep and complex relationship in such a short playtime! <3 

IS interesting game to play but not very fun in neither way

If you like meat, girls, and atmospheric dreamscapes laden with symbolism, then this is the game for you!

Lovely art and I care a lot about the characters, awesome game!!