The sound of Noise music fills the air. Colors flash on my screen, a black haired beauty hiding behind the scanlines of a simulated CRT. She tells me it’s time for me to wear a leash. I’m confused, slightly scared, but also trying to win her heart. Landmine Princess, the latest game from the mind behind Liminal Void, is part dating simulator, part trauma dump, and part roguelike. Sure, you won’t be fighting against hordes of creatures in Landmine Princess. Just the shared traumas of two haunted individuals. Do what you must to win her heart. Or don’t. It doesn’t really matter. Or does it?
not Your Typical Dating SIM, and Jeistar Isn’t Your Typical Game Developer
Self-deprecation. Affection. Lust. Trust. Rebellion. Central themes to the experience of Landmine Princess, and yet, they’re all tossed to the roadside if one thing is done incorrectly. Much like any typical date, the world of Landmine Princess is filled with random thoughts. Intrusive memories. Thoughts of what could be. It’s confusing, filled with bold imagery and details about what Mina would love to do to you if the chance arose. Much like Liminal Void, it’s something for a very specific subset of people. Hopeless romantics. Those who wanted more. Folks who aren’t afraid to let their dirtiest thoughts escape their lips.
Depending on which “version” of Mina you get in your playthrough of Landmine Princess, you’ll find that she’s an interesting case. Filled with trauma, sometimes with drama, but always eager to be at the forefront. She’s a wild child, spitting truth and knowledge wherever she goes. At one point, she may make a joke about how vegans can only survive on cardboard cookies, and she’d rather die with cake in her mouth than suffer that way. The next second? She may be reprimanding you for not sharing your earbuds when you’re listening to music together.
Much Like Mina Herself, ‘Landmine Princess’ Is Loud, Brash, Bold, and Unafraid To Break Some Boundaries
Landmine Princess isn’t your typical game experience. It has “Rogue Framework”, where you can retain your stats after going on 5 dates with Mina. If you’re not a fan of this? Turn it off and play it “classically”. Do these stats really do anything in the long run? Is anything we do actually important? Are we just bound to repeatedly lust after someone that we’ve just met and know nothing about? That’s what Landmine Princess is all about. Unafraid to run directly into your face and spit in it, all while prompting you to hit “UWU” for +10 Affection points.
Any game that gives you a prompt to chat about the term “I’m sorry I ate your therapist” deserves at least a fleeting glance in the rearview mirror. Some of the dialogue in here is genuinely emotional, charged with feelings from the main character and Mina. Other parts of Landmine Princess? They had me recoiling from my screen, trying to figure out what I had just read. Just like love itself, you never know what you’re going to get.
The post The Mind Behind ‘Liminal Void’ Is Back With a Roguelike Dating Sim. ‘Landmine Princess’ Should Be on Your Radar appeared first on VICE.
