“I Hate You, Please Suffer” by scitydreamer.
“In a world where adventuring is a common career choice, a recently fired woman sets out on a grand quest to pay her rent. […] Do quests, get paid, and hope that everything goes okay in spite of it all.”
The RPG Maker game “I Hate You, Please Suffer” is currently a demo version, but already gets described in a fascinating manner by its creator: “[A] turn-based RPG where the world of monster fighting clashes with mundane but important troubles.” Personally, I was drawn to the negative title and felt like it was challenging me to play the game, so I did exactly that.
At the start, the main character Ramona is fired by her manager, who has the gall to make a dumb pudding pun as they give her the boot. Even worse, the landlord has heard that she lost her job, and threatens Ramona, telling her he needs rent in advance or she will be kicked out. After this, we are sent out into the world, and are told the basic instructions. While the game does tell you to press Q to access your phone, it does not tell you that the escape key gives you a full menu where you can equip your stuff… If you have ever played an RPG Maker game, you will surely know the typical controls, but if you have not, you would not even know how to equip items or weapons, for example. Luckily, as soon as I equipped my knife, my time with the game improved as I started slaying enemies left and right.
Everything costs money in this game – even saving costs one dollar! Healing items are not cheap either, and since you only start with around hundred bucks, you have to spend them wisely. There is an economy system here that really hammers home how bad the situation and how poor Ramona is. But I also love the jokes in “I Hate You, Please Suffer”, such as the line, “You ever think that characters never use the restroom because [they are] never shown onscreen using it?”, and then they tell me that, “[only pedantic] nerds care about that.” I live for that kind of humor. However, my favorite bit is the “Do your best. Do your worst.” line that flashes on screen before battles. It is biting in all the right ways. Speaking of the writing, the lore in this game is also interesting. It seems to take place in our world, but adventurers are a thing that exist. Going on quests is common, but there are mundane office jobs, too. That creates an interesting blend of reality and fantasy.
Overall, I would say that “I Hate You, Please Suffer” is a nihilist, real look at the hardships of life, with a slight fantasy twist. It gives me “Diaries of a Spaceport Janitor” vibes; both titles are pretty similar with their shared goal of collecting items for money in an adventuring society. Where “I Hate You, Please Suffer” stands out is with its writing, which is clever, funny, and sad at the same time. Sure, it is just a demo right now, but I am already hyped for the full release. It is not a fun game, but it is not meant to be. I recommend this experience if you are looking for a clever, earnest game, and are alright with suffering at least a little bit. [PLAY]
