Sensei! I Like You So Much! is a cozy visual novel with a hint of writing, whimsy, and whipped cream.
Sensei! I Like You So Much! isn’t like most visual novels. The game, which was made by a small but dedicated independent team and is now available on Steam, is about a young fantasy author whose life is both cozy and crazy.
Unlike other stories that are mostly about love or fighting, this one is all about being creative and expressing yourself. It’s about writing, getting to know yourself, and making the cutest chibi version of yourself possible, complete with tiny buns and big dreams.
People online were interested in the game because you could change how your character looked and because it had a comfortable slice-of-life feel while still letting you be a little crazy. With whipped cream injuries, bald characters, and children who turn out to be elves by chance, this is the kind of strangely relatable game you didn’t know you needed.
You are a student, but in your free time, you write fan fiction. Things are going along pretty normally until a friend finds your writing and tells you it’s time to turn it into a public work. After that, your story is about juggling work, friendships, everyday life, and writing. This is a slice-of-life story with a light visual novel structure.
Most of it is already written, but you can make important choices that make each fanfic unique. What makes it interesting is how the things you do in real life—like hanging out with friends, going to work, or giving your character a bald head by accident—affect the next stories you write. The process of writing feels really important to progress because each story gets a grade that changes how many followers you get.
There are three main parts to the game: customizing, exploring, and writing. But there is a lot of confusion in customization. You can give your chibi figure different hairstyles, clothes, colors, accessories, and even elf ears if you want to be daring.
You can also use things you unlock by playing Sensei! I Like You So Much! or buy with in-game currency to decorate your room. The furniture doesn’t change how you play, but it’s a cute touch that makes you want to make the room feel like your own cozy writing nook.
Every day, you spend most of your time being adventurous. You have a limited number of things you can do, like hang out with friends, go to events, meetings, or part-time jobs. For every action you take, you get money, ideas, or access to new story content.
After that is the writing part, where you write a new story based on what you did during the day. A lot of the story is already written, but you can make decisions that affect how the story goes. Your decisions and how well you plan your day affect the grade of your story and, in the end, how many followers you get.
Sensei! I Like You So Much! doesn’t have any typical puzzles or fights. I Like You So Much!, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. You’re not fighting, but managing your energy and making choices about the story. There is only so much energy you can use each day. Do you work to save up for that cute new room accessory? Or do you go to social events to get ideas for new stories?
The main gameplay loop is planning your daily tasks and figuring out how to balance your objectives. Some people might be disappointed that there aren’t any standard puzzles or fights, but the daily choices do add a light strategic layer. Even though the game doesn’t punish you too severely for making “wrong” decisions, it hurts when you realize you can’t afford that new decoration or miss out on a new event because you spent too much time making hair buns look just right.
It’s also fun that you can get grades on your stories. It makes what you do in Sensei! I Like You So Much! more important and makes you think about what kind of fan fiction you want to write. Even though it would have been better if the story changed based on your choices more, the feeling of having an effect still works well in the cozy setting the game is trying to create.
You’re getting friends instead of XP. The number of new friends you get each day is based on the grade you get for your fan fiction posts. This increase in fans is your main way to see how far you’ve come, as it lets you access new customization choices and dialogue events.
If you want to get more fans, you’ll need to write better stories, which means planning how you spend your time during the day. It’s a simple method that works well in this situation and makes you want to keep trying new things with the things you do every day.
The graphics of the game are definitely cute. This is going to be your jam if you like cutesy anime looks with bigger-than-life characters and chibi styles. You can really express yourself or make your dream character come true with the customization options, which are surprisingly deep for an independent game.
You can change hairstyles, accessories, clothes, and even the decor in your room. One minute you’re making a figure who is bald and doesn’t have any eyebrows, and the next you’re making an elf with pink eyes, long hair, and a green jacket who has no idea how to hide. The user interface isn’t always consistent—color wheels missing or things not working the way they should—but it’s never a big deal.
The music is happy and light, and it goes well with the cozy, slice-of-life style. It won’t blow you away, but it’s never annoying, and it’s perfect for writing and making up characters because it’s so calm. Even though the sound effects are pretty basic, adding voice lines or some audio taste to the writing would really help the player get into the story. It sets the scene well enough for now and never gets in the way.
Sensei! I Like You So Much! is an odd and touching little game that shows how fun it is to be creative, express yourself, and make characters that look like they’re in a mess. The story may not branch off as deeply as in a big visual novel or be as complicated to play as in a sim game, but it knows exactly what it wants to be: a cozy, customizable, creative space for people who like writing and short stories.
The interesting thing about you is not what you do, but how you say things while you do them. As you carefully build your fanfiction kingdom or freak out because you accidentally shaved off your favorite character, the game gives off good vibes with a wink and a smile.
While there are some language and user interface bugs, it’s still a great game that anyone who wants to relax, make new characters, and laugh at their own silly choices should check out. It goes to show how much fun it is to let your imagination run wild and express yourself through this strange and moving, simple game.
