Come to My Party! (Come to My Party!)

🏭 DeveloperYoon Sim-sang

🏭 PublisherLINE Games

📱 PlatformPC

🎮 PlayPC

📅 ReleaseTBD (Demo Available)

🏷️ Keywords#VisualNovel #Pixel #Sentimental #Casual

'Come to My Party!' is set in a Korean elementary school in 1999, and follows a ten-year-old girl planning to host her first-ever birthday party This is a visual novel featuring the story of 'Jimin'. Games that stimulate such childlike innocence often tend to have a bright and hopeful atmosphere, but this game is not like that at all. While evoking nostalgia, it reflects the times remarkably well, and the story is realistic to the point of being cold. It displays actions and psychological warfare that are perfectly suited to a child's perspective and are only possible because they are children. Since children grow up by making mistakes, you feel that pain fully along with them. Therefore, I strongly felt a sense of coexistence between harshness and beauty, and touchingness and pity. For that reason, I think the term 'black comedy' is quite appropriate. The children, rendered in pixel art and depicted as animals and plants, reveal their psychology directly through their facial expressions and gestures, and traces of the effort to express this are visible throughout. The direction and background music are also very well-arranged to match. As a result, you can smoothly immerse yourself in the narrative while playing, and the refreshes provided by mini-games and scene transitions flow naturally rather than abruptly. The player views the world through the eyes of Lee Ji-min, a third-grade elementary school student. The game is structured to confront class president elections, friendships, and various events inside and outside the classroom. Since the game itself is in the form of a visual novel, it proceeds primarily by reading text and watching cutscenes, making the gameplay completely effortless. Mini-games such as washing, organizing the cleaning closet, and cleaning the blackboard eraser are interspersed throughout; they are not difficult yet effectively evoke a sense of nostalgia. Overall, the game is well-balanced, and the characters' psychology is clearly revealed through dialogue and facial expressions, resulting in a high level of immersion. Although the pacing is quite fast, it boldly cuts out unnecessary details while ensuring that the key points are not missed. While there may be some aspects that fall short depending on personal preference, the fact that it does not lose sight of the main context and framework of the story was clearly evident even in the demo version. 'Come to My Party!' captures the distinctive atmosphere of the late 90s very well. It makes me chuckle at the thought of how long it has been since I last saw Nostradamus's doomsday prophecies, and it also naturally captures the changes in the curriculum that were changed to 'Elementary School' back then.

Although it was a short demo play, it was very impressive. There is a strange sensation where pity, discomfort, and understanding all coexist as one looks back on the past—at the eyes of an adult who has accumulated much experience and formed values. While there are heartwarming anecdotes that pass by with a smile, there are also those that make you feel uncomfortable, wondering, "Why are they acting like that?" The character of Jimin, who comes from a modest family and craves more love between her intelligent older sister and her still-younger younger sibling, is revealed exactly as she is. Her efforts to achieve what she wants are juxtaposed with moments where she performs admirably—even if she makes mistakes and is sometimes clumsy. The process of her relationships with friends improving, becoming awkward, or turning hostile is also captured in their entirety. Furthermore, it is important to note that Jimin is not portrayed as the only one with problems. Teachers, parents, and friends all have their own incompatible aspects. This makes it even more realistic, and the black comedy aspect is clearly evident. It is to the point where there is even a warning on the Steam page. From depictions of domestic violence, violence by teachers, bullying, and even suicide, this game is not intended to satirize these elements with humor. Consequently, even within the natural flow of the game, there are several scenes in the demo that suddenly make you feel serious. It was an experience that started with a light heart but ended with a tingling sensation in the heart. It wasn't a bad experience, but it left a bitter taste in my mouth. Of course, since this is merely a demo, we will have to wait for the full version to see how the narrative unfolds. However, personally, I think it is a game worth playing at least once, especially for parents raising children. This game humorously yet realistically portrays the subtle psychology of elementary school peer groups and family conflicts. 'Come to My Party!' is available for demo at PlayXpo 2026, so it would be worth giving it a try if you are a visitor. If you are unable to visit in person, you can play the demo version on Steam, so I highly recommend giving it a try if you are interested. You can also experience it at the Line Games booth at PlayXpo. ©INVEN