There is a certain magic games possess. A lot of games abandon this magic, and a lot of games never even reach a level of exerting such a thing. Attack of the Friday Monsters on the 3DS eShop is very special. I’ve only played around 40 or so minutes, but I’m already drunk on the captivating atmosphere. The game is simply magical.

Essentially a small visual novel set in 70’s Japan, Attack of the Friday Monsters is not supposed to be an epic, or emotional to showcase the potential of the medium; it’s solely charming on a human level.

It’s like a small star in a sky full of larger stars, even though it may seem insignificant, without its smaller expanse of light, there would be a patch of emptiness in its place.

This magic is hard to discern, but something inherently tied to pure gameplay. Working on the project we are currently building, it’s hard to remember this magic when you’re toiling away like a cog in a machine. Playing Attack of the Friday Monsters reminded me of this virtue and I believe at least one person on a project should be focused on magic. I hereby decree that every games company needs a magician. This person should be someone who tinkers with ideas and makes them human, who funnels charm directly into the design and mechanics: a link between the human nature of the audience and the ideas of the game creators.

Honestly, I’ve reached a point where I don’t know what I’m talking about anymore and would like to implore you to buy Attack of the Friday Monsters so we can both be drunk on its charm.

– Shaun