The Game

At heart, it is a game that combines a Pomodoro timer, to-do list, notes, calendar statistics, lo-fi music, collectibles, and character customization.

Before this, I had always used something similar: Spirit City.

Unlike Spirit City, though, Chill with You includes a small mechanic for interacting with its character. Its premise is that the player is on a video call with Congyin, much like sharing a study room. As time passes, you gradually unlock her story, and, like a visual novel, it unfolds through choices. I do not yet know whether there is a romance route later on.

[Could add some screenshots here if I come across them.]

Spirit City, by contrast, invites the player to imagine themself as the character on screen.

If I had to compare them, I unquestionably prefer the Japanese-inspired character design in Chill with You. Congyin also has Japanese voice acting. What is intriguing is that her voice has a slightly mechanical quality, almost like AI-generated speech. It makes me feel as if I am studying with a cyber girlfriend, and that AI-like feeling only makes me like it more.

The game also has a mug motif that feels remarkably suited to me. Through Congyin, the author mentions having become dehydrated during an intense stretch of creative work. Since then, she has paid close attention to choosing mugs she likes, so that she will take a sip whenever she is writing. As for me, I make tea before starting a Pomodoro session and drink it while I work; other drinks lack that same sense of ritual. In this respect, the author feels like another version of me somewhere in the world.

Still, when it comes to music, I prefer Spirit City. I have listened to it for dozens of hours without tiring of it, and hearing it immediately helps me settle down. The musical selections in Chill with You do not feel as “deep” as Spirit City’s. They are a little too light to draw me into a deeper flow state—perhaps I simply have not listened to them long enough.

The Mod

Love really is the first driving force of creation. Or perhaps lust is?

In Action

While she speaks, the character’s mouth moves with the volume of her voice. The movement is subtle, though, so it does not seem to have shown up in any of my screenshots.

The character also reacts while speaking: she may look at you, keep doing what she was doing, or seemingly drink water, among other things.