Consume Me: A Delicious Dive into Gaming's Complex Culture

Exploring the Depths of Consume Me

If you consider the Game Awards to be the Oscars of the interactive entertainment realm, then the Independent Games Festival could be likened to Cannes, with its coveted Seumas McNally Grand Prize representing the prestigious Palme d’Or. Therefore, one might expect the latest title from this year’s award recipient to receive significant attention. However, the muted early sales and the unexpected scarcity of reviews for Consume Me reflect ongoing challenges in discoverability within the gaming landscape, compounded by critics inundated with an autumn release rush. Yet, the game itself is nothing short of a joy to experience.

A Quasi-Autobiographical Journey

Created over a span of ten years by Jenny Jiao Hsia, along with talented collaborators AP Thomson, Jie En Lee, Violet W-P, and Ken Snyder, Consume Me presents a quasi-autobiographical narrative centered on an Asian American high school student navigating the pressures of teenage life while attempting to lose weight.

Players are greeted with a content notice addressing sensitive themes such as bullying, fatphobia, and disordered eating, which sets the stage for an experience that is both poignant and surprisingly humorous—remarkably, it stands out as one of the funniest games of 2025.

Satirizing Diet Culture

In a clever twist, Consume Me adeptly navigates the complex tonal landscape of its subject matter, skillfully satirizing the gamification of diet culture. The protagonist, Jenny, faces her mealtimes transformed into a puzzle format. Drawing parallels to arranging items in Resident Evil 4, players must fit food items shaped like Tetris blocks into a grid that represents Jenny’s stomach. L-shaped kale and S-shaped tomatoes help maintain her daily intake goals, emphasizing the concept of “bites” rather than traditional calorie counting.

Cookies and other junk foods come in tempting shapes, but indulging in these treats means sacrificing valuable free time to burn off the calories or utilizing one of Jenny’s limited cheat days. Any gaps in her dietary management will lead to hunger pangs, signaling the need for a snack later on. Additionally, players must keep Jenny’s energy and mood levels above zero; otherwise, it’s game over.

Balancing Life's Complications

The gameplay mechanics start off simple, with tasks like chores, studying, and makeup application presented as enjoyable minigames reminiscent of Nintendo’s WarioWare series. However, as players progress, the challenge intensifies, requiring increasingly strategic management of Jenny's needs and desires.

• Over-reliance on energy drinks can lead to caffeine headaches, making even basic activities a struggle.
• Beautifully depicted cutscenes enhance the experience, from the tense atmosphere during a weekly weigh-in to Jenny’s overbearing mother inspecting her cleaning efforts with precision.
• Moments of social anxiety arise, such as when Jenny meets her boyfriend Oliver’s affluent parents, adding depth to her character development.

Conclusion: A Must-Play Experience

Ultimately, Consume Me is a rich, engaging title that resonates with players on various levels. Its unique blend of humor and serious themes invites a deeper reflection on diet culture while providing entertaining gameplay. Despite its initial underwhelming sales and reviews, this game deserves recognition and appreciation in the gaming community. For anyone seeking a narrative-driven experience that balances humor with poignant commentary, Consume Me is a must-play.