Info about Make Me LAG:

Official game description:
You believe that running a game at over 120 FPS is smart? Well, you're WRONG!  
Make Me LAG is the first game that features a revolutionary new control scheme: your character actions are determined by the game frame count! Use external softwares and other tricks to lower the FPS count and control your character to defeat evil monsters and save the world!  
Open too many tabs on your browsers, play other games simultaneously, hack the internet, we don't care what you do, as long as you make the game lag!  
Make Me LAG was created during the Internet Festival Game Jam of Pisa in 48 hours and won the first prize.

Release date: Mar 14, 2020

Categories: Experimental Gameplay, High Score Chasing, Technical Simulation, Meta-Narrative Gameplay, Single-player, Comedy, Short Session Gameplay


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 0.3h
  - Story completion: 0.3h
  - Session length: 0.3h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence indicates that the game is consistently described as very short. Multiple reviews mention that the game can be finished in under 30 minutes, with some specifying it takes around 10-20 minutes or even 5-10 minutes to complete. This consistency across various reviews supports the conclusion that the typical playtime for game completion, story completion, and session length are all relatively short and similar in duration. There is no specific evidence provided regarding endgame content, suggesting it might be minimal or non-existent.
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes:
  - Achievement Hunter (sale)
    - Motivation: Unlocking achievements and completing challenges.
    - Playstyle: Focused on completing tasks and unlocking achievements, often looking for methods or cheats to accomplish goals.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: Achievement Hunter; Completionist
    - Reference games: The Stanley Parable; Pony Island
  - Innovation Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Experiencing unique and creative gameplay mechanics.
    - Playstyle: Enjoys exploring innovative game concepts and meta-narratives, often appreciating the creativity behind the game.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: Innovation Enthusiast; Creative Gamer
    - Reference games: The Stanley Parable; Undertale


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Unique and interesting concept (weight 0.68): The game is praised for its unique and interesting concept, which stands out to many players as innovative and engaging.
- Enjoyable and fun experience (weight 0.53): Players find the game enjoyable and fun, with many appreciating the short but entertaining gameplay.
- Easy to complete (weight 0.36): The game is noted for being easy to complete, with some players achieving 100% completion without much difficulty.
- Creative and humorous gameplay (weight 0.28): The game is praised for its creative and humorous gameplay, with some players finding it incredibly funny and enjoyable.
- Smooth and innovative gameplay (weight 0.25): Players appreciate the smooth and innovative gameplay mechanics, which provide a unique gaming experience.
- Encourages creativity (weight 0.24): The game encourages creative thinking and offers multiple ways to finish, fostering a sense of creativity among players.
- Fun and challenging (weight 0.24): Players find the game fun and challenging, with some enjoying the difficulty and the satisfaction of overcoming challenges.
- Worth checking out (weight 0.24): Overall, the game is considered worth checking out for its unique concept, enjoyable gameplay, and creative mechanics.
- Achievements and accomplishments (weight 0.23): Players enjoy the game for its achievements and the sense of accomplishment, with some finding it easy to platinum.
- Technical and strategic gameplay (weight 0.23): The game involves technical aspects like controlling through frame rate and finding strategies to complete it, adding a layer of depth.
- Meta and experimental (weight 0.19): The game is noted for its meta narrative and experimental gameplay, offering a unique and clever experience.
- Varied graphics styles (weight 0.18): The game features a mix of graphics styles, including next-gen and retro-style graphics, appealing to different player preferences.

Common complaints:
- Performance and FPS issues (weight 0.54): Players reported various performance issues, including low FPS, difficulty reaching certain FPS thresholds, and overall lag affecting gameplay.
- Crashing and technical problems (weight 0.33): Several players experienced crashes, including blue screens, and other technical issues that made the game unplayable on certain systems.
- Gameplay mechanics issues (weight 0.32): Players reported issues with gameplay mechanics, including actions not working, difficulty controlling speed, and problems with lag affecting gameplay.
- Window size and movement issues (weight 0.27): The game displays in a small window that cannot be moved or resized, making it difficult to view and play.
- Lack of content and story (weight 0.27): The game is criticized for having very little content and no substantial story, making it feel low effort and unengaging.
- Achievement and progression problems (weight 0.21): Some players had trouble with achievements not working and difficulty progressing in the game due to various issues.
- Annoying gameplay elements (weight 0.19): Many players found certain aspects of the game to be annoying, particularly at the beginning.
- Short game duration (weight 0.18): The game is considered very short, with some players suggesting it can be completed in the time it takes to drink a cup of coffee.
- Poor graphics and sound (weight 0.13): The graphics are compared to basic programs like Paint.exe, and the sound effects are described as basic and annoying.
- Counterintuitive gameplay design (weight 0.08): The game requires intentionally lowering FPS to progress, which is counterintuitive to typical gaming experiences and can feel like cheating.
- Potential security concerns (weight 0.07): There are concerns about the program potentially giving a virus, which can deter players from engaging with the game.
- Language support issues (weight 0.07): The game lacks support for certain languages, such as Simplified Chinese, which can be a drawback for some players.

Gameplay feedback:
- FPS-based gameplay mechanics (weight 0.97): The core gameplay revolves around manipulating the game's frames per second (FPS) to perform various actions and progress. Players need to adjust their computer settings or use external methods to control the FPS.
- External software and methods (weight 0.56): Players often need to use external software or unconventional methods to manipulate the game's FPS and achieve certain actions. This includes using programs like RivaTuner Statistics Server or opening multiple browser tabs.
- PC specs affect difficulty (weight 0.29): The game's difficulty is influenced by the player's computer specifications. Higher performance PCs may find the game more challenging due to higher FPS, while lower-end PCs might have an easier time.
- Complex puzzle gameplay (weight 0.24): The game features complex and puzzle-based gameplay that requires players to think critically and solve problems to progress. This adds a layer of depth to the game.
- Comedic and meta elements (weight 0.21): The game includes comedic elements and a meta narrative, making it enjoyable and engaging. Despite being based on a meme concept, it provides a fun experience.
- Time-limited challenges (weight 0.17): The game features time-limited challenges and a timer that players need to beat. This adds a sense of urgency and excitement to the gameplay.
- No traditional controls (weight 0.13): The game lacks traditional in-game controls. Instead, players interact with the game by manipulating their computer settings and using external methods to influence the gameplay.
- Educational about computer specs (weight 0.11): Playing the game helps players get to know their computer better and learn about their laptop specs, as the gameplay is closely tied to the computer's performance.
- No story or grinding (weight 0.1): The game lacks a traditional story and does not feature any grinding mechanics. It focuses purely on its unique gameplay mechanics.

Performance notes:
- FPS manipulation is core gameplay (weight 0.78): The game's mechanics are heavily tied to manipulating FPS, with players needing to regulate, lower, or induce lag to perform certain moves or attacks.
- Low hardware requirements (weight 0.31): Despite some high performance demands, the game can also run on low-end hardware, with suggestions to use a virtual machine with low RAM.
- High performance demands (weight 0.29): The game has high computer demands and causes high CPU usage, leading to performance issues even on good PCs.
- Technical issues and bugs (weight 0.26): The game has various technical issues, including disappearing textures, blue screens, and general lag.
- Uses external software (weight 0.24): Players use external software to reduce FPS or tweak performance, such as using Throttlestop to tweak clock modulation.
- Unconventional performance strategies (weight 0.17): Players employ unconventional strategies to affect game performance, such as opening multiple 8k YouTube tabs or mining bitcoin.
- Windowed mode display (weight 0.11): The game displays in a window, which can affect the gameplay experience.
- Risk of system instability (weight 0.06): There is a risk of crashing the computer while playing the game, indicating potential system instability.

Recommendations:
- Game is highly recommended (weight 0.3): Many players suggest trying the game and find it worth playing. It is often recommended for its relaxing qualities and achievements.
- Download and try it yourself (weight 0.13): Several reviews encourage downloading the game to try it and form your own opinion.
- Desire for longer gameplay (weight 0.07): A few players expressed a desire for the game to be longer, indicating they enjoyed the content but wanted more.

Other player notes:
- 360 panoramic view available (weight 0.08): The game files include a 360 panoramic view of the grassy field, enhancing the visual experience.

Emotions:
- Enjoyment (weight 0.19): Players appreciate the game's unique and creative concept, which offers a fun and easy-to-play experience. The humor and clever gameplay mechanics, including comedic elements, contribute significantly to the overall enjoyment.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.17): Players feel satisfied with the game's well-executed concept and the challenge of overcoming difficult sections. The sense of achievement from completing the game through strategic thinking and the game's performance on low-end hardware also contribute to this satisfaction.
- Excitement (weight 0.13): The game's incredibly funny, creative, and original concept generates excitement among players. The innovative and unique mechanics, along with a revolutionary control scheme, add to the thrill.
- Amusement (weight 0.11): The game's unique and counterintuitive mechanics, including the humorous aspect of crashing the computer, provide a fun and amusing experience. Players find the gameplay enjoyable despite its challenges.
- Frustration (weight 0.09): Players experience frustration due to lag issues, low FPS, and the game causing computer crashes. The poor quality of gameplay mechanics and the developer's inability to produce contemporary video game art or gameplay also contribute to this frustration.
- Appreciation (weight 0.06): Players appreciate the developers' creativity in designing the game mechanics and the unique introduction with retro graphics. The overall concept and execution of the game are well-received.
- Curiosity (weight 0.06): The game's unique concept and the discussion around different methods to lower FPS spark curiosity among players. Additionally, players are intrigued by how to achieve specific in-game accomplishments.
- Disappointment (weight 0.04): Players feel disappointed due to the lack of substantial gameplay or story. The low-quality graphics, described as Paint.exe level, also contribute to this disappointment.
- Fear (weight 0.04): Players experience fear due to the game causing a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) at the end. This unexpected and severe system crash induces a sense of fear and concern.
- Surprise (weight 0.02): Players are surprised by the unexpected gameplay mechanics. The game exceeds initial expectations, leading to a pleasant surprise.}