Hello Girl is a remastered version of a game jam release from a while back that I’ve never played until now. I would like to thank the developer for providing a free copy for my curator group on Steam. The timing was also perfect, as I was already looking into this game during the Next Fest (when it had a demo).

With that being said free copies will never influence my opinion on the game. Every single game I review reflects my own opinions only. However, spoiler alert for the rest of the review: I loved this, and I even bought the soundtrack to support them as I felt guilty for playing this for free.

Never Changing Environment

Hello Girl’s visuals caught my eye from the first time I saw the cute, moe characters with animal features. In a weird way, it gave me a feeling that this story would be similar to something like Girls’ Last Tour, especially with the contrast of the image of the twin soldiers holding guns. After playing it, I was partially right, and I really loved it even more than I expected.

We play, or rather follow, Ana, who is currently working as a switchboard operator completely alone in the absence of her sister, whom she is sure will come back. It’s really interesting to see a more innocent perspective in a world that seems a bit bleak. From the moment you meet Ana, you can tell she has been through a lot, and while she seems quite childish in many ways, there’s an underlying sense that she is barely holding it together. Her persistent need to keep everything the same, just as her sister left it, suggests that she doesn’t want to forget the past or change what she once and still, cherishes so deeply as she awaits her sister’s return.

I wish I could dive more into specific plot points, but I really don’t want to spoil anything, especially for such a short game. It’s a very emotional game that does have heartwarming moments but also moments that straight-up kind of gave me anxiety.

Mystery, Themes, and an Unanswered World

There’s a lot of mystery presented in the story that might not have gotten its answers, but personally, I was fine with that (though… I wouldn’t mind a continuation of their story at some point). I felt like I was getting a small slice of the world, from the viewpoint of someone who doesn’t know much about what’s going on in the grand scheme of things and the war. The story touched on a lot of different themes and elements like resistance to change, the fear of being alone, and how, in order to survive the harsh realities of the world, sometimes the most mundane acts together bring people closer to each other.

I felt like, at times, rather than wanting my questions answered, I would have preferred reassurance that the characters we have slowly gotten to know would make it out okay. That’s a huge testament to the writing, as it gets us, the players, so invested in Ana and the other characters’ lives in such a short time. Just seeing the characters interact with each other in often simple ways was one of my favorite moments in the visual novel, and it relaxes your mind from all the things that could go wrong for them.

Just the Right Mix of Cute and Unsettling

The game is in a traditional visual novel format throughout, though it does a great job setting up the atmosphere with really unique effects especially during dream sequences or conversations over the line. It can range from being a bit surreal to down right intimidating. The way the games weaves the visuals along with the well written story was amazing to witness.

Yet, the heartwarming and cute moments are just that, cute and heartwarming. The game manages to blend these contrasting elements so seamlessly that I can’t help but draw comparisons to series like Girls’ Last Tour or Alien Nine. I like to describe this as a method of storytelling that intentionally avoids directly presenting “something wrong” by using a cuter character design or artstyle. This very approach makes the game’s more serious moments feel even eerier, as it feels like it’s intruding on a safe space of sorts that you came to know.

The music in this game is also amazing. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve already bought the soundtrack. It ranges from serene, calming music to anxiety-inducing, analog horror-type tracks, and it’s awesome. It fits the game in a weird way, even when the game doesn’t always play music, making the moments when the music does appear all the more notable. Even with it’s like a melancholic soft sounding track. It’ll bring your attention to it.

Final Thoughts on Hello Girl

Hello Girl is a remastered form of a beloved game jam that is a must-play for any fans of the visual novel genre, looking to experience a visually distinct and unique game that deals with contrasting visuals and emotional storytelling on the niche concept of being a bunny girl who’s also a switchboard operator.

Imo Team is reportedly working on a new game called Kavaya Local Maximum, which is set in the same universe, and I cannot wait for that.

You can follow their official website here or their social media on both Twitter and Bluesky to keep up with any updates.