Leo's blog

Have you played...? A Soace for the Unbound

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 23:55:00 -0300

A Space for the Unbound is a 2D adventure game developed by Indonesian studio Mojiken and released in 2023. It’s poignant and beautiful, both aesthetically and in writing. Be aware that it delves into emotionally sensitive topics like trauma and depression, not unlike another famous game that I really liked. In this game, we control Atma, a high school student, as he lives through everyday life with his classmate and girlfriend, Raya.

(Piano cover) Ender Lilies - Bloom - Outro

Sat, 25 Apr 2026 22:00:00 -0300

Composed by Mili Arrangement by @schneeheideww Ender Lilies’ soundtrack is so beautiful, melancholic, and emotional. I think I hand’t been this moved by a game’s OST since Nier: Automata.

Have you played...? Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 22:30:00 -0300

I’ve recently completed Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights and it was a great experience, so I wanted to share it here. Ender Lilies is a metroidvania with excellent atmosphere and world-building. It’s a dark, gloomy, and tragic game right from the get-go. The kingdom, once lively and peaceful, was overrun by a mysterious rain that blights people and animals, turning them into mindless, violent monstrosities.

Have you played...? Stray

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 23:00:00 -0300

A good game for cat lovers and dystopian cyberpunk lovers alike, Stray tells the story of an orange tabby cat that’s living peacefully with their companions, until one day they slip into a dark city populated by humanoid robots. You meet different robots and slowly understand what happened, all while finding your way back to the Outside where you came from.

Have you read...? Battle Angel Alita: Last Order

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 12:00:00 -0300

In a nutshell, Battle Angel Alita tells the story of Alita, an amnesiac cyborg who is taken in by a kind doctor in a dystopian scrapyard city where cybernetic implants are common and life has little value. Alita unravels her past little by little, discovers she is a ferocious fighter, faces many challenges and setbacks while trying to help her loved ones, all while fighting against her own doubts, insecurities and destiny.

Brazilian Christmas Anachronisms

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 18:30:00 -0300

It’s almost Christmas again, yikes! In the Christmas spirit, here’s a photo of last year when I was at a shopping mall and saw this interesting arrangement on a bookstore’s display window:

Inktober 2025

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 22:23:55 -0300

Hey, it’s been a while! I didn’t post anything in October because I decided to take on a personal challenge. I have always enjoyed drawing, but I didn’t do it consistently for the better part of the last 20 years or so. When I was a kid I loved drawing and entertained the idea of becoming a comic book artist, but decided to follow my other passion which was programming.

Have you watched...? Food for the Soul

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 22:45:00 -0300

A short review for a short and sweet anime that I watched some weeks ago. So from time to time I like to watch something that’s simple, heartwarming and unassuming, just to feel a little warm and fuzzy inside, especially while having lunch.

Have you played...? Momodora: Moonlit Farewell

Sun, 24 Aug 2025 19:38:00 -0300

Momodora: Moonlit Farewell is the last installment in the Momodora series, which started all the way back in 2010. All the games in the series were created by Brazilian game designer Guilherme “rdein” Martins and his team, Bombservice. I always like to bring that up because we Brazilians are still very underrepresented and peripheral in the global game dev world.

Have you played...? Rabi-Ribi

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 23:20:00 -0300

When you look at the promotional art for Rabi-Ribi, you might mistake it for an eroge, but it’s not (I swear). If I had to define Rabi-Ribi in a short sentence, it would be: what a Touhou Project game, a bullet hell shooter, would look like if it were a 2D metroidvania.

Have you played...? The Messenger

Sun, 10 Aug 2025 23:45:00 -0300

The Messenger was the first game by Sabotage Studio, released in 2018. Its plot takes place thousands of years after the events of Sea of Stars, which I played earlier this year. I loved Sea of Stars, so I was very curious to see how The Messenger would compare.

Have you played...? Dragon Quest

Sun, 08 Jun 2025 00:55:00 -0300

I actually played this in February, but only got around to writing a review now. I like old-school JRPGs. There’s something about their simplicity, straightforwardness and honesty that I enjoy, despite their often repetitive and grindy nature and very simplistic, often irrelevant plots.

Have you played...? Mônica no Castelo do Dragão

Sat, 07 Jun 2025 01:45:00 -0300

This is another one of those games I played during my childhood and never managed to finish. I must’ve been around five or six years old, and I remember renting it from a local video store. Now, with my trusty Anbernic, it was time to complete it and fill that gap in my childhood.

Mini Reviews 2: Gato Roboto, Momo and the Mine

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 14:30:00 -0300

Two quick reviews for two quick games this time. Gato Roboto is a simple metroidvania with interesting 2-bit (monochrome) graphics and some interesting gameplay mechanics. It’s clearly inspired by NES Metroid in its environment and setting, but instead of being dark and mysterious, it’s silly and lighthearted.

Creating a visual novel with AI

Sun, 16 Mar 2025 21:19:00 -0300

As a professional software developer, it’s impossible to ignore the impact large language models (LLMs) are having on the industry. I toyed with the first versions of ChatGPT back in 2022/2023 and, apart from it being a novelty and a really good chat bot, I wasn’t very impressed at the time. Especially given how often it hallucinated and gave blatantly incorrect responses as if they were correct. GitHub’s Copilot was promising, and it did help generate boilerplate code and fill gaps based on prompts. However, I started to get really impressed when I started testing Claude.

Have you read...? Mangas from Inio Asano

Sat, 22 Feb 2025 18:00:00 -0300

My first contact with manga author Inio Asano was in the Sol Bookstore in the ethnic Liberdade neighborhood of São Paulo. I was just browsing random manga and the cover of What a Wonderful World! stood out for me: just a guy with a weird, childish bear mask holding a gun and a suitcase.

Have you played...? Sea of Stars

Sat, 01 Feb 2025 21:14:00 -0300

After getting this as a gift from a cousin on Christmas of 2023 (so more than a year ago 😬), I’ve finally decided to play it. There was a lot of buzz and hype for this game, so I was excited to try it. In a nutshell, Sea of Stars is a traditional turn-based JRPG with heavy inspiration from the SNES classics, especially Chrono Trigger (I’ll probably cite CT many more times throughout this post 😬). It’s a love letter to these timeless classics, with modern mechanics and sensibilities.

Have you played...? The Final Fantasy Legend

Sun, 12 Jan 2025 22:15:00 -0300

After finishing U.N. Squadron, I wanted to play something I never played before. A short, old school JRPG seemed like a good choice for the next few days, so I chose The Final Fantasy Legend, released in 1989 for the Game Boy.

Have you played...? U.N. Squadron

Sat, 11 Jan 2025 00:35:00 -0300

I wanted this to be part of the Mini Reviews 1 post to have an SNES game there, but I wasn’t able to finish it in time it’s a hard one. Like the other games in that post, I first played U.N. Squadron when I was a kid, around 8 or so I think. Back then I actually played the original Japanese version, which is called Area 88 (エリア88), which was based on a manga and anime of the same name.

Mini Reviews 1: Elemental Master, Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse, Tiny Toon Adventures 2: Trouble in Wackyland

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 22:05:00 -0300

During the holiday break I used my Anbernic RG40XXV to play and finish 3 games I had played during my childhood, each one for a different console. It was a little weird playing them on a crisp LED screen, without the CRT TV blurring - they almost felt like different games than the ones I remembered 😂.

Have you played...? Lufia & The Fortress of Doom

Sat, 28 Dec 2024 13:30:00 -0300

Lufia & The Fortress of Doom is an old school SNES JRPG. It’s grindy, repetitive, and annoying sometimes, but it’s charming in its simplicity. It’s a 16 bit RPG with an 8 bit soul.

Review: Anbernic RG40XXV

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 01:28:00 -0300

There are many old games, particularly RPGs, from the 16-bit era that I want to play, or that I started playing when I was a kid and never saw the ending: Lufia 1 & 2, Final Fantasy 6, Phantasy Star II, Shining Force, to cite only a few.

Fighting games and piano

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 00:01:59 -0300

Some time ago I was spacing out and started thinking how doing combos in fighting games is a little like playing a music on piano. You have to get the inputs/notes right, at the right time, at the right rhythm, otherwise it doesn’t connect, it doesn’t sound right.

Have you played...? Monotype

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 23:59:39 -0300

Monotype is a short philosophical/horror visual novel about a virtual pet that’s made real. I don’t even remember when I put it in my Steam library, but I decided to play it as I’m trying to play more instead of buying more games.

Alerta: Phishing com azeite de oliva

Sun, 21 Jul 2024 19:03:00 -0300

(post in Portuguese since this is a scam alert aimed at Brazilians) Sou um usuário ávido do Youtube e geralmente nem percebo as propagandas que aparecem no meio da lista de outros vídeos. Porém, nessa semana uma delas me chamou a atenção: 5 azeites de oliva Andorinha por R$89,90?

Have you played...? Minoria

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 01:31:07 -0300

By now you know I love indie games, but I have even more consideration when they’re made by my fellow Brazilian compatriots. Brazil isn’t known as a big game making country, but we do have some gems here. I wouldn’t call Minoria a gem, but it’s a nice game overall.

Have you played...? Refind Self: The Personality Test Game

Sun, 09 Jun 2024 19:07:20 -0300

This is definitely an odd one. I was intrigued by the game’s propsal as a personality test, and the pretty screenshots in the Steam page convinced me to try it. I love weird games so I knew I’d like this one.

Have you played...? Grimm's Hollow

Sat, 08 Jun 2024 18:40:00 -0300

I think I’ve already said that, but I love short games with a nice narrative. Grimm’s Hollow is a small RPG Maker game that tells a simple and touching story about grief and loss. We follow Lavender, a young girl, as she wakes up in a strange place called Grimm’s Hollow.

Motocross Maniacs OST

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 22:25:20 -0300

So, the other day I was listening to the Rhythm and Pixels Radio ⤴ while working. Some days I feel that 8-bit old game music really goes well with programming, it helps me get into the groove. One of the songs that played caught my attention though:

Have you played...? BAD END THEATER

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 23:44:37 -0300

I bought this some months ago captivated by its premise: a weird game where you decide characters’ fates as if in a theater play, with cute, 8-bit aesthetic? Sign me in! Steam reviews were also overwhelmingly positive and it was not expensive.

Have you played...? Ann

Sun, 14 Jan 2024 16:19:30 -0300

I’m at the point in my Steam games library where I can’t remember why I have some games - that’s the case for this one. Maybe I’m just a a sucker for meganekko. Actually, I think it was because I came across this funny Youtube video and decided to see what else the creator had done.

(Piano cover) OMORI - Duet

Thu, 04 May 2023 01:43:00 -0300

Composed by Pedro Silva Arrangement by Pianobin ⤴ One of the most beautiful and touching moments in videogame history.

(Piano cover) OMORI - By Your Side

Sun, 30 Apr 2023 01:43:00 -0300

Composed by Pedro Silva Arrangement by salmonghoul on MuseScore ‘You’ll forgive yourself… Won’t you… SUNNY?’

Have you played...? OMORI

Mon, 09 May 2022 20:00:00 -0300

I’ve finished OMORI recently and enjoyed it a lot. The story and narrative are well developed, and some moments were truly moving. Be wary that it’s a beautiful but also particularly dark and heavy story about the struggle against depression and traumas that can be very real.

Have you played...? Dweller's Empty Path

Sat, 21 Aug 2021 20:00:00 -0300

Dweller’s Empty Path is a very short (2-3 hours long) and lighthearted game, but has its contemplative and touching moments too. It is a retro-styled, character-driven, exploration-based RPG Maker game, as we follow protagonist Yoki on a day of her life, trying to clear her mind and get a good night of sleep after waking up from a strange nightmare.

Você já jogou...? VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action

Thu, 29 Mar 2018 00:00:00 -0300

Em um futuro próximo, existe uma cidade distópica onde grandes corporações dominam o governo, e a população, oprimida, luta para sobreviver a cada dia. Nessa cidade há um pequeno bar chamado VA-11 Hall-A, apelidado Valhalla, que é visitado por pessoas que buscam uma bebida, um pouco de alento e, talvez, uma conversa amiga.

Você já leu...? Repeteco

Thu, 16 Feb 2017 00:00:00 -0300

Quadrinhos são muito mais que super heróis de colante ou garotos de cabelos espetados salvando o mundo. Que tal uma chef de cozinha descontente com sua vida e que quer abrir seu próprio restaurante? Essa é a premissa inicial de Repeteco, a mais recente graphic novel de Bryan Lee O’Malley, famoso pela série Scott Pilgrim.