QCF: Say No! More

t first glance of Say No! More, I immediately had memories of an arcade game I used to play at anime conventions called Cho Chabudai Gaeshi. It was a table-flipping game where you would pound on the table to charge up the attack in various settings such as a wedding and an office, before unleashing your attack and flipping the table for maximum destruction. I was happy to find out that Say No! More may be close to that goofy experience that I enjoyed years ago, with plenty of humor and no-stress gameplay. The game does not deliver on challenge or depth but presents an important message in what is described as a linguistic arcade comedy.

Our intern must learn the power of saying NO!

Studio Fizbin is the creators of this work simulation where the player creates their unique intern, who discovers after suffering the loss of their unicorn lunchbox the power of saying “no”. The player will learn various ways of refusal along with confusing their co-workers with shrugs, head nods, and laughter. The game has a robust creation suite for the player's avatar as well as multiple language options and a very low-key groovy soundtrack. The gameplay seems to be very linear, although in my initial playthrough I found that staying silent in various interactions could lead to branching storylines that may not be accessible by storming through each section.

It's like if John Wick lost a lunchbox instead of a dog

Using the d-pad on the Switch to confuse workplace colleagues before charging up the attack will lead to destruction and allows the player to eventually progress to the bosses of the office. I do not believe there are any fail states in place of the game, the timer either runs out and the player moves onto the next section, or the boss will stay in locked dialogue until the player attacks. This makes it more of an interactive experience with some button presses and not much of a game, so players looking for a challenge or strategy may want to try something else.

Charging up the NO will send everything and everyone flying!

I enjoyed the voice acting in Say No! More, each character whether they were in just one interaction or a main part of the story was unique and hilarious. Great comedic timing and smart writing lead to fun performances and gave the title so much charm and memorable moments. Sadly, these times of communication can be too short and will begin to repeat before the player makes the appropriate response to move on. I would have loved to explore more of the world and tried to have different moments with various characters. This is a shortcoming of the title, which also leads to noticeably short playtime. I may have completed the game in just a few hours, with only the ability to replay each level after credits have rolled. Just wishful thinking on my part after really enjoying the dialogue and characters, but I realize that perhaps the intent of the developer was delivering on the message of the game.

The game's story features great voice acting and characters

So, as I mentioned at the beginning, the game does deliver an important message of how people should treat each other and take care of one another when placed in upsetting and unfair situations. I can personally relate to being a “yes” person, often agreeing to and making efforts for others even when it can cause stress and uncertainty. The game’s message comes through without feeling forced and is more uplifting and sincere by using its comedy and silly aesthetics to ask that people be allowed to be themselves, not conform or put anything in front of their happiness. Not often have I finished a game and thought of how it affects me on a personal level, it’s always just enjoyment of a game for the story that it tells. I feel that playing through Say No! More is a way to reflect on where someone is either being subjected to being afraid to say no or someone that is rarely said no to. It is an honorable attempt for Studio Fizbin to want their game to have a message alongside its fatuous story and for me, I feel that they succeeded.

Gameplay is only dependent on just a few button presses

I know it is super corny for me to write that I hope players will say “yes” to playing this game. But I truly hope that the game gets its chance to shine regardless of not being a typical video game at all. The asking price of $14.99 seems fair to me for the content it provides but, indeed, the game does not have anything extra to offer other than the linear storyline. However, the characters and craziness are memorable enough for me to be happy to have them in my library. It has equal parts of heart and hilarity that do not last long but continue to have a meaningful impact.