The final week of October on Steam brought a flurry of new releases to keep us occupied. Embark Studios, under the NEXUS Co., Ltd. umbrella, finally launched 'ARC Raiders' to a 'Very Positive' reception, while Obsidian's 'The Outer Worlds 2' is holding steady at 'Mostly Positive'. Yet, one title stands out from the pack: 'Devil Connection'. It is the latest entry in the fictional 'Makemon' universe, brought to life by developer 'Bayachao'.

You play as a student summoner at a magic academy in the realm of 'Magiricia'. Like most Makemon, they share a fluffy aesthetic, though honestly, you’ll struggle to see much beyond their two arms in-game. One fateful day, you end up summoning and binding yourself to a demon. Since he refuses to share his name, you decide to christen him 'Devilrun'.

Devilrun is a cheeky, pint-sized villain—sporting two horns, two pairs of wings, and a striking purple and teal colour palette. His grand, wicked ambition is to reclaim his 'true form'. To achieve this, he relies on your powers as a summoner to drag inhabitants of Magiricia into the fray, squeezing the magical energy right out of them.

As a student, you're a reasonably gifted summoner, capable of pulling in three Makemon a day to extract their mana. To get the goods, you have to push their emotions to the limit. It’s simple enough; you can tickle them or poke them to rile up some negative feelings.

You can also opt for more direct, magical interventions. Being a demon, Devilrun possesses a 'Demon Eye' that can read minds. By observing a Makemon’s inner monologue and casting the right spell, you can elicit even stronger emotional responses. Take 'Pain', the mascot of the Makemon series, for instance—he thinks your wings look cool, so if you use your magic to actually grant him wings, he’ll radiate pure joy.

Of course, some situations and Makemon react more intensely to negative emotions. The real fun lies in reading their minds and juggling different choices to see how they react. Once their emotions are sufficiently stirred, Devilrun absorbs the energy through his horns. Repeat this process three times, and the day is yours.

Naturally, the mana extraction process isn't always a walk in the park. Make the wrong call, and Devilrun might end up captured or worse, leaving you with zero mana and a game over screen. But don't despair—even in failure, you get a short interlude where Devilrun explains the ending, and honestly, seeing all of those is part of the experience.

One of the game's highlights is the remarkably fluid character animation. There are over thirty types of Makemon to encounter, each with unique reactions when you converse with or click (touch) them. Devilrun himself is a delight—whether he's snacking or wriggling when tickled, he balances his cheeky persona with a clumsy, lovable charm.

Despite the adorable cast, the narrative aims for something genuinely heartfelt. What is Devilrun’s true name? Is the ability to read minds truly a gift? And why did he lose his power in the first place? You’ll piece together the story of the protagonist and Devilrun through these encounters. Currently, it only supports Japanese, but a fan translation team is already on the job.

As of 5:00 PM on November 3rd, Devil Connection sits at 'Very Positive' (98% positive) on Steam. Fans are singing its praises: "The cute Makemon and touching story really tug at the heartstrings," "He’s a bit of a klutz, but he’s cute so I’ll forgive him," "Turns out, I do like demons," "Failure is just another form of exploration," and "I don't know a lick of Japanese, but I’m having a blast."