Operation Backlog Completion 2026
Feb 032021
 

Yes, you read that right. In honor of the holiday season, I decided to kick off this year’s celebrations with the… questionable holiday visual novel Santa’s Big Sack.

You play Rudy Noel, Santa’s new assistant who has just arrived at the North Pole.

He quickly learns that the North Pole has more going on than just toy-making and holiday cheer… like his unexpected attraction to Santa, Mrs. Claus trying to seduce him, and a sinister plot unfolding in the shadows.

In keeping with the Christmas theme, most of your choices are presented as simply “Naughty” or “Nice,” with a helpful explanation ahead of time telling you what actions they’ll lead to.

However, there aren’t really branching paths or multiple routes. It’s a pretty linear story where a few key choices lead to optional sex scenes (with non-explicit imagery but dialogue and screen-shaking to give you the idea) and different dialogue before returning to the main path to continue the story just as if you’d picked the other option.

Santa himself is the main romantic interest. I don’t think there’s any way to not hook up with Santa (which is not a sentence I ever expected to write).

There actually is a bit of a plot here in addition to the romance, but it’s fairly absurd. Don’t expect anything too serious or meaningful, just a goofy story that is so outrageous it does manage to be somewhat funny… and will present you with all the Christmas-themed innuendos you could ask for.

Let me put it this way: if you’re considering playing a visual novel with as questionable a title as Santa’s Big Sack, you probably already know what you’re getting into and that’s what this visual novel will provide. No big story or heartfelt romance, but innuendo-laden antics with Santa Claus and other denizens of the North Pole.

Don’t worry, the next review will be a bit more romantic. In the meantime, feel free to share your own thoughts on Santa’s Big Sack in the comments below!

Jul 062018
 

Considering my love for mad scientists, maybe it’s no surprise that my first BL visual novel would be something called “Dr. Frank’s Build a Boyfriend.”

Dr. Frank’s Build a Boyfriend follows a mad scientist named Dr. Frank, who devotes himself to the typical sorts of Frankenstein-style experiments you’d expect.

Then his boyfriend steals his research to present as his own, and Dr. Frank comes up with the only logical revenge: building the world’s best boyfriend!

If you haven’t guessed, this game doesn’t take itself too seriously.

As Dr. Frank prepares his dubious revenge, with his poor assistant Iggs helping out despite his better judgment, they go from one absurd situation to another. Digging up graves while hoping no one sees, dealing with the fact that the monster considers Dr. Frank to be his father, finding a replacement arm when they lose one…

While it’s mainly a visual novel, it’s a bit of an adventure game hybrid as well, with a few sections that let you explore Dr. Frank’s house to find the items you need. It has a nice built-in hint system where you can ask Iggs for advice if you get stuck.

There’s plenty of humor in these sections as well.

Dr. Frank is a funny (and often immature) character, but there’s also a serious message beneath all the silliness as his character develops.

This visual novel was cute and a couple parts made me laugh out loud. The only downside is that it’s pretty short. It took me a little over an hour to get both endings. On the other hand, it’s also free, so it’s hard to complain.

If the developer ever makes a sequel to Dr. Frank’s Build a Boyfriend, I’d be happy to see where this dubious mad scientist’s journey takes him next.