Steam is home to a number of unique titles from small developers, and Milk outside a bag of milk outside a bag of milk is certainly no different, its unusual name aside. However, its name doesn't really give away any hints as to what the indie game might be about. But be warned, the content of Milk outside a bag of milk outside a bag of milk is quite disturbing, tackling mental health issues of many forms.

Those interested in this visual novel title should know that it's actually the sequel to a game of a similar name, Milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk, which has an Overwhelmingly Positive reputation on Steam. Additionally, the original indie installment costs just $0.99 despite having released as recently as last fall. Because of this, interested gamers should look into playing both games in order rather than just Milk outside a bag of milk.

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The Gameplay And Story

milk outside a bag of milk outside a bag of milk

Both Milk games are psychological horror visual novels about helping a girl buy milk. Their concept is fairly abstract, but they're essentially about the inner monologue of this girl—as in, the voice inside any person's head that helps them work out problems or maybe the voice reading the text on the screen. Here, the inner monologue and protagonist are two separate entities speaking to one another while the protagonist works up to buying milk, an everyday task that can be difficult for those suffering from mental illnesses.

Milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk is a fairly short experience that can be finished in about 20 to 30 minutes. However, like most visual novels, there are branching storylines resulting in different endings, some good and some deservingly bad, but they're all worthwhile. However, the first game isn't increasingly complex like most Japanese visual novels are. Its storyline is on the simple side, and the complexity of Milk inside a bag of milk comes from its meta qualities. Like Doki Doki Literature Club, the game and its characters are well aware they're in a game. Specifically, the protagonist seems aware that she's in a visual novel.

Milk outside a bag of milk outside a bag of milk is a bit more complicated, building on the well-received qualities that the first game exhibited. There are several different endings to be discovered depending on how the player influences the girl buying milk through a series of dialogue options. It's on track to earning the same Overwhelmingly Positive Steam reputation as the first game, but one of its biggest enhancements is the art style and animations. Still utilizing a form of pixel art, the drawings are more complex and detailed now, but still horribly uncomfortable.

Fans of Doki Doki Literature Club should give the Bag of Milk games a try, if possible. Both psychological horror games are also visual novels that explore variations of mental health illnesses. However, while Doki Doki masquerades its horror behind brightly colored anime art and cute girls, Milk's uneasy atmosphere is present from the get-go. It's another great example of how pixel art can be the perfect style for creepy settings, but the music is simple yet effective at making the player discomforted.

Milk outside a bag of milk outside a bag of milk is out now on PC.

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