Lily’s World XD review – A dark and compelling journey back to 2000s internet

A 2000s nostalgia simulator, a desktop investigation game and a powerful message all rolled into one: there’s a lot to like about Lily’s World XD, particularly considering this is the work of solo dev SonderingEmily. It’s part autobiographical, too, based on her own experiences being a chronically online teenage girl.

And honestly, it’s an experience that anyone who grew up in the formative years of home internet will resonate with. From instant messages to Geocities-style websites and MySpace-like early social media profiles, SonderingEmily has created a perfect time capsule of the early 2000s – one so close to my own experience of using the internet as an early teen that, sometimes, it felt a little too uncanny.

That uncanniness is fuelled by the fact that, unless you deactivate it in your settings, Lily’s World XD will use your Steam profile data to personalise your experience with the game. Your own name will pop up in emails and, at a particularly off-guard moment, your webcam will be used to capture a photo of you, if you’ve got one. I even had an in-game message pop up from an actual friend on my Steam contacts page, which really threw me for a loop.

But they’re all gimmicks, designed to immerse you into Lily’s World XD as deeply as possible. And it works. It’s easy to believe that, as you flick through photos, notes and messages, that you are really looking at someone’s computer from a bygone era. As you begin to dig into the secrets hosted on Lily’s PC, though, it soon transpires that not everything is as innocent as it first appears.

While the subject matter is exaggerated here, with a story that deals with coercive cults and brainwashing, ultimately it’s a tale about the pressure to look good, fit in, and be seen as conventionally attractive. For a teenage girl online, it’s a very real pressure, and while Lily’s story takes it to an extreme, it still very much makes its point well.

From a gameplay perspective, there’s a lot to like about Lily’s World XD. You’ll be scouring photos, emails and websites trying to find clues to access locked folders and more, giving a very welcome puzzle/investigation element to the game. For a large chunk in the middle, though, much of the action is carried out via a DM conversation with one of Lily’s friends, which takes some of the control out of your hands.

There are still puzzles to solve, but with the option to ask for help whenever you need it, it loses its sense of challenge. That returns in the latter part of the game – although if you do find yourself needing help during this section, you’re on your own.

That’s my only complaint, really: a bit more of an even challenge would be nice. As it is, the middle part of the game feels much more passive than the rest, and while it’s still engaging, and I’ve been fully invested in uncovering Lily’s story, I’d have liked a bit more investigative freedom throughout.

It’s a minor niggle, though. As someone who thoroughly loves games that have you snooping around someone’s desktop or mobile phone, Lily’s World XD absolutely nails it. It’s brimming with nostalgia for those of us old enough to remember early 2000s internet, but it also tells a story as poignant as it is unsettling. It’ll only take you two or three hours to complete, but it’s two or three hours very well spent.