My game can make money starting from the Three Kingdoms period.

"This game is so...retro."

In front of the staff, Lu Xiao couldn't very well say that the game was trash.

It's 2030 already, and there are still pixelated graphics and mechanical simulation games like MapleStory being released?

As a professional game review blogger, Lu Xiao gave the staff a polite smile after watching the boot animation.

"This is the brain-computer interface game you developed after investing a billion yuan?"

In this restless and impatient era, this game has become a recipe for disaster.

"Mr. Lu hasn't experienced the gameplay yet. You can try it out before making an objective comment."

"You should know my style. Even if I take your business deal, if the game is garbage, I'll still criticize it."

"Mr. Lu is indeed unique, but I think this game is different from the ones you reviewed before."

Having played countless games, Lu Xiao had already banished this game called "The Noble Family" to his grave, finding it utterly uninteresting.

"Whether it's the same or not, we'll only know after playing it. Can I take the demo unit home now?"

"Of course. Would you like me to give you a brief explanation of how to play? After all, everyone only gets one chance to play."

"I'm a professional product review blogger, do you think I need to?"

"Okay. But I still have to remind Mr. Lu that we have signed a confidentiality agreement. If the game content is leaked, Mr. Lu will face huge compensation."

See you in three days.

Lu Xiao didn't take the staff's warnings seriously.

He didn't want to waste time on this tedious test, but he was bound by the commercial contract.

Lu Xiao is thirty years old this year. He unexpectedly became popular online for criticizing various pay-to-win and trashy games, and now has millions of fans.

However, his monetization ability in this field is too poor, and he offended the companies behind those games by criticizing them, resulting in frequent traffic restrictions and removal from app stores.

He should be considered one of the poorest million-follower bloggers.

Back to the rental house.

After placing the brain-computer interface on his computer desk, Lu Xiao busied himself editing the previous吐槽 game projects.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the next video to criticize "The Family" will be about it.

It is because of his fearless and outspoken nature that he stands out from the crowd.

There aren't many manufacturers left that dare to place orders with Lu Xiao.

He will not change his style and stance because of commercial orders.

His initial motivation for becoming a blogger was to improve the current gaming environment, encourage the emergence of good games, and reduce the number of pay-to-win, reskinned games. This earned him the support of millions of players.

However, the manufacturer does not support it…

This family-owned manufacturer is really stubborn; they've brought trouble upon themselves!

As dusk approached, Lu Xiao prepared a good meal.

While waiting for his meal, Lu Xiao picked up the demo unit out of boredom.

As the retro animation ended, the words "family" burned on the screen and vanished.

The screen was filled with white light, which was replaced by pixelated thatched huts.

I registered a name randomly, and landed randomly.

A square-headed, square-bodied man waits for the player to control him outside a thatched hut, while a long-haired, blocky woman moves back and forth in a field.

A line of text then popped up:

Players can make decisions to develop and expand the Lu Dafu family. They can also experience Lu Dafu's life firsthand, living a peaceful and prosperous life with men farming and women weaving.

Lu Xiao was amused. "Farming and developing, huh? Next up is definitely farm games, the boring nesting doll-like gameplay of clearing land, planting, harvesting, selling, and then investing it all back in."

This game completely drove Lu Xiao to lose patience, causing him to rapidly tap the screen and skip the initial storyline.

Then another line of text, highlighted in red, popped up:

[Tip: Wearing a gaming headset will enhance your gaming experience.]

[In each calendar year of the game, players can convey two words to their game character through the Qingming Festival incense-burning activity. These words can influence the game's progress, and unused words can be carried over to the next year.]

[When each generation of the Lu Dafu family dies, their assets are credited to the player's account.]

Lu Xiao didn't take the settlement seriously; it must be referring to his game account. Did he need a few game coins?

Put on the helmet that is linked to your biometric information.

When Lu Xiao regained his sight, he was already in Lu Dafu's first-person perspective.

With the booming development of the gaming industry, brain-computer interface games have become even more immersive.

The game's gacha system, which involves stomping on characters' heads and tricking players into spending money, is so realistic that it makes you want to spend money.

Lu Xiao has a long way to go and a heavy responsibility.

"The content is quite realistic. A family with bare walls and a few acres of meager land—the word 'poor' is indeed easy to relate to."

Lu Xiao's game reviews naturally can't just focus on the flaws while ignoring the strengths. So what's the difference between him and those who just make easy money?

"Dafu, what are you saying that's so strange?"

Turning his head, he saw Lu Dafu's wife, A Cui, returning to retrieve something.

Lu Xiao was amazed.

The square-shaped woman I just saw, though dressed in linen, still possessed a natural beauty; her slightly dark skin was also extremely healthy.

Ah Cui's features weren't exactly beautiful, but they weren't ugly either. She gave off a pure, simple, and virtuous wife and loving mother vibe.

She is practically the ideal wife I've always dreamed of.

The developers really understand player psychology; if the game starts with an ugly wife, players will probably uninstall it immediately.

"It's time to get to work in the fields. This year's drought has resulted in a poor harvest. If we're not careful, we won't have any surplus grain after paying the poll tax."

Lu Xiao ignored A Cui and wrote, "Note: Players work like oxen and horses outside, and then have to farm and grow crops just to play a game after work. This is ridiculous."

"Dafu, why are you acting so strange today? You're saying things I can't understand."

Lu Xiao did not answer; he was busy taking notes on the copywriting.

He believed that Acui was just a two-dimensional character, a line of code. No matter how realistic the game was, she wasn't a real person.

"Alright, you rest, I'll go to the fields." Ah Cui chose to be accommodating.

Lu Xiao's mind stirred, and the flow of time accelerated. This is the most basic function of time-spanning mind games; otherwise, if you just endure day after day, the player might not even outlive the game character.

"Dafu, the tax collector will be here to collect taxes soon..."

"Go ahead and conquer, it doesn't matter. Note: The game handles historical details quite well."

"Dafu? You neglect your fields and your household. If the tax collector can't collect taxes, we..."

Too lazy to listen to Ah Cui's nonsense, Lu Xiao sped up time again.

Lu Xiao controlled Lu Dafu to go out and explore the world.

The game is set in an ancient dynasty, but Lu Xiao has no interest in finding out which dynasty it is.

Moreover, there were no treasures hidden in boxes on the map for him to discover, so exploring this vast world held absolutely no appeal for Lu Xiao.

He just wanted to end Lu Dafu's life as soon as possible and figure out the general gameplay.

Then, adhering to professional ethics, we looked for the game's flaws and strengths.

Time speeds up, stopping and starting.

"Dafu, I've sold the land and paid the taxes. From now on, I can only be a tenant farmer for the master. Dafu, what happened to you?" Acui was heartbroken over Lu Dafu's indifferent attitude towards the world.

Lu Dafu was like a possessed Buddha, eating and sleeping, sleeping and eating, doing no work, not cultivating the land, and not caring about his children.

When asked questions, he would occasionally give a few mechanical replies. He seemed lost and disoriented.

Ah Cui also consulted a shaman, who said that Lu Dafu had become mentally unstable and incapacitated, and advised her to remarry. The shaman said that his son had just become a widow…

Ah Cui rejected the witch doctor, choosing instead to stay by his side and, while caring for her family, also devoted herself to taking care of Lu Dafu.

"I came here to play games, not to relive my daily struggles of poverty." Lu Xiao didn't want to hear Ah Cui's complaints, so he sped up the time.

This time, time accelerated significantly.

When he stopped again, Lu Xiao suddenly felt his mouth was dry and his nose smelled foul, and he couldn't even get up.

Looking down, I saw that my legs were completely bare. The filth was even more unsightly.

At this moment, a boy in his teens entered the house carrying a broken bowl.

Lu Xiao quickly called out, "Kid, who are you? Where's A-Cui?"

The child looked at Lu Xiao with surprise and doubt, frowned, pursed his lips, and said indifferently, "I'm Little Ox, Father, don't you remember me?"

Lu Xiao was startled, not by the fact that he had an electronic son, but by the fact that Lu Xiaoniu's emotional responses were so lifelike.

This is exactly how one should behave towards a father who has been detached from family matters for a long time and is behaving abnormally.

"Oh, it's a calf. Where's your mother?"

"Father, have you even forgotten Mother's death anniversary? Mother has been dead for three years. Today is Qingming Festival, and I'm going to offer incense to her later. This is some talisman water I got; Father should feel better after drinking it."

Lu Xiaoniu shakily offered the broken bowl to Lu Xiao's lips.

Looking at the soup with a few grains of millet floating in the dust, Lu Xiao really couldn't bring himself to eat it.

"I'm not thirsty, you drink. Note: The game's logic is strong, but it's a bit torturous for players. Am I here to relax, or to suffer?"

Time accelerated again.

Hello, delivery service!

Lu Xiao took off his helmet, and the game briefly sped up before automatically stopping.

When Lu Xiao returned to his computer desk, the demo machine displayed:

[In the first year of the Zhongping era, Lu Dafu starved to death at the age of 31. His assets were settled at 8 yuan and credited to the player's account.]

"Ding~ 8 yuan has been deposited into card number 7511. Current balance: 14848.48 yuan."

[Should we continue?]