In perseverance, there is both agony and triumph. Perseverance is the key to Lobotomy Corporation, in both navigating its gameplay and fulfilling your role in its intricate story.

You've probably already learned this from the other reviews, but to reiterate: this game is HARD. While the first few days may seem like a cakewalk filled with repetitive gameplay, you will soon find yourself entangled in a double-layered web of a quickly thickening plot and an ever-expanding facility containing deadlier monsters. The challenges ramp up significantly as you encounter story-relevant "boss battles" that can push you to the limits of adaptability. This game will slap your carefully planned routine out of your hands and laugh as your employees die horrible deaths as they scramble to suppress monsters that you SWEAR you were monitoring carefully, but weren't. You will even come to find that certain basic game mechanics that you absolutely took for granted have turned out not to be a right, but a privilege (here's looking at you, Atziluth residents).

The experience can seem punishing and unforgiving. The roguelite mechanic is integral to progressing past seemingly impossible roadblocks. Whether you activate the "memory repository" and rewind to the beginning of a week, or restart completely from Day 1, your facility and employees will be reverted/wiped, but the gear you have bought and information you have learned will remain intact. Sometimes, the only way to overcome the game's challenges is to reset and return with more experience in mind and better armaments in hand.

Personally, what pushed me to power through all of the trials and tribulations the game has to offer was its intriguing story. With every cutscene, you are left to piece together the past and ruminate on the future lying ahead for everyone involved with the corporation. There is a glimmer of hope hidden underneath all of the chilling, depressing, and forlorn moments in the plot. The way it ties into the gameplay at times does make you feel that you are "facing the fear" to "build the future" (ha ha). Your own experiences managing the facility can also end up as entertaining anecdotes; you will certainly find several in other reviews.

Lobotomy Corporation is certainly not for everyone. It is a game of trial and error, of accepting your failure, and of persevering in search of the light at the end of the tunnel. Those who are not fans of management games may find the basic gameplay loop to be boring. Those who hate trial and error may find the virtually-necessary resetting to be tedious and overly grindy. Those who dislike stories that are vague and metaphorical may find the plot to be overly convoluted, drawn-out, or outright confusing. And anyone can be a victim of the game's programming, which can be... jank at times (memory leaks are a commonly reported issue). For what it's worth, I was able to complete the game with almost no issues, but your mileage may vary.

If you're someone who enjoys glory through struggle as well as management games, then give Lobotomy Corporation a whirl (I recommend going in blind). You will likely quickly come to learn whether you love it or hate it.