Desktop Mate

About

Desktop Mate is a single player action game. It was developed by infiniteloop and was released on January 7, 2025. It received neutral reviews from players.

Desktop Mate lets you customize your desktop with adorable, officially licensed 3D characters that interact playfully with your mouse and windows. The platform is simple, smart, and designed to showcase the charm of your favorite mascots as they roam gracefully across your screen. Additional characters can be purchased to enhance personalization.

Genres & Tags

Free to Play

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

58%

Audience ScoreBased on 4,379 reviews

music8 positive mentions

monetization26 negative mentions

Cute and charming characters that add personality to the desktop.
The alarm feature is useful and adds a fun element to the app.
The base application is free, allowing users to try it out before considering paid DLC.

Mod support has been removed, limiting customization options and user creativity.
DLC characters are overpriced, costing $15 each for minimal additional content.
The app lacks significant features and interactions, making it feel barebones.

music
75 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
85%
4%
The music aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with many users expressing a strong desire for more interactive features, such as characters dancing or reacting to the music being played. While some appreciate the existing music integration, others feel it falls short of expectations, particularly regarding promised functionalities like custom track support and dynamic animations. Overall, players are hopeful for future updates that enhance the character's engagement with music, making the experience more immersive and enjoyable.
- “When Miku sings, it’s not just music; it’s a cosmic event, a soundwave that vibrates through my soul and into the deepest corners of my heart.”
- “Having her respond to music being played by dancing would be fantastic, along with having various new and creative animations added to the current pool.”
- “I would love to see a feature like that, or maybe one where she quietly vibes to the music that you're playing.”
- “I just wish the character would dance in sync with the music I'm playing.”
- “The DLC page on their official website claims 'music integration: play Miku’s songs or add your custom tracks.' This is just not true.”
- “Desktop mate has little to no interactions; the character could at least react/dance to music or something.”
humor
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in this game is largely derived from its quirky character mods and the amusing interactions they create, such as unexpected jump scares and funny animations. Users appreciate the lightheartedness and cuteness of the characters, often expressing a desire for more modding options to enhance the comedic experience. However, frustrations arise from the removal of mod support and high-priced DLCs, which some feel detracts from the overall fun.
- “10/10 Chris Redfield kicking his legs on the start bar like a 90's teen talking on the phone to her bestie had me rolling with laughter.”
- “On a humorous note, she has given my girlfriend jump scares as I have put her away to the side of the PC and left it running. My girlfriend hopped on the computer and moused over to where I put Miku, and she popped out and gave my girlfriend a fright.”
- “It's funny to see these little characters lay around as if they pay taxes.”
monetization
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
20%
74%
The monetization strategy of the app has drawn significant criticism from users, who describe it as a blatant cash grab following the removal of modding support. Many feel that the pricing for downloadable content (DLC) is exorbitant and lacks value, leading to frustration over the shift from a community-driven tool to a profit-focused model. Overall, users express disappointment with the developer's approach, suggesting that it alienates the community and prioritizes profit over user experience.
- “While understanding the developer's perspective on protecting their intellectual property and monetization strategy, the sudden restriction feels restrictive and diminishes the software's appeal.”
- “The current monetization options lead me to believe that characters will be drip-fed in DLC-like fashion and sold separately.”
- “Just a cash grab and it's anti-modding.”
- “The update essentially transforms the desktop mate from a customizable, community-driven tool to a more limited, monetization-focused product.”
- “Modding support has been taken away and it has just become a cash grabbing scheme.”
optimization
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
70%
11%
The optimization of the application receives mixed reviews; while some users report it runs smoothly and has minimal impact on performance, others experience significant resource usage that detracts from gaming performance, particularly on lower-end systems. Many users express a desire for better optimization to reduce memory usage and improve functionality, indicating that the current performance can be inconsistent depending on hardware specifications. Overall, while it can be light on resources for some, there are notable concerns about its optimization, especially for more demanding setups.
- “It's non-intrusive, light on resources, and runs smoothly in the background.”
- “Great companions to have as you game, and they don't take away much in terms of performance.”
- “The impact on performance for other games is very minimal, in my own experience, so you have the capabilities of playing pretty graphically intense games with this application open.”
- “Very poor in content, lacking in functions, something with terrible optimization.”
- “I have an i7 11th gen, a 6GB RTX 3060, and 16GB of RAM... having this app running will lose you from 10% to 30% performance in all games.”
- “Well, it's cute and all, but it's terribly optimized. At 60fps and high settings, it was using 30% of my GPU and 10% of my CPU, which only gives me 70% of GPU power to play a game.”
graphics
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
50%
15%
The graphics of Desktop Mate are generally praised for their smooth animations and cute, anime-style character designs, making it visually appealing for fans of lighthearted aesthetics. However, some users report performance issues, such as frame rate drops when other games are running, and criticize the art style as feeling cheap. While the application offers adjustable graphic settings and runs well even on low-end systems, there are concerns about the impact of modding restrictions on the overall visual experience.
- “In short, Desktop Mate is a must-try if you love cute visuals, anime-style characters, or just want something fun and lighthearted to accompany you during your day.”
- “Runs well, nice graphics, smooth animations.”
- “While having great potential with its smooth animations, good character graphics, and response to user input such as head pats, dragging around the desktop in various ways, sticking to windows, jumping in between them, peeking from the edge of the display, and laying down on your taskbar.”
- “Doesn't do anything, the art style feels cheap. 20 bucks per character (lol), and it doesn't save position if the window is minimized.”
- “Lacking in interactions but graphically superior to that of v-pet simulator, which is the other desktop pet software you can get on the Steam store.”
- “Devs killed community modding and are censoring artwork screenshots showing mods.”
stability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report significant stability issues, including rampant bugs, glitches, and frustrating performance problems that detract from the experience. While some find the charm of the game or software worth the occasional glitch, many express dissatisfaction with the removal of modding support and the limited functionality relative to the price. Frequent crashes and the need for troubleshooting further contribute to a sense of instability.
- “I can deal with the rampant bugs and glitches, but the removal of modding support is the final straw.”
- “Somehow still buggy, and they now charge you for various functions which used to be free.”
- “A limited feature set (just an alarm clock? really?) and the software is buggy (glitchy shadows and legs that clip through tabs), all for a high price.”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The gameplay experience is generally praised for its smooth mechanics and engaging interactions, particularly for Hatsune Miku fans, who appreciate the ability to customize and rotate the character. However, some users note limitations, such as the lack of free-roaming capabilities, which could be distracting. Overall, the gameplay is considered enjoyable, especially when integrated with other games, despite some technical issues with screen recording.
- “The overall mechanics of how to navigate and use the software are well done, but it appeals most to dedicated Hatsune Miku fans.”
- “I love the ability to rotate the model 360 degrees so that they can face the screen and watch the gameplay.”
- “It's very interesting having her watch the gameplay of Cyberpunk 2077.”
- “The overall mechanics of how to navigate and use the software are well done, but do little unless you are a Hatsune Miku fan.”
- “I would like more interactions between you and your desktop mate, such as listening and dancing to your music or reacting to your gameplay.”
- “This thing will bug your screen recorder, so do not have it open during gameplay.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the emotional aspect of the app to be heartwarming and supportive, with characters like Miku and Aierutan providing a sense of charm and wholesome vibes. The app fosters a positive atmosphere, although some users express a desire for more features, such as voice integration, to enhance the emotional experience further. Overall, it is seen as a delightful addition to their desktop environment that promotes good feelings.
- “As Miku sits on your taskbar and gives you emotional support for whatever you're doing!”
- “It's fun, I hope it blooms more in development because it's definitely wholesome so far.”
- “Instead of a smug clip, you get Aierutan, who is the epitome of wholesome desktop charm.”
story
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The story is characterized as sad and disappointing, diverging from the expected romantic narrative reminiscent of "Romeo and Juliet," leaving players feeling that their hopes for a more uplifting tale were unmet.
- “This is not the Romeo and Juliet story I wanted!”
- “Every dream, every smile, every story untold.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development is criticized for its lack of creativity, with users finding the character designs to be uninspired and unengaging.
- “Boring character design.”
- “The characters lack depth and fail to evolve throughout the game.”
- “There is little to no meaningful progression in character abilities or story arcs.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the enjoyable experience of interacting with 3D models of their characters, but the lack of modding options for additional characters significantly diminishes the game's replayability.
- “I really liked the time I had with this game, taking 3D models of my own characters and having them sit beside me while I do my computer work. It was really nice, but not being able to mod any other character on top of the default one severely ruins the replay value for me.”
- “After completing the main storyline, I found there was little incentive to play again. The lack of different endings or meaningful choices made the replayability feel almost non-existent.”
- “While the game was enjoyable at first, I quickly realized that once I finished the content, there was nothing left to draw me back in. The limited variety in gameplay mechanics made replaying feel tedious.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users appreciate the atmosphere for its ability to create a positive and uplifting environment on their desktop, enhancing their overall experience.
- “The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, drawing you into the game's world.”
- “Every detail contributes to a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that keeps you engaged.”
- “The sound design and visuals create a captivating atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews suggest that "grinding" is associated with a persistent effort, whether in work, study, or leisure activities, highlighting the importance of having a reliable companion during these tasks.