Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

My Secret Diary places you in the role of an aspiring diarist, offering a straightforward yet charming interface to record your daily thoughts and activities. The password-protected journal ensures your secrets stay safe, and the calendar tool helps you organize entries by date—perfect for keeping track of important events or mood patterns. Navigation is intuitive: tapping between the diary, contacts book and calendar tabs feels seamless, making it easy for players of all ages to dive into the experience without a steep learning curve.

(HEY YOU!! We hope you enjoy! We try not to run ads. So basically, this is a very expensive hobby running this site. Please consider joining us for updates, forums, and more. Network w/ us to make some cash or friends while retro gaming, and you can win some free retro games for posting. Okay, carry on 👍)

Beyond basic journaling, the game spices things up with three mini-games: a word search, a hangman-style puzzle and a fortune telling mini feature. The word search challenges you to find hidden words related to themes like friendship and hobbies, while the hangman game adds a playful guessing mechanic. The fortune teller, complete with stylized tarot-inspired cards, offers lighthearted predictions to entertain and surprise you. These diversions break up the routine of diary entries and give you quick, bite-sized fun when you need a change of pace.

One of the most unique aspects is the compatibility comparison tool in the contacts book. You can enter details about your real-life friends and then see how compatible they are with each other based on fun, in-game metrics. This social spin adds replay value, as you’ll find yourself experimenting with different names and birthdays just to see the results. The inclusion of the My Games chat feature also lets you swap messages with players of My Make-Up and My Dress-Up, knitting together the series for a small but delightful communal experience.

Graphics

The visual style of My Secret Diary is bright, colorful and clearly aimed at a younger demographic. Menus are adorned with pastel palettes and cute iconography—pens, hearts and floral motifs abound—giving the interface a friendly, approachable vibe. Text is crisp and highly readable on the NDS’s dual screens, ensuring entries feel more like pages in a real journal than blocky pixel text.

While the mini-games aren’t graphically intensive, each features its own coherent aesthetic. The word search grid is clean and uncluttered; the hangman interface displays charming character sketches when you guess correctly or make mistakes; and the fortune telling screen uses animated card flips to add a dash of drama. These small touches infuse personality into otherwise simple puzzles.

The calendar and contacts sections feature neat, organized layouts that make it easy to find past entries or switch between friends. Although there’s no 3D horsepower or high-definition cutscenes on display, the art style is consistent and playful, reinforcing the cozy, personal atmosphere the game aims for. On the NDS hardware, everything runs smoothly, with virtually no noticeable lag or stutter.

Story

My Secret Diary doesn’t deliver a traditional narrative with protagonists or defined plotlines. Instead, it hands you the pen—literally—and lets you craft your own story. This open-ended approach can be deeply rewarding for players who love personal expression, as you decide what matters most: documenting daily routines, planning future dreams or venting frustrations in private.

The mini-games and fortune teller add small story beats to this framework, offering imaginative prompts that can jumpstart your writing. For example, a fortune you receive might inspire a diary entry about your hopes for the coming week. Similarly, the compatibility tool can spark playful scenarios: will your best friend and your secret crush really get along? These moments of emergent storytelling give shape to what could otherwise feel like a static journal.

Because the game supports nine languages—English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish and Danish—international players can immerse themselves more fully, writing and reading in their native tongue. This broad language support underscores the game’s emphasis on personal voice, making narrative engagement feel authentic and accessible to a global audience.

Overall Experience

My Secret Diary is best suited for casual gamers and journaling enthusiasts who appreciate a non-violent, self-guided experience. It doesn’t boast flashy action or deep RPG mechanics, but it excels as a digital keepsake and creative outlet. If you enjoy scrapbooking, diary-keeping or light puzzle mini-games, you’ll find plenty to like here.

The game’s strengths lie in its personalization options, charming presentation and seamless integration with the My Games series chat feature. Swapping entry prompts or compatibility results with friends playing My Make-Up or My Dress-Up adds a social dimension that keeps things fresh. However, players seeking a more structured story or intense gameplay may find the pacing too relaxed.

Overall, My Secret Diary offers a cozy, user-driven experience on the NDS. It shines as a tool for creative self-expression, and the variety of mini-games, combined with multi-language support, makes it a thoughtful gift for younger players or anyone who enjoys documenting life’s small moments. If you’re looking for a digital diary that doubles as a mini-game collection and social hub, this title deserves a place on your DS.

Retro Replay Score

null/10