At some point, growing up, I developed a fear of dead bodies. I've always been afraid of death, ever since I was young. But, the development into being unable to touch the body of a dead fly came later, a fear I'm still unsure the origins of. It's a fear that caused me to put off playing this game for some time - despite now owning it from many bundles.

The game treats death with a lot of care. As Charlie, your job is to prepare the bodies for the funeral - whether this is through cremation or embalming. The graphics are simplistic, not shying away from the medical nature but not marvelling needlessly in it either. The bodies don't show any injuries from how they died, and the use of blood is minimalistic. It doesn't treat tragedies as a source of entertainment.

The game holds your hand through each step, not allowing you to go wrong. I didn't mind this, but it may eliminate the feeling of 'gameplay' for others. The use of colour to guide your eye is well executed, and the UI and controls are minimal and easy to understand.

The game consists of a few stages for each day you play. You can check your emails, as well as an extra tab on the computer (one of these days involving a Minesweeper esq minigame.) Upon accepting the job, you prepare the body. After this, you move to the funeral, where you can listen to their loved ones and pay respects.

The story throughout the game is interesting, and one reflective of real life. I knew where it would likely end up. I found myself engrossed into the snapshots of other people's lives at the funerals, however. Learning from only a brief moment their relationships, their worries or fears.

It's a very poignant game, yet a gentle one. I think I've come away with a better understanding of death and the process, and a respect for this.

One of my all time favourite games, and one I've played many times on my Switch. This is the first time I played it on my Steam Deck, and the experience was just as enjoyable.

The game is crafted masterfully. The UI is easy to navigate, the OST reflects the mood, and the sound effects are so enjoyable! It all comes together to create such a relaxing experience that gives as much as you want to take from it.

For those who enjoy story, it's told here in so many unconventional ways. From the music, small photos, items appearing and disappearing. Even what plays when you turn music players or game consoles on! It all tells the story of the character, but gives enough room for detachment if this is an element the player isn't interested in as well.

The achievements are fun and silly, a lot of them things you'd discover naturally during a playthrough. The gameplay is also intuitive to understand - though it take me several playthroughs to realise I could activate objects whilst not holding them!

The only thing I don't like is that the zoom of the camera often feels too close, or too far. This is something I'm happy to overlook though, as the game has given me so much joy since it was released.

A fun, narrative puzzle game which tells an engaging story in an interesting way!

As the player welcomed to the theatre, you're introduced to four characters. Each of them follows the same story, with a different story branch. As you go down different routes you unlock new behaviours, which then affects what the character does in other runs! Only one thing remains the same: there are no good endings.

There is also a second story that begins once you start to complete the story branches. I found this one sweet - though a bit corny at points.

Mechanically the game is structured nicely! The menus are easy to navigate between, and the fast forward option works well. The branch menu gives enough guidance for you to work out what to do next, without completely holding your hand.

I greatly enjoyed the art style of the game, and though there isn't lots of music, what was there elevated the mood really well!

There's only one or two achievements that might be easy to miss, most are achieved simply through playing the game.

It's a sweet game, with a surprisingly heartwarming story at its core and fun gameplay to back it up <3