Surrealist walking simulator that never ceases to surprise you with novel gameplay quirks.
The core gameplay is walking though this game really does everything it can to make that interesting short of adding any other actions (unless you count inspecting something as an action). From the dynamic text that writes itself across scenic points of interest to large amounts of internal dialogue from the main character, walking never seems like a huge chore because you'll frequently be taking breaks to soak in plot exposition. And since you aren't always walking in the shoes of the main character, the walking the game reserves for other characters is heavily differentiated and tailored to express the themes and experiences of that specific character. I can't really say much more without spoiling the magic.
On the topic of the plot, I found it to be a sweet, self-contained, narrative that has the right amount of breadth and mystery for it to be relatable to a lot of different people. While I personally didn't relate to the main character, one of the other characters in the game really hit close to home which triggered some self-introspection that I was totally not expecting (though the developers stated that one of their goals was to create a very introspective experience for all players).
Where the game really stands out is in its environment design and how it leverages this for incredible environmental story telling. While a lot of games place miscellaneous props to make it seem like a space is lived in, the props in every space in this game are curated so meticulously that it's hard to believe that the characters who lived in them AREN'T real. This level of detail really ties in well with the "slice of life" quality of the storytelling as each space is a snapshot of that character's life free for you to look around in however you'd like to.
I probably should have talked about this back in the gameplay section but each the objects you interact in this game have a very tactile feel through intuitive analog control schemes that really conveys the feeling that you're combing through every scrap in someone's belongings you can get your hands on to unravel their story. For example, to turn the pages in a book, you physically need to move the joystick from right to left as if flipping a page. When turning the key on a lock, you need to move your joystick in a clockwise turning motion. The design of these very personal, analog objects is of the same stellar quality the environments are, and makes these moments of interaction feel very Wes Anderson-esque.
Overall, I recommend this game for anyone who enjoys short but memorable gaming experiences. It certainly breaks the mold that games are one repetitive task repeated over and over again with small amounts of plot interspersed to make those task seem like parts in a larger narrative. Each and every task in this game is special and begs to be toyed with in such a way that slows down your interaction with the game as to be incredibly impactful and introspective.
The core gameplay is walking though this game really does everything it can to make that interesting short of adding any other actions (unless you count inspecting something as an action). From the dynamic text that writes itself across scenic points of interest to large amounts of internal dialogue from the main character, walking never seems like a huge chore because you'll frequently be taking breaks to soak in plot exposition. And since you aren't always walking in the shoes of the main character, the walking the game reserves for other characters is heavily differentiated and tailored to express the themes and experiences of that specific character. I can't really say much more without spoiling the magic.
On the topic of the plot, I found it to be a sweet, self-contained, narrative that has the right amount of breadth and mystery for it to be relatable to a lot of different people. While I personally didn't relate to the main character, one of the other characters in the game really hit close to home which triggered some self-introspection that I was totally not expecting (though the developers stated that one of their goals was to create a very introspective experience for all players).
Where the game really stands out is in its environment design and how it leverages this for incredible environmental story telling. While a lot of games place miscellaneous props to make it seem like a space is lived in, the props in every space in this game are curated so meticulously that it's hard to believe that the characters who lived in them AREN'T real. This level of detail really ties in well with the "slice of life" quality of the storytelling as each space is a snapshot of that character's life free for you to look around in however you'd like to.
I probably should have talked about this back in the gameplay section but each the objects you interact in this game have a very tactile feel through intuitive analog control schemes that really conveys the feeling that you're combing through every scrap in someone's belongings you can get your hands on to unravel their story. For example, to turn the pages in a book, you physically need to move the joystick from right to left as if flipping a page. When turning the key on a lock, you need to move your joystick in a clockwise turning motion. The design of these very personal, analog objects is of the same stellar quality the environments are, and makes these moments of interaction feel very Wes Anderson-esque.
Overall, I recommend this game for anyone who enjoys short but memorable gaming experiences. It certainly breaks the mold that games are one repetitive task repeated over and over again with small amounts of plot interspersed to make those task seem like parts in a larger narrative. Each and every task in this game is special and begs to be toyed with in such a way that slows down your interaction with the game as to be incredibly impactful and introspective.