A Story Beside

There's no sequence of words I can think of to describe this experience that wouldn't feel pretentious. I find myself thinking of a song I recently discovered titled "The Greatest Show on Earth," I suppose this game is the opposite of what that song is about, much smaller, yet equally beautiful. One might say this is the smallest show on Earth.

This game was so interesting to see what it is like to be an NPC in an RPG. I thought it was neat how you get to play out the "mc's" whole life time. Since you are an npc don't expect any fighting or anything. This is sort of more like a walking and fetching type game with lots of dialog and story. The story was really bittersweet and made me tear up at times. Over all I really enjoyed this game.

A game for those who want a calm and relaxing game, to appreciate life, understand the beauty of relationships and see the world on another perspective than the busy and bustling life of a main character

I had bought this game a while ago and chose today to start it up on a whim, with no idea or memory of what this game or its story would be about. I played through it all in one sitting and though it sounds ridiculous I wasn't expecting to cry as hard as I did. A story that focuses on the life of a minor side character in someone else's adventure is an already interesting subversion on a classic, but what this game chooses to put at the forefront -- family, love, friendships, hardships, loss, community and hope above all else -- really, really got to me in a way I wasn't expecting. I feel ridiculous writing this, I really do, but the writing brought me to tears more than once. And the music, combined with the ambient sounds of that world, was perfect. Simple, yet immersive, it able to coax emotions out of me that caught me by surprise. I don't know if this game is for everybody, but at least in this moment, this is my favorite game I've played in a long time.

Very touching game with a beautiful story. The pixel art is also so pretty to look at.

*tears* *so many tears* An exceedingly beautiful story.

I don't know if I'll ever find the words to describe how this story made me feel. I don't think I've ever genuinely sobbed or wholeheartedly smiled at a story like this ever- not a movie, not a novel, and certainly never a video game. It's only been a few years since its release (though truthfully it feels as though a decade has passed), but I've revisited this game countless times. I only appreciate it more as the years pass, and I imagine that will continue to be the case. I hope that in my old age, no matter how the world changes and technology advances, I will be able to revisit this game and rediscover it with an entirely new perspective. Living as Lyric, even if only for a few hours at a time, has had a profound and lasting impact on me, and I hope that it will have the same effect on any who choose to start their journey in Pyreside.

A truly beautiful game. A hidden gem. A story that will make you smile, laugh, and cry. This is definitely going to be added to my list of all-time favorite games.

Beautiful game and beautiful story! Played this last summer and it still stays with me. I got two different endings, the first by just playing and the second(Best ending) by following a guide, but they both left me in tears. Would definitely recommend!

Writing this review fresh off of the feels coaster this game took me on. Wow. I...just...wow. 'A Story Beside' was like a book I couldn't put down. Read the whole thing in one night. The player is presented with so many choices. I still feel like there's so much I haven't seen and done. And yet it feels oddly satisfying. Like an authentic life lived. Choices that could have been made, things I could have changed, people I could have connected with...all of these are compelling reasons to play again. What a gorgeous aching feeling. What amazingly beautiful writing. It gets dark in places (parts of the plot deal with death and grief) but is still so well done. Even when it's bitter, it's sweet. The characters, the story, the vibes...I can't say enough good things about this one, I absolutely loved it. ALSO I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could romance women as Lyric. (At least one that I know of. It's only my first playthrough.) So that gets some bonus points from me.