Dear Agony Aunt

Reviewing (mostly) every game (or DLC) in my library, part 57: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆☆ (7/10 stars) [i] Dear Agony Aunt [/i] is a quaint, email-centered simulation: compose advice, weigh your words, and respond to folks’ problems. Short, charming, and neat, but it left me wanting a little more depth. It feels less like a game and more like a warm, interactive story sampler. It’s perfect if you just want to read heartfelt letters and feel briefly helpful. But the limited responses and lack of interactivity hold it back. At its $4 price point, it’s a nice palate cleanser, but don’t expect a fully fleshed-out advice simulator. However, it's a solid first game from an indie dev. [b] 😊 Pros: [/b] [list] [*] Clean and cozy premise. You're trialing as a professional agony aunt for a British magazine, responding to a wide variety of heartfelt anonymous letters. [*] Well-written letters. Each correspondent has a distinct voice. You’ll read everything from relationship woes to existential crises, and each feels earnest, diverse, and thoughtfully written. [*] Easy, accessible gameplay. Choose between two responses. There’s no wrong turn—just two outcomes per letter—and the interface is intuitive. [*] Quick, bite-sized experience. About an hour or two, perfect for a short, relaxing session. [*] Retro email client immersion. The minimalist, old-school UI helps you focus on the writing itself. [/list] 💬 [b] Cons: [/b] [list] [*] Too simplistic choose‑one gameplay. You're limited to two options per letter. It gets repetitive fast. [*] No depth or branching response logic. Some outcome flags (good or bad endings) are opaque. There's no nuanced feedback on why*your advice was good or bad—it’s just a checkbox exercise. [*] Lack of replay value. Once you’ve clicked through both options and unlocked the achievements (“good advice” and “bad advice”), there’s little reason to replay. [*] Missed potential. The collection of compelling letters begs for a richer dialogue system. Multiple response options, deeper emotional payoff, or branching paths would have dramatically improved it. [/list]

short but sweet little game

Fun little game with some replayability coming out of the binary response system that is fairly entertaining. The "crappy 00s LCD" visual effect was a nice addition to help sell the mood.

A strong debut with lots of replay value from this developer! A very accessible and immersive interface which gave me tonnes of Windows XP nostalgia. The character's dialogue was well written and you really get a sense of the character's backstories just from the emails they send. Looking forward to what comes next from Faye Strawberry!

This is a nice little game. I can see myself replaying and replaying it, seeing the different endings. Something nice and cozy.

Short, very chill game with a nostalgic interface and fun, engaging stories via email.

I've just finished my first playthrough of this game and I thoroughly enjoyed! I loved the aesthetics and general vibe! It felt similar to Hypnospace Outlaw which is a game I loved. I like really thinking about what advice I would give if it was to real people, and thinking about the lives they might be living. I just wish I was able to visit the websites in the spam emails!

Like 24 tiny slice of life stories that you can, even if restrictedly, nudge in two different directions. Another small game for a small price. A definite win.

Bought this today and started it up to try, but ended up playing through all of the content. The interface for the game is a nice little nostalgia hit and the folks writing in are a fun read. The game is quite short, but if the preview looks and sounds appealing to you, it's worth a try (especially on discount).

Although it took less than an hour to 100%, it's an easy recommendation for me! I LOVE the old aesthetic and references! The shorthand texting, the multi-colored text format, the whole vibe is *chef's kiss* Makes me miss the ol 'advice columns' that were in magazines and newspapers and such. It was SO nice to play this game! Thank you to the devs for making it! I kind of wish there was a few more hidden elements, like, i really enjoyed the 'spam email' element, but I wanted something more to happen with that...maybe there was and I missed it lol but that's really me knit picking, its GREAT!