Looking Back

Absolutely brilliant and my new favourite game! It might look like the target audience is Liberal Arts PhD students, but hey. Do you need to be an IRL dragon slayer to enjoy conventional RPGs? I think not. This game might be for you if... [list] [*] ok fine, if you're a student looking for new and exciting ways to procrastinate [*] you love good old RPGs but don't love violence [*] you've gone through a lot and are looking for validation and hope for the future [*] you're looking for an outlet for your frustration with the current state of the world [*] you like references to video games, philosophers, common or obscure languages, and all kinds of stuff [*] you like dog cuddles [*] you've always dreamt about getting a Pokéball tattooed on your butt, but were too shy or broke [*] you want inspiration for gamifying your life [/list] This game is probably not for you if... [list] [*] you're offended by the use of "they" as a singular pronoun [*] you use "SJW" as an insult [*] you get frustrated when people/characters (occasionally) talk about things you don't understand [/list] Common potential trigger topics: self-harm, suicide, domestic (intimate partner) violence, loss of a loved one - the biggest ones are optional to play, see my [url=https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1870618841]Guide to avoiding potential triggers[/url]. * * * For more recommendations of relaxing and story-driven games, check out [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/35872486/]Peaceful Adventures and Stories[/url]!

Neat take on the RPG Maker format. I've not really seen anything done like this before. If you are interested in taking mechanics and giving them a lateral twist, This game is worth the cost of admission. The dialogue can be very moving. One line (which I'm not going to spoil) is again worth the cost of the game. There is also some philosophy involved in some of the interactions between characters, which is refreshing and thoughtful. It also takes place in my city! The feels are for reals. Buy this game for both the twist mechanics and cute drama.

This game was packed with so much! Lots of tender moments but also sobering moments. It's a rollercoaster of emotions with lighthearted conversations along the way. MANY MANY MANY hidden secrets! Talk to everything you can!! Note, decisions are permanent so for optimal gameplay make multiple save files! Lots of deep topics that we should all be aware of and considering in our daily lives and things we easily forget that this game reminds us of. Many cathartic moments for those of us who grew up in adversity but also the satisfaction of completing the game and showing those who doubted you that you could finish what you set your mind to! Very self-empowering and definitely recommend multiple playthroughs for when you miss anything! Big shoutout to the game creator who exposed his life to the public through this irl experience-inspired game but it's a huge reminder to us all that our experiences are unique but we all share similar end-products to those experiences. Highly recommended!

An amazing game! Kuja Kuja is just hilarious and so are many other NPCs in the game, from a girl drawing a Jigglypuff to a big fan of Jean Gray. The game deals with heavy topics, but is somehow comforting at the same time. The game is full of inspirational quotes and friends who are there to support you. The story is well written and the graphics and the music have a nostalgic feeling. It is a very personal game, but at the same time it succeeds in showing the life of many grad students. Thanks for that!

Despite the small handful of bugs, I very much enjoyed this game. The story and themes were excellent, and I really enjoyed following Kris's journey. Honestly, I think the game could have fit in a [i]lot[/i] more without overstaying its welcome. I think the best and easiest way to express my feelings about this game will be in the form of a plus/minus list, so I'll throw it down below. [b]PLUS +[/b] - Relatable and fleshed-out main character - Slightly non-traditional battle system - Changing environment - Interesting mechanics/story delivery (dreams, memories) - Great dialogue - Optional puzzles/tasks [b]MINUS -[/b] - Absolutely no handholding. No indicator of what to do first (besides grab cell phone), no directions to the player, etc. I think I was supposed to find one particular memory first, but it ended up being dead last for me. I also wish there had been indicators for where important items/memories were, but I understand not including them in the pursuit of realism and challenge - Not enough of the side characters. Kris, the protagonist, is fully developed, but they have many many friends who make few appearances and are therefore not quite as memorable - Arbitrary stats. Keeping max Mental Health above 1 was basically an impossible task. Perhaps a stinging social commentary, but not ideal as a substitution for character health. I felt like my stats were raised and lowered at random most of the time and by the time I actually had to deal with battling they were somehow so high that I defeated everything with one hit (maybe this was intended, though) - A few bugs (can trigger important battles more than once, max Mental Health doesn't go below 1 [not sure if this is a bug or a feature?], minor issues with pathing/walkable tiles - Graphics did not fit the game. I understand the necessity of using what you have (RPG Maker premade assets), but it made navigating a bit more difficult Ultimately, I assumed that this game was made by somebody with a story to tell but little experience in game creation. For that reason, I'm happy to excuse the little hiccups and tell you that this game is worth at least one playthrough. Definitely a little hidden gem, and I hope to see more from the developer in the future.

Im going to give this game a thumbs up because for the asking price its a fair deal, and then some I would guess if its your cup of tea. For me it just did not work. I had to go to the discussions to figure out how to go anywhere outside the first building, because it was not at all intuitive. After that I wandered a few times, tried talking to people a few times, tried doing a few of the "combat" quests that i was given, or told I had to do to make someone happy or speak further with me. In all cases i died doing the quests. The game mechanics are unforgiving, and you will have to play alot, and either have a very good memory or keep notes of what kind of effects various actions have on your character, cause Everything changes your numbers. Im guessing you will have to do alot more looking around and doing the right actions need to boost the right stats before you even attempt to do any of the combat related stuff. In a word you dont just sit down and enjoy this game. You have to play and learn it one mistake at a time and that just wasnt what I was looking for when I bought it.