she danced in the wind like a holographic dream before the world died

What a beautiful game, it's an incredible experience between the softness of a dandelion and the look of brutalist buildings Floating around to collect memories is the main goal, so you can bring them to 'her' Every memory and poem I encountered has touched my heart Negative: the control is sometimes a lil wonky I'm not quite sure what the game exactly tells but I have an idea and that idea makes me uncomfortable But, I think, everyone should make up it's own mind 8/10

Poetic and cerebral experience from the same developer as "A Butterfly", I almost skipped the game because the trailer didn't look that interesting, but luckily I recognize the developer purely from the robotic voice filter. However, actually playing the game I really enjoyed the aesthetic, it's meant to contrast a soul of a beautiful person against an oppressive world that pulls her down, so you get that imagery of flowers and birds against tall and ruined buildings. It's about 30-40 minutes, very similar to the previous game actually, just with a different, and yet similar narrative overall. It's a bit difficult to interpret the narrative because it's partially written as a poem, but I think I kind of understood it, or at least I think that I have, overall it was very thought provoking and visually mesmerizing. [spoiler] There are 2 parts to it, there is an overall broad idea that people are consumed by greed and won't stop until they destroy everything in their way, and then there is a personal struggle of a pure and kind person who is born into the world where everyone wants to get ahead. The game also made a point that when it comes to accusations, generally people will side with a man over a woman, or sometimes blinded by perceived talent or being a fan of someone. [/spoiler] "Our greed is a necessity. It serves a greater purpose. That purpose is us" - In a nutshell the theme of the game, which is pretty much life in general. There is also this idea of abandoning 'beauty', nature being destroyed to serve our needs, and appreciation for simple things in life being diminished. On a side note, I have a bit of weird theory in regards to why some melon games end with the folder opening. The characters in the game only exist while the game is being played, meaning they exist in the fake simulation of a video game, and the player guides them back to the real world, which is the folder on your computer. [h1]Pros: [/h1] (+) Even though I didn't like the trailer, I really enjoyed the visuals in the game. It kinda has that contrast of beauty and ruins, I think it's meant to represent a pure person navigating a cruel world. The use of nature videos was a nice touch (birds and flowers I mean) (+) Pretty decent read that generally described our need to consume and get ahead in life at any cost, even if it means hurting others in the process [h1]Feedback: [/h1] - the camera got locked at a weird angle near the end after reading note 4, I am not sure if it was intentional, maybe you meant it like a heavy burden which is what I assumed at first, but it was so hard to move, I can't tell if it's a glitch or not. If it was intentional, maybe don't make it so bad that I can't move in the correct direction - sometimes I could not tell if I was meant to find something in those mini-games or just exit them [b] Overall Thoughts: 7.5/10 [/b] As far as these short arthouse experiences go, it's one of the nicer games that I played, the writing and the visuals were very striking and compelling the whole way. It's very brief at 30-40 minutes (if you actually reading), but the dev always prices these pretty low, so I think it's an easy recommendation if you like cerebral games. It's very similar to "A Butterfly", but with better pacing and narrative structure I feel. "A Buttefly", but better (A Moth?). [code]Niche, obscure and underrated games: http://store.steampowered.com/curator/31294838-Hidden-Gem-Discovery/ [/code]

An amazing work of art, enjoyed every minute of it. Almost every scene looks fantastic, the symbolism between soft, beautiful flowers / robust, ugly, abandoned human constructions is incredible and fits the story perfectly. UI with glitchness / old Windows thematic feels nice, although I don't understand the choice of this style (why specifically that style? why the glitches? what does it bring to the narrative side of the game?). I also really liked the 2D sections, I'd do the same if I were to make a short story-themed game. I don't really like poetry that much. English poems are even harder to read and understand for a non-native speaker. Thankfully, the game mixes them with regular stories so it doesn't feel like a "poetry game". The whole message can be summarized to [spoiler]"rich and powerful people bad, their followers are dumb and brainwashed, people need to stop praising them and focus on things that actually matter (like saving the Earth since we can't leave it, no matter how much money we throw at the possibilty of leaving it)".[/spoiler] While I appreciate it and agree with it (any sane person would), I would appreciate it even more if the message was vague and thought-provoking. I really liked the first half of the game, because I had to think and interpret everything I read to understand what the game is trying to tell me, since the information is scarce. But the second half is just flat and puts its black-and-white message in a plain text several times, chewing the same gum over and over. You don't need to show me an extreme case of stupidity and then another, even more extreme case of stupidity. I already get it, these people are hopeless and nothing can redeem them. [spoiler]I chuckled at the part where two men argued who's richer while dying on Mars. There's no way someone may be this dumb and one-sided.[/spoiler] I would love to make an analysis of every major theme in the game, but I lack the will and, sadly, required comprehension skills to do so. And finally, controls are indeed wacky, as others reviewers already mentioned. Sometimes you hold W to accelerate and the flower just stops for some reason, and you have to accelerate again and again while traversing the map. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the game! Things I didn't quite understand: - What's the deal with red, veiny thorns all across the map? As far as I understand, this is the symbol of "hidden pain" accumulated across all those years being finally unleashed. If so, what are the red-eyed skulls and human-shaped trees meant to represent? - The final section with a Trash Bin is kinda weird. Why is there a [spoiler]rape mention and someone's career loss[/spoiler] all of a sudden? [spoiler]While I was reading the files, I had a strong feeling that this section was made by someone who spends WAY too much time reading opinions on dumpster fire sites like Twitter. [/spoiler]

I wish I had the fraction of the courage needed to create something like this.

One of those rare moments when you can say "this is something different" and actually be talking about something different, as opposed to a conflation of lots of past games mushed into a vaguely novel-looking ball. A refreshingly confronting experience between its subject matter and its otherwise relaxed gameplay – you float, you grow, you read – that strikes a balance between narrative and interaction that few games of its type manage. The writing never feels tacked onto something gamified, and gameplay never feels secondary to someone trying to tell you something. It's length will help with that – it's short. But I was surprised how energised I was interacting with its slender narrative, limited gameplay, and beautifully rendered interpretation of abuse – online, personal, and systematic.

microsoft flight simulator in a nightmare of concrete and viscera apocalyptic and utterly unhinged i am now traumatised and will spend the rest of the week hiding under a blanket with my eyes squeezed shut, making quiet whimpering sounds, 10/10 highly recommended

Fantastic little surreal experience. Would fly around as a dandelion again.

Beautiful game.

I don't know what to say, this game is a beautiful experience that can't be described in words. It's simply a work of art that you have to experience yourself. Thank you alienmelon! I hope that dandelions will always find a way to grow again...

Just no.