The Quiet Things

It's hard to describe how I feel about Quiet Things. It's such a sad and moving story, full of many darker aspects of humanity - so to use any positive adjectives somehow feels... incorrect. But, despite that feeling, it's impossible not to describe it as incredible. As art... as a story that needs to be told... as an experience that gives perspective on the darkest parts of people and perspective on how people can get through those awful experiences and escape towards positivity. Fans of "walking sims" / narrative games (Gone Home, What Became of Edith Finch, Firewatch, and And Roger) or those that love art that tells of human experience, The Quiet Things feels like a must.

I'm normally not a fan of a walking sim/narrative games, but this one is an exception. I heard about it on social media from a few of the voice actors I follow there, then again when BAFTA pulled the game's spot. As soon as BAFTA pulled the spot, I knew I had to buy it because it seems like anymore, things only get pulled when the message is one worth hearing. I'm glad I bought it, though "glad" seems like a poor word choice somehow. This game needed to be made. I keep writing and re-writing this review because nothing I type really encompasses what I want to say about it. The feelings I have are too big, I think, or maybe too muddy. I'm a ♥♥♥♥♥♥ writer. This game doesn't just tell the story of Alice's struggles, it makes you feel it. That's going to suck for those of us that have lived through similar and I admit I had to take breaks when it got too difficult to withstand, but I think this game can really do some good by showing how social systems fail, how stigma begins and grows and turns people away from those that need help the most. It shows how insidious grooming is, how people victim blame and victim shame until the person who's being hurt can't bear it anymore. I'm probably botching this review, but the point is - get the game. It has some little buggy things that don't matter much and some polishing could be done graphically/environmentally, but for a tiny studio with little backing... it's honestly mind-blowing. It's not super long, which is normally a turn off for me, but with this game the length feels right. If it was longer, it would feel overdone and lose potency.

The game is very simple: mostly point-and-click gameplay with the narrative running in the background. There are no NPCs, the world feels empty, and immersion is lacking. In many places, assets do not load properly. Despite its simplicity, the game has visual bugs. In Chapter 115, for example, you can fall out of bounds, which blocks the gameplay. There is no option to restart or reset the chapter either. The story is touching and emotionally impactful, but from a gameplay perspective I would not recommend it. You can watch documentaries that explore similar themes for less money and with fewer technical problems

Currently sobbing while typing this. Wow... just wow. Like the first review said, "it's impossible not to describe it as incredible." Every single chapter in this game was intentional to ensure that this story was told. I HIGHLY recommend this game to those who enjoy these walking sims that tell someone's story. The only technical thing that should be reviewed are the subtitles. Not all the subtitles were shown or skipped ahead before the character reached that part of the dialogue. But everything else... just WOW!

While it's good to get the perspective of such a life story, it wasn't an enjoyable experience. Not talking about the content matter which is what it is. Running around getting frustrated about not finding where the next trigger could be a killer for any game, but for a game like this it is doubly so. It interrupts the pacing and drags focus from the narrative and breaks immersion. I spent the last hours just wishing for the experience to end rather than wanting to hear the end of the story.

Like the other two reviews say, this game was incredible. It was a very moving story and it just made me heavily empathize with the character and the developer of the game since it was based on her life. It does feel wrong saying anything positive about the game because of its heavy nature but it was a beautifully crafted game with a strong story. Of course the game just came out so there will be some bugs and glitches, but it doesn't take away from the story. the most obvious bugs i came across was the subtitles and how they skipped around when the VA's would speak plus the typos it had as well, the typos in the diary entries, some items disappearing and reappearing, and the fact you can walk through the washing machine and walk on objects not meant to be walked on. All in all, I highly recommend this game who enjoy narrative walking simulator games and love a good engaging story.

Story, writing, voice-acting: incredible, one of the most gripping stories I've experienced in and out of gaming. You will experience a range of stronge emotions during this, most of them not very pleasant, but all the more meaningful. Gameplay and visuals: unpolished, janky, confusing and at times frustrating. There are no characters in the game. You just walk around the areas the protagonist's story take place and trigger dialogue by interacting with items.The voice acting is good enough that I'm okay with sometimes awkwardly standing around and looking at a chair waiting for a line to finish, but the frustration mostly comes from it being SO unclear where to trigger the next line that you'll run around the area multiple times and lose your sense of immersion. Sometimes the subtitles will be out of sync with the voice lines I hope the devs make some kind of improvement in the future to take away this friction, because its a shame to let this beautiful story be sullied by an unpolished storytelling medium. For me, the story was good enough to push through the gameplay, but my recommendation is tentative, especially with the price being 25 euros atm. Verdict: get it on sale for 15ish or wait to see if forementioned issues get adressed

The Game desperately needs a unstuck button or a restart button I love the story but the game won't let me continue I would recommend people to get it but what is the point of getting it if I cant continue it.

The Quiet Things is the perfect example of games as an art form and medium that can impact audiences, change perceptions and break stigma in the most meaningful ways. I've spent a lot of time in the past couple days since finishing it thinking of the 'right' words to use to describe it, as a lot of what I'd usually use don't feel quite right or can't quite encompass how I feel knowing the reality of the game's events. But I suppose that's it, at its core, it's real. I know that's the point of an autobiographical game, but the brilliant world-building, design, dialogue and acting are so grounded in reality that even if you haven’t personally experienced every or any part of Alice's story, anyone who grew up at a similar time can find themselves relating to the setting, spotting small pieces of their own childhood* and understanding how someone else experienced that time differently. Whilst I haven't been through many of the things Alice has, I do relate to and have experienced a good chunk of the things explored in the game. And whilst it was emotional and often devastating to see those things play out knowing what would happen next, it was also healing to play this and realise how not alone I was when at the time I felt completely by myself. It's also the perfect example of why survivors of trauma should always be in charge of telling their own stories. With Alyx at the helm The Quiet Things says it exactly how it is, and the events of the game aren't sensationalised for the audience's benefit like what can sometimes happen when trauma is explored in media, and the story is taken out of the hands of the person it belongs to. The game speaks directly to other survivors and lets them know their story is theirs, and it deserves to be told and maybe even turned into something beautiful if they like. Adding to the feel of being in control, the thing about The Quiet Things' gameplay is that you don't feel like you're watching someone else's story unfold in front of you, you feel like you're experiencing it yourself. This is fantastic for spreading awareness and garnering empathy and understanding from players, but is also definitely a thing to keep in mind if you've experienced anything explored in the game. I really recommend taking note of the content warnings at the start, and playing in short sessions or making sure you take regular breaks if you need it. There are a few bugs here and there and some graphical glitches in places, along with small objects being fiddly to interact with and subtitles sometimes corresponding to the wrong voice line or triggering at the wrong time. And whilst I'd love to see the last two improved for accessibility reasons, none of the other things were game-breaking for me and didn't dampen the experience at all. It remains a really impressive feat and an impactful and gorgeous game for a tiny studio who have had so many challenges thrown at them throughout development and release. I definitely won't be forgetting this one any time soon, and I really hope the team are so proud of themselves for what they've created. *the best/most specific of which for me being the mention of Twilight Princess on the Wii, many Ikea Kallax units and that one specific black TV stand amongst others

Way too expensive for a too long walking simulator. The story is interesting but the game is full of bugs, bad graphics and really not worth its full price.