Till the dawn, waiting

[h1]Note: I received a copy of this game from the developer.[/h1] Till the Dawn, Waiting is an experiential game that heavily relies on your personal empathy and level of bonding with the main character – an abandoned dog called Barney. Barney has been left tied up in the desert with no food or water and we follow his thought process by clicking multiple choice dialogue options as he runs the gamut of thought and emotion about being left behind as the days pass. There are brief sequences where you play as Barney, walking slowly through a blurred world looking for the smell of your owner, but these last only a few minutes. Through the story we do interact with a couple of other animals and experience some of Barney’s memories, but it's largely a static experience. [h1]An emotional experience[/h1] It’s a tale that will definitely make you feel emotional as an animal lover, as we unfortunately all know – and would prefer not to think about – that animals are abandoned and treated cruelly every day. I have worked with animals my whole life, including quite a lot of rescue work. Although it’s not dogs that I work with, I’d say on the whole, my animal-empathy levels are pretty high and I did shed a few tears for poor Barney. The heartrending dialogue is accompanied by harmonious yet often melancholy piano music. There are mentions of alternative endings; but it’s unclear to me how many or how different these are, as I played it through twice attempting to pick different options but received the same outcome – it ultimately doesn’t feel as though the choices I make are having a massive impact. I’d be very curious to find out exactly how many alternate endings are available, but the achievements are all gained in a single basic playthrough and not related to the ending, which could just be an effective attempt to avoid spoilers. [h1]A few flaws[/h1] As an avid reader (and writer) my immersion was broken a few times by grammar and syntax errors. Fairly minor ones, but enough that the dialogue didn’t always seem natural (especially coming from a dog). The other issue for me is that the game doesn’t have a save option – even if you are five minutes from the ending, if you leave, you’ll have to play it over again. Whilst I can see this might be a design to encourage you to fully immerse yourself in a start to finish experience, it’s not very practical. I closed the game after my son woke up and needed a bit of attention, as I wanted to keep track of the playtime accurately rather than leave it running. Unfortunately, this meant I had to start again even though I had experienced the majority of the game. When you’ve got a baby having 30-60 minutes without breaks isn’t as simple as it used to be unfortunately! A mention of this when it prompts you to confirm you want to exit the game could avoid a bit of frustration. There are also no options at all; not for resolution, fullscreen or even audio options. Depending on your reading speed I anticipate a playthrough being 30 – 60 minutes (at absolute maximum), making this a fairly short game. It’s a simple experience but certainly one that tugs on the heart strings and offers a unique perspective and experience. [h1]A tentative recommendation[/h1] I’m not sure if I would recommend it or not in all honesty. I thought it was a reasonably well made game and I loved the aesthetic and sound, but given the subject matter, not a particularly fun experience. I’m tempted to suggest donating the money you’d spend on this game to your local dog shelter if this is an issue you feel strongly about. If it’s not an issue you feel strongly about, you probably won’t get the full experience from this game anyway. On the whole, after sleeping on it, I decided to give this a thumbs up as I do feel like this is a unique perspective and an interesting narrative-driven story which combined with the attractive low-poly graphics and the haunting music, creates an immersive experience. It definitely has a few flaws, but I’d love to see more games exploring hard-hitting themes like this on Steam and applaud the developers for taking the time to create something this niche, with the important theme of raising awareness of animal abandonment. ♥♥♥ If you find the reviews of an old Welsh lady interesting, please follow [url=http://store.steampowered.com/curator/28971565/]My Curator Page[/url]. Thanks! ♥♥♥

Till the Dawn, Waiting is a heartwrenching story about an abandoned dog who waits for his owner to return. (Remember Hachiko? Yeah, a little bit like that.) Despite this game being as short and simple as it is (and despite the occasional bug and grammar mistake), this game still managed to make me tear up. I have a dog of my own whom I love with all of my heart, and the fact that the situation in this game is something that happens daily to loyal pets like her breaks my heart. Taking that issue and turning it into an interactive experience could help raise awareness about the problem, which is what I hope this game will succeed in doing, regardless of its ephemerality. That being said: if you ever plan to adopt a pet, please visit your local shelters. There are lots of abandoned four-legged friends in need of homes. Or, if you don't want a pet but you have some money to spare, donate to shelters (or legitimate animal charities). And please - treat animals with respect and kindness.

A short yet very touching experience that puts the tragic fate of all too many pets into mind. "Till the dawn, waiting" is the first game in a while to make me tear up a fair bit. The thoughts of the portrayed dog are close to what I imagine every abandoned pet goes through in some way or another and it just kills me inside knowing there are people who do this willingly to their comrades. There aren't many different scenes - how could there be, the dog was tied to a pole - but the dialogues with other wild animals, the dream scenes and flashbacks make for a simple yet compelling package considering the asking price. There are two endings of which I think I achieved the... - I wanted to say "better" or "less brutal" one but when I think about it, both are ultimately terrible in different respects. (Maybe spoil me in the comments if you got a happy ending so I can edit this review) Can't go wrong with this one if you're a loving pet owner looking for a short emotional trip and are into "experience games".

Disappointing! What a horrible game! The screenshots are misleading becuase most of the half hour (!!!) you run three times through the same white boring blurry maze. The story is also questionable. Why would a bee and a bird know more about pet owners than a dog? Why doesn't his body language match his words? E.g. he says he is scared but stays stiff on the rock almost all the time. Sorry I cannot say anything good besides that I like the looks of the dog....

Ein sehr gelungenes Erlebnis! Als erstes muss ich sagen, ich halte dies nicht für ein "Spiel" sondern wirklich eher für eine Erlebnis oder eine Erfahrung. Man begleitet einen treuen Hund auf einem unbehaglichen Weg und durchlebt - auch wenn die Geschichte eher kurz ist - intensive Emotionen. Neben der eigentlichen Erzählung gibt es ein paar Labyrinth einlagen, wo man dann doch in die Rolle des Hundes schlüpft. Einen kleinen Wiederspielwert wird einem durch ein alternatives Ende gegeben. + Emotional und atmosphärisch - sehr kurz - keine Savegames und Achievments broken Insgesamt ist dies eher ein kurzes Kunstwerk und bekommt von mir deshalb eine Empfehlung um eine solche Art der Geschichtenerzählung zu supporten.

I hate David. https://youtu.be/VoCiIO4Qn4s

I got all but one achievements! I go to new game, get kicked out of the game and when I go back, I lost all my achievements! WTF? It's a nice and touching game, but this made me get refund! Cannot recommend!

A heavy game that brought me to tears. Brilliantly written and if you are a dog owner this is a must play. You'll hug your dog after, guaranteed. https://youtu.be/UsOW5jEiBs4

not a super entertaining game but definitely a good story-line.

great story but could of had a bit more to do in the game