Unavailed

I MEANT TO REVIEW THIS GAME EARLIER!! i finished the game like 2 times, and its honestly a relatable story, and a really nice dev team i love it :>

Don't get this if you're expecting a stat building game like i was expecting. You have no choice when it comes to stats because you need all three to move forward and if you have excess points it will just reset you to where it wants you to be.

Fun little game. This left a big impression on me. It follows the story of a young woman living with depression, focusing on the slow, real-life process of healing — forming new habits, facing inner struggles, and taking small steps forward. It’s clear this game was made with care — not just in terms of design, but in how it approaches mental health with respect and honesty. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys narrative-driven experiences.

7.5/10 For what it worth, it quite a decent game about pulling yourself up from the depth and trying to form back your sense of self and stepping out of your comfort zone again to be a better person for yourself and for your friends and family. Although from my point of view i couldn't really relate to or understand why Mia decided to become a Neet. - Despite that the game pixel art style is quite good, the soundtrack pair quite well of what the dev was trying to do with it ambient and cozy yet hopeful feeling for the game. - On the other hand, as all the other review and discussion have already point it out the mini game that proceed with every activity is quite repetitive and samey. - The activity in it self i have no qualm in, it play well into the game theme of building up a routine and schedule despite how mundane it look and finding enjoyment in it. I extremely love the concept for these type of game!to Guide/Help or be the consciences for change in a character is such a good concept and i'm a sucker for underdog or 0 to Hero story/game. And hope the best for the future of the dev and studio. *If the dev were ever gonna make a dlc or sequel or they've already in development, i like to give a feel suggestion: + Difference activity have their own separate mini game but also still keeping the core message of the game of avoiding negative emotion and though. A good example of a game have this type of mechanic is the "Sword & Souls" game. + Playing DRESS UP!, being able to customize could improve the personal bond between the player n protag, and it could be a gameplay mechanic too.( dirty clothes=low morale, character have want and need for a piece of clothing= morale boost, how one is dress is also important for self-esteem/work. + Random events/mood/memories that can offset the routine/mood or gave a boost on a bad day depend on how well the player is doing. + Managing finance. + Give more leeway and duration for goal, but also extend the day to be longer or sorter depend on the progression/laziness, like for exp: for a layabout time seem to flow faster for them but to some with a routine, job and asparation for the future time seem to flow much slower for them showing that they know how to manage their time better.

I played Unavailed in one sitting. Partially because the message was interesting and I could see my past self in some of those situations and feelings, but partially also because I knew that if I stopped playing, I would never pick it up again. The nice pixel graphics and overly cute protagonist hide the fact that the game has only this one message and is quite shallow with everything else. The bubble minigame is annoying and tedious, so I disabled it around 1/3 into the game (which thankfully is an option). The idea of mixing an idle clicker mechanic with resource and time management mechanics is an odd one -- and I am not sure it works very well. I guess without the bubbles it becomes even more apparent that the strategic aspect of levelling up three stats while managing energy, hunger and time is also quite repetitive and shallow. Every six days or so the game checks your progress against a threshold, something which I noticed 22 days in when one of my three stats was 1 point short of the threshold. Though it was a game over, I thankfully was allowed to repeat the previous day or I would have stopped playing immediately forever. This is not a game that you play multiple times. I guess I am being quite harsh here. Maybe too harsh, because the principal message is constructive and positive. I am not a psychologist, so I am not sure if this message would reach those in need of help, but I believe that many gamers (like myself) would see aspects of themselves represented in some of the darker or sadder moments. For this I respect that the developers have crafted what I would consider a positive contribution to gaming overall. If it manages to help someone pull themselves out of whatever hole they are in, mentally, then I consider this all worth it. That is also why I have decided to recommend it, even though gameplay-wise it is at most a mixed bag for me.

This game was like looking at parts of my own life represented in a video game. If you've struggled with anxiety or depression, this game will probably resonate with you. At least, it did for me. I sure wish I could make the same progress Mia did in just 30 days. A real and emotional experience. Definitely recommend it. And hey, if you're looking at this game and you're going through something similar to Mia...you're doing great. Keep trying.

As someone struggling with depression, the first 30 minutes or so of the game were darkly accurate, to the point where since depression is impossible to explain to people that don’t have it, I would consider gifting people I want to explain it to the game and let the game experience do the talking instead. Personally, I feel that’s the biggest draw and goal of the game, and it definitely accomplishes that. Once you get past that, I found the gameplay loop to get pretty repetitive, and I lost interest in finishing it. But again, it seemed clear to me that the main goal of the game is to represent depression, and if what you’re looking for is something that does that, then I think the game is worth playing for just those 30 minutes alone. I played all of that playtime on the steam deck, and the game worked great. I will say though, I played with the mini game disabled, so I can’t attest to how well that would work on the deck.