wow. just wow.
i lost my dog once. dont feel much obout talking about it but what i need to sat to you is:
this game gave me another perspective about my story. i realted so much and it made me feel so much better.
thank you for this game! this strange therapy session was the best one i had.
thank you for this game.
(sorry if my english is bad. its noot my first languge)
Reviews for "Strange Therapy"
digitalchemist-id responds:
Thank you for your comment! I'm glad to find out that this game made you feel better in some way - kind feedbacks always encourage me. (Your English is just fine. Actually, English is not my first language either!)
This was one of the best games I've ever experienced. And I say experienced instead of play because I didn't play this, I lived it. I felt it. I wasn't just some Player One with a certain goal I had to achieve. I was a person who was struggling and trying to cope with the loss of something precious to me. It was surreal. Talking to you felt so realistic that I almost forgot you weren't really on the other end.
I haven't cried over a game like this in a long time, especially one that feels so personal and so universal. Usually, sad games are about experiences I can't quite understand and things that are too traumatizing for a general audience to really grasp outside of the realm of "this is a horrible tragedy that I can only imagine." A lot of games elicit sympathy, but this one definitely elicited empathy and hit straight on the head of it.
And in terms of art and music, I love the simplicity. It helps to focus on the story and the emotions without making it seem too distant if that makes sense. Like it's there and it conveys its message but it also doesn't take away from the overall point.
Sorry to gush so much I really just loved this. Please continue making great content!
digitalchemist-id responds:
Thank you for a kind review. I wanted this game to be a little more than the vibes and feels(which are perfectly fine), and to be more specific and relatable. I'm glad you loved this.
I played through this on a day where my cat had gotten sick and threw up. she is doing well now but i spent the whole day giving her love and attention because i wanted her to know just how much i love her and how much she means to me. i played through this feeling very sad but understanding, i had a dog for 14 years who passed away. one thing i would have liked to see is more post details about the girlfriend aspect. I feel like i made choices close to her but then i didn't know if she got to see him in time, if there was a nice evening together or what. all i got in my ending or whatever was that she returned to California a few days later. I had a great and emotional ride but I just don't feel like I should give this another play-through. I feel like my story and experience is over and i should just let it be.
digitalchemist-id responds:
Thanks for the feedback and a good opinion. I also don't think that this game should be played over and over for different endings. In fact, this game doesn't really have multiple endings - just multiple interactions.
***Spoiler alert***
About the girlfriend aspect, this game has several objectives colliding on each other. You have to study for the finals, handle the project with your friends, spend time with your girlfriend, and take care of your dog. They all have deadlines but you have limited resources - your time. It was kind of cruel to me because often they're all very important in your life but you're forced to choose.
This game recognizes what kind of choices you're making, and responds to it. You're not given the hints to solve the puzzles if you don't spend time studying. Your relationship with your friend or your girlfriend can come to an end if you don't keep up with them or make wrong choices. But I didn't make an option to not take care of the dog for obvious reasons, so the game revolves around options on how to not let go of the most while you're taking care of your dying dog.
In the last scene for the ones who chose to keep up with the girlfriend, the girlfriend asks if she should visit or not. Why I answered the way I did was because I was caught up in the idea that the night - only chance left for me to meet her - could be the very night I witness the death of my dog. Beside whether I met my girlfriend or not, there are several other things that is left uncovered in this game such as whether I decided to put him down or not, for various reasons. I may think it's not important or may just want to leave it to the players to imagine...
I hoped that answered for you, but It was also great to hear your opinion. Thank you!
really touching story, glad i played through it. also the end gave a very interesting reflection. thank you and also good luck to you in the future
small hint, something went wrong with who says which bubble at the second time the player talks to the storyteller and asks about how well he did on the tests, maybe you wanna fix that
digitalchemist-id responds:
Thank you so much for the feedback! I'll make sure I look into it and fix that.
Lengthly and slow paced but a great story. Only gave it 1 play through however, so I missed out on the different endings.
digitalchemist-id responds:
1 play-through is more than enough. Thanks!