Night in the Woods

During this game I've lost my dear friend... this game became important to me, not just for the story, that rhymes with my life. It's funny, it's sad, as is the life itself... part of me is still in this game, one part that's still happily with my complete hearth, and even tho I miss what's no more, life goes on. Play this game, enjoy it.

To enjoy it completely, Night in the Woods needs a more "patient" kind of appreciation. I've seen reviews giving this game a low score, calling it a "walking simulator", and this overgeneralization could not be any more lazy. This game isn't meant to be another form of mindless entertainment. It's a beautiful experience that requires you to enjoy the little things in life. The charming and relatable characters that you choose to talk to, the countless secrets hidden everywhere for those with enough curiosity, and the spontaneous minigames that serve no purpose other than to make the experience more memorable. Along with that, the music in this game is unbelievably beautiful. I can't put into words how it's impacted me, and that goes for the entire soundtrack as well. All of these qualities create an immaculate experience that could never be replicated, and hearing people brush it aside as "pointless" breaks my heart.
"At the end of everything, hold on to anything"
Despite this theme's presence throughout the game, Night in the Woods ironically taught me to do the opposite. The moment I put down any experience such as this one, I can't help but feel pangs of nostalgia. It's as if I'd just been born and I wanted to be back in the womb. I would normally blame these feelings on maladaptive escapism, wanting to ignore my real life and live someone else's instead, and while that is a part of it, my problem was rooted in something much deeper. I undoubtedly love this game with all my heart, in the same way you would a close relative. Every replay feels like seeing a distant friend after a long time apart. From the safety I feel from tracks like "Home Again", to the support expressed in every line of dialogue with Mae's parents, this game feels like home in every sense of the word. Every time the story comes to a close, I'm devastated to see all of the characters I've bonded with leave. I would spend weeks afterword ruminating on memories I had with this game, and for hours at a time, I'd be stuck in my head wishing I was still experiencing this masterpiece. That was until I realized that, just like with any close relationship you lose, you need to learn to let go. Night in the Woods has taught me so many life lessons and I'll never forget the ways it's changed my life. While I'd love to live in the comfort it gives me when I'm playing it, I know that it can't last forever. Some time apart is what's needed to truly appreciate all it's done for me.
Thank you for everything Alec Holowka.
Rest in peace.

Do you wanna be reminded you're a burnout, that couldn't escape your small town, and are struggling with the fact that you're growing apart from all of your closest friends? No? Well too bad.

This is not a game with story elements, but rather a STORY with game elements:
it's an extremely unique experience that uses videogames as a medium due to the interactiveness of it, moreso than to create "fun gameplay"
It's kind of like... A mix of those children's books with interactive flaps on them and a choose your own adventure book, so really, it's more of a "gamevideo" than a videogame.
Every "playable" part of the game (as in, parts where you're actually doing something rather than advancing the text) is carefully crafted to make you connect with Mae (the protagonist) and feel more engaged with the story on a personal level. Another cool thing about this gamevideo is that there's nothing that you as a player can do, that Mae WOULD NOT do as well. And this is brilliant, because instead of controlling Mae, you're *being* Mae. In other games for instance, it is so tempting and easy to go for the funny out-of-character option in a dialogue tree just to see the reaction out of everyone, or to do something incorrectly or to be scummy because you want to see what the so-called "bad-ending" has to offer, but NITW always stays true to Mae as a character that already exists, instead of treating her like just an avatar.
I won't elaborate further because i really want you to experience this game for yourself.
Just please be sure to be in the mood for a book before playing this "gamevideo", otherwise you might not appreciate Night in the woods for what it does right: the story, setting, ambience, music, characters, small interactive sections and vibes.

This game is so important to me. It has permanently increased my standards for writing in video games, which is unfortunate because I have never found another game like it. It's hard to describe everything that makes this game so perfect.
I hope someday something this good gets made again. Until then, I'll just be replaying NITW every October forever.

This game was my lifesaver in college back in my early twenties. the characters are relatable enough, the dialogue feels realistic and the journey the player goes on will either hit way too close to home or will just open their eyes and get them to appreciate life more.

I've known about this game for a really long time, and every time someone tells me to play it, I think, "I should, huh?" and then just kind of never do. I live my life, do my daily things. Go with it. Then, I finally decide to buy the game. And, just like that, magically, everything in the game's premise lines up with mine (except the whole - you know). But, everything else? All too familiar. All too real. All too relatable. Leaving. Coming back. Bad job. Giving up. Growing up. Seeing people leave. Worries. Numbers. And... it just felt like, this game 'waited' for me to be ready to play it. Probably just a coincidence, but to me, that's something magical. I definitely recommend this game. I wouldn't be typing this out if I didn't. It gets you thinking. It doesn't matter if you learn anything from it. It doesn't matter if it changes or doesn't change your life. It happened, you played it, something something something. It's just a part of you now, and well, I think, that's what it's supposed to be.