farewell planet / おわかれのほし

The ultimate mark of a great game: you still think about it years after beating it. Simple yet extremely emotive. This game is the embodiment of what someone means when they say a game has soul.
What I would give to have the soundtrack on vinyl.

Very impactful characters and impressive writing. Not much replay value as it is more about the characters than it is the gameplay, but an extremely valuable experience nonetheless. Something that stays with you for months after.

Tldr: Sad game, did cry

On the face of it, Farewell Planet seems like a simple game, and mechanically it is. Others have described it well enough.
But it's this strange undercurrent that is really the focus here. Learning about others and then laying their bodies to rest in a dying world is more of a framing device that helps you dwell on how every person has a completely different outlook on life and death. Depending on how far you read into it, you might even see echoes of our modern world.

There's an irony that a game about machines has the most human characters of all. With only a drop of dialogue every person in this game comes alive, feeding into a greater narrative that slowly builds up the longer you spend in the world. If you want a slow paced meaningful game you can't get much better than this.
For my own personal recommendations, I'd suggest putting a few hours aside, turning off the guide mode unless needed, and putting the time into this game that it deserves. WASD/ ↑ ↓ → ← move you, whilst 'z' is your action command, and 'c' opens your menu.
Right the wrongs and fight back against the inevitable entropy.
(Notes my gameplay time has not been recorded; it was about 2.5 hours)

leaving the village is forbidden

there is nothing outside the village

do you still choose to leave?

if you leave you can never return to the village

do you still choose to leave?

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This game is beautiful. It's hard to put into words. You look into the last moments of so many lives. So many wished to changed, so many continued as they did before... some even continued to follow the spirals that ruined them. You hear memories of family & love, pain & sorrow, missed oppurtunities, unanswered questions, things that can never be done...

However you can fulfill these final wishes. Not everything is answered, but you can bring some closure far after everybody else has died.

Again, I find it hard to describe this game's beauty, but my one request is that you please play it.

Please play this game. It is an emotional roller coaster. The characters are so well written. It is only 5 dollars and it will leave a major impact on you.

This was a delightful game to play through. To be honest the controls took a bit getting used to, but once you get the hang of it things are smooth sailing! There's also a guide feature integrated into the game (which you can toggle anytime from the settings), which is helpful for if you get stuck on any puzzles.

The atmosphere is great, with a charming art style and a relaxing, yet somber soundtrack to accompany the gameplay. The characters are also fantastic; their different experiences can get pretty heavy, but can also be quite relatable. Chances are, you'll find someone you can connect with in some way!

Definitely give this game a shot! It's well worth your time, and will stick with you well after you've finished playing.