Detours

BEST GAME 2021,
The story is riveting and feels very real.
It is easy to find yourself resonating with both of the characters as you play through.
The midwest aesthetic is spot on and shows the care and detail that went into every aspect of the game.
If you like visual novels pick it up. plus the team is super cool I hear.
10/10

Detours is a thoughtful and moving game with deep characters and road trip vibes! I love it so much. You can tell a lot of love was put into making this story. Also the soundtrack is a JAM.
Super recommend.

A beautiful experience and meaningful game with clearly so much consideration for the narrative and characters. Within the first few clicks I was projecting hard and knew exactly who this would be in my life.

TL;DR : This game is a short visual novel with inclusive characters and lovely setting. The music is satisfying and fits the overall vibe of the game. I feel like there may have been more this game could have done with its scope but it was an enjoyable experience to play through nonetheless. I'd say 7.5/10
Long Version:
You play as Daniella (called Dani throughout most of the game) as she drives home to go stay with her parents for a while. She is in a season of change and being at home seems like the best option. However, she needs to help of her former partner who can apparently help carry things and has a functioning car. You play through a few different legs of the journey and the game is broken largely into two types of gameplay: (1) Clicking through the visual novel with some options in how you have Dani respond and (2) Exploring the various stops that you make a long the way. As I noted before the characters are inclusive and I find the color scheme delightful - I'm not sure I saw a straight person in this game and that was refreshing, to be honest. Overall, I'd say the gameplay experience is reasonably satisfying but I did find that It left me wanting more from it. The game doesn't seem to set out to be anything terribly ambitious - indeed, its motives are plenty clear form its description ("Play as Daniella as she moves across the country with only the help of her ex") but it felt like it had room for more and just didn't quite fill that space. At the stops you make there are several things you can interact with but the flavor text is minimal and it doesn't do much to populate the world with the ideas and themes it wants to communicate. Personally, I would have wanted more story from the environment that you get to explore than I got. For instance, when I am walking around looking at the rocks I want that to somehow communicate to me Dani's inner feelings and thoughts, or small elements of her past that she is reminded of, or just the spaces her mind wanders to as she looks at a bunch of weird rocks. In terms of the dialogue between the two main characters it feels somewhat stilted - almost like an idealized version of talking through complex emotions rather than what it often looks like in reality. Each statement they make to each other is laden with nuance and care but in such that both characters feel less like characters and more like how we all wish more of our disagreements would go (though I will acknowledge that I chose what I saw as the "nice" options because I'm bad at being mean in video games). This made the central fight they have feel almost like it came out of nowhere. The usual tact and precision the characters showed with their language was just gone and I didn't feel quite like I had enough buildup to get to such a heated conflict. All that being said, I did still have fun playing through the game and think it is worth the time it takes to go through it. I made it through the story once in about 40 minutes and I could go back through to try the other dialogue options and see what impact they have on the story. I will admit that a $5.99 price feels a little high for the game (I think $2.99 may be more appropriate) but I am also personally content to pay more money if it means seeing more content like this.
Final thoughts:
While I have my criticisms with this game I like what its doing and I want to see more from the development team. I'm always happy to see queer characters in a story but with their queerness NOT being the central focus of it. I also see a lot of good ideas in this game and I think given more time and experience the team could put out something truly powerful.

ENG: Micro visual novel of 20/30 minutes, about a "healthy" separation (one of the ones I never had). No magic, or spectacular events, just 2 adults who decide to make their lives separate. Somewhat expensive at the base price, recommended on sale.
ESP: Micro visual novel de 20/30 minutos, sobre una separación "sana" (una de las que nunca tuve). Sin magia, o sucesos espectaculares, solo 2 adultos que deciden hacer sus vidas por separado. Algo caro el precio base, recomendado en oferta.

Cute and short, along with good writing. I enjoyed my time.

Shoutout to Autumn