this is a very aesthetic indie game with a great concept which unfortunately falls prey to the trap of being severely underbaked. somewhere between the text messages and talking to the old lady i took a guess at what the plot of the game would be, and i was exactly correct beat for beat, twist and all.
i can imagine a world in which this game was a really compelling, well-written mystery in which we do tons of detective work and chase down dead ends due to our own desperate hubris and eventually reach the fateful ending of this game, and that hypothetical version of the game would be a masterpiece. as it stands, it's just a short point-and-click with a lot of heart and not a lot of substance. i look forward to what comes next from this team.
i can imagine a world in which this game was a really compelling, well-written mystery in which we do tons of detective work and chase down dead ends due to our own desperate hubris and eventually reach the fateful ending of this game, and that hypothetical version of the game would be a masterpiece. as it stands, it's just a short point-and-click with a lot of heart and not a lot of substance. i look forward to what comes next from this team.
An underbaked adventure game about survivor's guilt and city/rural divides. Initially played after seeing some goofy interpretations of the ending as being an anti-woke parable or something, but it's just a hollow box of arguments that doesn't say anything more than what you come prepared to read.
At once a monologue against progressive politics and the dissolution of traditional family values, while also an attack on myopic leftists who would prefer to scratch backwards rural communities off the map. But really, it's neither of these, there is no clear politics expressed beyond "people in rural communities live full lives" which...yeah, true.
The pixel art is impressive in a technical, textureless way that I'd expect from a lo-fi beats stream. Horrible to see pixel art chasing representationalism but that's videogames, baby.
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Content warnings for How We Know We're Alive: suicide, parental death, accidental pregnancy
At once a monologue against progressive politics and the dissolution of traditional family values, while also an attack on myopic leftists who would prefer to scratch backwards rural communities off the map. But really, it's neither of these, there is no clear politics expressed beyond "people in rural communities live full lives" which...yeah, true.
The pixel art is impressive in a technical, textureless way that I'd expect from a lo-fi beats stream. Horrible to see pixel art chasing representationalism but that's videogames, baby.
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Content warnings for How We Know We're Alive: suicide, parental death, accidental pregnancy
A very beautiful and profound game. The art is amazing and the lighting and shading is hypnotic, with the lights reflected on the wet pavement. The story's themes of judgement, losing touch and not really knowing someone you thought you knew were really touching. The ending was heart breakingly melancholic. Fantastic game.
A lovely story about guilt and loss.
How We Know We're Alive has a wonderful atmosphere that does a great job at capturing the protagonist's loneliness and grief. I really loved the soundtrack, calming and kinda melancholy. It's short but I feel like it does a lot in its 30 minute playtime.
However, I feel like this could have been much more than it actually was. The plot is simple and yet the game feels the need to explain every notion in great detail, as if it was afraid the player wouldn't quite get the implications. In a way, this really ruined my experience - I think letting the player interpret and figure things out themselves would have been the better choice here.
How We Know We're Alive has a wonderful atmosphere that does a great job at capturing the protagonist's loneliness and grief. I really loved the soundtrack, calming and kinda melancholy. It's short but I feel like it does a lot in its 30 minute playtime.
However, I feel like this could have been much more than it actually was. The plot is simple and yet the game feels the need to explain every notion in great detail, as if it was afraid the player wouldn't quite get the implications. In a way, this really ruined my experience - I think letting the player interpret and figure things out themselves would have been the better choice here.
A gorgeous little pixel art game that basically functions like a miniature Night in the Woods, and all it takes is one click on my profile to see how I feel about that game.
How We Know We're Alive is a short and sweet little melancholy adventure about guilt and nostalgia, and while it isn't exactly ESSENTIAL playing for narrative fans, I found it to be a solid experience with a good atmosphere and short but relatively poignant story. Other reviews here seem to be upset that the game advertising itself as a free hour long, melancholy point-and-click adventure is in fact a free hour long, melancholy point and click adventure. Not sure what other expectations you guys had, but I think the game does enough to function like a neat little bite-sized experience. If you want a longer (and better) version of this, by all means please go play the phenomenal Night in the Woods. But as for this one, I'd say its pretty cool for the price of Free-99.
How We Know We're Alive is a short and sweet little melancholy adventure about guilt and nostalgia, and while it isn't exactly ESSENTIAL playing for narrative fans, I found it to be a solid experience with a good atmosphere and short but relatively poignant story. Other reviews here seem to be upset that the game advertising itself as a free hour long, melancholy point-and-click adventure is in fact a free hour long, melancholy point and click adventure. Not sure what other expectations you guys had, but I think the game does enough to function like a neat little bite-sized experience. If you want a longer (and better) version of this, by all means please go play the phenomenal Night in the Woods. But as for this one, I'd say its pretty cool for the price of Free-99.