Forever Alone

This was an incredibly lovely game with brilliant visuals, poignant music and gentle sound effects that draw you in and keep you there. This is compounded by the fact the game was quite challenging in places (at least for me), and so you get to savour it for longer. The challenge is a matter of precision and of getting timings right, and so it is not mindlessly punishing you for no reason, which I think is very important and adds to the feel, since you know that you could get through this level faster if you were just that little bit better. Hence the getting sucked in.

Furthermore, the game treats you like an adult and, although it is always sure to introduce new mechanics in a clear and enjoyable way, finding the best way to get through a level is often left to you, making it that bit more interesting than other games that challenge your precision skills without actually engaging the thinking part of your brain.

All of this is topped off with a simple, yet compelling and very relatable story about feeling lost and trapped in grief and self-pity and the difficult journey of learning to reach out and connect with others.

All in all, I would thoroughly recommend. The calming visuals, gentle sound effects, and natural feeling movement keep you engaged and the fantastic end sequence serves as an excellent reward for your perseverance.