Dear Esther

 PC
User Score
6.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 736 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 368 out of 736
  2. Mixed: 182 out of 736
  3. Negative: 186 out of 736

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  1. LD9000
    Feb 19, 2012
    4
    A pretty visual game, but it is 85 minutes of gameplay for 10$. I cannot seem myself walking through that island again. Maybe at 3$ that would not be so bad
  2. Shoebox
    Mar 12, 2012
    0
    A lot of people tend to try and justify the purchase of something that they cannot return. It's quite sad that people, held hostage by their own denial, have mistaken holding forward for gameplay and 'listless' narrative for a storyline. Sure, it has graphics, but every game has graphics. In fact, lots of films have graphics and some books have pictures in them too. And I think a film orA lot of people tend to try and justify the purchase of something that they cannot return. It's quite sad that people, held hostage by their own denial, have mistaken holding forward for gameplay and 'listless' narrative for a storyline. Sure, it has graphics, but every game has graphics. In fact, lots of films have graphics and some books have pictures in them too. And I think a film or graphic novel would be an infinitely more rewarding experience than this 45 minute "game", for the same price. Don't buy this.… Expand
  3. Azaiko
    Apr 18, 2012
    1
    This is not a game. It is a story, that's it. Nothing more than a story, where you can walk around. It doesn't have anything else but the walking and the story. I don't think that this should be marked as a game, since this simply isn't a game.
  4. nildab
    Jun 3, 2012
    0
    Horribly boring. I based my decision only because the reviews were ravingly good. Even the ratings were in the upper 80s. I will never base my choices on that again. I will from now on, download demos and see for myself.
  5. Inquizitor
    Feb 18, 2012
    0
    To each their own I guess. Dear Ester is not a game. At best it is an interactive movie. In reality it is one of the 1990 Multimedia scenery viewers. This "game" has been horribly mislabeled and advertised.
  6. DOSfan
    Mar 7, 2012
    1
    i got this game the day it was released on steam, and about an hour after i was left more puzzled than anything the game had offered. it wasn't due to the story, or not being capable of deep thought. some of my favorite films are from the likes of tarkovsky (where the stalker game came from), jodorowski, and have a love of art, literature and all things strange, minimal etc. as my useri got this game the day it was released on steam, and about an hour after i was left more puzzled than anything the game had offered. it wasn't due to the story, or not being capable of deep thought. some of my favorite films are from the likes of tarkovsky (where the stalker game came from), jodorowski, and have a love of art, literature and all things strange, minimal etc. as my user name would imply i've played games of every genre since DOS. point and click adventures and so on. something like dark seed, or the path is really more reminiscent of what i had hoped for. dear esther just kind of tells you a story for an hour. at the end, i had no desire to replay it, and was left wondering if the money invested went to licensing fee's to pay for the music and narration. a few things change places, and a bit of the dialog is mixed up in replays. there's absolutely no puzzles, or interactivity other than listening watching and holding forward. upon sharing these thoughts on a forum like steam, you're immediately clawed at by a relentless army of fanboys who must have skipped over the last 20 years of PC gaming. to some this game is probably a great breakthrough, but alas i felt like it would have been great only if it were the prologue to an actual game. overall the experience was very negative to me, i felt like this should have been half price at the MOST, if not free. to top it off i was in disbelief that news dropped saying they made back all their investment, in a matter of hours after release. i guess this is why we are getting video games that could have been so much more these days. because most of them are just cash in's. they see a marketable area and go for it, inevitably enough people will buy any game that didn't cost a million bucks to produce and make it profitable.… Expand
  7. Pier
    Dec 27, 2013
    3
    While it is certainly a beautiful and detailed world, Dear Esther is not a game. When you pay for a game, and expect a game, this is very disappointing. It is closer to a demo for a textuure artist and 3d modeler than a game. Not fun at all, lacks any real narrative and the experience is completely un-engaging. Don't waste your money on this.
  8. Alexander90
    Apr 26, 2013
    1
    This dosen't even deserve to be called a game. It's an hour or so long "game" where all you do is walk on some island and listen to narrator telling an very uninteresting story. If there is one thing i can say good about this game is that it had very nice graphics. But graphics don't make game good. This is something that i assume The Chinese Room didn't understand, and that is why we haveThis dosen't even deserve to be called a game. It's an hour or so long "game" where all you do is walk on some island and listen to narrator telling an very uninteresting story. If there is one thing i can say good about this game is that it had very nice graphics. But graphics don't make game good. This is something that i assume The Chinese Room didn't understand, and that is why we have this utterly boring game. I am giving it a low score because this is a game i am reviewing, but if this was made for artisic attempt, it would have better score. I am guessing that's why there are so many positive score for this game, because all this people looked at it as an art but not as a game. But i will not go there as developers are saying that this is a game, so i am giving it a low score.… Expand
  9. alanas4201
    Oct 17, 2013
    1
    Most boring game i ever played. I never did anything in game just hold W there was nothing to do in there nothing interactive i liked Heavy rain and Beyond two souls, but i hated this game because its nothing, but environments and holding W button that's really sad
  10. Apparentn00b
    Oct 17, 2013
    1
    This "game" has to be the worst "attempt" at a gaming experience that i have seen, do not i repeat do not buy this "game" unless you have a fetish for holding down the w button for a solid hour. it is unreasonably boring drawn out artificially there is no objective no challenge and really no redeeming qualities, if you like these kind of games, get the stanley parable it is leagues betterThis "game" has to be the worst "attempt" at a gaming experience that i have seen, do not i repeat do not buy this "game" unless you have a fetish for holding down the w button for a solid hour. it is unreasonably boring drawn out artificially there is no objective no challenge and really no redeeming qualities, if you like these kind of games, get the stanley parable it is leagues better in every way.

    Quick breakdown of the "game":
    Linear
    No real objectives
    No challenge
    One hour long
    $10 price tag
    No gameplay mechanics
    Not really even a movie
    Most definitely NOT an adventure
    Most definitely not a puzzle, there is no challenge

    Not the "most original first person game this year" (thats a quote from the "developer" i cant even call these people developers because this is such a poor quality piece of garbage)

    the one good thing about this piece of software, is the graphics, it looks decent. really it could have been made in 2007 but its not terrible

    This thing deserves every low rating it has gotten and frankly deserves more.    … Expand
  11. Nicholaz
    Dec 29, 2013
    3
    A pretentious non-interactive corridor walk with nice graphics.

    I have to say I'm probably the intended audience for this game. I read strange books and enjoy them, I listen to strange music and enjoy it, you get the picture. But this is just plain boring. There is no exploration per se, because it's just a walk on rails with lots of invisible walls and bits of narrative thrown at    A pretentious non-interactive corridor walk with nice graphics.

    I have to say I'm probably the intended audience for this game. I read strange books and enjoy them, I listen to strange music and enjoy it, you get the picture.

    But this is just plain boring. There is no exploration per se, because it's just a walk on rails with lots of invisible walls and bits of narrative thrown at you along the ways. The narrator is of the type, who could make a sentence like "I had a cup of tea and then went for a pee" sound like it had deep Shakespearean meaning, but the story (or text bits) just didn't keep me interested at all.

    This might as well be a short movie, a walk over an island with puzzling narrative bits, because honestly, you just keep the W key pressed for forward walking and wait for new bits of text to appear.

    Disappointing, except for the good graphic and sound, which builds a nice background atmosphere.    … Expand
  12. aleqhz
    Jun 25, 2020
    4
    It is very poetic. The music is okay. It's some kind of "story-driven" visual art I guess? But the story itself isn't that interesting. This hardly qualifies as a game.
  13. KingVrox
    Jan 29, 2013
    3
    I'm all for stretching the boundaries of what can be considered a "game," and I love games with a emphasis on story. But this game fell flat. The story was uninteresting, the music was forgettable, and the pace was unbearably slow.
  14. Morring
    Aug 9, 2013
    0
    Any number known to man would represent an overrated score for this walking simulator. Dragging your excruciatingly slow character across the island is terribly uninteresting, and the tale being told does not make up for that. If this was actually art, as some would like to believe, you would see at least some creative use of the possibilities of videogames at work, but no, let's just walkAny number known to man would represent an overrated score for this walking simulator. Dragging your excruciatingly slow character across the island is terribly uninteresting, and the tale being told does not make up for that. If this was actually art, as some would like to believe, you would see at least some creative use of the possibilities of videogames at work, but no, let's just walk around while hearing a story. I actually paid money to hear a poor audiobook while exploring a virtual place quite resembling the real world a few steps from home.

    Art can explore new ways to use a particular media, and the greatest works of art may change the way we see that media in a permanent way. This game doesn't even try to explore the possibilities of gaming. If this was a movie there would literally be no difference, except you wouldn't be pressing W. It is not fun, it is not creative, it is not an interesting story, but you can still buy it and tell everybody who says it isn't good that the game is just to deep for them.    … Expand
  15. Riflenator1234
    Jan 1, 2013
    3
    This game was quite simply boring and not an "experience" as many call it. Its story isn't bad and the graphics look nice, but aside from those two features the game is no fun. All you are doing is walking around at a slow pace throughout the duration of the game and it is being acclaimed likely because people are attempting to look for something in the game that isn't there. Don't wasteThis game was quite simply boring and not an "experience" as many call it. Its story isn't bad and the graphics look nice, but aside from those two features the game is no fun. All you are doing is walking around at a slow pace throughout the duration of the game and it is being acclaimed likely because people are attempting to look for something in the game that isn't there. Don't waste your time with this game, it would better be spent playing games that are guaranteed to be fun.… Expand
  16. Minsc
    Feb 1, 2013
    1
    I wouldn't even really call this a game. Its just wandering around in some nice graphics with a not so good story line that doesn't really go anywhere.

    Its kinda like a book with a great cover and blurb....but was never finished, and somehow is being sold in stores...

    I play most of the games I have at least twice. But this one I wont go near again as its just a waste of my time.
  17. TheKLF99
    Mar 1, 2013
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Possibly one of the most lamest games I have ever had the unfortunate displeasure of playing.

    The only thing that is good in the entire "multi-angle" movie is the scenery.

    The scenery looks amazing, however I'm quite sure you could see better with a cheap blender file rendering. Thankfully Steam had this game on offer when I bought it and I can see why, had I paid full price I'd have been taking it up with trading standards for false advertising.

    The game is advertised as an "adventure game" when I think of an adventure game I think of games like maybe text adventure games Behind Closed Doors, Very Big Cave Adventure, or point and click adventures like Secret of Monkey Island, Flight of the Amazon Queen, Grim Fandango, or puzzle adventure games like Myst or Dark Fall, or finally adventure/action games like Tomb Raider, or Uncharted.

    This game doesn't fit into any of these categories. This game is a very bad and very cheap effort at the games company trying to make a quick buck.

    The thing that makes the game so poor is that in the game the end user has absolutely nothing to do, other than admire the scenery and move the character around the island.

    Yes really that is it. It's like reading a Choose Your Own Adventure book without any turn to this page, or turn to that page.

    You have absolutely nothing to do within the game other than follow the path round try and veer off the path to look at something you quickly find yourself stuck on a rock unable to go any further, at most if you get bored there is a really big chasm that you can throw yourself into or drown yourself in the sea but unfortunately that just leads to a message stating "come back" and then a regeneration on the nearest land.

    There are no puzzles whatsoever in this game, there is stuff scrawled on walls like science symbols which you would have thought maybe used later in some kind of puzzle or something, but no they aren't used for anything.

    The scenery is stunning, especially when your in the cave, but other than that it is nothing more than just an interactive multi-angle movie which is something DVD's did years ago and is nothing new.

    As for it's definition as a game I'd actually question as to whether that is actually accurate the definition of game is as follows

    "A form of play or sport, esp. a competitive one played according to rules and decided by skill, strength, or luck.".

    There is no skill, strength or luck and I don't think just following a path around an island constitutes playing either, so it is more an interactive movie than a game.

    In addition to this the story line is just as bad. The entire story seems to depict the lives of a number of people 2 of them ended their lives on the island, whilst another 2 managed to kill themselves on the M5 motorway the scene of which is re-built in a pool, and finally you end up being another victim of the island or do you turn into a gull at the end and fly over the island?? Very bizarre story line.

    If you ever played Myst or Dark Fall and thought you might like it if they removed all the puzzles then you'd like this, but if you like the puzzles and at least some kind of a challenge then this is not the game for you.

    The game took me about 30 minutes to complete this morning, but now knowing how it works I could probably whizz round that island in about 10-15 minutes.    … Expand
  18. Maestro_Grinder
    Dec 25, 2014
    0
    tl;dr: Interesting and provoking thoughts, but NOT a game, NOT worth money.

    Dear Esther is an artistic work, I cannot deny that, but the creator lost all right for respect and credit when putting this up for sale. There are many modders out there who contribute much greater, albeit different, efforts for free. Whether intentional or not, putting it up here on steam was awfully    tl;dr: Interesting and provoking thoughts, but NOT a game, NOT worth money.

    Dear Esther is an artistic work, I cannot deny that, but the creator lost all right for respect and credit when putting this up for sale. There are many modders out there who contribute much greater, albeit different, efforts for free. Whether intentional or not, putting it up here on steam was awfully misleading and tricked many into buying it, believing it is an actual adventure game. At least everyone I know who bought the game, including myself, sprung that trap.

    It is an insult to all modders out there that this "game" is being sold. The developers of Dear Esther were thrown a lot of money that others deserve more.    … Expand
  19. ScottBeeson
    Jul 18, 2012
    1
    I'm all for great story telling in a game, but this is no game at all. You explore a landscape while being told a story. No puzzles, no combat, no inventory, no jumping. You can't interact with anything. None of the buttons do anything except zoom in (they all zoom in). Occasionally you find a fork in the path you are on and think "Oh man, some semblance of risk/reward" only to findI'm all for great story telling in a game, but this is no game at all. You explore a landscape while being told a story. No puzzles, no combat, no inventory, no jumping. You can't interact with anything. None of the buttons do anything except zoom in (they all zoom in). Occasionally you find a fork in the path you are on and think "Oh man, some semblance of risk/reward" only to find out it's either a dead end or it winds back around to the other path. This is as linear,l and as boring, as a "game" can get.

    I gave it 1 point for the atmosphere and writing.    … Expand
  20. Krayzgerman
    Jul 19, 2012
    0
    "Dear Esther, how horrid you truly are. Like a virtual tour I grew endlessly tired and helpless, evermore hopeless I was. Wanting, dreaming, and then dreading the time would come when I would then see the light~to find no answer; a shadows cast
  21. Dkashola
    Aug 12, 2012
    3
    Regardless of how good the storytelling is, or isn't, 10 USD is way too expensive for an hour of gameplay, let alone non-gameplay. If this is art, I'd rather stick to being an ignorant and uncultured hick.
  22. BeatYourHeadIn
    Sep 19, 2021
    3
    I like it when games dare to be different. I liked Penumbra, and I liked Amnesia even more; those games struck a nice balance with atmosphere and gameplay while being different from almost everything I had played before. Dear Esther, however, offers no such balance since it abandoned any semblance of gameplay altogether. It's been said here by other reviewers and I'll say it again, just toI like it when games dare to be different. I liked Penumbra, and I liked Amnesia even more; those games struck a nice balance with atmosphere and gameplay while being different from almost everything I had played before. Dear Esther, however, offers no such balance since it abandoned any semblance of gameplay altogether. It's been said here by other reviewers and I'll say it again, just to reinforce the notion: there is no interactivity to speak of and no real gameplay whatsoever.

    There are no meaningful choices to make, no consequences, no inventory to manage, no characters to interact with, no enemies to defeat or evade, no objectives to complete; you can't even control when your flashlight turns on and off (this feature is automanaged for you as you enter and leave unlit areas). It is a game that dared to be so different that it actually stopped being a game.

    I know what you're thinking: "BeatYourHeadIn, what do you expect from a title that hails from the 'games as art' genre? Certainly you weren't hoping a shotgun was a necessary plot element?" Good point readers, and fair enough, I have certainly been conditioned enough by multiple decades of shooters that I feel an... emptiness... when I can't simply apply liberal amounts of buckshot shampoo to *ahem* clean the obstructions from my first person journies. What I do expect from a game is a little bit of gameplay; just a teensy weensy bit. No? Nothing??? Sheesh, we should probably rename the "games as art" genre to "art as games" since that simple rearrangement says volumes more about what it's actually like to experience Dear Esther. Dear Esther is not really a game after all, rather more of a landscape simulator that is best enjoyed by plugging your video output into a digital picture frame hung on your living room wall. Moving on, I don't want to obsess over what Dear Esther IS NOT this whole review, so I will talk about what it IS.

    As others here have pointed out, it is simply a different way of telling a story... a visual metaphor, if you will. In my opinion, it is an unsuccessful way of telling a story, and I wont be paying for any other "games" that may appear in this "genre". As a game, story, movie, Bob Ross painting, whatever, it was dull and un-entertaining. Un-fun, that's a good word; Dear Esther is un-fun.

    There are just enough good points to squeak a single positive sentence into this review of Dear Esther: the soundtrack is quite good, and the visuals are nice to look at (especially in the caves chapter); I will award a couple points for those qualities, even though I want to give it a flat zero.

    I'll award one more point to the fact that the developers had the balls think outside of the box... in fact, they stepped right out of the box, picked it up, folded it, put it in the recycle bin, went to the nearest Blockbuster Video and rented What Dreams May Come. So that's it, a generous 3 out of 10.    … Expand
  23. redsmurf
    May 19, 2012
    3
    Very pretty graphics, the sea looks excellent and the mountains are great, if you like graphics then buy this program. The story is weird and interesting but this is NOT a game. It is a walk though a dark and wonderful 3D island, you can't win or lose so no game.
  24. AddisonX
    Jul 16, 2012
    1
    I'll give this game a 1, on the principle that it tries to do something different, it is visually stunning, and its got a great soundtrack. All of that, ups it to a 1. It is possibly one of the worst PC experiences I have ever had. Look at the screen shots and put on some classical over ocean sounds in the background and you've played the game. Don't waste even $1 on this game. II'll give this game a 1, on the principle that it tries to do something different, it is visually stunning, and its got a great soundtrack. All of that, ups it to a 1. It is possibly one of the worst PC experiences I have ever had. Look at the screen shots and put on some classical over ocean sounds in the background and you've played the game. Don't waste even $1 on this game. I would not be nearly as upset if this game was touted as including "Exploration" and "Adventure" there is nothing. It is a straight line experience with zero interactivity. Art hanging on a wall is more enticing and engaging then this piece. Do NOT buy this "game".

    Honestly I'm considering not buying any game that gets recommended to me if I "Liked" this game. I would not trust their content at all.    … Expand
  25. itholstrom
    Aug 12, 2012
    2
    First things first, this is not a game. By it's own admission, it is more an experiment of narrative in the game medium. It fails, in my estimation, a failed experiment. If you've played the free "Stanley Parable" mod for Half-Life 2, you will have at least an inkling of what kind of template Dear Esther uses (though clearly, the former is more lighthearted than the latter). Let's throwFirst things first, this is not a game. By it's own admission, it is more an experiment of narrative in the game medium. It fails, in my estimation, a failed experiment. If you've played the free "Stanley Parable" mod for Half-Life 2, you will have at least an inkling of what kind of template Dear Esther uses (though clearly, the former is more lighthearted than the latter). Let's throw some complements about this title out there first. It does have some nice graphics and the environmental design is striking at times and...umm...well, I'm sadly out of good things to say. The next nicest thing I have to say is at least it only lasts about an hour. You start the game with no idea how or why you are there, nor any instructions. So, inevitably you begin to walk around. And I hope you enjoy walking around, because that is the only action that you, as the player, get to do. As you amble onward, every 5 or so minutes the game spits a bit narrative at you. Unlike the Stanley Parable, none of Dear Esther is particularly interesting or well written, and it most definitely isn't cohesive. I believe that lack of cohesion was done unwittingly, rather it was used as a mechanic by the game's designers to give the paper thin prose an air of mystery...being obtuse makes things hard to understand and, when done right, makes you work to follow the thread and give you a sense of accomplishment or reward once you start piecing things together. Problem being on this breadcrumb laden story's path, there is no thread. You come across bits of narrative slowly (and I do mean slowly - you walk at the pace of a geriatric snail, mash the Shift key all you'd like), and over time you realize none of them really connect. There is just random narrative, islands of text that refuse to work together in harmony to create an overarching story. Little things that do start to have any kind of meaning or interest or appear to be revealed in interesting ways end up being things that are already explained to you in the synopsis of the game. If you want a mild surprise, read as little about this game as you can - including, and especially, it's own synopsis. In the end, you might as well just fire up Skyrim, start wandering aimlessly, and play a 15 second clip from a different book-on-tape every 5 or so minutes. It'll be just as interesting. All I can say is I'm glad I was able to get the game on sale for $1.39.… Expand
  26. Musa3486
    Sep 9, 2013
    0
    This may very well be the worst "game" I ever played.This is more of a demo and even as that feels empty.Its a hour long ambiguous plot of a story.Nothing, is concrete nor explained leaving ppl left to connect the dots.Some ppl would say thats one of the games beauty but from a paid game,it just felt incomplete.
  27. DonCanardo
    Dec 24, 2013
    3
    It might be a nice piece of art but it's not a game. It could have been a video I would had the same experience.... Nice graphics & story but absolutely no gameplay.
  28. Zankiesko
    Jul 16, 2012
    2
    I picked this game up in the Steam Summer Sale on July 16th. People complain about video games becoming movies, then talk about this game as if it is something unique or game changing. This game is an interactive island walking simulator that tells you bits of story every now. The people telling you that it is an "interactive fiction narrative" or "interactive story" are misleading you.I picked this game up in the Steam Summer Sale on July 16th. People complain about video games becoming movies, then talk about this game as if it is something unique or game changing. This game is an interactive island walking simulator that tells you bits of story every now. The people telling you that it is an "interactive fiction narrative" or "interactive story" are misleading you. It is no more an interactive story than a book is an interactive story. The story is partially randomized at the very start of the game and it is set in stone at that point. You must then walk through the island, discovering fragments of the story, and have the game tell the story to you. There is nothing intellectual, artsy, or deep about this game. The game is stunningly lackluster in everything that makes it a game. This game comes across as being made by a company that wanted to do a 1 hour cinematic, but knew that moviegoers wouldn't care for this narcissistic, pretentious drivel.… Expand
  29. queenmerfango
    Jun 5, 2012
    0
    To score this game even 0.01 would be generous. A game that is not a game, is not a game! If I wanted to walk round listening to an old man talk about a crash on a motorway that may or may not have happened, I would go to the local old folks home. I feel totally robbed. Does the graphics designer wear a mask? What is relaxing about having a headache whilst trying to figure out what thisTo score this game even 0.01 would be generous. A game that is not a game, is not a game! If I wanted to walk round listening to an old man talk about a crash on a motorway that may or may not have happened, I would go to the local old folks home. I feel totally robbed. Does the graphics designer wear a mask? What is relaxing about having a headache whilst trying to figure out what this tack is all about? £6 my left arm. Rubbish.… Expand
  30. gabriot
    Jul 16, 2012
    1
    How the hell do they get away with charging money for this piece of trash? This is not a game, there are no gameplay elements WHATSOEVER. You literally can't interact with ANYTHING in this game. There's hardly anything in the game, I beat it it under an hour (or finished it I should say, like I said there are no gameplay elements whatsoever). Apparently there is supposed to be a storyHow the hell do they get away with charging money for this piece of trash? This is not a game, there are no gameplay elements WHATSOEVER. You literally can't interact with ANYTHING in this game. There's hardly anything in the game, I beat it it under an hour (or finished it I should say, like I said there are no gameplay elements whatsoever). Apparently there is supposed to be a story here but it's so unintelligible that by the end you'll be left scratching your head as to why you wasted all this time thinking the story would tie together somehow.

    The creator of this game must think he's a real Stanley Kubrick, but in the end it just reaks of Uwe Bol. Trash trash trash... just utter trash, don't waste your money on this. It's not even a good looking game, the island is bland as hell and aside from a grant total of 3 or 4 structures and some meaningless paintings on the walls every now and then - the level design is literally just bland rock. The only reason I even give it a 1 and not a 0 is because I guess at least they spent a long time building their boring bland island, and I suppose there were 1 or 2 views that looked decent. In the end though avoid this game like the plague, it isn't even a game, nor is it art. It's utter **** seriously **** this bull**** I expected more from a game receiving such good ratings, you all make me sick.    … Expand
  31. Zaytsev
    Sep 25, 2012
    3
    WARNING! THIS "GAME" IS 20 MINUTES LONG!

    I'd give the score lower were it not for the beautiful graphics. There are SO MANY DAMN BAD THINGS about this game that it's hard to decide where to begin. FIrst of it ISN'T A GAME, there is 0 INTERACTION with everything! No, really! THIS IS A HOLD W (forward) SIMULATOR! The story is really really uninteresting, this game is the equivelent of    WARNING! THIS "GAME" IS 20 MINUTES LONG!

    I'd give the score lower were it not for the beautiful graphics. There are SO MANY DAMN BAD THINGS about this game that it's hard to decide where to begin. FIrst of it ISN'T A GAME, there is 0 INTERACTION with everything! No, really! THIS IS A HOLD W (forward) SIMULATOR! The story is really really uninteresting, this game is the equivelent of watching a **** film major's indie film that he couldn't get funded so he put it onto a game instead, easy to understand but arrogant and pretentious enough to believe it self to be otherwise, you will simply rather early begin to wonder when will the narrator shut up since you already got the idea of what occur a while back.

    So yeah, if you wanna spend 10 bucks like I did to see nice graphics go ahead or just you know....buy a GAME with good graphics rather than this......thing.    … Expand
  32. WeatherEye
    Jan 28, 2013
    3
    Oh dear. I "played" (read that as walked) though this game and was left wanting. Although the story itself was compelling enough I felt no connection to it's world as you can't interact with anything at all. It is essentially a walk though some admittedly scenic areas but that's really all there is to this "game". If your in the market for an art game there a lot better titles out there;Oh dear. I "played" (read that as walked) though this game and was left wanting. Although the story itself was compelling enough I felt no connection to it's world as you can't interact with anything at all. It is essentially a walk though some admittedly scenic areas but that's really all there is to this "game". If your in the market for an art game there a lot better titles out there; but if you like waliking about (without leaving home) and listening to an audio book this is you thing.… Expand
  33. suneater
    Dec 13, 2012
    1
    Went into this expecting some kind of Myst ripoff and I got an "interactive" movie instead. The narrator speaks cryptically about everything making what little story there is here very convoluted (randomization doesn't help the situation either). Dear Esther functions on intricate set pieces and music to keep your attention away from all the other problems with the game, like the fact itWent into this expecting some kind of Myst ripoff and I got an "interactive" movie instead. The narrator speaks cryptically about everything making what little story there is here very convoluted (randomization doesn't help the situation either). Dear Esther functions on intricate set pieces and music to keep your attention away from all the other problems with the game, like the fact it isn't a game. I'd be OK "playing" this if I got it in some Humble Indie Bundle but $10 for a remake of a 1 hour mod using the Source engine is ridiculous. The only reason this game isn't being slammed as being pretentious hipster garbage is because of the subject matter at hand. Otherwise this game would be totally overlooked and reveiled for being what it is: another overpriced, misleading, pretentious "indie" game.… Expand
  34. iseeall
    Jul 29, 2013
    0
    It's not a game. You just run around and listen to random paragraphs of text which doesn't make much sense. Playing this so-called game for free is not worth the time spent, but paying for it is just nonsense.
  35. Crystufer
    Jan 15, 2013
    0
    As a mod for a game, this is cute. As it's own game, it's nothing worthwhile. The story could easily have been packed into 20 minutes instead of 60-90 minutes of walking through beautiful, but generally uninteresting terrain.
  36. Lord_Truth
    Dec 25, 2014
    0
    This whole game could have been included in a larger trailer. It is no more than one long cut-scene, and the developers and players bluntly lie to you - it is NOT INTERACTIVE. It is NOT AN INDIE ADVENTURE GAME.

    It's an okayish mind-teaser, but it is even below low-quality visual novels and doesn't deserve being paid for. As a free mod or video, this would be nice.
  37. Zeldarulah
    Jun 18, 2012
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This "game" is pathetic and horribly disappointing. I'm very much looking forward to the sequel to Amnesia by thechineseroom, so I decided to play this first. Sadly, it was terrible.

    There is no option to run, so you have to maintain a very slow walking pace. If you try to swim around and 'explore' (as the game was advertised to be about) then you will drown, and a man will say "Come back." (which I'll get to in a minute.) Tiny rocks are impossible to traverse, and there is no jump button. This game is about exploration, but exploring is hardly rewarded at all--you may get a slight hint about the extremely obvious 'twist' in the storyline, such as finding a picture of Esther, or some medical bags, or seeing ghosts in the distance wandering the island, however very rarely do you actually get to hear extra dialogue as a result, and when you do it is usually extremely limited, and then you have to make the long, arduous walk back.

    Before this seems like a complete rant, I'd like to point out that the music and graphics are fantastic. The graphics are probably the best I've ever seen in a Source title, and the caves in particularl looked beautiful (plenty looked like they would make perfect backgrounds, and some of the outdoors environments looked great too...) but... you're better off just googling "pretty landscapes," and then playing some beethoven on youtube while you look at them than playing this "game."

    This game lasted me a total of forty five minutes, and I never see myself going back to it. It cost me 10 bucks... 2 dollars is the most this should reasonably cost. I don't understand how this game took other people 2 hours.. I looked all around the island, found many hidden things, read the paper boats in the water, and read all the text on the walls... but it still lasted me forty five minutes and felt like an eternity. That being said, after the ending, I thought it was the end of chapter one (especially without the credits playing... or anything happening, it just stayed on a black screen.)

    People seem to ignorantly praise this game for the fact that it tried somethign new, which, I disagree with. This isn't new. There are many games that favor exploration and storyline over gameplay (look at Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, or Penumbra.) The ideal is to have excellent gameplay, but also to have excellent exploration and storyline, like my all time favorite game Zelda: Majora's Mask. They also praise it for its storyline... oh, my, no.

    The storyline is undeniably poor. I'm going to spoil it in this paragraph, so if you still want to play this game for some reason, don't read this. Over and over, incessently the narrator keeps talking about the car crash, the drunk driver, and the road to Damascus. It never ends. There are medical bags laying on the floor. There is a point where you're on the road where the car crash happened, and instead of the car crash there's a medical bed. Everytime you almost die from drowning or falling, a heartbeat rises, and the narrator says "Come back." And the game ends with him saying "Esther, come back, come back.." Do I even need to say it? Its so painfully obvious and not at all clever.. the narrator is a man next to Esther, and he is talking to her in her dreams/coma after the car crash. She's coming to terms with what happened to her, and eventually dying (the ending.) Its not exactly difficult to piece together, and calling it clever is just silly.

    This game was a horrible disappointment, and I wish I had a refund.
    + Graphics
    + Sound
    - 'Gameplay'
    - Story
    - Absolutely no fun at all.

    This 'game' probably deserves a one or two out of 10, or, understandably, an aggregate of about 4 to 4.5... but seeing how inexplicably people like this and the aggregate is 6.5, I'm going to try to do my part to pull it down so other people won't waste their money like I did.

    Thanks for reading! Don't make the same mistake I did!    … Expand
  38. SrMoure
    Jul 4, 2013
    0
    There is no gameplay. Its NOT a game. extremeky boring, you just walk slowly trying to discover the correct way out there is an annoying story that doesn't matter too much since there is nothing today. Even if u don't pay for this so called game it would be a waste of time
  39. Shogi
    Dec 3, 2012
    4
    It's already been noted that Dear Esther isn't really a game as such. That's fine, and I'm actually a bit of a fan of interactive fiction (give Shade or Anchorhead a go sometime) and other 'games' that bend the definition a bit. However, despite the lovely visuals and the neat caving section I can't really recommend it. The prose is florid and purple, and thinks it's a lot more meaningfulIt's already been noted that Dear Esther isn't really a game as such. That's fine, and I'm actually a bit of a fan of interactive fiction (give Shade or Anchorhead a go sometime) and other 'games' that bend the definition a bit. However, despite the lovely visuals and the neat caving section I can't really recommend it. The prose is florid and purple, and thinks it's a lot more meaningful than it actually is. Despite the ill-considered random allocation of voice clips to each playthrough, the plot is pretty much given away at the start by chemical formulae on walls and overly obvious hints. Interactive fiction is fine, but this is bad fiction.… Expand
  40. nopistons420
    Jul 16, 2012
    0
    this is really not a game. there is not gameplay to be had. no exploring to do. in fact you really dont do anything. you just walk in a straight line from point a to point b. then its over. took me about 10 minutes to beat the "game". there is no content. no story. nothing.

    really poor.
  41. Tritonio
    May 12, 2012
    3
    Confusing and boring story. No interactivity AT ALL. The beautiful was not enough to keep me playing till the end. I dropped the game after about 20 minutes. I later read in wikipedia the rest of the story and I still insist that it is boring and the end would probably annoy me even more.

    I wouldn't call this a game at all. And people giving this a 10 are probably out of their minds. If    Confusing and boring story. No interactivity AT ALL. The beautiful was not enough to keep me playing till the end. I dropped the game after about 20 minutes. I later read in wikipedia the rest of the story and I still insist that it is boring and the end would probably annoy me even more.

    I wouldn't call this a game at all. And people giving this a 10 are probably out of their minds. If this is a 10, then what would you put on Amnesia? 310?    … Expand
  42. dizm0e
    Oct 16, 2012
    4
    When I pay money for a VIDEOGAME, I expect it to be something I can play. And walking around on an island is not my idea of playing a videogame. The game is visually amazing. Yes. I can agree with that. Paying 10$ to walk around and just watch the environment while a story develops might be appealing for some. It's just not what I expect when I pay money for a game. Yes, Dear Esther isWhen I pay money for a VIDEOGAME, I expect it to be something I can play. And walking around on an island is not my idea of playing a videogame. The game is visually amazing. Yes. I can agree with that. Paying 10$ to walk around and just watch the environment while a story develops might be appealing for some. It's just not what I expect when I pay money for a game. Yes, Dear Esther is very artistic, but it's not what I call a videogame.… Expand
  43. ginolamantino
    Jul 22, 2012
    0
    The zero was for the sole purpose to bring down Dear Esther's score. I knew it was not a game and that it has no gameplay. But I thought I should give a try 'cause there are plenty of positive review.
    Somebody said it is a piece of work. A pile of crap would be the most accurate definition.
    You wander two hours on a very beautiful island, guided by an high quality atmosphere blending    The zero was for the sole purpose to bring down Dear Esther's score. I knew it was not a game and that it has no gameplay. But I thought I should give a try 'cause there are plenty of positive review.
    Somebody said it is a piece of work. A pile of crap would be the most accurate definition.
    You wander two hours on a very beautiful island, guided by an high quality atmosphere blending soundtrack. The purpose of Dear Esther is telling a good story in a different way. Unluckily, the story is crap. Random monologues, representing character letter to a dead girl are heard from time to time. The fact is, they don't make sense. And the story, if there's one behind this letters, is a crappy pile of cliches.
    As many suggested, a short film would have made more sense. If I knew, I would have refused Dear Esther even if it was for free. There are tons of things you could enjoy more, including being raped by a gorilla.    … Expand
  44. Swindle
    May 16, 2012
    0
    This so called game is nothing more than a story with pretty graphics. As many have stated, it isn't a game at all. It's hard for me to believe there are so many 10 ratings for something you just walk and let the game tell a story; a very weak story at that. The biggest problem is the dialogue doesn't match up with where you are in the game, which makes the whole thing feel pointless.This so called game is nothing more than a story with pretty graphics. As many have stated, it isn't a game at all. It's hard for me to believe there are so many 10 ratings for something you just walk and let the game tell a story; a very weak story at that. The biggest problem is the dialogue doesn't match up with where you are in the game, which makes the whole thing feel pointless. Also, there is no interaction of any sort. The best part was the scenery and the music score, but one can only stare at the weeds and flowers blow in the wind for so long. Sad to say, holding down mouse1 to zoom in 3 inches is about as interactive as it gets. Do yourself a favor and put your money toward another game. You will be happy you did. It took 75 minutes to complete, and at the end could not believe what I had just played. Two thumbs way down.… Expand
  45. freddog99
    Mar 5, 2012
    0
    Wasn't sure what to expect, but it turned out to be a waste of ten good dollars. You roam around this island with basically the same type of background replicated repeatedly.. There seems to be no point to any of it. The cave is an endless maze of similar background where the most exciting thing are mushrooms that turn toward you as you move. I want my money back, this game was disappointing..
  46. ScottReid
    Apr 28, 2012
    0
    This is a poor excuse for a game. It simply isn't interesting to play and is just simply boring. This is not my type of game. The idea of listening to some boring English guy drone on about crap could put my in a coma. I do not like this game. I simply hate it.
  47. lliam
    May 6, 2012
    0
    This is not a game its a CGI video of the Hibredian islands I know its £6 or so on steam but save your money go on youtube and look at the vista's on there it will have more gameplay than this
  48. BrobaFett
    Nov 20, 2013
    4
    Not really a game. More of an interactive story where there is really nothing to interact with. The only positive side of this... thing... is the graphics which are very nicely detailed but there is just absolutely no real objective rather than walk to the end of this slightly confusing and completely unsatisfying path of zero events.
  49. Contemptible
    Mar 11, 2012
    1
    Dear Esther, What a complete and total waste of time and money you were. You thieving bastard give me back my money and 60 minutes of my life. I recommend staying away from this boring, slow moving, poor graphic motion picture.
  50. Wadeyboy
    Apr 1, 2012
    0
    I'm writing this as a warning for people not to waste their money thinking this is a game. It shouldn't be marketed or sold as a game. Steam don't give refunds (which is outrageous in my opinion. They wouldn't get away with it in any other industry) so don't waste your money. All you do is just wander around. There's nothing to do or any way to interact. Yes the graphics are fantastic andI'm writing this as a warning for people not to waste their money thinking this is a game. It shouldn't be marketed or sold as a game. Steam don't give refunds (which is outrageous in my opinion. They wouldn't get away with it in any other industry) so don't waste your money. All you do is just wander around. There's nothing to do or any way to interact. Yes the graphics are fantastic and the music atmospheric but what's the point? I can't give this any score at all because it's just a graphic showcase. I can't think I've ever been so bored. Watch tv if you want something that you can only look at at and not interact with at all. Avoid at all costs because charging money for this is an outrageous rip off.… Expand
  51. thrash4ever
    May 16, 2012
    0
    Where is the game here? Interactivity ends and begins with movement and observation. This is not the problem in itself; what is: the sum of all possibilities effected by this mode of "interaction" amount to no more than a monologue being regurgitated piecemeal. There's no problem with this not being a game - just that it is marketed (and priced) as one. Wandering around an environment withWhere is the game here? Interactivity ends and begins with movement and observation. This is not the problem in itself; what is: the sum of all possibilities effected by this mode of "interaction" amount to no more than a monologue being regurgitated piecemeal. There's no problem with this not being a game - just that it is marketed (and priced) as one. Wandering around an environment with a couple of audio tracks does not constitute a game. End.… Expand
  52. Subject98
    Oct 7, 2012
    4
    I bought this game day 1 and found myself regretting dishing out 15 dollars for it. The island is beautiful and very atmospheric, but that's about all. I would have liked to see a little bit more interactivity than holding down the W button for an hour and a half.
  53. notacarebear
    Mar 9, 2012
    0
    Since we are reviewing games here i give this 3d show reel a 0/10. And to kids the only piece of art they've seen is located in a bathroom saying this is art, replicating reality with photo-realism and nothing else in mind is not ART, it's just mere artisan's work, and not even the best attempt at. The narration is even worse than the visuals, enough said.
  54. saoudi
    Mar 13, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is not a game. A waste of time and money. If you are going to have me push forward for an hour to hear a story then please just put the camera on rails and save me the boring journey. The slow trek up the rocks did feel like passing kidney stones. By the end you just want the guy to jump off the tower to end this miserable experience. The graphics looks great but that's about it. The menu says "Resume Game" What game?? there is no game. Moving a crawling camera through a level with no object interaction and listen to a block of text every now and then is NOT a game.… Expand
  55. Tywin
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Honestly, it's not a game. It could easily have been a cut scene or a short movie, but then again you wouldn't get the fan boy defence corps or all that juicy profit if it wasn't sold as a game. The game tells you the story of Esther's husband wandering through a Hebridean island (A thoroughly ugly scene to behold) coming to terms with his wife's death. You are somehow automaticallyHonestly, it's not a game. It could easily have been a cut scene or a short movie, but then again you wouldn't get the fan boy defence corps or all that juicy profit if it wasn't sold as a game. The game tells you the story of Esther's husband wandering through a Hebridean island (A thoroughly ugly scene to behold) coming to terms with his wife's death. You are somehow automatically expected to care about the wife or his plight and are subjected to 45 minutes of gripping.... holding down the W button. You walk painfully slowly through the island, often being encouraged to take a wrong turn to try and find additional dialogue. The problem is the dialogue just isn't interesting or rewarding. The whole piece is neither emotionally gripping nor philosophically gripping, so I honestly don't know what it is aiming for.
    What Dear Esther needed was dynamic content and emotion. What it has is neither.    … Expand
  56. KentuckyWindage
    May 3, 2012
    1
    Here is my detailed guide to Dear Esther. Hold W and guide your character with the mouse. That is the limit of interaction Dear Esther offers. Along the way there are segments of a story which reveals itself as you progress through the island. This is in no way a game and I would not recommend it at even 10 notes.
  57. jwt7000
    Apr 19, 2012
    0
    This is not really a game when you remove the traditional gameplay style. Besides the boring storytelling, decent music and good graphics of the Source Engine, this HL2 mod turning into an Indie as a remake should have been a computer-graphic movie instead on YouTube rather than playing through it. Therefore it's not worth the money and the playing time.
  58. Kefke_Wren
    Apr 28, 2012
    1
    Dear Esther is not a game.

    If it is anything, it is an art piece. However, the developers have billed it as a game, and this is a title it fails utterly to live up to. Artistic as it may be, and Dear Esther is certainly beautiful, only by the most loose of definitions can it ever be called a game. Simply put, it is missing any element that would qualify it as one. In games, there is a    Dear Esther is not a game.

    If it is anything, it is an art piece. However, the developers have billed it as a game, and this is a title it fails utterly to live up to. Artistic as it may be, and Dear Esther is certainly beautiful, only by the most loose of definitions can it ever be called a game. Simply put, it is missing any element that would qualify it as one.

    In games, there is a challenge. In games, your choices and actions have an effect on the outcome. In games, there is the possibility of success or failure. However, in Dear Esther, there is only observation. You walk through a world that you have no influence over, an audience rather than a player. Nothing you do will have any influence on the story. In fact, there is nothing you can do. You walk. You observe. You listen. The story is spoon-fed to you, but without context and requiring your own interpretation.

    In essence, Dear Esther bares more in common to a painting than a videogame. Look at it from any angle you like. Take as long as you want to study it, or see it all quickly. These are the kinds of choices that Dear Esther offers. It invites you to admire its beauty...to look but not touch. The result is a very moving experience, but not a very entertaining one. It feels very much like seeing an exhibit in a museum. Indeed, artistically it is excellent. However, as I said at the beginning, Dear Esther is presented as being a game, and it is nothing of the kind. It must be scored as a game, and not as art.

    Dear Esther is not a game.    … Expand
  59. Vag
    Dec 8, 2013
    0
    See the hidden meaning in a piece of or a black square sign unsound mind. This is philosophy-schizophrenic interactive story for those who like a black square.
  60. dejaime
    May 2, 2012
    1
    10 dollars for one hour of a game with absolutely no replay value may be worth it, if you really like the story, what you can't tell before you actually finish the game. Still, the game centers itself in two aspects: 1 - Story, 2 - Graphics. The story is nice, sometimes you wish you could just press shift so the character would go a bit faster... The graphical part is really good, if you10 dollars for one hour of a game with absolutely no replay value may be worth it, if you really like the story, what you can't tell before you actually finish the game. Still, the game centers itself in two aspects: 1 - Story, 2 - Graphics. The story is nice, sometimes you wish you could just press shift so the character would go a bit faster... The graphical part is really good, if you ignore completely all the plants on the ground. They are all camera-aligned billboards and, as you pass near them, makes the game look synthetic, killing part of the immersion (and immersion is really important to it, more than to most games). In fact, it's not really a game, it's an interactive narrative that is not really interactive at all (sometimes you'll wish you had an auto-walk button or something to keep the W button down). Have to say that the title is pretentious, that's a fact.… Expand
  61. Ears14U
    May 19, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is visually beautiful, audibly intriguing yet because of the content of the story I find it actually let me down like a falling stone. This contains spoilers so stop reading NOW! Due to the fact that I have actually experienced a "suicide" personally pretty recently in my "own" family, I see absolutely no value on the subject of death for "entertainment's" sake. But rather it's a harsh reality that we all have to succumb to one day, in our own lives. Because life is already very difficult at times, it sincerely pissed me off to see me investing 3-5 hours of my own life's time, to see the outcome of some unfortunate soul commit such a tragedy at the end of this short story. I will share a pure truth with anyone that's just curious enough to ponder suicide. I personally feel that if you are "brave" enough to end your own life? Then you are "brave" enough to face any problem that comes your way. And in closing, this game really made me furious when they tried to "incorporate" Christianity within the madness of this story. Trying to fuse the logic of ending one's life, to make it just ok with God that's I "offed" myself? Doubtful...very doubtful...It had a lot more promise, yet miserably failed with such a bad ending.… Expand
  62. Arkan01d
    Nov 14, 2013
    4
    Dear Esther is not a game. A game has rewards, mechanics, puzzles, ect. Dear Esther is an audio book designed for a game engine. It has you walk in a designated path to learn a story. Your first walk through you will not get the whole story. You need to walk around another time. The path that you can take is severely limited. There is no real exploring. If you see something intriguing inDear Esther is not a game. A game has rewards, mechanics, puzzles, ect. Dear Esther is an audio book designed for a game engine. It has you walk in a designated path to learn a story. Your first walk through you will not get the whole story. You need to walk around another time. The path that you can take is severely limited. There is no real exploring. If you see something intriguing in the distance then that's it. You've just seen something intriguing in the distance.

    Dear Esther reminds me of shopping for groceries to cook dinner only to remember you need one more ingredient to start and must go shopping again. Then halfway through cooking you run out of something else and have to make a 3rd trip to the store to complete dinner. Dinner wasn't about the multiple journeys you had to take. It wasn't about how long it took to cook. It's just about sitting down and eating a delicious dinner. If, before you began cook, you knew getting dinner ready would take 3 trips to the store you'd probably just quit and order take out.    … Expand
  63. BlacksitePSU
    Nov 13, 2013
    3
    Dear Esther is more of a visual showcase or tech demo than a game. That being said, I cannot recommend this title to a fellow gamer. The story is forgettable and all you do is walk down a very linear path for 2-3 hours. A great example of how a game being different does not necessarily mean it will be good.
  64. Storm1672
    Aug 13, 2015
    4
    This little minimalistic piece of art is good for what it is, but is WAY overrated. It's the equivalent (somewhat) of a blank painting being called art. It is too pretentious. I appreciated the details and the Lynch-esque "trying-to-figure-out-what-is-happenning", but the balance is not correct. Too little info. The very few places you will visit along with the shortage in... actualThis little minimalistic piece of art is good for what it is, but is WAY overrated. It's the equivalent (somewhat) of a blank painting being called art. It is too pretentious. I appreciated the details and the Lynch-esque "trying-to-figure-out-what-is-happenning", but the balance is not correct. Too little info. The very few places you will visit along with the shortage in... actual content does not let me appreciate this. Music is great as is the voice over from the narrator. This is not the same kind of simplicity as Journey and definitely does not have the same immersion level. The walking speed and non-interacting will definitely detract from the overall experience.

    I only played it so I can compare it to their latest game, Everybody's Gone to the Rapture.    … Expand
  65. BSim500
    Jan 14, 2015
    3
    The "game" is literally 30-40mins long, but because your character has a "forced slow walk" (no run, jump or crouch at all) it pads that out to 60-90mins. Short narration based games aren't bad in themselves, but REALLY SHORT sub-1 hour story-driven games are actually too short to build any sense of empathy or rapport with the main character you're supposed to be "playing". It's over soThe "game" is literally 30-40mins long, but because your character has a "forced slow walk" (no run, jump or crouch at all) it pads that out to 60-90mins. Short narration based games aren't bad in themselves, but REALLY SHORT sub-1 hour story-driven games are actually too short to build any sense of empathy or rapport with the main character you're supposed to be "playing". It's over so quickly any intended tragedy based emotional response is watered down into mildly-disinterest.

    It's also buggy. You get stuck behind 6 inch rocks, and you instantly drown if your head dips below the water in some points even for 0.5 seconds. I actually managed to accidentally break the game within the first 10 seconds by jumping down on the rocks to explore them with the not unreasonable expectation of a grown adult being able to climb back over a 12" rock, and ended up well and truly stuck there forcing a restart. The second time I drowned 10ft away from the shore...

    A quick glance at other reviewers with gushing 10/10 scores reveals half have given 10/10 to every game they've reviewed (which for many is only this one), whilst the other half seem to be the "pretentious snob" crowd that "nouveau art forms" seem to attract with comments like "Ignore the low ratings as they are not the intended audience. This is a work for adults." and "I guess this game is not for everyone, just the intelligent" (which certainly speaks volumes as to who they perceive the "intended audience" to be (ie, the "fake talent with people issues" crowd apparently)...

    Overall : 3 (+1 for effort and +1 each for GFX/sound but nothing else for having literally no game-play or game length). Given there's literally almost no interactivity, I get the feeling the writers simply chose the wrong format for the story and it would have been better off as a 2-3hr short novel / movie / non serialized TV drama rather than a 30-60min fake game.    … Expand
  66. Renovatia
    Jun 17, 2017
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A "game" which doesn't offer gameplay. Instead it's a guided tour on an island whilst you're narrating letters written to Esther, your (probably) wife who (probably) died in a car crash. This tour - again, no game here - is to move you emotionally. But there's nothing to be emotionally about, other than being emotional about the tour - the setting - itself. in the end - BIG REVEAL - is that no answers are given. It's another "interpret it yourself" ending. I can invent stories like that every minute, and so can you. Having an open ended draw-your-own-conclusions approach is simply avoiding the responsibility to come up with a decent logical ending.

    In fact, as the game moves forward, the letters become even more ambiguous. Usually when you progress through a game you're rewarded, but this game offers only the opposite. In the end you'll jumping off a tower (you were walking towards it in the game). You're either stuck with an empty feeling, i.e. no gaming, not resolution of the storyline, or you're in some kind of a trance and write a review about how amazing this game was because it left you with feelings of some sorts.

    I rated it 2/10 only for reason and that is the cheap ambiguity, lack of resolution and the aforementioned draw-your-own-conclusions approach. I wrote such games when I was 10 to 11 years old and won prizes or became second. I wrote mystical stories but avoided a real ending because that was the hard part. But people loved it and I won another round.

    The two stars are for the graphics.    … Expand
  67. Lobby
    Dec 27, 2017
    4
    I don't think this should be referenced as game. I was able to finish it only forcing myself, because I got bored and the game is just hour long or so, therefore I cannot go over 4. On the other hand technically there is nothing wrong with it. It look nice, aesthetically and it have technical quality of graphic on good level. The landscape is very good and believable and I think even bigI don't think this should be referenced as game. I was able to finish it only forcing myself, because I got bored and the game is just hour long or so, therefore I cannot go over 4. On the other hand technically there is nothing wrong with it. It look nice, aesthetically and it have technical quality of graphic on good level. The landscape is very good and believable and I think even big sandbox games could take few notes here. The story is good it presented too slow and so deep as presented.

    Obviously from the other reviews there is lot of people that like this kind of simulation (i won't use the word game). So if incline to stuff like this then you do get it. If you never tried something like it, try it as it is super cheep. Other wise it would be rather waste of the time.    … Expand
  68. JimCorbett
    May 29, 2013
    4
    I played Dear Esther and Proteus back to back, and it is clear to me that this is the superior "art adventure" game. I went in to this game knowing what it was and I have to say i was somewhat pleasantly surprised. The environment you are in is actually interesting and the narration that plays throughout your experience adds to that. But, I must say, I tried so hard to make sense of theI played Dear Esther and Proteus back to back, and it is clear to me that this is the superior "art adventure" game. I went in to this game knowing what it was and I have to say i was somewhat pleasantly surprised. The environment you are in is actually interesting and the narration that plays throughout your experience adds to that. But, I must say, I tried so hard to make sense of the story but I just couldn't do that. If your game is all about enjoying the story, yet the gamer is having a hard time trying to understand it, then you've messed up. The graphics and sounds are decently done, I can't really complain about them. The game length, however, is very, very short. I completed it in less than 1 hour and really have no desire to return to it. With such a short length, and a price tag of $10, it's very difficult to recommend this. There is no interaction with the environment whatsoever and that is something I feel was a mistake. This game could have really benefited from being able to find hidden notes or other items relating to the story throughout the environment. This would have encouraged me to explore my environment more so than I did. This was a promising game that ultimately fell very short of expectations. Hopefully this developer tries making a true interactive experience in the future.… Expand
  69. PlanByHero
    Oct 24, 2013
    4
    Mind numbingly dull; I forced myself to complete it despite how bored I was throughout because I was expecting some revelation to make the game worthy of all the praise thats been heaped upon it (and to get my moneys worth). As others have said Dear Esther isn't a game, its a SLIGHTLY interactive story (interactive in that you walk around and look at things, thats pretty much it). That'dMind numbingly dull; I forced myself to complete it despite how bored I was throughout because I was expecting some revelation to make the game worthy of all the praise thats been heaped upon it (and to get my moneys worth). As others have said Dear Esther isn't a game, its a SLIGHTLY interactive story (interactive in that you walk around and look at things, thats pretty much it). That'd be fine if the story was any good but its not; its a boring and very, VERY predictable. 2 points for trying something different (in spite of failing) and 2 points for the occasionally lovely environments.… Expand
  70. LilD
    Sep 2, 2013
    3
    Dear Esther,

    Your game sucks. You basically just walk through an (admittedly mostly beautiful) environment with no interactivity while you listen to little bits of a mediocre story. You'd expect the island to hold clues, but really just has some nonsense. I sort of knew the premise and was still very disappointed. $10 for this game/experience is very frustrating for a consumer. It    Dear Esther,

    Your game sucks.

    You basically just walk through an (admittedly mostly beautiful) environment with no interactivity while you listen to little bits of a mediocre story. You'd expect the island to hold clues, but really just has some nonsense. I sort of knew the premise and was still very disappointed. $10 for this game/experience is very frustrating for a consumer. It would also be different if there were multiple pathways or something, but it is completely linear destroying all possibilities of any replay value. I would advise to stay away unless it becomes on sale for only a few bucks.    … Expand
  71. Dolex123
    May 18, 2014
    3
    The interactions in this game are very minor, couple that with the excruciatingly slow walking speed and you have a game that grows boring quickly. However if you can find it cheap enough you may enjoy this short experience.
  72. AWG
    Jun 17, 2013
    4
    Boring. I really wanted to understand what was behind Dear Esther but I couldn't do that over the amount of boredom this "game" inoculated in me: you can do nothing, you can interact with nothing, you never have to take a decision, a choice. You keep walking and listening, walking and listening. walking a listening.
    It's not a game, it's an audio-book.
  73. benpaco
    Jun 25, 2013
    2
    The walking is jittery, the graphics are pretty bulky and unimpressive, and the story just isn't good. The sound effects don't even work well. Its like someone took everything good that Proteus had and forgot to put it in this game.
  74. Erdrick27
    Sep 19, 2013
    1
    This so called game has absolutely no game play elements in it whatsoever. No interaction with the enthronement, not even a run key. The environmental eye candy is nice to look at but you're forced to trudge along at a snails pace while random clips of audio that may or may not have anything to do with what you're looking at play. If you want to recreate the experience for free go for aThis so called game has absolutely no game play elements in it whatsoever. No interaction with the enthronement, not even a run key. The environmental eye candy is nice to look at but you're forced to trudge along at a snails pace while random clips of audio that may or may not have anything to do with what you're looking at play. If you want to recreate the experience for free go for a walk in the woods and talk to yourself.… Expand
  75. Bluefootedpig
    Sep 23, 2013
    2
    No plot, it was a sort of explore, but to me graphics are only good if it feels like I caused them. This is like looking at a high quality art piece. It might speak to you, but for the vast majority of the time, you are just wondering, "what is my role in this".
  76. Maplestrip
    Sep 30, 2014
    4
    Dear Esther is a beautiful game. Some points were so incredibly gorgeous - you have to see it for yourself to know what I mean.

    However, that is sadly the only thing this game has to offer. Dear Esther has somekind of story, but I find it almost impossible to focus on it as I am walking, and I am not going to stop every time the narrator says something. I've never been good with    Dear Esther is a beautiful game. Some points were so incredibly gorgeous - you have to see it for yourself to know what I mean.

    However, that is sadly the only thing this game has to offer. Dear Esther has somekind of story, but I find it almost impossible to focus on it as I am walking, and I am not going to stop every time the narrator says something. I've never been good with audiobooks, though, so take this with a grain of salt.

    Dear Esther is boring. You are just slowly walking on the island, thinking "shall I approach that house over there and waste my time or shall I continue walking in that direction?" At one point I even got stuck and didn't know where to go. The ending - seeing as I didn't understand the story - was weird and vague. Beautiful, I guess, but that's only worth so much.

    The game has a few cool easter eggs, apparently. A lot of love went into it, so it's too bad it didn't have anything to offer. Once I finished it, I had no intention to ever get back to it. I was happy when it was over as well. I didn't regret playing it, though; it's an interesting experience regardless, but there are better ways to spend your time.    … Expand
  77. Arphiax
    Apr 4, 2014
    4
    Like everyone has already mentioned, this is not a game. It is a movie that you have to hold down 'W' to watch so I will rate it as if it was a movie. The story is somewhat interesting I guess, but the pacing is really poor. The character walks around slowly and every once in a while says some fairly vague things until you have pieced together what the whole thing is about. If the storyLike everyone has already mentioned, this is not a game. It is a movie that you have to hold down 'W' to watch so I will rate it as if it was a movie. The story is somewhat interesting I guess, but the pacing is really poor. The character walks around slowly and every once in a while says some fairly vague things until you have pieced together what the whole thing is about. If the story had been presented in around 30 minutes I would have rated much higher, but it took me 100 minutes to complete. That is a good 70 minutes of wandering past rocks, glowing fungus, and things scribbled on walls waiting for the next dialogue to start.
    Giving this game 4/10 might be a bit generous, but considering that someone sent it to me for free I enjoyed it that much. If I had paid much of anything for it I might have been too pissed off the whole time to even like it. Save yourself a couple dollars and watch a play-through video on the internets. Gameplay wise it will be the exact same experience.    … Expand
  78. artnat
    May 28, 2014
    3
    irst things first - THIS IS NOT A VIDEO GAME.
    This is something you may call an "experience". If you you can call an 'experience' holding "W" for an hour and moving around your mouse a bit while listening to some incoherent pretentious semi-random narration.
    The critics were delighted - 'a game not bound by rules of genres' they said. 'Beautiful narration' they said. If I did not have    irst things first - THIS IS NOT A VIDEO GAME.
    This is something you may call an "experience". If you you can call an 'experience' holding "W" for an hour and moving around your mouse a bit while listening to some incoherent pretentious semi-random narration.

    The critics were delighted - 'a game not bound by rules of genres' they said. 'Beautiful narration' they said. If I did not have to pay for it I would be delighted too, unfortunately none of the reviewers or the game website showed us truth about this product. The hour of holding "w" is not worth 7 euros I paid.

    There is no story in this experience- and the narration is not a true narration - it is a bunch of pretentious aphorisms.
    There is no interactivity in this experience - there is no true "exploration" - you do not explore the island, you go almost a straight path without any real clues.
    However, there are stunning visuals in this experience - to be able to get such beauty from the an old video-game engine is surprising. It is a shame that it was wasted on such pretentious piece of an experience.

    You may say that I am just not getting it - maybe you will be right. But fans of this experience called people not liking it too low-brow to get it. Perhaps

    I would love to really explore the island (Miasmata style, be able to interact with objects even if just to watch them more closely or just move them about. I would love more story than some random sentences recited in the background    … Expand
  79. Tobi_Whatever
    Nov 13, 2014
    4
    The game wants you to explore but there isn't anything to explore. You walk to slow. The game looks boring and unimpressive, maybe aside from the caves.
    The narration is the mayor element of the game. How can the game function if the narration is obnoxious.
    Pretentious is also a fitting word. Even calling it a game is too much. Marketeers would call it an experience, but there is    The game wants you to explore but there isn't anything to explore. You walk to slow. The game looks boring and unimpressive, maybe aside from the caves.
    The narration is the mayor element of the game. How can the game function if the narration is obnoxious.
    Pretentious is also a fitting word. Even calling it a game is too much.
    Marketeers would call it an experience, but there is nothing to experience.    … Expand
  80. bicom
    Oct 9, 2015
    1
    It's not a game. If anything, it's just an interactive story, in which the story is boring and unintelligible for non native english speakers. I mean, if you want to narrate a story with such advanced english, why don't provide subtitles in various languages? Apparently, the developers thought that their country is the center of the world.

    The atmosphere of the game is cinematic and    It's not a game. If anything, it's just an interactive story, in which the story is boring and unintelligible for non native english speakers. I mean, if you want to narrate a story with such advanced english, why don't provide subtitles in various languages? Apparently, the developers thought that their country is the center of the world.

    The atmosphere of the game is cinematic and unreal, with violins and piano providing a tedious, pompous soundtrack. Not much else to say since there's basically nothing else. You can't even jump or take the objects you find in your path.    … Expand
  81. ewenr
    Jun 30, 2020
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Never have I played a game that has been so much up its own a*se. Sure, it's beautiful to look at.. but all that is washed away in a torrential deluge of poetic nonsense. If you are unsure whether to pick up this game, just google for "Dear Esther script" and you will get a feeling for what you are letting yourself in for.

    Here's just one gripping example picked at random...
    "Dear Esther. I have now driven the stretch of the M5 between Exeter and Bristol over twenty-one times, but although I have all the reports and all the witnesses and have cross-referenced them within a millimetre using my ordnance survey maps, I simply cannot find the location. You’d think there would be marks, to serve as some evidence. It's somewhere between the turn off for Sandford and the Welcome Break services. But although I can always see it in my rear view mirror, I have as yet been unable to pull ashore."    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

85
#85 Best PC Game of 2012
29
#29 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
44
#44 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 37 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 37
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 37
  3. Negative: 3 out of 37
  1. Thunderbolt
    Jan 10, 2013
    30
    With no story or true narrative to latch onto, there's no reason for players to care about what's going on. And there's only one thing ever going on in Dear Esther: nothing. Broken up into individual pieces-the graphics, writing, and music clearly show talent and might have led to interesting stories or games-but together they form a dull, lifeless experience that's quickly forgotten.
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  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Apr 25, 2012
    50
    To call this piece "a game" and rate it as an ordinary game is not fair. You can find many flaws in the game's mechanics but if you just follow the story your experience will be unforgettable. [Apr 2012]
  3. CD-Action
    Mar 13, 2012
    55
    Thechineseroom studio managed to create something surprising and original, but Dear Esther is something you experience rather than play. [April 2012, p.79]
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