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

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Umur
    Aug 28, 2023
    6
    There is not much to it, the story is not that good for a walking simulator.
  2. Gaming_Bear
    Jun 26, 2023
    8
    Finally got around to playing this game. it plays like you are in a short novel. The narration, visuals and music bring you into a sad tale that paint a tale of a man lost on an island.
  3. Magical_Viktor
    Apr 30, 2023
    6
    Существуют просто Зло и Большое Зло, а за ними обоими в тени прячется Очень Большое Зло. Очень Большое Зло, Геральт, это такое, которого ты и представить себе не можешь, даже если думаешь, будто уже ничто не в состоянии тебя удивить. И знаешь, Геральт, порой бывает так, что Очень Большое Зло схватит тебя за горло и скажет: «Выбирай, братец, либо я, либо то, которое чуточку поменьше»Существуют просто Зло и Большое Зло, а за ними обоими в тени прячется Очень Большое Зло. Очень Большое Зло, Геральт, это такое, которого ты и представить себе не можешь, даже если думаешь, будто уже ничто не в состоянии тебя удивить. И знаешь, Геральт, порой бывает так, что Очень Большое Зло схватит тебя за горло и скажет: «Выбирай, братец, либо я, либо то, которое чуточку поменьше»
  4. agradecemais
    Feb 7, 2023
    8
    Dear Esther é mais um daqueles Walking Simulators que focam na história e exploração, sem mecânicas, puzzles ou inimigos, o jogo foca apenas em andar de uma forma muito próxima da vida real.
    É difícil saber se o que está experienciando é real ou algum tipo de sonho e o jogo não faz questão de deixar isso claro.
    Começamos sabendo que o personagem se dirige a sua querida esposa Esther e    Dear Esther é mais um daqueles Walking Simulators que focam na história e exploração, sem mecânicas, puzzles ou inimigos, o jogo foca apenas em andar de uma forma muito próxima da vida real.
    É difícil saber se o que está experienciando é real ou algum tipo de sonho e o jogo não faz questão de deixar isso claro.
    Começamos sabendo que o personagem se dirige a sua querida esposa Esther e através de seus monólogos ele vai explicando um pouco da história da ilha que está explorando assim como o trágico destino de Esther.
    O brilho do jogo é a experiência e sentimentos que experienciamos enquanto tentamos juntas as peças da história que não é apresentada de forma clara, e para entender melhor, o jogo força ser jogado novamente para que pedaços da história que acontecem randomicamente a cada gameplay vão se revelando e explicando o que está acontecendo.
    O grande personagem dessa história é a ilha e o monólogo do personagem que faz você se sentir a todo momento sozinho (apesar da presença de fantasmas que observam de longe), introspectivo e bucólico.
    E para isso a trilha sonora que em minha opinião é o ponto alto faz um ótimo trabalho.
    Essa versão com os cortes dos diretores em um formato de podcast torna a experiência divertida e ajuda a entender o que está por trás, afinal entrar dentro da cabeças e do processo criativo dos criadores te faz estar mais próximo de sua arte.
    Como todo Walking Simulator esse jogo não é para todos os públicos mas sua experiência é valida, interessante e profunda!    … Expand
  5. dmitriy_savenok
    Dec 17, 2022
    7
    Визуальный стиль, внешняя проработка окружения и множество остальных деталей дарят ту самую атмосферу вечерней прогулки с видом на невероятные красоты. Есть так же кое какие вкрапление сюжета, дающие уже самому игроку право на интерпретацию, но можно сказать, что его просто нет.
    Ради красот и просто расслабляющего опыта проект можно попробовать.
    Только жаль, что очень коротко. 7/10    Визуальный стиль, внешняя проработка окружения и множество остальных деталей дарят ту самую атмосферу вечерней прогулки с видом на невероятные красоты. Есть так же кое какие вкрапление сюжета, дающие уже самому игроку право на интерпретацию, но можно сказать, что его просто нет.
    Ради красот и просто расслабляющего опыта проект можно попробовать.
    Только жаль, что очень коротко.
    7/10
  6. MaxieZeus
    Sep 12, 2022
    7
    Decent game with a good story but the gameplay part can definitely be improved.
  7. Wrathzo
    Mar 27, 2022
    6
    Dear Esther is a first-person exploration and adventure video game developed by The Chinese Room. Featuring minimalistic gameplay, the player's only objective in the game is to explore an unnamed island in the Hebrides, Scotland, listening to a troubled man read a series of letters to his deceased wife. Details of her mysterious death are revealed as the player moves throughout the island.
  8. 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
  9. Chicane
    Feb 23, 2021
    10
    moody, atmospheric & beautiful adventure. I've enjoed every step on that mystery island. recommended for 20+ yo
  10. 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
  11. 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.
  12. Relkad
    Jun 25, 2020
    8
    If you're gonna make a walking simulator and be sure people will call that "a good game", make sure it feels like Dear Esther as much as possible.
  13. michaelb1928
    Jun 8, 2020
    5
    I dont mind a good walking simulator but this one is fairly poor. Where other games in this genre like gone home, firewatch etc have good storys i think the biggest difference is the atmosphere and interactivity. Sure not much interactivity but still enough to keep you engaged in their worlds. Dear esther is simply boring with a story thats pretentious and just not interesting. The visualsI dont mind a good walking simulator but this one is fairly poor. Where other games in this genre like gone home, firewatch etc have good storys i think the biggest difference is the atmosphere and interactivity. Sure not much interactivity but still enough to keep you engaged in their worlds. Dear esther is simply boring with a story thats pretentious and just not interesting. The visuals are nice and still hold up surprisingly but I feel like looking back at it from a 2020 standpoint with a lot better examples now of this type of genre of game done well, Dear esther really falls flat.… Expand
  14. hoanns
    Jun 6, 2020
    5
    its a walking sim, so pretty boring. but looks great and you can sit back an relax and listen to the narrator
  15. bancandrei
    May 15, 2020
    8
    One of the first and still one of the best walking simulators. It helps that it is short and has some nice locations. The story is quite simple and effective
  16. CriticalHit20
    Oct 23, 2019
    7
    It is like online hiking, but that is not that much fun. When I look at short games to play because i am busy and have limited time, these walking story games come up a lot. Most are not very original in gameplay and average or slightly above in storytelling. This is no different.
  17. aralath
    Aug 8, 2018
    7
    More like reading a book or watching a movie than playing a game. Visuals and story are good
  18. RagingPoet
    Mar 19, 2018
    7
    Dear Esther is one of the first so-called 'walking simulators': pretty much a movie where player can only control camera position and angle. And it has the least amount of gameplay out of all games of this type. The story is ok though, but a bit too ambiguous and too reliant on metaphors for my taste.
  19. 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
  20. likevin96
    Dec 21, 2017
    5
    Completion: Went through game once - Landmark Edition

    Pros: - Beautiful soundtrack. Voice acting for the narrator is also very solid. - Story is interesting to think about in relation to video games as a storytelling medium - Cave section is visually surprising Cons: - Graphics look outdated these days. I'm sure it was beautiful at the time, but visiting it in 2017 it looks    Completion: Went through game once - Landmark Edition

    Pros:
    - Beautiful soundtrack. Voice acting for the narrator is also very solid.
    - Story is interesting to think about in relation to video games as a storytelling medium
    - Cave section is visually surprising

    Cons:
    - Graphics look outdated these days. I'm sure it was beautiful at the time, but visiting it in 2017 it looks like a bit of a relic.
    - Walking is not fun. It is too slow, especially when going uphill. Furthermore - while I understand the omission of features such as running/jumping from an artistic perspective, it simply DOES NOT PLAY WELL
    - The story is too obtuse - especially on a first playthrough. There is nothing driving me to go through this island besides from the desire to finish this game
    - Too short. Way too short.
    - Performance was not the greatest - especially for a relatively old game

    Last Word:
    A walking simulator with a pretentious and ultimately flat story. Soundtrack helps some of the moments and creates atmosphere, but it is not enough to make Dear Esther an enjoyable experience.

    True Score:
    4.8    … Expand
  21. PaleMimic
    Aug 20, 2017
    8
    It's somewhat a rarity that I say this, when it comes down to walking simulator type games, but Dear Esther was quite a joy to play. With a fairly good story that has a sad but slightly uplifting ending, but I'd rather not spoil it. The island you explore throughout the game, although I use that term loosely, is somewhat beautiful and enchanting. There are mysterious caves to explore andIt's somewhat a rarity that I say this, when it comes down to walking simulator type games, but Dear Esther was quite a joy to play. With a fairly good story that has a sad but slightly uplifting ending, but I'd rather not spoil it. The island you explore throughout the game, although I use that term loosely, is somewhat beautiful and enchanting. There are mysterious caves to explore and quite breathtaking coastlines adorned with shipwrecks. As you explore the island you also quickly realize you are not quite alone. Strange figures stand watching you from a distance giving you a slight sense of unease. The game itself isn't all that long, taking just over half an hour to complete, that is of course if you don't go off exploring. There are several landmarks dotted around the island which serve little purpose other than to take screenshots of. But really it's best to stick to the main trail.
    Overall the game follows a fairly interesting narrative and combines it with a quite beautiful setting. It is of course a walking simulator and so there is very little to do other than explore the island, but if walking sims are your cup of tea then go ahead and give Dear Esther a go. But I only recommend it for those who enjoy narratives and exploration. Good day!    … Expand
  22. auditbadger
    Jul 30, 2017
    7
    I think that this is truly a unique game and I would recommend that if you are a fan of this type of genre then I think you should give this game a try.
  23. 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
  24. BasilZero
    Feb 18, 2017
    7
    Game: Dear Esther
    Genre: Adventure
    Publisher/Developer: The Chinese Room System: Steam (PC) Total Score: 67/100 Value Score: 6.7/10 • Story: 7/10 • Characters: 5/10 • GamePlay: 6/10 • Graphics: 9/10 • Sound: 10/10 • Music: 8/10 • Length: 2/10 • Replay Value: 3/10 • Player Value: 7/10 Pros +Amazing atmosphere and environment design +Great OST that goes well with the    Game: Dear Esther
    Genre: Adventure
    Publisher/Developer: The Chinese Room
    System: Steam (PC)
    Total Score: 67/100
    Value Score: 6.7/10

    • Story: 7/10
    • Characters: 5/10
    • GamePlay: 6/10
    • Graphics: 9/10
    • Sound: 10/10
    • Music: 8/10
    • Length: 2/10
    • Replay Value: 3/10
    • Player Value: 7/10

    Pros
    +Amazing atmosphere and environment design
    +Great OST that goes well with the atmosphere of the game
    +Great narration and Voice acting

    Cons
    -Very Short
    -Barely any replay value
    -When changing options for graphics, the preview does not work
    -No credits are shown at ending
    -Very simple gameplay
    -No characters shown    … Expand
  25. gygessgygess
    Oct 2, 2016
    10
    Yes, in this game you will only have the controls of walking. However, it is much more about the experience. Controls should not dictate whether a game has an amazing story or not. Dear Esther's poetic story had me in tears by the end, because it gave me a better story than any other game has ever produced for me, ever. I played Everybody's Gone to The Rapture, Gone Home, and you can evenYes, in this game you will only have the controls of walking. However, it is much more about the experience. Controls should not dictate whether a game has an amazing story or not. Dear Esther's poetic story had me in tears by the end, because it gave me a better story than any other game has ever produced for me, ever. I played Everybody's Gone to The Rapture, Gone Home, and you can even include more popular AAA games like The Last of Us, the Half-Life series, whatever you want to name: no game has produced the emotions this game did. And it's not all very clear, a lot of that emotion isn't necessarily about the game, but it's also just thinking about your life, and the people around you.

    So yes, the input you have is where to walk. But the power you have is to look, see, hear, and experience what you do in this game. If you want something concise but powerful, only a few movies carry the emotional impact of Dear Esther.    … Expand
  26. SuperkenGaming
    Sep 20, 2016
    8
    Dear Esther
    A chilling Mystery
    Dear Esther is a walking simulator, or what I prefer to call a first person exploration game You play as. I’m not even sure... But its someone walking around a beautiful island that strangely feels so real… The sounds, the wind… The environment of Dear Esther is near perfect and so easily draws you in… As you explore the world you’ll Hear a narrator    Dear Esther
    A chilling Mystery
    Dear Esther is a walking simulator, or what I prefer to call a first person exploration game
    You play as. I’m not even sure...
    But its someone walking around a beautiful island that strangely feels so real…
    The sounds, the wind…
    The environment of Dear Esther is near perfect and so easily draws you in…
    As you explore the world you’ll Hear a narrator talking To Esther…
    There’s speculation of who Esther is, who this Narrator is and all of this is up for you to decide.. To draw your own conclusions of…
    And to prevent spoilers I will leave my speculation out of this review, as speculation I believe is where the most enjoyment of this experience is at…
    There are no puzzles here, hardly any hazards other than drowning or falling…
    you’re simply placed into a world to explore and feel…
    My only complaint of this experience is that the environment is not fully interactive…
    You’ll hear footsteps on the ground as you walk, but when you walk in water its feels like you are floating on top of it.. there is no sound which is all too noticeable and broke the immersion for me multiple times…
    I’m not sure how this was overlooked… but it definitely hurts the overall experience…
    Dear Esther is an enjoyable 1 and a half hours, you can even replay with directors commentary or fresh to see if you’ve noticed any subtle changes, which I definitely did as the game was designed to be slightly different each time you play…
    Will Dear Esther blow you away with its story, design, and visuals?
    Probably not. But if you’re a fan of mystery, or just want a calming environment to visit you owe it to yourself to pick this one up…
    I give Dear Esther an
    8.0/10    … Expand
  27. lightyears
    Aug 6, 2016
    8
    It is not a game. It is the middle between a novel and a 3D tech demo. But it delivers a beautiful audio visual experience. It is thanks to the beautiful environment that it is worth it. If the enivonment wouldnt have been as stunning as here, a simple walk through a virtual world wouldnt be worth it. It succeeds because of one of the most beautiful virtual environments ever created .It is not a game. It is the middle between a novel and a 3D tech demo. But it delivers a beautiful audio visual experience. It is thanks to the beautiful environment that it is worth it. If the enivonment wouldnt have been as stunning as here, a simple walk through a virtual world wouldnt be worth it. It succeeds because of one of the most beautiful virtual environments ever created . Altough the story is somewhat short. I think it is just 90 minutes or so. But the price tag is also pretty low with 10 euros. Therefore I consider time and price still in balance. I reward it with a 7.5.… Expand
  28. Vzhik
    Mar 31, 2016
    6
    Мир, картинка, повествование - отлично.. Но Текст.. Это что-то.
    Незавершенные действия в прошлом (делал, думал), воображаемое будущее, аналогии (мир как яблоко) и аллегории для меня это просто вода, а не текст.
    Только одно запомнилось - сделал бумажные кораблики. И показывают эти кораблики. Тут и смыл и идея, и что-то реальное. Был хороший текст, отличная б история получилась бы, а так    Мир, картинка, повествование - отлично.. Но Текст.. Это что-то.
    Незавершенные действия в прошлом (делал, думал), воображаемое будущее, аналогии (мир как яблоко) и аллегории для меня это просто вода, а не текст.
    Только одно запомнилось - сделал бумажные кораблики. И показывают эти кораблики. Тут и смыл и идея, и что-то реальное.
    Был хороший текст, отличная б история получилась бы, а так увы.    … Expand
  29. sft
    Mar 13, 2016
    7
    Windswept, wistful wanderings

    Enough has been said already in the debate as to whether or not DEAR ESTHER is a game, and for the sake of this review I shall refer to it simply as an experience. What it is, in effect, is a short story set against a 3D visual backdrop. And it is short – a play-through should last 60–90 minutes. (Whether it represents value for money or not will depend on    Windswept, wistful wanderings

    Enough has been said already in the debate as to whether or not DEAR ESTHER is a game, and for the sake of this review I shall refer to it simply as an experience. What it is, in effect, is a short story set against a 3D visual backdrop. And it is short – a play-through should last 60–90 minutes. (Whether it represents value for money or not will depend on your response to the experience and whether or not you feel inclined to play it more than once.) So what’s good about it? Well, it’s a remarkable showcase for the humble Source Engine. The Chinese Room have squeezed Valve’s software hard to produce a starkly beautiful environment. The Hebridean island which serves as backdrop to the story is the strongest character in the experience, and it’s the haunting atmosphere created by this landscape that drives the emotional content of the experience. So what’s not so good about it? Well frankly the writing is poor. The monologue, although delivered with skill by the voice actor, is self-consciously florid. At times the prose is so excruciatingly purple as to lesson the emotional impact. In the hands of a more restrained writer Dear Esther could have been even more engaging. It’s still moving, and memorable, but this partial success is achieved almost entirely through the visual content. Despite this, however, I recommend Dear Esther, if only because it’s a fine example of how diverse the medium can be.    … Expand
  30. Aeryx
    Feb 14, 2016
    7
    It certainly lives up to its reputation of being a walking simulator that is short but memorable. This game reminds me of those times when I just walked and kept on thinking about things and the could-have-beens in life. It's certainly not for everyone, especially if all you want is action, but for those who enjoy quiet time and plain enjoying the sights, you might find this one interesting.
prev
Page:

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.
    Read full review
  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]
See all critic reviews »