Depression Quest

 PC
User Score
1.5

Overwhelming dislike- based on 298 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 35 out of 298
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 298
  3. Negative: 252 out of 298

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  1. Fharl
    Aug 18, 2014
    0
    It's a game about depression. Simple enough.

    I'm a diagnosed schizophrenic. Every evening, I wake up and I make coffee. While it's brewing, I have a cigarette. I set out my medications, double-checking with a list that I keep on my desk. Several times throughout, I get the idea that maybe it's expired. Maybe it's poison. Maybe it's fake. But I take it with my coffee anyway, because    It's a game about depression. Simple enough.

    I'm a diagnosed schizophrenic.
    Every evening, I wake up and I make coffee. While it's brewing, I have a cigarette.
    I set out my medications, double-checking with a list that I keep on my desk.
    Several times throughout, I get the idea that maybe it's expired. Maybe it's poison. Maybe it's fake.
    But I take it with my coffee anyway, because I know I've got something wrong.
    Then I take the bus to my nightshift janitorial job, because the alternative is staying home and talking to the walls, which isn't healthy for me or my neighbors.
    I work. I eat. I make mistakes and talk to things that aren't really there. I wear a Bluetooth headset, because it's easier to pretend I'm inconsiderate than explain to the people I work with. My boss knows, but he's getting the sack soon and I'm pretty sure I'm part of the reason why.
    I get back on the bus and go home, and take my last dose of medication before hanging out on the Internet to calm a rattled, fragile mind down enough to sleep.
    Nothing big. Nothing fancy.

    The only question that remains is what makes this game compelling? Depression, as I understand it, is a lot like schizophrenia, except even more boring.

    If you find an answer, please tell me in your reviews.

    Good day.    … Expand
  2. hellofour20
    Aug 19, 2014
    0
    Horrible excuse for a "game." Boring, overly sanctimonious, 2deep4u tripe that basically says "I'm allowed to accomplish nothing with my life because depression is a legitimate excuse." Provides no insight on how to deal with depression or try to improve your life at all, just self pity and wallowing in her own tears.

    Overall, absolutely avoid this. Just get a burger and fries and enjoy    Horrible excuse for a "game." Boring, overly sanctimonious, 2deep4u tripe that basically says "I'm allowed to accomplish nothing with my life because depression is a legitimate excuse." Provides no insight on how to deal with depression or try to improve your life at all, just self pity and wallowing in her own tears.

    Overall, absolutely avoid this. Just get a burger and fries and enjoy a nice TV show or something.    … Expand
  3. McHandsome
    Aug 19, 2014
    0
    This game talks about depression as if it even understands it when the creator clearly doesn't. Skip this for something coherent.

    I didn't even know this game had drama until today. And let me say, the game dev should be ashamed of herself.
  4. decaf_cobra
    Aug 19, 2014
    1
    I really didn't enjoy this. It's got flawed mechanics in many ways. Sure, it could be considered some 'art game' but really it should not be a game due to how ignorant it is. People actually suffer from depression and this cheapens the experience they're getting.

    Also a lot of reviews on here are pointing out how the creator actually paid journalists with sexual favors. So, theres that.    I really didn't enjoy this. It's got flawed mechanics in many ways. Sure, it could be considered some 'art game' but really it should not be a game due to how ignorant it is. People actually suffer from depression and this cheapens the experience they're getting.

    Also a lot of reviews on here are pointing out how the creator actually paid journalists with sexual favors. So, theres that. But it would take a whole lot more than sexual favors to make this game any good.

    I give it a 1, because it does technically launch, but not else works.    … Expand
  5. Metatarsals
    Aug 19, 2014
    1
    I give it an A for the idea, but an F for everything else.

    I played this one on steam thinking it might be insightful or something, but no, not really. It was quickly cobbled together, the game mechanics weren't thought out at all, and I don't even know where to go with the story. This person is obviously mocking people with serious mental illnesses or just never learned how to write.    I give it an A for the idea, but an F for everything else.

    I played this one on steam thinking it might be insightful or something, but no, not really. It was quickly cobbled together, the game mechanics weren't thought out at all, and I don't even know where to go with the story. This person is obviously mocking people with serious mental illnesses or just never learned how to write.

    Which is why it gets a 1. Wonderful idea, but extremely sloppy execution, no story, no gameplay and even worse no refunds. Hopefully the creator takes this as a learning experience and works harder on polishing up their next game before they release it for sale.    … Expand
  6. ImperialGuard
    Aug 19, 2014
    0
    I've come to expect good things from games on Steam, but this was shockingly bad. I would honestly hesitate to even call it a game.

    It's like when a friend says he knows of a nearby Five Guys, but when you get there you find out it's actually a McDonalds. It was that disappointing.
  7. rocky1003
    Aug 19, 2014
    0
    This game is absolutely dreadful and I have no idea how it ever got on steam (maybe she screwed someone?). It's a stupid flash game that is being "praised" by critics when it's really ****
  8. jackalope044
    Aug 19, 2014
    0
    This game isn't bad because Zoe Quinn is female. This game is bad because Zoe Quinn obviously has no idea what depression is like, has obviously never actually suffered from depression, and clearly shouldn't be writing about a mental illness she has no experience with. I understand you want your social justice bleeding heart liberal points, Zoe Quinn, but please, try and write about whatThis game isn't bad because Zoe Quinn is female. This game is bad because Zoe Quinn obviously has no idea what depression is like, has obviously never actually suffered from depression, and clearly shouldn't be writing about a mental illness she has no experience with. I understand you want your social justice bleeding heart liberal points, Zoe Quinn, but please, try and write about what you know, instead of making up nonsense about what you don't. As someone who has actually been suffering from depression for most of my life, I find this game to be incredibly offensive and insensitive to people with actual depression. The fact that you used Robin William's death as a platform for publicity for your game is even more incredibly offensive and insensitive. I don't mind if you keep making video games in the future, but at least try to do so with some actual ethical and intellectual integrity in the future. Oh, and try not to associate so closely with the people giving you reviews on gaming websites. Can't forget that.… Expand
  9. Bdthemag
    Aug 19, 2014
    2
    A short, simple game that takes a clumsy stab at detailing what having depression is like, but ultimately comes off as an oversimplification of a serious subject. Controversy regarding the creator aside, it's a very simplistic, linear story with little to no choice that feels as if it was made by someone who just skimmed over a summary of a few average depression cases and made a short,A short, simple game that takes a clumsy stab at detailing what having depression is like, but ultimately comes off as an oversimplification of a serious subject. Controversy regarding the creator aside, it's a very simplistic, linear story with little to no choice that feels as if it was made by someone who just skimmed over a summary of a few average depression cases and made a short, simple game out of it. It's not ground-breaking or particularly well written and would probably feel somewhat insulting to people who actually have diagnosed depression, while at the same time seeming completely non-informative to people without it. It definitely doesn't deserve to be on steam, as the steam-release would simply be a re-branding of an already free, complete browser game.… Expand
  10. JOGRS
    Aug 20, 2014
    0
    This game makes a 'game' of a serious problem. Free or not, playing this is spitting in teh face of everyone who has ever actually suffered real depression.

    Also, the creator tried and failed to link her game to, Robin Williams just a few days after he died. That is disgusting.
  11. RamonL
    Aug 19, 2014
    0
    This "Game", if you can call it so, is a joke, I don't even know how it go in Steam, played it and couldn't stand more than 25 minutes (For what I've read, I haven't missed that much content), I wouldn't recommend it, not even to my worsts enemies (But that's another story).
    The fact that the game is free doesn't mean anything, don't download, don't play, it is not worth your time.
  12. Mr_Mcsisterfis
    Aug 19, 2014
    0
    There is no game here. The developer hides behind a sensitive topic in order to deflect any and all criticisms of said game. I would equate this game to a PowerPoint presentation, and even then the PowerPoint has a better UI.

    0/10
  13. Nessowski
    Aug 19, 2014
    0
    This game is a failure. Instead of showing simulating a depressed person's life(notice how ridiculous it sounds), it showed me how the creator of this game lacks ideas for a decent subject for a video game. Why would anyone want to play a video game about a depressed person? There's a ton of books for that. Not to mention about the scandal going on with the author herself. A shameful gameThis game is a failure. Instead of showing simulating a depressed person's life(notice how ridiculous it sounds), it showed me how the creator of this game lacks ideas for a decent subject for a video game. Why would anyone want to play a video game about a depressed person? There's a ton of books for that. Not to mention about the scandal going on with the author herself. A shameful game from a shameful author. I wanted to be generous and give it a 5.… Expand
  14. Jurjee
    Aug 19, 2014
    0
    An insult to anyone who is actually suffering from depression. Made to cash in on Robin Williams' death.

    Features little to no gameplay and the 'story' is downright trash.
  15. PowerLich
    Aug 19, 2014
    0
    I don't think I've ever felt buyer's remorse for something I didn't pay for. Is this a game? I don't think this is a game. At least "Choose your Own Adventure" books have different endings. At least Gone Home had movement and graphics. At least The Last of Us had shooting things. This is just nothing. This is literally words on a screen. Text-based Roguelikes have better graphics. Also,I don't think I've ever felt buyer's remorse for something I didn't pay for. Is this a game? I don't think this is a game. At least "Choose your Own Adventure" books have different endings. At least Gone Home had movement and graphics. At least The Last of Us had shooting things. This is just nothing. This is literally words on a screen. Text-based Roguelikes have better graphics. Also, it's only 25 fps.… Expand
  16. La-Volpit
    Aug 19, 2014
    0
    For a game with such high praise on major review sites I was expecting something revolutionary, somthing special, somthing more than a TEXT BASED game about some miserable sod who can't be arsed doing anything and spirals further into depression due to their own idiotic apathy.

    How on earth did this game get so much praise and find it's way onto steam, can someone please explain it to me?
  17. Piratezombi3
    Aug 21, 2014
    0
    I went into this "game" with very low expectations, but it even failed to meet that. I love word based games. I really do, and I have depression. This seemed like a good idea. Oh.... but.... it was not. This game has the feel that it was written by spoiled entitled brats that has very little actual concept on what having depression is like outside of what wikipedia tells them. Only decentI went into this "game" with very low expectations, but it even failed to meet that. I love word based games. I really do, and I have depression. This seemed like a good idea. Oh.... but.... it was not. This game has the feel that it was written by spoiled entitled brats that has very little actual concept on what having depression is like outside of what wikipedia tells them. Only decent part of this game was the music, and that is even a stretch.… Expand
  18. ayylmakek
    Aug 20, 2014
    0
    Not a game, shouldn't be on Steam.

    Absolutely 0 interaction, you just click on links like your average web page.

    An insult to everyone suffering from true depression when you know that the creator of this game is using despicable methods in order to promote her game and censor every critics against her.
  19. titust
    Apr 22, 2014
    3
    The few mechanics used are simple yet effective, but it's apparent Quinn has never been to a creative writing workshop. Specificity and player character development are sacrificed for broader relatability, which would have actually been accomplished with more specificity and character development.
  20. firerise5
    Aug 19, 2014
    0
    An insult to anyone who is actually suffering from depression. Made to cash in on Robin Williams' death.

    Features little to no gameplay and the 'story' is downright trash.
  21. TheMasketaMan
    Aug 19, 2014
    0
    For the record, I am not involved with any of the controversy here surrounding this game's creators. I saw the game on Steam a while ago and I bought it. From my point of view, there is no evil here. Now starting off with my review: for god's sake, the game is about depression and it does absolutely nothing with that premise. It's not even a game. I knew of a great game once where I'dFor the record, I am not involved with any of the controversy here surrounding this game's creators. I saw the game on Steam a while ago and I bought it. From my point of view, there is no evil here. Now starting off with my review: for god's sake, the game is about depression and it does absolutely nothing with that premise. It's not even a game. I knew of a great game once where I'd surrender hooded prisoners to an anthropomorphized agency's flight plan and it portrayed depression in a very very realistic way. The agency wouldn't even allow the biggest prisoner to wear his mask on board the plane. It's that kind of stigma that this game avoids portraying accurately. This game does not have the guts to crash the plane with no survivors, nor does it leave the player to die with it- instead it comes back to save them. It's simply optimistic, pop culture dreck which has nothing to say about the reality of depressive, hotheaded individuals and whatever sort of due process was used to create this obscenity should be abolished. The very best complaint I can give this game is that I find it IMPRESSIVE that something like this was even greenlit. Can't video game developers just go back to formula? You know, the award winning ones that allowed games to be GAMES? I don't know why devs seem to treat gameplay as the BANE of all development these days but I have one major thing to say about people trying to make games like these: If you are going to exude proper gameplay, ensure that you are not merely resting on the catharsis that the simple mention of your game's themes bring. Otherwise we just can't move this industry forward, for me or you.… Expand
  22. cosmonautsix
    Aug 20, 2014
    0
    Dont even waste your time. Even for free, this 'game' is boring and trite. The 'Developer' is trying to make a point, but its lost in the bad execution of the product. Uninstalled from Steam, I gave it an hour, and it was torture.
  23. perydwyn
    Aug 23, 2014
    1
    I managed to get this when it was being offered for free on Steam, and even getting it for free made me feel ripped off. This isn't a game, it is a fan fiction quality piece of 'interactive' fiction. I have suffered from depression when I was younger and if I had played this at the time, I would have felt really patronized. The story comes across more like an ego piece than an explorationI managed to get this when it was being offered for free on Steam, and even getting it for free made me feel ripped off. This isn't a game, it is a fan fiction quality piece of 'interactive' fiction. I have suffered from depression when I was younger and if I had played this at the time, I would have felt really patronized. The story comes across more like an ego piece than an exploration of what mental illness means in modern society. Poor writing. Poor design. Annoying, elevator music. An insight into the mind of a narcissist more than a game...Avoid (or download for free and then regret the hour of your life you will never get back).… Expand
  24. throughitall
    Aug 21, 2014
    0
    This game is horrible for anybody who has ever dealt with severe depression. I'm not sure if the developers are just completely ignorant to the condition, or are genuinely malicious. If you have depression - please don't play this game.
  25. ViceT
    Aug 20, 2014
    0
    The quality of the writting is extremely poor and there´s no gameplay to speak of,it´s a choose your own adventure in it´s most basic form,and a waste of time for anyone looking for a meaningful experience.
    You won´t find one here.
    It´s free but there are plenty of other more interesting things you can do with your time,such as watching paint dry or funny internet cat videos,both of    The quality of the writting is extremely poor and there´s no gameplay to speak of,it´s a choose your own adventure in it´s most basic form,and a waste of time for anyone looking for a meaningful experience.
    You won´t find one here.
    It´s free but there are plenty of other more interesting things you can do with your time,such as watching paint dry or funny internet cat videos,both of these experiences have considerably more depth than Depression Quest.    … Expand
  26. Underfire777
    Aug 19, 2014
    1
    Depression Quest is a "game" made by someone who has absolutely no grasp on the subject matter. Good intentions combined with horrible mocking execution = this disgusting mess of a "game".
  27. ihmehihhuli
    Aug 21, 2014
    0
    This "game" and the scandals surrounding the creator Zoë Quinn are an absolute disgrace to the gaming industry as a whole. Using Robin Williams' death as a marketing tool was the final nail in the coffin, this "game" literally deserves a zero.
  28. CasildaK
    Sep 4, 2014
    10
    Fantastic game--as someone who has dealt with depression, I greatly appreciate the role this game serves in helping sufferers cope and raising public awareness.
  29. Matrix30815
    Jan 2, 2019
    0
    I have had depression on and off a lot. Playing this game wanted me to throw up and stay depressed. The game should be called : Depression is okay and go kill yourself. I wanted to after playing it. I agreed that there should be a way to show depression but this developer felt it laughed at me for having it. Don't play unless you want real depression. I have and had depression all over myI have had depression on and off a lot. Playing this game wanted me to throw up and stay depressed. The game should be called : Depression is okay and go kill yourself. I wanted to after playing it. I agreed that there should be a way to show depression but this developer felt it laughed at me for having it. Don't play unless you want real depression. I have and had depression all over my life and I am now 37. This developer not only laughs at depression but to me doesn't even get what it actually is. Thinking about making a real depression game where I have had and know some tricks to get out. But this Depression Quest is not a quest unless you want to be depressed from reading it. Made a metacritic profile just for this developer (< it). I see no reason why I game shouldn't be about depression and helping people not harassing, laughing, and keeping people that are depressed, depressed. This shouldn't even be on any platform because the game can lead someone with depression to killing themselves because the developer couldn't research depression or anything. I am glad it's free.… Expand
  30. xSPAZZx
    Dec 18, 2018
    0
    This game is SJWism ENTHRONED; Zoe Quinn basically got this game onto steam because of identity politics. They felt bad that gamerg8 began because this unscrupulous woman used her ex boyfriend, a gaming journalist (who she may or may not have been actively cheating on) to write a gushing positive rating and colluding with other gaming journals such as: kotaku, gamerevolution, Eurogamer, etThis game is SJWism ENTHRONED; Zoe Quinn basically got this game onto steam because of identity politics. They felt bad that gamerg8 began because this unscrupulous woman used her ex boyfriend, a gaming journalist (who she may or may not have been actively cheating on) to write a gushing positive rating and colluding with other gaming journals such as: kotaku, gamerevolution, Eurogamer, et al...

    This game has been all said and done before. Basically a depression simulator (from one person's perspective), yet it's failure is the fact that every case of clinical depression is unique. So Ms. Quinn's experience may be vastly different from the player's depression.

    My issue is you are playing through SOMEONE else's depression. Games like this have existed got psychiatrists as simulators. Her idea was not as "ground breaking" as the bought and paid reviewers claimed.

    This is the root of gamer gate.    … Expand
  31. PanzerFranzz
    Aug 27, 2018
    0
    This is not a game. This is someone scanning in a "choose your own adventure" book into a computer with a bunch of IF...THEN statements. Not fun. Not pretty. Not good. Embarrassing that this even got on steam - I can think of much better games that haven't.
  32. Fhqwhgads
    Mar 21, 2015
    1
    Does a horrible job at representing what depression is like. If you are depressed and people claim to know how it feels because they played this please spit in their face.
  33. NoBadGames
    Apr 7, 2016
    0
    What do you get when you center a game around pushing an SJW agenda, and not around good game play, a good story, and having fun in general? You get this.
  34. Flyingfire
    Nov 3, 2014
    0
    video gamereview
    video - no animations. nothing video about it.
    gameplay - no failure state. nothing game about it. story - post trash tier, would be better to remain unwritten. inovation - the bar will never go lower. I AM SERIOUS. I rate this -10/10( minus ten out of ten) and I resent being forced to give it a 0, which implies it is a game at all. the review being done I would    video gamereview
    video - no animations. nothing video about it.
    gameplay - no failure state. nothing game about it.
    story - post trash tier, would be better to remain unwritten.
    inovation - the bar will never go lower. I AM SERIOUS.

    I rate this -10/10( minus ten out of ten) and I resent being forced to give it a 0, which implies it is a game at all.

    the review being done I would like to point out this game is a vile scam, perpetrated by a unconvicted criminal which has evaded justice until the writing of this, november 3, 2014.    … Expand
  35. Tubey
    Mar 3, 2015
    1
    Meh... I put off reviewing this one, as doing so puts me on one side of "the fence" or the other. But controversy aside, let's review this as a game.

    There's absolutely nothing wrong with the idea for Depression Quest. I believe gaming can address social issues and be a power for good. The problem is here... well, it does none of that. In fact, it cheapens depression by treating it as a    Meh... I put off reviewing this one, as doing so puts me on one side of "the fence" or the other. But controversy aside, let's review this as a game.

    There's absolutely nothing wrong with the idea for Depression Quest. I believe gaming can address social issues and be a power for good. The problem is here... well, it does none of that. In fact, it cheapens depression by treating it as a paint-by-numbers condition that you can detail in a "Press X to continue" interactive novel, filled with bad writing and cliches.

    It's actually a torturous experience to play through as it's borderline offensive to me - not in that it challenges my beliefs or anything, but because it treats the subject matter with a selfishness and arrogance that is unforgivable. It's also exceedingly tedious, as it's an interactive novel, not a game.

    Just give it a miss, basically. Disregarding the controversy, the title on its' own merits simpy isn't worth your time.    … Expand
  36. artexplosion
    Jan 2, 2015
    0
    :^) ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ
  37. zayne88
    Feb 28, 2015
    0
    It's a choose your own adventure book. I can see how this could help someone that is close to the edge but no different than just reading a book would.
  38. Qualex
    Jan 17, 2015
    2
    Bad. Poorly written, nothing to keep your attention, an annoying flicker effect that I believe is deliberate, and the handling of the subject matter is like you would read in a fan fic or on tumblr. However, it is free so you have nothing to lose by downloading it, but even then you might play through the first 10 pages before you want to stop
  39. SiraitX
    Apr 13, 2015
    0
    Worst game on the planet !!! Boring, horrible, dreadful.

    You know, I used the think the worst thing in life was ending up alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is to be Zoe Quinn.
  40. ormomack
    Feb 7, 2015
    0
    I'd rather get depression. And I already have depression.I'd rather eat peanuts. And I have an allergy. I might as well get my inhaler now. Just as my review, this is nothing but a pandering attempt at relevance.
  41. Akachi
    Dec 2, 2014
    0
    There is no gameplay to speak of, there are no visuals, the music was rather awful and would overlap with a given frame's stage sound, and the game seems like it did absolutely no research on depression.

    This game has absolutely no redeemable qualities.
  42. Fask1ng
    Feb 3, 2015
    0
    I honestly haven't had a more boring experience in my life. I would hardly say this counts as a game. It seems that little or, more likely, no effort was put into this "game".
  43. CorporalPajamas
    Feb 10, 2015
    0
    Wow, that was so boring it might have actually given me depression. Maybe some quality time with the dev could have changed my mind, yknow what i mean.
  44. FireWater513
    Feb 27, 2015
    0
    I decided to look up the game that caused Gamergate. The game already being free on Steam, I feel I still overpaid.
    First, let's note that when looking at reviews for the game, I had to scroll a LOOONG way to find the first 'positive' review. Said review turned to be an ironic joke saying it "made it appreciate the other games in my library more".
    Many commenters spoke of how they had    I decided to look up the game that caused Gamergate. The game already being free on Steam, I feel I still overpaid.
    First, let's note that when looking at reviews for the game, I had to scroll a LOOONG way to find the first 'positive' review. Said review turned to be an ironic joke saying it "made it appreciate the other games in my library more".
    Many commenters spoke of how they had depression, and since the game was intended to be insightful and educational, hoped it might offer some additional insight. Instead they found insulting.
    I myself could barely get into the game. It became quite clear the game was basically trash. The fact that 'critics' gave this overall positive reviews proves that there IS in fact something wrong with gaming journalism.
    But the important question still remains... If I ignore all my integrity and change this to a positive review, will Zoe Quinn sleep with me too?    … Expand
  45. Da_Metz
    Mar 27, 2015
    0
    a creation deemed a video game by its creator but rejected by the gaming community for not being a video game, and frankly I agree with the gaming community Depression Quest is not a video game and it seems like it never will be. Depression Quest seems like it would do better as a type of interactive story for a kindle or similar device but does not belong anywhere near anything attemptinga creation deemed a video game by its creator but rejected by the gaming community for not being a video game, and frankly I agree with the gaming community Depression Quest is not a video game and it seems like it never will be. Depression Quest seems like it would do better as a type of interactive story for a kindle or similar device but does not belong anywhere near anything attempting to proclaim itself a video game.… Expand
  46. rainbetween
    Nov 5, 2014
    0
    Judging Depression Quest as a PC game and giving it anything other than a 0 would seem unfair to me since this is really not a game. Depression Quest is a series of pages hyperlinked together by the multiple choices it offers the reader/player to choose their own adventure. The problem is that the choices don't really matter as they all lead to vaguely the same result and it is impossibleJudging Depression Quest as a PC game and giving it anything other than a 0 would seem unfair to me since this is really not a game. Depression Quest is a series of pages hyperlinked together by the multiple choices it offers the reader/player to choose their own adventure. The problem is that the choices don't really matter as they all lead to vaguely the same result and it is impossible to actually choose your own path.
    Depression Quest was presumably structured this way to give the reader/player a sense of how helpless a depressed actually feels, and how they can't simply choose their own path so neither should the player. The idea alone is not bad but trying to incorporate it into a game seems like a failure as having a game where there is no possible way to 'win' makes one wonder what the point is of playing.
    Seeing as how Depression Quest's main purpose is its narrative and the interactivity on the user's part is just barely existent, it would stand up to scrutiny far better as virtually any other form of media. When one thinks about how DQ could have been much better conveyed as a short story, novella, movie short, or fictional podcast, it causes one to ask themselves how on earth the creator settled on virtually the one form of media the idea wouldn't succeed with.
    As for the narrative and the way it conveys depression, I won't say my experience is the only way people experience the mental illness, but considering my own experiences and comparing it to the game as I played it, I felt envious of the convenient depression the author was writing from. If you have the kind of depression that allows you to continue to go to school, parties, have a significant other, and a circle of friends, consider yourself far more fortunate than those who find it near impossible to get out of bed.    … Expand
  47. CFirestorm
    Nov 13, 2014
    0
    It's not so much a game as a "Choose Your Own Adventure" book with no alternate endings. Suggest the author might want to go back and add some options, give a chance for a happy ending, maybe makes some graphics or a little puzzle to walk through before getting to a choices.
  48. Kaname_Madoka
    Nov 21, 2014
    0
    Chelsea Van Valkenburg (AKA Zoe Quinn)'s "game" is really just terrible. It's clear she has no clue at all what depression is really like. I only give it a 0 because there's no lower score.
  49. xRenx
    Sep 21, 2014
    4
    Way too simplistic, it has the most common shortcomings of amateur and commercial visual novels regarding choices being fairly straightforward and easy to exploit and "telling, rather than showing".

    I can't say that I perceive this game as educational in any way - even though to educate was apparently the authors' intention - I do get the distinct impression that those who claim it    Way too simplistic, it has the most common shortcomings of amateur and commercial visual novels regarding choices being fairly straightforward and easy to exploit and "telling, rather than showing".

    I can't say that I perceive this game as educational in any way - even though to educate was apparently the authors' intention - I do get the distinct impression that those who claim it opened their eyes are those who would look at some piece of contemporary art and claim they see the depth of it just because they're afraid of being ostracised for not "getting it" or for not being sensitive enough. In short: the king is naked and this game is below mediocre at best, but the only dissenting voices I see over here are of those who feel content in filling their reviews with references to **** and disparaging the game just because it doesn't offer game play in the most widely accepted and most traditional sense of the term rather than trying to at least explain why the story is so lacking in their opinion.

    I played through it and realised that most of the choices were fairly easy to exploit: either you are honest and open with others and try to socialise a bit, or you close in your cocoon and further spiral down in worse and worse depression. Which elicited a "Well, duh! No **** Sherlock!" from me every time I chose. I saw the path to a positive ending as completely lit up from the start. It would be just as easy for me to go after a much more grim ending.
    I'd like to believe it's because I'm a genius, but I suspect it's more because of the simplistic treatment the story has been given.

    For those who are in any way familiar with VNs, this is the most common pitfall: the choices are there only to make it so it's at least decently easy to collect all the endings, which is usually the point of the exercise. Clearly, that shouldn't be the case here, but it ends up contributing, with the already stale narration, in making this feel like a mockery or at least a lazy over-simplification of the problem. I wonder if anyone will ever make the equivalent of the original Deus Ex for this topic, it would be quite interesting to see if it would help immersion more and actually spread awareness outside of the circle of converted this game seems to be preaching to.

    Personally, I think it would have benefited a lot from making use of images and colours and a heavier use of music. It did feel a lot more like a prototype than a fully developed concept. I also found it a bit weird that there wouldn't be more motivation for the character's depression than some hazily painted pressure from their parents and a general displeasure for being in a menial job. That could have been a good starting point, but the development felt rushed and forced. I know that it doesn't take being beaten up M/W/F for years to be depressed, but the protagonist really is painted like someone who has a typical case of malaise, rather than depression. That is because the inner monologues, the repetition, the patterns that are only in the depressed person's head simply need more time and attention to be described than they've been given here.

    I can recognise a hint of some of the behaviours that are common in depressed subjects in the text, but these feel always like they're spelt out as if they were collected from a Wikipedia article rather than to serve the story that is being narrated. It's nice that someone bothered to use the media to talk about depression, because it is an issue that's often misunderstood as people simply being too lazy to do things and blaming it on external factors, but from what I've seen this game obtained exactly that effect for a lot of people. It convinced people who were already convinced or were open to being convinced and inflamed everyone else. I don't feel like I could use it to help me explain to others what I've personally gone through - not because it just doesn't perfectly match with my particular case but, rather, because it does such a rushed job at developing its points in a way that might help immersion for someone who's likely to dismiss me as someone who just has to "get over" themselves. I certainly don't feel like it helps me cope, either. If anything, it made me feel like I was being talked down in the same way I have from people who have absolutely no idea what it feels like and spout advice that is way too easy to give.

    After having played something like this, I feel even more respect for people like Darren Aronofsky and their ability and skill in painting things like obsession in such an effective way. I feel a lot less respect for whoever decided that this was worth some awards as I looked at those and I expected something at least decent, albeit controversial.    … Expand
  50. Apparentn00b
    Jun 14, 2015
    0
    one of the worst games of all time **** this game **** this developer ****ing **** ass game dont ****ing buy it dont ****ing even think about it **** this game ****ing hell i mean really this game is ****ing **** and thats all that there is to it
  51. Hardtack
    Jun 29, 2015
    0
    Depression Quest gives you an all new appreciation for what life is like when you aren't playing depression quest.

    It's a 0, or a 10...I can't really decide which. I'll err on the side of caution and take the game at face value but on the off chance that this was made so poorly on purpose with the intent to induce a hopeless 'what has become of video games' emotional state within the    Depression Quest gives you an all new appreciation for what life is like when you aren't playing depression quest.

    It's a 0, or a 10...I can't really decide which. I'll err on the side of caution and take the game at face value but on the off chance that this was made so poorly on purpose with the intent to induce a hopeless 'what has become of video games' emotional state within the player then I tip my hat to them.    … Expand
  52. bkrmn
    Aug 22, 2014
    0
    Shame how many people called this masterpiece a "game”. I don't know what is this, but I'm sure that this isn't just a game.
    Here is why:
    -A simply game could never make such result, it not only changed a genre, but the entire industry of gaming -It shows that everybody can be game developer and should be one -The developer have been raided by 4wizard and ChanChan, but our dear mother    Shame how many people called this masterpiece a "game”. I don't know what is this, but I'm sure that this isn't just a game.
    Here is why:
    -A simply game could never make such result, it not only changed a genre, but the entire industry of gaming
    -It shows that everybody can be game developer and should be one
    -The developer have been raided by 4wizard and ChanChan, but our dear mother whose name is Zoe Quinn, took the fight and won, without a doubt.
    -She did a perfect research on the topic.
    -And also It’s a perfect party game! When I got my hands on this I immediately called my friends to play it together! There was 5 five guys eating burgers and fries, playing a /v/ideo game ,and then suddenly caught ourselves thinking about how did only one woman achieved THIS EFFECT?    … Expand
  53. GregorBrygen
    Nov 2, 2014
    0
    As a sort of "art" game, I will review it with its story and message in mind. There's really nothing else in this "game" anyway. Not only does this game trivialize real depression through clear misunderstanding and misrepresentation of it - coming from a man who was on the verge of suicide not long ago -, but its story, the means of conveying said message, is atrocious. It is also aAs a sort of "art" game, I will review it with its story and message in mind. There's really nothing else in this "game" anyway. Not only does this game trivialize real depression through clear misunderstanding and misrepresentation of it - coming from a man who was on the verge of suicide not long ago -, but its story, the means of conveying said message, is atrocious. It is also a shining, gleaming example of the sort of thing games are becoming. Quicktime events were the first step. Full games made by David Cage consisting entirely of quicktime events were the second. Third was pretentious walking simulators such as Gone Home. Fourth was the praise and awards these walking simulators and quicktime event games got in stark contrast to popular opinion. The final step was this. Depression Quest. It is little more than a virtual choose your own adventure, but it got high praise from many corners of the gaming "press." I honestly cannot see where people get the idea that a virtual pretentious choose your own adventure book about depression is a great gaming experience. I don't come to games to read the entire game. I don't come to games to learn about depression (although a real game exploring this somehow could be enlightening). I don't come to games for the entire "gameplay" to be basically clicking links. If you want to do as such, go ahead. But I am pretty sure most of you don't want what this "game" has to offer.… Expand
  54. TeutonicTank
    Aug 30, 2014
    0
    I wouldn't really call this a game. More like a watered down choose your own adventure web text book. It's supposed to represent what you go through when dealing with depression but I honestly feel like all the options are just a kind of crybaby way of getting through depression. It doesn't have anything related to what I would, and that is just disappointing
  55. purplerose1414
    Aug 20, 2014
    0
    A pretensious , lazy attempt at tackleing a very important issue in this day and age. I can only wonder how good it would have turned out if done by someone with actual talent, and not tumblr level knowledge of the disease.
  56. KaotikKnight
    Aug 25, 2014
    0
    As someone who suffers from depression playing this game (thats if you can call it a game) was a slap to the face and insulting. The person who developed this "game" has no clue about the subject of depression or really has no idea how to make a video game. With sloppy writing, earache inducing music and horrible visuals the "game" would probably make anyone who "plays" it deeply depressedAs someone who suffers from depression playing this game (thats if you can call it a game) was a slap to the face and insulting. The person who developed this "game" has no clue about the subject of depression or really has no idea how to make a video game. With sloppy writing, earache inducing music and horrible visuals the "game" would probably make anyone who "plays" it deeply depressed and if that was the point then bravo. At the end of the day I do not recommend this soulless experience to anyone.… Expand
  57. weegee12
    Dec 18, 2014
    0
    This "game" is nothing but a mockery of gaming and an example of how much the gaming world is being exploited to make sweet $$$ I hope we never see garbage like this ever again.
  58. Brandonb1
    Aug 20, 2014
    0
    Just like Gone Home, this is not a game, its not even worth your time. It offers no insight, its equivalent to a very poor blog post. How a bad game that would have been blamed on newgrounds got on steam is beyond me.
  59. HumanTrash
    Aug 23, 2014
    0
    A quick cash-grab. A no-substance text adventure with lazy writing and poor coding hiding behind an issue which ends thousands of lives yearly. Try to criticize it and you're labeled a misogynist (The developer's female, how dare you hold her to any sort of standards?).

    An insult to the depressed, to the videogaming industry, and to humanity.
  60. Marsonra
    Aug 25, 2014
    0
    Depression Quest. This is a game...wait a minute, this isn't a game!!! This is an interactive story! You know, it's funny, just a few weeks ago, I reviewed a game that nobody has heard of on the Nintendo DS. It was called Marvel Super Hero Squad. I thought it was the worst game I have ever played, and I still urge you not to play it (see my review of that game for more details). However,Depression Quest. This is a game...wait a minute, this isn't a game!!! This is an interactive story! You know, it's funny, just a few weeks ago, I reviewed a game that nobody has heard of on the Nintendo DS. It was called Marvel Super Hero Squad. I thought it was the worst game I have ever played, and I still urge you not to play it (see my review of that game for more details). However, after playing this...thing (let's be honest, it really isn't even a game) all I can say about Marvel Super Hero Squad is this: all is forgiven! If you can comprehend this, this thing is even worse than Marvel Super Hero Squad! This thing was released on Steam, and it is free, however, that's actually a problem with this thing because you don't even need to download it off of Steam to play! Whoever thought it would be a good idea to release an already free browser based thing on Steam for free must be dumber than a sack of hammers, and that's being polite. That's right, you don't even need to download this thing off of Steam to play it! You can literally just go on the internet and Google it, and the first thing that appears should be this very thing! That's exactly what I did the moment I found out this got on Steam. I had actually heard of this thing before its Steam release, and believe it or not, I wasn't even sure it was real before I found out it was released on Steam. So I looked it up on the internet as soon as I found out it was real! Sure enough this thing was on the internet, not as a Steam release, but as a fully released free browser based thing! I played that version instead of the Steam version, and if this version is anything like the Steam version, then I absolutely refuse to touch the Steam version! So, why does this thing make you depressed after playing it rather than with its story? Let's find out. The gameplay of this thing...there isn't any! I kid you not! There is literally no gameplay in this thing at all! The closest thing you get to actual gameplay in this thing are little choices you get to make that affect how the story plays out! That's all there really is to this thing's gameplay, as there is literally nothing else to do, other than read this thing's so-called story! If you think that is fun, then something must be terribly wrong. There is absolutely no fun to be had in a thing based on depression! Yes, games with depressing atmospheres can be awesome, but not when depression is the center-piece of the whole thing! Heck, Metal Gear Solid 4, Mother 3 (for those in the U.S. that have played it somehow), Half-Life 2, and BioShock 1 all had depressing atmospheres that made you feel like all hope was lost, and yet, all four games still manage to be four of the greatest video games ever made! In fact, in those cases, the depressing atmosphere actually helped the games greatly. It gave you a reason to keep playing the games (all those games being insanely fun also helps)! Here, depression is the center-piece of the whole thing, and it just isn't any fun at all. The gameplay of this thing is about as bad as it gets, because believe it or not, there isn't any! As for the graphics, there aren't any of those either! The closest thing you get to graphics are little pictures that appear above certain parts of the story. However, those pictures are so blurry that sometimes you can't even make out what is in the picture! That, and there is nothing too depressing about these pictures, there is literally no point to them! They are literally just there to "enhance" this thing's so called story! I put enhance in quotation marks, because the story is all there is to this thing, and it is absolutely terrible! When I say the story is the best part of this thing, that really isn't a compliment, because even it still manages to be terrible. The funny thing is, the only compliment I can give to this thing over its story is "It may not have gameplay and graphics, but at least it has a story!". That's it, the only good thing I can say about this thing's story is that at least this thing has a story! However, the story sucks. The author claims to know something about depression, but really, the only thing about this thing that I think is depressing besides how bad it is, is its music. The music is the only really depressing thing about this thing, so he has completely failed! It's also not the most depressing soundtrack I have ever heard, so there is literally nothing this thing does right. It's things like this that make me ask, why was it released on Steam? It is just so terrible. Nobody wants to play through something this depressing (that is, if you don't die of boredom first). There are so many more bad things I can say, but I have just about reached the character limit, so I won't. Take my advice, and just don't play this thing, no matter what!
    Gameplay: 0/10
    Graphics: 0/10
    Story: 1/10
    Overall: 0/10    … Expand
  61. Safilpope
    Aug 25, 2014
    0
    As a sufferer of depression, I thought I'd take a look at this game thinking it may have some interesting insights into my condition. Boy was I disappointed. The creator of the game seems to have little grasp of the condition and I feel it was poorly represented here. What I actually found more offensive was how the death of the great Robin Williams was used to promote this.

    Ultimately    As a sufferer of depression, I thought I'd take a look at this game thinking it may have some interesting insights into my condition. Boy was I disappointed. The creator of the game seems to have little grasp of the condition and I feel it was poorly represented here. What I actually found more offensive was how the death of the great Robin Williams was used to promote this.

    Ultimately the creator has produced a 'game' (It would be more accurate to call it a 'digital create your own adventure book') which is not very coherent and has little grasp of any kind of reality. Even if it is free, I don't recommend you spend any time on this thing.    … Expand
  62. CLFrezna
    Aug 20, 2014
    0
    At first I thought I was playing an Xbox Indie Game, then I realized I was in front of my computer. Even worse, I was playing a game called Depression Quest. Okay, playing is a strong word. I was reading a game...okay, game is the wrong word to use. I was reading a web page called Depression Quest. There is nothing more to this supposed "game" besides reading about a strong topic that isAt first I thought I was playing an Xbox Indie Game, then I realized I was in front of my computer. Even worse, I was playing a game called Depression Quest. Okay, playing is a strong word. I was reading a game...okay, game is the wrong word to use. I was reading a web page called Depression Quest. There is nothing more to this supposed "game" besides reading about a strong topic that is not even interesting enough to make you learn or gain insight cause you'll be so bored by this lazily written mess that you'll probably get depressed playing it. The only thing I gained from playing it was a sudden craving for Five Guys.

    Don't support this trash in any way.    … Expand
  63. RobbingWilliams
    Sep 1, 2014
    1
    "I give it an A for the idea, but an F for everything else." Covers it for me, chief.

    You know, I used the think the worst thing in life was ending up alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is to be Zoe Quinn.
  64. Zhorge
    Oct 7, 2015
    2
    This may be her depression, but it's not mine or anyone that I know who has ever been depressed. It's much more of a self-indulgent sado-masochistic romp through wallowing in victimhood than anything I, or anyone I've known, has experienced.

    Even worse, it plays like was written at the last minute by some HS slacker who stayed up the night before and rushed it out the door.
  65. fearmear
    Nov 3, 2014
    0
    I think this game is waaaay too innovative for it's time. Just like when EA released soulless free to play Dungeon Keeper cash grab on mobile devices they said: "I think we might have innovated too much"...
  66. Trunkis
    Dec 5, 2014
    0
    Je, it is funny that people says "it is ok, it is a classic text adventure".....
    I come all the way from playing text adventures on old 286 pcs.., with a green crt monitor, and it was more fun that this tripe of "storytelling"....
  67. Shamashed
    Aug 22, 2014
    0
    This game is pretty terrible. It made me even more depressed because there was no option to cope with benzos and booze. I would not recommend this game to anyone.
  68. Emotep
    Aug 23, 2014
    0
    Awfully written game with absolutely no gameplay or content. It does not contain anything that resemble an interesting plot nor does it give an artistic insight into depression, or anything else you might expect from this garbage.

    No seriously the game is free, but it is not worth your time or bandwidth.
  69. mr_skeltal
    Aug 20, 2014
    0
    I suffer from depression, deep saddening depression, the kind of which you get when your whole life has been a failure even if you tried hard, this game only managed to make me more depressed because now even video-games are becoming thrash, if the goal of the game was to make depressed people consider suicide this is a job well done.
  70. MetalikZX
    Aug 25, 2014
    0
    No gameplay, you can't name it a game. Boring as hell, nothing interesting, made using HTML pages. Would not recommend. Also I need 150 characters so here's this sentence
  71. SlaineBerserker
    Aug 28, 2014
    1
    The irony of this game is that it was so depressing I couldn't finish it. My inertia was just too pronounced to click through the reams of stereotypical teen-fiction. If you want to 'learn more' about depression just do literally nothing for 3 days. It's a slightly longer winded version of this game but, trust me, it works. And you don't have to pretend to know everything about depression anymore.
  72. forbiddenvoid
    Oct 16, 2014
    0
    The concept is phenomenal, and the idea of a text adventure to raise awareness for depression is terrific. That said, I question whether a 'game' that could have been coded by a 13-year old using mid-90s technology is the right platform for this. Maybe it starts the conversation, maybe it's a launching point for a larger market for these kinds of games programmed by professionalThe concept is phenomenal, and the idea of a text adventure to raise awareness for depression is terrific. That said, I question whether a 'game' that could have been coded by a 13-year old using mid-90s technology is the right platform for this. Maybe it starts the conversation, maybe it's a launching point for a larger market for these kinds of games programmed by professional developers.

    What it isn't is a game worthy of being paid for. I will gladly donate whatever I might have paid for this to a depression awareness charity, but I will not give money to a 'developer' who built a half-cocked website with a lousy narrative to tell a story that clearly identifies that the writer has little actual experience with depression.    … Expand
  73. ghostlife
    Jan 25, 2015
    0
    This is not even a game, and required no programming whatsoever. I've done 20x more complicated programming on a TI83 calculator. This looks like it was thrown together in 2 days.

    Depression Quest also horribly misrepresents depression and mental illness, in an insulting, dangerous, and possibly criminally negligent manner. Depression Quest only takes half an hour to "beat," and    This is not even a game, and required no programming whatsoever. I've done 20x more complicated programming on a TI83 calculator. This looks like it was thrown together in 2 days.

    Depression Quest also horribly misrepresents depression and mental illness, in an insulting, dangerous, and possibly criminally negligent manner.

    Depression Quest only takes half an hour to "beat," and has 0 re-playability, so it's absolutely not worth spending even a cent on.    … Expand
  74. psychoticgamer
    Sep 2, 2014
    0
    As a person who is both a hardcore gamer an who has had severe depression I thought I would try this. It truly sucked. It depressed the **** out of me and was very one dimensional and boring as hell. It looks like not much thought was put into it at all. I even doubt any psychology is implemented into the mechanics of this game. As a female gamer I am insulted. We deserve a betterAs a person who is both a hardcore gamer an who has had severe depression I thought I would try this. It truly sucked. It depressed the **** out of me and was very one dimensional and boring as hell. It looks like not much thought was put into it at all. I even doubt any psychology is implemented into the mechanics of this game. As a female gamer I am insulted. We deserve a better representation than this Zoe person. This game could have been so much more, but instead was total crap. Thanks for nothing.… Expand
  75. leaveit
    Aug 20, 2014
    0
    Basically the whole reason why there will never be a successful third-wave-feminist-friendly video game in one production. Game is incredibly dull, story is vague and nondescript, using scenarios probably written after the author read a Wikipedia article or lived an entire life blaming others for her problems, and to top it all off the pseudo-feminist (i.e. external-locus-of-controlBasically the whole reason why there will never be a successful third-wave-feminist-friendly video game in one production. Game is incredibly dull, story is vague and nondescript, using scenarios probably written after the author read a Wikipedia article or lived an entire life blaming others for her problems, and to top it all off the pseudo-feminist (i.e. external-locus-of-control whining about banal difficulties in a white middle upper class life in a developed country) "developer" hypocritically contradicted her rhetoric by manipulating her boyfriend and cheating on him with 5 gaming journalists so that at least 5 people would think that her "game" is interesting or remarkable in any way. Being uneducated saps and virgins, as gaming journalists typically are, this strategy was almost effective. Unfortunately for everyone involved, aggregate review sites exist.… Expand
  76. Roll
    Sep 27, 2014
    0
    This is a PG-13 version of depression.
    Considering I myself have dealt with and am dealing with depression I can honestly say this game is an absolute misrepresentation of what it's like. It's writing is simplistic and stilted and it's scenarios mundane and trivial at best. As for it being a "game" I would honestly say it just BARELY sqeeks by with it's minimalistic and insanely    This is a PG-13 version of depression.
    Considering I myself have dealt with and am dealing with depression I can honestly say this game is an absolute misrepresentation of what it's like. It's writing is simplistic and stilted and it's scenarios mundane and trivial at best. As for it being a "game" I would honestly say it just BARELY sqeeks by with it's minimalistic and insanely restrictive "choices". It says you manage your stress level and job and all that nonsense but honestly you don't really get much of a choice with those. Each page is just this grey slab of mediocrity with the same repetitive 4 note piano drilling it's way into your head.
    As I stated earlier as someone who deals with depression and the ever looming threat of full suicidal breakdown at a moments notice I can't stress how non-informative this thing is. And for all it's bluster about being a true to life game about depression...you can't kill yourself. I mean, it's dark I know, but that's how it happens in real life so why would you choose to take that away?
    I will give the game credit though, by the end of it I honestly did consider taking my own life.    … Expand
  77. Nekator
    Sep 13, 2014
    0
    a lame text game, which fails at the high goal of introducing depression to the public. Without the questionable publicity besides the game it wouldnt have any publicity at all.
  78. FST1
    Aug 30, 2014
    0
    This game ridicules depression and acts as if it shows some sort of insight into how people with depression feel. The idea is nice but I have a feeling that no one who created it had any idea of what depression is, or even a game. The "game" itself can be completed in a minute and its as if you are clicking through a website rather than actually playing a game. Only upside is the music.
  79. Allahu
    Apr 19, 2015
    0
    Features little-no actual gameplay and is full of pretentious **** Even ignoring the rumours of press manipulation and considering it's free it's not worth its cost.
  80. Ventos234
    Nov 24, 2015
    0
    If this is supposed to be future of gaming, then it sure means gaming is dying. Slowly. Why? There is no "gameplay". And you pay for it.

    It's supposed to be about depression, yet it lacks anything to do with that theme. Avoid at any cost.
  81. GodotIsW8ing4U
    Sep 13, 2015
    3
    The writing style is bland, the presentation is completely unengaging, the music is grating, and despite all its attempts to present itself as a game about depression, one gets the sense that while the writers may have read about depression once and maybe even had it at some point, they have no idea how to communicate this fact outside of simple description of symptoms, and have an evenThe writing style is bland, the presentation is completely unengaging, the music is grating, and despite all its attempts to present itself as a game about depression, one gets the sense that while the writers may have read about depression once and maybe even had it at some point, they have no idea how to communicate this fact outside of simple description of symptoms, and have an even weaker understanding of the concept of a "game".

    A far better approach, if you really want to understand what depression is like, is to read Allie Brosh's now-famous account of her own struggles with it, or if you prefer to do so in the form of a video game, try playing Winter Voices. For all bugs and interface problems Winter Voices struggles with, it does a far better and more engaging job of portraying depression and grief, by taking advantage of the fact that it is a video game in order to represent things more abstractly and truly draw in the player, trying to make them actually engage with the subject matter. Another option, of course, would be to play Spec Ops: The Line, but everybody already knows that game is amazing, so I thought I'd open with one of my personal obscure favorites because I'm an obnoxious hipster douche like that.

    Depression Quest is like reading the most boring and linear Choose Your Own Adventure book ever printed, one where all paths lead in roughly the same direction to roughly the same ending and the serious subject matter is treated so blandly that there's just no reason to give a **** unless you are so incredibly new to the concept of video games being art that you've never heard of Planescape: Torment or any of the other countless games since the 90s that have been fighting to prove that THEY are the true Citizen Kane of gaming and everything since then has merely been a pretender to the title.

    3/10: bug-free, playable, and costs $0, therefore it's already got several legs up on Aliens: Colonial Marines, but otherwise just not worth anyone's time, even as a curiosity.    … Expand
  82. Mopbucket
    Aug 29, 2014
    0
    This game minimizes real peoples' experience with mental illness, so it's quite offensive. It is also in very poor taste that this was made to cash in on Robin William's suicide. Even if you discount those factors, the game is very poorly done, with very amateurish, puerile writing and no gameplay. This game, unfortunately, has no redeeming qualities.
  83. ichirei07
    Aug 28, 2014
    0
    Robin Williams Cash-in. No creativity or inspiration whatsoever. I play Visual Novels so I'm used to these kind of games but this one is **** How the hell did this get green lit on steam?
  84. TehRap
    Sep 6, 2014
    0
    This is simply a choose-your-own-adventure book that's calling itself a game. It probably would have had more success if it was a book, then psych classes could have used it as reading material.
  85. TheWhiteWhale
    Sep 9, 2014
    0
    I'd be remiss to even consider this a "game" in the traditional sense. It's more like an interactive "choose your own adventure" book. There are clearly no objectives, no progression, no level design, no advancement...nothing. It is simply an open-ended narrative. Admittedly, this "game" isn't meant to provide entertainment, it's meant to expose its audience to the experience of beingI'd be remiss to even consider this a "game" in the traditional sense. It's more like an interactive "choose your own adventure" book. There are clearly no objectives, no progression, no level design, no advancement...nothing. It is simply an open-ended narrative. Admittedly, this "game" isn't meant to provide entertainment, it's meant to expose its audience to the experience of being depressed. When this goal is kept in mind, the "game" still fails, as it is clear that the developers have a very ignorant understanding of what depression actually looks like and how people who suffer from depression actually think and feel.

    As a narrative piece, the story itself is also badly written. Empathy is not developed for "you", as a character and the situations and encounters which the "Game" presents you with are situations which almost everyone goes through on an almost daily basis. The narrative confuses depression with simple boredom, stress, and lack of motivation, all of which are symptoms of depression but don't necessarily indicate that a person is depressed.

    The choices which the game presents you with are also very linear and not entirely open-ended, as there were many situations wherein I would have chosen to take a certain action which was not readily available. This further hindered the immersion which the narrative itself was attempting to create. I have felt more empathy and sympathy for characters from novels or even D&D characters than from the characters which are presented throughout Depression Quest.

    Overall, the "game" fails at it's intended goal. Players are not made to feel empathy for the depressed character (which is a real shame because that character is suppose to be the player). The main interaction between other characters usually consist of the other characters trying to tell the player to "get help" because there's "something wrong with" you. That's about the extent of the dialogue.

    Do yourself a favor and pick up a book instead. I'd suggest something like Camus' "The Stranger" or Dostoyevsky's "The Brothers Karamazov".    … Expand
  86. g_squidman
    Sep 27, 2014
    8
    First, I have no bias based on the "Gamergate" event.... I was confused about what that was all about but thought I'd check out the game, I am a gamer after all. I also have not yet completed the game, I intend to continue it though.

    The biggest thing in question about this game is, "is it really a game?" I would like to remind everyone that, if you go to the home page, Depression Quest    First, I have no bias based on the "Gamergate" event.... I was confused about what that was all about but thought I'd check out the game, I am a gamer after all. I also have not yet completed the game, I intend to continue it though.

    The biggest thing in question about this game is, "is it really a game?" I would like to remind everyone that, if you go to the home page, Depression Quest very clearly advertises itself as an "interactive (non)fiction." A non-fictional interactive fiction. As a "game" it is lacking, of course. But for the purposes of this review I will be rating it as what it is meant to be, interactive reading material.

    I'm not a sound guy, there could be no sound at all, makes no difference to me.

    I've found, going through the route I took, that there aren't a whole lot of options available at each cross-roads. When you have to make a decision it lists several possible actions to take and then often crosses out all but one or two. I like this, this makes sense to me. It portrays the sense that depression is taking over my life and making these options impossible. I assume, had I taken a less depressing, more open route where I talk about my feelings with friends and meet with a doctor, that more of these options would have been available. This is an over all plus for me.

    The exact feeling Depression Quest gives me was actually kind of overwhelming, I realized how much I feel similar to the character in the game and that I myself might be dealing with some form of depression. It truly has opened my eyes a bit to this possibility and made me think, which was the desired intention.

    Finally, the reason Depression Quest is not a ten: simple grammar and spelling errors. This counts a lot for me though. It didn't feel professional or serious because of this. Felt unfinished. Great work was put into releasing Depression Quest and just a little more effort could make it much more complete.    … Expand
  87. FauxEden
    Oct 23, 2014
    0
    Alright, so first of the game is free on steam, great. How it got through the greenlight is beyond me, but that has probably got something to do with game journos telling their sheep warriors to get it done. Secondly the game doesn't even work, constant errors when installing and going to the steam forum for the game got me instantly banned straight away for asking why it didn't work. So IAlright, so first of the game is free on steam, great. How it got through the greenlight is beyond me, but that has probably got something to do with game journos telling their sheep warriors to get it done. Secondly the game doesn't even work, constant errors when installing and going to the steam forum for the game got me instantly banned straight away for asking why it didn't work. So I decided to look up what it was and last but not least, the game isn't even a game, it's basically a spreadsheat with pre determined phrases that resembles a choose your own adventure book, but with no adventure and a story that makes you want to kill yourself, which is hilarious given the title of the "game".… Expand
  88. brockcheese
    Jan 22, 2015
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. As someone who has had depression, this game doesn't really tackle it all that well. The guy has a better life than most people and the game wont even let you take some options that would obviously improve the morale of the character. Top it all off with a cliche ending about having enough friends to carry on and it stinks. A lot of the reasons people get depression is because they have nobody in their life, but in this game you have loads of friends supportive parents and a great girlfriend. While I do appreciate what the game was going for, it ultimately left a bad taste in my mouth.… Expand
  89. thegoatgod_pan
    Nov 2, 2014
    10
    Perfectly good game, but gamergate trolls mobvoted the score down. Because of something, something; women are evil; something, something; ethical journalism! Try it out, you won't regret it (not like it costs you)
  90. AyHy
    Sep 26, 2014
    5
    It's sort of hard to call this a "game." It's a piece of semi-interactive fiction. It's very short. I played through it three times, choosing different options, and found that, basically, making the best life choices you were capable of would cause things to get a little better, while making bad life choices would cause things to get somewhat worse.

    That's not really very profound.    It's sort of hard to call this a "game." It's a piece of semi-interactive fiction. It's very short. I played through it three times, choosing different options, and found that, basically, making the best life choices you were capable of would cause things to get a little better, while making bad life choices would cause things to get somewhat worse.

    That's not really very profound.

    That said, I thought the writing was good, and speaking as someone with depression, I found I could identify with it to some extent. It didn't match my experience perfectly, since the protagonist is so ashamed of his depression and determined to hide it, while I tend to whine about mine. But some of it was definitely very identifiable.

    This isn't exactly an impressive project. I feel like I could have made it myself in about four days, and I'm no video game developer. But on the other hand, playing Depression Quest for an hour made me feel something interesting, while playing a lot of games for an hour just makes me feel bored or annoyed. I'm not unhappy that I played it, though I probably won't play it again.    … Expand
  91. bluegreen
    Jan 25, 2015
    8
    A really touching game that raises awareness for a huge societal issue. It doesn't entirely match up with my own experiences of depression, but then, depression affects everyone differently.
  92. psibreaker
    Jan 12, 2015
    8
    A pretty accurate depiction of depression. And short too; you'll finish it within 15-30 minutes. That's probably long enough to immerse yourself in this character.

    I picked this up for free off Steam, mostly off the back of all the negative press, and have to say that even though my own experiences differ slightly, it helped conjure up a lot of the low periods of depression. Intended to    A pretty accurate depiction of depression. And short too; you'll finish it within 15-30 minutes. That's probably long enough to immerse yourself in this character.

    I picked this up for free off Steam, mostly off the back of all the negative press, and have to say that even though my own experiences differ slightly, it helped conjure up a lot of the low periods of depression. Intended to be interactive fiction, not a 'game', it pretty much explores the sort of lifestyle a 'typical' depressed person might feel, bearing in mind that labels like 'typical' doesn't really apply here.

    Not a ten out of ten, much as I appreciated a lot of the points that felt familiar (as well as those I'd not really considered but can recognise in hindsight). Similarly not a zero out of ten either, as you'd have to have real issues or, say, some sort of agenda to not credit this game with anything. I didn't feel there was any problem that I was being patronised, or that this was the work of a massive ego any more than I'd consider any other first person account, including anyone's review on the subject, to be the work of a person's ego. I've only played it through once so far - I'd be tempted to play it again.    … Expand
  93. josefigueira
    Aug 23, 2014
    8
    This game came to my attention after hearing of the controversy about the main developer, and her ethics, not only at work, but in general. But one thing that I had to immediately do, was separate the developers personal life, and the game: a game shouldn't suffer because the developer is, or not, an awful person.

    With a fresh mind, and ignoring all the controversy, I started the game.    This game came to my attention after hearing of the controversy about the main developer, and her ethics, not only at work, but in general. But one thing that I had to immediately do, was separate the developers personal life, and the game: a game shouldn't suffer because the developer is, or not, an awful person.

    With a fresh mind, and ignoring all the controversy, I started the game. It's, at its core, an educational game. But it's an educational game that will actually help a person with depression (or, sometimes more importantly, someone close to a person with depression) to deal with it. Although some things seem particular to that situation, we also have to realize that it's about telling a specific story to other people. So, even though it's an education game, it's not there to fit to OUR situation. It's there to give us an "example", in simplistic terms, of a case, to help us relate to it.

    One thing that, first struck me as amateur-ish, but then sort of made sense, was the aesthetics of the play-for-free website. It's a very simple, black and white aesthetic, already a staple of text-based 21st century games. But it's a good choice, bringing a sense of calmness, and no other distractions, in order to put ourselves in (I unconsciously named **** Paul) shoes. That means, trying options that might not seem the best one, but that we feel like someone close to us with depression might be available to take.

    The gameplay is obviously simple - and just because it's a text-based game, it doesn't mean they should have been so lazy about it (remembering specifically a zombie text-based game with AI close to resident evil terms, with a active clock, and where I ended up being caught running in some stairs after waiting to long to make a decision). Sometimes, I really do wish there were more options, or maybe an internal clock system, because let's face it, a person reacts different in you tell them something right away, or you hesitate. But, and even though I still mentally took some points out for it, it is an educational game. There's no winning in this game. It's here to immerse us in the story.

    The subject seemed fairly well, and sensibly, approached (read: it's not either a romanticised tumblr **** or a diecisscum tumblr **** for example). It was a great, and seemingly not for profit (free-to-play, anyone?) idea by the developers (maybe Zoe Quinn isn't such an awful person) to release it after Robin Williams death, and to acknowledge that men are the group most harmed by depression seems a little unbiased from a game being attacked by Red-pillers, feminazis and general edgy teens, and praised by both the feminist, men's rights and LGBQT movements (me being a supporter of the latter three groups). BUT, the mix of actually depressed people praising, and in a considerably minority, bashing, this game refrains me from doing any more substantial comment on this part of the review.

    I ended up really caring about the character, simple as they were. Not wanting to spoil anything, let's just say that, your sibling will usually be there for you in the hard times, when most people don't understand what your problems, even though they might act differently when you don't have problems.

    I end up giving an 8 for this game. It's good, yes, but it could have been much better.    … Expand
  94. samvines
    Nov 3, 2014
    10
    A wonderful free game in the style of the classic MUDs, that also manages to bring awareness to a serious mental health issue that affects many people.
  95. kelticpete
    Sep 8, 2014
    6
    This game was pretty much what I expected, and was ok. I did not start it expecting to be wowed. the bad reviews about this game are obviously from people who were not the intended demo. Don't play a non traditional, "arty" game and then whine about it not being fun. It was mildly interesting as an experience. I got it for free, I might have paid $.99 for it and been happy. I give it aThis game was pretty much what I expected, and was ok. I did not start it expecting to be wowed. the bad reviews about this game are obviously from people who were not the intended demo. Don't play a non traditional, "arty" game and then whine about it not being fun. It was mildly interesting as an experience. I got it for free, I might have paid $.99 for it and been happy. I give it a 7. the people who whine about this not being a game can just sod off. text based stories with choices have been a genre of games for decades.… Expand
  96. Esperantisto
    Aug 21, 2014
    7
    This isn't a game, but rather a text-based "choose your own adventure". It took me about an hour to go through it.

    I suffer from depression myself, and found the descriptions to be somewhat realistic, but not entirely. I'd be upset if I had spent a lot of money for this, but it's available for free or as "pay what you want", which is fair enough. There are a *lot* of zero ratings,    This isn't a game, but rather a text-based "choose your own adventure". It took me about an hour to go through it.

    I suffer from depression myself, and found the descriptions to be somewhat realistic, but not entirely.

    I'd be upset if I had spent a lot of money for this, but it's available for free or as "pay what you want", which is fair enough.

    There are a *lot* of zero ratings, but that's unwarranted. It seems that the cause is alleged misbehaviour by the author. I've ignored that completely and judged the "game" on its merits.    … Expand
  97. GamersInk
    Aug 24, 2014
    5
    Short hand:

    This game offers a look into a "lite version" of depression. The character's luck in having a strong support group with no limitation on medical help offers a soften approach to the very dark topic of depression and its effect on people. With good music, the story is told clearly and well though flaws mar the experience and pull the player out of it. This short game will    Short hand:

    This game offers a look into a "lite version" of depression. The character's luck in having a strong support group with no limitation on medical help offers a soften approach to the very dark topic of depression and its effect on people. With good music, the story is told clearly and well though flaws mar the experience and pull the player out of it. This short game will offer an overly simple look into depression and is a nice starting point to get a feeling about the subject. An okay experience that definitely could have been better.

    Full Review:
    This game offers something unique, a look into the mind of depression and the lows it brings to those who suffer from it. Though its attempts seem rather limited and shallow. If one looks at the game from two perspectives, an art game designed to create a point and create an emotional response or entertainment designed to educate and teach people about depression then it fails to provide a decent experience. If one were to look at this from the perspective of an art game, the problem with the game and its message is the game doesn't allow for the true nature of depression to hit. It pulls punches and always seems to have a slightly positive spin to it which should not happen in a game that is meant to bring to light the depths of depression. It doesn't allow for the character to go to the point of no return where only one choice is allowed. It doesn't force for your choices to be meaningless to drive home the hopeless that depression tends to bring. Instead it offers just a taste of it that can be easily avoided by those who are not depressed and by those who have had depression. It fails to truly teach how dangerous depression can be. Maybe this was meant to prevent the game from being too harsh but if this game is an art game with a message then it must go to the greatest extreme or at least allow it to occur. Suicide and death are horrible realities of depression and can be the final moment of power that people who are extremely depressed have, a final way out. To not include this most final of acts in a game about depression is depriving the player from truly sympathizing with the torture of depression. If the player is not allowed to dabble with this deed then the player cannot truly understand what depression does to the mind and this only mentions the internal struggle of depression.

    On the other hand, if this is a game designed to educate then it also fails for a similar reason. The game doesn't offer details about the actual effects depression has on the people around him and does not allow for NPCs to react accordingly to a depressed person. In such, the game does not show the stigma normally placed on people with depression. The character is never told by others to bite the depression in the butt, to suck it up and be a man. The character is always surrounded by positivity and without the internal strife and consequences mentioned beforehand, the game doesn't adequately emulate the experience.

    Other faults exist as the character drinks alcohol while on medication (a no-no and shows that no one in the project ever dealt with full-blown clinical depression as mixing medication with alcohol can be fatal). As well as offering certain actions that would never be possible under any level of depression. If the actions failed while picking them then it would be nice. If the character's life actually changed with his support group leaving him or treating him differently the game would be better.

    The game does some stuff well though. The music sets the mood well though it does not change with the mood of the character. It would have been more effective in the sad music became more and more deafening the character went into depression. It also would have been better if the music was tinged with happiness as the character got better to emphasize the feeling of conquering the brain illness.

    It's a flawed experience. One that does not warrant a second look into as the direction certain actions take are painfully obvious. The game's detail, length, and overall production value is meaningless in a review of a free game but still remains disappointing.    … Expand
  98. jakejohnson
    Nov 15, 2014
    9
    Graphics: 10/10
    In an era of bright, flashy, in your face animations, Zoe Quinn has created a refreshing change of pace, with her subtle, understated style. The game actually flows quite well, and the brilliantly-optimized graphics allows even my Windows 98 machine to handle the game with ease. A soft palette of color provides just the right contrast to the daring choice of black text    Graphics: 10/10
    In an era of bright, flashy, in your face animations, Zoe Quinn has created a refreshing change of pace, with her subtle, understated style. The game actually flows quite well, and the brilliantly-optimized graphics allows even my Windows 98 machine to handle the game with ease. A soft palette of color provides just the right contrast to the daring choice of black text lettering. Like the original Star Wars trilogy, these graphics are built to withstand the test of time, and future generations of gamers are sure to appreciate them for years to come.

    Gameplay: 10/10
    This is where the game really shines, with a smart, intuitive interface that almost feel like second nature even for the novice gamer. Quinn's ability to so deftly incorporate a point-and-click style of play into a genre of this magnitude is truly astounding. I found myself getting lost in the gameworld, not even thinking about the UI, able to completely be immersed by the story.

    Music: 10/10
    Although occasionally plodding, Schankler's artfully crafted score more often then not hits the nail on the head, setting the mood and transporting the player into an alternate world. Among his finest works, Schankler really shows his growth as a composer here, with subtle motifs and sweeping crescendos that both intrigue and exhilarate.

    Story: 10/10
    Quinn weaves a delicate and riveting tale about the fascinating irrelevancy of everyday life. While some have questioned Quinn's marketing techniques, there is no debate that her writing is top-notch, and beyond reproach. As one not easily taken in by (non)fiction, I must confess that I was swept off my feet from the first sentence, cascading down a whirlwind path of twists and turns that left me gasping for air. The ending sent chills through me like I have never experienced in my gaming career. A tremendous effort from a legendary writer.

    CONCLUSION:
    A masterpiece. A game that will stand next to pillars of the industry for decades to come. We are often left asking, "What is the defining game of our generation? What is our PONG? What is our PACMAN?" Zoe Quinn just gave us the answer to that question.    … Expand
  99. Hazyshade
    Mar 14, 2015
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I've lived with depression for many years and with severe depression (crying episodes, in and out of hospital, taking powerful antipsychotics) for nearly a year. On my first playthrough I was going "Yep." "Yeah." *nod* "Wow, that's a really good description of how that feels."

    Some games don't max out your graphic and sound cards. Some games set out to induce sadness, frustration and yes, even boredom, as part of the emotional ride that they take you on. Papers, Please did all of the above and was a huge hit. Don't judge a fish by how well it can fly; you should have learnt that in school.

    I could pick holes in the story, perhaps. The only route into therapy that I've found is to have your friend notice that your hands are shaking. There seems an awful lot riding on that one throwaway dialogue choice. Then again... there is a realism in that too. Sometimes the people we rely on to fix everything, don't. Sometimes it takes a random occurrence to change things, because sometimes the people we love the most aren't even magical enough to notice something's wrong.

    This game would be a 9 for me, but it seems some negative reviewers are cross with some positive reviewers because blah blah blah ethics and therefore the game itself must be rated 0. No, I don't follow that logic either, so it gets a 10 to bump its average up.    … Expand
  100. aasmith
    Dec 3, 2014
    10
    This game really shows what it's like to have depression. I've struggled heavily with depression my entire adult life. The text-based choices show the struggle; sometimes options are grayed out because when you're depressed, those positive choices don't feel like options. Depression lies to you. This is a great game.
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  1. ActionTrip
    Sep 2, 2014
    50
    While it does an okay job presenting what it is really like to have depression, it sets the player down the exactly same depression path, no matter what is chosen.
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