Tell Me Why

 PC
User Score
5.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 296 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 110 out of 296
  2. Mixed: 70 out of 296
  3. Negative: 116 out of 296

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  1. jyou
    Jun 20, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game literally puts you in a situation where you have to decide whether the main plot point was an act of transphobia or not - it leaves for you, the player, to DECIDE. Yet bigots HAD to whine about it being political, even though the main moral conflict is yours to judge.
    Trying to balance things a little bit, but the actual fair score would be the critics one - the game is decent but wasn't outstanding in any department.
    Don't jump in expecting your decisions throughout the game to be really impactful though, Dontnod made the same mistake as LiS 1 by leaving the only truly important decision to the end, making the others before somewhat pointless.    … Expand
  2. thekira78
    Sep 2, 2020
    10
    Muito bom, me surpreendi, não esperava muito desse game. Esperando o capítulo 2.
  3. Jonnyrosa
    Aug 28, 2020
    10
    Jogo maravilhoso. Os irmãos são muito carismático, a história é linda e sensível... te prendendo do começo ao fim, e os gráficos melhoraram desde o último jogo da empresa. Vale muito a pena jogar, não vão se arrepender.
  4. UMK
    Aug 29, 2020
    10
    Very Good..................................
    Best story...................................
  5. pelucatron
    Dec 10, 2021
    10
    I recently finished this game, and I like it, I'm playing a second run to get the other ending and all achievements. This is a game that tells a story, it is based on decisions and dialogs and there are puzzles, don't expect action scenes, you need to feel and experience the story. I think gameplay should let you skip dialogs you just heard, because I reproduced a few by accident, but atI recently finished this game, and I like it, I'm playing a second run to get the other ending and all achievements. This is a game that tells a story, it is based on decisions and dialogs and there are puzzles, don't expect action scenes, you need to feel and experience the story. I think gameplay should let you skip dialogs you just heard, because I reproduced a few by accident, but at least this feature is available once tou finish the game.
    One awesome feature is that on Steam you can connect to Xbox Live and get achievements on both platforms.    … Expand
  6. ScathachPreach
    Dec 29, 2020
    10
    A lovely and really positive story that touches many important social topics.
    Storydriven, with interesting characters and a strong bond between the twins who try to find out about their past.
  7. alexissss
    Aug 28, 2020
    10
    Historia muito intrigante, puzzles interessantes, graficos lindos e bons personagens, vale a pena jogar.
  8. EzioEliasBR
    Aug 30, 2020
    10
    Obra de arte, gráficos bonitos, músicas boas, história boa, quem está criticando maioria não jogou
  9. jubileuz
    Sep 5, 2020
    10
    Jogo lindo e perfeito, como tudo que a senhora dona da porra toda DontNod faz. Quer o mundo DontNod? Pois eu não posso te dar, mas se quiser meu corpo : I'm ready, sua linda. Sou muito cadelinha mesmo e já apaixonada pelo Tyler e Alyson s2
  10. Athusco
    Sep 5, 2020
    10
    Jogo incrível
    História incrível
    Jogabilidade incrível Gráficos incríveis
    E quem tá dando hate nesse jogo são os fresquinhos que jogaram, gostaram mas dão hate pra dizer que são machos e não gostam de jogo com personagem trans como protagonista!
  11. JereCGamer
    Sep 5, 2020
    10
    Fantástico, os gráficos, a trilha sonora estão muito bons, além da história, que me chamou muita atenção, e está bem desenvolvida. Parabéns a toda a equipe da DONTNOD.
  12. JamAndCupcakes
    Sep 11, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This title is an absolutely beautiful work of art. It was the first of its kind that I had played, and because of it, I’m considering playing more in the play style. The story is deep and beautiful, with different facets of family, adventure, powers, and transitioning.

    The visuals are beautiful, the environments and player models and everything are crisp and clean. The handmade storybook you read throughout is adorable, and really looks and reads like some passed-down family fairytale. I love the affects of the powers, and how they’re visually represented. Going through the memories and everything is such a neat idea, especially when they differ between the siblings. I have no complaints with the visuals, and the bugs are incredibly minimal, so the QA testers really did a great job as well!

    As someone who belongs to the LGBTQ+ family, seeing something so well represented is a breath of fresh air. I am hoping that cisgendered people are also playing this, and getting a first-hand feel for what that long, arduous, and scary yet fulfilling adventure, and hopefully therefore holding more compassion and understanding and respect for those facing those challenges.

    I completely recommend this title. It’s a visually stunning, and heart-string pulling story. 10/10 would play through again!! Just pack a lunch for those feels trips. There’s a lot of them.    … Expand
  13. Tuniax
    Mar 13, 2021
    10
    Most people who say "it's a bad game, bad story" see it compared to "Life is Strange". But this game doesn't want to be "Life is Strange". This game wants to try something new. Please think about what a bad game is. I really enjoyed the game a lot and the ending is nice and actually quite surprising. I like the puzzles our mother made for us and how the game works with the book. You canMost people who say "it's a bad game, bad story" see it compared to "Life is Strange". But this game doesn't want to be "Life is Strange". This game wants to try something new. Please think about what a bad game is. I really enjoyed the game a lot and the ending is nice and actually quite surprising. I like the puzzles our mother made for us and how the game works with the book. You can skip most of the puzzles, but you miss a very large part of the game. Whenever a chapter is over and you're wondering "What's the story going to be now?" the game gives you another great chapter.

    10/10 in my opinion    … Expand
  14. Farbodltu
    Jul 2, 2021
    10
    At firsr its a great story but gameplay is so slow but its okay i enjoyed playing this game
  15. ChloeTheBtch
    Jun 18, 2023
    10
    Amazing game, at par with DONTNOD's level. The reason there are so many negative reviews is that bigots are dumb and have np life. Absolutely recommend.
  16. Combiner
    Jan 30, 2023
    9
    Great story, characters. Enjoyed going trough this so much. So far my favorite game from Dontnod after Life Is Strange 1. From ones I played.
  17. pie314159265358
    Sep 9, 2020
    9
    FYI, like other people have mentioned, do not trust the negative reviews on this. They predominantly comes from whiny people who have not actually played the game and simply want to hate it because it features a transgender protagonist. If you want a better ratio, including the number of hours players have played in this game, I recommend checking out the Steam reviews instead. At leastFYI, like other people have mentioned, do not trust the negative reviews on this. They predominantly comes from whiny people who have not actually played the game and simply want to hate it because it features a transgender protagonist. If you want a better ratio, including the number of hours players have played in this game, I recommend checking out the Steam reviews instead. At least you can tell who has actually played the game.

    Now as for the game itself, I never actually played this genre of game before, prior to this game. I always adored story-based games, though I came into it having previously played mostly RPGs, JRPGs, exploration games, etc. Hearing that there was a transgender man featured as a protagonist, and having it be first transgender male protagonist in major video game history, I wanted to try it out, being a transgender man myself. This said, I was not necessarily expecting to be all that engaged in the game, as it is not from a genre that I normally have much interest in, but this game really surprised me at how excellent it really is.

    Obviously, this genre is not a fast-paced action game but is instead a story-based game where the player unravels the world and builds a deeper connection to the characters and the story. The story and characters in this game have been excellent, and the game is emotionally quite moving. It really provides the full range of emotions, from bitter anger, to guilty regret, to confused grief, and to everyday silliness. The characters in this story are multifaceted, and their backgrounds and stories are incorporated into their personalities and development. There is quite a lot of artistic morality and nuance within the game, and I really love how characters who were otherwise horrible people have the opportunity to change and explore a better side of themselves.

    The only real complaints that I have are relatively small. Some of the animations can be a bit clunky, some of the dialogue at the beginning of the game is fairly awkward, and your twin will occasionally decide to body block you into rooms (which is also pretty funny, to be honest). Other than that, there were no real downsides to the game. If you like slower-paced story games, especially from this particular genre, then you will probably love this game.    … Expand
  18. Htoza
    Sep 7, 2020
    9
    First things first, Graphics. I have to say, the graphics of the game are really good, which works in its favor given the beautiful, snowy scenery.

    Gameplay: the gameplay is relatively simple. What you'd expect from an adventure game. You can talk to characters, have various dialogue options, and this can impact your relationship with other characters either positively or negatively.    First things first, Graphics. I have to say, the graphics of the game are really good, which works in its favor given the beautiful, snowy scenery.

    Gameplay: the gameplay is relatively simple. What you'd expect from an adventure game. You can talk to characters, have various dialogue options, and this can impact your relationship with other characters either positively or negatively. And yes, I love **** like that. I also love how the game alternates between the two twins, allowing us to care about both of them and making sure that we also question both of them. It would be easy to view character A as an **** if we were only playing as one twin, but then you play as the other, muddling things up. The mechanic of viewing memories is also quite straightforward, and not as interesting as reversing time (like in Life Is Strange), but I still enjoy it. One complaing I have is that we can't use our Voice more often in conversations with other characters.

    Story: the story has a lot of interesting twists and turns. Initially, we (the players and characters) are presented as knowing what happened. But the more the story progresses, the more it turns out we were wrong. There's a mystery going on and the more time I spent with the story, the more invested I became and wanted to figure out what happened to Mary-Ann.

    Characters: I'm just going to focus on the protagonists. I really like both Tyler and Allyson and their relationship. Especially since in my playthrough, I make sure to continually strengthen their bond. And as I said earlier, I really like how the game alternates between putting us in their shoes, affecting how we perceive both the twins and other characters.

    Overall, if you enjoyed Dontnod's previous games, you'll enjoy this too. And having played most of their video games, sans Vampyr, I'd say this is their second best after Life Is Strange. The only BIG complaing I have is that we only have one save, so if I want to replay a previous chapter and continue from there, I have to overwrite my only save.    … Expand
  19. DeathKillerNOR
    Dec 25, 2020
    9
    {Gameplay: Level Design, Combat Systems, etc.}
    ☑ 10/10 - A Perfect Score.
    ☐ 9/10 - Fantastic. ☐ 8/10 - Very Good. ☐ 6/10 - Average. ☐ 4/10 - Bad. ☐ 2/10 - Terrible. {Narrative: Dialogue, Cutscene, etc} ☐ 10/10 - A Perfect Score. ☑ 9/10 - Fantastic. ☐ 8/10 - Very Good. ☐ 6/10 - Average. ☐ 4/10 - Bad. ☐ 2/10 - Terrible. {Visuals: Graphics, Aesthetics, animations, etc.} ☑    {Gameplay: Level Design, Combat Systems, etc.}
    ☑ 10/10 - A Perfect Score.
    ☐ 9/10 - Fantastic.
    ☐ 8/10 - Very Good.
    ☐ 6/10 - Average.
    ☐ 4/10 - Bad.
    ☐ 2/10 - Terrible.

    {Narrative: Dialogue, Cutscene, etc}
    ☐ 10/10 - A Perfect Score.
    ☑ 9/10 - Fantastic.
    ☐ 8/10 - Very Good.
    ☐ 6/10 - Average.
    ☐ 4/10 - Bad.
    ☐ 2/10 - Terrible.

    {Visuals: Graphics, Aesthetics, animations, etc.}
    ☑ 10/10 - A Perfect Score.
    ☐ 9/10 - Fantastic.
    ☐ 8/10 - Very Good.
    ☐ 6/10 - Average.
    ☐ 4/10 - Bad.
    ☐ 2/10 - Terrible.

    {Audio: Sound Effects, Voice Acting, etc.}
    ☐ 10/10 - A Perfect Score.
    ☑ 9/10 - Fantastic.
    ☐ 8/10 - Very Good.
    ☐ 6/10 - Average.
    ☐ 4/10 - Bad.
    ☐ 2/10 - Terrible.

    {Technical: Bugs, Performance, Optimization, etc.}
    ☑ 10/10 - A Perfect Score.
    ☐ 9/10 - Fantastic.
    ☐ 8/10 - Very Good.
    ☐ 6/10 - Average.
    ☐ 4/10 - Bad.
    ☐ 2/10 - Terrible.

    {Story: Plot, Ending, etc}
    ☐ 10/10 - A Perfect Score.
    ☑ 9/10 - Fantastic.
    ☐ 8/10 - Very Good.
    ☐ 6/10 - Average.
    ☐ 4/10 - Bad.
    ☐ 2/10 - Terrible.

    {Replayability: Replayability, Length To Complete, etc.}
    ☐ 10/10 - A Perfect Score.
    ☐ 9/10 - Fantastic. ☑ 8/10 - Very Good. ☐ 6/10 - Average. ☐ 4/10 - Bad. ☐ 2/10 - Terrible. {Pros & Cons: Pro(+2) and Cons(+1)} ☐ 10/10 - A Perfect Score. ☐ 9/10 - Fantastic. ☑ 8/10 - Very Good. ☐ 6/10 - Average. ☐ 4/10 - Bad. ☐ 2/10 - Terrible. The Level Designs are awesome. The GamePlay is perfectly made for a game like this. The Narrative is simply fantastic. The Visuals are great, both the graphics and the animations are done perfectly. The Voice Acting is fantastic, sets the mood for the story most of the times. I didn't notice bugs or performance issues during my playthrough. The Story is well made, and keeps you interested. The replayability is alright, but i don't see somebody replay it more than 5 times. Pros & Cons: + Story is actually great. + Telepathy ability used very. + Moderate Replayability. - The Memories can be slightly confusing at times. - Character teleports into position before dialogues. "9/10 – Fantastic. I enthusiastically recommend that you add these games to your to-play list. As it does not hit the amazing score, It is still an extremely good game. I recommend getting this game." ~DeathKillerNOR~ ⚠️ IN MY OPINION ⚠️    … Expand
  20. preddajjozon
    Sep 12, 2020
    9
    Jogo muito bom problema que não explicou o lado sobrenatural deles mas ok.
  21. Mostach88
    Sep 18, 2020
    9
    Gran historia y ritmo, con personajes muy carismáticos, y trama interesante y emotiva, te engancha y no te suelta hasta el final, con una gran resolución. Toca problemáticas interesantes como la transexualidad, la familia biológica vs la elegida, la paternidad y el suicidio. Los diálogos son muy estilo Dontnod, con cariño por los personajes, sus emociones y por las decisiones que toman.Gran historia y ritmo, con personajes muy carismáticos, y trama interesante y emotiva, te engancha y no te suelta hasta el final, con una gran resolución. Toca problemáticas interesantes como la transexualidad, la familia biológica vs la elegida, la paternidad y el suicidio. Los diálogos son muy estilo Dontnod, con cariño por los personajes, sus emociones y por las decisiones que toman. Además, la mecánica de los recuerdo y de las voces en la mente me parece un acierto, nunca falta un superpoder en este tipo de historias de Dontnod.

    Nunca pensé que un videojuego con tan poca interactividad me fuera a gustar tanto.
    El apartado artístico (escenarios, diseño de niveles, ambientación, sonido, iluminación, personajes) llega a niveles muy altos, se nota que han ido aprendiendo con el tiempo, pero sin alejarse de lo que quería, con ese diseño de Life is Strange.

    En cuando al tema de las decisiones, no he visto mucha variedad, y creo que es el punto más débil.

    Conclusión: juego infrevalorado que mucha gente debería jugarlo, auque no es el género de todos, y gustará más o menos según la experiencia de cada persona.    … Expand
  22. lehcarwright
    Sep 10, 2020
    9
    Tell Me Why has an incredible story that will not easily be forgotten. I haven’t been able to steer my mind away from it, even after finishing the final episode. It has lingered with me. I am very impressed at the detail in the “stories within the story” as well. It all comes together and wraps up nicely with a big, beautiful, haunting bow on top. Graphically, the game is undeniably aTell Me Why has an incredible story that will not easily be forgotten. I haven’t been able to steer my mind away from it, even after finishing the final episode. It has lingered with me. I am very impressed at the detail in the “stories within the story” as well. It all comes together and wraps up nicely with a big, beautiful, haunting bow on top. Graphically, the game is undeniably a step-up from previous DONTNOD productions. While it’s not as breathtaking as other games we’ve seen this generation, it certainly makes up for it with enticing puzzles and real personification of the characters. Sure, there are noticeable differences in texture and animation quality of the main characters versus supporting, but it is much less eye-catching when you are so invested in the moment between these people. Their fate and choices lie within your hands.

    Voice acting was phenomenal and I’m not sure how others may feel otherwise. I really felt emotion in 90% of the dialogue, which only adds positively to the touching, tragic story. The landscapes were works of art, albeit a little monotone at times. Linear level design was not really an issue for me. A vast, open world loaded with secrets is a great thing, but not what this game needed - it unraveled wonderfully in multiple cozy, contained environments.

    Overall, this is a great game that will surely stick with me for years to come.    … Expand
  23. BUSTINS_
    Aug 31, 2020
    9
    Wonderful Game, very hard with the dialogs, must have de dontnod. Await t'he segons and This episode.
  24. ECar
    Aug 30, 2020
    9
    Do not trust bad reviews (review bombing). Attention, this is a narrative-driven game or interactive storytelling.
    Will you find action? No. Will you find (a lot of) dialog? Yes.
    This game (and genre) is not sold as action or gameplay which requires skills (i mean, fast response time), if you expect something like that, this is not for you. So let's review the game by what it is. From    Do not trust bad reviews (review bombing). Attention, this is a narrative-driven game or interactive storytelling.
    Will you find action? No. Will you find (a lot of) dialog? Yes.

    This game (and genre) is not sold as action or gameplay which requires skills (i mean, fast response time), if you expect something like that, this is not for you. So let's review the game by what it is.
    From the same studio as Life Is Strange, we see they learned a lot from the previous game. First, the narrative pace is a lot better: the surprises and twists do not as long to occur as they did in LIS. Most cutscenes add up to the story meaningful details. You can choose how deep you will go in the scenario / environment or if you would prefer a more fast narrative (doing only the necessary to progress in game).

    Just from the beggining (frst scene), we see the story will revolve around the two brothers overcoming their mom's death trauma by trying to revive these memories. From the first episode (the only release yet), it's soon to judge character development and script, but so far they have been very well done.
    Character's personalities are very defined and clear in their actions. Their motivations are also not hollow, there are not "villains versus heroes", but people with different perspectives and believes.    … Expand
  25. PipaDm
    Sep 11, 2020
    9
    Historia interesante. Buena duración. Gráficos aceptables. Rendimiento correcto.
    Para jugar unas 9 o 10 horas interesantes sin que se haga muy pesado. Muy buenas horas me pase jugando. Le pondría un 8.50 si se pudiera.
  26. Crystal_Magnus
    Oct 10, 2020
    9
    Really good game, the story really drag you into it but it's a little slow at some point. Like in the first episode but it make sense because we need to let the story take place and in the beginning of the third episode who didn't really felt useful for the mystery.
    Talking of mystery, you always want to know more and explore, even the puzzles who aren't a lot, are really nice and really    Really good game, the story really drag you into it but it's a little slow at some point. Like in the first episode but it make sense because we need to let the story take place and in the beginning of the third episode who didn't really felt useful for the mystery.
    Talking of mystery, you always want to know more and explore, even the puzzles who aren't a lot, are really nice and really well made, you just jump into it and before you realise it you already have the answers. I'm not a puzzle person at all and I would wish to had maybe 2 or 3 more in the game.
    Every character are interesting, you get really attached to the main characters and the romance option is fitting nicely and come slow enough for a game in three episode. The chemestry of the characters is really credible.
    And finally, all the story feel really credible, you feel like it was thought a lot in every reactions of the characters where you can choose between be angry or understanding whitch feel really credible for someone who would have lived those traumas.
    Every environnement have a different set ambiance to it and well made.
    Every decision you make impact the ending, there is 3 or 4 different, and the final choose in every Dontnod game who I felt wasn't really usefull this time but it's just me and I really liked the fact that my first game, I had the ending that I wanted and I was satisfied with the ending.
    I feel like some slow part of the game could have been cut a little more and have some development for the ending because you understand what happened but you don't really see all of it and I would like that.
    Conclusion : this the last game of Dontnod who made awesomes games so far and I really enjoyed every single one of them and this one, even if it's is shorter, have nothing to feel ashamed of, it's a beautiful and cute story about two kids who was unlucky and deserved better so buy it, play it and love it, you won't regret it.    … Expand
  27. Dake_wo_miteru
    Jul 25, 2022
    9
    It's not the best interactive movie game, but it's definitely good one. Story is interesting and intriguing, though don't expect something extraordinary. Simple story that works. It has lack of choice variety, and consequences for those choices are sosometimes are weird. Transphobic themes are mostly annoying in this game, cause instead of showing real issues characters mostly complain howIt's not the best interactive movie game, but it's definitely good one. Story is interesting and intriguing, though don't expect something extraordinary. Simple story that works. It has lack of choice variety, and consequences for those choices are sosometimes are weird. Transphobic themes are mostly annoying in this game, cause instead of showing real issues characters mostly complain how someone elsewhere doesn't treat trans people well. Missed opportunity. But it's used well for main plot, liked how they implemented it for the story. Ending is good. Really good. Nothing epic, but it really gives some food for thought, pointing that our memories, our perception of other people are too subjective and sometimes lead to great mistakes. I can recommend it, though it's sometimes too slow.… Expand
  28. NicoNofx
    Jan 16, 2022
    8
    Fantastic graphics, voice acting, and most importantly, story. It was emotionally draining at times, but a very good story. Ran through all three chapters in one day. Well worth the time and money.

    I see several people commenting on this being and LGBT game/story, and while that is definitely an aspect of the story (especially in the first chapter), the game is much more than that. At    Fantastic graphics, voice acting, and most importantly, story. It was emotionally draining at times, but a very good story. Ran through all three chapters in one day. Well worth the time and money.

    I see several people commenting on this being and LGBT game/story, and while that is definitely an aspect of the story (especially in the first chapter), the game is much more than that. At its heart, it's a mystery plain and simple.    … Expand
  29. TheMegaGodz
    Jan 21, 2021
    8
    A very good mystery story with a little hint of sci-fi. A lot of the major plot points are fairly predictable, but that doesn't prevent it from being enjoyable. If you liked Dontnod's Life is Strange series, you'll more than likely enjoy Tell Me Why as well.
  30. Volkhva
    Oct 17, 2020
    8
    Good, touching story that made me cry a few times. Beautiful enviro. Great voiceacting. Good job Dontnod!
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Awards & Rankings

41
#41 Most Discussed PC Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 34 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 34
  3. Negative: 0 out of 34
  1. RPG Fan
    Jun 27, 2022
    79
    Tell Me Why is kind of a fascinating experience. It feels personal and down-to-earth, even if it can at times be a little dull. The struggle of its twin protagonists to come to terms with the death of their troubled mother is relatable, even if the game never definitively answers their questions about her. Tyler’s experiences as a trans man feel genuine, and the game treats him with respect, even though it also capitalizes on his trauma to move the plot along. In the end, memories can only reveal so much, particularly when they conflict with someone else’s, and the only peace you can really have is the peace you choose to make for yourself.
    Read full review
  2. Adventure Gamers
    Feb 16, 2021
    80
    What it lacks in its limited characters and locations, Tell Me Why makes up with a personal, intimate narrative that nicely captures the essence of everyday life and offers a much-needed examination of the human condition, all wrapped in a beautiful presentation in true DONTNOD style.
    Read full review
  3. CD-Action
    Nov 16, 2020
    70
    It’s still good old Dontnod but Tell Me Why falls short of the studio’s previous achievements. Outdated engine aside, the game lacks interesting interactions or a relationship as powerful as Chloe’s and Max’s friendship in Life is Strange. Its simple story is quite linear and fails to surprise, and supporting characters are rather bland. [11/2020, p.62]
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