12, Memory Lane

About

12, Memory Lane is a single player action game. It was developed by Forget-Me-Not Studio and was released on December 15, 2025. It received very positive reviews from players.

12, Memory Lane is a first-person narrative mystery where you explore the ever-shifting mansion of Henry Villemaine. Using his fragmented journal and post-it notes, you piece together family memories, restore rooms, and uncover hidden secrets behind his family’s sudden disappearance. The mansion’s changing nature challenges your perception as you delve deeper into the story.

Genres & Tags

Free to Play

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 75 reviews

story24 positive mentions

stability4 negative mentions

The game features a beautifully rendered environment and captivating storytelling that immerses players in a poignant narrative about memory and family.
Puzzles are creatively designed and mostly intuitive, allowing players to engage with the story without feeling overly challenged.
The game is free to play, making it an accessible experience that offers a rich emotional journey in a short playtime.

The game suffers from poor keyboard and mouse support, with controls primarily designed for controllers, leading to a frustrating experience for some players.
There are technical issues such as lag, bugs, and occasional unclear mechanics that can detract from the overall experience.
The game is quite short, leaving some players wishing for a more extended exploration of the story and characters.

story
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
34%
7%
The game's story is widely praised for its emotional depth and originality, revolving around themes of family, tradition, and memory, particularly in the context of dementia. Players appreciate the engaging narrative that encourages them to piece together clues and connect with the characters, despite some finding the ending a bit confusing. Overall, the storytelling is considered the game's strongest aspect, with many expressing a desire for a longer, more fleshed-out experience.
- “If you start you'll want to finish it, the story keeps you interested and has a great attention to detail.”
- “The plot and storytelling are captivating.”
- “The story was original and not easy to predict.”
- “Ok, this game is a very short visual story.”
- “You wander through a house, essentially seeing it through your own faulty memory, trying to piece together the story.”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
The gameplay is characterized as a walking simulator with light puzzle elements, featuring solid mechanics but marred by technical issues such as lag and blurry textures. Players noted that some puzzles were confusing and the house layout lacked coherence, leading to a frustrating experience. Overall, while there are neat aspects to the gameplay, the execution suffers from obscured mechanics and inconsistencies.
- “I found the game mechanics to be solid, providing a good foundation for the gameplay experience.”
- “Some neat gameplay elements really stood out and added to the overall enjoyment.”
- “[*][b]Gameplay:[/b] A walking simulator with light puzzle elements that create an engaging atmosphere.”
- “Little hiccups here and there in the gameplay, along with the house layout not quite making sense in certain areas.”
- “When I saw Unreal Engine, I knew the game would be nearly unplayable on my PC - it was indeed very laggy with lots of grain, textures became extremely blurry after 30 minutes of gameplay, puzzles relied on texture so it became a guessing game instead, and some puzzles made no sense near the end either.”
- “Plus, I hate when games are deliberately obscure about how their mechanics work (i.e. how you're supposed to play the game).”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their quality and attention to detail, effectively capturing an early 2000s aesthetic with low-res textures and muted colors. However, some users have criticized the poor optimization and low graphic settings, particularly on weaker PCs. Overall, the aesthetics are considered top-notch despite these technical issues.
- “Quite short game but there are a lot of details and the graphics are good.”
- “Aesthetics are top-notch.”
- “It captures that specific 'early 2000s' aesthetic—low-res textures and muted colors—that makes everything feel like a half-remembered dream you’re desperately trying to wake up from.”
- “My PC is weak, but I've never seen such poor graphic settings and such bad optimization.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
20%
20%
The music in the game is praised for enhancing the atmosphere, with many users noting its poignant and appropriately atmospheric qualities that support the overall tone without being overpowering. However, there are some minor inconsistencies in the background music and text glitches that detract slightly from the experience.
- “The atmosphere is gorgeous and really pulls you into the game, and the music just adds to the ambiance.”
- “Poignant music and sounds which added to the atmosphere.”
- “Music is good and appropriately atmospheric, supporting the tone of the experience without overpowering it.”
- “Some text glitches in the journal make certain entries harder to read, and there are also minor issues with the background music behaving inconsistently.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its touching and well-scripted narrative, which revolves around a poignant family story intertwined with themes of memory and loss. Players appreciate the balance of engaging puzzles and a heartfelt premise, particularly in *12, memory lane*, where the protagonist grapples with Alzheimer's while uncovering family secrets. Overall, the game's emotional depth is considered its strongest feature.
- “Touching and well scripted with sad undertones.”
- “An emotional premise to *12, Memory Lane* sees a character suffering from Alzheimer's syndrome deducing facts about his family past from various clues in his diary and spread throughout the house in which the game is set.”
- “[*][b]Story:[/b] The game’s strongest aspect overall, delivering an emotional family story built around a simple mystery.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning visuals and immersive music, which effectively enhances the overall experience without being overwhelming. Reviewers highlight how the poignant sounds and music contribute significantly to creating a captivating ambiance that draws players in.
- “The atmosphere is gorgeous and really pulls you into the game, and the music just adds to the ambiance.”
- “Poignant music and sounds which added to the atmosphere.”
- “You managed to achieve an amazing atmosphere!”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is marked by several visual glitches and minor bugs, particularly with keyboard and mouse support, typos, and an inconsistent ending sequence. While these issues can detract from the experience, many players find that they enhance the narrative and overall engagement, making them more tolerable. Additionally, some text glitches and background music inconsistencies have been noted, but they do not significantly hinder gameplay.
- “It kept me hooked the entire ~1.5 hour play time, despite being marred by a few issues: terrible keyboard and mouse support, frequent typos, and a buggy ending sequence.”
- “The game works by phasing parts of the mansion (you are trying to recover your memory), and it can be a little buggy before you have the puzzle solved.”
- “Some text glitches in the journal make certain entries harder to read, and there are also minor issues with the background music behaving inconsistently.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization has been criticized for poor graphic settings and significant performance issues, particularly on weaker PCs. Users report numerous bugs and a lack of compatibility with keyboard and mouse controls, making it nearly unplayable without a controller. Despite these shortcomings, some players appreciate the opportunity to play for free.
- “My PC is weak, but I've never seen such poor graphic settings and such bad optimization.”
- “Even though my experience is somewhat ruined by terrible performance (admittedly my PC's fault), the numerous bugs, and being unplayable without a controller, it's still kind of crazy that I'm playing this for free.”