A Story Beside

97%
Game Brain Score Based on 194 reviews
  • story
  • emotional
  • graphics
A Story Beside Game Cover
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"A Story Beside" is a narrative-driven fantasy adventure game where you play as Lyric, an innkeeper in a quiet mountain village, reflecting on a lifetime of memories, friendships, and choices. Your decisions shape Lyric's story, influencing her relationships, appearance, and the village's fate, offering a unique and emotional experience inspired by games like Life is Strange and To the Moon.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

97%
Audience ScoreBased on 194 reviews
story111 positive mentions
replayability3 negative mentions
  • The game features a beautiful and touching story that evokes strong emotions, making players feel deeply connected to the characters.
  • The pixel art and visuals are stunning, creating an enchanting atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
  • The voice acting is lyrical and well-executed, adding depth to the narrative and making the characters feel more alive.
  • The pacing can be slow, with a lot of tedious walking and limited gameplay mechanics, which may lead to feelings of boredom.
  • Some players experienced technical issues, including crashes and lock-ups during dialogue, which can disrupt the immersive experience.
  • The game is more of an interactive story than a traditional game, which may disappoint those looking for more gameplay elements and freedom.
  • story289 mentions

    The story of "A Story Beside" is widely praised for its emotional depth and beautiful writing, capturing the bittersweet journey of the protagonist, Lyric, as she navigates life in a small village. Players appreciate the character-driven narrative that explores themes of family, friendship, and the often-overlooked lives of NPCs in traditional RPGs, though some critique its linearity and lack of gameplay variety. Overall, the storytelling is described as heartfelt and engaging, leaving a lasting impact on players.

    • “This isn't a game, it's a story.”
    • “The story was really bittersweet and made me tear up at times.”
    • “A beautiful story that shows consequences to the choices you make and shows the main character coming to terms with things that are out of her control.”
    • “The plot is ultimately just a series of events without much purpose or cohesion.”
    • “This is a game where the story of an early JRPG like Dragon Warrior or Final Fantasy is clearly going on in the background, but you're never going to engage in anything remotely like combat and nearly all the major events of that story happen off-screen without you.”
    • “I kept waiting for when I was free of the story to do my own thing, but that's all there was.”
  • emotional72 mentions

    The game is widely praised for its deeply emotional storytelling, with many players reporting that it evoked strong feelings, including tears and heartfelt connections to the characters. Reviewers highlight its beautiful narrative about themes such as family, friendship, and loss, often comparing it to other emotionally impactful titles. Overall, it is described as a touching and heartwarming experience that resonates long after playing.

    • “A very sweet and touching little game with an awful lot of heart.”
    • “Such a heartfelt story about family, friendship, and growing old.”
    • “This game emotionally destroyed me, and I loved every minute of it.”
  • graphics29 mentions

    The game's graphics are widely praised for their stunning beauty and charming art style, creating an enchanting atmosphere that enhances the storytelling experience. While some players note the simplicity of the pixelated design, the attention to detail in character and environmental art is highlighted as a significant strength. Overall, the visuals are described as captivating and integral to the game's emotional impact.

    • “The game is aesthetically stunning, and it was relaxing and enjoyable to begin with.”
    • “Delightful graphics, charming characters, and relaxing and incredibly gorgeous music surround a beautifully written narrative that draws a player in from the start.”
    • “This game is utterly gorgeous in graphics and in storyline.”
    • “Even if the art style is extremely pixelated.”
    • “Yes, some of the graphics are part of the basic RPG Maker program.”
    • “Like with World's Dawn, this game is proof that marvelous results can be achieved with storytelling alone, without cutting-edge graphics or an advanced engine.”
  • music25 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its enchanting quality and emotional depth. It complements the stunning visuals and well-crafted narrative, creating an immersive experience that resonates with players. Overall, the soundtrack is described as original, relaxing, and integral to the storytelling, making it a standout feature of the game.

    • “The music and art style along with the storyteller make the atmosphere enchanting.”
    • “Nothing short of a masterpiece, this multi-choice fantasy game is visually and musically stunning, cast with amazing writing and a tear-drawing story that, as an older gamer, gave me all the feels.”
    • “Delightful graphics, charming characters, and relaxing and incredibly gorgeous music surround a beautifully written narrative that draws a player in from the start.”
    • “Most of the time, it's the only screen with a different perspective, with ominous sound effects and lack of music.”
    • “The music in the game made me want to stop playing from time to time and just listen to it.”
    • “The writing of the characters is very well done, you can get a grasp of who they are with just a few lines of dialog and the music complements the environment of the world.”
  • gameplay17 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by its simplicity, primarily involving exploration and interaction with the environment and NPCs, often leading to important story choices. While some players appreciate the intricate storytelling and immersive atmosphere, others find the lack of substantial mechanics and the tedious nature of constant walking detracts from the experience. Overall, the game leans more towards narrative engagement than traditional gameplay elements, making it a unique but polarizing experience for players.

    • “The art, the gameplay, the pacing and the chapters of life - all so intricate and unique.”
    • “The gameplay is simple, but the story is well-developed and thought-provoking.”
    • “Calm, gentle gameplay with beautifully crafted, warm and cozy environments.”
    • “What little bit of game mechanics there are (which aren't many at all) you are railroaded and can only do exactly what they want you to do and nothing else.”
    • “Gameplay-wise, there's a lot of walking in a rather large area, without a map, and I found it a bit tedious.”
    • “While I know this game is early access, there just isn't enough gameplay to justify spending any money on this game.”
  • atmosphere11 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its enchanting combination of beautiful art, atmospheric music, and engaging storytelling, creating a cozy and immersive experience. Players appreciate the meaningful character interactions and the emotional depth of the narrative, which resonates with real-life themes of overcoming hardships. Overall, the atmosphere is described as charming and captivating, making it a standout feature of the game.

    • “Lovely art style and atmospheric music as well!”
    • “The music and art style along with the storyteller make the atmosphere enchanting.”
    • “This game is incredibly charming and atmospheric, and I can already feel myself falling in love with the characters and the village.”
    • “The art is okay, could be better, but the story, atmosphere, and characters certainly make up for it.”
    • “If you appreciate slow-paced narratives with a cozy quality to their atmosphere and an emphasis on player choice, then I suggest you give this game a go.”
    • “It had the same vibe as 'World's Dawn' and everything, similar sounds and just atmosphere.”
  • replayability8 mentions

    Overall, the game offers a solid level of replayability, primarily due to the impactful choices players can make that lead to different outcomes and experiences. Many users express a desire to replay the game to explore alternative story paths and character interactions, although some feel that the satisfaction of the initial playthrough may diminish the urge to replay. The combination of narrative depth and choice-driven gameplay contributes to its replay value, making it worthwhile for those who enjoy exploring various scenarios.

    • “When a game makes you cry and connect with characters and has enough replay value to play it a second or third time just to see what happens, you know it's well worth your time and money.”
    • “This makes the game replayable and refreshing with different choices and scenarios.”
    • “There's definitely some replayability, if you want to make different choices, but I found that when I reached the end, I was simply satisfied with the story that had been told.”
    • “It's a big bummer considering there's a decent amount of exploration and it really hurts the replayability value.”
    • “I think I'll replay this game again after some time to marry someone different, side with different people, etc. There's a decent amount of replayability here just because of the profound effect your choices have.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, primarily due to the slow walking speed and the lack of a map, which makes navigating the large areas feel cumbersome. While it doesn't match the farming and building mechanics of games like Stardew Valley, some appreciate its emotional depth.

    • “There is a lot of tedious walking, and the character moves very slowly.”
    • “Gameplay-wise, there's a lot of walking in a rather large area, without a map, and I found it a bit tedious.”
    • “I was half expecting it to have a similar play style to World's Dawn, but I found the gameplay lacking.”
  • stability1 mentions

    Users report stability issues, specifically noting that the game freezes when the adventurer inquires about any broken items in his cabin.

    • “The game frequently freezes after the adventurer asks if we have broken anything in his cabin.”
    • “I experienced multiple crashes during gameplay, making it nearly impossible to progress.”
    • “The stability issues are frustrating; the game often lags and becomes unresponsive.”
  • character development1 mentions

    While the visuals and character designs are praised for their beauty, there is little mention of depth or growth in character development, suggesting that the aesthetic appeal may overshadow more substantive narrative progression.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

22hMedian play time
22hAverage play time
22-22hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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