Carry Onward

About

Carry Onward is a single player casual simulation game with drama and mystery themes. It was developed by Andrey Chudaev and was released on July 21, 2023. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Carry Onward is a narrative gameplay short that follows a grieving man as he packs up his home. Immerse yourself in his thoughts and emotions by interacting with items, which shape his internal state. Experience the transformative power of memories and the hope that arises from embracing change.

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79%

Audience ScoreBased on 29 reviews

story7 positive mentions

Emotional and touching narrative dealing with grief and moving on that resonates with many players.
Well-done voice acting and music enhance the atmosphere and storytelling.
Simple, elegant design and multiple endings encourage replayability despite the short length.

Very short gameplay experience, lasting around 15 to 30 minutes, which some find overpriced for the content.
Minimal and repetitive gameplay mechanics with limited interactivity that may feel detached or unengaging.
Writing and narrative depth are seen as insufficient by some players, lacking strong character development and emotional impact.

story
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
44%
17%
The story of the game is a heartfelt, personal exploration of grief, loss, and moving forward, praised for its emotional depth and well-written narrative. While some feel it could benefit from more character development and a deeper backstory, its multiple playthrough options and evocative voice acting create a moving, elegant experience focused more on storytelling than gameplay. Overall, it is regarded as a touching, short story that resonates with themes of human flaws and motivation through memories.
- “Carry Onward is a beautifully written story about one person's loss and their struggle to 'carry onward' and eventually move forward with their life.”
- “The story you are part of felt very personal, moving, and well written.”
- “The plot and beautiful voice acting create an atmosphere that pulls on your heartstrings.”
- “If I could wave a magic wand and change things, I would've suggested this game spend more time in the oven so it could've developed more of a backstory and the character more of a personality.”
- “But, I like this game, even though I'm not very happy with the story.”
- “I hope this game can be counted on my Steam profile and that there is a next story with longer playtime to make the player have a more emotional feeling while playing the game.”
emotional
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game elicits strong emotional responses for many players, especially through its narrative of loss and grief, with some describing it as touching and heartfelt despite its short length. However, others find the emotional impact lacking due to weak voice acting or writing, resulting in a mixed reception regarding its emotional resonance. Overall, it is seen as a brief but meaningful experience for those attuned to its themes.
- “It's well worth the asking price of $4.99, just know that it's a short game but more importantly, it's an emotional work of art.”
- “Another part I enjoyed was how they wrote our character; his feelings and attachments made me cry a lot, especially due to how he spoke about the good times.”
- “The game, while short, has a very real emotional resonance for someone going through grief.”
gameplay
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
The gameplay is generally viewed as simple, slow, and limited, consisting mainly of walking, object interaction, and exploration, with little mechanical or narrative depth. While it supports the story-driven experience, many find it too basic and short, making it feel more like an interactive narrative than a fully engaging game.
- “Another short game that delivers a pretty powerful message with simple mechanics.”
- “The 'gameplay' consists of walking back and forth, picking up boxes, interacting with objects, and exploring the protagonist's memories with some internal dialogue options.”
- “Good story, decent graphics, kinda slow gameplay but it's clearly meant as a short story game rather than a fleshed-out concept.”
- “The gameplay isn't terribly exciting, so trying to get a different ending ends up mostly being just impatiently going through all the actions again to get to the ending.”
- “I like this game, but it is very short and basic on the gameplay side.”
- “The gameplay consists of walking back and forth, picking up boxes, interacting with objects and exploring the protagonist's memories with some internal dialogue options.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The music in the game is generally praised for its quality and beauty, often enhanced by headphones, and complements the voice acting well. However, some players felt it lacked an emotional connection to the characters, reducing its overall impact.
- “Beautiful music plays in the background, and I highly recommend you play this with headphones.”
- “Voice acting and music really go far for this game.”
- “The music seemed nice, but without an emotional connection to the characters, I just never really got that emotional kick.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its immersive design and emotional narration, enhanced by beautiful voice acting that deeply resonates with players. Even those typically less drawn to atmospheric or emotional titles find themselves captivated by its compelling ambiance.
- “The plot and beautiful voice acting create an atmosphere that pulls on your heartstrings.”
- “I'm not normally one for atmospheric, emotional titles, but something about this really captivated me.”
- “I do like the narration and the design/atmosphere of the game.”
graphics
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The graphics are praised for being impressive, especially considering the single-developer effort, featuring simple yet charming cel-shaded visuals with effective lighting that enhances the atmosphere. While described as decent rather than exceptional, the visuals contribute well to the game's storytelling focus.
- “Music is good, graphics are good for a single developer, and it has no bugs.”
- “Good story, decent graphics, kinda slow gameplay but it's clearly meant as a short story game rather than a fleshed-out concept.”
- “The visuals have a simple, cell-shaded charm to them with stunning lighting; simply turning the light switch on or off gives each room its own unique light or dark look.”