Dear Mom
- December 26, 2020
- ethos
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io StoreA short narrative adventure about mom, which will leave you with unforgettable incredible emotions about your mom.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game delivers a touching and emotional experience that resonates with players who have a relationship with their mothers.
- The graphics and music are well done, contributing to the overall atmosphere and aesthetic of the game.
- It offers a straightforward gameplay experience with easily obtainable achievements, making it accessible for casual players.
- The game is very short, lasting around 15-20 minutes, which may leave players wanting more and feeling underwhelmed.
- There are significant technical issues, including a lack of customization options and minor bugs that detract from the experience.
- The use of potentially uncredited assets raises concerns about the game's originality and quality, leading some to view it as an asset flip.
- emotional9 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is widely praised for its emotional depth, resonating particularly with players who have experienced loss, especially of a mother. Its poetic narration and touching music enhance the heartfelt experience, making it a moving journey despite some rough edges. Overall, it is described as a beautifully crafted game that effectively evokes strong emotions and personal reflections.
“This is a very touching game that talks about real things that everyone with a mom can relate to.”
“This is a walking simulator with a heart and for anyone who has loved and lost their mother, it will strike a deep emotional chord.”
“And emotional as I am, dear mom gave me a little tear.”
- story8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's story is criticized for its simplicity and lack of depth, often reducing to a basic emotional premise, while some players appreciate its heartfelt message. However, the short length of the narrative makes it difficult for players to fully connect with the characters and their experiences, leading to mixed feelings about its overall impact.
“The story and especially the message behind it is great!”
“Dear mom is not a story, it is an experience.”
“Good, but extremely short story”
“Unfortunately, the story never gets any deeper than 'I love you, Mom.'”
“It struggled to establish its characters and tell their story.”
“Dear Mom is not a story; it is an experience.”
- graphics7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics received mixed reviews, with some praising the wonderful visuals and animations, while others noted limitations such as a lack of resolution options and occasional navigation hiccups. The interiors were described as having an oddness, but the general quality was considered decent.
“Graphics and controls are good.”
“Dear Mom has wonderful graphics and animations.”
“There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks.”
“The graphics were decent, but navigating the world had some strange hiccups.”
- gameplay4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The gameplay primarily involves exploring the grounds of a former estate as a child, resembling a walking simulator with straightforward mechanics and limited interactive elements. Players can expect a focus on exploration rather than complex gameplay challenges.
“I was expecting a walking simulator (meaning that there wouldn't be much actual 'gameplay'), and for the most part, I got what I expected.”
“Gameplay entails you being the child and walking through the grounds of your former estate and home.”
“I was expecting a walking simulator (meaning that there wouldn't be much actual 'gameplay'), and for the most part I got what I expected.”
“Straightforward gameplay.”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The music in the game is praised for its beauty and emotional depth, effectively conveying a poignant message about expressing love and appreciation. Reviewers highlight the quality of the compositions, voice acting, and the overall poetic nature of the soundtrack, noting successful examples from various projects.
“The art and music are beautifully done, conveying a deep message about telling those we love how important they are while we can.”
“I found it beautifully poetic and enjoyed the music as well as the voice acting.”
“And not to forget the touching music and the sensitive voice.”
“The music feels repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“The soundtrack doesn't match the game's atmosphere, resulting in a disjointed experience.”
“The audio quality is subpar, which detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally solid, with smooth performance reported by most users, though some experienced occasional hangs that were not significantly disruptive.
“I experienced an occasional hang, but the game did run smoothly overall, so this wasn't a nuisance.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate concerns about the monetization strategy, suggesting that while there is no definitive evidence of exploitation, the game's quality resembles that of asset flips or cash grabs, raising doubts about its value and integrity.
“There's no evidence, so we need to give the benefit of the doubt... regardless, asset flip or not, the quality here is indistinguishable from many asset flip/cash grab scams, and that's a problem in itself.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users report that the game experiences occasional glitches, indicating some stability issues.
“As might be expected, there were a few glitches.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable.”
“I experienced constant lag and frame drops, which ruined the immersion.”
