Dear Mom: My Letter to You

About

Dear Mom: My Letter to You is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Mangoku418 and was released on June 12, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

Dear Mom: My Letter to You is a yuri dating sim that offers a story-rich narrative, taking a slice-of-life approach to the genre to develop a more thorough understanding of character relationships. Role-Playing Game mechanics are introduced to choices you make as a player, heavily influencing the game's story and progression. Just as in real life, relationships are built over a long series of mome…

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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90%

Audience ScoreBased on 10 reviews

emotional9 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

The game offers a heartfelt and emotional narrative that explores themes of grief, healing, and personal growth, making it relatable and impactful.
The character development is well-crafted, with each character having distinct personalities and arcs that contribute to the overall story.
The visual presentation is appealing, featuring a variety of art styles, engaging animations, and a pleasant soundtrack that enhances the gaming experience.

The game includes a poorly handled depiction of sexual assault that detracts from the overall experience and raises concerns about its treatment of sensitive topics.
Some gameplay mechanics, such as stat raising, can feel restrictive and may lead to missed opportunities if players are not aware of the requirements in advance.
While the writing is generally strong, there are moments where character animations and voice acting may not meet the same quality, leading to a less immersive experience.

story
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
72%
14%
The story of "Dear Mom: My Letter to You" follows Ayame, a 17-year-old navigating her return to high school after her mother's death, exploring themes of grief, healing, and forgiveness. The narrative is structured into four main chapters, interspersed with character-driven mini-stories that require players to build relationships through affection points and stat management. While the romance is a secondary element, the story is praised for its nuanced characters and sensitive handling of emotional topics, making it a compelling experience overall.
- “You experience one year of her life in high school, and the story is broken into four main chapters with story beats scattered across each chapter.”
- “The story opens with Ayame going back to school after taking a year off to wallow in her bereavement-induced misery cave, and the reason she has no friends at the start of the game is because, after her mother's death, she fell into such a deep depression she pushed all of her old friends away.”
- “The story is moving, and the themes were handled with sensitivity and care.”
- “This arc of the story kind of put me off of the entire experience.”
- “As for the story itself, it gets quite dark.”
- “The story opens with Ayame going back to school after taking a year off to wallow in her bereavement-induced misery cave, and the reason she has no friends at the start of the game and you need to grind those stats to make yourself more likable to your peers is because, after her mother's death, she fell into such a deep depression she pushed all of her old friends away.”
emotional
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the visual novel is highlighted by its heartfelt storytelling, which seamlessly blends light-hearted moments with poignant themes of loss and friendship. Players report feeling deeply connected to the characters through impactful choices and meaningful conversations, leading to a range of emotions from laughter to tears, particularly in the final chapters. Overall, it is recommended for those who appreciate slice-of-life narratives that explore emotional depth.
- “It's a very sweet and heartfelt visual novel with love and care oozing from every single facet of it, and it's very easy to recommend!”
- “In-between these story beats, which range from a light-hearted trip to the beach to more emotional scenes, such as your grandfather reminiscing with you about your newly deceased mother, you get periods of time where you can choose what you want to do.”
- “Dear Mom may be a game that's easy to overlook and dismiss based on its cover and premise, but underneath the rough edges lies a hidden gem and a heartfelt experience that will make you laugh, make you cry, and surprise you in many ways.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
50%
The music in the game is generally well-received, featuring a broad and pleasant original soundtrack that complements the strong writing and character voice acting, particularly in key scenes. While some players may not focus heavily on the music, it is noted to be fitting and enhances the overall experience, with potential standout tracks that could resonate with listeners.
- “I haven't even touched on how all the characters are voice acted (it's only partial voice acting, but the most important scenes are fully voiced), or how broad the OST is, with so many pleasant songs on there.”
- “The writing is strong overall, and the visual novel is a complete package: strong art, music, some animations, many hours of gameplay (my playthrough was 16 hours), and even a stats building component with interactive maps.”
- “The art is cute, the music is very fitting, the gameplay is fun (who doesn't love choosing which points to level up?), and the writing made me laugh and cry every now and then.”
- “The music is forgettable and doesn't enhance the overall experience of the game.”
- “The soundtrack feels repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “The music choices seem out of place and do not match the tone of the game.”
gameplay
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The gameplay is engaging and enjoyable, featuring a stat-building mechanic that allows players to choose which points to level up, enhancing the overall experience. The combination of cute art, fitting music, and emotional writing further enriches the fun gameplay.
- “I also like the stats building mechanic.”
- “The art is cute, the music is very fitting, the gameplay is fun (who doesn't love choosing which points to level up?), and the writing made me laugh and cry every now and then.”
- “Now again, this game has stat-raising gameplay.”
graphics
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The game's graphics feature a mix of different art styles, including distinct sprites and backgrounds from various artists, yet maintain a cohesive look thanks to a charming and colorful user interface. Character designs are consistent, contributing to a unique and pleasant visual experience that complements the high-quality writing and professional voice acting.
- “There are several different art styles going on here (the sprites are clearly done by a different artist than the CGs, and I think the backgrounds are by 3 or 4 different artists), but it still looks cohesive thanks to the cute, colorful UI (the UI in this game is really nice, by the way), and the character designs are consistent throughout.”
- “The graphics style is unique but pleasant; the voice acting is professional and on-point (and somehow reminds me of the English dub of Persona 5 a lot, which is great).”
- “The graphics are a mixed bag; there are several different art styles at play, with the sprites clearly done by a different artist than the character graphics, and the backgrounds appear to be created by three or four different artists. While the UI is cute and colorful, the inconsistency in art styles detracts from the overall visual experience.”
- “The character designs are consistent, but the overall graphics suffer from a lack of cohesion due to the varying art styles used throughout the game.”
- “While the UI is really nice, the disjointed art styles make the graphics feel unpolished and less immersive.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The character development is enhanced by a cohesive visual presentation, despite the involvement of multiple artists for different elements, with consistent character designs and a charming, colorful user interface that ties everything together.
- “The character development in this game is incredibly rich, with each character having a unique backstory that unfolds beautifully as the game progresses.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the story, making their journeys feel authentic and engaging.”
- “The depth of the characters is impressive; their interactions and growth are well-written and add significant emotional weight to the narrative.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is well-received, with players appreciating the clever writing that elicits both laughter and emotional responses. The cute art and fitting music complement the overall fun gameplay, enhancing the comedic experience.
- “The art is cute, the music is very fitting, the gameplay is fun (who doesn't love choosing which points to level up?), and the writing made me laugh and cry every now and then.”