Departed Away

About

Departed Away is a single player casual role playing game. It was developed by Alperen Torun and was released on January 29, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

"Departed Away" is a narrative-driven game about a high school student who becomes the target of blame for a misunderstanding on their first day. Struggling to survive in a hostile environment, the player must navigate the school's secrets and conflicts while dealing with a complicated family situation. The game is currently in development with Turkish, Japanese, and Chinese translations in progress.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

90%

Audience ScoreBased on 108 reviews

story28 positive mentions

atmosphere3 negative mentions

Departed Away features beautiful pixel art and a captivating soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
The game offers a unique narrative that explores themes of mental illness and personal trauma, providing depth to the characters and story.
As a first visual novel from a solo developer, it shows great potential and creativity, with engaging character interactions and multiple endings.

The lack of a skip button for previously read dialogue makes replaying the game tedious and frustrating for players seeking to explore different endings.
The writing can feel immature and contains numerous typos, which detracts from the overall immersion and quality of the story.
Many plot points and character arcs feel unresolved or underdeveloped, leaving players wanting more depth and closure in the narrative.

story
80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
61%
4%
The game's story is a nuanced exploration of trauma, misunderstanding, and resilience, set against the backdrop of a new school environment. Players navigate emotional complexities through dialogue choices that shape relationships, revealing deeper layers of human behavior and psychological tension. While some find the narrative rich and engaging, others note that certain plot elements feel incomplete or overshadowed by filler content, suggesting a need for further development to fully realize its potential.
- “Set primarily in the halls of a new school, the story follows a young protagonist whose transfer marks not just a change in scenery but the beginning of a series of emotional upheavals.”
- “The story’s premise seems simple, but beneath it lies a layered study of human behavior.”
- “It is a story about misunderstanding—but also about resilience and the slow, uncertain process of healing.”
- “My biggest criticisms though are to do with the story; it feels a bit unfinished. There are a couple of areas where you're hit by a game over screen, where I was kind of hoping for an alternate path in the story, and it just feels like there could have been a bit more to it.”
- “Even though most of the game happens in the school, your interactions with the characters there are extremely superficial and they don't contribute anything to the narrative of the story.”
- “The rest of the characters receive nothing of development, nor a fleshed out backstory.”
graphics
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
30%
12%
The game's graphics feature a striking minimalist pixel art style that effectively conveys emotion and atmosphere, reminiscent of classic Nintendo DS titles. Reviewers praise the art for its beauty, creativity, and ability to evoke nostalgia while maintaining a unique charm, with many expressing a desire for more games to adopt this refreshing aesthetic. Overall, the visuals are described as colorful, detailed, and well-suited to the game's narrative, earning high ratings from players.
- “Visually, the game embraces a minimalist pixel art style that complements its emotional restraint.”
- “The game's aesthetic is simple yet detailed, and it pops so much more than most games of this genre.”
- “Its nostalgic aesthetic feels like a throwback to the Nintendo DS, yet it unsettles me through clever design choices.”
- “I really liked the artwork and design; I felt like it was inspired by DDLC, and I realized while playing that there are a lot of things that could be improved and made better, but these are small details.”
- “Although the art is amazing, it's been a while since I've been this impressed by a pixel art style, and the developer is really open to feedback, which is also really good.”
music
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
22%
13%
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the emotional tone and complement the whimsical art style, with many reviewers noting its catchy and fitting soundtracks. While some tracks draw inspiration from notable games like Doki Doki Literature Club and Undertale, they maintain a unique identity that contributes to the overall atmosphere. However, there are occasional issues with abrupt music cuts during gameplay, which can disrupt the experience.
- “The music in it fits perfectly with the vibe the game gives off.”
- “The fun music and the pixel artwork give it a very whimsical feeling.”
- “This game is clearly inspired by DDLC, with some of the music tracks sounding like they were modeled after the ones Toby Fox composed for Undertale, but somehow managed to be the complete opposite of those two games.”
- “However, there were some parts of the game where the music abruptly cuts off if you take too long to get through the text.”
- “The subdued palette and simplistic backgrounds serve as an understated backdrop to the dialogue, allowing the words and the music to guide the emotional tone.”
emotional
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game "Departed Away" excels in its emotional depth, exploring themes of adolescence, family dysfunction, and personal identity through a relatable protagonist navigating a new school environment. Players shape relationships and emotional outcomes through dialogue choices, leading to a range of experiences from tender connections to poignant tragedies. Its minimalist pixel art and subdued visuals enhance the emotional authenticity, making each playthrough feel uniquely personal and resonant.
- “Set primarily in the halls of a new school, the story follows a young protagonist whose transfer marks not just a change in scenery but the beginning of a series of emotional upheavals.”
- “Through choices in dialogue and tone, the player can shape relationships that range from tender to hostile, with every decision subtly shifting the story’s emotional center.”
- “What truly elevates Departed Away is its emotional authenticity.”
gameplay
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The gameplay is primarily focused on narrative and dialogue, emphasizing emotional and internal experiences over traditional mechanics, which appeals to fans of literary storytelling. While it includes choices that affect the storyline and features some mini-games, the reliance on repetitive actions may not engage all players. Overall, the game is described as a visual novel with a mix of interesting elements, though some users note it feels incomplete.
- “It is clear that the developer prioritized narrative immersion over mechanical innovation, and this decision pays off for those who appreciate literary storytelling in interactive form.”
- “A nice, goofy horror story with some great music, cool art, and interesting gameplay mechanics.”
- “The game has several choices, which determine the route you will follow, and even features sections of 'gameplay minigames.' Simply spamming enter for 45 minutes to see a route is not something everyone will do.”
- “But the game is also fairly incomplete, both in terms of story and gameplay. Although the last part is inconsequential, the developer fixes and adds stuff really quickly.”
- “The game’s focus on dialogue and narrative progression, rather than interactive mechanics or mini-games, reinforces the idea that the real action takes place internally—in thoughts, in emotions, in the spaces between words.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The game's atmosphere is a blend of simplicity and depth, effectively reflecting the protagonist's isolation within a confined school setting, enhanced by a poignant sound design that evokes melancholy and introspection. While some players appreciate the lighthearted and cheesy vibes reminiscent of indie visual novels, others find the tonal shifts between humor and seriousness to be inconsistent. Overall, the atmosphere is praised for its strong storytelling and engaging visuals, contributing to a compelling experience.
- “At first sight, I didn't think Departed Away was going to be a good game, but then I played it; good graphics, storytelling, and atmosphere in general.”
- “While the limited visual variety might seem restrictive to players accustomed to more elaborate productions, the simplicity becomes a strength here, reflecting the protagonist’s isolation and the confined atmosphere of the school.”
- “The sound design adds a layer of melancholy and atmosphere, underscoring the game’s tone of uncertainty and introspection.”
- “Right from the start, the atmosphere is top-notch—reminiscent of Doki Doki Literature Club (DDLC), from which the game clearly draws inspiration.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as a mix of goofy and satirical elements, with some players finding it hit-or-miss. While it may not always land, the balance between humor and creepiness is praised, contributing to a unique and engaging experience. Overall, the game's quirky atmosphere, art style, and references enhance its comedic appeal.
- “I expected the game to be more serious, and while I didn't find the humor landing all the time, the goofy atmosphere and an occasional chuckle are nice as well.”
- “This game does an absolutely masterful job of balancing its humor and its creepiness.”
- “If you want a soulful, funny, and unsettling indie VN experience, you definitely cannot go wrong here.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
Character development is highlighted through unique and visually appealing designs, such as a character whose hair reflects her artistic nature. However, there is some confusion regarding the use of English names for characters in a Japanese setting, which detracts from the immersion. Overall, the pixel art style is praised for its refreshing take on character and environment design in indie visual novels.
- “I love the character designs; one of the girls is an artist, and her hair colors are like a palette.”
- “I'd love to see more indie visual novels adopt this pixel art style of character design and environments in the future; it was very refreshing.”
- “Our character (I will refer to him as MC after this) starts going to a new school. We can clearly tell based on the world-building and character designs that our character is in a Japanese school, so please explain to me why the characters all have English names except for two of them?”