Depression Quest
- August 11, 2014
- Isaac Schankler
Get on Steam"Depression Quest" is a text-based game that simulates living with depression, presenting players with everyday challenges to manage while dealing with the illness. The game offers multiple endings and features over 150 unique encounters, with available choices and generated content based on the player's depression levels. The audio and visuals also adjust to reflect the player's emotional state, enhancing the immersive experience.
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Reviews
- The game provides a cathartic experience and helps players understand the complexities of living with depression.
- Many players found the game to be well-written and relatable, capturing their personal experiences with depression accurately.
- It offers valuable insights into mental health, encouraging players to seek therapy and support, which some found to be life-changing.
- The game is criticized for being overly simplistic and not fully exploring the multifaceted nature of depression.
- Some players felt that the gameplay was unengaging, describing it as a mere question and answer session rather than a true game.
- The protagonist's portrayal was seen as stereotypical and overly needy, leading to frustration among some players.
- story8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The story of "Depression Quest" is praised for its emotional depth and accurate reflection of personal experiences with depression, resonating strongly with players. However, some reviewers feel that the narrative could benefit from multiple perspectives to better illustrate the complexity of the illness. Overall, while not designed to be entertaining, the game offers a meaningful exploration of its themes.
“I picked up this game after watching a longform discussion of it by Noah Caldwell-Gervais, in which he shared that Depression Quest accurately reflected his own experiences with depression.”
“It would be better if there was more than one story to come at depression from more than one angle and to illustrate how deep and varied the illness is.”
“It would be better if there was more than one story to approach depression from multiple angles and to illustrate how deep and varied the illness is.”
“I picked up this game after watching a long-form discussion of it by Noah Caldwell-Gervais, in which he shared that Depression Quest accurately reflected his own experiences with depression.”
“However, Depression Quest connected deeply with me on an emotional level, and was well worth my time.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as both hilarious and intentionally bad, with players finding enjoyment in its absurdity and flaws. Despite criticisms of the graphics and character depth, the comedic elements resonate strongly, leading to high overall ratings.
“Oh my god, this is so hilariously bad.”
“Ugh, it's so bad it's funny.”
“Hilarious game, bad graphics, a person who is too much of a wuss to put their life back together, overall 10/10.”
- graphics2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have been criticized as subpar, yet this has not detracted from the overall enjoyment, with players still rating it highly for its humor and engaging gameplay.
“Hilarious game, but the graphics are bad.”
“The graphics are subpar and detract from the overall experience.”
“The visuals are outdated and lack detail, making it hard to immerse in the game.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users found "Depression Quest" to resonate profoundly on an emotional level, highlighting its impactful storytelling and relatability, making it a worthwhile experience.
“However, Depression Quest connected deeply with me on an emotional level, and was well worth my time.”
- music2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised, with users consistently describing it as fantastic.
“The music in this game is fantastic!”
“The music in this game is fantastic!”
