Emily is Away
- November 20, 2015
- Kyle Seeley
- 4h median play time
Get on Steam"Emily is Away" is a narrative-driven chat-bot game set in the AOL Instant Messenger era of the early 2000s. Players create a screenname and interact with Emily, a high school friend, through a series of branching dialogues. The game features nostalgic elements such as buddy icons, profiles, and away messages, as well as computer sounds from the time period. It spans five years of the characters' lives with multiple endings decided by the player's dialogue choices.
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Reviews
- story3,937 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story of "Emily is Away" is a poignant and nostalgic exploration of friendship, love, and the complexities of growing apart over time, set against the backdrop of early 2000s instant messaging. Players navigate through a series of text-based conversations with Emily, making choices that influence dialogue but ultimately lead to a linear narrative with a bittersweet ending. While the game effectively captures the emotional weight of its themes, many players express disappointment over the lack of significant branching paths and the inevitability of the outcome, making it feel more like a guided story than a truly interactive experience.
“Despite the play time being around a half hour, there is so much story to explore.”
“Relatable story: the game’s story of friendship, romance, and growing up is heartfelt and nostalgic, especially for players who remember early 2000s chat culture.”
“Emily is Away is a heartfelt story about someone who is afraid.”
“It isn't satisfying nor does it wrap up the story :(”
“The story is incredibly boring and cliché, lacking the depth and originality I was hoping for.”
“The story is short and not that great.”
- emotional1,459 mentions
- 99 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of "Emily is Away" is widely praised for its ability to evoke deep feelings of nostalgia, heartbreak, and relatability. Players often describe the game as a poignant exploration of friendship, love, and the complexities of growing up, with many noting that it resonates strongly with their own experiences of unrequited love and emotional turmoil. The minimalist format, combined with the impactful dialogue and nostalgic setting, creates a powerful emotional journey that leaves a lasting impression, often resulting in tears and reflection on personal relationships.
“Emily is Away is a very emotional, and oddly devastating, game.”
“The game explores the evolution of a friendship (and maybe something more) through a series of conversations over five years, and it does so with a surprising amount of emotional depth for such a minimalist format.”
“This game is a must-play for anyone seeking a poignant and heartwarming trip down memory lane, filled with moments of self-discovery and personal reflection.”
“The fact that Emily's personality is unpleasant creates a really boring storyline.”
“Was expecting something great but ended up getting a boring story that didn't make me feel anything but a desire for it to finish quicker.”
“Boring storyline, not many ways to change the path of Emily's thinking.”
- gameplay513 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Emily is Away" is primarily focused on a typing mechanic where players select dialogue options and then simulate typing their responses, which can become tedious over time. While the game offers a nostalgic experience reminiscent of early internet messaging, many players find the limited interactivity and linear progression unsatisfying, as choices often lead to similar outcomes with little impact on the story. Overall, the gameplay is simple and minimalistic, appealing mainly to those who prioritize narrative over traditional gaming mechanics.
“The gameplay is simple yet touching, as you have to make choices in conversations that can affect your relationship with these characters.”
“The mechanics of selecting one reply, typing it, and then erasing and rewriting all or part is also super relatable, and a really interesting way to explore interpersonal interactions.”
“The gameplay is very simple and straightforward, but that's all it required.”
“It's definitely worth your time if you're alright with a game that solely focuses on story with little to no gameplay at all.”
“However, the execution was so lacking that the themes got lost in the weak gameplay and writing.”
“The gameplay simply doesn't match up to the message it tries to convey.”
- graphics363 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Emily is Away" are characterized by a nostalgic, minimalist aesthetic that effectively captures the early 2000s instant messaging vibe, reminiscent of Windows XP and AOL. While many players appreciate the charming pixel art and sound design for evoking fond memories, some criticize the simplicity and lack of detail, suggesting that the graphics serve more as a backdrop to the story rather than a focal point. Overall, the visuals are seen as a key element in creating an immersive experience, particularly for those who resonate with the era's culture.
“The minimalist graphics and fitting soundtrack enhance the atmosphere, making it a pleasant, immersive experience.”
“The retro-inspired interface, complete with pixelated graphics and familiar chat windows, instantly transports players back to a simpler time when emoticons and away messages were the norm.”
“It's a fun little game with a wonderful story and graphics that scream 'early 2000s'.”
“You can remove your graphics card and still play this game.”
“This e-book is presented as a mildly interactive Windows XP/AOL chat, only with worse graphics than the actual Windows XP desktop of the time.”
“The graphics are like a parody of Windows XP, so it brings back some nostalgic, laggy memories... despite the simple graphics and gameplay, it still manages to make the player want to keep playing.”
- humor346 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The humor in "Emily is Away" is characterized by a mix of nostalgic references, funny dialogue, and clever easter eggs, particularly tied to unlockable icons and achievements. Players find the interactions both awkwardly relatable and amusing, often leading to laughter through the game's ironic and sometimes sad narrative. Overall, the humor serves as a lighthearted counterbalance to the game's more serious themes, making it an enjoyable experience for many.
“It's awkward, funny, and very teenage, in the best way possible.”
“The conversations based on the different achievements you can unlock were funny and clever.”
“The john cena achievement is pretty damn funny though.”
“Not funny, smart, or entertaining in any kind of way.”
“It's not funny and it's not exciting and it's not going to leave you with a fuzzy warm feeling, but it's very honest and true.”
“It's like being purposely awkward for the sake of irony, but it's unfunny and actually awkward.”
- music314 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music aspect of the game is a blend of nostalgia and minimalism, with many players appreciating the references to early 2000s music and culture, even though the game itself lacks a traditional soundtrack. Instead, it features sound effects reminiscent of Windows XP and allows players to immerse themselves in their own music while playing, enhancing the emotional experience. Overall, the game's ability to evoke memories through music references and character interactions resonates strongly with those who grew up during that era.
“The game's soundtrack, composed of nostalgic tunes from the era, adds to the immersion, enhancing the emotional impact of key moments.”
“The soundtrack not only enhances the nostalgic aspect but also reinforces the feelings of nostalgia and melancholy that come with reminiscing about the past.”
“With its interactive storytelling, authentic characters, evocative soundtrack, and heartfelt exploration of virtual connections, it's a game that captures the essence of a bygone era.”
“The game has no soundtrack, just some clicking noises and typing sounds, which makes it feel empty.”
“Emily has a terrible taste in music, and it really detracts from the experience.”
“There's no music in the game, which feels strange given the nostalgic setting.”
- replayability209 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 22 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players noting that while it offers multiple choices and endings, the overall impact of those choices is often minimal, leading to a sense of repetitiveness. Some players find it enjoyable enough for a few playthroughs to explore different dialogue options, while others criticize it for lacking meaningful variation and ultimately having little to no replay value. Overall, it seems to provide a short, engaging experience but may not hold players' interest for multiple runs.
“Extremely replayable, and I can't wait to replay it.”
“The branching paths and multiple endings add replayability, allowing players to explore different choices and outcomes.”
“It's short, it's replayable, cozy, and a nice little game for an enjoyable experience.”
“The game is generic and repetitive; it has 0 replay value.”
“The game has only 1 ending no matter what you do, so in short terms, the game has nothing to offer in terms of replayability.”
“Your choices don't matter, and there ain't much replay value to it.”
- grinding66 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 74 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and repetitive, with many players feeling that it requires excessive effort to achieve completion. Users frequently mention the need for a "second life" to endure the grinding, describing the experience as boring and cumbersome, particularly due to the mechanics that force players to repeatedly type or click through dialogue. While some acknowledge the game's interesting story, the overall sentiment is that the grinding detracts significantly from the enjoyment.
“A bit grindy sometimes.”
“Minimal grinding.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“After I finished the story and realized the game had more achievements, the solution I was given was to go through the first section or year of the story again and again until I completed them all, which was extremely tedious and boring, and made me almost forget how interesting the story of the game was to begin with.”
“While at first it may seem interesting, once you begin to play, you start to see that the interactive fiction in front of you is really a bunch of non-options presented in a really tedious manner.”
- atmosphere63 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its nostalgic and immersive qualities, effectively capturing the essence of early 2000s internet culture through minimalist graphics, sound effects, and a fitting soundtrack. Players appreciate the attention to detail that evokes memories of old messaging platforms, enhancing the emotional connection to the storyline. However, some critiques mention that the linearity of the narrative can detract from the overall atmospheric experience.
“The carefully crafted sound effects succeed in creating a realistic atmosphere, further enhancing the player's connection to the story.”
“The atmosphere was the highlight of the game, doing its best to fully immerse us in this nostalgic place we all experienced at one point or another.”
“It does a fantastic job at making players feel as if they're in the 90s-early 2000s, with sounds in the background such as your keyboard as you type along with the computer, helping the game feel much more atmospheric.”
“Even if it's a free game, it fails miserably in building up an atmosphere where you really feel in control of your choices.”
“Both you and Emily end up talking occasionally after high school as the story happens during college, and the tension between you and Emily is not only ridiculously cliché but the fact that by the end it's criminally linear completely kills the atmosphere of a tense story I was so excited for.”
“The atmosphere does make the interactive experience engaging; while I'm not one to 'remember the days' when XP AOL messaging was commonplace, I felt it strongly from the setup.”
- character development34 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 24 % negative mentions
Character development in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its emotional depth and well-written relationships, while others criticize it for being shallow and lacking meaningful growth. Many players express a desire for more substantial character arcs and impactful choices, suggesting that the game could benefit from deeper storytelling. Overall, while some find the character development engaging, others feel it falls short, leaving a sense of missed potential.
“The heart of 'Emily is Away' lies in its storytelling and character development.”
“It has great character development, especially for having no visuals of said characters.”
“I really enjoy this game; the story is rich, the character development is progressive. I was hooked from start to finish.”
“Because the game doesn't allow you to have any moments that allow crucial character development.”
“However, I have to say that in the way of character development, the game seems rather lacking.”
“No character development whatsoever, no lovable characters; interesting concept, but it failed to make me actually enjoy the experience.”
- stability17 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 82 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is mixed, with users reporting various glitches and bugs, particularly with button interactions and mouse functionality. While some players experienced significant issues like freezing and login problems, others noted that the game runs smoothly with only minor glitches that do not detract from the overall experience. Despite these inconsistencies, many players found the game enjoyable and well-polished.
“Also, it runs great, no lag, and it's just awesome!”
“Runs great.”
“The only bad thing is that my game always glitches when I turn it on, and I have to move my mouse to the icon right next to it to click the correct one.”
“Keeps bugging in login hanging and everything; I can't play the game because it freezes and bugs.”
“Very specific options glitch out because they hit the max character limit at the lane, so if you have something perfectly typed in, the last letter you typed glitches between lanes while waiting to be sent.”
- optimization8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
Overall, the optimization of the game received mixed reviews. While some users praised its stable performance and low system requirements, others criticized the graphics quality and reported issues with stuttering, indicating that optimization could be improved.
“Had no performance issues or crashes either.”
“Requirements are super low and performance is as stable as you can expect.”
“I noticed there were so many optimizations on this, it ran super smooth.”
“☐ unoptimized”
“The game does not know why they became so enthralled by stuttering comments.”
“>optimization=2”
- monetization5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game is praised for being completely free with no microtransactions, making it accessible to all players. While some reviewers acknowledge the need for developers to monetize their work, they express that adding cosmetic microtransactions would feel unnecessary and detract from the experience. Overall, the absence of monetization is seen as a positive aspect that enhances player engagement.
“This is a free game with no microtransactions at all, so everyone should try it. There is no reason to have reviews for it, which is ironic because this is a review.”
“It held my interest for a few play-throughs, and for a free game without microtransactions, that's pretty good.”
“Of course developing games costs money and developers have to make their money somehow, but adding cosmetics into a free-to-play game like this with microtransactions feels ridiculous.”
“However, you have absolutely no control over the outcome of the game, despite it advertising that you can.”
“I love how you can see the message he is going to send and then he changes it; it adds a lot of misery and bad decisions.”
