Emily is Away
- November 20, 2015
- Kyle Seeley
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
- The game evokes strong nostalgia with its Windows XP interface and instant messaging format, making it a relatable experience for those who grew up in the early 2000s.
- Despite its short length, the game offers an emotionally engaging story that resonates with players, often leading to a heartfelt connection with the characters.
- It's a free game that provides a unique interactive experience, allowing players to make choices that affect the dialogue and outcomes, even if the overall ending remains the same.
- The game is very short, typically taking only about 30 minutes to complete, which may leave players wanting more content and depth.
- Many players feel frustrated by the lack of meaningful choices, as the game ultimately leads to the same disappointing ending regardless of the decisions made.
- The emotional weight of the story can be overwhelming, with some players expressing feelings of sadness and frustration due to the friendzone theme and the character's emotional baggage.
- story41 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally well-received for its emotional depth and relatability, though many players find it too short, often completing it in around 30 minutes. While the narrative is engaging and presented through a unique instant messaging format, some reviewers note that it can feel anticlimactic and lacks meaningful player agency, leading to a linear experience regardless of choices made. Overall, it offers a poignant, if brief, exploration of themes like love and loss, leaving players with a mix of satisfaction and a desire for more content.
“Great game with a surprisingly emotionally engaging story for such a simple concept.”
“This game tells the story in a really interesting way, everything through the instant messenger app, where all information you find of the world can only come from your chat with Emily, or from the profile descriptions all the characters might write for themselves.”
“I recommend it for anyone that loves good storylines.”
“The story wasn't very well done, and [spoiler] it always ends the same poor way[/spoiler].”
“It's an incredibly short 'story' that leaves you with an empty feeling at the end, and when I say empty, I mean more like pointless.”
“After several playthroughs with vastly different choices, the actual story always stays linear and on the same track, no matter how hard you try to derail it by being destructive or nice to the deuteragonist Emily.”
- emotional12 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of *Emily is Away* resonates deeply with players, evoking nostalgia and personal reflections on friendships and heartbreak through its simple yet impactful storytelling via internet chat messages. Many reviewers noted the game's ability to create a strong emotional investment in the characters, leading to feelings of sadness and empathy, despite its straightforward concept. Overall, it is described as a heart-wrenching experience that captures the complexities of teenage relationships and emotional struggles.
“A heart-breakingly beautiful game.”
“Great game with a surprisingly emotionally engaging story for such a simple concept.”
“After the 28 minutes I spent playing the game for the first time, I felt much more emotionally invested in Emily and her relationship with my character than I expected when I started, so much so that I teared up a little at the end.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the varied decisions and multiple endings that encourage multiple playthroughs, others find the lack of meaningful choices and the overall experience to be limiting. Some enjoy the game enough to return for additional runs, but others feel it lacks long-term value, leading to a sense of frustration rather than fulfillment.
“I'm about to go dive right back in for my second playthrough - the decisions offered in-game feel varied and important enough to make replayability high with this one.”
“I want to recommend it because the achievements and easter eggs make this game really easy to complete and replayable.”
“There's no way to win, making this game one with no replay value and... kind of just depressing and heartbreaking.”
“It's great for the amazing 30-minute experience it is, but it has very little replay value.”
“With its multiple branches and endings, it certainly has replay value, and can keep you playing for an hour or two, but it lacks in meaningful choices.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the humor in the game to be a standout feature, highlighting specific moments and achievements that elicited genuine laughter, particularly the clever use of Easter eggs and references like the John Cena achievement. Overall, the humor adds a delightful layer to the short gameplay experience.
“Also that part where [removed because of spoiler] was hilarious.”
“The achievements were a nice touch, and I genuinely burst out laughing at the [spoiler] John Cena [spoiler] one.”
“A pretty nice short game with funny Easter eggs.”
- gameplay2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The gameplay is notably brief, lasting around 30 minutes, and centers on a nostalgic theme of online communication; however, players find that it limits effective interaction, leading to a somewhat ironic experience.
“The gameplay is very quick, allowing for about 30 minutes of engaging playtime.”
“I find it ironic that the gameplay is built around a nostalgic recreation of online communication, yet it only really allows for poor communication.”
“Ironic, I suppose, that the gameplay is built around a nostalgic recreation of online communication, but it only really allows poor communication.”
“Very quick (30 minutes of gameplay).”
- music2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The music in the game evokes a strong sense of nostalgia, reminiscent of early 2000s emo tunes, which complements the visuals and enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate how the soundtrack sets the mood for engaging conversations with the character, adding depth to the gameplay.
“The music takes you right back to the early 2000s, the visuals look like they are from that time, and the Emily character is a good conversational partner. The conversation can take a lot of different directions depending on which of the three options you pick, and the Easter eggs are awesome.”
“The music feels outdated and lacks originality, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“The soundtrack is repetitive and doesn't enhance the gameplay experience.”
“The music choices seem mismatched with the game's theme, detracting from the overall atmosphere.”
- graphics2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The graphics are characterized by a simple yet appealing aesthetic that evokes nostalgia for early computer and internet visuals, complemented by an engaging soundscape and music reminiscent of the early 2000s. The overall presentation effectively enhances the immersive experience, making it a charming throwback.
“The visuals are simple but nice; the sounds and ambience are very intriguing and a superb throwback to the earlier times of computers and the internet.”
“The music takes you right back to the early 2000s, and the visuals look like they are from that time. The conversation can take a lot of different directions depending on which of the three options you pick, and the Easter eggs are awesome.”
“The visuals look like they are from the early 2000s, which is disappointing.”
“The graphics feel outdated and lack the polish expected from modern games.”
“The character models and environments are poorly designed, making the game visually unappealing.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is praised for its nostalgic charm, particularly evoking a sense of history reminiscent of Windows XP.
“I loved the history and the Windows XP atmosphere.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect tedious, particularly due to the repetitive nature of clicking through answers without the option to skip, which prolongs the experience despite their desire to replay the game.
“I kept replaying it over and over, even though it was so tedious to click through all the answers. I really wish I could turn that off because it made playing and replaying take longer than it should have, but alas, there are no different endings.”
“The grinding in this game feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“I found myself stuck in a loop of grinding for resources, which quickly became boring and frustrating.”
