Hindsight

About

"Hindsight" is a single-player arcade game that explores the marvelous and highly emotional story of a woman's life. Players revisit her childhood home and sort through personal belongings, stepping through windows to memories frozen in time. By paying attention to the little things left behind, players piece together memories and shift their viewpoint to pull deeper into the past, ultimately deciding what to take with them and what to leave behind. Fans of narrative exploration games may also enjoy "A Memoir Blue."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

74%

Audience ScoreBased on 70 reviews

story21 positive mentions

atmosphere3 negative mentions

Hindsight offers a beautifully crafted narrative that explores themes of grief, nostalgia, and personal reflection, resonating deeply with players who have experienced loss.
The unique gameplay mechanic of rotating scenes to uncover memories provides an engaging and artistic way to experience the story, enhancing emotional immersion.
The game's visuals and soundtrack are praised for their poetic quality, contributing to a heartfelt atmosphere that complements the narrative.

The gameplay is often criticized for being simplistic and lacking depth, with many players feeling that it resembles a point-and-click experience rather than a traditional game.
Some players found the writing to be clunky or overly sentimental, detracting from the overall impact of the story and making it feel less relatable.
The game is considered short for its price, leading to concerns about its value, especially given the limited interactivity and linear progression.

story
72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
67%
4%
The story in this game is a poignant exploration of grief, identity, and the complexities of familial relationships, particularly between a daughter and her deceased mother. While the narrative is emotionally engaging and beautifully presented through visuals and music, some players found the execution to be somewhat linear and lacking in gameplay depth, leading to moments of frustration. Overall, it resonates deeply with themes of loss and reflection, making it a touching experience for those who appreciate narrative-driven games.
- “Hindsight tells a beautiful story about grief and growing through it.”
- “A touching and heartfelt story about grief and the memories that help us move through it (or make it harder to move on).”
- “The story is artfully told, accompanied by a soundtrack fit for cinema.”
- “The negatives are that the gameplay is virtually non-existent, and the details of the story are rather maudlin. The entire plot, while emotionally engaging to a point, could be summed up with 'communicate more with loved ones', which is not exactly a groundbreaking premise.”
- “I also think the creators of the game meant for it to read like a letter, but it came off feeling long-winded and often had unnecessary sentences that felt like they were just there to fluff up the story.”
- “The story is very linear with no choices of any consequences, which detracts from the overall experience.”
gameplay
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
79%
7%
The gameplay of the game is primarily focused on a unique mechanic that involves rotating the camera to reveal key objects tied to the protagonist's memories, but many players find this approach to be simplistic and repetitive, often feeling more like a chore than engaging gameplay. While the artistic vision and emotional narrative are praised, the clunky controls and lack of depth in gameplay mechanics detract from the overall experience, leading to mixed feelings about its value as a game. Ultimately, it appeals more to those who appreciate narrative-driven experiences rather than traditional gameplay challenges.
- “The main mechanical goal of the game is to find the right angle to reveal the next scene hidden in key objects tied to your memories.”
- “Its core mechanic of diving into objects to explore memories is absorbing and immersive, and the soundtrack is successful at evoking empathy.”
- “The story was a bit slow to become engaging, but the atmosphere/style of the game combined with the core gameplay mechanic kept me interested.”
- “The negatives are that the gameplay is virtually non-existent; you use your mouse to move your view of the scene enough to reveal a hot-spot to click on, and it's almost never intricate or occult enough to require any effort at all. It's basically the mouse version of 'move right to win' that people complain about with challenge-less walking simulators.”
- “The controls are clunky, there’s an odd, almost nauseating lag, and the gameplay relies on simple rotating movements and tapping on predetermined areas, which can sometimes be hard to spot.”
- “The gameplay feels more like a chore than anything else.”
emotional
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its emotional depth and poetic art style, effectively conveying themes of grief, memory, and the complexities of familial relationships. While the narrative is touching and immersive, some players feel that the gameplay is minimal and the story's premise lacks originality, leading to frustration with character development and emotional engagement. Overall, it offers a heartfelt experience that resonates deeply, despite its shortcomings in gameplay mechanics.
- “The return to a childhood home to reinterpret childhood memories as an adult is an emotionally evocative theme.”
- “Hindsight tells a heartfelt story with complicated emotions about how best to come to terms with past relationships.”
- “It's just a very, very touching narrative, woven together in such a poignant way it was almost hard to continue at times.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
25%
17%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful art style and immersive atmosphere, effectively complementing the narrative. While some users noted minor technical issues like frame drops, the overall aesthetic is considered a strong point, enhancing the emotional depth of the story. However, a few reviewers felt that the content did not justify the price, despite the appealing visuals.
- “The narration, the visuals, and the music nicely set the tone, allowing the player to fully immerse in the story.”
- “The game offers some nice graphics and a really beautiful aesthetic; it is pleasant all the same.”
- “The game is gorgeous; the art style just fits.”
- “Framedrops and graphical issues.”
- “Even though I didn’t connect with the story at all, it would’ve at least led to a far more enjoyable experience through someone’s life with pretty visuals.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
20%
30%
The music in the game is praised for its ability to enhance immersion and convey narrative, with many reviewers noting its cinematic quality and emotional depth. While some suggest that certain moments could benefit from a different tonal approach, the overall soundtrack is celebrated for its beauty and effectiveness in complementing the visuals and storytelling. Many players express a desire to purchase the soundtrack, highlighting its impact on their experience.
- “The narration, the visuals, and the music nicely set the tone, allowing the player to fully immerse in the story.”
- “The soundtrack added so much to this too.”
- “I'm not sure how to describe it perfectly here, but there are quite a few parts that I think could use a change in tone and music choice to make the deeper parts stand out more.”
- “A lot of the narrative is conveyed visually with audio (words and music) helping make sense of what you're seeing.”
- “The story is artfully told, accompanied by a soundtrack fit for cinema.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
150%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its engaging graphics and style, which effectively complement the storyline and core gameplay mechanics, despite some criticism of the writing quality. While the story may start slowly, the overall ambiance helps maintain player interest.
- “The positives are the general storyline and the graphics and atmosphere of the game.”
- “The story was a bit slow to become engaging, but the atmosphere and style of the game, along with the core gameplay mechanic, kept me interested.”
- “The atmosphere feels lifeless and fails to immerse me in the game world.”
- “Despite the beautiful graphics, the overall atmosphere lacks depth and engagement.”
- “The game tries to create a mood, but it often falls flat and feels uninspired.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Users have reported a range of bugs and glitches that affect the overall stability of the game, leading to occasional crashes and performance issues. While some players have experienced minor disruptions, others have faced significant challenges that detract from the gaming experience. Overall, stability remains a concern for many users.
- “The game is riddled with bugs and glitches that ruin the experience.”
- “I encountered frequent crashes that made it nearly unplayable.”
- “The stability issues are so severe that I often lose progress due to unexpected errors.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is largely absent, with many users noting a pervasive sense of sadness that overshadows any potential for lightheartedness or comedic moments.
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has limited replayability, which may make it less appealing for some players, leading to suggestions to wait for a sale before purchasing.
- “That said, given its length and limited replayability, I suggest waiting to buy it on sale.”