Lydia

92%
Game Brain Score Based on 217 reviews
  • story
  • emotional
  • graphics
Lydia Game Cover
Lydia is an important game, not just because it broaches an important subject matter, but for how it uses its art direction, music, and storytelling to highlight the issues it's bringing to our attention.
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"Lydia" is a horror point-and-click game with an intriguing story dealing with adult substance abuse from a child's perspective. The game boasts wonderful visuals, awesome music, and an outstanding atmosphere, telling the story of a little girl and her beloved teddy bear as they confront the monster hiding in the shadows, based on the developers' own experiences. The game is similar to "To the Moon" and emphasizes atmosphere and emotion.

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Reviews

92%
Audience ScoreBased on 217 reviews
story60 positive mentions
replayability3 negative mentions
  • Lydia offers a poignant narrative that explores the impact of broken families and alcoholism through the eyes of a child, making it a deeply emotional experience.
  • The game's unique art style and atmospheric music enhance the storytelling, creating a haunting and immersive environment.
  • Despite its short length, the game effectively conveys its themes and leaves a lasting impression on players, making it a worthwhile experience.
  • The gameplay is minimal, with little interaction and no significant choices that affect the outcome, making it feel more like a visual novel than a traditional game.
  • Some players found the voice acting and character sounds to be off-putting, detracting from the overall immersion of the experience.
  • The game may be too emotionally heavy for some players, particularly those with personal experiences related to its themes, potentially triggering difficult memories.
  • story206 mentions

    The story of "Lydia" is a poignant and emotionally charged narrative that explores themes of broken families, emotional abuse, and the impact of substance abuse through the eyes of a child. While the game is short and primarily linear, it effectively conveys a haunting and relatable experience that resonates deeply with players, often leaving a lasting impression. The combination of its unique art style, atmospheric music, and heartfelt storytelling makes it a compelling, albeit heavy, interactive experience.

    • “Lydia is an unforgettable gaming experience that will leave a lasting impression on players, demonstrating the immense power of storytelling in video games.”
    • “The story is very deep, the soundtrack is great and the art is very dark but it's beautiful.”
    • “This game is beautiful, very simple and yet expressive graphics, together with music it creates an atmosphere that breaks the player's heart as it progresses with the storyline.”
    • “The game has an erratic storyline that's filled with painfully 2D characters, typos, lazy mechanics, and tries to comment on traumas while managing to not actually go in-depth on anything at all.”
    • “The story is short and somewhat depressing, but it may resonate with anyone who's been through similar things in their life.”
    • “While the story remains strong, there are some problems.”
  • emotional73 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its powerful and heart-wrenching storytelling, addressing heavy themes such as emotional abuse, alcoholism, and childhood trauma. Many players describe it as a deeply touching experience that resonates personally, often evoking strong feelings and even tears. However, some critiques mention that the relentless focus on misery can dilute the impact of certain emotional moments, suggesting a need for a more balanced narrative.

    • “The game masterfully captures the emotional complexity of addiction and the ripple effects it has on families, exhibiting remarkable nuance and sensitivity.”
    • “This is the first game that made me cry; it hits way too close to home.”
    • “A well-crafted, heartbreaking narrative about the real monsters many children face.”
  • graphics59 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and atmospheric art style, which effectively complements the emotional and often dark narrative. Many reviewers highlight the striking hand-drawn visuals and the use of color to evoke mood, creating a haunting and immersive experience. While some note that the character details could be improved, the overall aesthetic is considered a strong point, enhancing the game's storytelling and emotional impact.

    • “The art style is so unique and the music was perfectly paired with it!”
    • “Gorgeous artwork mixed with a haunting sound design bring together one of the most poignant, honest indies I'm proud to own.”
    • “The unique art style fits well with the game's theme and story.”
    • “I really like the art style and visuals of Lydia, but the gameplay and linearity make this seem more like a student project than a commercial release.”
    • “Lydia is point and click with an interesting story, okay visuals, and some annoying voices in a depressing atmosphere.”
    • “Graphics design is grim and dark, but completely in the tone of the story.”
  • music40 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its ability to enhance the atmosphere and complement the narrative, with many reviewers describing it as haunting, captivating, and beautifully immersive. The soundtrack is noted for its emotional depth, effectively pairing with the unique art style to create a powerful and evocative experience. While some found the music and sound design to be exceptional, a few mentioned that it may not be universally enjoyable, yet overall, it significantly contributes to the game's storytelling and emotional impact.

    • “The music is fantastic and just heightened the game’s atmosphere.”
    • “The artwork and music are haunting, and were enough to give me the chills a couple of times without anything actually happening in the game.”
    • “The background art is stunning and the music complements the narrative very well.”
    • “The music and sounds are... well... 'different', they fit the game but the way the characters talk can get annoying pretty fast too.”
    • “Soundtrack: not remarkable, but decent.”
    • “The visuals and music, as well as the sound effects were artfully done, but it's not something that I can say that I 'enjoyed'.”
  • atmosphere27 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its dark, surreal world, emotional depth, and unique artistic design, which together create an immersive experience. The combination of evocative music, compelling narratives, and striking visuals enhances the overall mood, drawing players into a hauntingly nostalgic and sometimes oppressive environment. However, some critiques mention that certain voice acting detracts from the otherwise strong atmospheric elements.

    • “The music is fantastic and just heightens the game’s atmosphere.”
    • “The art, colors, music, speech audio, and writing all come together beautifully to fully immerse you into an atmosphere so eerily nostalgic that it makes the story even more powerful.”
    • “This game is all about the atmosphere and the story that is mostly told between the lines.”
    • “The atmosphere is dark and surreal, with emotional moments, but it was ruined by the voices the characters produce while they speak.”
    • “Lydia is a point-and-click game with an interesting story, okay visuals, and some annoying voices in a depressing atmosphere.”
    • “The distressing atmosphere really got to me.”
  • gameplay23 mentions

    The gameplay is primarily a simplistic point-and-click experience with minimal mechanics, often described as a walking simulator or graphic novel. Players can expect a light, story-driven adventure that focuses more on narrative than on engaging gameplay, resulting in a slow pace and limited interaction. While the emotional story and unique art style are appreciated, those seeking challenging gameplay or deeper mechanics may find it lacking.

    • “The game itself is quite a simple point-and-click type adventure, with enough gameplay for an hour or so.”
    • “Gameplay-wise, it's basically a walking simulator graphic novel.”
    • “Great, simple mechanic, emotional story game with a meaningful purpose, unique art style and worth full price if not discounted.”
    • “The gameplay elements are light and not very engaging, but the game manages to tell a sad story about a broken family through the lens of a child.”
    • “My only warning would be that there is nearly no gameplay at all.”
    • “There's not much in terms of actual gameplay, classic adventure game puzzles or challenge for that matter; you're mostly just reading dialogue and moving the character to the next point of interaction.”
  • replayability4 mentions

    The game has very low replayability, with users rating it around 1/10 due to its short, linear story and lack of meaningful choices in dialogue options. While it may be enjoyable for a single playthrough, there is little incentive to revisit it after completion.

    • “There isn't any replay value, but it is well worth playing, especially if you can get it on sale.”
    • “Replay value: 1/10. It's a short story-rich game, and it's only okay for one playthrough.”
    • “There's also no replay value, because, as I mentioned before, the other dialogue options don't do anything.”
    • “Lydia is short; I completed it in just under 2 hours, including its one achievement for finishing the game. It is pretty linear and, as far as I can see, has little to no replayability.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Character development is praised for its atmospheric backgrounds and creative character design, with animations that effectively align with the protagonist Lydia's identity and goals.

    • “The backgrounds are very atmospheric, the character design is very creative and spot on, and the animations perfectly fit what Lydia wants to be.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

69% average critic score

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