Moving Through Life
- August 15, 2023
- Challenging Games
Get on Steam"Moving Through Life" is a 3D game that lets you arrange furniture and items in various stages of a girl's life, from her 90's childhood home to different living spaces. Your decisions affect the heroine's life path and the environment, including her career, relationships, and hobbies. The game is a reflection on nostalgia, creativity, and identity, offering a relaxing and introspective experience.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a cute and cozy experience, reminiscent of Unpacking, with a charming art style and the ability to influence the story through item choices.
- It's inexpensive and provides a relaxing gameplay experience, making it a good option for those looking for a short, casual game.
- The game has replayability due to different endings based on player choices, allowing for varied experiences in subsequent playthroughs.
- The game is very short, typically taking around an hour to complete, which may not justify the price for some players.
- Controls can be unintuitive, with limited camera movement and no indication of when the last item is placed, preventing further adjustments in the room.
- The use of AI art and the restrictive placement mechanics can detract from the overall experience, making it feel less personal and more frustrating.
- story16 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the decision-based narrative that allows for different endings and a sense of progression through the protagonist's life. However, many feel that the story lacks depth and emotional resonance compared to similar titles, such as "Unpacking," and criticize its generic elements and limited content. Overall, while the story offers some engaging choices, it may not satisfy those seeking a rich narrative experience.
“An obvious nod to unpacking, this game follows a protagonist through several moves telling a story of their life.”
“It has a nice backstory that changes based on the decisions you make.”
“If you enjoy story-based decision games, you'll appreciate moving through life!”
“There is no story, which would have been nice, but for the price, it's totally worth it.”
“This isn't 'your' story at all, even though they claim that it is.”
“It really lacks the nostalgia and care that unpacking brought to its story and instead gives you generic items to place.”
- graphics5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The graphics are generally described as aesthetically pleasing with a charming art style, though opinions vary on the hypermodern aesthetic and the necessity of the 3D elements. While the visuals are not considered ugly, they lack depth and customization options, such as graphics settings, which some players find disappointing. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the experience, but there are notable shortcomings.
“Really pretty art style and cute little stories.”
“Aesthetically pleasing.”
“Graphics aren't ugly but not great either, and the whole 3D aspect feels completely unnecessary. However, since nobody's forcing you to rotate or zoom (unless you want to make a more educated guess about certain tiny objects), it's whatever.”
“No graphics settings of any kind; not cool in a 3D game.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the changing endings based on choices, others feel limited by the repetitive environments and lack of significant variation in gameplay. For those who enjoy the unpacking mechanic, there may be some incentive to replay, but many find little motivation to revisit the game.
“I like that the ending can change based on your choices because it makes it replayable!”
“Not a ton of replayability; you get the same four environments (with minor adjustments) no matter what choices you make, with the stuff you're unpacking as the only difference.”
“I don't find myself interested in finishing the game, and I don't see any replay value at all.”
“If you are someone that replayed Unpacking a lot (like me), then you can definitely get some replayability out of this game.”
- gameplay3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The gameplay is hindered by limited mechanics, allowing only rotation and zoom, which some players find restrictive. While the core gameplay remains similar, it lacks a compelling story, and many users believe that incorporating a grid system would enhance the overall experience.
“The mechanics make it challenging as I can only rotate or zoom.”
“I also feel the gameplay would be more enjoyable with an implemented grid.”
“The mechanics make it hard as I can only rotate or zoom.”
“While the gameplay is similar, the story is far less captivating.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game to be a cute and heartwarming experience, highlighting its original concept and the combination of relaxation with emotional depth.
“What a cute, heartwarming experience.”
“The concept is original, and the game itself is both relaxing and touching.”
- music2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The music in the game is criticized for being a repetitive stock jazzy track, while the main menu lacks any audio entirely. Additionally, the limited audio settings only offer a single volume slider for both music and sound effects, which users find insufficient.
“The music is just some stock jazzy thing on a loop, and the main menu is completely quiet.”
“The settings, which are available while playing, only include a single volume slider. This is not sufficient since there are both music and sound effects.”
“The lack of variety in the music makes the gameplay feel repetitive and uninspired.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users report that the game suffers from significant bugs, which negatively impacts their ability to track progress, such as the number of chapters. Overall, stability issues are a notable concern among players.
“The reason I don't know how many chapters there are is because the game is buggy.”
