Perfect Tides

About

"Perfect Tides" is a point-and-click adventure game following Mara, a teen writer living on a secluded island in the year 2000. Over the course of four seasons, players will navigate Mara's family life, school, and social relationships while experiencing the island's beauty and facing challenges. The game offers a classic 90s interface with inventory collection, character interactions, and exploration across 45+ rooms in various seasons and times of day.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

99%

Audience ScoreBased on 386 reviews

story70 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

Perfect Tides is a beautifully written coming-of-age story that captures the essence of growing up in the late 90s and early 2000s, resonating deeply with players who experienced that era.
The game features charming pixel art and a nostalgic soundtrack that enhances the emotional experience, making it a joy to explore the world and connect with the characters.
The character writing is exceptional, with relatable and complex personalities that evoke a range of emotions, from laughter to tears, creating a truly immersive narrative.

The gameplay can be frustrating at times due to pixel hunting and unclear objectives, which may leave players feeling lost and requiring the use of walkthroughs.
Some interactions and puzzles are overly obscure, leading to moments where players may spend excessive time wandering without clear direction.
The user interface can feel clunky and outdated, which may detract from the overall experience for those unfamiliar with classic point-and-click mechanics.

story
204 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
63%
3%
The story of "Perfect Tides" is widely praised as a deeply emotional and relatable coming-of-age narrative that captures the essence of growing up in the late 90s and early 2000s, exploring themes of nostalgia, grief, and the complexities of adolescence. While the writing and character development are highlighted as exceptional, some players note that the gameplay mechanics can detract from the storytelling experience, with puzzles that may feel disconnected or overly complex. Overall, the game is celebrated for its ability to evoke strong feelings and resonate with players, making it a must-play for fans of narrative-driven experiences.
- “Perfect Tides is a beautiful, funny, and melancholic coming-of-age story that captures the essence of growing up as a teenager on the internet in the late 90s/early 00s with such pitch-perfect detail that it almost feels surreal.”
- “A charmingly portrayed and deeply emotional coming-of-age story, full of millennial nostalgia and teenage angst alongside a vivid portrayal of grief, trauma, depression, and prejudice.”
- “The writing is witty and sharp, the story is emotionally charged, and more often than not I found myself relating to Mara in such a way I didn't expect to upon first go.”
- “Additionally, you can miss very large story beats based off of seemingly inconsequential random items that no one hints they want.”
- “In a game like this, where the protagonist’s plight is so touchingly realistic and vulnerable, to base the ultimate outcome of her story on whether or not you’ve discovered the correct number of little collectibles and save scummed enough feels tacky at best, and like a betrayal at worst—both of the player, and of the protagonist herself, somehow.”
- “The adherence to rigid adventure game structures of the time can make the game stall out, (who do I talk to to advance the story? Where is the screwdriver I clearly need?).”
emotional
78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game "Perfect Tides" is praised for its deeply emotional storytelling, effectively capturing the complexities of teenage life through themes of nostalgia, grief, and personal growth. Players resonate with the protagonist's struggles, finding the narrative both relatable and poignant, often evoking strong feelings of melancholy and connection. Its authentic portrayal of adolescence, combined with sharp writing and heartfelt character development, makes it a standout experience that leaves a lasting emotional impact.
- “A charmingly portrayed and deeply emotional coming-of-age story, full of millennial nostalgia and teenage angst alongside a vivid portrayal of grief, trauma, depression, and prejudice.”
- “The game is immensely poignant, from beginning to end, emotionally palpable on a level I’ve simply never experienced in a game before— not even close.”
- “This is a heartfelt and very real representation of teenage angst, especially meaningful for someone who never felt like they fit in or struggled with depression.”
graphics
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
52%
5%
The graphics of "Perfect Tides" are widely praised for their charming retro pixel art style, which effectively captures the nostalgic essence of the late 90s and early 2000s. Reviewers highlight the beautiful and expressive artwork, noting its ability to evoke a sense of authenticity and emotional resonance with the game's coming-of-age narrative. While some elements may appear slightly unfinished or amateurish, this aesthetic choice complements the story's themes of self-discovery and youthful turbulence.
- “The art style is beautiful and the soundtrack perfectly matches the visuals' retro-indie vibes.”
- “But intellectual considerations aside: the graphics are amazing and consistent, the sound design quiet, reserved, and exact, and the story detailed, compelling, and honest.”
- “The artwork is masterful and the story and characters are compelling and real.”
- “There’s some degree of the state of being unfinished here; everywhere you look things can feel too muted, a bit blurry, slightly misshapen, and even seem amateurish, but so is internally turbulent but seemingly boring Mara’s life, so this art style mixes with the story well and even mimics it - noticeable and slightly flawed, just like our young self-searching hero.”
- “The visuals are charming in a subdued, retro-ish, comic book type of way.”
- “It's a point and click adventure game, done in a retro pixelized 80's/90's style, a genre that, while I don't have much experience with, I'm at least aware of the aesthetics of, if not the overall mechanics (which might explain why I struggled at some points in the game).”
humor
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in "Perfect Tides" is described as sharp, clever, and deeply relatable, capturing the essence of teenage life in the late 90s and early 2000s with a blend of nostalgia and wit. Reviewers note that the game skillfully balances moments of laughter with poignant emotional depth, often eliciting both joy and sadness in quick succession. Meredith Gran's writing is praised for its ability to evoke genuine laughter while also addressing the complexities of growing up, making the experience both hilarious and hauntingly relatable.
- “Perfect Tides distills everything Gran excels at into one neat little package - the humor, the visuals, and most of all it completely succeeds in putting you into its protagonist's shoes, as uncomfortably nostalgic as they might feel.”
- “Mara, the main character, has this painfully and hilariously relatable combination of self-consciousness and total lack of self-awareness.”
- “Meredith Gran's character writing is sharp, clever, hilarious, and loving all at once.”
music
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
45%
8%
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the overall experience, with many reviewers noting its cozy and retro-indie vibes that complement the stunning pixel art. While some describe it as sporadic and minimal, it effectively cultivates an intimate atmosphere, making it memorable and emotionally resonant. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong aspect of the game, contributing to its charm and nostalgic feel.
- “The art style is beautiful and the soundtrack perfectly matches the visuals' retro-indie vibes.”
- “It cultivates an entrancing atmosphere; the music, sound design, and visuals work in effortless synthesis.”
- “Beautifully written story, accompanied by charming visuals and a wholeheartedly enjoyable soundtrack.”
- “Music here is sporadic in nature and has a comparatively minimal presence, allowing us to experience Mara’s internalization in relative quietude, save for the well-done sound effects.”
- “As for the gameplay mechanics, they're as retro as the music.”
- “Hate to see the technical aspects of the game be so flawed, but absolutely everything else - the music, the art, the writing, etc. are absolutely fantastic.”
gameplay
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
69%
15%
The gameplay of "Perfect Tides" is characterized by its retro point-and-click mechanics, reminiscent of classic 80s and 90s adventure games, which some players found charming while others noted its potential for frustration due to directionlessness and pixel hunting. While the game successfully blends story and gameplay, there are criticisms regarding unclear mechanics and a lack of logical connections between player choices and outcomes. Overall, despite some gameplay annoyances, many players enjoyed the experience and appreciated its well-written narrative.
- “Perfect Tides is a simple game mechanically; it feels a lot like Fran Bow and Sally Face in the exploration and puzzle aspect.”
- “The classic adventure game format is perfect for giving you that feeling of 'am I doing something wrong? Oh god, did I miss something important?' that's pervasive in the teen mentality, flawlessly melding story and gameplay.”
- “Though I'd be remiss to not mention the shortcomings I did have with the game, all of which are related to the gameplay.”
- “My only gripe is that the gameplay can be kind of unclear at times.”
- “The story is wrapped in the mechanics of an old point-and-click game, which as a genre can be opaque and unforgiving.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
50%
17%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its seamless integration of music, sound design, and visuals, creating an entrancing experience that enhances the storytelling. Reviewers note that when the audio complements the game's environment, it results in a well-crafted soundscape that significantly contributes to the overall immersion.
- “The atmosphere and story are just perfectly set up.”
- “If what comes out of the speakers matches the atmosphere of the game, that’s a well-done soundscape in my opinion.”
- “It cultivates an entrancing atmosphere; the music, sound design, and visuals work in effortless synthesis.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game is highly recommended for its impressive replayability, particularly for a narrative-focused title. While there isn't a definitive "golden ending," the pursuit of the best ending encourages exploration and revitalizes replay value in a genre that has often neglected it.
- “Highly recommended, and impressively replayable for such a narrative-focused game -- there's no golden ending exactly, but the best ending is well worth working toward!”
- “This rewards exploration and brings replayability back to a genre which has stopped valuing it as much of late.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers praise the game's character development, highlighting it as a strong point reminiscent of Meredith Gran's previous work, "Octopus Pie." The writing is noted for its quality, contributing to well-crafted and engaging characters.
- “I've followed Meredith Gran's work since Octopus Pie (highly recommend reading), and I thought this game had the same great writing and character development.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Players find the grinding mechanics in "Perfect Tides" to be tedious and mismatched with the game's narrative tone, similar to their experiences in "Cave Story." This disconnect detracts from the overall enjoyment, as the repetitive tasks feel inappropriate for the game's intended atmosphere.
- “Grinding in this game feels tedious and out of place, contrasting sharply with the narrative tone.”
- “The repetitive nature of grinding detracts from the overall experience, making it feel like a chore rather than an engaging part of the game.”
- “The grinding mechanics seem mismatched with the story, creating a disconnect that undermines the game's emotional impact.”