Please Knock on My Door
- September 7, 2017
- Levall Games AB
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam"Please Knock on My Door" is a narrative-driven game simulating the daily life of a person dealing with social anxiety and depression. Players must manage routines, complete tasks, and make choices that impact the character's mental health and relationships. The game offers a poignant, interactive exploration of mental health challenges, striving to foster understanding and empathy.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game provides a deep and emotional exploration of mental health and depression, resonating with players on a personal level.
- The narration and soundtrack enhance the experience, creating a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that captures the struggles of the protagonist.
- It offers multiple play modes that encourage replayability and allow players to experience different outcomes based on their choices.
- The gameplay can feel frustrating due to limited choices and the pressure of managing the character's mental state within a short time frame.
- Some players found the game to be emotionally overwhelming, making it difficult to engage with if they are currently struggling with similar issues.
- The graphics and overall presentation may not appeal to everyone, as they are minimalist and may lack the polish expected from a more traditional game.
- story90 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story is deeply impactful, exploring themes of mental health and depression in a way that resonates with many players, often evoking strong emotional responses. While the narrative is straightforward, it effectively captures the protagonist's struggles, with choices that enhance replayability and engagement. However, some players noted limitations in interaction and scenery, which can detract from the overall experience despite the powerful storytelling.
“It's a perfect story of mental health and depression; it explains the state and the spiral downwards in a way I have not seen before in a game.”
“I love how well this game tells the story; it gives you the experience of someone who suffered from depression and anxiety.”
“Probably the best short story I have ever experienced in my life.”
“Serves well as a game for impact, but the poor scenery, the very limited ways of interaction, and the paucity of branches in storytelling makes the experience disinteresting.”
“It took me about an hour to get through story mode, and 40 minutes of it was me occasionally saying, 'man, I'm starting to hate this.'”
“I thought about replaying the game in 'story' mode to have all choices available and get a different ending, but this seemed to conflict with the spirit of the game, and there was much about the title I wasn't interested in revisiting.”
- emotional44 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is widely praised for its profound emotional impact, with many players describing it as a deeply relatable and touching experience that evokes strong feelings, often leading to tears. Reviewers highlight its ability to resonate with personal struggles and convey a sense of hope, despite some criticism regarding pacing. Overall, it is considered one of the most emotionally challenging and rewarding games in recent memory.
“Even if ten thousand other people find it useless, boring, or a waste of money... if it can make even just one more person feel as understood and hopeful as it made me feel, then it is serving its purpose, and is worth it.”
“It is one of the most emotional experiences I had in gaming, and considering I play almost daily and I am attracted to story-rich games, that says a lot.”
“The most touching game I've ever played.”
- gameplay34 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay is described as simple and focused more on narrative and emotional experience than on flashy mechanics or extensive interactivity. While it effectively conveys a serious theme, some players find it frustrating due to limited choices and a quick resolution that detracts from its depth. Overall, it offers a unique exploration of mundane life challenges, appealing to those who can empathize with the protagonist, but may leave others feeling bored or underwhelmed.
“The narration that follows throughout the gameplay is great.”
“Gameplay was nice, design was simple but pleasant, and the soundtrack was smooth.”
“It's a lot about figuring out what's the right way to go about a problem, and what gameplay strategy you have (long term good health for better late game or feel good now to have a good day at work, but probably feel bad at late game?)”
“This game is very frustrating because they tease options yet you can't pick them; it's like missing out on gameplay... and if I want to get low points to try and kill my character - let me.”
“While it is capable of delivering an atmosphere with its gameplay and narrative, its quick resolution is taking away from what it's actually trying to achieve.”
“There isn't a lot of 'gameplay'.”
- music24 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and haunting quality, effectively enhancing the overall atmosphere and emotional depth. Reviewers highlight the seamless integration of the soundtrack with the narration, creating a profound and immersive experience that complements the game's simple yet impactful story. Many have found the soundtrack uplifting, even purchasing it separately for personal enjoyment.
“The music is amazing, haunting, and really adds to the game.”
“Absolutely beautifully crafted and a soundtrack to match it and accent it.”
“I also bought the soundtrack because it cheers me up when I'm feeling down.”
“The story's rather simple and straightforward, yet the setting profoundly creates a depressing atmosphere, and the soundtrack further renders such mood.”
“The music was more ominous in nature and designed to be part of the background.”
“The music and sound effects were mostly in the form of narration, which was done incredibly well.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Please Knock on My Door" are described as minimalist and pleasing, effectively conveying the game's mood despite not being flashy or technically impressive. While some users noted instances of pixelation that limit gameplay choices, the overall aesthetic is appreciated for its simplicity and suitability to the game's experience.
“The graphics in Please Knock on My Door are minimalist but nice and pleasing.”
“Overall, the graphics are actually very well done and very effective in conveying mood.”
“It's not a game with flashy graphics or fancy mechanics, but it doesn't need to be; it's an experience that is important to explore.”
“In addition, the game's graphics sometimes become pixellated and remove all choices but going to sleep.”
“Visuals aren't impressive but they don't need to be for this type of game.”
“It's not a game with flashy graphics or fancy mechanics but it doesn't need to be, it's an experience that is important to explore.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game effectively establishes a deeply immersive atmosphere through its gameplay, narrative, and a haunting soundtrack, which together evoke a profound sense of melancholy. However, the quick resolution detracts from the overall impact of the experience, leaving some players feeling that the atmosphere could have been further developed. The narrator's performance and the music are particularly praised for enhancing the game's emotional depth.
“While it is capable of delivering an atmosphere with its gameplay and narrative, its quick resolution is taking away from what it's actually trying to achieve.”
“The story's rather simple and straightforward, yet the setting profoundly creates a depressing atmosphere, and the soundtrack further enhances this mood.”
“I cannot fault the narrator at all, as well as the music, both of which contribute to the feeling and atmosphere of the game.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability due to its numerous choices and engaging narration, which motivate players to revisit the story after completion. While some may find the price steep relative to playtime, many users express enthusiasm for replaying the game.
“This game has a lot of choices that enhance its replayability, and the narration encourages you to try again after completing the story mode.”
“It seems like a high price for the amount of time it takes to complete the game, but it has high replayability, and I'm looking forward to playing it again.”
“- Great replayability”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by relatable cultural references, particularly highlighting Scandinavian quirks, such as the enjoyment of caviar on bread, which resonates with players' personal experiences. This blend of personal anecdotes and cultural humor adds a lighthearted touch to the overall gameplay experience.
“It's funny that I knew it was made by a Scandinavian; who else eats caviar on a slice of bread like us? How fitting, seeing as that has been my survival food for the past weeks.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for its poor optimization, as it demands high CPU performance despite its relatively small size, leaving users puzzled about the need for such resources.
“Requires high CPU performance; the game's quite small, so I don't know why.”
