SEASON: A letter to the future

85%
Game Brain Score Based on 699 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
SEASON: A letter to the future Game Cover
Season: A Letter to the Future is a simple yet impactful story about the power of memories and connections.
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In "SEASON: A letter to the future," players explore a post-post-apocalyptic world, documenting its remnants for future civilizations. They harvest resources, repair broken machines, and uncover the world's history through environmental storytelling and interactive objects. This serene, atmospheric adventure game emphasizes exploration, discovery, and personal reflection.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

85%
Audience ScoreBased on 699 reviews
story123 positive mentions
optimization7 negative mentions
  • Stunning visuals and art style that create a captivating atmosphere.
  • A unique and emotional narrative that explores themes of memory, connection, and impermanence.
  • Engaging gameplay mechanics that encourage exploration and creativity through journaling and scrapbooking.
  • Performance issues and optimization problems, particularly on the Steam Deck, leading to frame rate drops.
  • Some clunky controls and camera mechanics that can disrupt the flow of gameplay.
  • The game feels short and may leave players wanting more content and exploration opportunities.
  • story275 mentions

    The story of "Season: A Letter to the Future" is widely praised for its emotional depth, beautiful writing, and unique approach to storytelling through exploration and scrapbooking. While many players found the narrative captivating and reflective, some noted that it felt short or left them wanting more, with a few expressing disappointment in its execution and pacing. Overall, the game is recommended for those who appreciate story-driven experiences that blend art, memory, and personal connection.

    • “What a beautiful game with breathtaking art and an emotional story.”
    • “The story is so beautiful and well crafted, and it deals with topics like grief and loss in such a human way.”
    • “The storytelling is just as creative, unfurling through conversations, found objects, big and small mysteries, all creating a well-crafted experience that had me reflecting on the changes our own world is going through.”
    • “The story showed promise early but it was a bit pretentious and I lost interest in the game before I progressed through it too much.”
    • “My only critique for this game is that it felt like it was setting up for much more story-wise than it delivered.”
    • “The story is tragically, rather short.”
  • graphics127 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning, painterly art style and immersive visuals that evoke a strong emotional response. Many reviewers highlight the beautiful color palettes, attention to detail, and the overall aesthetic that enhances the narrative experience, although some note occasional graphical glitches and performance issues. Overall, the visuals are considered the standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's calming and reflective atmosphere.

    • “The graphics are beautiful; it feels like stepping into a moving painting and reliving the journey.”
    • “The visuals are amazing, the storyline is captivating, and the mounts are very useful.”
    • “The game pulls you in with its beautiful, calming art style, enticing you to simply look around, enjoy the view, and, of course, record what you see.”
    • “It had some beautiful moments with thoughtful reflections on how we tell stories and how we remember, or forget, those we care about, but this meditative take on the human experience is overshadowed by spotty graphics, some jarringly odd and out of place characters, and an overly linear story that doesn't really conclude in a way that is meaningful.”
    • “There are some graphical bugs every now and then, and it runs very poorly on Steam Deck.”
    • “It would be nice if it had more graphics customizability so I could try and improve performance.”
  • gameplay119 mentions

    The gameplay in "Season: A Letter to the Future" is characterized by its slow-paced, contemplative nature, encouraging players to explore and document their surroundings through photography and sound recording. While the unique journaling mechanic and stunning visuals are praised, some players find the controls clunky and the biking mechanics frustrating, with occasional bugs impacting the experience. Overall, the game offers a relaxing and immersive journey, though its linearity and simplicity may not appeal to everyone.

    • “Peaceful and laid back, poetic and deeply human; the gameplay itself encourages us to slow down, to be curious, to savor the moment.”
    • “The mechanics in this game are more relaxed than most, which is a welcomed breath of fresh air.”
    • “The gameplay was surprisingly enjoyable as I went in for the 'biking in an unknown world' aspect but quickly got addicted to filling my book with pictures and sounds.”
    • “The core gameplay is there, but much just serves as a way to shuttle the player between story points.”
    • “A great idea for a game with an interesting story concept, but both the brief story and the mechanics of the game are poorly executed, in my opinion.”
    • “The bike mechanics in Season could benefit from improvements.”
  • emotional86 mentions

    The emotional aspect of "Season: a letter to the future" is widely praised, with players describing it as a beautifully crafted experience that evokes deep feelings of nostalgia, grief, and warmth. Many reviewers noted that the game's touching narrative, stunning visuals, and heartfelt character interactions often brought them to tears, creating a calming yet poignant atmosphere. Overall, it is regarded as a deeply moving journey that resonates with players on a personal level, making it a standout in emotional storytelling within gaming.

    • “What a beautiful game with breathtaking art and an emotional story.”
    • “A heartfelt game.”
    • “Season: a letter to the future offers a beautiful and emotional journey of discovery as you witness a world that’s about to be reborn.”
  • music40 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its beautiful, ambient quality that enhances the overall atmosphere and emotional depth. Reviewers highlight the seamless integration of the soundtrack with environmental sounds, creating an immersive experience that encourages exploration and introspection. The combination of stunning visuals and evocative music contributes to a tranquil and captivating gaming experience.

    • “The voice acting is incredible, the music is beautiful... do yourself a favor and try the game out.”
    • “A wonderful game with a beautifully haunting soundtrack that gives me chills with the gorgeous atmosphere it creates.”
    • “The art direction is gorgeous and often cinematic; the music is understated and ambient and complements the game well.”
    • “Occasionally, her comments will be too short to endure the entire animation, and the camera pan, along with the music, will come to an awkward halt.”
    • “I would like to see those little moments with a more full scrapbook page designed just perfectly, when often the page is looking less than ideal when the voiceline is played and the music swells.”
    • “For me, most of the atmosphere came from the music.”
  • atmosphere39 mentions

    The atmosphere in "Season: A Letter to the Future" is widely praised for its calming, immersive qualities, enhanced by beautiful visuals, a haunting soundtrack, and organic sound design. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke a sense of exploration and reflection, creating a unique and melancholic environment that complements its storytelling. While some critiques mention technical issues and voice acting, the overall consensus highlights the game's stunning atmosphere as a key element of its appeal.

    • “Atmospheric and relaxing, this game has you attempt to answer questions about how we define culture and identity through your choices about what to document.”
    • “Every place has such a strong, unique atmosphere - the environment in this game is as much a protagonist as our journeying hero.”
    • “A beautiful and atmospheric game, you want to take your time going through the world and enjoying the music.”
    • “If atmosphere is the bustle of neon-lit streets or the squeaking of the floor beneath your feet, this game seems to contain almost the opposite.”
    • “I think some people calling this a calm game is downplaying just how much the calm atmosphere adds to a genuine feeling of unease.”
    • “Every ounce of atmosphere and emotion is gut-wrenching.”
  • optimization19 mentions

    The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with players reporting frequent performance issues, particularly on the Steam Deck, where frame rates can drop to the 20s. Many users noted bugs, stuttering, and crashes, detracting from the overall experience despite the game's artistic beauty. While some found the game enjoyable, the lack of graphical customizability and poor optimization hindered its potential.

    • “In summary, the game is well worth playing even if performance seemed a bit off.”
    • “I hope they will fix the performance issues so people can enjoy the beauty of this game better.”
    • “It would be nice if it had more graphics customizability so I could try and improve performance.”
    • “The only bad thing about this game is that it isn't optimized well, but the game is so much more than FPS or ultra settings.”
    • “This game's performance is abysmal; my PC crashed 2 times and the game itself crashed several times. It runs really hot and heavy, but still, it's a really beautiful game that you will always remember.”
    • “But it's so badly optimized... framerate is all over the place and DLSS implementation is poor.”
  • stability13 mentions

    The game's stability has been criticized for various bugs, including visual glitches, camera issues, and unresponsive controls, particularly when using a controller. While some players found these problems tolerable and enjoyed the overall experience, many felt that the game was released in an unpolished state, detracting from its narrative potential and gameplay fluidity. Overall, the stability issues significantly impacted the user experience, leading to frustration with movement and navigation.

    • “The game runs smoothly without any crashes or bugs.”
    • “I haven't encountered any stability issues during my gameplay.”
    • “The performance is consistent, making for a seamless gaming experience.”
    • “Unfortunately, the camera is extremely buggy with the controller too.”
    • “It's buggy (3/4 of the time my camera lens is blacked out rather than showing the image in front of me), movement is not intuitive, and the way-finding is awful.”
    • “This game was so very promising with a compelling story and characters you can get attached to, but the developers in their irresponsibility let this buggy product out into the market.”
  • character development10 mentions

    Overall, character development in the game is praised for its richness and relatability, with unique and exaggerated designs that enhance player engagement. While some inconsistencies in character design were noted, the overall artistic direction and visual style received high acclaim, contributing to a compelling narrative experience. Players appreciate the depth of interactions with characters, making them feel invested in the story.

    • “The character development is so rich; you care about your interactions with them.”
    • “Extreme kudos to the art direction, the character design is gorgeous and the world felt overflowing even though the edges of the map were right in front of me.”
    • “I did find some of the character designs to be inconsistent and out of place at times.”
    • “The character designs throughout the story are deliberately exaggerated, making each NPC feel unique and relatable, both in appearance and origin.”
    • “The character designs are truly different than most I've seen before.”
  • humor8 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as a blend of bittersweet and comforting moments, with the main character's insightful commentary providing genuine laughs. Players appreciate the subtle humor that balances the game's melancholic themes, as well as the amusing quirks of gameplay, such as the janky bike mechanics that lead to unexpected and funny situations. Overall, the humor enhances the experience, showcasing the characters' personalities and adding depth to the narrative.

    • “It's bittersweet, sad, comforting, and funny (some of the main character's commentary on things she doesn't know about are real gems).”
    • “The game also has its funny moments where the personality of its characters shines, a good way to balance the melancholy of its themes.”
    • “Trying to look around while bicycling, for example, would often find me suddenly stopped (or hilariously thrown quickly in the opposite direction) by a low and unseen rock or stick in the road.”
  • grinding7 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, with some noting that the dialogue and navigation can become time-consuming. While the scrapbooking mechanic is enjoyable for some, it may feel overly meticulous and unnecessary for others, contributing to a sense of monotony. Overall, the experience is interesting but can be bogged down by repetitive tasks and philosophical commentary.

    • “Even closing the game itself (which requires you to open a menu and navigate down) became time-consuming and tedious.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “There are times when it can feel too philosophical and tedious, but overall, it's an interesting experience despite a short playtime.”
  • replayability6 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the attention to detail and the potential for different choices in multiple playthroughs, others feel that the heavy reliance on style over substance and a cinematic presentation significantly diminish its replay value. Overall, it offers a unique experience but may not encourage repeated play for everyone.

    • “I wasn't sure if a game like this would have good replayability, but with the attention to detail, I want to dive right back in after my first playthrough.”
    • “As far as multiple playthroughs go, I do believe it has replayability, especially because there are moments where you have different choices available as the player.”
    • “Replayability for me is totally tanked by the style-over-substance choice of permanent letterbox, like the whole game is an effing cutscene.”
    • “Replayability value: no.”
    • “If I were to play it again, I would know not to worry, but replayability for me is totally tanked by the style-over-substance garbage choice of permanent letterbox; it's like the whole game is an effing cutscene.”
    • “It is a beautifully crafted walking simulator, with a unique atmosphere and some memorable moments, but no replay value at all.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game is heavily reliant on advertisements, which initially attracted players but ultimately led to a positive experience, as many users found the game enjoyable despite the ad presence.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

76% average critic score

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Play time

4hMedian play time
4hAverage play time
2-5hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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