Sisyphe's Backspace

About

Sisyphe's Backspace is a single player simulation game with a romance theme. It was developed by Koway and was released on May 21, 2025. It received very positive reviews from players.

Sisyphe's Backspace is a minimalistic narrative game centered on love and hesitation, exploring unspoken words between friends. Featuring a text-only presentation and simple gameplay using the Backspace key to progress, it offers a brief yet meaningful five-minute conversation that captures emotional depth through subtle storytelling.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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93%

Audience ScoreBased on 61 reviews

story4 positive mentions

The game offers a unique and creative backspace mechanic that enhances the emotional experience of hesitation in love.
It presents a relatable and heartfelt story about unrequited feelings, resonating deeply with players.
Despite its simplicity, the game is described as cute, touching, and a worthwhile short experience.

The game suffers from grammatical errors and typos that detract from the overall experience.
Many players found the gameplay to be overly simplistic and repetitive, leading to a lack of engagement.
Some reviews noted that the story feels unresolved and lacks emotional investment in the characters.

story
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
42%
25%
The game's story is a brief yet emotionally resonant exploration of unrequited love, told from the perspective of a character struggling to express her feelings for a friend. While some players find it relatable and touching, others criticize the lack of depth and emotional investment in the characters, leading to an unresolved and somewhat frustrating experience. Overall, the narrative is described as cute and poignant, though it may leave some players wanting more substance.
- “Playing was a little frustrating at first, couldn't quite figure out what to do lol, but it's a wonderful story that many can deeply relate to, told in a simple and quick way that is still filled with emotion.”
- “The story is experienced from Sisyphe's perspective as she attempts to confess her love for a female (presumably heterosexual) friend, but struggles to find the 'right words' to convey her feelings.”
- “Short but smart, a touching story about secret love.”
- “So: this is the video game equivalent of 'for sale: baby shoes, never worn' - a carefully thought-through attempt to tell the absolutely smallest sad story possible.”
- “Further degrading the experience is the absence of any sort of emotional investment in either Sisyphe (or 'Phe,' for short) or her crush, which could have been established by a deeper backstory than simply 'we're friends.' Lastly, the experience feels unrewarding and the story unresolved as you don't get a response from your crush after finally gathering the courage to send 'I love you' to her... perhaps you were left on read.”
- “The story is boring, the grammar is broken, and the game doesn't feel good to play despite it being a single button.”
emotional
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is described as both heartbreaking and relatable, offering players a deeply intimate experience that fosters emotional growth and connection. While some players appreciate the simplicity and creativity of the narrative, others feel a lack of emotional investment in the characters and an unresolved storyline, particularly regarding the protagonist's feelings for their crush. Overall, the game evokes a range of emotions, from sweetness to heartbreak, but leaves some players wanting more depth in character development.
- “It made me connect emotionally with the game, deeply.”
- “I have a deep emotional appreciation for the short yet intense and intimate experience I had playing this game.”
- “The story is cute and touching and to the point.”
gameplay
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The gameplay features a unique backspace mechanic that creatively embodies hesitation, contributing to the overall experience despite some frustration. Players appreciate the consistency between the controls, narrative, and gameplay, enhancing engagement even if the relationship aspect may not resonate with everyone.
- “The backspace mechanic is really cool and creative; it made me feel like I was representing the hesitation itself.”
- “The mechanic was super creative, even though I wasn't very interested in the relationship.”
- “I love the consistency between the controls, narrative, and gameplay.”
- “The mechanic was a little frustrating for me, and that is absolutely what made this game good.”