Something for Someone Else

About

Something for Someone Else is a single player action game. It was developed by 4H StudioLab and was released on September 3, 2019. It received positive reviews from players.

Something for Someone Else is a short atypical experience, a brief journey into the mind of a distressed game developer that feels haunted by a game he made. All in the form of a poorly hand drawn narrative platformer accompanied by the beautiful musics of Celluloid Jam.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 280 reviews

story22 positive mentions

replayability1 negative mentions

Emotionally powerful and deeply personal story that effectively conveys feelings of heartbreak, frustration, and hope.
Unique artistic expression combining challenging 2D platforming gameplay with a narrative reflective of the developer's real experiences.
Atmospheric music and simple hand-drawn art style that complement the melancholic and intimate tone of the game.

Gameplay can be frustrating and repetitive, with some players finding the difficulty punishing and the mechanics occasionally unfair.
The narrative and commentary might feel overly self-indulgent or overly explanatory to some, reducing the impact of subtlety.
Limited replayability and short length, with some players feeling that the game is more of a personal art piece than an enjoyable game experience.

story
75 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
67%
4%
The game tells a personal, heartfelt breakup story conveyed through a minimalist 2D platformer, resonating deeply with many players for its emotional honesty and relatability. While some find the narrative compelling and artful, others view it as overly personal or frustrating in delivery. Overall, the story is praised for its sincerity, introspection, and unique integration into gameplay, making it a touching, if divisive, artistic experience.
- “I played this just for a completionist game at first, and the story caught me off guard. I assumed it was a blind run that I would rush, but as the game progressed, I started to understand without wanting to.”
- “Wow, this game really hit home for me. This feels so real, it's just wonderful. I was really able to feel the same as someone through a game. Amazing, truly amazing. We need more games like this with a good story and deep meaning.”
- “It was quite interesting and I enjoyed how the developer ties the story to the game you are playing in so many otherwise unnoticed ways. If you have 20 minutes or so, it's an overall good experience.”
- “A breakup story told through an intentionally frustrating 2D platformer.”
- “The developer could have told this story through a short story, a novel, or even a visual novel.”
- “It's nice to see more art games on Steam, but it's really just a rage simulator masked by a walking simulator with a story that sounds like it was written by a heartbroken 21-year-old millennial.”
emotional
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game delivers a deeply raw and heartfelt emotional experience, resonating strongly with those who have endured toxic relationships or emotional pain. While some find the developer's self-deprecating tone detracts slightly, many praise its vulnerability and the complex feelings it evokes, describing it as touching, calming, and profoundly moving. Overall, it's a sincere, intimate narrative that invites empathy and introspection.
- “This game made me feel some raw feelings I thought were completely gone.”
- “It's pensive, it's raw and vulnerable and touching, it's a clear window into the author's soul.”
- “This game demonstrates the loops that both a bad relationship and a mind can go through when trying to understand an emotionally painful situation.”
music
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
42%
19%
The game's music is widely praised for its emotional, fitting, and memorable qualities, often enhancing the atmosphere and storytelling. However, many find the single looping track repetitive and occasionally maddening over extended play. Despite this, the soundtrack is appreciated enough that some players sought it out beyond the game and discovered new artists.
- “The black, empty void in the background, the looping music, the long and uncertain hallway... it's unsettling.”
- “That music though , the game was so-so but I can't get over the music; that was chill for a game like this, I was very surprised.”
- “The music was damn good and fit the mood perfectly.”
- “The music is repetitive, sad, and eventually maddening; the individual checkpoints are insanely hard sometimes (though the distance between them is short, so the game does move along).”
- “It's cheap and frustrating, it has one song that's decent enough but you will grow to hate it by about the millionth time it loops; it plays like my first fusion platformer by Billy (age 6).”
- “[i]Something for someone else[/i] is a poorly developed title with poorly made objects, some poorly placed obstacles (I played legit before turning invincibility on), an annoying soundtrack on loop (dev acknowledged this and mentioned that it can be turned off), and the poor design of tower, long corridor (and I mean long), censored moping from the developer (I get it, we all need vents, but I'm glad it was censored), repeat the whole thing with dev commentary, then this awkward falling area where you have to repeat and repeat areas simply because the game wants you to... after that, the game gets more generic as it winds down to its conclusion.”
graphics
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
47%
21%
The game's intentionally rough, hand-drawn art style is widely praised for its charm and emotional impact, with many users appreciating how the simple, "poor quality" graphics complement the personal and raw storytelling. While the graphics are basic and sometimes seen as "bad," this aesthetic choice enhances the game's unique atmosphere rather than detracting from it. Overall, the distinctive art style is considered a strong, memorable aspect of the game.
- “The simple graphics are kind of neat, and you can see mistakes and other doodles Lorenzo made as he was going along.”
- “Music is great, artwork is poorly drawn and very charming because of it, and no stickmen were injured in the creation of it.”
- “Keep up the great work, I like your "trashy" artstyle.”
- “First, I liked how the developer was able to make the game with literally paper and pen only, although the graphics quality was so bad.”
- “Everything from the cheap and frustrating difficulty to the obnoxious musical repetition to the bad graphics are all 100% intentional.”
- “Music is great, artwork is poorly drawn and very charming because of it.”
gameplay
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
66%
17%
The gameplay is challenging yet mechanically solid, with smooth controls and no major technical flaws, though it can be frustrating or boring at times. It serves primarily as a vessel for the game's emotional narrative, with mechanics and level design reflecting the developer’s personal struggles. Many appreciate the gameplay less for its own sake and more for how it enhances the storytelling and artistic expression.
- “There's plenty of free platformers that are frustrating due to their mechanics that don't work properly, such as gravity not feeling smooth, jumping having a lag, hit boxes not matching to sprites, etc., and this game is very free from all of those.”
- “What I loved the most from this game is that all the feelings that the developer felt are spoken through the mechanics and the level design: the music, the concept of avoiding the bad thoughts, the frustration when you fall and erase all your progress.”
- “Mechanically: the game is challenging but fundamentally unbroken.”
- “Warning, it's super challenging at times and then incredibly boring at other times in terms of gameplay, but that's not what the game's about.”
- “Some might find it a bit on the nose, and others might get frustrated by the deliberately frustrating gameplay, but the artistic value in this game is very high no matter what.”
- “So there is that if you want to hear the creator's monologued story without fighting through the gameplay.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The character development is portrayed as a challenging but essential journey, focusing on personal introspection and growth through overcoming emotional struggles. However, some users feel the progression may reflect a failure or struggle in development.
- “It can be hard sometimes to look into yourself like that but doing so is the first step to your character development.”
- “A journey through a dejected lover's failure of character development.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features no in-game purchases, offering a completely monetization-free experience for players.
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers no replayability, with users indicating there is little to no incentive to play it again after the initial experience.
- “Replayability: None.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor is characterized by the endearing and often funny main character, whose quirky appearance and personality motivate players to engage deeply with the game.
- “Despite being shirtless and with an excessive beard, the main character is endearing, and often funny, which made me quickly determined to complete the game just for him.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users praise the game's atmosphere, highlighting it as a standout and enjoyable feature.