Tender Loving Care

About

"Tender Loving Care" is a psychological thriller adventure game focused on the player's interactions with characters in a mysterious suburban home. The game features a unique "Tender Lovescore" mechanic, where player choices shape their relationship with the protagonist and influence the story's outcome. Psychologist Dr. Turner, played by Michael Hurst, guides players through emotional storylines that blur the line between reality and imagination.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

85%

Audience ScoreBased on 130 reviews

story23 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

The game features an interesting psychological narrative that explores themes of loss, obsession, and sexuality, making it a unique experience.
John Hurt's narration and performance are standout elements, adding depth to the overall storytelling.
The exploration of the house and the ability to read character diaries and notes provide additional context and enhance player engagement.

The game suffers from technical issues, including freezing and unresponsiveness, which can disrupt gameplay and lead to frustration.
Many players feel that their choices have little impact on the story, leading to a sense of futility in decision-making.
The video quality is dated and can detract from the overall experience, making it feel less polished compared to modern titles.

story
92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
72%
3%
The story of "Tender Loving Care" is a complex and often bizarre narrative that intertwines psychological themes with a tragic backdrop involving a couple coping with the loss of their daughter. Players can influence the plot through their choices, leading to multiple endings, though some feel that these choices have limited impact on the overall outcome. While the storytelling is engaging and features well-acted FMV segments, it is also criticized for its campy elements and reliance on extraneous content that may detract from the main narrative.
- “The story is gripping, nuanced, and complex, and the way the bits of information found through exploration (journals, emails, etc.) give you extra insight into the characters and the overall narrative is top-notch.”
- “Tender Loving Care has an interesting story that is told in an unusual manner.”
- “Your answers actually influence the plot of the movie, and there are 8 different endings that can be achieved - the game's ability to spin the plot into different directions is probably one of its strongest points.”
- “The story takes a turn for the worse as the guy gets anger issues and the nurse gets confrontational, and my choices didn't seem to affect the outcome much, at least not in the way that I hoped.”
- “Unfortunately, the story is very contrived. The author was unable to create the intended drama in a believable way, so the nurse has to neglect the most basic rules of her craft, and the husband has to act in a rather immature way, so that the plot can progress toward the dramatic finale.”
- “That story behind the story takes over the main one, and before you realize it, you will be more focused on watching inappropriate scenes with the nurse than on the real tragedy behind.”
gameplay
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
57%
21%
The gameplay is primarily an interactive movie experience, featuring occasional FMV segments and simple mechanics like reading journal entries and completing psych evaluations that influence the story. While the narrative and storytelling techniques are intriguing, many players find the gameplay simplistic and lacking in depth, with limited interactivity and character development. Overall, it appeals to fans of FMV games and those who appreciate a strong narrative, despite its shortcomings in traditional gameplay elements.
- “During gameplay, once in a while you get an FMV of a storyline that is going on, then later you get to interact with the house, being able to view not just locations, but also items around the house.”
- “The story changes depending on your choices during the gameplay sections where you'll be reading through journal entries, emails, and answering a psych evaluation.”
- “Simplistic gameplay and some weak acting, but the storytelling techniques are some of the most interesting I've seen, making for an enjoyable experience.”
- “The gameplay isn't really exciting, but if you like FMV games, heavy 90s vibe and a movie with a good story but poor quality, well, this is for you.”
- “It was originally a DVD game, so the gameplay is really simple; it's more of an interactive movie than anything else.”
- “Other than that, the rest of the interactivity consists of constant psych evaluations, which are supposed to influence the outcome of the story, but I found this mechanic to be a bit too obscure to be fully enjoyed in the end.”
humor
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as a blend of intentional and unintentional comedy, featuring absurdly invasive questions posed by John Hurt and a campy 1990s setting that adds to its charm. Players find the interactions and character dynamics to be hilariously manipulative and absurd, with laugh-out-loud moments stemming from both the dialogue and the bizarre scenarios presented. Overall, the game offers a unique comedic experience that resonates well with those who appreciate its quirky style.
- “The 'tats' aimed at profiling the player psychologically contain pretty funny questions, and you can see what the results are in between each episode from the main menu.”
- “But as a game, it's an insanely hilarious camp-fest featuring John Hurt asking you wildly invasive sexually probing questions, rippled with classic movie clips and deranged diary entries from the characters.”
- “A weird and funny FMV game where John Hurt asks you sexual questions and a man is pushed to his limits when asked to get pizza and organic herbal shampoo.”
music
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some users finding it to be repetitive and low in volume, often feeling more like short loops than a cohesive soundtrack. While certain ambient sounds can effectively create tension, the overall musical experience is considered a weak point, leading some players to seek external music for better engagement.
- “Some of the ambient sound or music in the rooms can invoke some serious tension or dread, as well (I'm looking at you, Jody's room).”
- “The acting is decent (lifetime original movie level), the sounds and music are fine.”
- “+ soundtrack”
- “The weakest part of exploration is the soundtrack.”
- “It's not even a soundtrack; it's more like short looped 30-second music with low sound volume.”
- “At times it becomes so annoying when you are reading pages and pages of a book and there is nothing you can hear. I reached a point where I alt+tabbed just to play some music on YouTube to keep me going.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The game's graphics are notably dated, reflecting the low-quality visuals typical of the 80s and 90s, with no options for enhancement. While the FMV assets evoke a nostalgic charm, they can feel repetitive, and some performances lack believability. Players seeking a unique experience may appreciate the retro aesthetic, despite its shortcomings.
- “Charming in its mid-90s FMV heyday values, the game certainly gets repetitive after a while, but we can't shake off the feeling that no matter the age, FMV assets draw the player into the game much more than modern-day PC graphics.”
- “If you are open to something new that is different from anything else and are okay with the not-so-stellar graphics/videos (but still recognizable), then this might be something you would like to play.”
- “There are no graphics options at all.”
- “The game was made a long, long time ago, but sadly nothing has been done about the original footage, so you know what you get... low quality graphics from the 80s and 90s.”
- “The graphics are a bit dated, and not all of the actors are entirely believable.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
33%
17%
Overall, the optimization of the game is solid, with strong performances from notable actors like John Hurt, who delivers a standout portrayal. However, some performances, particularly from a key character, lack depth and may hinder player immersion, while the quality of the script also affects the believability of certain roles. Despite these issues, the acting is generally well-received for a 90's FMV game.
- “Performance was great, which was no shock given the age of the footage.”
- “I found the premise interesting and the acting pretty good for a 90's FMV game - John Hurt delivers the spotless performance that can be expected from him, Esposito conveys his character's emotions well.”
- “Acting is well done overall, but one of the actors who plays a crucial character dealing with heavy psychological issues delivers a rather flat and unconvincing performance, which serves to the detriment of the player’s immersion.”
- “Acting is well done overall, but one of the actors who plays a crucial character dealing with heavy psychological issues delivers a rather flat and unconvincing performance, which detracts from the player's immersion.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is notably problematic, with frequent interface freezes and glitches that can render it unplayable, particularly in the Steam version. Users report needing to restart the game often, and saving during a freeze can lead to persistent issues. Despite these technical difficulties, some players still find the overall experience enjoyable.
- “Occasionally the interface will freeze, and you will need to restart the game. Be sure not to save when it freezes, or it will load back up frozen.”
- “I can barely get into the game when I click on objects; the game just freezes up and I can't get out of the screen.”
- “I will say I did like the game, but don't play the Steam version; it's very buggy.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while searching for items can become tedious and repetitive, some still find it rewarding enough to engage with the game until completion. The limited exploration and interaction with objects contribute to the feeling of monotony, making the grind feel more like a chore at times.
- “In between the cringe-worthy movie clips and seemingly pointless questions, you get to 'explore' the house in a very limited way and interacting with a very limited set of objects, which quickly becomes a tedious chore.”
- “It gets a bit tedious to look for them all the time at the same place, but it's sometimes very rewarding to fully check out everything.”
- “Oddly enough, while this doesn't sound like much fun and seems (and actually is sometimes) a bit tedious, I found myself playing this title all the way to the end in pretty much one go.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a heartbreaking and compelling narrative that explores themes of manipulation and psychological turmoil, despite some uneven acting. The story's intense dynamics, involving a rich couple and their live-in caretaker, create a thrilling atmosphere filled with gas-lighting, violence, and complex character interactions.
- “Despite some not-so-great acting at parts, it had a very heartbreaking and compelling story filled with psychological thrills and horrid gaslighting.”
- “I'm a fan of the 'manipulative and emotionally immature rich couple hires live-in ice queen for their too-big house for some contrived reason, things get spicy' narrative, and the absurd 'psychiatry' does its job in causing the characters to go places and say things in this horrifying universe where nobody has any boundaries!”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
The game offers some replay value for certain players, but many find it lacking due to repetitive and similar movie scenes, which diminishes the overall experience.
- “I have to say that I really enjoyed this game, and it has some replay value.”
- “For me, it had very little replay value due to most of the movie scenes being repetitive and similar.”
- “Once you've completed the game, there's not much incentive to go back and play it again.”
- “The lack of diverse outcomes and choices makes replaying feel more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
While the acting, particularly John Hurt's narration, is praised, reviewers express a desire for deeper character development and more interactive gameplay elements, such as encountering characters during transitions between rooms.
- “The acting is decent, and John Hurt's narration is excellent, reminding me of Patrick Stewart. I just wish there was a little more character development and perhaps more gameplay, like the possibility of encountering characters while transitioning from room to room.”
- “The acting is decent, and John Hurt's narration is excellent, reminding me of Patrick Stewart, but I just wish there was a little more character development and maybe a little more gameplay, like the possibility of being able to run into characters while transitioning from room to room.”