Who Am I: The Tale of Dorothy

67%
Game Brain Score Based on 35 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • emotional
Who Am I: The Tale of Dorothy Game Cover
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"Who Am I: The Tale of Dorothy" is a narrative-driven game following 14-year-old Dorothy, who has dissociative identity disorder. Players enter Dorothy's Dream Space to counsel her and her personalities, Alice, Gretel, and Cindy, in hopes of helping her adjust to middle school and heal from her childhood trauma. By interacting with these personalities, players can foster integration and offer support to Dorothy in her journey towards self-discovery and acceptance.

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Reviews

67%
Audience ScoreBased on 35 reviews
story5 positive mentions
grinding2 negative mentions
  • The game offers a deeply emotional and engaging narrative that explores complex themes of trauma and mental health, making players genuinely care about the characters.
  • There is significant replayability due to the multiple endings and the impact of player choices on the story, encouraging players to explore different outcomes.
  • The art style is beautiful and complements the storytelling, enhancing the overall experience of the game.
  • The game has been criticized for perpetuating negative stereotypes about Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), which may misinform players about the condition.
  • Some players found the gameplay mechanics to be simplistic and the overall experience too short, leading to a feeling of limited depth.
  • Achieving the desired endings can be frustratingly difficult, with many players feeling locked into bad outcomes due to the game's mechanics.
  • story23 mentions

    The story revolves around Dorothy, who grapples with childhood trauma and multiple personalities, offering a deep and emotionally resonant narrative that unfolds through various paths and endings. While some reviewers noted that the storytelling can be convoluted and the production value is modest, many found the characters engaging and the themes of psychological struggle compelling. Overall, the game is praised for its rich storytelling and replay value, making it a worthwhile experience for those interested in narrative-driven games.

    • “The truth of her past is revealed little by little throughout each story path, so it really is worth it to do all of them.”
    • “While it is a very humble game in production, this game manages to overcome its lack of production value with a beautiful story filled with humanity and emotion, as well as extremely enjoyable characters which you get to understand better and better as you go through the different storylines.”
    • “It's a small indie story-driven game with simple mechanics but a deep and touching plot that presents some rather mature themes.”
    • “The story lines often end up making no sense because of how the mechanics work.”
    • “Well presented interactive story that is over very quickly.”
    • “However, the art was very pretty, I just feel that the story could have been expanded upon a bit more.”
  • gameplay10 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by simple mechanics that effectively support a story-driven experience, where player choices influence multiple endings. While the core mechanics are engaging, some players find the execution lacking, particularly in how it handles sensitive themes related to mental illness. Overall, the gameplay is functional but limited, with a focus on narrative rather than complexity.

    • “The gameplay is very good.”
    • “I also liked the mechanics of this game, including the fact that how you respond to Dorothy and her other personalities can affect what ending you will get (and there are a total of 6).”
    • “It's a small indie story-driven game with simple mechanics but a deep and touching plot that presents some rather mature themes.”
    • “Also, the storylines often end up making no sense because of how the mechanics work.”
    • “From the gameplay perspective, there isn't really much to it but it works fine: you act like a therapist for a girl with dissociative disorder and her three other personalities (representing anger, vanity, and immaturity).”
    • “- limited gameplay mechanics”
  • emotional6 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its ability to deeply engage players, often evoking strong feelings such as joy and sadness. Many reviews note its touching narratives and mature themes, with some players expressing that the experience was so impactful it brought them to tears. Overall, the game is praised for its heartfelt storytelling and replayability, making it a memorable emotional journey.

    • “I'm not going to lie, this game made me cry.”
    • “Who Am I was a really touching and unique text adventure.”
    • “It's a small indie story-driven game with simple mechanics but a deep and touching plot that presents some rather mature themes.”
  • graphics5 mentions

    The graphics are generally praised for their appealing visuals and warm aesthetics, reminiscent of classic titles like Serial Experiments Lain. While the artwork is limited to a few portraits and can be overly cartoonish at times, it effectively complements the narrative and characterization. Overall, the art style is simplistic yet captures the essence of the game's themes.

    • “It reminded me in some way of Serial Experiments Lain, the game for PS1, but with warmer aesthetics.”
    • “While it is relatively simplistic, the narrative and characterization are relatively good, and the art style captures what is being described, even if it is overly cartoonish in some cases.”
    • “There is some nice artwork, but just portraits really.”
  • replayability3 mentions

    The game offers significant replayability due to its multiple dialogue choices and various endings, encouraging players to explore different narrative paths. The emotionally engaging story, which delves into complex themes like depression and psychological struggles, adds to the incentive for multiple playthroughs. Overall, players find the experience both rewarding and worth revisiting.

    • “Very emotionally involving, if frustratingly hard visual novel with lots of replayability.”
    • “Since there are different lines of dialogue to choose from, there is much replay value. It took me less than 4 hours to get all endings, and the story of why the other personalities came into existence is pretty interesting. It deals with depression, anger, psychological abuse, delusion, etc., but the story is better off left unspoiled. I would really recommend it.”
    • “+ replay value”
    • “Since there are different lines of dialogue to choose from, there is much replay value. It took me less than 4 hours to get all endings, and the story of why the other personalities came into existence is pretty interesting. It deals with depression, anger, psychological abuse, delusion, etc., but the story is better off left unspoiled.”
    • “Replay value is minimal; once you've seen the main story, there's little incentive to go back.”
    • “The game lacks significant replayability, as the choices feel inconsequential and don't lead to vastly different outcomes.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while tracking responses for the good ending can be tedious and frustrating, the overall challenge remains light and enjoyable without becoming overly repetitive.

    • “Having to note every response to make it to the good ending was more than a little tedious and frustrating.”
  • music1 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed feedback, with some users noting that it doesn't loop well, which can be somewhat annoying during gameplay.

    • “The only thing that's a con for me is that the music doesn't loop well and it's a little annoying.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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