Who Am I: The Tale of Dorothy

About

"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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Who Am I: The Tale of Dorothy screenshot

82%

Audience ScoreBased on 38 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 each playthrough feel unique.
The art style is beautiful, and the mechanics of choice create meaningful interactions that impact the story and character development.
There is significant replayability due to multiple endings and the need to carefully consider dialogue choices, which adds depth to the gameplay experience.

The portrayal of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) has been criticized for relying on negative stereotypes and not accurately representing the complexities of the condition.
Some players found the game frustratingly difficult, with many endings being hard to achieve without extensive trial and error.
The game is relatively short, which may leave some players wanting more content and depth in the story and gameplay mechanics.

story
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
70%
11%
The story centers on Dorothy, who grapples with childhood trauma that leads to the development of multiple personalities, explored through various narrative paths. While the storytelling is engaging and offers depth, some players feel it could benefit from further expansion, and the mechanics can lead to confusing outcomes. Overall, the game is praised for its emotional depth and replay value, making it a worthwhile experience for those interested in rich, character-driven narratives.
- “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.”
- “The more you play, the more you find out about Dorothy's story and what events created the three different personalities.”
- “The story lines often end up making no sense because of how the mechanics work.”
- “However, the art was very pretty; I just feel that the story could have been expanded upon a bit more.”
- “This game isn't really special or complex in terms of gameplay (6 endings, 8 lines of story), but the 8 paths mix based on your progress and that makes replaying interesting.”
gameplay
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
36%
27%
The gameplay is characterized by simple mechanics that revolve around interacting with a character suffering from dissociative disorder, influencing multiple endings based on player choices. While the core mechanics and story are engaging, some players find the execution lacking, with limited complexity and occasional narrative inconsistencies. Overall, the gameplay is functional and offers replayability through its branching paths, but it may not appeal to everyone due to its thematic content and simplicity.
- “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).”
- “This game isn't really special/complex in terms of gameplay (6 endings, 8 lines of story), but the 8 paths mix based on your progress and that makes replaying interesting.”
- “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).”
- “This game isn't really special or complex in terms of gameplay (6 endings, 8 lines of story), but the 8 paths mix based on your progress and that makes replaying interesting.”
emotional
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its ability to deeply engage players through touching narratives and mature themes, often evoking strong feelings such as joy and sadness. Many reviews note the game's heartfelt storytelling and replayability, with some players expressing that it has made them cry, showcasing its impactful exploration of sensitive topics. Overall, it is described as a cute, wholesome experience that resonates on a personal level.
- “Who Am I was a really touching and unique text adventure.”
- “[i]Who Am I: The Tale of Dorothy[/i] is a surprisingly touching take on the sensitive topic of mental disorder.”
- “I'm not going to lie, this game made me cry.”
graphics
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
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.
- “The visuals are stunning and immersive.”
- “It reminded me in some way of Serial Experiments Lain, the game for PS1, but with warmer aesthetics.”
- “While it is relatively simplistic, the art style captures what is being described and adds to the overall experience.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
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 issues, adds to the incentive for multiple playthroughs. Overall, players find the experience rewarding despite its challenging nature.
- “Very emotionally involving, if frustratingly hard visual novel with lots of replayability.”
- “+ 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. I would really recommend it.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while tracking responses for the best ending can be tedious and frustrating, the overall gameplay is considered a fun and light challenge that avoids excessive repetition.
- “Having to note every response to make it to the good ending was more than a little tedious and frustrating.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game has received criticism for its lack of effective looping and repetitiveness, which some players found annoying. Overall, it appears to detract from the gaming experience for those who value varied and engaging soundtracks.
- “The only thing that's a con for me is that the music doesn't loop well and it's a little annoying.”
- “I didn't like the music, though; it was too repetitive.”