Yesterday

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Yesterday is a single-player mystery role-playing game with an awesome story, beautiful game mechanics, good visuals, and a delightful soundtrack. The game takes place in New York 2011, where homeless people are disappearing, and a Y-shaped scar appears on unrelated people. Players uncover the mystery as Henry White, Cooper, and the enigmatic John Yesterday, who has no memory of his past. The game is very atmospheric with plenty of humor and a unique, dark style.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 345 reviews

story161 positive mentions

stability3 negative mentions

Engaging and dark storyline with unexpected plot twists.
Interesting characters and well-executed voice acting.
Logical puzzles that enhance the gameplay experience.

Very short game, completed in about 4-5 hours.
Some puzzles can feel too easy or lack challenge.
Graphics and animations can be inconsistent and sometimes distracting.

story
365 mentions
44 % positive mentions
51 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The story of "Yesterday" is a dark and intriguing narrative filled with unexpected plot twists, but many players feel it suffers from pacing issues and a lack of character development due to its short length. While some appreciate the unique storytelling style and the engaging atmosphere, others criticize it for being convoluted and rushed, leaving key elements underexplored. Overall, the game is recommended for those who enjoy plot-driven adventures, despite its flaws.
- “The game does an amazing job of mirroring elements and themes throughout, and the story is incredibly tight and well thought out.”
- “The result is a captivating adventure, well-served by a dark atmosphere and excellent storytelling.”
- “I loved the story and I am now looking forward to playing Yesterday Origins.”
- “The main issue is that the story seems a bit rushed at times and is too short.”
- “However, after that the story is nonsensical, it changes abruptly and bizarrely.”
- “The story is all over the place, I had a hard time following it, or taking interest in it.”
graphics
75 mentions
40 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the unique and colorful art style, which is often described as cartoonish or comic-like, and well-suited to the narrative. However, some players note that certain animations and character models appear cheap or unpolished, detracting from the overall visual experience. While the environments are generally detailed and visually appealing, the lack of graphical options and occasional clutter can hinder enjoyment.
- “The art style is fantastic and really fits with the game.”
- “I really liked the graphic style of the game, crisp cartoon mixed with some highly detailed background landscapes.”
- “Beautiful graphics like a comic book.”
- “The semi-cartoony 3D graphics mixed with 2D backgrounds are at times effective and pretty, but mostly clumsy and cheap-looking in a way that clashes poorly with the darker and edgier tone of the story.”
- “My only complaint is that you can't actually adjust any graphical settings, and the game doesn't have working high resolutions; it's stuck at an internal 4:3 resolution.”
- “Story and voice acting are okay, but the graphics are sometimes distractingly bad.”
gameplay
54 mentions
22 % positive mentions
72 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily a classic point-and-click adventure, featuring a mix of engaging storylines and varying puzzle difficulty, though many players find the puzzles to be less challenging and sometimes frustrating. While the mechanics are generally smooth and the interface simplified, the game suffers from pacing issues due to frequent cutscenes and disconnected dialogue, which can detract from the overall experience. Overall, it offers a short playtime of around 4-5 hours, appealing to fans of narrative-driven games but leaving some players wanting more depth and interactivity.
- “Fantastic little game to get through a few hours, great storyline, gameplay, and style... heading to the Steam store to see if there is a sequel!”
- “The mechanics in the game are brilliant - your character doesn't waddle around the screen, instead it fades out of its position and quickly fades in near the spot you have clicked, which speeds up the gameplay.”
- “It offers an interesting story, logical, though sometimes complex (even when easy) puzzles, and generally simplified gameplay.”
- “In terms of gameplay, it's your typical point and click with not very challenging puzzles.”
- “The result is very little gameplay to push the plot forward.”
- “It was painfully slow to get where I was the first time, just due to the game's mechanics, so I'm going to have to set this one aside for a while!”
humor
36 mentions
97 % positive mentions
-6 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as a blend of dark and twisted elements, often resulting in unexpected laughter from cheesy dialogue and quirky character interactions. While some players appreciate the clever and sometimes cringeworthy humor, others feel it can be overshadowed by the serious tone of the story. Overall, the game maintains a unique charm with its mix of eerie atmosphere and humorous moments, though opinions vary on its effectiveness and delivery.
- “The dialogue is so cheesy and skips forward erratically, causing me to laugh out loud at something that probably isn't meant to be funny (example: after you save Pauline in the antique shop).”
- “A rather dark and twisted story with a cool multi-ending, and some fun tongue-in-cheek humor sprinkled throughout.”
- “The setting tends to be eerie, but the dialogue and the funny characters give the game a charm unlike any other.”
- “The game is not funny nor does it try to be funny, and the story is dark and evil and heavily inspired by the occult.”
- “The humor falls flat and feels forced, failing to resonate with the overall tone of the game.”
- “While the atmosphere is fantastic, the attempts at humor are cringeworthy and detract from the experience.”
music
33 mentions
39 % positive mentions
52 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its ability to enhance the atmosphere and fit the mood of scenes, while others note significant gaps in ambient music and sound effects, leading to awkward moments of silence. Although the soundtrack is described as catchy and effective at times, there are complaints about its brevity and simplicity, with some players finding it either forgettable or overly loud, overshadowing dialogue. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the experience, it could benefit from more consistency and depth.
- “An intriguing story, nice art, good voice acting, and music.”
- “The music really sets the atmosphere and the voice acting is solid.”
- “Gorgeous art and music tell a twisted tale of murder, cults, monks, millionaires, and immortality.”
- “The sound (or lack thereof): there were parts of the game that seemed to not have either sound effects or music where it should.”
- “While the tracks fit the mood, you often have awkward moments without music, and some of the sounds aren't impressive, leaving much to be desired in the audio department.”
- “The only downsides are its brief duration (around 4-5 hours play), and music which is too simple or nonexistent at all.”
atmosphere
14 mentions
64 % positive mentions
14 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is described as captivating and immersive, with a strong emphasis on dark, eerie themes and stunning visuals that enhance the storytelling. While many reviews praise the effective use of music and voice acting to create a compelling ambiance, some note inconsistencies in tone, shifting from dark narratives to comedic elements, which can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game successfully delivers a unique and engaging atmosphere that aligns well with its narrative adventure style.
- “The result is a captivating adventure, well-served by a dark atmosphere and excellent storytelling.”
- “Yesterday delivers on all levels of a narrative adventure: intelligent puzzles, interesting story and characters, immersive atmosphere.”
- “And still, the atmosphere is fantastic, dark and creepy and weird and aloof and just spot on; the music is sometimes great, the voice acting is rather good all around, and the writing is never bad and quite good at times.”
- “It also features distractingly inconsistent atmosphere and tone, veering from dark, cult-based ritual murder and torture to broad comedy, in a manner which completely undercuts almost everything that has come before.”
- “It moves away from the previous titles’ colorful and light atmosphere and introduces us to a bloody thriller involving satanic cults, torture, a serial killer, and a big load of mystery in the form of the protagonist, who suffers from a very strange case of amnesia.”
- “The main interest of yesterday is its story and atmosphere, and they leave a much stronger mark on me than any of the runaway episodes did.”
replayability
9 mentions
33 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is considered low due to its short length and limited branching paths, with many players noting that once the story is known, there is little incentive to replay. While there are multiple endings that offer some replay value, the experience is primarily linear, making it more suitable for a single playthrough or for those interested in revisiting the story.
- “This all leads up to a choice of four different endings and will give you some replay value to see them all.”
- “Very short, but the ending offers some replay value.”
- “Game itself is fun, creative, interesting, good story, multiple endings.”
- “This does lend the game some replayability, but I can just go to YouTube to watch it, making this game only replayable if you want to go through the whole story exactly the same way again.”
- “Beware that the game is not overly long, difficult, or branching - so get it on sale as replay value is low.”
- “With only something of three to four hours and a replayability of nil (it is an adventure game, after all), this is rather limited.”
stability
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is mixed, with some users reporting frequent bugs and crashes upon launch, while others have experienced no technical issues at all.
- “It's also a little buggy.”
- “I have tried several times, yet it breaks and freezes up every time I try to launch the game.”
- “+ no technical glitches (at least none that I encountered)”
emotional
3 mentions
67 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is largely criticized, with players feeling disconnected from the characters due to average voice acting and a lack of emotional dialogue and expressions. Additionally, the awkwardly placed humor detracts from the overall experience, leaving some players feeling that the story fails to engage them on an emotional level.
- “This is a great looking point-and-click adventure game, but I found it to be mired in nonsensical puzzles and an incredibly boring story tangent in the middle of the game.”
character development
3 mentions
33 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is perceived as lacking depth, with some reviewers noting that the writing feels rushed and insufficient for meaningful growth. While the game is still considered worth the price, many feel it falls short compared to its predecessors in terms of storytelling and character progression.
- “For the sake of character development, the game could have been a bit longer, but still, the game is absolutely worth it at full price.”
- “I also have to say that the game is not as good as the previous ones regarding the story and character development.”
- “The writing is evidently rushed with scant room for character development.”
grinding
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the grinding aspect for its streamlined approach, which reduces tedium through features like character teleportation, allowing for faster progression. The game also benefits from engaging artwork and surprising twists that enhance the overall experience.
- “The grinding in this game feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “I found the grinding mechanics to be overly tedious, which detracted from the overall experience.”
- “The amount of grinding required to progress is frustrating and feels like a chore rather than an enjoyable part of the game.”