If Found... (2020)

Being a visual novel, If Found… won't be for everyone, but those willing to give it a try will find a beautiful and endearing story of self-acceptance. The gorgeous hand-drawn art and the story coming directly from a diary really give the impression of an insight to someone's life, and the gameplay idea of actually erasing history and identity creates an intensely emotional experience.

If Found…is deep and comforting, a little disorienting, and at times heartbreaking. It is by no means trying to make people feel sorry for Kasio. Instead, it is creating an experience that some of us will never go through, and walking side-by-side with a character who does makes reality more understandable. As Kasio, we meet people who accept her, but also face hostility from the ones closest to her. It helps readers relate, understand, and reflect. It may be a very short game, but it tells a warm and powerful story that is worthwhile to read.

Knowing that even now, in a year where everything feels like a hazy wave of terrible events, sadness and darkness, we can strive towards making a brighter future. It might've been a short experience, but If Found… made me experience something that I have missed over the last few months. For that I can only be grateful.

For many, If Found... will be an interesting story about LGBTQ life in early '90s Ireland. For others, it'll be a callback to the heartache of our own coming out experiences. It tells a very specific story of a very specific girl, but its examinations of families, friends, and how we sometimes need to let go of the past if we want to move forward, are universal. This is a great example of how stories about LGBTQ characters don't have to be aimed exclusively at LGBTQ audiences, and even without my personal connection to the story, it's the most brilliant game I've played this year.

Essential and powerful, but perhaps seek out the mobile version first.