Letters: A Written Adventure (2022)
5am Games
Letters is a single-player puzzle adventure about the life of Sarah, told through the letters she sends to her pen pal. The letters themselves form the game world you navigate through. You'll encounter numerous drawings blocking the way. To get past them, pick up and change words from the text by removing single letters and use these newly created words to interact with the game world. Choosing the right words can be tricky. Talk to the drawings and read between the lines to find the correct solution. Your decisions will change the course of the story. FEATURES - PLAY with words - Use the power of words to change the game world - GROW up with Sarah - Walk life’s journey with her and decide what kind of person she’ll become - READ between the lines - Put your English skills to the test and solve tough word-based riddles - REWRITE Sarah's story - Discover new possibilities with every playthrough - ENJOY a colorful world - Travel back in time and dive into a rich universe full of fun characters
About the story
Letters begins in 1998 as Sarah, an eleven-year-old girl from Switzerland, writes the first letter to Katya, her new pen pal from Russia. Through letters and online messengers, they continue to stay in touch over many years. They become good friends and share their dreams, worries and everyday life with each other. Sarah’s story is relatable and still one of a kind. Especially because you get to chose how it plays out. You take on the role of a tiny Sarah, moving through letters and messages. Along the way, you have to make decisions for her that will impact her life and change the person she grows up to be. The game world is inhabited by Sarah’s drawings in the letters and images on her computer screen that block your way. To get past them, you can pick up words from the text and throw them at these characters who will change accordingly and hopefully, make way. Most of the time, there is no right word available so you have to create your own. By removing some letters from a word, you can uncover a new one. You can, for example, get the word “wing” from “drawing” and use it to give flight to a wingless bird. But be careful when you choose a word to throw at a drawing. All of the characters have their own personalities and might even represent real people in Sarah’s life. How you interact with them has an impact on the rest of the letter, and sometimes even beyond. The gameplay is pleasantly relaxed, allowing you to concentrate on the riddles and enjoy all the quirky characters and beautiful art. The visuals are charming and nostalgic, taking you on a journey through time with messy children’s desks full of toys, colorful drawings, and enchanting memories.
Platforms
Android iOS Mac Switch PCGenres
Adventure Indie Platform Puzzle Visual NovelThemes
Kids Romance
Languages: English
| Interface | Audio | Subtitles | |
|---|---|---|---|
| English |
Media
Critic Reviews
CFG Games
By Marllon CantigaLetters is like reading a choose your own adventure diary in video game form. But the art and puzzles keep you pushing through.
Nindie Spotlight
By Justin NationI've been fascinated to see the variety of ways developers have tackled handling interactive story-telling, helping to take complex or emotional characters and events and use gameplay to suck people in further...
Guide Fall
By Will QuickIt really does feel like you’re watching a person grow up and helping them find themselves.
Six One Indie
By Harry Loizides5AM Games delivers a fun, concise game where the written words are the puzzles themselves. Explore the wonder of a burgeoning pen pal friendship in the ‘90s in the ever so charming Letters.
LadiesGamers.com
By Paula MooreLetters – a written adventure is a very enjoyable heartwarming game with a relatable coming of age story. I found the story held my attention right up till the end of the game. The use of words in the game is well implemented, focusing on narration and having fun with words with a little word puzzling thrown in for good measure.
