10mg: Stroke

I purchased the full 10 Minute Game Collection and am going to play them in the order they appear in my library. That means this is #9 of 10. Know in advance what you are getting. As the collection title suggests, a ten minute game is not a triple A title. It is a short game-jam-esque proof of concept / working prototype / execution of an idea. At least that's what I'm going to infer from first impressions. Stroke is a sincere little game about a serious life threatening medical condition and that's probably all I should say about it... Consider this a playable life experience, and one that I can only imagine is in some way biographical and personal to the developer. The story begins in a hospital where a man has brought his wife, suspecting she is having a stroke. We are then party to the events that follow, and are in control of 'Eric' as he grapples with the helplessness of his situation. He has been accompanied by their young son and his father-in-law who are along for moral support and to be close to Evelyn, the woman so vitally important in all their lives. We are privy to his inner thoughts and must help him make the right conversation choices to comfort his family. …

I'm playing Steam games in alphabetical order, and you can watch me review here: https://youtu.be/LUpFSS9e-y8 Prefer to read? As part of the 10mg series, this game is designed to take only around 10 minutes to beat. Stroke is part exploration and part visual novel, and focuses on a small family dealing with the emotional turmoil of a loved one experiencing a stroke. While this is an interesting topic to explore, unfortunately the writing falls a bit flat and spends too much time telling you how you should feel, rather than just letting you feel it. I felt it hard to connect with any of the characters, meaning that this game overall missed the mark - however if you've experienced something like this in your own life, Stroke may have more ofan impact on you.

This game has snappy simple controls. The music makes you feel anxious. The game itself is distressing and is not a pleasurable experience. It is immensely distressing. I suppose that is the goal of it though. Don't let your kid play it without you. As part of the bundle it is worth it.

I get where this game is getting at, but the execution could have been better to fully carry the emotional weight it's trying to deliver. Still, a thoughtful topic, and it handled it well.

Forgot I never reviewed this when I played it. An emotional 10m game that I appreciated playing, clean art style, and part of a great bundle!

A good, short narrative game. Everything in the 10mg collection is great.