A Story Beside
Wayward Prophet · 2022 · Story Rich, Choices Matter, Emotional, Female Protagonist, Life Sim
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About A Story Beside
Imagine that for every epic adventure, there was A Story Beside.
A Story Beside is a narrative-driven fantasy adventure game experienced through the eyes of an ordinary girl. Step into the shoes of Lyric, the humble innkeeper in a quiet mountain village, as she reflects upon a lifetime of poignant memories, heartwarming friendships, and bittersweet choices — proving along the way that you don't have to slay dragons to be the hero of your own story.
Expect gameplay full of meaningful choices, charming characters, sweeping romance, and emotional storytelling inspired by games like Life is Strange and To the Moon.
A LIFETIME OF CHOICES
Shape your story over the course of Lyric's lifetime, making decisions that will impact everything from modest details in her appearance and personality to lasting friendships and romantic endeavors. As the years go by, the fate of her village and the people who live there will change based on your choices.A QUIET VILLAGE
Spend decades getting to know the town of Pyreside in all its cozy charm. The quaint apothecary shop next door, the creaky old windmill on the hill, the cottage beyond the wooded path... these are the humble but cherished places that are dear to Lyric's heart.A NEW PERSPECTIVE
Build friendships and seek romance among the farmers, smiths, and shopkeepers who call Pyreside home. In the epic hero tales, these ordinary folk are the ones living on the fringes of the story, watching self-absorbed adventurers drop by the local inn looking for a warm meal and a soft bed.
What Steam players say
Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.
A Story Beside captivates players with its emotionally resonant narrative about a life lived through meaningful choices, featuring gorgeous pixel art and beautifully written characters that explore themes of grief, value, and consequence. Players praise the branching story structure that encourages multiple playthroughs and the unique perspective of playing an NPC rather than a hero, creating a cozy yet poignant experience. Some find the pacing slow and wish for clearer objectives or faster movement, but most consider these minor quibbles outweighed by the game's heart and its ability to move
Writing this review fresh off of the feels coaster this game took me on. Wow. I...just...wow. 'A Story Beside' was like a book I couldn't put down. Read the whole thing in one night. The player is presented with so many choices. I still feel like there's so much I haven't seen and done. And yet it feels oddly satisfying. Like an authentic life lived. Choices that could have been made, things I could have changed, people I could have connected with...all of these are compelling reasons to play again. What a gorgeous aching feeling. What amazingly beautiful writing. It gets dark in places (parts of the plot deal with death and grief) but is still so well done. Even when it's bitter, it's sweet. The characters, the story, the vibes...I can't say enough good things about this one, I absolutely loved it. ALSO I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could romance women as Lyric. (At least one that I know of. It's only my first playthrough.) So that gets some bonus points from me.2 found this helpful
Very cool
Absolutely wonderful and beautiful game. 100% recommend this story if you are in to collecting and clicking on every small item in games. The story does not take long to complete (about 6hrs total). Great voice over, great storylines, great game play. Loved and almost made me cry!
i love story games with consequences!!!
Very cozy pixel art game where you are the NPC in the heroes story. You don't kill dragons, you don't hunt bandits, you don't get the kingdom. Instead you clean up, pour ale, make the beds, and welcome adventurers of all sorts. It's a beautiful story with an absolutely gorgeous artstyle. If you like pixel art games, good stories, or both, give this a go. It's also quite short, easily clearable in a session or two.
One of the best stories I have ever completed in a video game. 10/10 would recommend. Had me crying my eyes out by the end and it was worth every moment throughout.
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