Hindsight

I just finished playing Hindsight, and wow, what an emotional journey. At the beginning of the game, the protagonist/narrator says: “The past meets with the present, fighting for space. Demanding attention to be heard, to be seen. A lifetime of memories, remembered through my eyes. Depending on where we’re at in life, our perception of a memory changes.” You then join Mary as she recalls a lifetime of memories with questions, doubts, and ultimately, resolution. I’ve played a lot of story-rich games, but I don’t often get teary-eyed. This game, however, pressed all the right buttons, and I’ll admit, it got to me a few times. Perhaps, more than a few times. I really enjoyed the visual style and liked the way the scenes transitioned in this narrative game. It was unique and special. I've added this game to my Library's "Favorites," and I might just play it again sometime in the future... after I get through some of my 500 or so un-played games. I highly recommend this game to all lovers of story-rich games.

I purchased Hindsight on sale and I feel like it is a nice addition to my collection of games that make me feel a bit sad. This game follows the life of a woman from birth onwards in the form of "frozen" flashbacks where you navigate the camera around and collect information about the scene (the water droplet one was tricky for me so I think it's best played on a computer?) each scene centers around an important time in the main characters life and explores the building (and breakdown) of family over cultural, generational, and personal differences. The gameplay is simple and this game is very story focused. It provides a window into the life of a family in the late 20th century into modern day. I would recommend Hindsight to people who enjoy a good dip into sonder. Give it a try!

I'd say, it’s not exactly a traditional game, but rather a narrative-driven experience about parental trauma — exploring the complex emotions of an adult reflecting on their childhood, their parents, their failures, and ultimately, forgiveness. There are occasional issues with the triggers that move you to the next memory, and the camera movement isn’t always comfortable. But the art direction is so clever and beautiful, and the way the scenes transition into one another and deliver the abstract cinematic feelings is so thoughtfully done that I didn’t really mind. And that feeling of closure at the end? Gorgeous. I cried, I reflected, I escaped reality for two hours — and if you love storytelling, that alone makes it worth it.

This is a very short game. While not being very active playing it (I was more viewing it), it took me about 2 hours to finish it. So, if you play faster, you can already know that you are for a short ride. However, the ride is what matters. I was originally somewhat aware that the game was about memories of family and such. However, I wasn't ready to this Feel Train that hit me. The game is packed with emotional moments and hard comments that actually made me cry in some points. Some of the moments commented in the story actually resonated with me, so that might have helped with the emotional hit. However, nevertheless, the game is beautiful and very well put together. The story is simple and linear, and yet, it is impactful, meaningful and felt close to me. The small puzzles in the game are simple, yet delicate, like requiring to select a single memory into your suitcase. That hit hard. I actually spent a lot of time in a couple of these points thinking what was more valuable to someone like me, which kind of memory would I prefer to hold onto from all the options. So, the game is short and simple. However, I can easily recommend it to anyone. It is a beautiful piec…

This game is beyond a masterpiece! The visuals are such a treat, the gameplay is SO unique and fits perfectly with the narrative. The score adds beautifully to the emotional hook of the game. But more than anything… is the story. The relationship between the mother and daughter feels so real and raw. They did a great job of humanizing the mother, showing her love and care but also showing the worst parts of her. And experiencing the daughter trying to tackle these complicated emotions through the lens of grief is just… heartbreaking. This game is beautiful, nostalgic, and bittersweet, and I'm glad I was able to experience it, because it's a game worth experiencing!

I loved Hindsight. It seemed a bit generic at the start but man was I emotional by the end. It made me realize how time is finite and how we have to have those hard converstaions we have been avoiding. Also reminded me to spend as much time as I can with the people I love.