LISA: The First

I see the potential in this game as the story & atmosphere is honestly top notch, but it's heavily weighed down by the TERRIBLE puzzles & gameplay. It's basically like those really old terrible NES / SNES games that have random items scattered around the different maps that are needed to access different parts inside each map with no actual gameplay other than point & click. Maybe there is more later into the game, but I genuinely couldn't force myself to get that far into it, as it was a painful experience after the first 5 minutes. Honestly you're better off either watching somebody playthrough the game, using a step by step guide or reading a summary or watching a youtube video that summarizes the story. 2.5 / 10

As someone who hasn't played the other LISA games, this holds up on its own. A great little Yume Nikki clone with enough going on to let you put together what it's trying to say without any fluff. Will admit I used debug to get past the spiders though.

memory of madness

LISA: The First is an unforgettable, surreal experience that strips away the standard "fun" mechanics of typical RPGs to deliver something deeply artistic and memorable. As a short, atmospheric exploration game built in RPG Maker, it really nailed the depiction of abuse and similar real-world issues despite being so simple. Most traditional media gives abused characters an empowering arc where they break free. LISA: The First doesn't do that; it delivers a tragic ending that forces the audience to confront the devastating reality that abuse breaks families and leaves scars that some people can never escape. 10/10

♥♥♥♥ you for making this piece of ♥♥♥♥ game

The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer: The Game