Loretta

A dark, creepy piece of southern gothic that exploits with great ambition its genre trappings to great success. Loretta is a darkly inviting tale of complicity, whose symbolism and themes are subtle yet poignant, making an unassumingly unsettling experience fueled by its great atmosphere and macabre characters — characters whom you would feel hard-pressed not to relate. Not all of its mechanics are nearly as memorable as its narrative, or its pyschological explorations. Still, given its rather compact size and shortcomings, this game is nothing short of a marvel to play.

Loretta is a psychological thriller developed by Bonereaders and published by DANGEN Entertainment that delivers a dark, emotionally charged narrative centered on betrayal, resentment, and personal freedom. Set in the turbulent years following World War II, the game places players in the role of a woman whose life has become defined by disappointment and isolation. Rather than focusing on traditional heroics or mystery-solving alone, the experience explores the consequences of damaged relationships and the choices people make when pushed to their emotional limits. Its mature storytelling and morally complex themes immediately establish it as a narrative-driven adventure aimed at players who appreciate character-focused dramas. The story follows Loretta, a woman trapped in a failing marriage and struggling with financial hardship. Living in a remote rural setting with her husband Walter, she gradually uncovers evidence that shakes what little trust remains between them. As secrets surface and tensions rise, the narrative evolves into a tense examination of revenge, greed, guilt, and self-determination. One of the game's greatest strengths is its refusal to present straightforward h…

Ah, the good old days when you could throw your partner in the well... took some time to see every ending and get every achievement but the replay ability wasn't arduous. Runs great on steam deck.

I loved this game so much. Without spoiling, it absolutely nailed (ha) the gothic and psychological horror. The minigames were pretty much all examples of mechanics perfectly complimenting story, in particular (late game spoilers) [spoiler]when Loretta had to peel back a dead man's fingers to get his key[/spoiler] - a lot of it stayed with me in a really good way. The art is gorgeous and Loretta's piercing eyes see right into your soul. There is some jank at times, pretty sure the game ate my save file one time, but nothing major. One thing I did find frustrating at times was the lack of choice particularly at the end. I get that branching paths are SO much harder to make than they would seem, but the ending felt slightly rushed, and I would have appreciated there to be a choice between (main ending spoilers) [spoiler]telling the Sheriff everything, facing the consequences of our actions, and keeping the secret to help Loretta and Kelly live a better life. It seemed like Margo persuaded Loretta really easily with very little resistance and the player doesn't get a say in how the story ends.[/spoiler] But honestly that's a minor complaint given how awesome the game and story are.

girlboss girlbossed too hard

The game itself is great but not having a manual save option is extremely frustrating. Also, my screensaver came up and when I brought the game back up, I could not get the game to progress so I had to go back to the main menu and hit continue. Obviously I had to start over from my last save point. No option to turn off controller vibration. A great game ruined by terrible development