Max, an Autistic Journey

[h1] Just like the title says. [/h1]

autistic adult. game is overall terrible and is not an accurate depiction of autism.

Max, an Autistic Journey is one of those rare independent games that immediately distinguishes itself through subject matter alone. Developed by Professional Imagination and published by GPAC, the title places players in the role of Max, a young boy living with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and attempts to translate his daily experiences into an accessible retro-inspired RPG adventure. Rather than building its identity around epic quests or world-saving stakes, the game focuses on something much smaller yet arguably more meaningful: navigating a single day in the life of a child whose routines, anxieties, and imagination shape how he perceives the world. The game's premise is simple but effective. Players guide Max through everyday activities such as waking up, getting dressed, eating breakfast, attending school, and interacting with family and friends. However, these ordinary tasks are reframed through Max's perspective. His imagination transforms challenges into turn-based battles against monsters, while a constantly monitored anxiety meter reflects his emotional state throughout the day. This mechanic serves as the centerpiece of the experience, reinforcing the importance of routin…

This game works as both a fully functional rpg, and a way to educate people about autism. You can tell the creator did his research on autism and listened to other people as well. The only real problem i have is the use of the puzzle piece, which has been used in the past to demonize autism and treat it as some sort of horrible curse

I think this is a great game, regardless of if you are autistic or not. I think it does a nice job of portraying some of the difficulties through the media of video games.There were some improvements. I thought the last cut-scene was a bit repetitive if you lost to the last boss and had to reset, unstoppable cut scenes are a bit of a staple. the combat got a bit repetitive but I think they used the mechanics well, just a couple more fights than I was expecting through the game. I did not play the DLC, but I felt that the game was solid without DLC. But assuming it is of the same quality, the DLC would be worth it. Overall, I'd give it a 9/10 game for a niche indie title.

The game audio randomly broke, which was fine, until I got to the music class section, which requires listening to notes. I was unable to progress, and this made me so angry that I smashed up my expensive gaming rig and got shards of glass in my fists. I cried for hours and nobody came to help me. Do not buy this game if you're autistic.