Update Thirty-Two: 4 August 2017

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Okay this one’s going to be really quick because I literally just wrote another review (checks watch) like two hours ago.

Emily is Away is a very short, very nostalgic FREE! game where you play as, ostensibly, yourself talking to a friend, Emily, over AIM. The story begins in 2002 right before you graduate high school, and ends in 2006, right before you graduate college.

I’m going to be real here - I’m a little young for this game’s explicit target audience, but, oh my god, do I remember all of these sounds. The dings, the whirring of your computer struggling to connect to the internet, the log in and log out sounds of your buddies. It brings me back. If you only try this game to walk down memory lane, do it.

The story is a relatable one, of how you slowly grow apart from your friend. It’s simple, but it’s competently done. You actually type out your responses - the game chooses the words but you have to hit keys for each letter to appear, making that physical sensation of hands slapping a keyboard quickly further shove the player into a nostalgic state. It worked for me and some of the story hit maybe a little too close to home.

Emily is Away seems to be a proof-of-concept of sorts, kind of like a glorified demo, especially since the sequel, that is 5 dollars and hopefully much longer, has just come out. After playing this, I’m excited to play the sequel in full.

Next up: To mind read, or not to mind read?

See you soon!