and Roger is One of This Year's Most Heartbreaking Games
Out now on Steam and Switch.
and Roger is a short, hard-hitting interactive novel that's worth your time on Steam and Switch.
Recently launched by TearyHand Studio, and Roger is one of those games you should play with minimal knowledge going in. Joining a recent slate of short but ultimately impactful experiences, this three chapter game unfolds from the perspective of Sofia, a young girl who wakes up one day to find a strange man in her house.
If you're in the right headspace for a more emotional journey, it's a strong recommendation given the £4.29 pricing and the fact it only takes an hour to complete. There's more interactivity between the gameplay mechanics and storytelling compared to something like Dear Me, I Was..., integrating these aspects well with a pleasingly straightforward art style.
I initially considered a more formal review and decided against it, though I'll note some great ones elsewhere from Jill Grodt (Indie Informer), Kate Hunter (No Small Games) and Luis Aviles (Pixelbyte). It's best played without knowing much going in, though I'll discuss the particulars below for anyone keen to learn more.
Spoilers Within
I'll be blunt and start with the big twist here, only because it's so integral to understanding and Roger. I'll make clear now that this isn't a story about child abuse, and this is your last chance to avoid spoilers. So, click on the collapsible box again to close it if you really don't want to learn more.
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Are we good to continue? Ok then. Though the game seemingly begins with Sofia as a child searching for her Dad, and Roger is a story of a woman with dementia, which initially warps our understanding of how these scenes unfold before everything eventually clicks.
For a 2D novel, there's surprisingly good, deliberate friction between our intended actions and how we achieve them. You need to memorise specific button inputs for seemingly basic actions many of us take for granted each day, such as brushing our teeth or washing our hands. It's highly effective in how disorienting that becomes.
All this occurs while her husband, a frustrated man who's doing what he can to help his wife, seriously struggles as she doesn't understand his intent. Seeing him admit to assaulting her because she keeps fighting him on certain things is difficult to stomach.
I'm reminded of Before I Forget in its exploration of cognitive decline, offering a nuanced take that's utterly heartbreaking. This often became difficult to continue for personal reasons, though I don't regret seeing this to completion. If you feel up to it, I recommend giving this a go.
If that's enough to convince you to jump in, and Roger is out now on Switch and Steam.
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