There are a lot of point and click adventure games that serve as period pieces, but Perfect Tides is one of the better ones. It’s a warts-and-all portrayal of the turn of the millennium with internet culture blossoming and lots of hateful sentiment in general culture. Mara is a great main character– a very messy main character trying to figure out life when most people seem to hate her.

The puzzles can be a little frustrating but one of the perks of this game is while you’re wandering the island finding out what to do, you find NPCs to chat with and get a good sense of what Mara’s world is like. This game uses aimlessness very well, not exactly telling the player what needs to be done to forward the plot but allowing the player to roam and explore the neighbourhood.

The narrative is challenging and oftentimes dark, but it balances the trauma and grit with humour, humanity and occasional joy. I came away from this game knowing that I played a classic point-and-click with a splendid story that might not have a tight structure, but has lots to say anyway. I definitely recommend this one.