There are some games that are breathtaking from the moment you open them up. They are visually stunning and they engage with you mechanically in a way that is visceral and immediate. Journey, Transistor and Bastion are all games like that for me. Then there are games that excite you conceptually. They are minimal offerings but what they lay bare is so creatively exciting that it brings a smile to your face. This smile persists even while the narrative unfolds in melancholic tones. The experience is one of beauty and sadness as so intrinsically related. Gone Home, Papers Please, and Emily is Away are games that have felt like this for me. Emily is Away brilliantly captures all the ineptitude of adolescent and early adult relationships in a digital age where connection is so easy, but so fragile. From the limited response options, to the fumbling way in which each message is crafted, deleted and recrafted, the game captures the anxious experience of trying to love, be loved, express love, care, whatever. The game is also clever in the way it aligns your expectations as a video game 'player' with the hopes and aspirations of your avatar. You, the player, actually want to win Emily over, because you believe it aligns with some notion of 'winning' in a sense external to the game. I cannot wait to try to win Emily over again and to be heartbroken and reminded of all my past mistakes once more.

There are some games that are breathtaking from the moment you open them up. They are visually stunning and they engage with you mechanically in a way that is visceral and immediate. Journey, Transistor and Bastion are all games like that for me. Then there are games that excite you conceptually. They are minimal offerings but what they lay bare is so creatively exciting that it brings a smile to your face. This smile persists even while the narrative unfolds in melancholic tones. The experience is one of beauty and sadness as so intrinsically related. Gone Home, Papers Please, and Emily is Away are games that have felt like this for me. Emily is Away brilliantly captures all the ineptitude of adolescent and early adult relationships in a digital age where connection is so easy, but so fragile. From the limited response options, to the fumbling way in which each message is crafted, deleted and recrafted, the game captures the anxious experience of trying to love, be loved, express love, care, whatever. The game is also clever in the way it aligns your expectations as a video game 'player' with the hopes and aspirations of your avatar. You, the player, actually want to win Emily over, because you believe it aligns with some notion of 'winning' in a sense external to the game. I cannot wait to try to win Emily over again and to be heartbroken and reminded of all my past mistakes once more.