Surrogate

I think the game is perfectly described on a store page as "simulated self-criticism", with some supernatural and conspiracy themes in the mix, although that is up for interpretation, the game is nicely ambiguous and it certainly has a psychological angle as well. It's probably the most compelling $2 visual novel that I played, very complex and thought-provoking with a lot of subliminal activity. I thought the first 20 minutes of the game were a bit repetitive, you got the same point across multiple times, but the pacing got a lot better once you get into the ending routes, as well as having more scenery changes which were very limited at first. The game is roughly 35 minutes multiplied by 5 endings, I skipped a little between the paths so I got 100% completion in 90 minutes. I like that each ending adds a different context to the story without giving away the mystery as a whole, I think any game that can motivate you to explore the routes naturally is a sign of good writing. Addition...

Surrogate is incredible. I got it because the art was very appealing, the premise seemed interesting. When I launched it, the ambiental track got me, then the colors displayed in the title screen, and then the art when I stared reading. They are hauntingly beautiful, and quite otherworldly. I expected some "deep" themes, but it caused introspection within the first 4 minutes, by the time Frances talks to her grandma. I highly recommend it if you're looking for a nuanced but short VN that doesn't waste your time.

this game is bizzare and i kinda love it

I don't remember buying this but it was relatable in a disturbing way...

When you can tell between a character's inner voice and their inner inner voice that's how you know a VN is good

Had a lot of fun with this game. Great story line to make you think about yourself and our world around us. First to 100% game with all achievements.

Absolutely loved Surrogate. Existentialism the game. Very relatable to many of us. Go in as blind as possible, you won't regret it. Took me a little over an hour to get full completion. For the price, extremely worth it. Not to even mention the best colour scheme of all time: purple. Self-examination, dystopian and psychological are probably the three big words for this.

some of the dialogue hit way too close to home in a very mean way, hurtful even

Surrogate has an extremely beautiful art style, the palette alone is inspired. Great experience, poignant writing and compelling characters. Haven't even finished it but felt a need to gush a little bit. Definitely up there with Milk Outside Bag in my ranking, very favorably.

The Surrogate is the total definition of “It's all in your head”, or “Oh, I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks this, or I'm glad someone managed to make sense of all the things I'm thinking of into reality”. Who would know I'll be finding a game that can stylishly convey all my skepticism, and inner turmoil into practice with quotable mumble jumble of 2 characters battling it out on what's the purpose of life and what's reality? The way Surrogate play around with a close-up pause camera shot on the face, displaying emotions like despair at certain tense and funny moments (like working at a fast food restaurant), giving it a unique edge compared to other visual novels. Whereby it can be tricky to get a gasp what this game is about which you will get the hang of it upon a couple of playthroughs, I would say it is harder to tell who is speaking (and this is speaking about me personally as I am dyslexic) as all text is in the same colours and it doesn't have names next to ...