I regret writing this review, as I was really hoping the Novelist, which got a ton of main stream attention, was a worthy entry in the line of "slice of life" poetic games like Dear Esther and Gone Home.

Unfortunately, where both Dear Esther and Gone Home have something interesting to say about both games and life, The Novelist flounders and gets lost in a sea of "first world problems" that makes it hard to empathize with any of the characters.

From a gameplay perspective, the game is boring, symetical, and repetitive. After finishing the first chapter, you'll be amazed by the potential. By chapter three, you'll realize you're caught in a gameplay loop of boredom: Find three clues for each of the three characters until you complete each of the three chapters of each of the three episodes. Yes, that is boring game design.

Real Life doesn't work in threes. So, the family feels compartmentalized, fake and droning. Unfortunately, where the game could have excelled is with allowing your choices to have meaningful effects on the gameplay paths.

Unlike The Walking Dead, this game is self-contained, so it would have been much more realistic to have a few branches based on player decisions.

Unforutnately all of the "branches" are just props placed around the house and a simple follow up letter or picture on the next day after your decision. Ultimately, there's a recap at the end of the game which crams your decisions into three (that number again) binary "good" or "bad" results.

Ultimately, this game had a lot of potential. The base format would be a great idea for a scenario where something interesting happens. White Patriarch trying to decide whether he should drink whiskey or build his son's car is not interesting. At least not in the way it's presented here.

Thumbs down, unfortunately.

I regret writing this review, as I was really hoping the Novelist, which got a ton of main stream attention, was a worthy entry in the line of "slice of life" poetic games like Dear Esther and Gone Home. Unfortunately, where both Dear Esther and Gone Home have something interesting to say about both games and life, The Novelist flounders and gets lost in a sea of "first world problems" that makes it hard to empathize with any of the characters. From a gameplay perspective, the game is boring, symetical, and repetitive. After finishing the first chapter, you'll be amazed by the potential. By chapter three, you'll realize you're caught in a gameplay loop of boredom: Find three clues for each of the three characters until you complete each of the three chapters of each of the three episodes. Yes, that is boring game design. Real Life doesn't work in threes. So, the family feels compartmentalized, fake and droning. Unfortunately, where the game could have excelled is with allowing your choices to have meaningful effects on the gameplay paths. Unlike The Walking Dead, this game is self-contained, so it would have been much more realistic to have a few branches based on player decisions. Unforutnately all of the "branches" are just props placed around the house and a simple follow up letter or picture on the next day after your decision. Ultimately, there's a recap at the end of the game which crams your decisions into three (that number again) binary "good" or "bad" results. Ultimately, this game had a lot of potential. The base format would be a great idea for a scenario where something interesting happens. White Patriarch trying to decide whether he should drink whiskey or build his son's car is not interesting. At least not in the way it's presented here. Thumbs down, unfortunately.