Closer the Distance is a slice-of-life sim telling an emotional story around grief, and the aftermath of tragedy.
CW: Closer the Distance deals with themes of death, illness and grief.
After the death of Conny’s sister, Angela, players will guide Conny and the residents of Yesterby through the aftermath. Developed by Osmotic Studios, this point and click life sim tells a genuine and moving tale that creates opportunities to discuss the reality of death and grief.
One of the most compelling mechanics that I found in Closer the Distance was the differences in how each character needed to grieve. Each character in the town has various wishes and needs, highlighting the different ways we as humans deal with tragedies and loss. What might comfort one character, may cause another to shut down.
As a player, wanting the characters to seize opportunities to connect and deal with their grief in healthy ways was a huge motivation for me, but it isn’t always as straightforward as it may seem to make that happen. Even the art style and filters across the town reflects the lack of colour in our world when we lose people we love. Allowing players to see everyone from a birds eye view, and encouraging healthier choices made it difficult to not to connect it with my own coping mechanisms in times of despair, and what I might have done differently.
Everything about this game resonated with me in my own experiences of grief.
Features:
- Control up to 14 characters in the town of Yesterby
- Follow a powerful and real narrative surrounding the aftermath of grief
- A beautiful and unique art style
- Meaningful choices and optional/fail-able objectives