About Dear Esther
A 2012 first-person narrative exploration game set on a remote Hebridean island, told through fragmented audio monologues as the player wanders its landscape.
Dear Esther is a game that questions the very concept of a "game" as an entertainment. It is more of an art project that was originally started as a mod on the Source engine (the one Half-Life 2 is based on). The player assumes the role of a nameless and faceless character, a man, who wanders around a cold island at the shores of Scotland. When you enter certain parts of the island, the main character reads aloud his letters from the past, revealing his tragic story. All other characters, including the protagonists’ wife Esther, are only mentioned by the narrator and do not appear in the game. There's very little actual gameplay, and your goal as a player is to explore the island and discover as many parts of the backstory as possible. The goal of the game is to follow the story, immerse yourself in the experience and pass it through your emotions.
Dear Esther is famous for its visual design and sound: there are gorgeous natural landscapes (the caves in particular), ambient sounds, and music. Melancholic mood and darkened landscapes befit the story that is all about loss and grief.
Where to buy Dear Esther
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Start tracking for free →Frequently asked questions about Dear Esther
How long does it take to beat Dear Esther?
Players report about 1 hours of playtime on average for Dear Esther. Actual time varies with playstyle, difficulty and how much side content you do.
What genre is Dear Esther?
Dear Esther is a Casual, Indie, Adventure game, released in 2012.
Is Dear Esther worth playing?
Dear Esther is a casual game from 2012. Fans of this game often enjoy titles like Gravity Bone, The Beginner's Guide, What Remains of Edith Finch. You can add it to your backlog on nxto.app to track it.
What games are similar to Dear Esther?
Games similar to Dear Esther include: Gravity Bone, The Beginner's Guide, What Remains of Edith Finch, Frog Detective 3: Corruption at Cowboy County, Gorogoa, Beacon Pines, Boxes: Lost Fragments, Tengami, Quern - Undying Thoughts, Observеr. You can discover and track all of them on nxto.app.