Closer the Distance Reviews
Despite its flaws, I’ve never played a game quite like Closer the Distance. It somehow successfully manages to turn the difficult process of managing a community’s grief into a playable game, prompting you to ask yourself difficult questions without being hamfisted with its themes. It tells a deeply moving and compelling story about what it means to take care of others, love those we’ve lost, and honour their memories in ways that respect them while making sure we keep in mind the people left behind. And it does all that while maintaining gameplay that never feels tiresome, balancing the repercussions of your actions in a realistic way, and making you really care about its characters. I’ll be thinking about this game for years to come.
You’re bound to make mistakes with such an emotionally-driven narrative at play, but with some hope from beyond the grave in Closer the Distance, you can help Yesterby move on. And if you had as wonderful a time as I did and are wondering how you can do things differently, there’s nothing stopping you from going back in time and trying to pick up the pieces all over again.
Closer the Distance takes the theme of grief and uses it to construct a wonderful narrative and an intelligent gameplay approach.
Closer The Distance almost catches you by surprise with how relatable it is, with a warmth at its core that smooths over its jagged edges enough to make it more than a worthwhile experience.
Thanks to its art direction and genuinely creative use of Sims-like mechanics, Closer the Distance gets your attention. What keeps you enthralled, emotionally engaged, and frequently discomforted is its pitch-perfect exploration of some very difficult subject matter. It’s a heavy game but absolutely worth your time.
An enthralling slice of life sim about love, loss and moving on.
Closer the Distance is a good narrative game that simulates themes of our daily lives through a heavy emotional component, as well as a somewhat confusing character management system that can result in the loss of important moments in the story.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
A gripping story, well-written dialog and incredibly beautiful background music ensure that Closer the Distance takes you on an emotional journey that will move you. The approximately 11 hours of game time fly by and invite you to take a second trip to Yesterby. The needs management feature is unfortunately quite superfluous, but that doesn't detract much from the game's great overall package. Just the thing for the next cozy autumn evening on the couch at home.
Review in German | Read full review
Closer The Distance is a unique life simulation game that challenges players with time management mechanics and an emotionally charged narrative. Set in the quaint village of Yesterby, you guide a family through the aftermath of a tragic loss, balancing their emotional and physical needs. With stunning visuals, exceptional voice acting, and a melancholic tone, this game offers a deeply immersive experience. While the time constraints and challenging objectives may be stressful for some, the game's replay value and narrative depth make it a must-play for fans of the genre.
Closer The Distance is a fantastic game told in a beautiful way. The gameplay adds to the story in a way that helps you understand how a tragedy can affect a whole town. Every character feels deliberate, as if they exist with a purpose in the story, feeling fleshed out with a history rather than existing just to be a character in the town. The sound and graphics add to the story, both being beautiful and making the world more unique and real.
This grief management simulator is not for the faint of heart; be prepared for every agonizing minute of every day that follows death.
Closer The Distance surely is made with much care, with excellent acting and writing, and offers a heartfelt and open-ended premise. You might end up connecting yourself with the game while you heal broken connections, get insight into their history, and give them the strength to persevere through difficult times. If you like emotionally charged, story-driven experiences, you will surely love Closer The Distance.
Closer The Distance is a game that will make you feel. It reminds you of some of life’s saddest moments and grief, as well as about healing and the depth that a community can have. It may be rough going down like bitter medicine, but you’ll feel better in the end.