Lydia Reviews

Lydia is ranked in the 56th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
3 / 10.0
Mar 5, 2023

Lydia is not so much a game as it is a public service announcement about the risks of alcohol, delivered through the medium of the eShop. The dark subject matter is at times well outlined by some bleak and surreal imagery, but it’s discussed in such a blunt manner that even a powerful ending leaves the story feeling less poignant and more thoroughly miserable. There will be those who can forgive the complete lack of gameplay in the face of raising such an important topic, and while I applaud the intention and understand the gravity of its creation, I find it hard to advocate anyone taking on 45 minutes of pure distilled depression, topped with a smattering of trauma.

Read full review

5 / 10
May 31, 2021

Lydia is an interactive story telling point and click, the story of a young girl surrounded by substance abuse. The game is short, and from that, the scenes of the narrative can blur and become confusing in which message it is trying to convey. Visually pleasing, and delivers a good atmospheric dark tone, but difficult to recommend for ‘fun’. However, this is an important game in the awareness of substance abuse.

Read full review

Renan Fontes
Top Critic
6 / 10
Feb 23, 2020

Short, sweet, and to the point, Lydia makes for a memorable and engaging hour of gameplay. Its story of abuse will prove uncomfortable, but a restrained hand ensures audiences never have to confront anything too visceral through gameplay. There isn't much in the way of replayability, but a well told story, plus an excellent visual style make Lydia a worthwhile play-through for anyone looking for something emotionally dense.

Read full review

65 / 100
May 14, 2020

Lydia, more than a game, is a narrative experience. It boasts a great artistic and sound section, but does not offer much more. It is no more than a curiosity if you do not 'click' with their story. Still, for the price it has, it can be an interesting thing to try.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

6.5 / 10.0
Jan 17, 2020

In general, Lydia is an interesting game with a well put together setting and an art style you probably won’t soon forget, but overall it’s just sort of a slightly underwhelming experience.

Read full review

7 / 10.0
Jan 17, 2020

Over the past few years in particular there has been a movement towards using games as a vehicle for telling semi-interactive stories as opposed to using more traditional forms of media...

Read full review

XGN.nl
Top Critic
7 / 10.0
Jan 26, 2020

Lydia is a game with two faces. One face tells you a compelling story about the heavy subject of alcoholism from the perspective of a child. The other face is a game that is short and doesn't keep the pace how it should. As a package it offers an interesting hour to spend, especially for the very low price it comes at.

Review in Dutch | Read full review

RPG Fan
Top Critic
70%
Dec 17, 2017

A sad but moving piece that will make you think for far longer than the time it takes to experience it.

Read full review

Mar 17, 2020

Lydia is a dark point and click adventure game about child abuse.

Read full review

Olly Smith
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Aug 26, 2017

With this stimulating narrative, Lydia is a steady explorative adventure that will leave you speechless by the time you finish it. Its take on adult themes within a childish aesthetic feels familiar but it accomplishes enough to set it apart from other like-minded indie titles. It's a solid debut release by Platonic Partnership and leaves me intrigued to see what comes next from the Finnish studio.

Read full review

8 / 10.0
Jan 24, 2020

Lydia is a small game, but it sends a bigger message that sometimes we need to step in and help the ones who can't speak for themselves. I highly recommend checking out this enthralling, interactive story about a little girl overcoming her giant "monster".

Read full review

8 / 10
Jan 22, 2020

It’s one of the most emotionally impactful games to grace the Switch since its launch nearly three years ago.

Read full review

8.5 / 10.0
Jan 17, 2020

Lydia is an important game, not just because it broaches an important subject matter, but for how it uses its art direction, music, and storytelling to highlight the issues it's bringing to our attention.

Read full review

Unscored
Jun 21, 2017

I was impressed with the overall design of the game. In its short playtime, "Lydia" covers a fair amount of emotionally treacherous ground.

Read full review

Mind-blown
Jan 31, 2020

Games, often have us talking about joy, about the things which made us feel like we’re having fun or experiencing something new. I don’t want you to get the wrong idea, the game at hand, Lydia, is something which feels new, and it is pushing the boundaries of games, in the best of ways. Because of the sensitive content it requires some resolve to get through, but it is a masterpiece. It's a powerful and beautiful game, one that leaves an everlasting impression.

Read full review