If Found...
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
If Found... Trailers
Critic Reviews for If Found...
Through its vivid sketchbook art style and sharp writing, If Found gives a powerful, affecting story about empathy and acceptance as a young adult.
Anyone interested in narrative-focused games needs to check If Found… out.
If Found... is a creative telling of a queer woman learning about herself and teaching others to accept her for who she is.
Being a visual novel, If Found… won't be for everyone, but those willing to give it a try will find a beautiful and endearing story of self-acceptance. The gorgeous hand-drawn art and the story coming directly from a diary really give the impression of an insight to someone's life, and the gameplay idea of actually erasing history and identity creates an intensely emotional experience.
For many, If Found... will be an interesting story about LGBTQ life in early '90s Ireland. For others, it'll be a callback to the heartache of our own coming out experiences. It tells a very specific story of a very specific girl, but its examinations of families, friends, and how we sometimes need to let go of the past if we want to move forward, are universal. This is a great example of how stories about LGBTQ characters don't have to be aimed exclusively at LGBTQ audiences, and even without my personal connection to the story, it's the most brilliant game I've played this year.
Delicate illustrations depict a world slipping away in this poignant drama, with memories we're invited to help young Kasio erase
If Found…is deep and comforting, a little disorienting, and at times heartbreaking. It is by no means trying to make people feel sorry for Kasio. Instead, it is creating an experience that some of us will never go through, and walking side-by-side with a character who does makes reality more understandable. As Kasio, we meet people who accept her, but also face hostility from the ones closest to her. It helps readers relate, understand, and reflect. It may be a very short game, but it tells a warm and powerful story that is worthwhile to read.
The game reveals its brilliance by constantly and subtly reconfiguring the emotions behind erasure.
