Florence

I played this when it was first released on Android, it's basically a visual novel without any text. The art style is really nice, as is the music and some of the interactions, but at its core, it's just an extremely short visual novel -and maybe even less than that, as there are no choices to make or different endings to see. The story is decent and well-delivered for the most part thanks to the clever interactions and pretty visuals and music, but it's still rather basic and simple. It cost €3 when I got it and even that felt way too expensive for what it is, so if you really want it, I'd recommend waiting for a big discount or something.

As a huge fan of cellos, the premise of this story really appealed to me. Unfortunately, for a game about falling in love with a cello player there is way too little cello music (and the music is very simple and nothing special). There is very little story, just occasional moments (no text). Some of the mechanics are nice but others I found clunky and annoying. Some good ideas that could be turned into an excellent game but this isn't it. Some of my favorite games that anyone considering this game might like: My Brother Rabbit, RiME (great cello music and a beutiful, memorable game), A Short Hike, Little Bug, Botanicula, and Amnesia: Memories. Also, while I only tried the demo so far and wasn't super fond of it (for some of the same reasons I didn't like this one), I recommend trying The Longest Road on Earth demo (the music is better in that one). For cello music, I suggest: Cris Derksen (Hindsight 2020 is one of my all time favorites), Apocalyptica, 2Cellos (they are also individually classical cellists), and Yo-Yo Ma (Bach's Cello Suites are also some of my all time favorites).

The title sums up my feelings about this game, it's a comforting experience that is quick but will stick with you. I really enjoyed how this game used simple interactivity, such as connecting puzzle pieces, to reflect the mood of a scene. There's only a few segments with actual dialogue written out, but you're left to experience most of the story visually, auditorily, and physically. The game doesn't quite pull on your heartstrings, nor does it really aim to do that, it just wants you to enjoy the ride. And I do think it's very enjoyable, well worth anyone's time, and it made me wonder what other games could do with the "digital comic meets point-and-click" approach found here in Florence. I'll keep an eye out for other games like this, that's for sure!

Short, well paced, enjoyable art style and something I came away from having enjoyed. I enjoyed the small puzzle mechanics and minimal text, nearly everything is conveyed through the art, puzzles and music. Combine all this with great pacing means that you've got a nice hour or so of storytelling to navigate through. Thoroughly recommend, especially when on sale.