To the Moon

This game needs to stay remembered. It's a gem that still packs a punch all these years later. It has more heart than most of the industry seems capable of fostering these days.

只要能耐心玩下去，玩法什么的都无关紧要，剧情决定了一切。总有人试图诟病这类像素游戏的解密部分或者说玩法，如果这样何不去玩一些爆款游戏，那都是为你量身定做的，每一个交互动作都能满足你的快感，把它当作一部需要手动播放胶片的电影不好吗。

Honestly, if you have the patience to immerse yourself, gameplay mechanics become trivial—the narrative reigns supreme. I’m tired of folks nitpicking puzzle designs in pixel art gems like this. If you’re craving instant gratification, go mainline those AAA blockbusters where every interaction is precision-engineered to trigger your dopamine receptors. Why not embrace this as a hand-cranked cinematic experience?"

Its a great game with a bittersweet story that made me cry like a baby and ponder about life itself, I dont want to write too much to spoil anything, but its worth every cent just for the plot.

However I still have some complaints: I didnt like the gameplay, its boring just a simulator of walking throught the map, clicking every inch of your screen to find an object you may have missed and the controls are frustrating, since you dont do anything else than just walking around, it might make the game experience kinda lame.

Its a 10/10 in story and I would personally play it again, but the controls are a pain in the ass so yeah.

A flawed masterpiece.
A must play indie game, if You're open to story focused games.

To The Moon is a game I watched youtubers play 10 years ago, like most of us. Just like back then, the game is very deep, emotional and the humor is on point For the nostalgia, I played it in italian so it amazes me how it was translated, I never saw some jokes in any other game of the past nor of the present. Playing this made me realised there was more to the story, as the series continued over the years, while youtubers stopped playing it. Totally recommend playing the WHOLE series.

Of course I would recommend this game. The way the story unfolds itself its perfect and touching, you're gonna be attached to the characters and their own interactions, and the feeling by this is outstanding.

10 / 10
Really, Really heartwarming story that brought me to the brink of tears multiple times. Visually its not quite a feast for your eyes, but manages to still be charming and works for it. Overall I really suggest this game if you enjoy a good story and are don't mind semi-dated graphics.

I initially dismissed To the Moon as just another RPG Maker game. But after playing it, I found that the emotional wreckage it left me in is impossible to adequately put into words. Very few pieces of entertainment have made me feel like a lost little puppy that’s just been tossed off a bridge. After the credits rolled, I was at a complete loss for what to do with myself. I ended up going to bed at 11 AM... on a Saturday, utterly drained, like I’d just been punched in the gut after running a marathon through The Fields of Sadness™.

My wife came in and asked, “What the hell are you doing, and why are you ugly crying like a little baby?” Without saying a word, I sat her down at the computer and said, “You have to play this.” (She doesn’t play video games.) She slogged through it, and by the time the credits rolled, she was ugly crying like a little baby too, completely lost as to what to do next. So, she went to bed as well, but this time it was around 3 or 4 PM, because the game takes about four hours to finish.

As someone who’s generally emotionally numb (I’m dead inside), it’s hard to explain why this game hits so deeply. But it does. Unless you’re a child whose brain isn’t fully developed or just your average run-of-the-mill sociopath, anyone who plays it attentively, pays attention to the story, and has even the faintest shred of empathy will probably end up feeling something. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience and totally worth checking out if you're up for having your day completely ruined. Enjoy!

The idea of a company offering a service that consists of manipulating your memories through the use of technology in order to give you experiences you didn't actually have or forget those you had is not exactly new. Decades ago I read a short story by Phlip K. Dick called "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale" that dealt with such a concept, and that would years later be adapted almost beyond recognition to film as Arnold Schwarzennegger's "Total Recall" (later remade again). The film "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" is also about a similar concept.

But what if you told a story about such a company but not focusing on the client having their memories modified, but on the actual technicians/specialists doing the job and that job consists on giving a dying person fake memories that grant a life-long wish or resolve a life-long regret? That's basically what this game is, packaged in retro pixel art and injected with enough humor and sincerity to make the emotional beats pay off.

Stuff like this proves that a good story that is told effectively can make a very simple game with retro graphics hit as hard as any modern offering with complicated gameplay and mind-blowing visuals.

Nice little storytelling game, simple but yet beautiful graphics.

this is such a sweet game with a fantastic story line--it isn't really a game so much as its a digital book with game like movement, progression, and pictures. highly recommend

A sweet and touching story and a good example of how video games can break from the traditional idea of what they are. Honestly, its beautiful and hit me in my core from a story standpoint. My only real gripe and it's not a major one, as the game's finale makes it all worthwhile, is that Act 2 kind of slows the pacing down too much and the banter between the two doctors is too frequent and becomes a bit tiresome. Initially, I also HATED Neil but he is greatly redeemed by the end. In the end, this is one of the most unique experiences I have had playing a game, and it is something that will always stick out in my memories fondly.

It's been a very long time since a game has made me cry, so kudos for that. Gorgeous pixel visuals, interesting characters, and deeply compelling storyline. I'd recommend this to anyone.

With that said, I do have some minor gripes. For one; store page claims this game has full controller support, but there's a section that requires you to use WASD, so that's not entirely true. Secondly; that high-action section towards the end that does require WASD, yeah I could do without that section, especially given it came right after a really emotional part and it just took me right out of the story. Like I get why it was there, narratively, but there were definitely less frustrating ways to go about slowing the Player down there. And lastly, and this ones more of a personal gripe, but as a person with Autism, the fact this game seemed to go out of its way to avoid just saying that, when that is obviously what was being alluded to, I actually found a little offensive. Just say "Autism", or "Asperger's" if you wanna go old school, but say the name of the fucking condition. Referring to it as some mysterious condition or syndrome the entire game, basically pussy-footing around just saying it comes across as though it's a taboo word/subject and either shouldn't be talked about, or needs to be hush hush, like it's a bad thing. That really bothered me, but more on a personal level as an Autistic person.

Negatives out of the way, though, I don't want this to come across as if I didn't enjoy the game. I really did. It was a beautiful game that I would recommend to anyone, and would probably even play again some time, I just think there are some things it could've handled a little better.

As a story, this has some moderately sweet and touching elements, but the attempts to turn the story into a game ruin most of it. As a game, this was painfully boring, with clunky controls, uninteresting puzzles, and a lot of slow and unrewarding movement. The visuals and dialogue were also largely unimaginative and really didn't create a sense of depth or impact in the topics explored in the game. I am genuinely shocked at the number of reviews singing high praises for the game. If you want a good story, there are much better ones out there.

História, trilha sonora e design são incríveis. Indico muito!
Com certeza meu jogo de conforto.

This game was recommended to me by my cousin, and i was all "yeah yeah whatever". I bought the game when it went on sale for like $2. Oh My gosh. I never expected to cry real tears over a video game. I will look at the stars a little different from now on.

The best games, I've found, are the ones that make you think. This one definitely checks that box with an in depth emotional story that you can only ever truly experience once. There is definitely also an underlying narrative about Neil dying, which I am curious to find out if it is ever completed. 10/10

One of my favorite love stories ever. Less of a game, more of an experience.

This game grew on me, Soundtrack and story concept spot on flawless. it brought a sense of comfort.
Making terminally Ill people wishes come true by redirecting their life events.
To The Moon

Lately i have been addicted to Stardew valley too with a lovely companion.


[h2] Story and Setting 10/10
[h2] Gameplay 8/10
[h2] Design, Audio, and visuals 9/10
[h2] Replayability and Game length 10/10
[h2] Pricepoint 10/10

[h1] Final Verdict: 9.4

A beautiful love story with a tragic twist. Loved this game for years and finally got to play it. The mental health topics within it are definitely of its time, but a great step in the right direction when it was released. So beautifully done. Also made my partner cry when I played it through for them.

this is a masterpiece.

i found it a bit slow at first, but it quickly picks up towards the end. make sure to pay attention so nothing goes over your head.

it doesn't take long to finish, maybe a few hours. set aside some time and just play it. it'll be worth it.

Excellent story telling, touching game-play. If you love anime type stories, I think you'll love this game.

Shockingly amazing, because I never expected it to be a combination of sci-fi and romance.

I slept on this game for maybe over a decade, first out of fear, then I kind of forgot?

Don't be me. This game is simply...beautiful. A real masterpiece of writing and a solid 10/10.

An emotional journey into mental illness and the effects it has. Great story, great work, recommend so people understand how video games can really tell a story.

It's a straight forward game with story being the main driver. There is a glitched log in the first act, so always go with the upper most log when trying to cross over the small stream. It may not be exhilarating gameplay, but some puzzles and an excellent story will keep you playing through to the next plot point. The game will be about 4 hours long, but it was an excellent short 4 hours in my book.

The first 75% are very good. The last 25% of the game feels strange.

The game is like a book that you can experience with music and images.


https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3453343082

+ Beautiful pixel graphics
+ Very good narrative (first 75%)

-/+ Few puzzles

- Strange ending (last 25%)

8.5/10

Thanks for reading :-)

It has some clunky controls and very trivial and not interesting puzzles that you have to make in order to progress, but this is totally worth it in the end, once you get to know the actual story. Caring about the characters, wanting to know their life and what affected them so much is an experience that made my time with this game something unique.

Having been a fan of this game all the way back when it was just a simple .exe game you would get offline, I was so elated when I purchased it all that time ago and it has been a treasured game to me the whole time.

A compelling narrative driven game made me feel like I was reading a book I couldn't put down. And it's a game I constantly am recommending to my friends to pick up and experience for themself as well.

This was a simple, yet beautiful game. I highly recommend the playthrough.

To The Moon is a game I remember watching Pewdiepie play like, over a decade ago, but I had no real memory of what the story was or anything besides its introductory premise. Overall, I really enjoyed most if not all the aspects of this game that it presents itself as. It is able to balance itself between being a lighthearted and emotional human experience of a story of how love drives our existence, while also exploring more psychological affects like trauma, mental disabilities, and finding meaning in life. In some sense though, I wish the game treated mental disabilities with some more tact instead of utilizing the mystery behind them for senseless psychological horror.

I will admit that I'm jaded from playing way more RPG Maker games before completing To The Moon, but its age and technical limitations are extremely apparent when playing. Decisions from what the controls were on keyboard, the lack of any options, and children-level puzzles are what diminish this game's overall experience. It is unfortunately a short game because you're forced to walk for a lot of it, and the wide and detailed environments often lacked optional interactions for the many objects present. Despite this, the game has amazing emotional moments and was able to build up to it meaningfully; it was mostly near the last half-hour, but I had some tears in my eyes like three separate times.

This game feels foundational if you want to broaden your horizons for story games, but I struggle to say it definitively is. It's a short game regardless, and I think the story is broadly appealing for most people, but it has good moments. Pick it up if you like love stories.

Good story, it didn't hit me emotionally as hard as Bird Story though.

美丽的故事，舒缓的音乐，浪漫的叙事，远超票价的游玩体验....
结局是最想说“我全都要！”的一集

This story is genuinely impressive in the way that it has thoroughly formulated characters who are beautiful to watch and easy to fall in love with. I felt compelled to embrace emotions when playing this game, I was moved by the story of this featured couple in ways that are complex. This narrative is not easily just a happy story or a sad story to me, which I think makes it easier to describe it as a life story or a love story.

Everything else is spoilers

I am a woman on the spectrum and I did not anticipate that I would see a story of a partner unabashedly embracing that, much less twice in one game. Personally, I think where I am and where River is are very different places on the spectrum, which made it hard to accept certain choices she wanted to make in the story, but that was not a bad thing nor do I think it signifies anything bad about the representation of someone with Autism.

My heart was crushed to learn that their early childhood was no longer the same at the end, but also deeply moved to know that he gained time with her in old age. It is conflicting and that makes it feel so much more like what love is.

Little did I know that this game my partner loved was a game that may very well have created some very healthy expectations of what it may look like to have a relationship with someone on the spectrum, before I even knew them.

I may very well walk down the aisle to "For River"

情节好长，意想不到，然后成就太难跳了。。。

Beautiful story with best characterization
i love two mini episode which was related to the main story and suspend for the continuation of the story

Ridiculous, nonsensical and over-sentimental story. It takes inspiration from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Up, but it's no where near as well written as those two movies. It has a nice soundtrack and some funny moments, but that's it.

I dont like romantic comedies, but I love this game play this and its sequels.

A Heartfelt and Unforgettable Journey

To the Moon is an absolute masterpiece that proves video games can be more than just entertainment—they can be a deeply emotional experience. This game weaves a beautiful, poignant story that will stay with you long after you finish it.

The plot is simple yet profoundly moving. The story of two doctors, tasked with fulfilling a dying man's last wish to go to the moon, takes you on a journey through memories and emotions that are both heartwarming and heartbreaking. The way the game handles themes of love, loss, and regret is incredibly powerful, and it feels deeply personal.

The writing is top-notch. Every dialogue exchange feels authentic and meaningful. The characters, especially the two doctors, are well-developed, and their interactions provide both humor and emotional depth. The story may start off slowly, but it gradually builds to an emotional climax that will leave you speechless.

The pixel art style may seem simple at first, but it perfectly suits the tone of the game. The visuals may be nostalgic, but they’re packed with charm and creativity. The music is another standout feature—the soundtrack complements the narrative beautifully, and certain tracks will likely become ingrained in your memory long after you finish playing.

Gameplay-wise, To the Moon is mostly about exploration and puzzle-solving, and while it’s not a challenging game in terms of mechanics, it’s about the experience rather than the difficulty. The pacing is perfect, keeping you engaged without overstaying its welcome.

Overall, To the Moon is one of the best examples of video games as an emotional storytelling medium. It’s a game that doesn’t rely on flashy graphics or complex gameplay mechanics, but rather on a beautiful, heartfelt narrative. If you’re looking for a game that will make you feel something, this is a must-play.

I re bought the game to play again after 10 years. It is still one of the greatest games I have ever played. This game is a must play for anyone. The story is one of the greatest ever told!!!!

I honestly do not know how to feel about this game. I struggled for a bit on how to sum up how I felt. I needed to sleep overnight to really gather my feelings about it. It’s also hard to say exactly my thoughts in depth about the game without spoiling it, and I refuse to add spoilers into my reviews. For a game that is primarily story-based, I’ll attempt to do my best.

To the Moon is a visual novel made in the format of a cheap RPG Maker game. The artwork, I have to be honest here, doesn’t really look that good. It’s bland, cheap-looking, and doesn’t do enough to distinguish itself from other RPG Maker games. If I showed you this game without telling you what it was, you would simply think it was more RPG Maker shovelware. I won’t harp on this too much, though, because I think that it is absolutely possible to create art even in the form of something that looks cheap or indistinguishable from other games in the same engine. However, it is noticeable, which is why I bring it up. The music in To the Moon is stunning and beautiful. The main piano motif they use for River is fantastic. It’s moving, and really helps weave this emphasis into the game’s somber scenes, and it is a song that becomes synonymous with her. That seems to be by design, so good on them for that.

The issue with To the Moon is the writing.

I was stunned when I learned that this game only has one writer when the credits rolled. Genuinely shocked. While playing through the entirety of To the Moon, it felt like two writers were clashing against one another’s styles. It’s as if they both wanted to tell different stories. The tone constantly shoots itself in the foot. The cause of this are the game’s two main protags, Eva & Watts. Without spoiling too much, their job is to essentially explore the memories of patients to grant them a last wish that they can experience in their mind during their final days. There’s more to it than that, but that’s the gist of it. Much of the game’s plot involves these two trying to help a man named John, who is on his deathbed, to reach his wish to go to the moon by viewing and altering his memories. This isn’t a big spoiler, this is information you receive within the first 20-30 minutes or so, let me live.

The problem is that Eva and Watts are terrible characters. Both of them show no empathy or sympathy for the events they’re viewing in John’s head, even when the events are depressingly sad. One could argue that they’ve seen many memories like this in the heads of other patients, and maybe that’s fair, but they don’t really show that in their personalities or display behavior that would point to that. Their dialogue is, and I don’t like using this word but it's apt here - cringe. Eva and Watts constantly behave like children for characters who are supposed to be in their late 20s or early 30s. They make needless pop culture references, and the game derails its own pacing at times simply to make unfunny bits involving them, such as one where Watts spends hours drinking at a bar with John in one of his memories. Humor is subjective, and you can argue they’re supposed to be the comic relief of the story. Sure. These are your protagonists though, in a game that is trying to deliver a message that’s really powerful and moving, but you have two morons who are essentially Jessie & James from Pokemon in terms of being goofy. Eva says things like “What the cucumber?” which is cringy in its own right, but even more so when you consider that characters in this game swear freely anyway, albeit the exact words being censored. Watts ridiculously references different media such as Street Fighter, Marvel, Dragon Ball and Doctor Who. (Huh, guess where the names John and River came from?) What is the point of writing these two like this? What, did you think the story was too ****ing dark or something? It’s not that dark, I’ll tell you that much. All of this quirky dialogue is off-putting, and takes you out of the experience. With all these depressing events they’re viewing, Eva & Watts come across as ***holes and childish for the way they react a majority of the time.

Funnily enough, in some weird moment of self-awareness, Eva scolds Watts at one point for being a moron and says she’s “trying to get into this.” Me too! If you’d like another piece of dialogue from the game as an example of the writing, here’s an actual quote I noted because I was simply so baffled that I was reading it. Watts says early on, “Because we always succeed, because we’re awesome.” Ughhh.

It all really angers me - because on the other hand, To the Moon’s story around John and River is actually a narrative I want to love. There’s something here that is actually saddening to view. To the Moon has events that invoke something beautiful. Something meaningful, something remarkable, something special. Yet the writer insisted on butchering this beauty with amateur, piss-poor bottom of the barrel protagonists - with written dialogue that feels like it was written and forged in the Nine Hells of Ao3, by a 13 year-old girl with a Tumblr blog who’s never written in her life.

What’s worse is that To the Moon’s tragic story features a tale about a mental health condition that is worth telling. I won’t spoil what this condition is since it’s pretty important to the plot, but I know some people who would love to hear that they’re being represented in a game. All this quirky dialogue from Eva & Watts makes it feel like that the writer isn’t taking this condition seriously. It feels insulting, and that genuinely makes me upset and frustrated with the game’s narrative. Hence why I was shocked the game only had one writer. Why? Why would you do this? Why would you butcher and lobotomize your own narrative like this? You had something beautiful here, something meaningful that could really mean a lot to certain people, and it is simply utterly wasted.

I think an important and underrated facet of games is tone. It’s what allows a game like Devil May Cry or Bayonetta to coexist in a genre with Dark Souls, and in turn with The Witcher, or etc. If you can nail your game’s tone, then everything built around becomes woven together, like a perfect silk cloth. Not everything has to be a despair-ridden romp, that’s not what I’m saying. What I am saying is that your game falls apart when it has an inconsistent tone. To the Moon’s poorly conceived dialogue provides nothing of value towards forming its tone, and ultimately has a very inconsistent one throughout due to this. What an example to hear what I mean? It’s like if you sat down to watch an artistically beautiful film like Forrest Gump, but you had someone right next to you on the couch the whole time cracking jokes and roasting moments of the film as if they were a Red Letter Media wannabe. That’s what it’s like.

I apologize if it seems like I’m harping on these two protags, but this is a visual novel. The most important parts of a visual novel are the narrative and dialogue. So when the dialogue gets unwoven by being so poorly-written, the tone of the game collapses. And when the tone of the game collapses, then so too does the house of cards the narrative stands upon. I don’t really recall a time where I’ve been this disappointed in a game’s narrative. It makes me sad because there’s something here with potential. It genuinely made me begin to tear up at times for certain scenes, albeit right before I was sobered back to reality by the rest of the writing.

I’m also not sure why this is rated so highly either? Perhaps if you’re only a teenager or never experienced a proper narrative in your lifetime of “muh cozy games”, sure, maybe. I’m already in my seat and cozy, thank you. I want my games to give me something that’s worth my time, and To the Moon is simply not that. I do not recommend this game, even on sale, because I think there are better ways to waste 4 hours. Drive to Chick-fil-a or something instead, I dunno.

Score: 53

A wonderful story to play though. Even though it's surrounding a heavy topic they have made it both lighthearted and heart warming. I would recommend if you're looking for a short story-driven game (4 hours ish).

To the moon is a lifetimes worth of memories compressed into a little pixel art game.
The story unfolding as you explore the patients memories is deep, emotional and well written.

My impatience was sometimes triggered by the slow progress, but giving yourself the time to listen to the story you won't be disappointed

As a game, it's not difficult, and is more like a point-and-click or search game.
But the true meaning of "I want to go to the moon" and the ending.
A distorted future and its conclusion.
Oh come on! I don't care about the explanations! Just give it a try!
Try it out for a night, not as a game, but as if you were reading a short story novel.

I just finished To the Moon, and wow—what a ride. It’s not your usual game with intense mechanics or action, but the story? Absolutely unforgettable. The way it slowly unravels Johnny’s past, piece by piece, had me completely hooked. At first, it feels like a simple story, but as you dig deeper, it hits hard. Some moments were funny, some were heartbreaking, and the music? Perfectly tied to every scene. Kan Gao really knew how to make every track feel alive. The emotional weight of the story, combined with the soundtrack, makes this game something truly special. If you’re into deep, emotional stories that stay with you long after you’re done playing, this one’s worth it. It’s short, but it leaves a huge impact.

I'm not crying, you are T^T

Very well written story and good storytelling! The twist and ending made me just go silent for a bit and *claps*

I would never though a game could make me cry, and much less a game that last 5 hours to complete and its just pixel art with some text in it.
Just an amazing experience, that what I would describe this, as an experience, not a videogame at all.
Make sure to complete it in one sit, dont waste this gem.

Just a phenomenal, tear-jerking, one-of-a-kind game. Gameplay is meh but the story just blows it out of the water. Despite the gameplay, I have not seen much characterization this realistic. Could not recommend more, but would suggest having tissues handy. I can't wait to play the rest of the series.

Aside from the clunky controls, the game's story is also very wholesome. I know this game isn't for everyone. but hey.. story is the main thing for this game. You play this game not just because of the gameplay but because of the story. So.. just relax when playing this game, don't rush. enjoy every dialogue and the beautiful backsound.

---{ Graphics }---
☐ You forget what reality is
☐ Beautiful
☐ Good
☑ Decent
☐ Bad
☐ Don‘t look too long at it
☐ MS-DOS

---{ Gameplay }---
☐ Very good
☑ Good
☐ It's just gameplay
☐ Mehh
☐ Watch paint dry instead
☐ Just don't

---{ Audio }---
☐ Eargasm
☑ Very good
☐ Good
☐ Not too bad
☐ Bad
☐ I'm now deaf

---{ Audience }---
☐ Kids
☑ Teens
☑ Adults
☐ Grandma

---{ PC Requirements }---
☑ Check if you can run paint
☐ Potato
☐ Decent
☐ Fast
☐ Rich boi
☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer

---{ Difficulty }---
☐ Just press 'W'
☑ Easy
☐ Easy to learn / Hard to master
☐ Significant brain usage
☐ Difficult
☐ Dark Souls

---{ Story }---
☐ No Story
☐ Some lore
☐ Average
☐ Good
☑ Lovely
☐ It'll replace your life

---{ Game Time }---
☐ Long enough for a cup of coffee
☑ Short
☐ Average
☐ Long
☐ To infinity and beyond

---{ Price }---
☐ It's free!
☐ Worth the price
☑ If it's on sale
☐ If u have some spare money left
☐ Not recommended
☐ You could also just burn your money

---{ Bugs }---
☑ Never heard of
☐ Minor bugs
☐ Can get annoying
☐ ARK: Survival Evolved
☐ The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs

---{ 7 / 10 }---