To the Moon

"Playing this game", or better, reading this story, is an experience that must be had once in a lifetime.
Saying anything would spoil it, I will just say that, as for any good story, there are many layers of meanings.
Also, a practical suggestion: it's a happy story, and filled with humor, but prepare some napkins: you will need them.

This game broke me in the most beautiful way.
I went in expecting a cute little indie story and came out emotionally destroyed.

One of the most heart-wrenchingly beautiful games I have ever had the pleasure to experience! this game is a must play and I will never not recommend it!

The fact that this hasn't been adapted in to a movie is a crime against humanity.
The game play is underwhelming and plays more like a visual novel, but the story is absolutely incredible and now I'm going after the sequels.
Play it and love it for the story, not the game play.

Beautiful and emotional story. I got spoiled the entire story before playing, but it's so beautiful that I just had to play it once myself. Totally worth it. I'm also a huge fan of using objects to represent/symbolise things in stories, and this game did an amazing job at that.

Finally got around to playing and finishing it. Enjoyed the story, some places a little clumsy, but had the right mix.

Overall, recommended.

As a game in itself its bad. The gameplay mechanics work randomly at some areas, the puzzles in between are a waste of time with no function. A lot of times you also need to hover above a specific part of an item to be able to click it and thus very missable if youre not paying attention, walking is a bit clunky aswell. Also dont like it, that one of the screenshots shows you a turn base encounter when its the only one in the game.

Personally i dislike this kind of art style, but after some time i didnt mind it. Soundtrack is really good and recommend to check it out no matter if youre going to play the game or not.

Its a melancholic story and it does it amazingly to convey that feeling. But i really dislike the overabundance of comedy, it shifts from being a serious athmosphere to a scene from the newer Marvel films. That ovevruse of comedy kinda works in the character arc that Kan Gao wrote here in the end. But first few acts seem out of place when experiencing it for the first time.



Personally i would recommend watching a playthrough because the story is great and its really worth hearing it. And then if you enjoyed it, to buy the game and this way supporting the writer and devs. Because I dont think the game medium enhances our connection to the characters in any kind of way. Thus this wouldve worked as a book or a show better than as the game it got made in the end. But even after all of this i cannot not recommend it, because the story will leave its mark on you and change your way of thinking.

This is among the most impactful and heartwarming games I've ever played. Short, sweet, and a great narrative that will stick with me for a long, long time.

To The Moon isn't just a game—it's an emotional experience that sticks with you long after the credits roll. It’s a beautifully crafted journey of love, loss, and memory, wrapped in an old-school RPG aesthetic that feels nostalgic yet fresh. The story is the heart of this game, and trust me, it will hit you right in the feels.

The music? Absolutely stunning. Kan Gao’s soundtrack elevates every moment, making the emotional beats land with devastating precision. Gameplay-wise, it’s minimal—no combat, no puzzles, just pure narrative—but that’s the point. This isn’t about mechanics; it’s about telling a story that matters.

If you’re looking for an unforgettable, soul-stirring experience, To The Moon delivers. Just make sure to bring tissues. Highly recommended!

Had a really nice thrusday evening playing this game. Took only 4h to complete but I felt like it was the perfect lenght for this story.

This was a story that captures you, you don't even notice how time is running. Lots of laughs, some tears too. Many moments where you stop to think deeper.

Would recommend 100%, would replay too.

What a beautiful game. Art, music, but most importantly story. I bought it on discount, so I feel like I owe the devs money. Please play it, you won't regret it.

Neat little RPG Maker Game. Play as 2 scientists on their mission to fulfill a dying man's last wish. The game itself is completely linear and focusses solely on telling a story and the puzzles and minigames are easy but fun. Story is interesting tho the banter between the 2 scientists is sometimes a bit cheesy/forced. The music is really good. Finishing the Maingame takes around 3.5h with the 2 minisodes taking around 20-30mins each.

For those having the bug that the achievement doesn't unlock upon finishing the game, i'll copy the steps from a develepor comment in the discussion hub:

Update/Solution:
1. Right click To the Moon from Steam library -> Property -> BETAs tab, and select "-achievement ..." from dropdown menu.
2. Change language from Languages tab temporarily to English (personally didnt have to change)
3. Let download, run the game, and load the Autosave near the end, and run the last sequence of the game.

It was a great and heartfelt game with good music.

beautiful. there's nothing like it. I absolutely love it the story was one of a kind
and I was learning the song!
while I was learning it on piano it was the only one I knew at the time kind of
its the last song our senior cat ever heard
will probably get a tattoo of the songs notes for her

Quoting Dr. Watts, "let's just say it was a bunch of sappy cheese that sorted itself out"

玩法可以说根本没有，剧情也看得人火大得要命，被一众“催泪神作”的评价骗来玩现在的心情就是还我时间………………

One of the best games I have ever played and the ending had me weeping under my desk. Its one hell of a hidden gem and should have a bigger following.

If you're willing to trust a sincere and low-stakes message from a nobody: Take your time with this series. Even if at some point you get antsy and spoil some things for yourself, it's okay. Go back play it in order (including the mini-sodes). There are so many moments that happen in between the major events that are worth experiencing. Thanks for reading.

Awesome game that makes up for its dated engine and graphics with an amazing story, and one of the best soundtracks of all time

A very good game with a great story and very good music, it touched my heart and moved me to tears in the end.

I first heard about To the Moon a decade ago, and I finally played and finished it today, no regrets. Turns out it really was peak, just like people have been saying for years. 9/10, amazing story.

Just hearing those piano notes is enough to make me cry like a fountain.
This game is a gem—everyone should experience this story at least once.

A deeply emotional RPGMAKER game regarded as one of the classics for good reason.

Such beautiful story and narration. Totally loved it, every part of it! If you are interested in playing this game then stop reading these reviews and play it.

I'm sure this'll stick with me for a while. The dreams we have as kids which we forget as we grow and the other love part of story. Just goated. 10/10

The game may be short but don't let that stop you from experiencing one of the finest RPG maker stories to date. Watched a let's play almost a decade ago, yet I still found myself truly touched even with some recollection of what happens.

Can't wait to see what else Freebird have to offer!

★★★★½ (4.5/5)

a gem!!! wish i could just forget about this and play it again. the controls are easy and the few combat scenes arent complicated enough to take you out of the storyline. the plot itself was good and will have you question about the mysteries without it being too secretive. hurts my heart in that part when i realized john had deep trauma about his family but lowkey glad they did not focus on that so the story just goes straight on its way without some big detours. and of course, i wouldnt fail to mention the two main characters who bounce off each other so well with their dialogue they're actually so fun to play.

highly highly recommend!

While playing the game, I felt like I had something stuck in my throat, but then, when the end credits started rolling, suddenly realized that the thing in my throat had gone and replaced by a wet trail running from my eyes.
What a Story. What a Game.

moving and i love the piano....it doesn't matter if we go to the moon,love is the thing that matters.play piano for me,and let's go to the moon together.

Cry simulator
I didn't expect the story would be that sad

100/10 would cry again

first at all the gameplay isn't the best gameplay , its a pixel art game who focus mainly on the story side , the story side is good , talking about 2 doctors dive into dying man memories ,the end of story can make you cry also it be interested the whole game to know the rest of the story because its begin from the the last moment not the beginning , story have a humanity side with a very deep story , I recommend this game if you want a simple and cute game with a good story but if you searching for a good gameplay , so this game isn't for you

I would recommend it but it is definitely flawed. It is longer than it should be because last %25 of the story was complicated and dragged. Some puzzles were too easy, some too difficult.

5/10 sadly

Very beautiful game and story thanks for this experience, it was one of my favorite story

Played after 10 years, it's still the masterpiece i remembered. It's not really a game, but the story it's worth the time.

Personally, I didn't get this story... it just didn't touch me. This game is about how one old man had his last wish before he died - to go to the moon. But I still didn't understand the meaning and moral of this story.
Pros:
- can't name a single one (maybe music),
Cons:
- awkward controls,
- poor gameplay (search for objects and a few puzzles),
- weird plot,
- very outdated pixel graphics.

This game was a truly great experience.
Great story, great music, great art, cool concept of altering memories. Definitely gives a room for thoughts.
Recommend it to everyone.

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.

My favourite part was when they switched into RPG mode, because then I had hope that I would be playing an actual fucking game.
Not for me, sorry.

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.

Great Game, hope this series continues and becomes more popular. Its what River would have wanted. And dr.Neil Watts and the squirrel and maybe also Joey...

This game committed the cardinal sin of boring me. And the humour was painfully unfunny D:

It was cool that they made custom sprites and built a visual novel into RPG maker, but I didn't care at all for the story, writing, or characters. The entire story of the game could have been resolved in 30 seconds if the woman had just told the old man one thing rather than being secretive and edgy just to make cheap drama. It was very melodramatic and I thought the writing was poor and tried to pander way too hard to the player in a cheaply manipulative way.

I played it in 2014.

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.

I could have written this review ages ago if I still had access to my old Steam account. But better late than never.

As it is, I just played To The Moon for the second time since I was 13. I am now in my mid-twenties, and I could not be more surprised how charmed I am even today. It is a touching science-fiction drama about true love, loss, family, following your heart, and fulfilling someone's seemingly impossible dying wish. It also breaches into a few other sensitive topics, which I do not want to spoil here. Still, it is beautifully depicted with some unexpected humor that may or may not strike a nerve amid deep and introspective storytelling. The music is quite serene and enjoyable from a little indie studio like Freebird, as well.

For a 2011 work in 2025, this game is outdated, indeed. The controls are clunky, the graphics could be a bit clearer - yes, even for a pixel game - and the dialogue between Doctors Rosalene and Watts leaves something to be desired. But it is no less worth the $10 price tag. The writers put a lot of heart and soul into it, which radiates warmth you can feel. The first time I played this, it had me in shambles, and I have never forgotten about it all these years. What I did forget, however, is the ending and how it will leave you questioning your own deepest desires and life choices. What would you wish for, if you were on your deathbed and allowed the opportunity to live your life all over again?

Overall, it is an unexpectedly striking and creative game at its core that will undoubtedly leave you an emotional wreck if you can look past the negatives I have mentioned. I absolutely recommend To The Moon to anyone looking for an affordable indie game that explores a consistent theme of tragedy. This one will mark and encourage you to return to it again someday.

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.

The concept is touching, but it’s hard to feel the impact when the main characters are constantly bickering. Clunky controls, dated visuals, and unnecessary minigames only add to the distractions. Some dialogue feels casually sexist, and the portrayal of neurodivergence lacks care. The heart is there, but the flaws ultimately overshadow it.

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.