Finding Paradise

The whole To The Moon series is a masterpiece. Although this didn't have as big of an impact on me like To The Moon, it is still an amazing game. Like the game before it, the music is spectacular. The writing is top notch. This is one of the best games I have ever played.


10/10

What a compelling story... It makes you think; it makes you feel.
The ending can really pull on your heartstrings.
I ended up crying on random Tuesday night, but well, a beautiful experience all in all.

A beautiful story that shows different views on life. Really makes me want to sit down and look at the sky for some time.

Once again, another epic game with great storytelling, the perfect blend of emotions surging through the story. I love how they added little things that connect with To The Moon (the squirrel is my fav haha), and the twists and how everything just clicks at the right moment. I loved it! 10/10 <3

As good as, if not better than Too the Moon. Similar completion time, about 5 hours.

"I learned to fly because of you
So if you left, I could go too
And everything you saw in me
That's what I wanted to be
Did I make it after all?"

In all, the RPG graphics were beautiful, the soundtrack was moving, and the story was very rich and compelling. If you're the type who enjoys a cozy, relaxed game while unveiling the events of a story, then you would love this game :)

My interest in Finding Paradise was the same as I assume like many others: being touched by To The Moon and wanting to see more.

Thing is, my love for that game was secondhand. I never played it myself, but watched countless playthroughs by different people, their heartstrings getting tugged by the emotional roller coaster that TTM is. If even watching could get me to tear up, I had to try the sequel myself.

I didn't know what kind of story I was about get into, whether or not it would be familiar themes as before, whether it would be able to git those same and make me feel something. Rest assured, it certainly made me feel a lot of things, thanks to setting the right mood with music and smart writing coming together. As for theme, it is familiar, but explores another branch of it, a less obvious but just as important.
To the Moon was about love, specifically about missed connections in love, and Finding Paradise is somewhat the same way, except the form of that takes a much different shape. The patient, Colin, has a dying wish with troublesome vagueness: "I want to be happy, but don't change anything about my life." With such a troublesome request, you join Eva and Neil as they swirl down a vortex into Colin's mind, taking unexpected turns that I did not see it heading. What resulted was the bittersweet feelings I was hoping for, but not for what I thought I was going to empathize with. There's many forms of love, and the kind of love that's reconnected at the center of the storm is a tricky one, one that if you understand it will tug at you just the same as a typical romance.

Needless to say, I loved it. Give yourself an afternoon, or late night like I did, and tuck in for a good time.

Its by the creator of "To The Moon" so of course its as great as I expected👍.


Heres a quick tip If you want to make the game look sharp and fill the whole screen at the same time:

1. Dont use any kind of beta or alternate version, just leave it as none.

2. Open the nvidia control panel and go to "desktop size and position", then check the option "INTEGER SCALING" and save.

3. Make sure you play the game in Fullscreen with ALT + ENTER.


use"INTEGER SCALING" in

As with episode 1, the story is extremely well written and knows exactly where to hit in all the good ways. Highly recommend!

If To the Moon is emotional, Finding Paradise is heart-wrenching. Maybe it's simply due to my personal experience relating more to this game's story than the last, but to me the team at Freebird Games really outdid themselves with this one. Like To the Moon , this is more a story you watch than a game you play. Again, though, this game's story told the way it's told is an experience that will stick with you for a long time. Also the music is yet again beautiful and nostalgic. If you're at all interested please play this game.

Unless, of course, you haven't played To the Moon yet. Play that one first. ( A Bird Story takes place between To the Moon and Finding Paradise , but I didn't play that one and I've heard it's not as important. *shrug* )

Such a wonderful game, and a great followup to 'To the Moon'. If you liked To the Moon then you'll like this game.

The strength of this game is the story, and the incredible soundtrack that perfectly compliments the feelings of the story being told.

This game is not about mechanics, or gameplay, it's about story, so don't let the pixel art of clunkiness of the mechanics get you down, just keep playing and allow yourself to experience. Also, there's nothing to 'miss' really, so no need to wander around searching every corner before choosing to activate things, you don't unlock moving on until you've seen what there is to see.

I'd like to say that I've had video games move me to tears, but I would've been lying up until I played this game. Although its predecessor, "To the Moon," was a beautiful game, something about the story telling of the sequel really got to me. It's a charming game, which forces you to look into someone else's life as a bystander, and attempt to piece together the most influential moments of their life. I cannot recommend this game more, 10/10.

Played this for the first time and just finished this after playing...Never has a story felt more relatable in my life. The fear of feeling lonely, regrets. Having an imaginary friend to help you throughout your younger life so you don't feel alone. I have a good amount of regrets...but I chose this path, I must continue my life the way I want it. This game is incredible. Even though it's bizarre to still have it throughout most of my life, maybe it's time to say goodbye to them one more time. To know that Everything's Alright.

This is my favorite game of all time now.

A short game with something meaningful to say about imagination and regrets.

One of the best games I've ever played. The gameplay can be a little repetitive, but that's not the point, the beautiful and tragic story unfolding in front of your eyes is. I personally it's a step up from To The Moon in terms of story. Will be playing anything coming out from Freebird in the future.

Freebird games outdid themselves with this, still the same jank rpg maker game and that clunky but charming pixel art but god this story was genuiely the longest and hardest i've ever cried from a piece of media in my life, 100% recommend it, it's super cheap. (As long as you played to the Moon First)

Made me cry as much as To the Moon. Ken Gao you magnificent bastard.

Amazing story, characters, and a lot of humor!

A beautiful game with a beautiful ending. The story is definitely different from the first episode, To The Moon. Looking forward to play the next one :)

Sights & Sounds

Exactly as expected

• Let's cut to the chase. In the vast majority of cases, you're not playing an RPG Maker game because it looks amazing or unique
  
• Sure, there exist some noteworthy exceptions like OMORI or Suits, but this is not one of those games
  
• And really, that's just fine. If you've made it to the point that you're considering playing Finding Paradise, you've accepted that this franchise looks like what it looks like and you're here for the story
  
• Conversely, you can always count on this series to be accompanied by some really impressive piano. The music in these games is a treat
  
• Sometimes the scoring is a little heavy-handed in emotional cueing (like in its predecessors), but RPG Maker sprites aren't exactly rich canvasses for conveying how a character feels. I'm completely fine with this compromise due to the quality of the soundtrack
  
• I'm not sure why, but the cartoonish stock sound effects are kind of endearing
  

Story & Vibes

What you're really here for

• After playing To the Moon, I was fully hooked by the ethically ambiguous sci-fi concept behind travelling into the dreams of the dying to delude them into believing some self-fulfilling but false fantasy so they can perish peacefully
  
• Even the mini episodes were pretty good, adding further flavor and lore to the world along with the characters inhabiting it
  
• A Bird Story, while notable for trying to switch up the pace, stumbled between cloyingly saccharine and clumsily maudlin
  
• So, despite some uncertainty about how this entry would play out, I'm happy to report that Finding Paradise is a return to form and the best game I've played in the franchise so far
  
• As before, we join Drs. Watts and Rosalene on another morally questionable Make-a-Wish facsimile, this time for a former pilot named Colin Reeds. They weren't initially signed to his case, but for mysterious reasons, Dr. Watts is all too eager to fill in
  
• Things begin to go off the rails from the get-go. The equipment is having issues, the client doesn't even know what the hell his wish is, and it soon becomes apparent that a mysterious and unexpected force is lurking in Colin's psyche
  
• Explaining much further would be giving way too much of the plot, but the overarching mystery surrounding Colin's wish mixed with the feeling that there's something out to get you makes for some pretty exciting plot points as you delve into his past
  
• There is still a healthy serving of silliness on the table, but it's a much smaller portion than in To the Moon. Tastes will vary on how you feel about that change. For my own part, I appreciated that they didn't feel it necessary to send in the clowns to mop up audience tears after every dour story development
  
• Just as an additional note, despite the direct connection to A Bird Story, it isn't necessary (nor, in my opinion, advisable) to play that game in order to enjoy Finding Paradise to the fullest
  
• The connection between the two titles seems like it was intended as some sort of twist, but it really doesn't pan out that way in practice. It doesn't take some sort of mastermind to put 2 and 2 together within the first 30 minutes or so
  

Playability & Replayability

No surprises

• Like in To the Moon, you hop from memory to memory in the client's mind to unearth secrets about their past, figure out what needs to be done to alter their memory, and leave before they kick the bucket
  
• Navigating between these memory nodes is done by viewing whatever plot point you were meant so see (sometimes punctuated by a puzzle or minigame), then finding some form of totemic object that will allow you to progress to the next one
  
• It's a simple formula, but an effective enough vehicle for the narrative. The occasional distractions that change up the gameplay inject just enough variety to keep the experience engaging, which can be a challenge in a story-focused adventure game like this
  
• Not really sure there's a reason to replay. Looking forward to trying Imposter Factory, though
  

Overall Impressions & Performance

Back on course

• I did find it a little interesting that there's a plot beat in which the creator seems to be addressing common criticisms with A Bird Story. If that was indeed the intent, it seems like the dev heard it
  
• Their response in that segment seems to be along the lines of "I suppose I should accept that some stories are personal and meant to be treasured rather than shared"
  
• If that is the intent, I'm not sure I'm sold on that being the right message to take home, but the explanation was at least appreciated
  
[*] This game is meant to be played with a mouse and keyboard, but works just fine on the Steam Deck with community mappings

Final Verdict

If [To The Moon] was about Love, and the inseparable ties with your loved ones, [Finding Paradise] is about accepting the path you have chosen.

To put what i interpreted as what the game is telling me :

There is no perfect path in your life, every path you take will be filled with regrets. But what is important is accepting said paths you have chosen and knowing that those regrets are what makes you now. Accepting you as yourself and the paths you have taken, that is what i believe the game is trying to say.

All the not recommended say "boring". You might get bored if you don't give it a chance. but considering the fact you're probably thinking of playing this because you're looking for a story (because that only makes sense), i'd recommend. it kinda does the same thing as the first game so it can start boring or feel boring at times, it even did for me here and there (which can happen with lots of games). But yeah, somethin about it stops me from letting go. i don't know, it's great story and the humor might be my favorite part of it. the jokes really never fail to make me smile. if you liked the first game then this one is nice too. i felt more emotion in the first game i think, but it was still fun.

Heartwarming story and fun dialogues :)

it is a good game, but to the moon was better.

Its rare to find something beautiful as this. The story, music, humour. Everything was in the perfect blend

After the death of my girlfriend in 2021, I had basically shut off any negative emotions for the last three and a half years. This game broke through my emotional wall. The ending sequence made me cry for the first time after her death. This game is incredibly dear to my heart.

Just as good as the first game. It's still worth a play.
Still a tearjerker story, it's gonna try to get you emotional.

Personally found this one more moving than the first one, only because the story happened to have some things I relate to. Somedays I still think about this game...

Finding Paradise is the direct sequel to To the Moon and has many similarities. Still there is no proper gameplay, just running around the levels to find points to proceed to the next. There are more minigames, the one in between levels is a match-three-variant. But I'm bothered by the action-themed later in the game. They are very clunky to play, controls are imprecise and somewhat delayed. Just a great showcase why RPGMaker is not meant for this type of gameplay.

Again, the core part is the story, which again stars two scientists that can manipulate a patients memories through a machine. The task and themes are different this time, but the overall structure stayed the same. It did not emotionally impact me as much as To the Moon, maybe because I can't connect with the topics as well. Or the silly, goofy moments bothered me too much, as I think they got out of hand.

If you liked To the Moon, you will very likely like Finding Paradise as well. Don't expect anything too different, especially in gameplay. Also, I missed a deeper look into the technology used and its ethical implications, as it's rarely discussed here.

After playing A Bird Story... this added on to the experience. I'm just stuck here, crying my eyes out.
It's just... I got attached to the characters, the humor and all the seriousness of it. Recommended.. of course. It teaches a lesson too, I feel.

Next up, To the Moon. I am thinking about Gru and his minion crowd, but doubt that the story is about stealing the moon..

I close my eyes
Only for a moment, and the moment's gone
All my dreams
Pass before my eyes, a curiosity

Dust in the wind
All they are is dust in the wind

Same old song
Just a drop of water in an endless sea
All we do
Crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see

Dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind

Now don't hang on
Nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky
It slips away
And all your money won't another minute buy

Dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind

Kansas 1977

Finding my Schizo Meds

it's like more "to the moon" content

Plays excessively slowly and the main male doctor's comedic relief dialogue feels really out of place for the tone of the story. For people who like emotional stories, I wouldn't say this is a particular hit for me either; it's sad in the sense that it deals with death, but that's the extent it tugged on my heartstrings.

im here at 1:30 am playing and bawling my eyes off with my wife 100/10

to the moon was excellent, but finding paradise... indescribable

Very sensual story, beautiful music, hard to tear yourself away from the game. I definitely recommend it, it feels like I've watched a quality animated film :)

changed my entire outlook on life, absolutely incredible experience

wonderful story about loneliness and the yearning for "someone to be there". it was so lovely to revisit colin. another gem from kan gao and the freebird games team. that said, it felt a bit dragged out at times, but maybe thats just my impatience.

Not Recommended - 5/10

Finding Paradise is a long, mostly boring attempt at ambition falling short of execution. As the follow-up to To The Moon, it attempts to weave another tale of memory manipulation and deathbed wishes, but stumbles in nearly every aspect that made its predecessor special.

The game's strongest element is its masterful soundtrack. The piano-driven score creates genuine atmosphere, with tracks that perfectly capture both melancholy and hope. "Everything's Alright" makes a welcome return, and new compositions like "To The Moon and Back" showcase Kan Gao's continued growth as a composer.

Unfortunately, the rest of the experience fails to match this musical excellence. The story follows doctors traversing a dying man's memories, but the central conflict - involving an imaginary friend and vague dissatisfaction with an otherwise happy life - lacks the emotional weight needed to justify its 5+ hour runtime. The narrative structure, jumping between different periods rather than moving chronologically, creates confusion without adding meaningful depth.

The game's attempts at humor are particularly jarring. Where To The Moon balanced its emotional core with natural moments of levity, Finding Paradise relies heavily on forced meme references and repetitive jokes that consistently fall flat. The doctors' constant bickering becomes grating rather than endearing.

Gameplay remains minimal, which would be fine if the story carried its weight. Instead, we get unnecessary mini-game segments and "boss battles" that feel like desperate attempts to add interactivity where none was needed. The slow walking speed and tedious memory link collection only pad out an already thin experience.

The final hour introduces some interesting ideas about memory and contentment, but it's too little too late. While not a terrible game, Finding Paradise is a disappointing follow-up that proves sometimes less is more.

Finding Paradise manages to not only follow up To the Moon, but surpass it in every conceivable way. The story is more interesting, the story has more point, the game is more solidly built, all the while wringing just as many tears from your eyes as its predecessor. I have basically zero complaints about this nearly perfect game. It is funny, sad, and beautiful, and unlike the previous game, genuinely thought provoking.

Some people, including the devs, will say this story stands up on its own and you do not need to play To the Moon first. In response: I guess??? I have no clue why on earth you'd want to do that when there is an overarching story that does improve your experience with the game, and To the Moon is already so good.

I will be honest. Started this game feeling like it wasn't going to be intresting. 7 eye-waters later and my heart is honestly still aching. Didn't think a pixel game would impact me soo much. I give it an amazing 10/10 on expierance, story and soundtrack

certified hood classic, the sequel

The second of a series of story-rich games. Don't be fooled by the visual style of this game, it's main focus is very much the story. If you play this, and enjoy it, then consider jumping to the next game in the series. I don't know how many they plan to have, but I'll keep playing them as long as they keep the writing outstanding.

My heart is a little hurt, but i know that's not because of the game itself. Maybe I feel lonely sometimes like Colin (not that much perhaps a little).

Story: ★★★★★
Music: ★★★★★
Gameplay: ★★★☆☆
Overall: ★★★★★
Series that changed how I view RPGM

I preferred To The Moon, but this was a emotional, heartfelt story too!

让人流连忘返的佳作，音乐 创意 画风 故事都非常棒
令人感动同时也趣味十足

Heartfelt, funny, good story, and a nice song from Laura too.
Only wished it were possible to move faster.

best

To the moon의 경우 분명 재치있는 반전을 보여줬지만, 엔딩이 크게 다가오진 않았다.
허나 이 Finding paradise의 경우 서사의 전개 과정이나 특유의 매력적인 반전부터,
전하고자 하는 메세지와 엔딩까지 그 모든 것이 진일보되었음을 느낄 수 있었다.

나무 그늘 아래서 인사를 건네는 Faye의 모습이 왜 그리도 눈물짓게 만드는지.

누구보다도 나를 아끼는 존재, 누구보다도 나의 행복을 바라는 존재.
역설적으로 Faye는 작별을 고함으로써, 그 존재가 항상 우리 곁에 있음을 상기시킨다.