What Remains of Edith Finch

There is no way to describe the journey this games takes you in. Step by step, room by room, all this game does is subvert your expectations. It pulls you deeper with each story, gut-wrenching line and/or visual, paired with the different narrative devices that are actually relevant to the character they represent, the minutes really fly by when discovering every little detail crammed into the house. It may seem too on the nose with some descriptions but there is so much to discover that's not spelled out for you. The music is amazing and only adds to the experience. I see myself coming back to this game time and time again.

I really really loved this game. Each story of each family member -wow! I like these types of narrative/mini puzzle and games. The voice acting and story for this game were excellent. This game doesn't take too long to complete either, you can finish it in one or two sittings.

Une histoire incroyable où j'ai eu du mal à ne pas verser de larmes, surtout quand j'ai compris de quoi il retournait vraiment. Cela faisait longtemps que je n'avais pas été aussi émue par un jeu vidéo. Si vous voulez vous occuper le temps d'une soirée, passer quelques heures à vous détendre devant une histoire prenante, avec mouchoirs et pop corn, je vous le recommande grandement. Il était en promo et j'ai sauté sur l'occasion.

This is honestly one of the most unique games I've ever tried. The story elements are so perfectly blended with that sense of awe and exploration, and each story is just so well thought-out and special. Would recommend finishing it in one sitting.

Short game, but beautifully crafted. A lot of effort went into the design and story. Heavy at times, even considering what the game is about. May affect the way you look at life and living, but in a good way. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Great story telling game, great fun to play

The game is very short and there's not much for the player to do but the storytelling is exceptional enough to make up for that. A must for anyone who likes story-based games. The graphics and the score were also commendable.

loved and adored every minute of this game. i loved the family has a genuine memorial for every member of said family and they choose to remember them through a positive light .

Seeing the impact that What Remains of Edith Finch has had on indie games and walking sims, it can be a bit of a tall order expecting it to dazzle as much as it must have on initial launch. But what Giant Sparrow's famous title holds most of all is narrative structure. The moving from room to room, with moments of quiet and exploration in between, sets up the game as a simple collection of interconnected short stories that leads up to and delivers a satisfying (if slightly rushed) conclusion. It was perhaps hard to click with every part of Edith Finch for me personally, but its stunning highs and overall structure make it worthy of discussion and continued reverence.

A masterclass in environmental storytelling and creative writing. Heavy subjects throughout, but expertly handled. That said... I need a drink now.

An extremely affecting experience. I don't really want to call this a game, because it doesn't have any traditional gameplay elements. It's more of an interactive story, tracing the history of one family. It's very short. It can easily be finished in a single session, but it's well worth the price. I made the mistake of playing this when I was already in an emotionally fragile place, and it broke me.

wow... just wow. not only is the art in this game absolutely beautiful- but oh my god, the game-play!!! this game was so incredibly captivating. i laughed, i cried, and i will definitely be replaying this game at some point. i recommend this game to people who like first-person perspective games with mystery, problem-solving, and to those who want an experience that will likely stick with them forever

a tragic and short but delightful experience. the game is more of a story than a game but it had me glued to my seat the entire time.

You expect a jumpscare every second of this game, but none ever occurs. It might not be tagged as a horror game, but the fear follows you through the whole story. One of the best games I've ever played, it's a bit short though.

It’s short, quiet, and strange in all the right ways. Every story feels like opening an old wound and finding something beautiful inside. I didn’t expect it to move me like it did—but it did. It’s the kind of game everyone should experience at least once in their life.

Beautiful game and storyline.

I bought this on sale- I beat the game in about two hours. I also went back to replay two stories within those two hours. It's a short game so I can't justify spending 20 on it but it is a really fantastic experience.

Amazing. Play this for yourself, don't look up any walkthroughs or guides, there's not a lot of stuff you can miss. It's a very "put two and two together" game, and if you can, it's heartbreaking.

10/10, would only play again if I forgot everything about it ❤

The best story game I've ever played. It not only makes you critically about what you would do in the characters' shoes, but also the cycles of abuse and neglect that a family can fall into. Not only is the story amazing, but the setting and design is perfect. Looking at all of the book titles and seeing how it relates to all the characters to the atmospheric storytelling that happens in each pixel. It is an experience that I could not recommend more.

TLDR:

Edith Finch features a detailed retelling of a tragic family saga, and features a visually appealing art direction. Unfortunately, those positives can't save this walking simulator from a bland, uninteresting playstyle and extremely short length.

GAMEPLAY OVERVIEW:

What Remains of Edith Finch (EF) follows the first-person perspective of the title character revisiting their childhood home—where a number of unfortunate circumstances have befallen family members for generations—and seeking answers about whatever fate might have in store for their own future. EF takes place in and around the Finch house, a large patchwork building situated on a cliff overlooking a brooding sea. The path through the house is relatively linear but winding, often taking the player through hidden rooms and passages, through underground bunkers, and across rooftops and outside balconies.

As the player traverses the various locations of the house, stories of the Finch family members become available, usually one per room. Diaries, notes, and other publications in various rooms tell the individual tales. On relating each tale, the family members are sketched in the family tree located in the player's journal. The player should simply peruse each room for interactable objects and listen to the stories unfold, before moving to the next chamber. Many of the stories involve unique minigames related to the character whose tale is being told at that moment. For example, in the case of the young girl with a vivid imagination who was sent to bed without dinner, the player must navigate the surrounding land as various beasts in search of a meal; in another, reading about a boy with a sense of adventure, the player must ride a swing faster and faster in an attempt to fly (with predicatable results). None of the minigames are complex or too hard.

The well-written story notwithstanding, the gameplay is—for lack of a better word—boring. The player travels through the house, plays a minigame here and there, and that's it. I suspect the minigames were meant to amplify the emotional connection between the player and character whose story was being told—as in, you're being put in the character's shoes in their final moments to build empathy. Sadly, I just wasn't moved; I don't feel like I spent enough time in each character's shoes to develop any connection or concern over their fate. Ultimately, the minigames felt more like an interruption to the narrative flow than anything.

EF is targeted at the narrative-adventure crowd, so it is clearly not for everyone but I think there was a little more the developers could have done to punch up the gameplay mechanics, such as requiring objects from one room to be used to solve puzzles in subsequent rooms, or allowing player choice in how to progress through the house.

STORY / WORLDBUILDING:

The real star of EF is the tale of what happened to the various members of the Finch family. There's a lot of tragedy packed into the several generations the player investigates. Each tale is well-structured, logical, and weaves together with the others to form a very compelling overarching tale. The dialogue comes off as natural and each character has a unique voice. The voice-acting in these sequences deliver emotionally impactful performances. In terms of the technical aspects of the narrative, I found little to complain about.

At the same time, the story doesn't have a happy ending or even a bittersweet one, but a conclusion that is an outright downer. Each of the tales about the cursed family members is depressing, either immediately on in its long-term implications. There's little positivity or humor to balance out the constant doom and gloom ... and while the story is well-constructed, I didn't really enjoy it very much.

The story is also set in stone. Unlike some narrative adventures, like Telltale's Walking Dead or The Wolf Among Us, the player has no control (via their own decisions) over the outcome, or even how to get there. There's one ending, and every player will proceed along the same path to get there. The lack of agency only multiplies the feeling of this being more like a movie with a light touch of interaction, than a game.

TECHNICAL ASPECTS:

The game's controls are generally easy and intuitive.The stylized graphics fit this game's tone well and overall, the presentation is crisp and clean. The sound scheme of creaking floors and mournful wind adds to the melancholy setting. I encountered no glitches or crashes. EF is an easy game to get one-hundred percent on Steam achievements; after completing the game, individual chapters can be replayed to clean up what's left.

I feel I have to mention the price of the game. Outside sales, EF is normally priced at $20 (on the US store) and can be 100% completed in less than three hours. Yes, individual player's mileage will vary (with respect to cost) but for most players—in a game without much replay value—I don't find this to be a good time-per-cost investment.

FINAL VERDICT:

I am going against the grain here, since the game is generally well-received by the Steam populace. There is nothing terribly wrong with Edith Finch but there is nothing especially right about it either, and I just don't see enough here to recommend it.

SCORE: 5/10

Picked up this game after a long time of wanting to. Edith Finch is a beautiful game which will make you cry and yell at the screen and smile in equal measure. Make no mistake, Finch is very much a piece of art more than a game; if you go in expecting insane gameplay you might be disappointed; this could very easily have been a movie or a book, but the team specifically chose the format of a game to be interactive, and I would say that was the right choice. I would heavily recommend this to anyone who wants an experience that sticks with them for a while.

A very tragic and humane tale of a family cursed by the shadow of death. Every story being told in a unique way and presented beautifully in gameplay.

This isn’t just a game, it’s a work of art.

The storytelling is creative, interactive, and compelling. Every story is told in different forms—through a horror comic book, a retro camera’s lens, a video game, a stereoscope toy—and each form reflects the tone of the current story being played out. The game’s creative approach effectively blends exploration and narrative. I really enjoyed going through each story, being able to immerse into those stories and “experience” it myself.

The graphics, music, and voice acting are also incredible; it enhances each narrative deeply which makes it even more emotionally impactful and resonant. The story itself is poignant and tragic.

What Remains of Edith Finch is beautiful and emotional. This is one of the games I would recommend playing at least once in your life especially if you are someone who appreciates story-driven games.

The game is a trip, I recommend that you take it.

Pros:
It's a trip

Cons:
Low FoV that can't be changed (without using external tools)

As a Guy who loves immersive storytelling and creative design, What Remains of Edith Finch completely blew me away. It's not your average game—it's a deeply moving experience that blends exploration, narrative, and atmosphere in a way that's hard to forget.

You play as Edith, returning to her childhood home to piece together the story of her family. The house itself is a work of art—layered with mystery, memory, and emotion. Every room tells a silent story, and the environment design is so rich that simply walking through the space feels meaningful.

What truly sets this game apart is how it delivers its narrative. Each segment introduces a new gameplay style and visual approach, keeping things fresh and engaging throughout. These changes aren’t just for show—they reflect the emotional tone of each moment and deepen the impact of the storytelling in ways that are subtle, creative, and powerful.

The gameplay is simple and accessible, focused more on interaction and atmosphere than on challenge or mechanics. But that simplicity works in its favor, letting the story and visuals take center stage. The pacing is perfect, the transitions are seamless, and it’s clear that every moment has been crafted with care.

On top of that, the music and voice acting are exceptional. The soundtrack enhances the emotion of each scene, and the narration adds a deeply personal layer that draws you in even further.

If you’re someone who appreciates narrative-driven games, What Remains of Edith Finch is a must-play. It's beautiful, thoughtful, and emotionally resonant—a rare kind of game that reminds you just how powerful interactive storytelling can be.

Score: 9.5/10

This game is beautiful and well written.
It deserves the 18,49€.

The story of the whole Finch family is perfect,
The Graphics looks stunning,
The controls is so good.

Last time I touched this game was 2021 and never bothered to continue playing it ever again, until today of 2025. Can't believe I delayed this game for too long. Good game.

This game has a really good story and it's so simple protraited that you can't stop until you finish it. It's a bit unfinished in certain places regarding the whole plot of the family but in short it's well written. The interaction with your surrounding is also insanely good and it does deserve the praise. Waiting for more..it's definetly a good start

Never thought I'd like a game like this but impossible not to. Masterclass in narrative gaming with creative gameplay elements

If you have an extended family, take care of everyone. be kind and helpful, cause one day will come, that everyone is gone, so you don't have to regret about anything.
Art style was great. Music and sound effects were beautiful.
most important, the story was unique. honestly this game reminds me of friends that I lost.
So now, tell me. What remains of you?

I had no idea what to expect from this game. Loved all the little unexpected puzzles, did not expect such heavy subject matter throughout but really enjoyed it. The only thing I didn’t like is every once in a while I’d enter an area I couldn’t go back out of and probably missed some things

This is exactly what I believe a perfect game to be. I wish I had played it a LOT sooner -- seeing that it's been 8 years since its release -- but I'm also glad that I found it when I did, because maybe it wouldn't have had such a profound impact on me otherwise.

What remains of Edith Finch is a moving little journey and it will definitely stick to my mind for a while now that I finished playing it.
From the very beginning, I was drawn in by its calm pacing and comforting music, which created a relaxing atmosphere-although at times, the visuals and movement did make me feel a bit dizzy, especially when moving up/down the stairs.
The story-telling was very nice. Exploring each member's story through first-person perspectives made their experiences feel personal and intimate. The narrative was gentle and heavy, and it managed to evoke strong emotions, without it being overwhelming.
Each story was moving, but as a psychologist Lewi's story was the most 'intense', because of how well substance abuse was portrayed, showing how easy it is to slip into a different reality as a form of escape. It was heartbreaking, but beautifully executed.
I also appreciated the game's thoughtful approach to death and memory. As someone who struggles a LOT with death anxiety, the game was both comforting and grounding. Especially one of its messages, about how we need to appreciate the little things. It didn't shy away from grief, even though Edith's mom didn't want to talk about the past , but it also didn't let it consume the narrative.
The length felt just right, short enough to complete in one sitting, but rich enough to leave a lasting impression. It's a game that invites you to listen, slow down and reflect.
Even if you don't play narrative-driven games or walking simulators, I think this one is worth experiencing.

A perfect game that is quality over quantity. It's short, beautiful, and I'll never forget it.

Thank you Giant Sparrow for making such a beautiful story.

One of the best games ever made. For as short as it is, the story telling is as good as it gets. Well worth it. One of my top 10 games of all time.

Very sad game, that makes you reflect on how short a time we have on this earth and that any day can be your last.

A short game (took me maybe 2 hours to finish) but will make you sit back and feel for a long while after.

The stories are so beautifully made and each is unique in its execution. So emotional. So good.

I waited a while to play this game, and in a way, I wish I had played it sooner.
The game revolves around Edith (duh! You don't say) and her family, the Finches. You play as Edith and explore her family house for clues and memories about her relatives, starting from her great-great-grandfather and ending with herself.

There's a lot of grief in the game.. almost to a tiring degree, though I decided to push through, and I'm glad I did.

The game is very well developed. Everything is thoughtfully put together, visuals, controls, scenes, and the different “mini-games.” Everything dances together to create an amazing journey that will captivate you in this story-rich experience.

If you're into narrative-driven games with a strong emotional background like Firewatch, this game is for you.

What Remains of Edith Finch is a great exercise in matching mechanical gameplay to narrative, with the fish factory being a stunning example of good and foreboding game design. My main concern is that most of the stories are heavily signposted, but at least two spots are within sight of better highlighted stories, making them very easy to miss, even when going through the game a second time.

I don't exactly know what is going on here, story wise. A lot of it seems to be unreliable narration, but one of the more fantastical stories is the core seed for their previous game The Unfinished Swan. Expect dark and disturbing situations portrayed with bright colors, so YMMV.

Another spectacular game that fills me with existential dread, all to come pouring out of my eyes while I'm driving to work the next day.

Thanks.

---{ 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

---{ Game Size }---
☐ Floppy Disk
☑ Old Fashioned
☐ Workable
☐ Big
☐ Will eat 10% of your 1TB hard drive
☐ You will want an entire hard drive to hold it
☐ You will need to invest in a black hole to hold all the data

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

---{ Grind }---
☑ Nothing to grind
☐ Only if u care about leaderboards/ranks
☐ Isn't necessary to progress
☐ Average grind level
☐ Too much grind
☐ You'll need a second life for grinding

---{ 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

---{ ? / 10 }---
☐ 1
☐ 2
☐ 3
☐ 4
☐ 5
☐ 6
☐ 7
☐ 8
☑ 9
☐ 10

Great storytelling and magnificent two-hours experience aside, the fact that swinging in this game with no VR set on makes you almost as nauseous as it would IRL is insane. 10/10 game.

I love this game with everything within me, its changed my whole view on life and opened my eyes to appreciate things as they are. As Edith said 'If we lived forever, maybe we'd have time to understand things. But as it is, I think the best we can do is try to open our eyes, and appreciate how strange and brief all of this is.'

ABSOLUTELY an amazing creation. It breaks my heart that there isnt another game or a continuation in this series.

Sometimes, I wonder why I wait so long to play certain games: the ones so many people recommend, the ones I buy with every intention of experiencing, only to let them sit untouched for months or even years.

I tell myself I’m waiting for the perfect moment. But in reality, I’m just delaying something inevitable, something wonderful. Because if the words people use to describe these games could capture even a fraction of the raw, unfiltered emotion they felt while playing, I wouldn’t wait at all.

That’s the power of these games.
That’s the power of art.

No matter how hard we try, language will always fall short of truly conveying what an experience means to us.

Now, I understand why so many of you recommended What Remains of Edith Finch.
Thank you.

This eerie mystery game had me fascinated with every scene and room I ventured. It definitely left me with more questions than answers, but it was well developed and executed.

1.30 hours of peak storytelling. Immersive gameplay. And it leaves you with a lot of questions at the end of the game. Enjoyed every moment into it. Wish they produced more games like this.

Short and bittersweet exploration game. Got quite suprised how some of the stories play out. Nice gameplay and graphics.

8/10

This is unlike any other game I've ever played. It is a beautiful story and amazing visuals. 10/10

One of the most underrated story based games I have ever seen. I was lucky enough to discover this game back when it was released when Jacksepticeye played on his YouTube channel. Now, 10 years later I find myself playing that game and still loving it. A absolutely breath taking game about family, tragedy, and the joy of just being able to be alive at all. Please, please play this. Seeing this game when I was younger helped form me into the person I am today.

This is a short, narrative-driven experience with a cinematic feel. Its linear structure and creative storytelling provide an immersive and emotionally engaging journey. Each story unfolds gradually, revealing layers piece by piece until the full picture comes into view.

You follow Edith Finch as she explores her family’s eerie, history-laden home, uncovering the tragic fates of her relatives through interactive vignettes. Each sequence is uniquely crafted—ranging from comic book horror to surreal dreamscapes—keeping the gameplay varied and intriguing. The visuals are beautifully designed, and the sound design perfectly complements the melancholic atmosphere.

While the experience is memorable, it often feels more like an interactive short film than a traditional video game. The lack of gameplay challenge may not appeal to those looking for more interactivity, and the story, while well-told, doesn’t offer many surprises or emotional twists.

Rating: 7/10 – A visually stunning and emotionally driven experience with excellent atmosphere, though the story itself is a bit underwhelming.