and Roger Review

Platform Played: Steam Deck

Developer: TearyHand Studio
Publisher: Kodansha
Genre: Visual Novel
Completion Status (How Long to Beat): Yes (1.5 hours)

And Roger is a visual novel tackling dementia that deftly incorporates gameplay elements to simulate the condition. The game not only showcases dementia’s impact on the protagonist, Sofia, but its impact on those around her. It’s rare a visual novel resonates with me, but and Roger so effectively implements player interaction to drive home the impact of dementia. Gameplay elements are often as simple as clicking unmarked buttons in a particular order to perform basic daily tasks, such as brushing one's teeth. However, the buttons float around the screen furthering the challenge of selecting the buttons in the correct order, for instance, applying toothpaste to the brush, before placing the toothbrush in your mouth. And Roger is a 1-2 hour game, but its tight pacing provides everything needed to become emotionally invested in its story and characters.

Pros:

• Powerful story
• Gameplay as a means of storytelling
• Hand drawn art style

Cons:

• Using the trackpad on the Stem Deck was a little tedious in sections. The game would likely be better experienced using a mouse. 

One More Try Factors:

Two of the biggest signs that I’m really enjoying a game are how hard it is to stop playing and how much I’m itching to jump back in when I’m not playing.

• Difficulty to Stop Playing: 9/10
• Desire to Return: N/A (Finished in single sitting)

Note: These scores reflect my personal engagement with the game and are separate from the overall score, which considers all aspects of the game.

Overall Score: 8/10