Review - And Roger
Sometimes indie games come along that deserve people's attention - games able to evoke complex emotions in the form of a powerful, important work of art. Such as emotional indie games Before Your Eyes; Gris; What Remains of Edith Finch?; That Dragon, Cancer; and many more. All of which deliver thought provoking stories through the immediacy of their simple gameplay mechanics.
And Roger is a short, hour long visual novel, where the gaming experience is improved by playing it without prior knowledge of the story. So, beyond gameplay mechanics, I will keep story details to a minimum.
In And Roger, you play as a woman who wakes up in her bed, the same as any other morning, until she realises that her father isn't home. Instead, she discovers a strange man who doesn't make any sense and insists that she takes her medicine. The woman is scared and confused. This kickstarts an emotional narrative about the challenges loved ones can face when supporting each other.
But what really heightens the emotional beats of the story is how the developers at TearyHand Studio have expertly crafted simple and accessible game mechanics to connect us to whatever the woman feels at any given moment. This isn't an easy feat whatsoever; to make the game accessible but meaningful is impressive game and narrative design.
One early scene in the game achieves this by letting you see through the woman's eyes as she tries to find her way through her apartment to escape the unfamiliar man. As you try to escape her home, the tension builds as white dots appear on screen, hovering over closed doors. You guide the mouse over the hovering dots and click them; each incorrect dot disappears until you find the correct one and have to rapidly click the mouse to open the door.
Image: And Roger - Toothbrush
Everything from the music to the beautifully stylised illustrations culminate together to create cutting, emotional moments like the door, that deliver the developers' narrative intentions with pinpoint accuracy.
Story beats are nuanced and delicately written to shine a light on a complicated subject matter; each of the three chapters in And Roger accomplishes its goal of putting the player through a plethora of emotions: sadness, confusion, fear and hope - a lovingly designed and thoughtful examination of the subject matter, that shows the importance of human compassion and empathy.
Another scene that transported me into the woman's situation was when she enters a bakery and vibrant, warm colours flood the screen, filling in the gaps as she reminisces about positive, loving moments - memories that can make the coldest moments feel warm. And another, when she tries to follow a map, but unexpected obstacles block the way and you have to drag the dot around them. It makes you feel as lost as her, but driven to arrive at your destination unscathed.
Although the gameplay is the main immediate physical intermediary between the player and the game, the story would be less effective without the stylised cartoon animations. From the beginning, I was reminded of the distinct art style of the 2018 mobile game, Florence: another visual novel about life and love that is filled with mini games. However, And Roger sets itself apart with crisper line art, blurred illustrations and a minimal but distinctive colour palette,used to manifest emotions and meaning throughout the narrative. Whether by blurring a clock to show confusion, or using cold blues to signify fear and anxiety, and a warm orange to present love, safety and familiarity.
Image: And Roger - Telephone
But the visual presentation is only one segment of what makes And Roger a special experience. The developers at TearyHand Studio expertly use audio to emphasise every moment. Although, there isn't any voice acting in And Roger, it's a rare game where I felt the absence of voices actually benefitted the narrative. It allows you to use your imagination to fill in the voices of the stranger and the woman's father, which only adds to the confusion and uncertainty.
That isn't to say And Roger is entirely devoid of sound. It contains a subtle musical score that ebbs and flows between faster, anxiety inducing tracks and tranquil, calming numbers. Every scene is perfectly backdropped by appropriate tracks and the clever use of sound effects. From mistakenly being seen by the stranger as you attempt to run away, or struggling to unlock and open a door, every action has a fitting sound to absorb you into the woman's plight.
Image: And Roger - Chair
Every creative decision made by the developers at TearyHand Studio acts in perfect synchronicity to produce an emotional and bittersweet narrative - one of the most unique gaming experiences I've had in a long time. And Roger will make you feel sad, hopeful, confused and anxious. But mostly, it will make you appreciative to have played such a touching story about one of the hardest events that can happen to a person. It isn't going to be an easy game for everyone to get through, but it's an important piece of art, that shows how the interactive medium of gaming can be used to assuage the difficulty of the game's topic and appreciate the compassion and love needed to support someone during something any of us could go through in our lives.
At £4.29, I would recommend And Roger to anyone, and better yet, play it without knowing what it's about, to get the full emotional thrust of the story. But even if you do know what it's about, I would still recommend a playthrough. And Roger is a special game; the kind of video game that anyone can pick up and play, and appreciate.
Image: And Roger - Score - 8.5/10
