Available on PC (Windows, macOS); Consoles (Steam Deck, Switch 1/2); Mobile (Android, IOS)
Love.
Love can be such a force. It can change the trajectory of a life. Make it so colorful that one can barely remember how desaturated it might have been. And Florence is a story that shows that kind of progression in vignettes.
Its duration may be short, but it leaves quite an impact. It’s one of those games that packs a little bit of a punch to the emotional or existential side of a person and leaves you teary-eyed. It takes about 30 minutes to finish. However, if you’re like me and you spend a lot of time just admiring the visualization of emotions, then you might end up playing it for nearly an hour. There are some mini-games in Florence, but they are not timed. And although there’s not a lot of action going on, it’s like an interactive novel where you read, digest, and click next.
You play as Florence Yeoh, a 25-year-old stuck in the grind. Work, sleep, social media. That’s her life. Or, that was her life until she met Krish, and then everything got swept up in all sorts of ways, good and bad. You will see then how love can affect even the smallest of moments in Florence’s life. Memories get tinged with color, and places become more than just places.
This is more of a chill time, a slice of life. So if you’re looking for hard-hitting and extra dramatic, then that’s not what you’re going to find here. It’s sentimental and melancholic, almost like a smooth, cold drink on a fine day.
Florence shows the dread of a routine, how the same routine could become refreshing with the addition of a partner, and seeing the difference when returning to that alone. The highs and lows, the befores and afters. That’s what this game will tell. It’s a tale told many times before, not just in social media but in life. We’ve all probably lived it too, one way or another. I think that’s why Florence was a game that resonated with many people. It’s familiar, known, and lived.
It’s love.
