Once upon a time there was a lonely little girl. The story that follows those words is at the heart of Imaginary Friends created by Mannytsu. Sometimes poignant, at other times tense and a bit shocking the player follows the internal struggle of a friendless 13-year-old girl.
Hailey has closed herself off. At last she begins a journey that will take her out of her own personal world and into her past so that she can better see her future. The story itself is captivating and at times challenging. There are several endings so the choices made throughout the game lead to different results at the end.
The outcome of the game is primarily determined by the text-based story but rather than simply clicking through dialog the player moves through pixel style scenes. There is a sense of movement, of being part of the story as tasks are completed and puzzles are solved. The gameplay is interspersed with brightly drawn illustrations that help to make the characters more human and relatable.
Mannytsu has made a game that examines loneliness and loss, looking at them from many angles. Perhaps a few of the conclusions may be a bit trite, still the questions themselves are thought provoking.
This is a download game and since it's rather long it may take a bit for it to complete. Once loaded navigation is easy, the game is controlled from the keyboard so the menu and item/inventory list are available with one key. The save game function is a little innovative--it's built into the game.
Be prepared to take some time on this one even if you aren't looking for the alternate endings. Overall, this is fun and at times frustrating (in a good way.)
Windows:
Get the full version
Hey, I really liked this game and I'm looking forward to Swan Song. I made a playthrough of my own and uploaded it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkAH45zVqeU&feature=youtu.be
Even though I talk and mess around a bit I figure it could be useful to someone trying to figure out how to get through the game. They can just skip to the section they need.
However, if a written walkthrough is more your speed you can find one here on the developer's official website: http://mannytsusgames.tumblr.com/ifwalkthrough
If you are just looking for a specific ending they have that covered too: http://mannytsusgames.tumblr.com/endingguide
Of course, there will be spoilers in those walkthroughs and unlike here there are no spoiler tags. Read at your own discretion.
Update