95% of the positive reviews keep saying how little content and playtime there is for the money, yet they are still thumbing up, while containing language I would associate with a negative review.

This is just confusing and makes it look like "indie Stockholm syndrome".

tried it on pc game pass, beat it in around 4-5 hours without 100% achievements, It does leave you wanting more or even a reason to grind for the achievement. Great chill game but I'd wait for sale.

I measure the value of a game not just in dollars per hour but in happiness per hour. For me, this game was four hours of quiet, peaceful contemplation, and that's something that made it well worth the price to me.

There are games I've played that have better dollars per hour values, but that weren't nearly as valuable in happiness per hour.

Originally posted by Wren:

And frankly the sale comment is straight up disrespectful. Your game is vastly overpriced for what it is. And snapping back at players is hardly the way to improve your games reputation.

I meant no disrespect — Steam sales are there for people to get games at a price they would like to pay if the full price doesn’t work for them.

I normally don’t comment on these discussions because I feel it’s not my place to, but I had to step in to correct misinformation. I can believe someone finished the game their first time in 2.5 hours if they were really speeding through it, but not 1-2 hours. Even HowLongToBeat, which skews heavily towards faster players, says the game is 3.5-4 hours.

When we did playtests of the game before release, players took 4-8 hours, which is where that number comes from. Hardcore Steam users seem to play faster.

All that said, I don’t think the only value a game has is how many hours it takes to play. I think the experience this game gives a player is worth $20. Again, if someone doesn’t agree, that’s fine! They can just not buy it, or they can get it when it’s on sale and pay less.

To be honest, if you guys are reading your reviews, it is more than just "someone". It's a lot of your potential future buyers. You absolutely have the right to charge what you want, but it is also important to hear the people that are buying your product... I can agree with play length not being the most determining factor, but replay ability is the second most important thing in my opinion. There just isn't much there either.

Originally posted by Wren:

1-2 hours is a severe underestimation. Most players complete the game in 4-8 hours, though it is possible to finish it faster than that. But if you play it that fast you’ll miss a lot of the story. It’s a game you’re supposed to play slowly and contemplatively.

Is that why you left out all instructions and/or help? I finished the game in 2.6 hours, understood the entire story, unpacked and placed everything according to my OCD. If people are supposed to play "slowly and contemplatively" perhaps you should slip that into some sort of instructions. Ma'am, we're gamers, we play games. We play them, we beat them, and we move on. But we know the games we've played and what they're worth. Maybe you need some new Beta testers.

Originally posted by Wren:

Most players complete the game in 4-8 hours, though it is possible to finish it faster than that..

8 hours? I feel like that's greatly overestimated and might even be on the side of misleading marketing. The game was fun and you can definitely get more than 2 hours out of it, but I don't see how you can stretch 8 hours out of it unless you're "contemplating" every item for several minutes, including individual socks and shirts.

I still remember the Firewatch dev telling me how you could easily spend well over 6 hours with Firewatch if you take your time and explore the game area.

I explored every pointless nook of the entire game, took a boatload of screenshots and did everything there is to do in 4.5 hours.

I am well past the point of listening to what devs have to say about their own product, I'm afraid.

Originally posted by Wren:

1-2 hours is a severe underestimation. Most players complete the game in 4-8 hours, though it is possible to finish it faster than that. But if you play it that fast you’ll miss a lot of the story. It’s a game you’re supposed to play slowly and contemplatively.

That said, you’re always welcome to wait for a sale.

I've played through it about 6-7 times already and I'm sitting at about 10 hours. This is not a game you're getting 8 hours out of in one play through. Especially since there is no variation or reason to replay aside from stickers. The function of which is poorly explained within the game play.

And frankly the sale comment is straight up disrespectful. Your game is vastly overpriced for what it is. And snapping back at players is hardly the way to improve your games reputation.

And frankly the sale comment is straight up disrespectful. Your game is vastly overpriced for what it is. And snapping back at players is hardly the way to improve your games reputation.

I meant no disrespect — Steam sales are there for people to get games at a price they would like to pay if the full price doesn’t work for them.

I normally don’t comment on these discussions because I feel it’s not my place to, but I had to step in to correct misinformation. I can believe someone finished the game their first time in 2.5 hours if they were really speeding through it, but not 1-2 hours. Even HowLongToBeat, which skews heavily towards faster players, says the game is 3.5-4 hours.

When we did playtests of the game before release, players took 4-8 hours, which is where that number comes from. Hardcore Steam users seem to play faster.

All that said, I don’t think the only value a game has is how many hours it takes to play. I think the experience this game gives a player is worth $20. Again, if someone doesn’t agree, that’s fine! They can just not buy it, or they can get it when it’s on sale and pay less.

The price tag is too high for a game that can be finished in 1-2 hours. Get it on sale.

1-2 hours is a severe underestimation. Most players complete the game in 4-8 hours, though it is possible to finish it faster than that. But if you play it that fast you’ll miss a lot of the story. It’s a game you’re supposed to play slowly and contemplatively.

That said, you’re always welcome to wait for a sale.

The gameplay is great, and the story it tells is phenomenal. It's more of a bittersweet sadness that it ends so soon rather than negatively affecting the game itself. I stand by my positive review.

I haven't reviewed it here because I played it on Switch, but if I could review it I would probably be right along with those reviews that confuse you. Beautifully unique storytelling, I'd recommend others experience it too, but I do feel it is overpriced compared to other games of similar length. The thing is though, I don't necessarily care that it is overpriced because it's the kind of game that makes you want to tip the creator for the sake of artistry alone. It brought up some strong emotions in me I didn't expect from such a simple premise.

If the price concerns you, wait for a sale. But don't completely write it off forever just because of the pricetag.