One of the most emotionally tolling games of last year, and Roger has now arrived on Switch 2. and Roger gained international praise at its PC and Nintendo Switch release for its story and its handling of complex and debilitating mental health (MH) issues.
and Roger is an interactive novel that features a young girl who awakens in the morning, like any other day, or so it seems, as intense confusion immediately sets in. Not just by who is around her, but with how to undertake the most simplistic of daily chores.
This is a brief game that must be played blind as knowing the topics the game deals with will dampen the experience. Thus, this will be a spoiler-lite review which will do little more than refer to story beats contained within the title’s eShop store listing. Our review.
Please note, if you do find MH related issues upsetting or triggering, you may wish to read more on and Roger before purchasing the title.
Story – Roger That?
and Roger is one of the most thought-provoking games in recent memory, receiving awards including the Game Developers Choice Awards, particularly for the way it addresses social issues, it truly dragged me all over in my first playthrough. For the first ten minutes, the game’s excellent storytelling ability will have you guessing what the story is exactly. Between three short chapters, we see the individual parts of and Roger’s protagonist’s story unravel.
In Chapter 1 you’re running away. What from? Why are they trying to feed you food you don’t want? Why are they trying to give you drugs you’re not familiar with? At first, I genuinely thought that and Roger was about a child molester – frankly I would have had to walk away if it was. However, not until about halfway through is it easy to identify just what is happening to our poor heroin.
Much of what you will see from the games marketing paints a grim, dark picture. It’s not all like that, thankfully. During Chapter 2, the tone shifts to be more uplifting and heartwarming, placing an emphasis on the good times that life offers and the lifelong relationships we forge with others around us. Chapter 3 delves back deeper into the severe subject matter and the agonising relationship between the and Rogers two characters. Then the final chapter observes how mental health matters can drive a spear between two peoples relationship and force people to take irrational, shocking action.
and Roger is depressing, eye opening and beautiful all at the same time. One thing that I cannot stress about and Roger enough, is that it is a game that should be played blind. You should head into this game with an open mind, ready for what this game may unlock in you. As someone with a grandparent who faces MH related issues, and Roger gave me a much deeper understanding of what they must live with. I appreciate that, fortunately, not everyone will be able to relate to the themes addressed by our protagonist’s issues. However, if it helps break down barriers of understanding and builds towards a world where we understand one another’s uncommon needs better, then I’m sure the developer will be overjoyed.
Gameplay and Switch 2 Performance
More than a visual novel, this is interactive from beginning to end. That interaction is essential to deepening player understanding of how debilitating some MH issues can be. Simple input commands in and Roger are purposefully made more difficult than they should be, or more repetitive than they need to be. TearyHand Studio want you to be in her shoes, to see and feel how completing the mundane isn’t straightforward for everyone.
Gameplay is largely using your cursor to click objects or slide the cursor along to progress the story. If you’ve played games like the wonderful Florence then there are definitely similarities here. In one mid-game section, we reach the bakery where choosing a simple snack becomes a mentally exhausting task for our lead, thus you’ll move the cursor all over the place without even landing on an item:
The Switch 2 release is a straight port of the title already available on other platforms but features Joy-Con mouse support, making this an easier way to play than on the original Nintendo Switch. I had previously played and Roger on Steam Deck with on-device analogue stick controls, yet found the mouse was a much more comfortable and the correct way to play this game.
On all platforms the game has recently received support for over 20 new languages, meaning this title is thankfully more accessible to players around the world than ever has before.
and Style
I compared the gameplay to Florence earlier, though the same parallels can be drawn to the visual design too. Not only the art style shines though, the games animations are constant and blend together beautifully.
The game’s audio does well to immerse the player deeper. Be it the lead’s heart beating and panting whilst she tries to get through a door, or the creaking of floorboards as she tries to escape.
and Roger skips voice acting, opting for Banjo Kazooie-like mumbles with subtitles on-screen, whether that was artistic vision or not is unclear. However, by removing any VO it aids in ensuring you dissociate any of the game’s characters from someone in the real world. Meanwhile the soundtrack does an exemplary job in matching mood to what’s on screen, be it cheery or entirely not so.
Final Thoughts
The visual / interactive novel genre is untapped by many – including myself for so long – yet, and Roger’s story couldn’t be told in any other way. Playing and feeling the tale of the game’s lead via this medium deals a weight of impact that non-interactive media can’t.
An accomplished interactive novel, and Roger is an impactful, important game. Its one-hour runtime will take you on a ride of emotions leaving its core message to not give up on people, despite how tough, cumbersome or frustrating it, or they, may be.
and Roger is now available on Nintendo Switch 2, where the review was played. The title is also available for Nintendo Switch, PC and PlayStation 5. Gamer Social Club would like to thank the publisher for the code.
