It is games such as Life is Strange, Unpacking, and Gone Home that have revolutionised the narrative gaming genre by allowing us to connect with both characters and environments, all under the sphere of the LGBTQIA+ experience.
That is also the case for The August Before, a brand-new “meditative narrative 3D puzzle” game which tasks players with cleaning up and sorting out rooms ahead of life’s next step.
Developed by Silly Little Games, The August Before combines the calming experience of cleaning up rooms with similar gameplay to Unpacking with the narrative found in the likes of Gone Home and Life is Strange.
Throughout the game, you will meet three girls: Beth, Ivy and August and although we may never meet them in the flesh, we will soon discover their innermost desires, secrets, and fears by exploring their rooms and belongings.
We learn that August is a fan of sewing, Ivy is a photographer, and Beth is an artist. We learn how their stories and lives intertwine by cleaning up their rooms, stumbling across letters and post-it notes, photographs and secrets.
We explore the wonder and heartache that comes with teenage romances as you embark on a journey that may be short but is definitely impactful. After all, you cannot take the past with you and as you pack up the items that mean the most to you, you will soon learn that you may have to leave some memories behind.
Gameplay in The August Before is simple: you will simply interact with items around the room, putting each one in its rightful place and even stumbling across hidden items in the process which will unlock secret boxes and areas.
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By stumbling across vinyls, cassettes and CDs, you will be able to play music as you go and fully immerse yourself in the individual rooms of these three young girls.
The August Before may feature some puzzles but they will be nothing you will struggle with and are pretty self-explanatory. Simply looking around the room will see you able to uncover secret codes hidden on painted walls, secured on long-abandoned Tumblr pages, or in photographs you can develop yourself.
Overall, this is a game about moving on and leaving the past behind in order to fully appreciate your future. As a result, melancholy bleeds through the music that serenades you as you clean and the items which you stumble across.
The feeling of leaving life as you know it behind is palpable but so is the story of hope, young love, and a future that may be uncertain but is definitely a new adventure to undertake.
My main issue with The August Before boils down to two things: the use of generative AI and the short length of the game.
The August Before can easily be completed in around an hour, even if you are looking to hunt for achievements. You will clear three rooms and your time will depend on how quickly you get this done and how fast you solve puzzles.
As a result, the story is yours to solve yourself and nothing is spelled out and so its message could be easily missed by casual players.
When it comes to generative AI, its use is not declared on the official store page for The August Before. It was only after heading into the title’s forums that I discovered that the development team used AI for the in-game posters that can be found littered around the girl’s rooms.
I am not here to tell you not to play the game, especially as it was made by a very small indie team but if you do not endorse generative AI in any way, you may want to be aware of this before jumping in.
Overall, The August Before offers a quick, yet impactful look at the changes that come with teenage life, the pain that comes with heartbreak and moving on, but most importantly, the strength and excitement of moving on.
For just ÂŁ7.99, The August Before is definitely worth spending some time with to make up your own mind.
Pros: Heartwarming narrative, simple gameplay, beautiful visuals
Cons: Some use of generative AI, very short
For fans of: Unpacking, Life is Strange, Gone Home
6/10: Good
The August Before is out now on PC (Steam version reviewed). A review code was provided by the publisher. Read a guide to our review scores here.
