The WhatsNext verdict
Some Distant Memory is a heartfelt, beautifully illustrated narrative adventure whose strongest discoveries are emotional rather than mechanical. Play it if you want a compact story about memory, family, and a damaged planet, and can enjoy being a mostly passive observer.
What it does best
A small human story with real emotional weight
The past unfolds through objects and recovered memories
A charming hand-drawn world with a distinct visual identity
A gentle soundtrack that deepens the melancholy
What might put you off
Very little gameplay beyond exploration and reading
A very short, mostly one-sitting experience
The setup
What you are walking into
You play as the Professor, on a mission to find the sunken city of Houston. Things have been getting worse for the few surviving colonies of Earth as their resources dwindle and a corrupting algae bloom threatens all that remains. For years you've been systematically exploring the wastes without any sign of the ruins. Your main companions on your mission are ARORA, an AI who's been humanity's guiding lantern since the Collapse, and the Commander, an explorer newly charged with keeping you safe. Everything changes when you fall into the ruins of an ancient house. As you explore, the memories of the people who lived there come to life with the help of ARORA's Memory Reconstruction system. Uncover hints about what happened to civilization, discover strange artifacts, and discover the secrets of the family whose tomb you've raided. And then find a way out.
Where it lives
Genre
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