Interactive novel-game about child neglect
The world of a child is a place of wonder, hope and excitement. However, when the proper steps to parenting are not met, a child’s world can morph into something dreadful. This is a fascinating approach thats very rarely seen in the world of gaming. A world of toxicity, neglect, broken promises, loveless relationships and a complete lack of care or responsibility on behalf of one’s parents.
Lydia is a strange beast, the gameplay aspect is very minimal. You move your character around and interact with people and objects- that’s honestly the extent of it. The gameplay itself is pretty whatever; the narrative however is fantastic. I dare say one of the most thought provoking I’ve ever seen. Lydia tells the story of a little girl who is raised in a broken home, the trauma she endured and how it shapes her view of the world. Her parents are in a bitter, broken and loveless marriage where their daughter is an afterthought. Every night Lydia is sent to bed while the adults drown out their misery in booze. All Lydia has is her imaginary friend Teddy and the imaginary magical realm beyond her closet.
This is no Narina, this is a magical realm of complete misery. Lydia’s mental anguish is so strong it has even bled into her imagination. Her magic world is dark, dreary and unpleasant. It has a very bleak fairytale storybook vibe where the people are jaded, miserable, alcoholic and completely unreliable. Particularly depressing occurrences are when her own imaginary friends abandon and break their promises to her. This paints an extremely negative picture that this child has no escape any which way. Each chapter shows her growth from child to young adult and how her world seems to only grow darker and more hopeless with age.
Lydia is well-written and presented; it just seems that it’s mislabeled. Instead of going into this expecting a traditional game navigating a nightmarish world through the eyes of a child; think of it as an interactive novel. Even still, it’s a very niche product and admittedly does not have wide appeal. The gameplay is extremely minimal, the multiple interactions and choices essentially all lead to the same outcome and the game’s length is way too short; clocking in at just about an hour. This is a mid-game with great ideas, but it can only be recommended to people who really appreciate the story over anything else (and don’t mind spending a dollar for it). Otherwise, just watch a playthrough on Youtube. Stand strong in the face of neglect, pull yourself together, and remember, these destructive influences and people do not define your self-worth.
Stay strong,
Fil
Verdict: 6/10