Letters: A Written Adventure

Letters begins in 1998 as Sarah, an eleven-year-old girl from Switzerland, writes the first letter to Katya, her new pen pal from Russia. Through letters and online messengers, they continue to stay in touch over many years. They become good friends and share their dreams, worries and everyday life with each other. Sarah’s story is relatable and still one of a kind. Especially because you get to chose how it plays out. You take on the role of a tiny Sarah, moving through letters and messages. Along the way, you have to make decisions for her that will impact her life and change the person she grows up to be. The game world is inhabited by Sarah’s drawings in the letters and images on her computer screen that block your way. To get past them, you can pick up words from the text and throw them at these characters who will change accordingly and hopefully, make way. Most of the time, there is no right word available so you have to create your own. By removing some letters from a word, you can uncover a new one. You can, for example, get the word “wing” from “drawing” and use it to give flight to a wingless bird. But be careful when you choose a word to throw at a drawing. All of the characters have their own personalities and might even represent real people in Sarah’s life. How you interact with them has an impact on the rest of the letter, and sometimes even beyond. The gameplay is pleasantly relaxed, allowing you to concentrate on the riddles and enjoy all the quirky characters and beautiful art. The visuals are charming and nostalgic, taking you on a journey through time with messy children’s desks full of toys, colorful drawings, and enchanting memories.