If Found... Critic Reviews

I absolutely adored my time spent with If Found…. I knew within the first few minutes that it was going to be something truly special, earning a place in my favourite games of all time. The art from Liadh Young is stunning, the music sounds and feels like a dream and its story is unique, provocative and wonderful. Very few video games have made a true and permanent mark on my heart, but If Found… has done just that

If Found is a mesmerizing commentary on the nature of failed relationships and human nature. The stunning painted canvas the game is presented on has an outwardly negative attitude—presenting failure in relationships as a constant—but it crucially dictates that although the ending of relationships is an inherently human trait, so is the continuation of life and something meaningful arriving afterwards in the wake of tragedy, as we build and evolve from such events.

The recently released visual novel If Found … is a milestone for video games; not only does it tell a moving story about a young transgender woman, but it does so with exquisite visual flair using simple but engaging game mechanics.

The game is made whole through an effective, ethereal soundtrack of post-rock instrumentals and ambient tones.

If Found... is a visual novel that navigates its subject matter with care, its loose hand-drawn art immersing us in a world that we are forced to unmake. Its central metaphor of erasure is horribly effective, forcing us to destroy this fleshed out person's personhood. Through its thoughtful depiction of LGBTQ themes, bold presentation, and penchant for articulating all of the messy particulars of its protagonist's life, If Found... is a deeply moving coming-of-age tale.

A beautifully moving game that teaches a very important lesson. Not many games manage to weave all of their elements together to create something like If Found..., and while it stumbles along the way, it tells a hugely important story that, whether you identify as queer or not, you will be able to relate to.

If Found… features some of the most realistic, human characters, that I’ve experienced in recent memory.

Despite its heavy themes, the game exudes fondness for the region it depicts. Wind whips across sandy beaches, chippies host late-night chats between friends, and Kasio gazes at stars through a broken roof while a house party rages below. Gaelic and local slang pepper the dialogue, alongside a helpful glossary. The sense of place, strength of writing, evocative art and elegant interactions make If Found … a moving drama, beautifully capturing the growing pains of early adulthood.

If Found has an incredible story to tell about finding your place in life with an added dose of science fiction, there are themes of acceptance and discovery, but the core of the story revolves around Kasio accepting who she is. Sure the conclusion is a little rushed, but that won’t stop you from feeling immersed in this truly beautiful game.

The game reveals its brilliance by constantly and subtly reconfiguring the emotions behind erasure.

If Found... is a wonderful coming of age story and an artistically gem both visually and soundwise. It's a peculiar tale of a group of characters incredibly real and relatable. After all finding the real ourselves is a daunting task, one that deserve a little artistic masterpiece like this even with an extremely simplistic gameplay.

If Found ... does not tell something new but tells it well.

In the end, we gain more from it than we imagined.

Anyone interested in narrative-focused games needs to check If Found… out. While there are some stumbling points here and there, the act of playing and experiencing the artistry is top notch. This is a game much closer to a dream than a visual novel. If Found… is the latest release from developer DREAMFEEL and will be many people’s introduction to them. It makes an incredible impression and cements this studio as one to watch. Hopefully this release inspires others to create their own games to share their unique experiences with the world.

All the game’s scenes — both in the journal and in space — are precisely crafted to fit within the narrative, which ran almost two hours for me. The pacing and physical action of erasing reminds me of games like Florence, also published by Annapurna Interactive, in how the mechanics mimic the emotion of feeling of a particular moment. If Found… makes the physical motions even simpler, but pushes in an intricate, braided story.

The beautiful illustrations, framing, and score make this game truly special and well worth checking out.