Past Played: Pentiment (Nintendo Switch)

Completed: Feb. 22, 2025

Grade: A+


This was a fantastic story game. My only gripe is that sometimes I was unsure of my objectives, and that early on I didn’t realize I had more time to getter evidence (but I worked this out as the game went on). Otherwise, there is so much to like about this, particularly as it appeals to my background of being a Medievalist. The game takes place in the midst of the upheavals of the later Middle Ages that ushers in the renaissance. The Reformation is starting, as is the printing press, and humanistic research into the past all play background roles in the lives of the small Bavarian town of Tassing. The creators of the game really did some excellent research into the time period, and this plays out in the character actions and visuals (such as the use of different handwriting to denote status, and even how the characters walk!). The game is essentially a murder mystery that the player attempts to solve by finding evidence and interviewing the townspeople, but is is spread over three eras of time which illustrates how the actions of the player affects the town. I don’t know to what extent these actions can differ from game to game; there is some hint of this with the family tree at the end of the game, but I did not fully understand it. I will need to look into some reviews. Anyway, this was a fantastic game that I might enjoy revisiting in the future (hopefully after forgetting the story so I can can enjoy the revelations again).

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