*Note that I finished the game without an internet connection, hence the short playtime.

My Playtime: 2.3h (100% achievement, finished the game)
Grindy Achievement(s): No.
Optional Achievement(s): Yes (1 achievement).
Difficult Achievement(s): No.

How to Say Goodbye is a puzzle game where you move by manipulating the ground. It also touches on a sensitive topic based on its title: saying goodbye to those who have departed.

Pros:
- 16 chapters with unique mechanics
- Easy to learn mechanics

Cons:
- Some colors can be too bright for the eye

Specs
Intel Core i5-9300H 2.40GHz, 8GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650

Yes.
If you enjoy simple and short puzzle games, buy this one on sale.

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The visuals look simplistic at a glance, although the gradient of the objects and the lush grass provide many details. The vibrant colors also contribute to making the game colorful, showing a different color palette after a few levels have passed. The color palette was decided based on the character's mood, making you more immersed in the story.

The story is about a loss. It talks about how people are mourning and how to move on. At times, the dialogue can be touching, especially for those who are in a similar situation. However, as someone who is not going through it at the moment, I ended up focusing more on the puzzles instead. The story fell short in comparison, although I still could see some relation with the theme from time to time.

https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3065212545

Gameplay
How to Say Goodbye is a puzzle game. You can move the ground to move your character, directing them towards the goal. Levels are varied in difficulty, with more mechanics added as you progress. However, I didn't feel the difficulty to be increased even with all that.

Stories will be told after you finish a few levels. I like the presentation: they are simple, yet compact. Dialogues are made as minimal as possible while discussing what matters. Sometimes, it's about how the character feels, other times, it's about what happened around them.

https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2926095909

That being said, I'm still focused more on the puzzles rather than the story. Each level just makes you invest more in it due to its simplicity. You don't have to think hard to solve them, but you still need to strategize to solve some of them. The levels between each story are many, although each level also has an NPC that you can talk to and some smaller dialogues between the characters before you start the level.

Length and Difficulty
It only took me 2.1h to finish the game and an additional 0.2h to finish the additional story. As for the difficulty, the game isn't hard to beat; you can even do trial and error to press all the buttons if you want.

Issues
Some levels might use a color palette that can be too bright to the eye.

How to Say Goodbye is a puzzle game about how to say goodbye. It will be more impactful to those who are mourning, but for those who are not, the puzzles will keep you occupied enough. It's a short and simple game that is meant for casual players. However, the game is very short so I'd rather recommend buying it at a sale.

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