This is going less of a review and more of a thank you to the devs. A really weird and sad/sappy review.

Sixteen years ago, I adopted my best friend. He was the best of boys, he was the worst of boys. Outside of his periodic escape routines, we were nigh inseparable -- car rides, the beach, hiking, you name it. It did take a few years for him to bond with my wife, however. Though, it wasn't until the worst had struck that I realized how important he was to me; I had lost the majority of my immediate family due to tragic circumstances and it was devastating. For three years I suffered loss, grief, and more... I was eventually diagnosed with PTSD... and he was always there for me, so I vowed to always be there for him. Where I had saved him that day at the pound, in reality it was him that had saved me. I owe him my life.

December 2024 was rough for him. He had told us something was wrong, but at sixteen years of age there wasn't much to be done. We tried our best to make Christmas bearable and relaxing. We moved the mattress to the floor, we fed him steak, we kept him comfortable. But, alas, he's now off on a new adventure to a place I cannot go quite yet.

Throughout it all, whenever he was asleep, I would play Halls of Torment. It was the only game that could keep my mind busy. The big games were just too much for my mental state, but this games fast tedium allowed me to just space off and make it through each day. I was not in a place where a wandering mind would have been good. I set goals, and muddled my way through each and every achievement, 100%. As stupid as it sounds, it gave me purpose through the sadness.

So, thank you for making this game as it helped me support my best friend through a difficult time. I'd surely have had a mental breakdown without your damned halls to keep my focus.

Farewell, Orwell. You are loved and you are missed.