Astrologaster is a pretty fantastic little narrative game to pass the time. The game has completely fully voiced character dialogue, and a really charming art style, coupled with a pop-up book mechanic to transition in between scenes and consultations with patients. You play as a Dr. Simon Forman, who turns out to be an unlikely hero in Elizabethan London that divines the illnesses of his patients through the readings of star charts.

This is not a game that you want to rush through. There are many subtle details that you can pick up on from the characters to learn about their personalities and the right choices you need to make in the game.

Something to keep in mind as you continue on your journey to win your medical license, is that this journey is a one way trip. Unlike most games, you can’t go back and start from where you previously saved your progress. If you diagnose your patient as being bewitched when she’s only guilty of an upset stomach, you’re stuck with the consequences of your actions. Once you begin, you have to see your career through to its possible tragic end (unless you want to start over completely from the beginning). The game automatically saves your progress as you move from patient to patient, but you unfortunately can’t go backwards in time to capitalize on that.

Since you can only go forward, unless you would like a clean start, your journey feels purposeful. You have to own up to your decisions and accept your mistakes for what they are. As a doctor, you are treating illnesses of both the body and mind, and your decisions don’t just affect you. They affect the lives of your patients and the people woven into their lives.

I thoroughly enjoyed this game, and for the amount of fantastic voice acting, clever writing, thoughtful research, and soothing music that was put into the game, I think it is absolutely worth a play through.

PROS:
-Creative narrative
-Soothing soundtrack
-Lovely madrigalian pieces that give you character insight
-Fully voiced character dialogue
-Easter eggs, watch the characters' faces and their movements!

CONS:
-Little replay value (Unless you just REALLY want to see what those other bad choices would have done)
-Autosave with no save slots