Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery

Just nope. I wish I had been warned about this game. It's super short which is forgivable. Just don't think it's going to entertain you for days, I finished it in a couple of hours. What I absolutely hated is that it was sold to me as a painting game with puzzles and there was (tiny vibes spoilers) hardly any painting and way more sadness than I ever imagined. I absolutely hated the ending. Can I fit my computer out the window? I'll never touch this game again and I'll be very suspicious of any games like it. I'll be sure to read all reviews closely before I buy something like this again.

I'm having a difficult time deciding whether or not to recommend this (very short) game because it contains two narratives--one that I very much enjoyed, and one that I very much didn't. The gameplay remained consistent between both parts and involved very little besides drawing your cursor across the screen to "draw" or "paint" although there were a handful of very simple puzzles to solve. So what about the narratives? The first half of the story is about a painter named Amber. Amber's story is told like you are uncovering a mystery but nothing about it is particularly gripping. I never felt any sort of emotional connection to her or her passions. After completing her half, however, you are brought back to the title screen where a new button labelled "Jack" now appears. Jack's story is where this game shines. There was a quiet sense of loss and melancholy that pervaded the entire scene. And there was an equally quiet sort of hope and acceptance that permeated the end of his experience. I spent the first half of my time with this game baffled at all the positive reviews but after seeing Jack's story, I think that I understand what the devs were trying to accomplish. I definitely wouldn't spend $13 for it (the current asking price) but if you can pick it up for free like I did, then it might be worth the half-an-hour it takes to complete it (the rest of my playtime is from idling for cards; this is an *extremely* short game).