"Depression Quest" Review

This is going to be a shorter review than I normally write, because there isn't a whole lot to say about "Depression Quest." Now, don't misunderstand me. Less to say, in no way, means that the game is lesser. In fact, in this case it means the exact opposite, the game is just small enough that it would be difficult to write a long review. And this is a computer game, so all the pictures are screenshots that I took in my play through.
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"Depression Quest" is a text-based game with a singular purpose: to educate you about depression. It places you in the shoes of a 20-something man with a draining job and a subpar apartment. This character has a very small circle of friends and is in a relationship with a supportive girl named Alex. This character has depression but doesn't exactly know it yet. All he knows is that he is often sad and drained to the point of not being able to function. When the story begins, your character is in a slightly-more-than-mildly depressed state, and by the end your character will either be exactly where he started, worse, or better. Regardless of which way you end up going, you will learn about the different directions in which a person's thoughts can go under varying levels of depression.
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You progress through the story by making decisions in the wake of some kind of conflict. In pretty much every decision, at least one choice will be crossed out. This is the "normal people" option, though I hesitate to use that kind of classification. Essentially, this is the option that one might choose if they were unhindered by depression or anxiety. This represents the way in which a person experiencing depression simply cannot make choices such as these. There seems to be a misconception that the condition can be fought by just "willing" hard enough, and I was glad to see the creators of Depression Quest combat that kind of thinking. The options you are left with, then, are ones that are less optimal. There is typically a healthy option given to you, and choosing this option helps the character to make positive progress. More often than not, the healthy option is the kind of option that would be hard to choose in real life, like calling a therapist in the face of anxiety. But on the flip side of that, there are also the unhealthy options and not entirely healthy but not unhealthy options. You will become more or less depressed depending on which option you choose.
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Really, the strongest aspect of Depression Quest is its well-grounded writing, and given how that is the entirety of the game, the entirety of the game is incredibly strong. The different characters have different "voices," and the narration makes you feel like you are inside this character's head. That is really all there is to say about it.
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Now, I played Depression Quest two times (because it can be beaten in under half-an-hour, even if you read carefully), and after the first time I had a single qualm. But after the second time, this qualm was greatly diminished. The qualm I had was this: It was too easy to just pick the healthy option. As someone with pretty severe social anxiety, there were times where I looked at my options and said, "in real life, I would have chosen that one," but then I went on to click the healthy option. I finished the game and got the more positive ending, an ending where everything isn't fixed, but things are looking up. For my second playthrough, I thought, "I won't pick the healthy options this time." And here's the thing: The more depressed the character gets, the less options there are. If you get too depressed, then there will only be self-destructive options left, and you will never be able to get out of the routine. If you get depressed enough in this game, there is no escape. It is a powerful, powerful way of getting the point across. There is a line in the sand. On one side of the line and on the line itself, a person can still get themselves to a better place. They can still confide in others and find support amongst people. But on the other side, a person can no longer do it. Friends have abandoned them, and their life has fallen, and it is too late. So, with that in mind, my qualm about the easiness of picking the healthy option dissolved a little bit. But it didn't fade completely. At the beginning, it was still all too easy to pick healthy options. However, I can't take any points off for that, because, I mean, it is a text-based game, how exactly is it going to hold you down and force you to feel what this person is feeling? It was a minor grievance, but it is ultimately made up for by the fantastic job that the developers do of showing how the character is feeling. It is about as close to actually feeling the depression as people can get.
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So, all in all, is Depression Quest worth the half-hour of your life that it will occupy? My answer is "yes." It is free on Steam, you learn a little bit about a condition that is often misunderstood, and if the story seems to...hit a little close to home, as it very well might, then the game provides you with resources and links to support centers. You owe it to yourself to take a half-hour out of your day to play Depression Quest. And I can't stress it enough. If this story hits close to home, then have a look at the resources offered in the game, and, if necessary, talk to somebody. And if the character sounds like somebody you know, be there for them, support them no matter how distant they may seem. This game has forced me to make a new score. I can't really attach a number score to this, because I feel like this is a game that shouldn't be scored. So, with that in mind...
Play It
It is free on steam, and it is for a good cause, and it is really strong in multiple areas, and it is short. There is literally no reason why you shouldn't play it.
Nice work, folks who made it, nice work.