An emotional walking simulation
Released in 2016, Lieve Oma is a short narrative developed by Florian Veltman. You can play it on Windows PC with a keypad and mouse or a gamepad. It’s more of a visual novel and walking simulator rather than a fleshed-out game. However, the simple graphics and gentle music let’s you focus on the emotional story without getting distracted.
If you’ve ever been on a walk with your grandmother, then you already have an idea of where this game is going to take you. You start at your gran’s old car, in a forest that you usually walk through together to pick mushrooms. However, no walk with grandma is just a walk. Instead, you’ll be sharing all your worries and fears as your gran gives you loving support.
Sharing troubles with grandma
The gameplay is extremely simple, and the soundtrack is perfect background music. It’s clear that Veltman wants you to focus on the story and feel the emotions that go along with it. Your little character will occasionally jump between the past and the present, experiencing two different conversations with the same person.
Simple but emotional
As you walk, your character will eventually start talking about family and school problems. These topics are incredibly generic, but that’s what makes the game so unique. Choosing such common problems was a stroke of genius because the child in the game is addressing issues you’ve likely dealt with yourself.
As emotional as the story is, though, don’t expect grand schemes or heart-wrenching drama. It’s best features are its simplicity and relatability, all captured in an intimate setting with no distractions save the occasional mushroom.
Melancholic narrative without any thrills
Although the game is an emotional trip down memory lane, there’s not much more to Lieve Oma than a walk and a story that will make you miss your grandma. The gameplay is relatively simple, but that’s because it’s secondary to the narrative itself. If you’re looking for something full of exciting twists and action, then Lieve Oma just won’t be your cup of tea. However, if you’re missing your granny, then get ready to shed a few tears.
