The August Before Review (PC)

The August Before keeps it simple, with a suitcase, a home, and a treasure trove of memories of the past. It doesn’t get lost in translation; it remains transparent and crystalized, much like how Unpacking chooses to unfold its clutter-centric trunk in a clean and elegant manner. Here, however, you don’t stow away books and utensils, but rather chronicle your childhood as you gradually prepare to move on to greener pastures. There are rooms, heirlooms, and tons of intricate set pieces that simply yearn to be found. The rest, as you can imagine, is open for interpretation.

At the heart of all of this is a simple collect-a-thon and memory-keeping experience—an elegant indie in which you simply tiptoe through a home and find keepsakes and trinkets and pack them into a suitcase before leaving to begin on your next adventure. But, that’s not all that you do; you also encounter various pockets of activities to fuel your procrastination, such as sticker books, letters, instruments, and an entire suite of touchable objects, most of which can be found and interacted with. And so, while the objective of the game is all rather simple, it does make it so that each crossroad that you uncover is met with more things to do. No complaints there, to be honest.

All in all, The August Before is a relatively short game that doesn’t overstay its welcome with the added promise of any pompous endgame content. Simply, it gives you the means to pack and explore, and it fills your head with heartfelt memories along the way. Does it need any more to bolster its appeal? Honestly, no. But, we’ll cross that bridge in a little while.

Out With the Old…

The August Before places you in the shoes of a young heroine who, after making a decision to begin anew in another life, decides to take one final stroll through her home. Her goal, much like that of Gone Home’s, is to rummage through her keepsakes and items, and begin packing a suitcase to embark upon a journey that ultimately embraces greener pastures and drops former memories, both good and bad. And that’s where you enter the book. As the protagonist in this de-cluttering sim, you are given the chance to explore the world, unearth items, and complete simple yet meaningful puzzles whilst threading the needle to establish a clearer image of past events and former friendships. There is a little more to it than that, but we won’t divulge the spoilers.

If you’re vaguely familiar with games like Unpacking or, to some degree, What Remains of Edith Finch, then you ought to know how The August Before plays its cards. Simply put, it gives you items to put away, and then, on several occasions, provides you with a small keepsake to help you solve another piece of the puzzle, whether it’s a key for a hidden drawer, or a book that contains even more details about your past. It isn’t strictly linear, but it does have a structure that allows you to connect the dots without ever feeling overwhelmed. More to the point, there are always things to do, and there are always milestones to unlock in order to establish the foundation of its story.

…In With the New

Let it be said that, while the gameplay is rather simple and self-explanatory for the most part, The August Before does, in fact, manage to complicate the flow of an otherwise textbook procedure with a ton of interesting moments. The puzzles are, eh, pulpy, to say the least. Yet, The August Before finds plenty of ways to keep you hooked via its daisy chain of item analysis options and tailorable room layouts. What’s more, it does a spectacular job of making each crag and crevice in the home look worn and inviting. Turns out, there’s a story behind almost every object here, and frankly, The August Before does a swell job of illustrating that over the course of its relatively short campaign.

To add to the above, the game itself feature some cozy elements and a wholesome aesthetic that favors the pulpy bubblegum pastel feel. It’s cute, floaty, and not to mention teeming with itty bitty details that simply pop as and when the time strikes. It’s still a simple design that keeps to the one primary location, true. However, I have to give credit where credit is due and say that, for a small diorama, The August Before adds a lot of intricate details to its composition.

Truth be told, it’s difficult to talk down on a game that, at least to my knowledge, gets almost everything done in a coherent manner. Alas, there are no game-breaking bugs stitched into its code, and there are no major technical hitches that prevent you from simply bathing in its overarching storyline and interacting with its gleaming world. Perhaps I was lucky, or maybe, just maybe, Silly Little Games knew how to build a seamless experience. Either way — kudos.

Verdict

The August Before is a charming, colorful, and oddly touching de-cluttering affair that waxes some neat details and a lot of wholesome aesthetics, memorable keepsakes and a sentiment that feels awfully personal. It’s the coziness of it all—the elegant lighting; the troves of childhood heirlooms; and above all, the heartfelt message that keeps you wanting. With all of this in its trunk, The August Before envelopes a fun and beautiful hand-crafted experience that just feels good to unwrap and explore. It isn’t for everyone, but it is a love letter that ought to appeal to those who love Unpacking and Camper Van: Make it Home, among other cozy clutter sims.

Suffice it to say that, for an indie game that centers its world around just the one idea, The August Before gets a lot of things right. It’s an easy game to slip into on a cold evening—a guilty pleasure that you can’t help but feel emotionally attached to when the going gets tough. Again, it’s a short game that doesn’t offer much replay value, but it is one that makes an effort to cram as much onto its rather small canvas as often as possible. Honestly, I can’t help but applaud that.

As I said above, if you enjoy sweet and simple games like A Memoir Blue, Unpacking, or A Little to the Left,  then it’s highly likely that you’ll enjoy fleshing out the binder and applying all of the finishing touches in The August Before. It’s warm, inviting, and an absolute pleasure to work through, warts and all. Really, what more could you wish for?