Emily is Away

Emily is Away is a free text adventure game released on PC in which our task is to develop an online acquaintance with the titular Emily. The first version of the title was prepared for the Indie Cabin 2015 competition by a single person, Kyle Seeley, and its mechanics are based on the author's childhood memories while referring to the memorable beginnings of the Internet boom.

Plot

Emily is Away refers to the time when the first versions of Windows were released and the world hasn't yet heard of social networking platforms like Facebook or programs like Skype. During that time, AOL Instant Messenger reigned on PC, allowing users to make their first virtual acquaintances. The player's goal is to develop acquaintance with a student named Emily - we gradually get to know the non-linear plot of the game and the fate of our heroes.

Mechanics

The interface of the game is limited to the messenger window, resembling the AIM mentioned above, while the whole gameplay consists of conducting conversations with Emily and selecting dialog lines. Depending on our choices, the relationship with our virtual colleague can take a slightly different course, revealing to the player further elements of the story, covering five years of the lives of both characters. The game shouldn't take us more than an hour and a half to complete but a large number of possibilities to lead the plot encourages players to go through it many times and try different options.

Technical aspects

In line with the whole concept of the game, Emily is Away is kept in a minimalist style. We can only see a fairly angular and pixel-like interface of the communicator, where we can only change the icons and font color. The game is also devoid of any sounds.

Last updated on December 9, 2019