last seen online
itch.io link

Last seen online is a psychological horror escape room, where you dig through a missing girl's files to uncover what happened to her.

I first played this game about a year ago, but it has significantly improved since, with multiple patches and an entire artstyle change. I feel a bit controversial about the latter. The new style makes the game more cute and cozy than uncomfortable, and I'm not sure if it's supposed to be this way. There is much less horror and more nostalgic sadness now. However, the old images were AI-generated, even though heavily edited, and I respect the author's decision to switch to human-made art.

The gameplay is short but well made: the puzzles are quite simple, but some of them are very original (like the fountain one). Personally, I'm a big fan of escape room-style games, and this is a great example of one.

The lack of background music actually works great. It makes you feel uncomfortable, like you're being watched, like you're seeing what you're not supposed to see. A simple and great creative decision. However, if you feel too uncomfortable, you can turn on one of the game's original songs on Liz' music player!

I loved the quiet, uncomfortable atmosphere of the desktop and the haunting feeling of a dead MMO. In both cases, it really feels like you're exploring a dead digital world.

From here on, it's spoiler territory. The twist of the game isn't really a twist, but if you're worried about spoilers, I recommend playing on your own first. It will only take 15-30 minutes!

Liz, the missing girl whose computer we are using, is a very relatable character. Conflicts with mom, an unrequited crush, general loneliness -- typical teenage problems. Like many, she found a new home on the Internet. No wonder she decided to upload her consciousness. I know I would. I also know I would regret.

"Those who uploaded their souls decided to delete themselves. But how is a human soul stored in a file system? I hear them sometimes, screaming, their consciousness merged with some arbitrary system file". What a beautifully horrifying concept. This line alone is worth playing the game.

Overall, the game is a short but memorable experience. It could have developed some of its themes more, or added more puzzles, but hey, for what it is, it's great. It's also free to play in browser, so go check it out right now!

Stay safe, play this game and under no circumstances trust shady internet people