Fallow

I bought the game on Steam and I have yet to play it (I will be mad if my money doesn't go to you, I don't know how Steam works lol) but I want to post that I love you and your work so so so much. I can't wait to play Fallow. But during the month of December I discovered your music and other projects and within that span of time you've not only inspired me but changed my life in so many ways. I don't know how okay you are with messages like this because I know some people who get a little uncomfy with stuff like this but thank you so much. You not only encouraged me to blast through working on my album but your music is responsible for me growing a stronger bond with my partner as well and I can't thank you enough.

Thank you, Ada. Keep up the good work, you are fucking amazing. :') This shit is sappy but I'm serious lol

there's a lot to say about how many meta-angles this game managed to shoot directly at my heart from but idk if i could get it all out in one go. (considering i already left a steam review and spent ages trying to piece my emotions together staring at the lines i really can't lmao)

beautiful musings on the disconnected nature of memory in the exponential decay of developmental trauma? esoteric scifi concepts?? an ergodic narrative scattered across the game files and the narration like endless dandelions cast into the wind??? girls????

speaking from my experience growing up queer and traumatised (and ignorant...) in the hellmouth of rural central alberta it took me a long time to understand just how hard this game hits for me. i can firmly remember the feeling of wandering around near sunset, seeing the transition of the dirt roads to paved and just fucking turning back.

if i dont stop here ill prolly just keep going (recursive themes are recursive, who knew) so yeah. thanks it was amazing!!!

an astonishingly deep work about family, trauma and intimacy. it's rare to find art that so deftly portrays the difficulties those who have been abused and ostracized face connecting even with each other. this is a game rich with that sorrow, and spoke to a deep part of me that has felt Fallow since i was very young.

if that describes you as well, take heart. this game's thematic conclusion may imply that the intimacy you crave will forever be out of reach, but it isn't true. trauma makes things hard, yes, and ada rook certainly understands that better than many, but true connection is not impossible. even if the walls trauma has built around you seem impenetrable, they can be dismantled. it is possible to heal.

i didn't know that ada rook had a background as a professional musician until i'd almost finished the game but it certainly comes through in the game's impeccably tense, aching and beautiful soundtrack. and the sealed door provides access to almost an entire additional game, a wide and bewildering world where dreams, memories and the physical interweave to add incredible depth to isabelline's already breathtaking, heartbreaking story. don't neglect to find the combination. (there's no secret ending in there though, at least not one that i found)

my only criticism of the game is that some of the puzzles are too hard, the answers gated behind unintuitive tricks and secrets. if you find yourself stuck in alburn manor, remember that the direction of your movements also matters.

i can't recommend this game enough to anyone queer and/or trans, anyone who's ever felt like they didn't fit in the world, anyone who's been abused in the broad sense or the specific sense. just be aware that the ending might awaken a pain in you that you thought you'd forgotten. ideally, play it with someone you love.

Found this randomly one miserable afternoon having never heard of the developer or this game. Picked it up cause I vibed with the screenshots and trailer and wow I don't regret a single moment I spent on this. One of those works that just takes a lot of shit I've been feeling and puts it into words way better than I've been able to. The sprite work and soundtrack are impeccable throughout. This beats the pants off of any triple a title trying to be human and I can't recommend it highly enough

I can't say enough about how absorbing this game's world and atmosphere are. The game steers between this kind of beautiful melancholy, nostalgia that hurts a bit, and desperate grief. It's bleak, but never too oppressive to be interesting. This is some of Rook's best writing in my opinion, the sprite work is gorgeous (I mean just look at it), and the variety and depth of the moods the soundtrack brings are just astounding. Well worth the wait <3 

I posted a review on steam already, but I might as well say here that this game was great. I love horrory games that are more about what they make you think rather than just trying to scare you in the moment, and this game deffo fits that catagory! I know there must be another ending behind the Sealed Door, but honestly I feel pretty satisfied with the ending I got already. It feels like a very fitting conclusion to the story, all things considered.

Very well done! ^w^

Fantastic melancholic game with wonderful visuals and such great music and sound design that brings everything to life. I love the concepts and terms used throughout the story to describe everything. Also, the little complicated animations sprinkled in here and there adds so much character. Just lovely.

This game rocked thank you so much! Definitely one of the best and most unique RPG maker horrors around, and the soundtrack is ofc incredible

happy belated and thanks for continuing to create

Runs on Linux in Wine, on my system the Lutris default did not work and I set it to use the system Wine.

A settings menu would be nice. I was not able to get it full-screen on the monitor I wanted, so I played in windowed mode. Alt+Enter toggles full-screen.

wow. it took me a long time, got the main(?) ending and think i'll do the other one tomorrow night. i just wanted to say thank you for this. the visuals. the music. the emotions.

do you ever dive into a piece of media and just... feel like elements or lines have come straight from your own brain? that's how i felt about this game. really really good - i'm not sure really how to put it into words. thank you. i felt like the angle this piece of art is coming from... gets me. gets *to* me

I've gotten the same ending multiple times now. I see in forums people talking about a sealed door, which I have yet to find. Can anyone help me? Where is the door?

just beat the game.. you’ve made something truly beautiful and it was worth the wait. it rendered me speechless…. cannot wait to recieve the physical edition 

This looks great!