We’re all a little guilty of peering into the stats screen of a game to see our overall playtime. Sometimes it’s out of pride, providing a glimpse into the sheer dedication you’ve put into your favourite new obsession, or perhaps you’re simply morbidly curious to discover how much of your life you’ve spent doing emotes in Fortnite or dominating Splatfests in Splatoon 2.
However, what about how much time you’ve not been playing. What kind of numbers would those stats have to say? And what if you could have as much of an impact on the game’s outcome in your absence as you could actually playing it? That’s the intriguing concept that drives STAY, an indie adventure that dares to tackle some very real subjects and taboos while placing an almost '24'-esque sense of tension throughout.
The game follows the life of Quinn, a man who goes to bed one night and then wakes up in a darkened cellar with nothing more than a computer, a desk, a chair and a poster on the wall. The poster is written in Latin and tells the thoroughly confused man he’s free to use the computer. He logs into a chat room, and on the other end… is you. You’re now Quinn’s only real connection to the outside world, and to reality itself.
Who has kidnapped him and why? What does that mysterious symbol on the poster beside him mean? What are those sounds he keeps hearing? You’re as much in the dark as he is, and it’s only through an ongoing chat room conversation that one mystery is solved - only for three more to then take its place. Since 80% of the game is spent in this chat room format, you’re going to have to prepare yourself for a text-heavy experience. With 25 chapters amounting to around four-to-five hours worth of play, STAY does - none too ironically - outstay its own welcome a little, but thankfully most of the dialogue chats with Quinn are littered with unusual developments and further questions that keep you engaged for the most part.
You’ll only have a limited number of responses to give him - and can only send them when prompted to on-screen - but these exchanges drastically shape Quinn’s state of mind. STAY tracks his current psychological state and his rapport with you via a Trust and an Emotional Bond set of metres. A heart symbol will flash on-screen when a response you’ve made elicits a greater sense of trust, while a symbol showing two linked circles represents his connection. Both can rise and fall depending on how you speak to your unfortunate new friend.
Quinn’s mood will also ebb and flow as the story progresses, and this is represented by four sloshing orbs - Sanguine, Phlegmatic, Melancholic and Choleric - full of different coloured liquids. These are based on the Ancient Greek theory of the Four Temperaments, which stated the mind was made of four balanced moods (much like the similar ‘four humours’ that were said to balance the body). These orbs will fill and empty in real-time as Quinn becomes more agitated or calm.
And let's not forget it's called STAY for a reason. The game uses Switch’s internal clock to track how long you spend with Quinn and how long you spend away. Failing to return to him after long periods of time could lead his mental state to collapse, with you logging back in only to discover a site you’ll wish you hadn’t. This is a game that bravely deals with topics such as death, anxiety, isolation and depression and it doesn’t take long for you to learn just how broken and lost Quinn truly is. And leaving him alone for too long, locked in the fiction of the game’s lonely setting, can have devastating consequences.
Thankfully, the game lets you restart from the beginning of the last chapter should things turn bleak, so you’re not forced to restart your experience if such an event occurs. This Tamagotchi-style conceit does make for a compelling experience - although we would advise you play this in one sitting as any game that potentially punishes you for putting it down can make for an uncomfortable experience if you’re looking for a simple pick-up-and-play affair. You also need to be online to play, since it records your decisions (and your stay time/absence time) periodically. If you try and play away from a Wi-Fi connection, you’ll be bombarded with a reconnection message so often it renders the game unplayable.
STAY’s problems mostly arise from the glacial pace that its story unfolds. It’s genuinely engaging to watch this character hold onto a strand of hope or descend into a melancholic freefall, but for a game that ultimately demands you commit to it in the first instance, that narrative-driven setup lacks much variety outside of Quinn’s fluctuating psyche. Things are punctuated by the occasional cutscene (where Quinn leaves the computer to explore or follow-up on a lead you’ve discussed) or a rare puzzle. Annoyingly, these puzzles vary from short and clever to long and obtuse but fail to offer the kind of gameplay variance STAY very much needs.
There is, however, plenty of content to keep you coming back for more. There are seven endings to unlock, over 40 rooms to unlock and discover (each with their own items, puzzles and potential routes further into the labyrinth) and narrative paths that diverge depending on which dialogue choices you’ve made up until that point. Quinn’s mental state can differ wildly, opening up brand new streams of text, so each revisit has the potential to offer a noticeably different experience each time.
Conclusion
STAY is a very unusual experience. Its unique approach to tracking time and using it as an influential factor on a character’s well-being makes it the kind of game you really need to try, but it’s one that comes with enough caveats that might make it less appealing to certain Switch owners. However, with some well-written dialogue, a mysterious house that keeps getting stranger and all manner of narrative paths, items, rooms and endings to unlock, there’s plenty here to warrant repeated plays. Just don’t nod off while you’re playing, or wander out of the house. Poor old Quinn...
Comments 23
does sound quite interesing
@NintendoFan4Lyf Not completely related, but that's exactly the problem I have with Animal Crossing.
This sounds really interesting, but it doesn’t quite fit my schedule. It sounds like, if I can clear a chapter in a sitting, then nothing is really lost if I can’t play again for a few days and have to revert to the last save because Quinn went stir crazy and devolved into a monkey.
@NintendoFan4Lyf - I have a very similar play schedule with the added absurdity that it’s now possible for me to fall stone cold asleep playing games, sometimes even sitting straight up in a chair. I grow old, I grow old, I shall wear my trousers rolled.
@bimmy-lee I dropped my switch the other night while playing and falling asleep. I woke and went to sit up and kicked it on the floor. First time my switch has hit the ground. Even knocked both joycobs off. But no damage.
And this game does not sound like something I’d played in 1st place. Interesting, but I will go and play 40 minutes a day at lunch, maybe some in the evening, until I have a day off then I play 5 hours. But I’ll play 5 different games over that time too.
yah, even in actiion games, I'm a relaxed gamer and being anchored to a clock has always been a huge turn off, one major reason I hated Majora's Mask so dang much, especially a game famous for open world exploration, yah, I don't want to be rushed or have to start over again, some may like it, but unless it's a physical Christmas gift (probably not, I think it's download only) I'm not buying
@Donutman - Oof, that’s a scary one. I sent my WiiU tablet flying that same way a few times. So far, I’ve only dropped Joy Con due to falling asleep. I have a huge play time on BOTW on WiiU, but 20-30 hours of it is Link doing idle animations while weather fronts roll through. My young self would never believe this.
@jhewitt3476 - OOT was still my obsession in life when MM came out, and the clock system made me physically ill. I can’t even think about playing that game.
I typically prefer to refrain from games that demand my regular dedication, but boy does this sound fascinating and rather eerie... Imagine playing a Mario game where dedication is a necessity, stay away from the game for too long and Bowser will--Ooooooooooookay nevermind, that would likely be a little too much information. I'll do you one better, a long gap between play sessions of a Sonic game and by the time you return, Robotnik has turn the world into a mechanical dystopia, Silver would come in and blame Sonic for the catastrophe, and Sonic 06 would reiterate itself all over again.
.....What game is this again?
Not my idea of a video game between the simulated chat room and the real-time aspect. I don't like being on the clock. It would be enough for me to get into a sadistic mood(which is not my style, even in games) and mess with the guy. I don't like the name Quinn anyway.
I've had to kill Quinn a few times just so I could take some time away from the game without consequences. Really not a fan of how, to ideally play this game, you need to set aside 5-6 hours. My playtime ended at about 5.5 hours, and I felt like this game didn't really value my time; which is probably the exact opposite the developers were going for. I like making nice and being a friend to Quinn, but the punishments for not being by this kidnapping victim's side far outweigh my desire to make friends with him.
I don’t get why the game has to be online all the time - can’t it save the game locally? My only decent game time is on planes, so I’m out - shame, as it sounds intriguing
Intriguing still, but I'll wait for sale that works for me.
Really enjoyed it - Quinn thankfully died so I got to take a break but still finished in two long sessions of about 3 hours each . Interesting
Was hoping this come out as physical that would be a incentive to get it more.
@Dom Nice review, thanks might check it out.... but your tagline of might outstay it’s welcome - this means that it might be a game that is not welcome (bad)... are you sure that’s what you were going for with that play on words?
Poor Quinn, I still prefer giving real life attention to my real life family. Perhaps this winter, when your chat app goes on a sale, I'll log in to it and chat you through whatever horrors you have to endure.
At least the clock doesn't start at the time of release, but at the time I'll start the game. So you won't suffer extra because of it.
@FTL Thank you. I don't write those headlines, that's for the editor to decide on. That line does draw from the review itself, so while the game isn't bad, it does last a little too long and doesn't offer enough variety over that extended length of time, thus outstaying its welcome.
This one really had me interested but the online requirement basically means it's exclusive to Switch Online subscribers, right?
Great review! Despite the potential problems, sounds like something I might really enjoy playing.
@TheFongz you don't need to be a Swith Online subscriber. The game just needs connection to send user statistics and check your stay / away time (we do it with a server clock) : )
@NintendoFan4Lyf I understand your point, but keep in mind the game is quite short (6-8 hours), so you'd finish it in 2-3 sessions. We always say is a "weekend game". Is not an endless simulation game, is a short story where you need to be commited and not leave until the end. I hope you give Quinn a chance : )
@designatius thanks, that's what I wanted to hear! I might give it a go then.
The always online requirement is a complete dealbreaker, just on principle let alone practical terms.
@designatius "you don't need to be a Swith Online subscriber. The game just needs connection to send user statistics and check your stay / away time (we do it with a server clock) : )"
That puts me right off. It's perfectly possible to use the built in clock and sending user statistics should be optional anyway. That's a really dreadful design choice that's ensured I won't get the game.
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