Tell Me Why stands out for its grounded, mature approach to storytelling — especially when compared to its sibling series, Life is Strange. In a gaming landscape where so many stories lean heavily into fantasy or exaggerated drama, it's refreshing to see a game that sticks closer to real-life struggles and emotions.

I spent nearly 30 hours in this game, and while the game isn't without its flaws, I can recommend it overall — especially considering it's supposedly free to keep every June(?), which is a huge bonus for anyone even remotely curious, and I definitely considered it a more complete, worthwhile experience than Lost Records: Bloom & Rage.

Like most episodic DONTNOD titles, certain patterns are hard not to notice: you'll encounter supernatural elements that go unexplained, a bisexual protagonist with a same-sex romance option (though often one path gets more attention — mostly the one of the same gender), and a villain who is hiding in plain sight. Once you recognise those patterns, the story's "mystery" becomes a lot easier to predict, which does take away some of the tension.

Tell Me Why struggles in how it portrays the community around the twins. Set in Delos Crossing, a rural town in Alaska, the depiction often feels idealised to the point of being unrealistic. Everyone is either wholly progressive or quick to repent after a short conversation. While I appreciate that the game doesn't lean into needless cruelty or cheap shock value regarding the protagonist's identity, the conflicts that do arise are often resolved far too quickly and cleanly. It misses an opportunity to portray real tension and growth over time, and it makes the world feel less authentic.

There's also a tendency for the writing to lean heavily into delivering a message rather than allowing players to come to their own conclusions. At times, it can feel like the game is lecturing rather than trusting the audience to pick up on its themes naturally.

On a more narrative level, the inclusion of the twins' supernatural powers (their shared telepathy and memory reconstruction) feels unnecessary. The story had enough emotional weight on its own without needing a magical element that is apparently known by others and never even questioned. It would have been stronger — and even more grounded — if the bond between the twins had been shown through purely human connection rather than mystical means.

One of my few bigger critiques is the handling of the romance subplot. It feels shoehorned in and, frankly, uncomfortable — especially since the game continues to push it even if you try to reject it. Given how introspective and personal the rest of the story is, forcing a romance that doesn't feel earned or natural undermines some of the game's emotional authenticity. Worse, the romance option is Alyson's best friend, which makes it feel a little strange when Tyler newly arrives in town and he (the guy) is immediately ready to kiss him.

Still, in its three chapters, it manages to tell a well-rounded story that doesn't make you regret spending money on the game — or playing it altogether.

No spoilers - only vague gesturing towards stuff that happens

Pros:
- The gameplay was fun.
- I enjoyed sleuthing out the story and puzzle solving.
- Good LGBT+ and female representation, including showing someone overcome their transphobia.
- Good representation of indigenous cultures (as far as I know).
- Love the game devs for giving out free copies during Pride.

Con (why I can't recommend this game):
- Includes damaging representation of mental health and suicide in one of the main endings of the game.

This ending is treated by the game as valid and a 'good' ending, despite spreading the damaging idea that mental health can make someone murdery for no reason. 'Tom's ending' is the most realistic and makes the most logical sense, and yet the 'twins memory ending' is treated as an equally valid ending.

I wish the endings had been presented as if the twins are choosing between moving on with the truth (Tom's ending) or living a fantasy/lie (twins memory ending).

Additionally: given how little impact this major choice has on the ending scenes, I think my suggestion would have tidied up the story nicely in a way that doesn't harm people with mental health struggles or disabilities.

As it is, the ending leaves much to be desired, including potential plotholes because the game has to account for both endings' interpretations of the story and character. A character who is either a struggling loving parent or a crazed mentally ill person trying to do a murder suicide. Not great representation...

Game is gae but it did make me cry 7.5+1/10, +1 cause there's a filipino character in this game who cooks filipino food.