Recommended with some reservations.

Story wise, Perfect Tides is amazing, probably the best coming of age game I have ever played.

The characters are deep, the setting and the writing are excellent and everything is so heart-felt that if you had a difficult teenage in the ‘90s, the game will often be moving.

The art style is beautiful and the soundtrack matches perfectly the retro vibes of the visuals.

If Perfect Tides was an interactive novel, it would definitely be a masterpiece.

The problems come along with the point and clic side of the game, which is very cumbersome and unpolished.

Walking around between locations or interacting with NPCs or things could be a hell.

Picking up objects sometimes is really hard, because they blend with the background and you will literally don’t see them.
Most of the time the game will give you no clue about the purpose of some objects you will collect (I finished the game with some items i never used).

[minor spoilers below]

At least a crucial puzzle (in your brother’s room) will require pixel hunting.

In the later game, you will need necessary enter a DJ booth: I spent almost 15 minutes trying to do it, and I discovered it was possible only after consulting a walkthrough.

Also in the later game, you can create a present for your mother, but I couldn’t accomplish it: I’m an experienced player, I tried many times and I’m 100% sure i did things right (I also checked a video walkthrough), so I think it there’s a bug (probably because I started the process early in the game?).

In the end, Perfect Tides is a beautiful story-driven game that requires a lot of patience by the player, but I assure you will not easily forget Mara and all her contradictions.

At the time I’m writing, a follow up is under production: I will definitely buy it, because I can’t wait to discover where life has taken the protagonist.

A rough but beautiful gem of a game.

this game is about me