Undusted: Letters from the Past is a casual game in which you clean and restore dirty items. What is her story as she returns to a long-neglected house? Enjoy the satisfying audiovisuals featuring sensually designed sounds and graphics.
Developed by: 5minlab Corp.
Played on: Steam
Length: 1.5 hours
A review key was provided by Toge Productions.
Undusted: Letters From The Past is a game that is best experienced personally, but if you’re still reading this, let me tell you why it’s worth putting aside a quiet hour of your day. Developed by 5minlab Corp and published by the champion of all tear-jerkers Toge Productions, Undusted combines an ASMR cleaning game with an emotional narrative about grief, regrets, and finding purpose.
The story follows Adora as she returns to her childhood home after her mother’s passing, where she is met with an assortment of familiar items that have fallen into disrepair. As you dust, scrub, and polish your way through seventeen chapters, you uncover forgotten memories from Adora’s childhood.
While a narrative about a fraught childhood is hardly unfamiliar by now, Undusted tells an emotionally raw tale that deals with the messiness of grief without walking on eggshells. The narrative is told through a series of short paragraphs between chapters, but truthful writing and excellent localisation manage to hit at the core of every emotion. And just as you’re reeling from an emotional attack, you get to spend the next five minutes cleaning it all away.
Cleaning has always been known for its therapeutic properties, but even more so when complemented with a soothing soundscape and satisfying visuals. Every chapter unveils a new 3D pixelated object to clean, each one meticulously crafted for maximum visual and auditory satisfaction. The result is an immersion that forces you to slow down and forget your surroundings.
Despite its short one-hour playtime, the game manages to present a few cleaning tools for you to experience. There’s the sponge that cleans a large surface area, a toothbrush that helps you get into those pesky corners, and even a vacuum that can only be used for awhile before it needs to be charged. Part of the fun is experimenting with different cleaning tools and finding out which one is the most effective at cleaning different types of surfaces, and min-maxing it if you’re that kind of nerd.
Overall, Undusted presents a simple and short experience that stands out because of the evident care the developers have put into it. As much as Adora is experiencing an emotional renewal through this story, so are we as the player. We experience the cathartic ups and downs with her as she navigates through her childhood home, and after shedding a bucket of tears, the game ends on what feels like the perfect closure.
Verdict: Worth Crying Over
Undusted: Letters From The Past presents a short, emotionally cathartic experience that will leave you wanting more like it. Each chapter is meticulously crafted for maximum visual and auditory satisfaction, while truthful writing and excellent localisation promise to bring you to tears before the end of its one-hour run.
