I haven’t much lately, but when I was in my early 20s I wondered how much my life would have changed if I hadn’t played Tomb Raider on the PlayStation at a friend’s birthday party when I was young. Or if instead of LEGOs, I gravitated towards boy bands and fashion magazines.
Some games tell their stories through dialogue. Others, lengthy cutscenes or seemingly large tomes of lore. Momento, out now, takes a different approach, where you’ll uncover a story through the spaces in our lives.
It might remind you of Unpacking. Both games task you with looking at objects and exploring environments to learn about the character inhabiting the space. Where Unpacking spends its focus on organizing your life across different stages, Momento feels more like inhabiting the moment, dealing with choices, consequences, with multitudes of small details waiting to be found. (And if you don’t want to perfectly place everything, that’s ok, too!)
The hand drawn art style featured in Momento is what initially captured my attention when the game crossed my path a few years ago. Every scene, each era, absolutely oozed personality and warmth, building spaces that feel genuinely lived in, and the gameplay was secondary. I loved exploring all the books, looking for secret notes, opening every door that could be opened, and meticulously organizing items together in hopes of accomplishing another puzzle.
After finishing a number of certain objectives, The game would ask you if you felt like moving on to the next area, but I found myself staying in each area longer, simply because I wanted to take in everything the team at Fat Alien Cat and Nomo obviously put so much care and detail into.
That attention to detail extends beyond the visuals. The soundtrack complements each story beautifully, helping establish the mood without ever overpowering the experience. The musical score consistently enhanced the emotional weight of your discoveries.
What makes Momento and brings it above just a simple hidden-object game is the branching narrative that’s built in. Through each scene, there’s what I came to call crossroads moments. You’d choose between two objects to have, each helping to shape the path you’d take, and you’d even see the item in question in later scenes. Not only was this a great way to give players agency, but also is a great way to encourage replayability.
Rather than feeling like isolated puzzles that you’d finish just to move on, the scenes become stories you’re actively helping shape. I felt like I was creating this character’s whole life.
I spent much of my time playing on Steam Deck, where the game ran fine. With my hectic life, the Deck tends to be my preferred way to play these days. However, Momento is one of those rare games where I encourage you to play on a desktop or in Big Picture Mode. The environments are so rich with detail that having a larger screen made a noticeable difference. I found it easier to appreciate the intricate artwork and spot the countless small touches that make the world feel alive.
If you enjoyed games like Unpacking, Momento should absolutely be on your radar. It captures a similar sense of discovery and storytelling while building its own identity through branching narratives and incredibly detailed environments. It’s a thoughtful, relaxing experience that rewards taking your time and being one with the moment.
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