Dear Esther is a Half-Life 2 mod from The Chinese Room, a group from the University of Portsmouth in England. I had recently played the game and I think it deserves a little bit of loving.
The mysterious island.
The game, if you could call it that, is primarily walking around a mysterious island. When you first arrive, the narrator begins as if he were reading a letter to Esther (hence the name). As you find other audio cues he might explain something about your surroundings, or it could be unrelated whatsoever. It was designed to cause a sense of confusion until later, so be aware. Part of the enjoyment comes from sorting out what the narrator is talking about, while the other part is exploring the setting and realizing the brilliantly constructed atmosphere.
The game is what one could consider “artsy” and for some, that might be a turn off. If you’re not into that, don’t worry, don’t play it. For those who might give it a chance, it’s only about an hour long and quite an interesting ride. I recommend a download. There are even 2 download links, you have no excuse now.
Koriantor 