If you like your games experimental, then Cowleyfornia Studios has a treat for you. We'll Always Have Paris is a "short narrative experience" about a relationship in which your partner is suffering from dementia. It's due to land on PC and mobile devices later this year.
What is We'll Always Have Paris about?
With discussions around mental health and gaming growing more prominent, We'll Always Have Paris feels like it's found its moment. It's a narrative experience in which you play as Simon, a chef who lives with his wife of fifty years, Claire. Unfortunately, Claire is suffering from dementia and is slowly losing her memories. You must navigate life as a partner and carer for someone who has dementia, balancing Claire's needs with your own.
It's plain to see this isn't going to be a high-octane thrill ride; think more Night In the Woods than Celeste. Cowleyfornia describes the game as a "wholesome point and click adventure" and promises that the mechanics and interactions you'll engage with are "pressure-free". There will be gameplay, but it'll be fairly sedate and easygoing, so you won't need to worry about timed puzzles or failure states. In addition, Cowleyfornia says you'll be able to complete the whole thing in one sitting, so think of it like a short story.
When is the We'll Always Have Paris release date?
We don't yet know when we'll be able to get our hands on this one. In a press release, Cowleyfornia says the game is coming in "early 2022", and we don't have a more specific release window, unfortunately. It's fair to say the game will have some stiff competition, but this is kind of like counter-programming in movies; We'll Always Have Paris looks like it'll make a good counterpart to bigger, beefier experiences like Horizon Forbidden West or Elden Ring.
We'll have more for you on this one as soon as we get it. In the meantime, you can wishlist We'll Always Have Paris on Steam right now. The game is launching on PC, Mac, and Linux, as well as on iOS and Android devices, so you should be able to find somewhere to play it. This one doesn't look like it'll be too demanding on the technical front, either, so even if you've got an ancient laptop lying around, you should be able to check it out if you're interested.
Will you be playing We'll Always Have Paris when it launches? Let us know in the comments below!
