Closer the Distance is a life sim that deals with grief beautifully | Hands-on preview

I wasn’t quite prepared for what Closer the Distance was going to do to me. Yes, it deals with grief and death, and the ways it affects those close to it. Yet despite how carefully it treads, it opens up those themes to an entire community that are struggling to deal with the death of a young girl and knowing how to be there for the family of her in the aftermath of a tragedy. It hit home quite significantly, and I’m sure it will do the same for many as we all have loved ones who have passed away. We also have friends who have lost someone close, and it shows another side to grief that isn’t always apparent when you’re in the midst of it.

Yesterby is a small town with a tight-knit community at its heart. After a fatal car accident, Angela somehow manages to connect with her sister Conny, and is able to talk to her and help rebuild those left heartbroken following her death. It’s a unique idea that’s implemented with some smart mechanics, as you go from person to person and engage in conversations, as well as paying attention to these people when they’re sat on their own at home, or struggling to cope in the presence of other characters within the town. It’s such a sudden and impactful start to Closer the Distance, never giving you time to process what has happened.

But that is death, after all. How can you ever prepare for the feeling of that life being taken away from you; that person who fitted into your own existence, no longer a part of it. How do you recover, and will that pain ever go away? How do you try to live without them and put on a brave face when all you want to do is curl up in your bed and wait for the night to come? Closer the Distance deals with grief beautifully. It portrays the pain and heartache immediately following Angela’s death, be it her parents who have to arrange her funeral, her sister who’s left completely numb by it, or her boyfriend who is angry and in denial.

It also shows what those dealing with grief feel internally when others shower you with sympathy, and how it can be frustrating and irritating. They are only trying to help and say the right thing, but sometimes it doesn’t always help. It’s an open, honest response that rarely gets dealt with, especially in video games, and Osmotic Games has built a life-sim where grief is the overarching factor to everything you do. Each person within the town has their own response and needs following the accident, and you can skip between them and view their status. As time passes as you play, certain conversations pop up between these characters, and you can skip to them and watch them unfold.

While I didn’t get to see how the choices you make greatly affect anything, I did see the roots take hold and it floored me the level of detail and care put into each of the characters. It’s emotional and powerful, and everyone seems to have a different reaction that all play into the main story. Some of these people might annoy you, even if they think their hearts are in the right place (damn you, Jasper), while others will break your heart. It’s not bleak, and their are cracks where hope does shine through, but it never shies away from the themes of loss.

You feel a deep connection to the people of Yesterby and the story of Closer the Distance, almost as if you’re living there yourself. Watching these people live out their lives following Angela’s death and getting to influence decisions makes for some engaging gameplay, and I honestly cannot wait to play more of this when it’s closer to release. The town is easy to get around, and you never feel lost thanks to a detailed tutorial and tips, and there’s always an objective. I love this game, and I believe it is going to help a lot of people deal with grief and knowing how to let go.

Closer the Distance is scheduled for a PC Steam release in 2024.