Free To Play · August 11, 2014
Depression Quest (2014)
Depression Quest is an interactive fiction game where you play as someone living with depression. You are given a series of everyday life events and have to attempt to manage your illness, relationships, job, and possible treatment. This game aims to show other sufferers of depression that they are not alone in their feelings, and to illustrate to people who may not understand the illness the depths of what it can do to people. Over 40k words of interactive fiction. Playthroughs are short enough to be done in one day, but long enough for the game to have gotten it's point across. About 150 unique encounters. Based on your depression levels, different choices open and close off to you. Content generated based on your decisions. The choices you make have a real effect on how your playthrough turns out. Multiple endings. See how your choices affected the game's world, and how well you've managed your depression. Audio and visuals react to your depression. Listen as the music gets glitchier and see how much stronger the static gets. Watch the color get sucked out of how you see the world.
Community Tag Signals
Tag weights reflect how many Steam users voted each descriptor — larger pills = stronger consensus.
- Short · 152
- Indie · 135
- Free to Play · 129
- Interactive Fiction · 114
- Choose Your Own Adventure · 84
- Singleplayer · 84
- Visual Novel · 51
- Psychological · 41
- Text-Based · 30
- Villain Protagonist · 27
- Psychological Horror · 24
- Emotional · 23
- Realistic · 22
- Dark · 21
- Multiple Endings · 21
Position in Free To Play
| Metric | This title | Genre position |
|---|---|---|
| Review volume | 4.0k Steam reviews | Top 59% in Free To Play |
| Positive rating | 60% positive | Genre average: 82% — this title sits in top 97% |
| Engagement hours | 1 h average | Top 81% for session depth among Free To Play |
Press Quotes
“Depression Quest hinges on its deeply personal writing style. It feels as though you’re reading someone’s unfiltered mental diary. Depression Quest is uncomfortable in that it feels voyeuristic, but the cramped proximity is how you develop a relationship with the character. It’s why, by the end, I was able to say I understood depression a bit better. It's a window.” Giant Bomb “[Depression Quest] is ‘game’ as communication, comfort and tool of understanding.” Rock Paper Shotgun “Besides the blues-ridden story,…
Release & Availability
| Release date | Aug 11, 2014 |
|---|---|
| Developer | The Quinnspiracy, Patrick Lindsey, Isaac Schankler |
| Publisher | The Quinnspiracy |
| Base price | Free-to-play |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Estimated owners | 100k–1M |
| External links | Official site · [email protected] |
Engagement Profile
All-time avg
1h
brief (under 5 hours)
Median
1h
Typical completion time
Peer Free To Play titles
Comparable titles in the same genre and review-volume band — ranked by Steam positive percentage.
Features & Capabilities
Input & Comfort
- Full controller support
Other
- Single-player
- Family Sharing
Editions & Packages
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