The game is...fine. The story isn't as good as other Dont Nod titles, but I wouldn't call it bad, just disappointing. The bond between the twins was nice. The gameplay is basically what you expect from a game by the creators of Life is Strange. My biggest gripe is just how...toothless it is in its depiction of trans issues. They seem to want to highlight and make the brother being trans a big focal point of the story in the first episode and STARTS to deal with Transphobia issues....but then shy away from any actual experience that happens in trans lives. The entire purpose of this game, from what the developers have said or implied, is to give attention to certain struggles that trans folk face and this just really misses the mark. It just seems very "safe," instead of realistic, as to not upset anyone playing it, but in doing so fails to truly serve the community that it wanted to highlight and lift up. Like, either go fully into it, or don't touch it at all. You can have great trans characters without making that their entire personality or a trauma story (Gwen in LiS:DE from Deck 9, for instance) but this just seems to want to use it as a hook...and then not even give it the respect to face it head on.

All that said, if you want another game in the same vein as LiS, you can do a lot worse.

"We write stories to help us understand, and be understood."
— Mary-Ann Ronan

Tell Me Why teaches us that forgiveness and closure are active choices. The game doesn't give you a "perfect happy ending" or a "bad ending." Instead, it shows that no matter which path you choose, life goes on, and finding a way to carry your scars with grace is the most beautiful thing you can do.

A really enjoyable game :) I've enjoyed other previous games by DONTNOD, and this scratches the same itch. I really liked the two main characters and their story arc. The main plot itself is good, but not fantastic - where some of the plot points were heading weren't too surprising.

But I still enjoyed myself - the emotional moments hit the right spot, and it was refreshing "only" having 3 episodes to go through.

And, well, it was free when I got it, so all the better :) A nice 8/10 in my opinion.

I finished Tell Me Why. The timer showed 11.7 hours, but honestly, if I subtract the two hours I spent falling asleep while playing, it was less than that, and to be fair, that probably says everything about this game’s pacing.
I like games in the style of Life Is Strange. I enjoy narrative-driven adventures and walking sims, so I really have no issue with slow pacing if there’s a strong story or real emotional weight behind it.
The problem here is that barely anything happens.
The story revolves around siblings trying to uncover what really happened to their mother, and one of the main themes is Tyler’s identity. That theme itself is not the problem, but it often feels like the game leans too heavily on it instead of building tension around the central mystery.
The biggest issue, though, is the pacing and the illusion of choice. The game tries to sell you the idea that every decision matters, even things like choosing furniture or family belongings to keep in the house, but in the end most of those choices mean absolutely nothing. Meanwhile, things that seem ridiculously minor, like whether you were rude to someone at the store, can actually have a bigger impact later on.
For most of the game, I felt like I was standing still instead of moving forward. More conversations, more flashbacks, more scenes that add very little. Instead of an engaging story, I got a dragged-out narrative that could have easily been cut in half.
For me, this is one of the more boring narrative-driven games I’ve played. It wasn’t technically bad, but it was painfully bland. I’ll probably forget about it pretty quickly.

One of the best games i ve ever played the storytelling was amazing i cried so much

Played this with a book nerd friend and it made it so much more fun trying to predict the story before it came up. Made it feel like a murder mystery where we were the detectives beating everyone else to the plot. Lovely game 10/10. I'm so glad I finally decided to play it after getting it for free ages ago.

Touches on your heartstrings while weaving a tale of sibling love, complicated relationships, and parental issues as well as tackling what its like to be trans in a small town in an all too real manner. There's a lot to take away from this game, and if any of what I wrote above resonates with you, then maybe this is the game for you. Even if it doesn't, it's still an experience that will leave you with something to carry in your heart

Definitely not what I was expecting but in a good way. I can understand how some people might get bored with this game, but personally I like slower paced story based games like this. My only gripe is I felt that there wasn't enough even playtime between the two protagonists, maybe it's just my imagination but it felt like I played more as Alyson than Tyler, could be wrong though, I'm sure I'll play it again at some point and find out once and for all.

I usually don't write reviews on games, but Tell me Why is such amazing game, its stuck with me for the 3 years after I've played it. As a fan of LIS for a very long time, I was excited to play a game by the same studio. However, I feel like this game has been just as (maybe even MORE) impactful to me as LIS.

Tyler and Alyson are such compelling characters; I don't think I've though about characters as much as I have with the twins. The story is AMAZING. I was on the edge of my chair the whole game, as well as emotional in every scene. I don't cry super often, but Tell Me Why made me cry A LOT.

I do want to say, however, that the game can be disturbing in some parts, mainly in it's violence with Alyson's and Tyler's past. While I HIGHLY recommend Tell Me Why, it's not worth playing if it may be detrimental to your mental health.

For example, a main plot point of Tell Me Why is the murder of Tyler and Alyson's mom, which Tyler takes the fall for, but Alyson actually killed her. It can be hard to watch that, as not only is it when Tyler and Alyson are children, Tyler believes it's because their mom found out he was transgender. I'll admit, it's hard to watch, but I myself tend to lean towards games that are considered dark. However, I can see why a dark topic like that is a turn off. Again I DO NOT RECOMMEND TELL ME WHY IF TOPICS LIKE THAT ARE TRIGGERING OR UNCOMFORTABLE. YOUR MENTAL WELL BEING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN A GAME.
I think the only dislike I have of the game is the way your choices effect your relationship with Alyson/Tyler. I felt forced to pick certain things as I really, REALLY didn't want the twins to hate each other. This may be a dumb complaint, but there were times where I wanted to pick something, but I couldn't because i cared two much about the siblings relationships. I, again, understand that's WHY there is that choice, but it just made me pick things I honestly didn't want to pick.

For example, when Alyson is trying to get Tyler to accept the foster dad as his dad like Alyson did, I really didn't want to accept it, as I really felt like it didn't make sense for Tyler to do it. However, if you pick the "wrong" choice to Alyson, your relationship is damaged and the siblings will basically stop being close and at the end of the game (if you pick too many wrong choices), they won't be together. It mattered a lot to me to pick the right choice for Alyson, that I picked the choice I didn't want to. Again, I know this a choice driven game, but I didn't really enjoy having to do that.
Despite that, it's a phenomenal game, and it's stuck with me since I've played it in 2023 (it being 2026 when I write this). A solid 9/10!

The biggest issue I had with the game was how incredibly slow it felt. The first episode especially was very hard to sit through because almost nothing exciting happens for a long time. If you are not a patient player, there is a high chance you may lose interest quickly. Personally, I felt like the game lacked a strong hook to keep me engaged. Compared to games like Life is Strange, which manage to stay interesting despite being story-driven, Tell Me Why often felt boring and stretched out.

That being said, the story surrounding Mary-Ann was actually one of the strongest parts of the game. Chapter 3 did a really good job portraying her story and the tragedy behind everything that happened. While I would not say the game made me emotional, it definitely left me shocked and interested in understanding the truth behind the family mystery.

The final mystery itself was decent, although I personally had already guessed some possibilities about who the father of Alison and Tyler could be. Still, the reveal was at least somewhat unexpected, which made the ending satisfying enough.


In terms of presentation, the sound design and music were good enough and never disappointing. The graphics were decent too, but the environmental visuals were honestly the highlight for me. Some of the scenery looked absolutely beautiful, especially the dock area near the ending when the snow had melted. Those moments genuinely looked amazing and gave the game a very calming atmosphere.

I also feel the story could have been written in a much stronger way. The pacing desperately needed improvement, and some themes in the game occasionally felt forced rather than naturally integrated into the narrative.


6/10 - Atleast worth one time Go if you are patient enough
I got it for free and in that terms it was good for sure