Forgotton Anne is a game about memory, loss, and the things we leave behind. It asks players to move through a strange kingdom built from forgotten objects — a chair, a doll, a coat — and to find out why those objects want to return to the world of living people. It is a small game, released in 2018 for PS4, Android, PC, and iOS, and it earns its quiet weight through patience rather than spectacle.
The game puts players in the role of Anne, a guardian of the Kingdom of Forgotton, tasked with collecting souls from objects that have been left behind by people who have died. Each object carries its own story, and each story is told through short animated scenes, dialogue, and environmental details. The result is a game that feels less like a platformer and more like a walking tour of a museum of the dead.
Trailer, via Square Enix Collective.
The Kingdom of Forgotten Objects
The world of Forgotton Anne is the game’s strongest achievement. It is a realm made entirely of discarded items — a chair, a doll, a coat, a bicycle, a shoe. Each object has a distinct personality, and the game spends time letting players walk around, look at things, and talk to the objects themselves. The chairs sit in a row and complain about their legs. The dolls argue about whose face is the prettiest. The coat complains about being left outside in the rain.
The design is consistent across platforms. The game looks the same on PS4, PC, Android, and iOS, with a hand-drawn style that leans heavily on dark colors and shadow. It is not a bright, cheerful world. It is a melancholy one, full of objects that have been abandoned and are now trying to remember what they once meant to someone.
“I am a forgotten object, and I have returned to claim my soul.”
That line, spoken by one of the objects, sums up the whole premise of the game. The objects are not just things. They are people, and they want to be remembered.
Anne and the Guardian Role
Anne herself is a silent protagonist, which means the game relies on her actions and the objects she meets rather than her dialogue. Players control her movement, solve puzzles, and collect souls, but they never hear her speak. This is a deliberate choice, and it works. Anne becomes a vessel for the player’s curiosity, and the objects she meets are the ones doing the talking.
The puzzles are simple. They involve moving objects, finding keys, and solving basic logic problems. There is nothing complex here, and that is part of the appeal. The game wants players to slow down and look at the world around them, not rush through it.
The pacing is steady. The game moves at a deliberate clip, giving players time to absorb each new location and its inhabitants. This is a game that rewards attention, and it punishes players who want to speed through it.
The Animation and Storytelling
The storytelling in Forgotton Anne is mostly done through animation and environment. The game uses short animated scenes to tell the backstory of each object, and these scenes are often the highlight of the experience. They are brief, but they are effective. A doll remembers being handed down from parent to child. A coat remembers being worn in the rain. A chair remembers being sat in for years.
The animation is hand-drawn, and it has a distinctive style that sets it apart from other games in the genre. The characters are expressive, and their movements are fluid. The backgrounds are detailed, with a sense of depth that makes the world feel lived-in.
The sound design supports the mood. The music is sparse, but it is effective. It is not loud, and it does not try to be. It simply adds to the atmosphere, making the world feel more real.
Pacing and Length
The game is short. It can be finished in a few hours, which means there is not much room for filler content. Every scene, every puzzle, and every object serves a purpose. There is no excess, and there is no padding.
That brevity is both a strength and a weakness. It is a strength because the game stays focused. It is a weakness because it leaves players wanting more. The world of Forgotton Anne is rich enough to support a longer game, but the developers chose to keep it tight.
The puzzles are placed strategically, and they rarely feel out of place. They fit naturally into the world, and they are always tied to the objects themselves. A puzzle involving a key might involve a lock on a door, but it might also involve a conversation with an object that holds the key. The game finds ways to make the mechanics feel like part of the story rather than separate from it.
Technical Performance Across Platforms
Forgotton Anne performs consistently across PS4, Android, PC, and iOS. The hand-drawn art style translates well to smaller screens, and the game runs smoothly on all four platforms. There are no major technical issues, and the load times are short.
The game is optimized for mobile devices, which means it runs well on phones and tablets. It does not require a powerful computer to play, and it does not suffer from frame rate drops or other performance issues. That is a relief, since the game is designed to be played on the go.
The controls are simple. Players move Anne with the arrow keys or touch screen, and they interact with objects using a single action button. There is no complicated menu system, and there is no need for a gamepad. The game is accessible, and it is easy to pick up and play.
Key Facts
- Title: Forgotton Anne
- Platforms: PS4, Android, PC, iOS
- Release Year: 2018
- Genre: Adventure, puzzle
- Critical Score: 8 of 10
What We Liked Most
The best parts of Forgotton Anne are the moments when the game stops being a game and starts being a story. The animations that show the objects remembering their past lives are the most affecting elements of the whole experience. The game’s willingness to let its characters talk about what they mean to people who have forgotten them is a rare kind of empathy in interactive media.
What We Liked Less
The puzzles are simple, and some players might find them repetitive. The game’s brevity is a double-edged sword — it keeps the game tight, but it also leaves players wanting more. A longer game could have explored the world of Forgotton Anne in greater depth, giving each object a larger share of the spotlight.
Our Verdict
Forgotton Anne is a game that succeeds because it trusts its audience. It does not explain everything, and it does not hold hands. It lets players explore, and it rewards curiosity. The world is interesting, the objects are memorable, and the story is touching.
It is not a perfect game. The puzzles are simple, and the length is short. But it is a good game, and it is worth playing.
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