Truer than You is a choice-based visual story byindiedevelopers Transcenders Media, thrusting you into the role of Rin as they are starting a new job in a new city. Rin begins working for a company that connects actors like them with clients who need someone to step into real-life situations. Throughout the game, you'll take on roles as low-stakes as attending art galleries, and as intense as pretending to be a young girl's estranged father.
Rin's actions, who they connect with, and what jobs they take are partially up to you. While certain aspects of the game's narrative will be consistent across playthroughs, your choices dictate which storylines you pursue and which you let fall by the wayside.Rin is joined by a cast of interesting and distinct characters who help bring the world ofTruer than Youto life. As a big fan of choice-driven narrative games since I first playedTelltale'sWalking Deadseries, I was excited to see whatTruer than Youhad in store.
Truer Than You Is Short But Sweet
Truer Than You Can Be Finished In Less Than 2 Hours
I've seenTruer than Youdescribed as a visual novel in some press releases. However,a visual short story would be a more appropriate description, due to its runtime and narrative construction.Truer than Youtakes around two hours to complete, maybe less, depending on how quickly you read and the expediency with which you make choices. The game is also reminiscent of short fiction because the story is a quicker glimpse into the lives of its characters than a full novel would be.
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This isn't a criticism of the game by any means. The story that Transcenders Media presents and its themes feel better suited for a shorter game. The protagonist, Rin, is described as feeling lost in life, a feeling that is not easily conquered. Were they to have fully solved their issues and found a strong purpose by the end ofTruer than You, the game's narrative wouldn't have felt nearly as relatable or meaningful. Instead, the game shows more incremental progress and hints at where Rin's life might go without answering too many big questions, which feels more realistic.
The game not being overstuffed also makes it a more intimate experience.The characters don't overstay their welcome, and there is no forgettable fluff. Each scene plays a meaningful role in the story, and many hit their emotional beats perfectly. This is due in large part toTruer than You's strong character writing.
Truer Than You's Characters Are Its Greatest Strength
Truer Than You Stars A Cast Of Nuanced And Charming Characters
One of the best aspects ofTruer than You's characters is thatthey are not broad archetypes or stereotypes, even if that might be the first impression some characters give off. Each character has a lot of nuance, and their most extreme traits are still understated in a way that makes them feel more authentic.
In a less nuanced story, a character like Emerald - a woman who hires Rin to make her inattentive husband jealous - could easily be portrayed as unsympathetic or even unlikable. While still flawed inTruer than You,Emerald is given strong motivations and more than enough redeeming qualities to endear her to the audience. Even if she isn't one of your favorite characters, you will at least understand where she comes from and have more sympathy for her than you might if she were written with less care.
Aside from one or two notable exceptions,Emerald's depth and pathos are indicative of most characters inTruer than You. The cast is flawed in very human ways, but as long as you take the time to get to know each of them, you'll come to appreciate who they are and their reasons for acting the way they do. For a game like this to work, you need a cast of characters that people are going to care about, so it is good that this is the strongest aspect ofTruer than You.
Truer Than You's Story Feels Unfinished
Truer Than You Drops Some Plot Points And Takes Some Meaningful Choices Away From Players
Truer Than Youstarts by having you read the rules of your new job, one of which clearly states thatyou aren't allowed to meet clients outside of work. This initially seemed like the game was setting up a difficult choice: follow the rules, or follow your heart. Unfortunately, there is no real choice here, as the first time Rin gets a day off, you're forced to break this rule by choosing to hang out with one of the people you met at work.
Don't get me wrong, this is what I would have chosen to do anyway, but it would have been nice if it were a deliberate choice that came with some consequences, as implied by the employee handbook. There are ultimately no consequences for breaking this rule, and even if there were, they wouldn't feel meaningful since they wouldn't be the result of an active choice made by the player. These implied consequences that never materialize make the story feel a bit unfinished.
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That isn't to say I wanted complete closure on every story set up inTruer Than You.Part of what I liked about the game's narrative is how naturalistic it feels, so wrapping the ending up in a neat bow would have felt out of place. My only complaint is that certain elements are set up, without much payoff. Sometimes you'll learn a secret about a character or that certain characters are connected, which feels like it should lead to something else, but doesn't.
On my first playthrough, I had hoped this was intentional and that I could use my newfound knowledge to dive deeper during a second playthrough. After all, the game urges you to play multiple times to unlock more secrets. Unfortunately, this only means that you are limited in your time and by your choices, and will need to play the game multiple times to see all the outcomes. While my knowledge of certain outcomes certainly shaped my choices the second time around,I didn't achieve anything I couldn't have my first time around if I'd just made different selections.
Truer Than You Succeeds In One Form Of Representation, But Falls Short Elsewhere
True Than You Is A Good Example Of LGBTQ+ Representation
Truer Than You's protagonist is a nice change of pace. Whilegames likeCyberpunk 2077 orBaldur's Gate 3 give you choices for creating a character who is gender non-conforming,Rin is a deliberately designed character whose queerness is not optional. This allows the writers to make Rin's identity a stronger part of the narrative, instead of treating the player as a blank slate regardless of their gender or presentation. Additionally, there's something to be said about having this type of representation in a world that is similar to our own.
Too often, we see non-binary characters relegated to fantasy or sci-fi worlds where they are typically represented in a more allegorical sense through non-human characters like androids or beings that don't have the concept of gender. Even when they aren't, the nature of the setting allows those who question the legitimacy of non-binary identities to lump them in with the other fantasy elements of that world.Truer than Youis an appropriate title for a story with a more authentic form of non-binary representation.
For a game that does such a good job of including LGBTQ+ identities,I was a little disappointed inTruer than You's decision to give its characters unnatural skin colors like green or blue. Presenting skin color as a purely phenotypical trait, and ignoring the impact that the socio-political construction of race has on people of color, feels weirdly regressive here. I can't help but feel thatTruer than You would benefit from acknowledging intersecting identities, instead of taking this color-blind approach.
Truer Than You Leaves Something To Be Desired
Truer Than You Is A Pleasant But Somewhat Lacking Experience
I wanted to loveTruer than You, and its compelling character writing nearly got me there. However, too many elements of the game fell short of my expectations to make this a perfect game for me. I felt limited in some of my choices, certain plot elements felt underdeveloped or were dropped altogether, and its narrow scope harmed its valiant efforts at inclusion.
If you are looking for a quick game with charming characters, then you will likely enjoyTruer than You. The game's music also creates a cozy atmosphere, making this a nice game to play just before bed. If you, like me, are also passionate aboutLGBTQ+ representation in games, then it's worth giving this one a look. I had a pleasant enough experience withTruer than You my first time through, but if I hadn't felt like multiple playthroughs were necessary to give the game a thorough review, I likely wouldn't have gone back for more.
I would be open to playingTruer than Youagain in the future, if more content is added at some point. If the developers were to address aspects of the narrative that feel unfinished, then I would likely have a better impression of the game. I understand thatindiedevelopers have far more constraints than big studios, and I'm not holdingTruer than Youto the same standard as I would a game by a larger studio. That said, in its current state,Truer than Youleaves something to be desired.
Screen Rant was provided with a PC code for the purpose of this review.
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Truer than You
- Released
- July 15, 2025
- Developer(s)
- Transcenders Media AB
- Publisher(s)
- Transcenders Media AB
- Number of Players
- Single-player
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unknown
- PC Release Date
- July 15, 2025
- Strong character writing.
- Engaging stories with no fluff.
- Player agency comes and goes.
- Aspects of the narrative feel unfinished.
