Her tears were my light

Her tears were my light is a short visual novel with a wonderfully melancholic title and a surprisingly gentle approach to storytelling. The game focuses on a relationship between abstract, personified concepts rather than a conventional cast of adventurers, creating an intimate little story about affection, loneliness and the passage of time. Its minimalist presentation puts the emphasis firmly on dialogue and atmosphere, while the choices allow the story to branch into different emotional directions. It is brief enough to finish without scheduling a holiday, but memorable enough to linger afterwards. NomnomNami's work has a distinctive warmth beneath its sadness, making Her tears were my light an excellent example of how a tiny game can still leave a surprisingly large emotional footprint.