Polygon honors “and Roger” as one of the best “true” indie games of 2025, the mysterious point-and-click slice-of-life visual novel developed by TearyHand Studio and published by Kodansha Creators’ Lab. Available now on Steam and Nintendo Switch.
Here’s a game that does a lot in a single hour, but it’s that very quality that might prevent it from serious consideration in major categories. And Roger is a narrative adventure game about an older couple, one of whom has dementia. It’s inherently a tough topic, but the brilliance of how the game handles dementia lies in And Roger‘s marriage of form and message.
Here’s a game that does a lot in a single hour, but it’s that very quality that might prevent it from serious consideration in major categories. And Roger is a narrative adventure game about an older couple, one of whom has dementia. It’s inherently a tough topic, but the brilliance of how the game handles dementia lies in And Roger‘s marriage of form and message.
What begins as a morning like any other — a yawn, a stretch, and a quick splash of water to wake up — comes to a screeching halt when our young protagonist greets her dad on the couch. But wait. That’s not her dad. Who’s this strange man lounging on the couch like it’s his?
Should she run? He certainly does not act dangerous…but should she be afraid? Why is he telling her to “take her medicine”? Seek answers to myriad questions as a young girl in the midst of life-altering circumstances, and discover the identity of the mysterious man in place of her father.
Shed light on this mysterious man and progress the story through a series of interactive events echoing the girl’s formerly monotonous, everyday happenings. Unravel a contemplative, captivating tale complemented by high-contrast, hand-drawn cartoon visuals.
and Roger arrived on PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch on Wednesday, July 23rd, 2025 with language support in English, Japanese, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. For more information, follow TearyHand Studio on X / Twitter, follow yona on X / Twitter.
