A novel take on interactive fiction, Delete After Reading can’t quite capitalise on its uniqueness. Tonally conflicted, lacking puzzle consistency and missing some technical aspects that are expected in 2023 (like an auto-save function), this is a missed opportunity to truly evolve the genre.

Delete After Reading is short but sweet and plays around with some interesting ideas in terms of how interactive an interactive fiction experience can be. While the puzzles aren’t anything groundbreaking, the way they’re presented keeps things feeling very fresh. Overall, the game is a fun time, the perfect way to introduce a kiddo to adventure games or waste away an afternoon trying something new.