Some dialogue options lead to sluggish sequences in which ten text boxes deal with the question of whether or not to pick up a phone or open a door, only to ignore the player’s choice in the end. The lack of a ‘skip’ button during replays is also annoying. Rough edges like this and others hint to its status as a small-budget indie, but SELF remains a solid text experience and I found that its narrative stuck with me long after finishing all possible routes. However, as I alluded to at the start, this game isn’t really about finding all the endings — each branch on its own provides a unique look on contemporary society and an individual’s weakness… or strength.

If you’re a fan of interpreting the meaning behind dreams or stories, or if you like the puzzle aspects in piecing together understanding from a hodgepodge of randomness, then you might really enjoy SELF. But I think there are better options for text-based adventure games out there on the Switch. For the 2-3 hours it took me to complete every ending I don’t feel like it’s worth the time or money that could otherwise be invested into other things. Although a lot of the Kafkaesque story beats, like the father-son relationship and the surreal, absurdist scenarios the boy found himself in, were unique and initially interesting; SELF just didn’t have the metamorphosis it needed to turn into something greater.

A delightfully presented text adventure that relies too heavily on replaying old dialogue — even if the actual story is good, it may not be interesting enough to make you persevere.