Oh, so we’ll start with sadness? Okay, cool, good tempo.

I’ve made no disguise over my unbelievable adoration for Until Then. It was my top storytelling title of last year, and, amidst a year packed full of bangers, it made our top ten. It has resonated with my children to the point that my younger daughter is practicing Baybayin because she adores the script and wants to connect further with the game. But it had one issue: it was only on the PC and the PlayStation 5. Given that my PC is barely capable of some modern gaming and a PS5 doesn’t live here, we were in a conundrum. How on earth were my kids going to keep playing this game so they could enjoy the full story at their own pace? Maximum Entertainment heard my prayers, and, in all its glory, I am pleased to say that the Nintendo Switch version of Until Then is an absolute banger.

While there is new material coming for the game, players who have already picked up either the PC or PlayStation version won’t be finding anything directly new in this Switch release. Sure, the game is now complete, with the additional details of Mark and his father’s post-game ending, and the bugs have been mostly squashed across the board. Mainly, the incentive of having the Switch release is related to what has made the Switch a powerhouse over the last eight years of its lifespan. So portability and being able to enjoy medium strength indie games without needing a medium strength PC are the key factors to playing Until Then on Nintendo’s console, which, to be honest, might not sound like much. After all, at nearly a year and a half out on PC and PlayStation 5, why would you bother with yet another version of the game?

The tagline that drove thousands to lay their emotions bare.

The answer, simply put, is the experience itself. As much as I want to hold Until Then up to the same standards as other visual novels, it isn’t, so I can’t. There is a degree of storytelling that comes into play that seems to supersede all other aspects, including the story itself. Sure, we all might be utterly perplexed by how a tale of teenage romance and the losses that come with accidents and time then carefully parlay into shifting realities and some real trippy stuff, but the tale itself is told in a unique fashion. I adore the interpolation of mini games to help break up the straightforward exposition, and I like that the minigames are inconsequential unless you want them to be serious. The fact that so much of the story is told through ongoing chat logs between students and subtle changes in the social media platforms.

It could be the fact that the game is performed in such a way then correlates to how it’s become the cornerstone of my daughter’s life. Until Then is a title that came out of nowhere and honestly only caught my eye because of the pixel artwork. A lot of developers nowadays will use pixel art to evoke nostalgia and hammer home “this is a game” to the undiscerning eye, but it seems apparent that Polychroma Games wanted to do something more. The ability to shift from the more blocky spritework (that still is rich in detail) to the pixel portraits for when emotional or hilarious moments need to be better exemplified is invaluable. Even something like my recent times with Ever 17 or Iwakura Aria doesn’t quite land the same because the art presents in traditional fashion. Breaking the mold allows Until Then to stand out in a brilliant way.

There is simply no way to win and I refuse to hear otherwise.

Additionally, whether we care to admit it or not, a lot of younger people prefer gaming in a personalized fashion. PC gaming holds a lot of court thanks to a more accessible price point (at least for indie games) and better ubiquity for a household that can justify a game, but not a console. Having said that, players old and young are accustomed to gaming on their smartphones, with a whopping 49.3% of the market share going to iPhones and Android devices. Handheld PCs exist, but they’re still quite premium, and the fan port of Until Then to mobile is a slow-going affair. The Switch port serves as an important in-between, as the OG Switch is leagues more affordable than the new iteration and can still give players a sense of ownership and individuality.

As of the time of writing this article, Until Then continues to catch fire around the world and reach new and different groups of people who identify with themes and ideas that resonate throughout the game. Being able to see the importance of friendships and connections that last beyond a lifetime is paramount in a world where people are more and more disconnected. As much as Mark and his friends are in group chats with the entirety of their classes, you only seem truth come through with their face-to-face encounters and utterances when no one else is around. The celebrations around Christmas. Mark breaking down while shooting Ridel’s film. Cathy’s tape, Nicole’s frustration, even Louise’s important introspection; these are all moments of raw humanity that touch the hearts of the children, teens and adults who are enthralled with this game.

Oh, and the Japanese port is rock solid, kudos to the localization teams!

This enchantment goes beyond the game itself. Sure, the merchandise and collaborations have done well: two limited stuffed animal runs, some themed keyboards, and a shocking lack of knockoff ideas on AliExpress means the fandom both respects and preserves its characters. But Until Then also serves as an important gateway to nuanced bits of Filipino culture that may not have had any other avenues into people’s lives. I had never even heard of pork sisig before playing, and now it’s a once a month staple that I try (and partially succeed) in creating for my family. Games that elevate perspectives of tradition and culture into the public sphere, no matter how tangentially it gets displayed, have a special role as both a piece of media entertainment and an educational device.

Also…it just means so much to my family. I’ll keep banging on about this because I’m a proud gamer parent, but this is the first time I’ve seen this happen for my children. We’re in an area where Roblox and Minecraft are the biggest mainstays for elementary schoolers, and Genshin grabs more eyes than anything else when it comes to junior high and above. As a reviewer, a lot of games have come through our household, and there’s love for the big names of Kirby, Mario and Donkey Kong as well as my own evergreen adoration of Mother and The Binding of Isaac. We’ve played our fair share of games together, sometimes co-op, sometimes with me as the driver and them as the audience. There are games that flit in and out of their interests (A Little to the Left), but I had yet to see something this impressionable.

Wherever the game goes in Japan, my daughter will be there to play it.

Her sketchbook is filled with drawings of Until Then, some copied from other artists and some her own creations. She loves to wear a red zip up and headphones in her free time. Her art projects at school have elements of the game baked in, from the symbolic butterfly to literally Cathy’s face in her paper lantern. She’s got the soundtrack on her phone and we bought it from Bandcamp to support the artist. We went to three game events this year, and she made a point to play Until Then everywhere she could even though we had the game at home. She has theories, she has questions, she wants to know more and, somehow, she doesn’t let it interfere with her other hobbies and studies. Until Then is now as much a part of her as liking ice cream or being afraid of loud noises.

At the core, players who have already purchased Until Then for the PlayStation or on their PCs have very little, if any, incentive to pick up an additional copy on their Switches. But in a world where games can cost millions of dollars, where development teams outnumber some towns, where the flash and glamour of ray tracing and motion capture outweigh actual writing or complexity, it stands as a title that is almost defiant in being original and unique. Until Then has been translated into multiple languages, makes its rounds for each and every game event it can possibly attend, and delivers in replay, engagement and incredible delivery. Just as you might double dip to pick up a beloved indie for support, so shall many be able to do the same to keep the fire stoked for Polychroma Games.

Don’t worry: I will.

When I read about people emotionally reacting to Until Then and comparing it to other titles, I nod and accept it, because that’s their prerogative. But to see it in real time happening with someone in my family, it just takes the experience to another level. I have no choice: I’ve pre-ordered the physical edition for when it drops next year, and we’ll finally get more from Sofia with the included DLC. This is a phenomenon that might not extend the world over, but it’s a lot like the Aurora Borealis. If you never see it, you won’t know how awe inspiring it is. Yet, once you lay your eyes on its effects, it really does change how you see things evermore. And, at least in this corner of Japan, one small but excited group is forever changed. Thank you.

Until Then is available now on PC, PlayStation 4/5, and Nintendo Switch/Switch 2.

A copy of Until Then was provided by the publisher.