My partner and I felt so connected to “our” heroine that we came up with the idea to put our own OCs in place of the original characters. Though there were differences. For example, my partner’s gender didn’t match Zoey’s. And Mio would’ve been closer to me a few years ago than she is now.

I like to write short reviews for games on Steam from time to time, trying to word them in a way that only like-minded people will notice them (and I try to find those kinds of reviews myself—thanks to their authors). But sometimes the game page is not available in my region due to political restrictions, and my review ends up only fitting under some art. I’m a little late. But I hope that’s not a problem for a contender for one of the best games of the year.

However, this isn’t the kind of game that needs to be recommended. Everyone already knows they should play it—as long as they have someone to play with. And that, in my opinion, is a perfect reason to make a new connection. Just join a Discord channel to find a co-op partner—and off you go, into the unknown!

Right from the first minutes, we’re given enough to feel the characters' personalities and choose the one closer to our own spirit. And while the characters interact cautiously, testing the waters for connection—you, in parallel, can just as slowly and carefully get to know your new teammate. The immersion works not only on the screen—it spills into real life. I think that’s wonderful. And if you’re playing with a friend from the start, even better: you now have a fantastic new way to spend time together and build your relationship through shared fun and inside jokes.

Good coordination with your partner is key. Sometimes Split Fiction absolutely demands mutual trust and synchronized actions, like in a good dance. Disagreements can happen: someone didn’t understand something or rushed ahead. But it’s precisely these moments that make the interaction feel alive and memorable.

Now—a few personal impressions.

Split Fiction is even richer and more inventive than It Takes Two. It seems like the developers assumed you’re already familiar with their previous games, and had they done otherwise—it would've been boring for veteran players.

The game feels whole: there are no dragged-out segments or jarring dips. Everything progresses naturally—from simple to complex, from fun to serious. What stays consistent is the rapid pace of gameplay mechanic changes. Though sometimes you just want to stay in a scene longer, simply because it’s beautiful or cozy.

The level design is pure delight. Especially the sci-fi episode with the sun—I swear, that was something else! I adore when games pay attention to the sun: it feels like a connection to something ancient, familiar, like a starting point for everything. I’ll include a few not-too-spoilery screenshots, but fair warning—the full strength of the design only shines through in motion and interaction.

The game’s “lore” and story often unfold through the environment, gestures, and small details. Stylish presentation, visual cues, level design—all serve the atmosphere. It’s especially satisfying to catch moments when the characters “say” something silently through their expressions or body language.

The story is simple in structure, but crafted with care. The relationship between the heroines develops gradually and naturally. The dialogue could be stronger, though. Sometimes it feels a bit bland—it lacks wit or liveliness. And in some scenes, themes are brought up without much buildup—you wish there were more foreshadowing and depth. For example, Zoey sometimes shows such incredible empathy it’s like she’s reading minds. That stuck with me—partly with admiration, partly with envy: I can’t read people like that, haha.

Toward the end, the plot touches on more mature and complex topics. And it’s in these moments that you start to feel close to the characters, like they’re your friends—with real empathy and understanding.

The music! Ohhh, sometimes it gives literal goosebumps—especially in the sci-fi chapters. The soundtrack perfectly amplifies the atmosphere.

For character choice, I picked Mio. From the very start—because of the sci-fi, of course. I mean, obviously a person who draws dragons leans toward science fiction :D But in the end, it was an even better choice than I expected. I liked everything about her—from her personality to gameplay mechanics, from her appearance to the stories tied to her past. The only “but” is that she felt a bit distant—not quite my type. But the more you get to know her, the clearer the reasons for her reserve become. And that gives her character more depth.

The game is packed with references and sources of inspiration—if you’re into that kind of thing.

From games: Ghostrunner, Donkey Kong, Mario, Elden Ring, Dark Souls, Portal, Dragon’s Dogma, and of course the studio’s previous projects.
From movies/animation: The Fifth Element, War of the Worlds, Sailor Moon...
Some references are obvious, and others might be my imagination. But one thing is certain: the devs spent hundreds of hours playing games and watching movies. And it shows. At the very least, Josef Fares openly said he plays a lot for inspiration. That’s exactly what “made by gamers for gamers” looks like.

Seems like the best way to make a hit isn’t to squeeze profit out of success formulas—but to make the game you yourself would love to play. Genuinely, with soul, with discussion of ideas, not metrics.

A few words on the technical side.

We didn’t encounter any bugs, crashes, or lag during the playthrough. Everything worked smoothly—which is especially important for co-op. Synchronization also worked perfectly. The interface is intuitive, letting you focus on the game and your partner. Some interface options can even be customized individually. It’s clear the developers thought about comfort. Controls are responsive, visuals are clear, and the sound is crisp—nothing breaks the immersion.

The final gameplay segment is just pure joy! A true catharsis, merging everything you’ve been through up to that point—amplified several times over. It felt like the whole game was building toward those final moments. The level of creativity and refinement in the mechanics at the end is off the charts—no one will be left indifferent.

Now a bit about the achievements.

There’s only one story achievement. The rest are for specific, sometimes funny and simple actions. They encourage exploration. Sometimes you just mess around with something in a level—and boom, a pleasant achievement sound as a surprise. But sometimes the opposite happens: you find a shooting range, try to hit MAX SCORE with your partner, thinking you’ll get some reward… and get silence. Same with the secret level—unless you’re among the first players to find it, there’s no reward, and the difficulty is brutal. Better to save your nerves =)

Tip: don’t look at the achievement list until after your first playthrough. Leave yourself a bit of mystery—there are no cumulative ones. In any case, the game is worth playing through as both heroines, because the second character sees the world differently—and it’s not just cosmetic. The atmosphere, tone, and emphasis all change. It adds a “second layer” to the story you may have missed the first time.
The ability split might not be as deep as in It Takes Two, but each character’s gameplay is unique. Some mechanics appear for just a few minutes, and you only experience around 60–70% of the content per character, so a second playthrough is definitely worth it.

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You can find my WIPs and original artwork here on my Boosty