as you might be able to deduce from my name, i relate to siffrin a lot. i see so much of myself in them, not only in the way he behaves and interacts with other people, but also in their fears, insecurities, and struggles. that connection is a huge part of why i have become so attached to this game. there is something deeply comforting, and sometimes painfully confronting, about seeing a character who feels so much like you. it is especially meaningful to see how the people around siffrin respond to them: with patience, affection, frustration, concern, and, ultimately, an incredible amount of love.



the entire main cast is extremely lovable. they all feel distinct, flawed, and genuinely important to one another. they are also queer. extremely queer.



that queerness means a great deal to me. mirabelle’s struggle with being aroace is incredibly refreshing to see—as strange as it may sound to call a struggle “refreshing”—because i am also aroace, and it is rare to see those feelings explored with such care. isabeau being trans is treated casually and naturally, while still remaining an important part of who he is. there are also three—three!!!—main non-binary characters, and even odile is implied to be queer in some way. as a queer person, representation like this feels wonderful, particularly because none of the characters’ identities are treated as strange or something that needs to be justified. their queerness is simply part of them.



the game’s other themes also resonate with me deeply. siffrin’s feelings of being out of place as a foreigner, along with their complicated relationship with culture and identity, feel familiar. odile’s story, particularly her sense of not truly having a home or belonging completely to one place, also speaks to me as someone who is mixed. these experiences are handled with a level of tenderness that makes them feel sincere rather than superficial.



at its core, in stars and time is also a story about the importance of reaching out. it is about how isolating yourself does not protect the people you love, how asking for help is not a weakness, and how you are still worthy of love even when you are struggling, even when you believe you are difficult, or burdensome. even when you cannot believe it yourself. those messages are incredibly important to me.



so far, in stars and time is the only game that has made me genuinely cry. its emotional moments affected me in a way that very few stories have managed to do. at the same time, the dialogue is often funny, charming, and enjoyable to read provided, you are comfortable with dialogue that can feel rather tumblr-esque. it is very much a product of its time, but i personally find that style endearing.



the gameplay loop itself is not always especially appealing to me. it can become repetitive and frustrating, but that repetition is also inseparable from the story the game is trying to tell. the player is made to experience a small part of siffrin’s exhaustion, and is supposed to reinforce their emotional state and reinforce the central themes of stagnation, isolation, and the desperate desire for something to change. even when i do not enjoy every moment of playing through it, i appreciate what it communicates.



ultimately, i love in stars and time because it makes me feel seen. it gives me characters whose identities, fears, relationships, and struggles feel familiar. its characters, relationships, queer representation, humour, and emotional themes all come together to create something that feels intensely personal to me. it can be comforting, devastating, frustrating, and hopeful, and that is exactly why it has stayed with me.