A Bird Story
A Bird Story
Game
Game2012
To the Moon
Developer Freebird Games
To the Moon is a 2011 adventure game developed and published by Freebird Games. It was originally released for Windows and was later ported to Linux, OS X, Android, iOS, and the Nintendo Switch. The story follows two doctors who offer to fulfill a dying man's last wish using artificial memories. The game features relatively few gameplay mechanics, with the player controlling the two doctors, exploring the narrative,… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
379 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Nov 4, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
89
LovedLoved
273 positive · 33 negative
95% range 85–92%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 273 | 33 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 25 | 0 | 42 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 6 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Overwhelmingly Positive
25,788 of 26,968 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
89% recommend · 224 yes, 27 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 251 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Overwhelmingly Positive (83,395 of 86,761 positive).
Players praise the game's deeply emotional story and memorable soundtrack. [1][2][3] Many reviewers note the game is more narrative-driven than gameplay-focused. [4][5][6] Some players find the story poorly executed and overhyped. [7][8]
Liked
Representative posts
- [7]
I have never in my life played a game that was more hyped and sucked this much. I genuinely cannot name a more ham-fisted and lazily written narrative where the ENTIRE story amounted to nothing to such an offensive degree that I felt the need to leave a review just to warn SOMEBODY out there that genuinely not a single interesting thing occurs in the entire game. Every last bit of development that shows up at any …
- [9]
This is the only game to have ever made me cry. And I did not cry, I sobbed uncontrollably. And it wasnt because it was a sad game, but because it was true. True in the way we all need to hear. True in a way that pulls at your heart and demands your attention. This is the gold standard of indie games. If I could rate it 11/10 I would. But all I can do is put a thumbs up. I wish I could do more. I've recommended this …
- [10]
Every now and then, a game punches you so hard in the feelings that you don't know exactly how to compose yourself. Perhaps just as a reminder of the immense storytelling power that games have, and how that power is now available to all those with a great story to tell. Now, almost 15 years after it came out, To The Moon made me cry. Ugly cry, like I haven't been moved to by a game in years. The story is rich and so …
- [1]
A pixelated “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” It brings tears and reminds you that some coincidences and feelings in life are not accidental - maybe theyre worth listening to. It beautifully shows that true love is a full range of emotions, including its own difficulties, and thats exactly what makes it deep, wise, and real. May everyone have this in their life.
- [2]
To the Moon is a deeply emotional story-driven game about fulfilling a dying man’s last wish, with a touching narrative and memorable soundtrack.
Summarised from 34 of the 301 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 11, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
To the Moon sits at 89% positive across 306 opinionated reactions from 3 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Critics, per Wikipedia
To the Moon received generally favorable reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic. Critics, while noting that the gameplay itself was lacking, praised the story and music.
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 379 · most liked firstNo. 6 from the game Ode to the Moon Grace, commission for anonymous
neutral · AI labelView post →The videos covered all sort of games - those highly influential 90s Taiwanese RPGs, modern Steam hits like The Hungry Lamb, Wandering Sword and Naraka: Bladepoint, and even stuff like To The Moon (the dev is Chinese-Canadian). A huge loss in information & diversity of voices in video game media.
neutral · AI labelView post →To The Moon, completed! ✅🎮 i’m not sure how i feel about this game, to be honest. while there were a few moments that made me emotional, overall i don’t believe it hit the mark for me— story & gameplay wise. the music, however, was fantastic and emotionally charged! 💜 have you played this?
neutral · AI labelView post →A pixelated “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” It brings tears and reminds you that some coincidences and feelings in life are not accidental - maybe theyre worth listening to. It beautifully shows that true love is a full range of emotions, including its own difficulties, and thats exactly what makes it deep, wise, and real. May everyone have this in their life.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've uploaded a Zip file called Moon Child graphics - Animated in-game characters and props to the Moon Child Archive. It contains animated GIFs of Moon Child, game enemies and props. Here's the direct download link: archive.org/download/Moo...
neutral · AI labelView post →Virgin Games' #SEGA #MasterSystem take on Hergé's classic, Tintin on the Moon, nearly made it to the Moon in 1992 but was sadly cancelled. Now after 32 years, lost music & SFX intended for the game by Matt Furniss has been recovered by Games That Weren't. www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/05/tint...
neutral · AI labelView post →I'm feeling particularly sad about the state of the world right now. I could use a good video game to make me cry. To The Moon always does the trick, but I want something new. Any recommendations?
positive · AI labelView post →ok, Mark Kelley just won the walk-on music game with "Fly Me To the Moon."
neutral · AI labelView post →TOGETHER: MOON ESCAPE is OUT!!! 👨🚀👩🚀🌚 The newest game from one of our most prolific spanish solodevs, @carlosgamedev.bsky.social will take you to the Moon in a fun 2 players COOP adventure with action, puzzles and unintended comedy! Good luck out there! STEAM: store.steampowered.com/app/3744430/...
neutral · AI labelView post →This is the only game to have ever made me cry. And I did not cry, I sobbed uncontrollably. And it wasnt because it was a sad game, but because it was true. True in the way we all need to hear. True in a way that pulls at your heart and demands your attention. This is the gold standard of indie games. If I could rate it 11/10 I would. But all I can do is put a thumbs up. I wish I could do more. I've recommended this game to so many people over the last decade that I've lost count. It has…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I had some prejudice against "To The Moon". A lot of people say it's great but by being an RPG Maker game I always just assumed it would have the usual RPG Maker writing slop tier sort of deal It doesn't!! It's legit fantastic!!!
positive · AI labelView post →I was listening to Fly Me To The Moon from the game Bayonetta while making this. #cultofthelamb #cotl
neutral · AI labelView post →AI can slop out unfinished projects held together by tape, the amount of work required to go from "Claude created a Balatro clone for me in 2 hours" to "Claude has created a game as tightly conceived and polished as Balatro" may as well be the distance from here to the Moon.
neutral · AI labelView post →(PCDD) The Remastered Versions of To the Moon and the Sigmund Minisodes Are Free via Game Update. (PCDD) To the Moon $2.99 via Steam. ow.ly/4jaY50W0ixo
neutral · AI labelView post →Listening to some To The Moon soundtrack on a cozy, snowy afternoon. What are some of your favourite game soundtracks? A few of mine... - To The Moon - Spiritfarer - Red Dead Redemption (specifically the song Compass) - Persona 5 - Tears of the Kingdom
positive · AI labelView post →A couple games of Welcome to the Moon tonight. So much game in that box.
neutral · AI labelView post →Its been years since the last time I played To The Moon, and this game stuck with me after all this time. I decided to give it another go for the sake of this review, since it's such a short game and I wanted to do it justice. I was not disappointed: the feels train came back in full force, and the tears with it. I always have a soft spot for games made in RPG Maker, since I did my first real game - Armagedon, a Saga GS - using this engine. To The Moon features on my list of best RPG Maker…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The worst thing about this game, is that I will never be able to experience it for the first time, ever again
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →To The Moon creator Kan Gao is attending Red Land 2026 festival in Shanghai! Stop by our booth at the Indie Game Area to meet him and play the demo of the Last Hour of an Epic To the Moon RPG. 🌙 store.steampowered.com/app/2664600/...
neutral · AI labelView post →Take this for what it is, a walking simulator with minimal gameplay features and a slow-burn start...that has no right to be as absolutely perfect as it is. Make no mistake this is completely story driven, and uses the visuals of 16bit RPG to fool you into thinking this is a slow, boring game. It is NOT. No, this is an experience worth far beyond the meager price of admission, for those who love a well told story of longing and possibility. This will not appeal to everyone, especially those…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Bought this game back when it came out; just revisited it, hoping my partner would love it as much as I did She does Thank you
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Solid little gem from almost 15 years ago. It's an emotional 2D pixel art visual story as opposed to a "game." You play as two scientists hired by an old man on his deathbed to help him fulfill his last wish, a trip to the moon. Borrowing concepts from movies like Eternal Sunshine for the Spotless Mind, you collect important memories over the course of his life to find a way to get him to the moon.. The story will definitely make you feel something and you may frequently think back to your…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →13000 dollars already, 5th game unlocked, this one is going to the MOON.
neutral · AI labelView post →Just finished To The Moon....and wow, what an AMAZING game. what the heck. Straight to my heart. #tothemoon #rpgmaker #indie
positive · AI labelView post →There's a pretty nifty little indie game based on A Trip to the Moon. The film is public domain, you own it. You can do something neat with it!
neutral · AI labelView post →TONIGHT! What game will be our Number One Most Played for 2026? Roblox? Putt-Putt Goes To The Moon? Tetris? Guessing it won't be Rocket League but hey it could be! Solitaire? YOU decide! The Wheel Of Games -- starting in 2 hours!
neutral · AI labelView post →I have to be honest here. I did not enjoy this game at all. I bought To the Moon because I'd heard so much about its emotional story and how it had a way of connecting with players. Unfortunately, for me, the story never gets there. I was never able to connect with what was being told, and the emotional impact that so many people talk about just wasn't there for me. For starters, I found Dr. Eva Rosalene and Dr. Neil Watts quite unlikable. Their banter and behavior with each other often…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Thought back on this toy rabbit I made based on this tearjerker game called To The Moon 🌕
neutral · AI labelView post →Best of luck to the guys heading to the Moon later. I finally completed that 100 Jumps game yesterday. Greatness is possible.
neutral · AI labelView post →You will like our indie game if you’ve played these games: - Catherine 💋 - To The Moon 🚀 - Higurashi When They Cry 🪓 - Doki Doki Literature Club 🖋️
neutral · AI labelView post →To the Moon is a deeply emotional story-driven game about fulfilling a dying man’s last wish, with a touching narrative and memorable soundtrack.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Every man in this game is competing to be the worst person in the world and It's honestly really hard to say who wins
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My EC video has hit 100K views, and I had to ban over 100 people GR conspiracists, send em to the Moon Accusations of being performative, send em to the Moon Edgelords endorsing the game, send em to the Moon People using slurs, send em to the Moon Guy who worked on the game, send em to the Moon
neutral · AI labelView post →To The Moon (no spoilers) A story about two doctors traversing backwards through a dying man's memories to artificially fulfil his last wish. This was a short game, about 4h, the game is highly praised and with reason! The premise is simple, fulfil the wish of a dying man, to do that we have to go through his memories to find the reason he wants that specific wish, and while we do that, we learn about his entire life. Its something that I wasn't expecting to get that invested into, but oh…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Every now and then, a game punches you so hard in the feelings that you don't know exactly how to compose yourself. Perhaps just as a reminder of the immense storytelling power that games have, and how that power is now available to all those with a great story to tell. Now, almost 15 years after it came out, To The Moon made me cry. Ugly cry, like I haven't been moved to by a game in years. The story is rich and so well put together, with spurs of expertly placed comedy now and then that do…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is so incredibly cute and sad. When I think of soulmates, I think of Johnny and River. I will always love this game.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →🎮 Get to know me! Video Game Edition! 🎮 First game: Super Mario Bros. Last game: Life is Strange Favorite game: Final Fantasy VII Least favorite game: KH: Dark Road Game I’ve played the most: Rollercoaster Tycoon Game that surprised me the most: To The Moon Next game: LiS: Double Exposure
positive · AI labelView post →Let me start by stating that I love pixel art, rich soundtracks, and narrative-driven titles. To the Moon checks all three boxes. I first played this game in 2018. While its beautiful soundtrack stayed with me over the years, most of the plot had faded from memory. During a recent multi-hour train ride, I was scrolling through my Steam Deck library and rediscovered this gem. I decided to give it another shot, playing through both the main game and the two free "Sigmund Minisodes" DLCs.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have never in my life played a game that was more hyped and sucked this much. I genuinely cannot name a more ham-fisted and lazily written narrative where the ENTIRE story amounted to nothing to such an offensive degree that I felt the need to leave a review just to warn SOMEBODY out there that genuinely not a single interesting thing occurs in the entire game. Every last bit of development that shows up at any point of the story ultimately serves genuinely zero consequence and is rewritten…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Came across this game's soundtrack on youtube and decided to give it a try. Even though i'm years late, i'm so glad i finally experienced this masterpiece.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My goodness do I have a lot to say about this story. I'll start spoiler-free then get into the details. Overall, the concept was fantastic, but the execution was poor. The tone did not match the story well, there were a number of unnecessary mini games, the story dragged at times, and by the end I was so lost as to why certain things were happening that I didn't feel much of anything even at the climax. I played this game in one sitting, I should have known what was happening and why. I…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →FOR THE 60% KEYBOARDS OWNERS: "unfortunately the engine doesn't support remapping of the movement (arrow) keys." This is what the DEV said in one of the discussions, and there's no option to change key binds in the options as well. I tried holding down FN but still, can not move properly. So it makes it unplayable. And no, this is not the only reason I don't recommend this game, check further negative reviews.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →To The Moon is a good game.
positive · AI labelView post →Brain-melting decisions with the flip-and-write game 'Welcome to the Moon'. Here is what I flipped and wrote over the first four adventures with @jackadimus.bsky.social ! #boardgames #welcometo
neutral · AI labelView post →To the Moon is a story-driven game that feels more like an interactive novella than a traditional RPG. It sets a gentle pace and asks you to slow down, listen, and pay attention to small details that later become emotionally important. If you enjoy narrative games that prioritize feelings over mechanics, this one is built for that. The premise is immediately intriguing: two doctors travel through a dying man’s memories to fulfill his final wish. Instead of treating this as a sci-fi gimmick,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This physically, mentally, and emotionally hurts me. Safe trip to the moon, John.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Beneath the cringe moments and shoddy gameplay, there is a surprisingly emotional story that will stick with you. This is especially true for people who have experienced the pain of miscommunication, especially with autistic loved ones. The characters truly loved each other, but expressed it in incompatible ways. Very relatable, and tragic.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Spoilers I really don't understand the praise this story gets. People constantly say To the Moon will make you cry, but I didn't find it especially sad or depressing. To me, it felt like the game was trying very hard to make me emotional instead of actually earning it. The main story is incredibly contrived. Johnny and River make a childish promise to “meet on the Moon” if they ever get separated, Johnny forgets it, and River spends years making rabbits and dropping cryptic hints instead of…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Last Hour of an Epic TO THE MOON RPG gets a new trailer - the finale arrives in 2027 https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/07/the-last-hour-of-an-epic-to-the-moon-rpg-gets-a-new-trailer-the-finale-arrives-in-2027/ #ToTheMoon #RPG #IndieGames #PCGaming
neutral · AI labelView post →Loved the characters, loved the music, loved the story, loved the game... and I'm not crying—something just got into my eye. (╥﹏╥)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →To the Moon sits in a very distinct category as far as games go. It is focused on story and emotion. The game mechanics are not important; you are not being punished for doing anything wrong during a puzzle, so leave your competitive side at the door when you press play. The game takes some ideas from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but it still feels original. This comparison should give away the main concept of the game. If you loved the movie, I am sure you will also love this…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →To the Moon is a short but unforgettable experience. The story is the strongest part of the game emotional, well-written, and it really sticks with you after finishing. It’s one of those games where you don’t play for gameplay, but for the journey and the characters. The soundtrack deserves special mention. The piano pieces are beautiful and perfectly match the tone of the game, although at times the audio can be a bit on the louder side. There are quite a lot of cutscenes, but they…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I played this game years ago, and the journey left a extremely strong emotional impression on me which never went away. I still feel the thrill in my spine when the piano sound of "For River" plays in my earphone(like right now). Whenever I am asked to recommend a video game without further requirements, I thought about To The Moon. The most commercially successful video games are usually those designed to make you addicted, from which the public opinions of games are formed. However, I wish…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What a beauty. What an absolute beauty... I wonder what effects memory modification would have on us if it eventually becomes a reality. (the 2 bonus episodes are pretty nice too)
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →DUDE I was like DONT WORRY BABE I'LL SEND U TO THE MOON 😭😭 stupid ass game with it's stupid ass hot people ugh ugh ugh i'm sorry idris elba 😔
neutral · AI labelView post →This. Always this. I have never cried so much in a video game. This moment broke me. 'To The Moon' is a magical game.
positive · AI labelView post →I truly don't understand why this game "broke my heart" or "moved to tears". If it is a game that targets teenagers, then it makes more sense with the overwhelmingly positive reviews. It is a good concept to tell stories of other people's life and dive into deep emotions. But, the actual story in this game is quite boring, unnatural, and awkward. The writing is pretty bad. Many conversations were trying to be witty or funny for no reason. The map design forces players to move around in…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →To The Moon ~ tbh i played the original just for easy perfect game (achievements) and that was years ago i even forgot the story but it was great thats what i remember and then it got remastered version so i just found myself play it again i just finished it and i can say its looks simple but for me it was really worth it story so emotional nice characters , nice music , etc... i guess i will buy all freebird games because of "To The Moon" <3
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a game I think most people should experience if for no other reason than the story, but honestly, watching a playthrough online would be just as valuable; there's virtually no gameplay to speak of, and what little there is isn't exactly good. The story, music, and general emotional vibe of the short experience are stellar, though.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →To The Moon is more of an interactive experience than a game per se, and the terrain and 4-directional movement sometimes makes it a pain to get through, but the story and soundtrack are exceptional and therefore make it a must play.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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