Messy Hearts

About the Game

In this retro-inspired, pixel art, cozy visual novel, a workplace friendship begins to unravel.

Follow two coworkers as their connection deepens, blurs, and ultimately breaks. Set during a painful chapter of life, Messy Hearts explores mental health, trauma, blurry boundaries, and the complicated ways people can hurt each other.

A Messy Life in a VN

You play as Florence, a game dev, parent, and lonely person trying to stay afloat in a life that is full to the brim with stress and vulnerability.

When a married coworker suddenly offers unexpected friendship, Florence finds comfort in their growing connection. Their friendship slowly twists into something painful and disorienting, and a slow-motion collision unfolds that they both pretend not to see coming.

This is an all-too-common story, told through fictional characters, and inspired by painful relationships.

How to Play

Messy Hearts is a single-player narrative with a select few choices along the way. Do we exercise control while life is being a whirlwind, or do we lean into the chaos and suffer the emotional consequences? Either way, this timeline is a doozy. 

Told in a comic book-style format with pixel art, the game invites players to click through Florence’s memories and conversations like pages of a journal or a back-and-forth thread.

Collect characters and journal entries, and stop and see the sights in this slice-of-life story inspired by real events.

Florence's world awaits. Grab a blanket and a hot beverage of choice for this cozy, nostalgic retro game. Dive into a chaotic little life and learn a cautionary tale along the way: trust must be earned.