Let's start this review with a conclusion: The Window Box is a fantastic story, and well worth the price of admission. Buy it and play it.

Now, why is it so great? Well, the strongest point of any visual novel like this should of course be the story, and the writing in The Window Box is truly excellent. If I had to choose a weak spot, I would say that the first 5 minutes or so didn't grab me as quickly as it could have, but once I was engrossed in the plot I really cared about the characters and where their storylines would go, especially Elsa.

As the "About" section clearly states, this story does deal with an abusive relationship, but that's not all that's here, the other characters are compelling as well and have their own things going on. It's not exactly a happy game, but it has its uplifting moments for sure.

Also, the art! Christina Ellis's art really pulls the whole game together, it wouldn't be the same without the visual style which is presented so strongly here. The appearance of fashion illustration fits perfectly with the dollhouse presentation of the transitions between different locations. The emotions of each character are portrayed so clearly and effectively as well, it's all just so well done.

The music is great too, subtle but effective, more present when it needs to be. The audio design in general is better than most games, there are segments where the story is told completely by sound rather than through text.

So, if any of this sounds appealing to you, go ahead and check it out! Also, it runs perfectly on the Steam Deck, if you care about that.