So Obscure;

About

So Obscure follows two high school students who bond over shared musical tastes and loneliness through text chats. You play as Sam, a Hong Kong teen who stumbles upon Brandon's blog, a recent transplant struggling with isolation after moving from the US. The story unfolds entirely through message exchanges where you choose responses that shape their connection. Conversation topics range from favorite punk bands to family tensions, with decisions affecting how their friendship evolves. Multiple endings reflect the natural drift or deepening of their relationship over time. The game's strength lies in its quiet character study and realistic dialogue. Without flashy visuals or action sequences, it focuses on the emotional weight of digital communication, capturing the awkwardness and sincerity of teenage self-expression. Players appreciate the nuanced portrayal of mental health struggles and cultural displacement. Released in 2018, it runs on PC and Mac platforms with a runtime around four hours. While short, the 82% user approval rating on Steam suggests many find its heartfelt approach to online relationships compelling.

Storyline

Share your hopes, insecurities, and favourite albums as you navigate an online friendship between two isolated high school students. Brandon is a recent transfer at his high school, having been torn away from his friends and hometown upon his parents' repatriation to Hong Kong. Rejected by his peers in his new environment and struggling to adjust to his parents' home country, he openly vents his frustrations on his blog for the world to see. Sam (renameable) is a born-and-raised Hong Konger with an eclectic taste in music, who spends most of their time lamenting the lack of warped tour dates in their local area. By chance, Sam comes across the blog of Brandon, who loves all the same bands and lives in the same town...