Return to Ash is a premium adventure game by developer Serenity Forge and is a visual novel experience that tells the story of a young woman and patient at a hospital who crosses into the afterlife following a long and painful battle with her sickness, and the new journey that now lies before her. A demo is available for new players to check out. 

Navigating the afterlife 

Return to Ash is a narrative-driven experience that tells the story of Ashleigh, a patient at a hospital who mysteriously wakes up in the afterlife, following her battle with pain and sickness. There, she meets others in the same situation as her, with their own unique dream, situations in life, and a reason for wanting to live on. 

Choices matter in this touching story of life and death, as you build relationships and go on a contemplative journey for the meaning of one’s existence, and try to push forward while dealing with so many struggles. Having said all that, the gameplay experience is rather short, and you can finish a playthrough in a few hours. You do get multiple possible endings to keep things interesting. 

A reason to live 

To sum up, Return to Ash is a deeply emotional and touching experience that explores the delicate line between life and death, and the personal struggles and motivations that make a person want to cling to living once more. It’s short, but is worth checking out and playing all the same.