As I’ve shared many times while reviewing what are essentially visual novels, rather than games, I have struggles when evaluating them. There have been some exceptional titles that have managed to allow for enough player choice, deepening the level of investment, that they’ve proven to be more interesting… but few ultimately go down that path. In the case of Secrets in Green, while the subject matter and mystery of the story are at least interesting, for the most part you’re just going to be along for the somewhat brief ride.

You play as Alma, a young woman who has been having bouts with mental illness, and who has been sent to a remote cottage in the country with the hopes that it will help her recover. Unfortunately for her, it doesn’t take long before an incident in the garden, seeing the word “Hello” on the leaf of a bush, risks ruining whatever progress she could hope to have made. While her father, and the woman caring for her, are quick to dismiss it all as a continued sign of her sickness, Alma determines herself to understand what is happening and why.

Since it has a relatively brief runtime, revealing anything more would ruin the story, but for the most part the resolution is at least somewhat satisfying. While I appreciate the narrative, and the way it depicts the challenges of women struggling to find their voice and be taken seriously, there’s only so much it’s able to depict and address given the constraints of the brief story. Throw in the pretty slim production values, for the most part moving between the same very limited pieces of background and character art, and the effort feels a bit lacking. If you’re intrigued by the story it may be fine to pick up on sale, but otherwise it would be easy to skip.