MyDear.exe tells a lifetime of love through files and minigames

I like games that ruin me emotionally. There, I said it. There’s something really special about a game that pulls me in to such a degree that I end up bawling over the story. Those are the games that stay with me for a very long time. MyDear.exe is one of those games. 

MyDear.exe, by Falling Leaves Studio, is a game that takes the story of an elderly couple's entire relationship, breaks it down into files and minigames on a computer, and lets you sift through the moments that make their lives unique. The demo is short, but it is more than enough to let me know that this game will have me crying like a baby while I refuse to stop playing. 

Personal attachment

As soon as I heard the premise of MyDear.exe, I knew that I would get emotionally attached to the story. The whole game is a virtual laptop designed by Lucien for his wife, Ellie. It’s filled with password-protected folders, minigames, and images that mark key moments in their lives together. You have to figure out the passwords by exploring files and learning about them, which brings them to life in a way I haven’t seen a game do for years. 

Both Lucien and Ellie are voice-acted, which helps to make them incredibly real in my head, and you end up feeling like you’re listening to an elderly relative tell you the stories behind their photographs and memories through the pictures and experiences you go through during the game.

Now, this hits particularly close to home for me, because my fiancé made me a little game for our fourth anniversary that chronicled the four years of our lives together, and I can totally imagine him doing something like this for me in the future. So, while playing this gorgeous game about a 50+ year relationship and all the changes those years can bring, I spent the entire time putting myself in the shoes of Ellie. 

Minigames and memories

One thing I love about MyDear.exe is that it doesn’t just rely on words and images to bring the story of Lucien and Ellie together, although those do help with the process. The landmark moments of their lives become minigames and puzzles that you have to play through or solve successfully in order to progress their story. 

In the demo, there are two minigames: Paperboy isn’t what it sounds like and is actually a mini jumping platformer that has you playing as Lucien on his rounds as a postman, delivering letters to Ellie before their relationship began. Then there’s Paw Claw, in which you play as Lucien and Ellie’s formerly feral cat, Clochette, beating up the local dogs and birds.

These minigames are more than simple distractions; they’re an integral part of the story and progression, unlocking new folders once you successfully complete a level in each game. The demo only lets you progress so far, of course, but I’m excited to see what other minigames and stories are coming my way when the full game releases. 

A serious side

Aside from my personal connection to the story, MyDear.exe has another source of emotional upset in the story itself, because the demo ends with the news that all is not well for this elderly and very in-love couple. 

Lucien is sick, in a way that isn’t always fixable, and the couple is facing an uncertain future. That makes the story even more poignant, because it feels like this is Lucien’s attempt to gather up the details of his life as a digital scrapbook that he can leave behind if the worst happens. 

I’m glad that MyDear.exe is more than the cozy love story that it initially appears to be, because it makes the player think about time and how precious it is. I know I’m prone to thinking too deeply about this topic, but that’s because I feel like I wasted a lot of my years not doing the things I desperately wanted to do, so I’m making up for that now. Time is our most finite resource, and we often forget that. 

MyDear.exe is set to release on November 2, 2026, and I’ll be there with a box of tissues and my fiancé available for emotional support. If you want to play the game and get to know Lucien, Ellie, and Clochette, you can try the demo right now on Steam.