Hey Gab, you probably won't see this, but techinaly you were playing a painting, you were the Amber he painted. It's why her memories seem off to you, because she was a painting of a memory~
Oh that makes so much more sense! When I first saw someone else play this game I interpreted it as after Amber had grown older, she moved back into her old apartment across from Jack and was dealing with Alzheimer's. (The seeing herself as young, doing the same tasks day in day out, and having no mirrors being my indicator) I thought Jack ignored her because it hurt too much to try and re explain her life to her everyday. But the gallery scene at the end always threw me for a loop.
Oh damn yeah. You are right. That explains so much, and it explains the backward "Jack" in the bottom right corner of her room. It was his signature on the canvas. I thought we plays as her ghost or something, but that seems off. This is such a cool concept. Edit: Rewatched it, when Jack died, right before the room became creepy, something 'wooden' suddenly covered the 'window'. It was actually the painting put into a box or something and sent to the exhibition in New York. Nice.
It took me a minute to realise that we were originally seeing everything from the painting's perspective! The painting of Amber saw Jack grow old, get sick and eventually pass away, which is when the painting ended up in a gallery where the real Amber finally saw the painting of herself! That is genius! I nearly cried when it all clicked! And then nearly cried again seeing it from Jack's perspective. Although, I personally think the game hints that even though Jack loved Amber she didn't see him in the same romantic light. All her notes in the first part, and the letters in the new chapter, kept referring to him as friend. I don't think she realised his true feelings for her until she saw her portrait in the gallery. Oh my gosh, this has to be the most beautiful game I have ever seen, both visually and emotionally!
that's what clicked to me as well when I was forming a comment about how one storytelling technique to portray that a certain "character" is stuck in time, so to speak, is them having a certsin routine over and over and over! So in this case, "painting Amber" always ate the same thing, two pieces of toast and an egg :)
@@CooperGal24 I thought the same! That field with violet flowers with a lake is inspired by Howl's Moving Castle, the yellow hill with the canvas gives Wind Rises vibes, the style of the cat reminds me of Whisper of the Heart and also the little girl that is walking at the exhibition at the end has a little red bow on her head just like Kiki's!
Ok so my theory is as follows Jack and Amber met, started off as friends, feelings evolved for Jack but Amber still harbored the same feelings as she first met him; feelings of friendship. When she submitted her art work and went to New York, she continued to have a normal life. Meanwhile, Jack is stuck in his own unrequited feelings, ended up living his entire life alone with his cat (which is not even Momma cat anymore who was mostly white with bits of orange, it's the kitten all grown up, which was mostly orange with bits of white). He kept drawing memories of them together, where we met, the café, her place, and her. His best work was a painting of her. And then he passed away, alone. But his feelings and emotions live on, immortalized in his work, and that's when Amber sees them; sees _him_ through the painting that he made of her. The character we're playing is Amber immortalized in his painting, looking out from the painting to the rest of the world. That's why she saw Jack growing old, growing sick, eventually dying .. it's rough. But she resets in the end, because after all .. it's just a finite portion of someone's memories/feelings/thoughts on a canvas. All in all, this is super sad and I cried up a storm but the game is beautiful. Also kudos to Jack for not hindering Amber's dreams even if it came at the cost of his heart breaking and him living a solitary life. I'm just sad he had to live alone like this, it's heartbreaking. The game is up to your own interpretation, obviously, and that's why I said it's only my theory. Everyone's free to see in their own light. Which makes this game that much more beautiful.
Only when I was watching you play that I realized that Jack declines the invitation to Amber's exhibition because he was invited to exhibit his own work in his city (It's the letter that he receive early in the winter and he puts the letter on his journal too). So he let her go to pursue his own dreams of being a successful painter too. That made me feel a little bit better about his story.
The name of the game is Behind the Frame because the game happens behind the frame, from the perspective of the painted Amber as Jack remembers her. That's why it seems like groundhog day and things seem weird and hazy. We as the painting watch Jack from "the window" growing old and sick and eventually dying (and the reason he "always ignores us" is that, in reality, we are just a painting). In the end, the painted Amber ends up in the in-memoriam exhibition where the real Amber - who's grown old and has a family of her own now - sees it. Such a bittersweet and beautiful story.
I actually thought the girl was going to have alzheimer's and the old man was her husband who stayed by her side ever since. And that the reason she was viewed younger was because she got it really early on. I love art and this story was beautiful!
I had the same idea when I played the 1st part, and in the end her husband jack died and the exhibition was a memorial of his work and when she saw her own painting she remembered but noo that was much deeper than that, we were inside the painting all along the main game and in the end the painted amber got to see the real amber at last :( that was so sweet and sad I love this game
I think we played as the girl in Jack's painting and not the real Amber, that's why its called Behind the frame ? maybe the spooky part in the middle was Jack's painting falling on the floor (thus us) when we saw him fall as he died/fainted. And the whole thing was Amber remembering him and their moments together as she went through the art gallery but we saw her memories through the Amber in Jack's painting.
Definitely, the old woman who cries is Amber after Jack has died. She probably felt so many emotions seeing that portait. Love lost is one of the most profound feelings, even when you overcome the experience. I don't think it's very clear whether we're remembering through Jack or Amber, but I suspect it's through Jack, especially considering the last Chapter, he's specifically talking to the painted Amber who has become his muse: A portrait that was his masterpiece. It vaguely reminds me of the portrait of Madam X by Sargent, which the artist kept for a long time as his "greatest work."
I think in the beginning you were playing their origin story as Amber remembered. Then at some point she doesn't know what he did day to day. So you're playing her imagination of what Jack's life was like after she left. That's why he doesn't acknowledge her. She's walking around the exhibition and imaging. The spooky was because they both knew they had to make a hard choice and it made them sad/ depressed. And at that point you're playing their emotions. Their dreams were literal and figurative when it got dark. What a bitter sweet story. I love it. Thank you for showing this to us! I never would've found this other wise. Edit: clarity
Maybe I'm just reading into it, but this kind of story is extremely similar to most romantic ghost stories that I've seen. Just like in the movie The Sixth Sense, the main character has no idea that she's died and her perception of reality is altered. That easily explains how she doesn't remember events and has to somehow relive them. It also explains how stuff in her apartment seems to change on their own during the course in the game, the spooky parts, the surreal moments where she enters the paintings, and why parts of her day seem to repeat, like cooking the egg and toast and coffee. In short, she's Amber and the man across the street is Jack, who's still alive and very old. The two of them drifted apart in real life, and she clearly misses him and probably has some regret. It's also why in the bonus chapter, Jack can't write to Amber to say that he'll come see her or join her, because that's not how their story went. However, she's waiting for him to join her in the afterlife where they can be together forever. The bonus chapter is just conclusive proof that Jack hasn't forgotten about her either (and she's still waiting).
I don't blame Jack for moving on, he needed to in order to live the rest of his life and go on to succeed in the ways he did. It's unfair of anyone to have to wait for someone who isn't willing to wait for them, so no, he shouldn't have followed her to New York, that was her dream, not his.
Seeing the painting with the canvas on the hill makes me think about the movie "The Wind Rises" by Studio Ghibli. The movie's story is about a man with a dream of becoming a pilot, unable to pursue it due to nearsightedness, having a chance meeting, twice, with a girl with tuberculosis. They both get each other through a really hard time in their life, and then marriage, even if her death is nigh. As in life as well as in death, she inspires him to chase his dream and live life to the fullest. In part, the story of this game is somewhat similar to the movie. They come into each other life for a moment that leaves a mark that lasts for a lifetime. They always look at the brief moment that they spend with each other as their source of inspiration, he with his painting, her with Jack's brush. They each archiving their dream at a different time in life. In the end, both works leave us with a bittersweet sentiment and a heartwarming story. And the cat was so cute.
Note: "the wind rises" is a real-life story. The main character is the creator of "zero" one of the most important planes in japan in the world war II. It is not about him wanting to fly but to make the best flying device. If you search for jiro horikoshi you can understand the story better.
As soon as the room changed after he fell I immediately got that we were a painting and seeing Gab hoping we were still talking about Amber’s mom killed me 😂
You are SO right btw Evelien, about how emotional things hit a lot harder the older you get. You’ve lost people and realized how important the smallest things and decisions are in making meaning for life.
God my heart was breaking halfway through because I saw this as like a 50 First Dates kind of situation and we were actually Old Amber getting alzheimers and thinking we were young again trying to submit to a show but the Old man was coming in during the night to "reset" things so we wouldn't get hurt ( deleting the resume, hiding the paints, the notes and the altered paintings/puzzles ). I'm still not entirely sure what the "truth" is since it seems vague enough to keep it up to the players interpretation but either way this was really good and I quite enjoyed it ( despite tearing up several times ahhh!)
I thought this too!! Immediately when I saw the couple with the umbrellas and how she did the same things over and over each day I thought she was really an old woman with Alzheimer’s remembering bits and pieces of her life and husband.
I love that the combo was 1618, could be a coincidence but that year "Old Woman Frying Eggs" was painted by Diego Velazquez. The same food she kept making which I found funny. Also as an artist, 100% can vouch that you can eat fried eggs with toast every day. Easiest thing to make painting at 3am.
This game is absolutely lovely, it's sad that Jack and Amber couldn't even see each other again, but it seems like they both cherished their friendship. Also it's nice to see a guy respect the wishes of someone he cares about and let her grow at her own pace, it just sucks that he couldn't bring himself to be open with her. Though I have to say, I like the idea that the subjects of his paintings came to life, it's like you're playing as his interpretation of her and their memories. And that's such a beautiful and sweet concept.
I legit cried the first time I played this game at the end. It was just so bittersweet and unexpected. They did a great job with this game but, yeah, the story was a lil confusing, but still really beautiful.
That ending, that painting reveal. It's wordless, but it hit so hard. All made sense in just a few milliseconds seeing that painting. And tears just went all out. It's so heartwarming that it stings. As someone who thrives in doing stuff alone, yet still feels lonely at times, letters, paintings, photographs, or any means to preserve a memory is what helps with pushing through moments when I miss the people close to me, and those who were close to me. Reliving memories. It's one way of realizing that before those memories existed, they were once a future we didn't know will happen. And that's what makes me move forward.
During the game, you were playing as Amber inside the painting (behind the frame) and exploring memories of the paintings. But in the ending, we saw the real Amber (she was already old) and she and her family were visiting Jack's gallery that's why she cried when she saw a painting of her. She knew Jack still loves her until the end :((
I saw this game! The story and art style reminds me so much of the Ghibli animated movies! I never played it but the overall story, tone and theme was so heartwarming, sad and beautiful at the same time...!
This is a very short but lovely game. Beautiful art and chill puzzle solving. You play it to relax. If anyone here is interested in playing it, please play it first before watching this gameplay. Because the twist ending is something that you need to experience first hand. The story itself is a puzzle that you also have to solve. I already played it so I can enjoy watching Gab solving the game's mysteries. EDIT: Just saw the video. Possible spoilers ahead: After Gab played the main part of the game, she almost got who the woman was. And why everything in her room kept resetting (she had to redo the woman's resume every day, for instance). Gab herself mentions that it reminded her of the movie "Groundhog Day". The ending of the game explains it but like I said before, the storyline itself is a PUZZLE. So the game doesn't spell it out to make it too obvious. However, you do get an early hint of what its happening when the game shows you the letter *J* written backwards at the bottom of a wall where the window is. You are supposed to think why that J is there and why its backwards. Also you get an even earlier hint just with the TITLE OF THE GAME itself. Don't wanna spoil it too much because when I played the game, everything came into place and I was able to understand who the woman was and why she was stuck in that room.
In the middle of the game I was so sure that Amber died and now keeps re-living her daily routine and that's why Jack never sees her (because she's a ghost) and is so miserable. It is nice to know at least Amber herself lived a fulfilling life! Such a great game, I absolutely love how artistic it is. Beautiful.
Thank you for the comments explaining esp the spooky part being the painting shipped to new York where the present day Amber sees it. What a beautiful game 😭 Edit: ofc Jack understood Amber's decision of pursuing her dreams, he's also an artist himself
Watching this makes me want to revisit this game. It’s such a bittersweet story. I think Amber was someone Jack loved, maybe also was a muse. But to Amber Jack was also dear to her heart. But as you said - He wanted for her to follow her dream.
Wish more games looked like this. Thanks for playing it otherwise I would've never heard about it. Also: Is this groundhog day? Do you think you're moving through time, but you're actually just stuck? No, Gab. This is the life of an artist. Minus the depression and self-doubt. But it's accurate on the food. Saving money for life.
What a beautiful game! I thought it was a story about dementia/Alzheimer's at first because of the repetitive actions, her resume kept disappearing, she didn't remember Jack or her own name at first, didn't remember the 16:18 password, also the date on the calendar on the wall never changed. I love the little details like how she owns the red and yellow cups on the café sign, and how the main game hinted that Ginger had a kitten, Biscuit, who is now the old man/Jack's cat (and the cat that Jack lost and Amber found in that scene in the beginning was Ginger). So Biscuit is the cat that got yellow paint in Amber's studio and left the drawings behind. I think Gab thought they were the same cat at first lol, they do look very similar.
Hi Gab, nice to see this on your channel. I played this last year on Android and was pretty taken away by it. At that time I could only play up to the firts credit roll, about 51 minutes into your video. But still, I really liked it. I remember picking my oldest daughter up at her school. I just finished the story, on a hot sunny day, waiting for her at the side of the playground. Man good vibes.
I sobbed so much throughout this game, after Jack congratulated Amber on her going to New York and all the way until the end. Oh my. Sad for him not expressing his feelings, sad that he didn’t let go, his insecurity in his talent, old Amber seemingly missing him when she cried after seeing his painting. I also kept crying because I know there are so many people who go through loneliness and sad situations like the ones in this game. What a beautiful beautiful story, beautifully told. Thank you for playing this.
"I also kept crying because I know there are so many people who go through loneliness". Same, in the beginning I thought that this would be a video game about a young woman trying to connect to an isolated old man. 🥲
The vibes I was getting, was that Amber must have passed away and her spirit went to be near Jack again, which is why he was so old and couldn't see her and her memories took a bit to come back. When she witnessed him getting sick, then he was gone, then she was able to pass over as well. I could be way off, lol, but I like to think that they met back up in the afterlife.
This game remind a lot my middle school days I have 20 (A+) in Art school and my first love, emotions in that time i didn't know that they meant._ From the start I thought if the woman in white is her mother the old man is her father Some paintings tells more story than the human eyes can see I LOVE PAINTING AND SKETCHING. EVEN IN DIGITAL FORM I CAN SEE THE EMOTIONS IN THE PAINTING The painting was the narrator, in short words it was they child She was his Mona Lisa Leonardo da Vinci's was very poor why he didn't follow his Joconde Art many times doesn't pay He hit me very hard this game 1:16:00 THE BIGGEST PROBLEM MONEY you will tell someone you love you have money problem's? NO. PRIDE is strongest sin of the poor
the chills i got when i played the video again and some of the paintings in the end of the game are the exact same as the ones hanging on the walls in the beginning of the game while some have slight changes
I held out until Jack's story. I bawled my eyes out after that. I was already teary at the end of Amber's when I realized he waited but that sent me over the edge. Jack's story just wasn't fair man.
"Must be nice to have that kinda talent...!" 😂 Was a little on the fence about this one to start with but I'm glad I stuck it out because what a beautiful story, in the end. Very Ghibli vibe to it and I loved it! Felt super warm and cozy 💖 If there are any more games like this, I'd love to know.
I feel like this my dream to paint all day with oil paints on a nicely stretch canvas with the window open. Sure I got my degree in drawing and design but once you experienced oil painting it feels relaxing and down right good. I love the art style of it especially the oil paint texture. Damn jacks side of the story have me bawling 😭😭 he loved her so much
I felt really sad, I cried like a baby. My daughters cried with me when they saw me crying it, it was cute My heart hurts so much. It hit much too close home. Thanks for playing this. I won't be able to go through it playing by myself
This story reminds me of my uncle. His partner got an opportunity to do advertising in another country but my uncle couldn't go with him due to illness. He ended up telling his partner he didn't love them anymore so they would leave 😔 When my uncle passed my mom tried to get in contact with that partner, as my mom knew he had still loved them, but when they found them through social media she found that they had passed aswell just 3 months after 😔 love can be so hard sometimes but if you love someone you want what's best for them even if that's letting them go ❤️
Sometimes when you love someone you have to learn to let go. "Cinta tak seharusnya memiliki" is what they say in my mothers tongue. You can still love someone even if you don't end up being together. As long as you can see them happy with their life you should be happy for them too. That's all that matters :)
Why did I watch this before I went to bed? Such a beautiful game I definitely thought she was dead for a bit and that her spirit was having trouble passing on and that's why she was in the apartment watching Jack but that ending threw me and made me cry. This is why it's always good to speak your truth and say how you feel. The story and art were absolutely wonderful. I always enjoy the variety of games on your channel Evelyn. Keep up the awesome work.
Ahh, this was so sad and beautiful, thanks for playing it and sharing with us. And I think they showed us Jack's death too, alone in his apartment which makes this more heartbreaking. Backwards signature was very clever as well. The art style was so gorgeous, the flower field reminded me of Howl's Moving Castle where he shows his childhood home.
gabs you might like a game called our life beginnings and always the art for the game is really good and the story is even better it is so cute and beautifully done
This game was so lovely and all the art was amazing, I frequently watch your let's plays while drawing myself as they are lovely to listen to and always inspiring but this game in particular struck a chord and reminded me why I love art and video games so much
Last night I dozed off watching this and had an incredible dream. For whatever reason you, Gab, were in my room and realized you had to stream so you used my setup. The game you were playing was kind of a mix between this one and Stray. You were giving commands to a cat but as a person. It looked amazing. Afterwards we went to a friend's place, a house somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Kind of reminiscent of the house in Edith Finch, now that I think about it. That's when thinks get a bit foggy for me. The whole time we were there I felt like I was stoned af. There were around 5-6 people in the house. At some point I went outside and experienced the scene you were playing on stream. I don't remember much more. When I woke up I was just really confused. It was a nice and wholesome dream though. Even though you didn't actively do anything, Thank you Gab for this dream 😄
I had played this game like a month ago and loved watching your playthrough! Its also because of your playthrough I discovered there was Jack's story so I paused your video to go play it first and now I'm back to finish the video~
That's sooo sad 😭 I was hoping it was going to be happy throughout.. Can't believe he totally blew her off, she's not going to know how you feel if you don't speak up! -sigh-
A discovered your channel a few days ago and I love these kind of chill and fun videos! I've already watched the organising one with the cat, the one about the repair woman named Maria, the one based on a series of children books made by an Australian, "All cats in the building", "It takes two" and the one about the magical plants and witches (I can't remember the name properly). So if someone else has some recommendations for me I'll be glad to hear them! PS. I know she also played Unpacking, but I've recently watched in another channel so I wait some time to watch it again
I draw and paint, so my brother gifted this game to me on steam for my birthday - and I was not prepared for the feels this game gave me and was really hoping you'd get around to playing it after seeing it on your spinning wheel of choice.
This was an absolutely beautiful game! I wanna see more games like this, while still engaging but tells a story in such an unique way ❤️ thank you for playing this!
I know everyone is saying but gahhh such a beautiful and bittersweet story! Glad I decided to watch this today. It's games like these that make me think deeper about my life and my goals.
so glad to see you play this ❤️❤️❤️ the story itself is so beautiful made me tear up. been watching you first at Unpacking game and I played that love your taste 🌟🌟🌟
Just played this game myself cause it was free on Amazon and it really took me by surprise. Was not at all expecting that kind of experience. Came straight to your channel to make sure you've already played it 😂
This game made me want to paint again. Just for the sake of it. I'm in art school (technically finished) and it's been a while since I have painted whitout the pressure of school projects or the pressure of having to do a masterpiece. I loved the main girl's simplistic style and it made me want to pick up a canvas and just have fun.
Thank you Gab, for sharing this game with us. Oh man, this game hits me on so many levels. First of all, I am an designer and I paint too. I relate so much with this game, especially when I had to let a person (who was also a designer like myself) go, just because I loved him, and because it was something he wanted to do. When they revealed the name of the guy in the game, my heart literally stopped for a hot sec, like, that's my name... Just like the story of the game, I had to let the person go, to another city to chase after his dreams. But the common interests in arts, and moments that we shared in the past were engraved in my heart, just like "Jack" in this game. Before he left, the person left me a bag of color markers. He was always inspiring to me back then, making me feel like I want to become even better when it comes to arts. Together with Gab's commentary on this game, it got me teared up thinking about that person again. The bittersweet memory. We always talked about our dreams and wanting to be better artists together. It's funny how I sketched and painted some portraits of that person too. I too, wonder how that person is doing now.
I’m so excited to chill out and watch this! I just got a job interview and I really need to get away from my current job so I’m a little stressed, the shop I got an interview for is a very casual place, and my current work is not ! I definitely need somewhere relaxed now
I was so sure until the end that we were playing as an older Amber who had memory problems. So Jack lived across from her and gave paintings as a code to remember
This game is so beautiful and I'm almost cryingggG. He loved her so much and always remembered her. This broke my heart in such a good way aghhhhh. Her reaction to his painting was one of the best parts. And the little kitty cats 🥺 I'm in love with the game and I'll never be able to financially recover from this 💜💜💜
I started crying when the real Amber came into view with her earrings and little red accessories and just had that WHOOSH of pure emotion as she stared at "us" the portrait of herself. It's like she realized at the same time as we did what this story is. I personally do think they were in love but Amber didn't want to define what they had BCS she wanted to pursue her dreams. And Jack knew he had to let her fly freely so he didn't define it either but they were never truly alone after she left. I just hope the cat wasn't too sad and alone for long after Jack passed. I agree tho that the whole game and artstyle gave me Ghibli vibes it was so comfy yet magical!
![Megan Thee Stallion - Neva Play (feat. RM) [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/TpYTyAaTRts/mqdefault.jpg)
Hey Gab, you probably won't see this, but techinaly you were playing a painting, you were the Amber he painted. It's why her memories seem off to you, because she was a painting of a memory~
Oh ah. That makes sense.
Oh that makes so much more sense! When I first saw someone else play this game I interpreted it as after Amber had grown older, she moved back into her old apartment across from Jack and was dealing with Alzheimer's. (The seeing herself as young, doing the same tasks day in day out, and having no mirrors being my indicator) I thought Jack ignored her because it hurt too much to try and re explain her life to her everyday. But the gallery scene at the end always threw me for a loop.
Now the title "Behind the Frames" makes so much sense
Oh cool, and that's why "JACK" was backwards for her. At the end you can see the yellow corner with the name forwards on it.
Oh damn yeah. You are right. That explains so much, and it explains the backward "Jack" in the bottom right corner of her room. It was his signature on the canvas. I thought we plays as her ghost or something, but that seems off. This is such a cool concept.
Edit: Rewatched it, when Jack died, right before the room became creepy, something 'wooden' suddenly covered the 'window'. It was actually the painting put into a box or something and sent to the exhibition in New York. Nice.
It took me a minute to realise that we were originally seeing everything from the painting's perspective! The painting of Amber saw Jack grow old, get sick and eventually pass away, which is when the painting ended up in a gallery where the real Amber finally saw the painting of herself! That is genius!
I nearly cried when it all clicked! And then nearly cried again seeing it from Jack's perspective. Although, I personally think the game hints that even though Jack loved Amber she didn't see him in the same romantic light. All her notes in the first part, and the letters in the new chapter, kept referring to him as friend. I don't think she realised his true feelings for her until she saw her portrait in the gallery.
Oh my gosh, this has to be the most beautiful game I have ever seen, both visually and emotionally!
Thanks for breaking healing and breaking my heart man.
@@mariapazgonzalezlesme Sorry. 😬But, to be fair I did it to myself first! And we all know that sharing pain makes it more bearable. 😁
that's what clicked to me as well when I was forming a comment about how one storytelling technique to portray that a certain "character" is stuck in time, so to speak, is them having a certsin routine over and over and over! So in this case, "painting Amber" always ate the same thing, two pieces of toast and an egg :)
thank you so much for this insight. you really made it all click into place for me ;u; i love this game
The name Jack was backwards because you were inside the painting and he signed it. Wow what a game
This is one of the most heartwarming yet sad games I've seen. You can easily feel the Ghibli energy on the story.
Watching this game again, I feel like the paintings in the room are based on scenes from the Ghibli movies!
Ghibli energy is the best energy. I wish they made more games in this style
@@CooperGal24 I thought the same! That field with violet flowers with a lake is inspired by Howl's Moving Castle, the yellow hill with the canvas gives Wind Rises vibes, the style of the cat reminds me of Whisper of the Heart and also the little girl that is walking at the exhibition at the end has a little red bow on her head just like Kiki's!
@@CooperGal24 the violet flower hills gave me intense howl's moving castle flashbacks i think you might be right
Ok so my theory is as follows
Jack and Amber met, started off as friends, feelings evolved for Jack but Amber still harbored the same feelings as she first met him; feelings of friendship. When she submitted her art work and went to New York, she continued to have a normal life. Meanwhile, Jack is stuck in his own unrequited feelings, ended up living his entire life alone with his cat (which is not even Momma cat anymore who was mostly white with bits of orange, it's the kitten all grown up, which was mostly orange with bits of white). He kept drawing memories of them together, where we met, the café, her place, and her. His best work was a painting of her. And then he passed away, alone. But his feelings and emotions live on, immortalized in his work, and that's when Amber sees them; sees _him_ through the painting that he made of her.
The character we're playing is Amber immortalized in his painting, looking out from the painting to the rest of the world. That's why she saw Jack growing old, growing sick, eventually dying .. it's rough. But she resets in the end, because after all .. it's just a finite portion of someone's memories/feelings/thoughts on a canvas.
All in all, this is super sad and I cried up a storm but the game is beautiful. Also kudos to Jack for not hindering Amber's dreams even if it came at the cost of his heart breaking and him living a solitary life. I'm just sad he had to live alone like this, it's heartbreaking. The game is up to your own interpretation, obviously, and that's why I said it's only my theory. Everyone's free to see in their own light. Which makes this game that much more beautiful.
I’m sad that he didn’t go with her
@@steph8030593yes, he should have confessed his love and gone with her. 😢😭
Only when I was watching you play that I realized that Jack declines the invitation to Amber's exhibition because he was invited to exhibit his own work in his city (It's the letter that he receive early in the winter and he puts the letter on his journal too). So he let her go to pursue his own dreams of being a successful painter too. That made me feel a little bit better about his story.
I wish they both just went to new york 😢😢😢😢
The name of the game is Behind the Frame because the game happens behind the frame, from the perspective of the painted Amber as Jack remembers her. That's why it seems like groundhog day and things seem weird and hazy. We as the painting watch Jack from "the window" growing old and sick and eventually dying (and the reason he "always ignores us" is that, in reality, we are just a painting). In the end, the painted Amber ends up in the in-memoriam exhibition where the real Amber - who's grown old and has a family of her own now - sees it. Such a bittersweet and beautiful story.
I actually thought the girl was going to have alzheimer's and the old man was her husband who stayed by her side ever since. And that the reason she was viewed younger was because she got it really early on. I love art and this story was beautiful!
I had the same idea when I played the 1st part, and in the end her husband jack died and the exhibition was a memorial of his work and when she saw her own painting she remembered but noo that was much deeper than that, we were inside the painting all along the main game and in the end the painted amber got to see the real amber at last :( that was so sweet and sad I love this game
@CozyBloom
That is the official explanation? Because I also thought that this game was about a woman with Alzheimer lost in her on memories
I think we played as the girl in Jack's painting and not the real Amber, that's why its called Behind the frame ? maybe the spooky part in the middle was Jack's painting falling on the floor (thus us) when we saw him fall as he died/fainted. And the whole thing was Amber remembering him and their moments together as she went through the art gallery but we saw her memories through the Amber in Jack's painting.
Yes!!
Definitely, the old woman who cries is Amber after Jack has died. She probably felt so many emotions seeing that portait. Love lost is one of the most profound feelings, even when you overcome the experience. I don't think it's very clear whether we're remembering through Jack or Amber, but I suspect it's through Jack, especially considering the last Chapter, he's specifically talking to the painted Amber who has become his muse: A portrait that was his masterpiece. It vaguely reminds me of the portrait of Madam X by Sargent, which the artist kept for a long time as his "greatest work."
I think in the beginning you were playing their origin story as Amber remembered. Then at some point she doesn't know what he did day to day. So you're playing her imagination of what Jack's life was like after she left. That's why he doesn't acknowledge her. She's walking around the exhibition and imaging.
The spooky was because they both knew they had to make a hard choice and it made them sad/ depressed. And at that point you're playing their emotions. Their dreams were literal and figurative when it got dark.
What a bitter sweet story. I love it. Thank you for showing this to us! I never would've found this other wise.
Edit: clarity
Maybe I'm just reading into it, but this kind of story is extremely similar to most romantic ghost stories that I've seen. Just like in the movie The Sixth Sense, the main character has no idea that she's died and her perception of reality is altered. That easily explains how she doesn't remember events and has to somehow relive them. It also explains how stuff in her apartment seems to change on their own during the course in the game, the spooky parts, the surreal moments where she enters the paintings, and why parts of her day seem to repeat, like cooking the egg and toast and coffee.
In short, she's Amber and the man across the street is Jack, who's still alive and very old. The two of them drifted apart in real life, and she clearly misses him and probably has some regret. It's also why in the bonus chapter, Jack can't write to Amber to say that he'll come see her or join her, because that's not how their story went. However, she's waiting for him to join her in the afterlife where they can be together forever. The bonus chapter is just conclusive proof that Jack hasn't forgotten about her either (and she's still waiting).
I don't blame Jack for moving on, he needed to in order to live the rest of his life and go on to succeed in the ways he did. It's unfair of anyone to have to wait for someone who isn't willing to wait for them, so no, he shouldn't have followed her to New York, that was her dream, not his.
Seeing the painting with the canvas on the hill makes me think about the movie "The Wind Rises" by Studio Ghibli. The movie's story is about a man with a dream of becoming a pilot, unable to pursue it due to nearsightedness, having a chance meeting, twice, with a girl with tuberculosis. They both get each other through a really hard time in their life, and then marriage, even if her death is nigh. As in life as well as in death, she inspires him to chase his dream and live life to the fullest.
In part, the story of this game is somewhat similar to the movie. They come into each other life for a moment that leaves a mark that lasts for a lifetime. They always look at the brief moment that they spend with each other as their source of inspiration, he with his painting, her with Jack's brush. They each archiving their dream at a different time in life.
In the end, both works leave us with a bittersweet sentiment and a heartwarming story. And the cat was so cute.
Note: "the wind rises" is a real-life story. The main character is the creator of "zero" one of the most important planes in japan in the world war II. It is not about him wanting to fly but to make the best flying device. If you search for jiro horikoshi you can understand the story better.
Beautiful but so heartbreaking❤🥲
As soon as the room changed after he fell I immediately got that we were a painting and seeing Gab hoping we were still talking about Amber’s mom killed me 😂
You are SO right btw Evelien, about how emotional things hit a lot harder the older you get. You’ve lost people and realized how important the smallest things and decisions are in making meaning for life.
This game actually almost made me cry. Inescapable passage of time, missing out, losing loved ones, or never really having them… sigh
God my heart was breaking halfway through because I saw this as like a 50 First Dates kind of situation and we were actually Old Amber getting alzheimers and thinking we were young again trying to submit to a show but the Old man was coming in during the night to "reset" things so we wouldn't get hurt ( deleting the resume, hiding the paints, the notes and the altered paintings/puzzles ).
I'm still not entirely sure what the "truth" is since it seems vague enough to keep it up to the players interpretation but either way this was really good and I quite enjoyed it ( despite tearing up several times ahhh!)
I thought this too!! Immediately when I saw the couple with the umbrellas and how she did the same things over and over each day I thought she was really an old woman with Alzheimer’s remembering bits and pieces of her life and husband.
I did not expect to be sobbing this hard. Oh, my heart hurts, but this is such a beautiful way to deal with that kind of loss. Loved it so so much 💜
This one really hit me in the feels. Memories of people who were once so important in your life but drifted away are always so very bittersweet.
Yeah🥲
If you liked this game, you should play Florence! It's a similar sort of finding yourself story, and very visually pleasing
I love that the combo was 1618, could be a coincidence but that year "Old Woman Frying Eggs" was painted by Diego Velazquez. The same food she kept making which I found funny. Also as an artist, 100% can vouch that you can eat fried eggs with toast every day. Easiest thing to make painting at 3am.
Aw lol 😊
This game is absolutely lovely, it's sad that Jack and Amber couldn't even see each other again, but it seems like they both cherished their friendship. Also it's nice to see a guy respect the wishes of someone he cares about and let her grow at her own pace, it just sucks that he couldn't bring himself to be open with her.
Though I have to say, I like the idea that the subjects of his paintings came to life, it's like you're playing as his interpretation of her and their memories. And that's such a beautiful and sweet concept.
I legit cried the first time I played this game at the end. It was just so bittersweet and unexpected. They did a great job with this game but, yeah, the story was a lil confusing, but still really beautiful.
That ending, that painting reveal. It's wordless, but it hit so hard. All made sense in just a few milliseconds seeing that painting. And tears just went all out. It's so heartwarming that it stings.
As someone who thrives in doing stuff alone, yet still feels lonely at times, letters, paintings, photographs, or any means to preserve a memory is what helps with pushing through moments when I miss the people close to me, and those who were close to me.
Reliving memories. It's one way of realizing that before those memories existed, they were once a future we didn't know will happen.
And that's what makes me move forward.
During the game, you were playing as Amber inside the painting (behind the frame) and exploring memories of the paintings.
But in the ending, we saw the real Amber (she was already old) and she and her family were visiting Jack's gallery that's why she cried when she saw a painting of her. She knew Jack still loves her until the end :((
i sobbed at the end, this game is so heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time, my gosh.
I was not expecting this cute little game to nearly break my heart.
Man, i remember when this was like a 10 minute demo for lo fi and chill addicts. Fantastic stuff, love they kept at it.
I saw this game!
The story and art style reminds me so much of the Ghibli animated movies!
I never played it but the overall story, tone and theme was so heartwarming, sad and beautiful at the same time...!
The smile that was put on my face when Gab spoke to the neighbour in Japanese. 😄😄😄
This is a very short but lovely game. Beautiful art and chill puzzle solving. You play it to relax.
If anyone here is interested in playing it, please play it first before watching this gameplay. Because the twist ending is something that you need to experience first hand.
The story itself is a puzzle that you also have to solve.
I already played it so I can enjoy watching Gab solving the game's mysteries.
EDIT: Just saw the video. Possible spoilers ahead:
After Gab played the main part of the game, she almost got who the woman was. And why everything in her room kept resetting (she had to redo the woman's resume every day, for instance). Gab herself mentions that it reminded her of the movie "Groundhog Day".
The ending of the game explains it but like I said before, the storyline itself is a PUZZLE. So the game doesn't spell it out to make it too obvious.
However, you do get an early hint of what its happening when the game shows you the letter *J* written backwards at the bottom of a wall where the window is. You are supposed to think why that J is there and why its backwards.
Also you get an even earlier hint just with the TITLE OF THE GAME itself.
Don't wanna spoil it too much because when I played the game, everything came into place and I was able to understand who the woman was and why she was stuck in that room.
Thanks for the warning I appreciate this! Won't spoil it for myself :)
Everyone: Ah, so cozy
Me: crying my eyes out
I'm crying my eyes out too rn
Same lol
In the middle of the game I was so sure that Amber died and now keeps re-living her daily routine and that's why Jack never sees her (because she's a ghost) and is so miserable. It is nice to know at least Amber herself lived a fulfilling life!
Such a great game, I absolutely love how artistic it is. Beautiful.
Thank you for the comments explaining esp the spooky part being the painting shipped to new York where the present day Amber sees it. What a beautiful game 😭
Edit: ofc Jack understood Amber's decision of pursuing her dreams, he's also an artist himself
Watching this makes me want to revisit this game. It’s such a bittersweet story. I think Amber was someone Jack loved, maybe also was a muse. But to Amber Jack was also dear to her heart. But as you said - He wanted for her to follow her dream.
Wish more games looked like this. Thanks for playing it otherwise I would've never heard about it. Also: Is this groundhog day? Do you think you're moving through time, but you're actually just stuck? No, Gab. This is the life of an artist. Minus the depression and self-doubt. But it's accurate on the food. Saving money for life.
I love this so much. It was so sad but as an artist myself, inspiring. A true storytelling experience.
What a beautiful game! I thought it was a story about dementia/Alzheimer's at first because of the repetitive actions, her resume kept disappearing, she didn't remember Jack or her own name at first, didn't remember the 16:18 password, also the date on the calendar on the wall never changed.
I love the little details like how she owns the red and yellow cups on the café sign, and how the main game hinted that Ginger had a kitten, Biscuit, who is now the old man/Jack's cat (and the cat that Jack lost and Amber found in that scene in the beginning was Ginger). So Biscuit is the cat that got yellow paint in Amber's studio and left the drawings behind. I think Gab thought they were the same cat at first lol, they do look very similar.
Hi Gab, nice to see this on your channel. I played this last year on Android and was pretty taken away by it. At that time I could only play up to the firts credit roll, about 51 minutes into your video. But still, I really liked it. I remember picking my oldest daughter up at her school. I just finished the story, on a hot sunny day, waiting for her at the side of the playground. Man good vibes.
I sobbed so much throughout this game, after Jack congratulated Amber on her going to New York and all the way until the end. Oh my.
Sad for him not expressing his feelings, sad that he didn’t let go, his insecurity in his talent, old Amber seemingly missing him when she cried after seeing his painting.
I also kept crying because I know there are so many people who go through loneliness and sad situations like the ones in this game.
What a beautiful beautiful story, beautifully told. Thank you for playing this.
"I also kept crying because I know there are so many people who go through loneliness".
Same, in the beginning I thought that this would be a video game about a young woman trying to connect to an isolated old man. 🥲
Well, I ended up sobbing at the end of this. Such a beautiful love story; it reminds me of UP.
The vibes I was getting, was that Amber must have passed away and her spirit went to be near Jack again, which is why he was so old and couldn't see her and her memories took a bit to come back. When she witnessed him getting sick, then he was gone, then she was able to pass over as well. I could be way off, lol, but I like to think that they met back up in the afterlife.
This game remind a lot my middle school days I have 20 (A+) in Art school and my first love, emotions in that time i didn't know that they meant._
From the start I thought if the woman in white is her mother the old man is her father
Some paintings tells more story than the human eyes can see
I LOVE PAINTING AND SKETCHING. EVEN IN DIGITAL FORM I CAN SEE THE EMOTIONS IN THE PAINTING
The painting was the narrator, in short words it was they child
She was his Mona Lisa
Leonardo da Vinci's was very poor why he didn't follow his Joconde
Art many times doesn't pay
He hit me very hard this game
1:16:00 THE BIGGEST PROBLEM MONEY you will tell someone you love you have money problem's? NO. PRIDE is strongest sin of the poor
I like this game so much that I give it 5 likes
I didn't expect to tear up at the end but I did. Such a beautiful story and game. The Ghibli vibe is so real in this. Glad to watch you play it, Gab!
the chills i got when i played the video again and some of the paintings in the end of the game are the exact same as the ones hanging on the walls in the beginning of the game while some have slight changes
I held out until Jack's story. I bawled my eyes out after that. I was already teary at the end of Amber's when I realized he waited but that sent me over the edge. Jack's story just wasn't fair man.
this made me cry. im a crybaby but i hate bittersweet endings so much it’s heart wrenching
"Must be nice to have that kinda talent...!" 😂 Was a little on the fence about this one to start with but I'm glad I stuck it out because what a beautiful story, in the end. Very Ghibli vibe to it and I loved it! Felt super warm and cozy 💖 If there are any more games like this, I'd love to know.
5:12 is like that scene from Studio Ghibli's The Wind Rises. So pretty.
HOGs, Nancy Drew, puzzle games and games like this are my Clonazepam. So chill. Thanks Gabs ❤️🌻
What a beautiful game! Soft-spoken and powerful at the same time. And a visual feast.
I feel like this my dream to paint all day with oil paints on a nicely stretch canvas with the window open. Sure I got my degree in drawing and design but once you experienced oil painting it feels relaxing and down right good. I love the art style of it especially the oil paint texture.
Damn jacks side of the story have me bawling 😭😭 he loved her so much
Never fucking mind! I've been crying for the past 50 minutes cause I realized the ending and it's so saaaaasd 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
I felt really sad, I cried like a baby. My daughters cried with me when they saw me crying it, it was cute
My heart hurts so much. It hit much too close home. Thanks for playing this. I won't be able to go through it playing by myself
This story reminds me of my uncle. His partner got an opportunity to do advertising in another country but my uncle couldn't go with him due to illness. He ended up telling his partner he didn't love them anymore so they would leave 😔
When my uncle passed my mom tried to get in contact with that partner, as my mom knew he had still loved them, but when they found them through social media she found that they had passed aswell just 3 months after 😔 love can be so hard sometimes but if you love someone you want what's best for them even if that's letting them go ❤️
I played this when it came out, it’s such a cosy game for an artist like myself
7:38 Gabさんのアテレコと合わせてまさにジブリのワンシーン^ ^
あの簡単に打てる魔法のPC欲しいな。笑
なんか観終わった後このゲームをGabさんで観て知れてよかったなって思いました、ずっとリラックスして観れてすっごくよかった✨
Sometimes when you love someone you have to learn to let go. "Cinta tak seharusnya memiliki" is what they say in my mothers tongue. You can still love someone even if you don't end up being together. As long as you can see them happy with their life you should be happy for them too. That's all that matters :)
I wasn't expecting my heart to get hit with the hammer of feels :'0
Gab, You still have the time start to draw or/and sing... I'm 42 YO and I only started drawing 7 years ago!
Why did I watch this before I went to bed? Such a beautiful game I definitely thought she was dead for a bit and that her spirit was having trouble passing on and that's why she was in the apartment watching Jack but that ending threw me and made me cry. This is why it's always good to speak your truth and say how you feel. The story and art were absolutely wonderful. I always enjoy the variety of games on your channel Evelyn. Keep up the awesome work.
I'm sobbing right now. 😭 huhuh.. this game moved me + the fact that Gab is a good gamer. ❤️✨
She was a moment in time. That was a beautiful game. ❤
Ahh, this was so sad and beautiful, thanks for playing it and sharing with us. And I think they showed us Jack's death too, alone in his apartment which makes this more heartbreaking. Backwards signature was very clever as well. The art style was so gorgeous, the flower field reminded me of Howl's Moving Castle where he shows his childhood home.
gabs you might like a game called our life beginnings and always the art for the game is really good and the story is even better it is so cute and beautifully done
This game was so lovely and all the art was amazing, I frequently watch your let's plays while drawing myself as they are lovely to listen to and always inspiring but this game in particular struck a chord and reminded me why I love art and video games so much
Last night I dozed off watching this and had an incredible dream.
For whatever reason you, Gab, were in my room and realized you had to stream so you used my setup. The game you were playing was kind of a mix between this one and Stray. You were giving commands to a cat but as a person. It looked amazing.
Afterwards we went to a friend's place, a house somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Kind of reminiscent of the house in Edith Finch, now that I think about it.
That's when thinks get a bit foggy for me. The whole time we were there I felt like I was stoned af. There were around 5-6 people in the house. At some point I went outside and experienced the scene you were playing on stream.
I don't remember much more. When I woke up I was just really confused.
It was a nice and wholesome dream though.
Even though you didn't actively do anything,
Thank you Gab for this dream 😄
This was beautiful. Thanks for playing it.
I had played this game like a month ago and loved watching your playthrough! Its also because of your playthrough I discovered there was Jack's story so I paused your video to go play it first and now I'm back to finish the video~
My heart is feeling as crumbly as my biscotti dunked 🥺 Gabssss how could you share this precious game and not prepare me for it 😂
My name isn’t in games very often. This seems like a nice, relaxing game
I love seeing you have the same reactions I did when I played it. Such a beautiful & heart-wrenching game!
I did not go into this video expecting to be crying at the end. Really loved this game though. Such a sweet, but sad story.
That's sooo sad 😭 I was hoping it was going to be happy throughout.. Can't believe he totally blew her off, she's not going to know how you feel if you don't speak up! -sigh-
It’s sad he thought he wasn’t good enough for her. I’m glad she came back to see his work ❤
A discovered your channel a few days ago and I love these kind of chill and fun videos!
I've already watched the organising one with the cat, the one about the repair woman named Maria, the one based on a series of children books made by an Australian, "All cats in the building", "It takes two" and the one about the magical plants and witches (I can't remember the name properly). So if someone else has some recommendations for me I'll be glad to hear them!
PS. I know she also played Unpacking, but I've recently watched in another channel so I wait some time to watch it again
You might like hidden object games!!
@@GabSmolders OMG I didn't expect you to answer! I'll watched them next, thanks!
Such a sweet, relaxing game. The music and art are beautiful too! Glad to watch your playthrough Gab : D
I draw and paint, so my brother gifted this game to me on steam for my birthday - and I was not prepared for the feels this game gave me and was really hoping you'd get around to playing it after seeing it on your spinning wheel of choice.
Didn't expect to be crying by the end of this game but here I am. Very beautiful story.
I got misty-eyed at the ending. What a beautiful story.
Thank you for playing this game! It needs so much more attention.
This was an absolutely beautiful game! I wanna see more games like this, while still engaging but tells a story in such an unique way ❤️ thank you for playing this!
I know everyone is saying but gahhh such a beautiful and bittersweet story! Glad I decided to watch this today. It's games like these that make me think deeper about my life and my goals.
I got goosebumps! She is in a painting signed by Jack!?
There is so much more story in that last scene.
so glad to see you play this ❤️❤️❤️ the story itself is so beautiful made me tear up. been watching you first at Unpacking game and I played that love your taste 🌟🌟🌟
Just played this game myself cause it was free on Amazon and it really took me by surprise. Was not at all expecting that kind of experience. Came straight to your channel to make sure you've already played it 😂
This game made me want to paint again. Just for the sake of it. I'm in art school (technically finished) and it's been a while since I have painted whitout the pressure of school projects or the pressure of having to do a masterpiece. I loved the main girl's simplistic style and it made me want to pick up a canvas and just have fun.
Such a special game, one of my fave indie games of the past few years. It's relaxing, inspiring, emotional and unique 💙
gosh i loved this game when i played it- its so relaxing yet somewhat somber
Thank you Gab, for sharing this game with us. Oh man, this game hits me on so many levels. First of all, I am an designer and I paint too. I relate so much with this game, especially when I had to let a person (who was also a designer like myself) go, just because I loved him, and because it was something he wanted to do. When they revealed the name of the guy in the game, my heart literally stopped for a hot sec, like, that's my name... Just like the story of the game, I had to let the person go, to another city to chase after his dreams. But the common interests in arts, and moments that we shared in the past were engraved in my heart, just like "Jack" in this game. Before he left, the person left me a bag of color markers. He was always inspiring to me back then, making me feel like I want to become even better when it comes to arts. Together with Gab's commentary on this game, it got me teared up thinking about that person again. The bittersweet memory. We always talked about our dreams and wanting to be better artists together. It's funny how I sketched and painted some portraits of that person too. I too, wonder how that person is doing now.
I think I saw this on the PlayStation store a couple days back, can’t wait to see what it’s all about! 🥰🥰
I’m so excited to chill out and watch this! I just got a job interview and I really need to get away from my current job so I’m a little stressed, the shop I got an interview for is a very casual place, and my current work is not ! I definitely need somewhere relaxed now
I hope everything goes well 😊
@@leya6063 tysm :) I’m hopeful
I was so sure until the end that we were playing as an older Amber who had memory problems. So Jack lived across from her and gave paintings as a code to remember
This game is so beautiful and I'm almost cryingggG. He loved her so much and always remembered her. This broke my heart in such a good way aghhhhh. Her reaction to his painting was one of the best parts. And the little kitty cats 🥺 I'm in love with the game and I'll never be able to financially recover from this 💜💜💜
I'm so happy you've played this game, it's so cozy, heartwarming and a little bit bittersweet. Such a wondeful game!
Love how gabs like “ UR MOM, ITS UR MOM”
Right in the FEELS! How sad & beautiful a piece!
WHY AM I TALKING THIS SO PERSONALLY? I cried almost all the time waching it. 💗😭
Such a beautiful game, with a clever way of storytelling.
I started crying when the real Amber came into view with her earrings and little red accessories and just had that WHOOSH of pure emotion as she stared at "us" the portrait of herself. It's like she realized at the same time as we did what this story is. I personally do think they were in love but Amber didn't want to define what they had BCS she wanted to pursue her dreams. And Jack knew he had to let her fly freely so he didn't define it either but they were never truly alone after she left. I just hope the cat wasn't too sad and alone for long after Jack passed.
I agree tho that the whole game and artstyle gave me Ghibli vibes it was so comfy yet magical!
Such a wonderful a & touching little game! It very much reminds me of a studio Ghibli movie with the artstyle and I loved every minute of it!!! 🥰😿