Item: How to Say Goodbye
Rating: 90
Author: Dinsun

Our Expert Score

90/100

How to Say Goodbye is a profoundly moving experience that uses puzzle-solving as a metaphor for grief. The game tells the story of someone who has recently passed away and is navigating a liminal space, helping other spirits 'move on.' The art style is inspired by mid-century illustration—reminiscent of Tomi Ungerer—and it is absolutely gorgeous.

The central mechanic involves sliding rows and columns of the world grid to move your character, similar to a sliding tile puzzle. It’s elegant and surprisingly challenging, but the focus is always on the narrative and the emotional journey. It handles heavy themes like loss and acceptance with incredible grace and a touch of surrealism. It’s a rare game that leaves you thinking long after the credits roll. A true masterpiece of mobile storytelling.

Dinsun reviewed on: Sat Nov 30 2024

The Game

Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod

1590322079

$3.99 4+★4 4 reviews

Author : ARTE Experience

Pubish Date : Thu Oct 13 2022

Last Update Date : Wed Nov 08 2023

Support Languages : English, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish

Genres :

Version 1.0.8Wed Nov 08 2023

Fixed an issue where the game's text would break on first launch, when the device's OS language was not supported.
Fixed a translation issue.
THE JOURNEY OF A LITTLE GHOST
How to say Goodbye tells the story of a person who has recently been turned into a ghost, lost in an unfamiliar world populated by disoriented spirits. In this narrative puzzle game, move the decor to allow the characters to escape from the parallel reality in which they are lost.
Help them find their friends who are trapped by a mysterious wizard and accompany them on their journey to the other side.
A PUZZLE GAME BASED ON WORLD MANIPULATION
Move the decor elements on a grid to lead the ghosts to the exit
Travel through more than 15 chapters, from the kitchen of your home to the moon.
Solve numerous puzzles in a universe inspired by illustration and great classics of children's literature (Tomi Ungerer, Tove Jansson, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Maurice Sendak...)
A STRONG AND UNIQUE THEME
- A poignant puzzle game that deals with grief with kindness and subtlety
- Save your friend before he disappears forever
- Guide the ghosts out of the liminal space they are trapped in
- Help the characters you meet to find peace and mourn their own lives
- Unlock the secret of the Wizard and the spleens, the misguided spirits that haunt the other side
Requires iOS 12.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
THE JOURNEY OF A LITTLE GHOST
How to say Goodbye tells the story of a person who has recently been turned into a ghost, lost in an unfamiliar world populated by disoriented spirits. In this narrative puzzle game, move the decor to allow the characters to escape from the parallel reality in which they are lost.
Help them find their friends who are trapped by a mysterious wizard and accompany them on their journey to the other side.
A PUZZLE GAME BASED ON WORLD MANIPULATION
Move the decor elements on a grid to lead the ghosts to the exit
Travel through more than 15 chapters, from the kitchen of your home to the moon.
Solve numerous puzzles in a universe inspired by illustration and great classics of children's literature (Tomi Ungerer, Tove Jansson, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Maurice Sendak...)
A STRONG AND UNIQUE THEME
- A poignant puzzle game that deals with grief with kindness and subtlety
- Save your friend before he disappears forever
- Guide the ghosts out of the liminal space they are trapped in
- Help the characters you meet to find peace and mourn their own lives
- Unlock the secret of the Wizard and the spleens, the misguided spirits that haunt the other side

Ratings & Reviews

4 out of 5 with 4 Counts

★★★★★

Age Rating 4+

How to Say Goodbye is a narrative-driven puzzle game inspired by children's literature and mid-century illustration. You play as a character recently transformed into a ghost, lost in an unfamiliar world populated by disoriented spirits. Your goal is to help them, and yourself, find the way out by manipulating the grid-based environment. Move the décor and the ground to clear a path, avoid the 'Spleens' that try to hold you back, and uncover a touching story about the process of saying goodbye. It is a quiet, contemplative, and visually stunning journey through the afterlife.

Features

Unique grid-sliding puzzle mechanics

Stunning art style inspired by classic illustration

Deeply emotional and respectful narrative

Atmospheric and haunting soundtrack

A thoughtful, premium experience with no ads

Tips

The Art of the Slide

Focus on the 'exit' door first. The obstacles are often designed to distract you, but because the entire grid moves, you can often bypass enemies by sliding the row they are standing on to the opposite side of the screen.

Promotion Videos

How to Say Goodbye: iOS/Android Gameplay Walkthrough Part 1 (by ARTE Experience)

News on this game

Immersive theater experience 'Sleep No More' will end its 13-year ...

... say goodbye early next year on its 5,000 performance. Producers said Wednesday that they'll wrap up the experience on Jan. 28 after 13 years...

CityNews Toronto - Thu Sep 25 2025

Meet the 2023 App Store Award finalists

DaVinci Resolve, for creating a more portable video editing experience. ... How to Say Goodbye, for helping users process difficult emotions.

Apple - Tue Sep 30 2025

Montreal Canadiens doctor saw some of the game's most brutal injuries in 60-year career

But this season, the NHL team had to say goodbye to one of its most unsung icons. ... experience." "He was more than just a doctor. He was a...

CBC - Tue Sep 23 2025

Conduits to a Feeling: On Sophia Giovannitti's “Working Girl”

Giovannitti's first book-length publication, the work of autotheory probes the entanglement of the author's experiences selling art and sex.

Los Angeles Review of Books - Tue Sep 23 2025

Interior designers share things they won't waste money on next year

You can say goodbye to mass-produced artwork in 2024, Huang says. "Art should resonate with your emotions and experiences," she said. You...

Business Insider - Mon Sep 29 2025

The Ventura County non-profit packing a punch in helping at-risk ...

And people were coming to say goodbye to him. Over 70 people came ... Peer Support coaches have at least a year of lived experience in...

KCLU - Mon Sep 29 2025

Kali Fajardo-Anstine in Praise of Willa Cather and the American ...

We currently exist in a time when writers are asked to almost exclusively write of our own experiences. ... He is saying goodbye to my grandfather...

Literary Hub - Tue Sep 30 2025

Zalora unveils spectacular 11.11 sale event

Say goodbye to counterfeit concerns and hello to authenticity when ... Delivering a complete sensory experience, the Zalora pop-up seamlessly...

The Manila Times - Sat Sep 27 2025

A time to remember: Art exhibit honors victims of COVID-19

... experienced the events of the past several years together, he said. ... At the same time, it's a time to say goodbye to someone who has been...

Daily Journal - Tue Sep 09 2025

Enter MokiWorld: How Mokibaby's Veronica Gessa Takes Branded ...

“I'm thinking not just about what I want to see, but about the experience that everyone's having from their point of view. ... Say goodbye to...

Modern Luxury | Dallas - Mon Sep 29 2025

Gameplays

Understanding the Spleens

The shadowy 'Spleens' represent the weight of grief and memory. They cannot be defeated, only avoided. Learn their movement patterns—most only move when you move a tile—to successfully navigate the more difficult chapters.

Q&A

While the gameplay is accessible, it deals with themes of death and loss. We recommend it for older children and adults who can appreciate the narrative context.