{"id":71352,"date":"2026-08-25T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-24T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=71352"},"modified":"2026-08-24T17:49:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T08:49:13","slug":"plodding-recovery-is-a-japanese-life-sim-where-you-take-small-steps-towards-recovering-from-a-mental-health-crisis-out-now-on-steam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/plodding-recovery-is-a-japanese-life-sim-where-you-take-small-steps-towards-recovering-from-a-mental-health-crisis-out-now-on-steam\/","title":{"rendered":"Plodding Recovery is a\u00a0Japanese\u00a0life sim where you take small steps towards recovering from a mental health crisis, out now on Steam\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you\u2019ve ever had times when you wallowed in your sorrow and couldn’t get back on your feet, then chances are you\u2019ll be able to relate to Plodding Recovery<\/strong>. Developed by Japanese indie dev Rinda<\/a>, the game is an insightful look into what one does when they feel the weight of the world on their shoulders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plodding Recovery follows Koishi, a young man who recently went through a physical and mental breakdown. Over the course of 60 days, you complete everyday tasks like writing in a diary, conversing with people, watching TV, and sleeping. As he goes through the rhythms of daily life, Koishi slowly begins to recover and acknowledge the parts of his life he has been neglecting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Four parameters drive Koishi in his daily life: Oh Well, Know Yourself, Don\u2019t Overdo It, and Frivolous. Oh Well is an outlook that is more accepting and passive about things, and is centered on the thought that \u201cthis is fine,\u201d even when things aren\u2019t perfect. Know Yourself is about introspection, with Koishi becoming more aware of his feelings and habits. Don\u2019t Overdo It is about learning your limits and taking a break when things get too hard. Lastly, Frivolous involves intentionally breaking the rules to suit your needs and protect yourself. By making dialogue choices and choosing which daily activities to take part in, Koishi gradually leans more toward specific outlooks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation and diary activities are some of the most interesting parts of the game, as they involve reaction and introspection, respectively.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Talking to others\u00a0starts\u00a0a unique minigame where you advance the conversation through dialogue choices. The\u00a0goal\u00a0is\u00a0to raise the other person\u2019s satisfaction level\u00a0by choosing the\u00a0appropriate responses, with each one costing\u00a0Heart (a currency used to perform\u00a0daily\u00a0actions).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Writing in a diary puts Koishi into a zen-like state where he delves deep into his heart and puts his feelings into words. Based on your choices, Koishi will reflect on things differently, and his outlook on the world will change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Aside from Heart, which governs your daily actions and prevents you from going out if it gets too low, you should also keep an eye on Today\u2019s Mood and Words Worth Keeping. Today\u2019s Mood shows Koishi\u2019s daily condition, which affects the Heart meter and how well he sleeps. Words Worth Keeping are collected from activities, conversations, and reflective moments. These can be reflected on when you write in Koishi\u2019s diary.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though Plodding Recovery delves into some pretty heavy subject matter, it does not contain sensitive content such as medication, self-harm, suicide, violence, nor sexual content. The developer notes that their objective with this title was to make a game about mental health, but to avoid delving into \u201cmisery.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plodding Recovery is available on Windows and macOS (Steam<\/a>). A launch sale discounting the game by 15% is currently ongoing until August 26. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related:\u00a0From \u201ccuring\u201d chuunibyou teenagers to typing away emotional trauma: Japanese indie games about mental health<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hira Hira Hihiru launches to rave reviews \u2013 an enthralling portrayal of illness, hardship and society<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Plodding Recovery launched on August 19 for PC via Steam.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":71362,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_gspb_post_css":"","autoblue_enabled":true,"autoblue_custom_message":"","autoblue_shares":[{"did":"did:plc:uzrrhkfyjrfdsynj2voztcf2","date":"2026-08-24T15:00:08+00:00","uri":"at:\/\/did:plc:uzrrhkfyjrfdsynj2voztcf2\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3mttkyywopu24","response":"{\"uri\":\"at:\/\/did:plc:uzrrhkfyjrfdsynj2voztcf2\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3mttkyywopu24\",\"cid\":\"bafyreig44bmgo4sahs6lzlsyl3cybgtyhogww2leckt75wmezfzds3llj4\",\"commit\":{\"cid\":\"bafyreiaqqvw32sxajixs3snur7os55w57gvmq5hz4wjx3s3shtprik244q\",\"rev\":\"3mttkyywsmu24\"},\"validationStatus\":\"valid\"}"}],"autoblue_post_url":"","autoblue_publish_document":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[62,3],"tags":[17],"class_list":["post-71352","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-indie-games","category-news","tag-japan-related-news"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":7}},"yoast_head":"\nPlodding Recovery is a\u00a0Japanese\u00a0life sim where you take small steps towards recovering from a mental health crisis, out now on Steam\u00a0 - 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