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The Suicide of Rachel Foster (2019)

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The Suicide of Rachel Foster is a 2020 adventure video game developed by One-O-One Games and published by Daedalic Entertainment. The story follows Nicole Wilson in Lewis and Clark County, Montana, during December 1993 on a visit to her family's Timberline Hotel. Having left ten years prior with her mother following the revelation that her father Leonard was sexually abusing the teenaged Rachel Foster, Nicole plans on quickly inspecting the Timberline and selling it. After being forced to stay there due to a heavy snowstorm starting after her arrival, Nicole's only contact with the outside world is a Federal Emergency Management Agency agent named Irving. With his help, Nicole decides to investigate the abuse between Leonard and Rachel, as well as her mysterious suicide.

The Suicide of Rachel Foster took around two years to develop. The studio aimed to create a horror game that emphasized suspense and fear instead of traditional monsters. The game's narrative and gameplay were developed simultaneously to ensure that one would complement the other. The game was created as a walking simulator to allow real-life topics to be explored, given the genre's emphasis on narrative. The Overlook Hotel from the 1980 film The Shining, as well as various real-life hotels were used as inspiration for the Timberline's architecture. The developers sought professional advice for the game's depiction of topics such as child sexual abuse and suicide, to portray them with sensitivity.

The game was released in February 2020 for Windows, and in September 2020 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One; it was ported to the Nintendo Switch in October 2021. It received mixed reviews from critics. Its setting and sound design were praised for creating the appropriate atmosphere, with Nicole and Irving's relationship and voice actors also being commended. Conversely, the game's plot and mystery, as well as some gameplay aspects, received a more mixed reception, and critics were polarized by the depictions of child sexual abuse and suicide, Leonard and Rachel's relationship, and the game's ending. The Suicide of Rachel Foster was nominated for various awards, winning Game of the Year at the 2021 DStars.

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