SEASON: A letter to the future is a single-player, third-person exploration game about collecting memories before a mysterious cataclysm changes the world. Its appeal is in the unhurried ride, the valley’s people and history, and the small discoveries you preserve in a journal—not in an action-driven challenge. It is a strong fit if you enjoy contemplative story games and careful observation; its measured pace is a meaningful limitation if you want frequent mechanical demands.
What is SEASON: A letter to the future?
Developed and published by Scavengers Studio, SEASON follows a protagonist who leaves home to gather memories before a coming cataclysm. The bicycle journey brings you through a valley, where its landscapes, inhabitants, and history give shape to what may soon be lost. The premise is less about stopping the disaster than about paying attention to a place and preserving traces of it.
That focus is also reflected in the game’s tools. Creative Director Kevin Sullivan described them as a way to examine the world closely enough to understand “the culture, history, and ecology underneath it all.” PlayStation.Blog, January 12, 2023.
What do you do during the journey?
The central loop combines travel with documentation. You ride through the valley, explore locations, meet characters, take photographs, record audio, and arrange discoveries in a customizable journal. These activities make observation the main form of interaction: the camera and recorder encourage you to notice details, while the journal gives those details a personal record.
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- Time-Travel Trick-Taking Twist: Players compete across 3 rounds, spending fuel rods to alter digital card values by rotating them or modifying their segments mid-trick.
- Resource Management Strategy: Winning tricks consumes unspent fuel; if you win more tricks than your remaining unspent fuel rods, you become "Lost in Time" and score zero points for the round.
- Dynamic Scoring Outcomes: Earn bonus points for collecting spent fuel rods during a Safe Journey, double your score by matching tricks to remaining fuel in a Perfect Journey, or score points via Inoperative machines when winning zero tricks.
- Scalable Player Deck Setup: Accommodates 2 to 5 players using scaled deck rules, custom card counts, and variable starting fuel supplies per player.
- High Replayability & Fast-Paced Gameplay: Plays in approximately 40 minutes for ages 12 and up, combining classic suit-following mechanics with strategic card-altering tactical play.
The approach will appeal most if collecting impressions feels satisfying in its own right. The game’s official feature description emphasizes exploration, photography, audio recording, journaling, and emotionally complex characters; it does not present the experience as an action-focused or systems-heavy adventure. That distinction helps set expectations, but it is not a substitute for a firsthand assessment of every mechanic’s depth.
Does the slow pace work?
The deliberate rhythm is central to SEASON, not a brief stretch before a more conventional adventure takes over. Riding and looking around leave room for the setting and character encounters to register. For players who enjoy quiet travel, reflective storytelling, and documenting a world, that pace can make the journey feel intimate.
Rank #2
- Brand: Dr.Collector
- Escape board game
- Country of Origin: ES
For others, the same calm can feel slow. If you expect frequent combat, demanding challenges, or a large world full of interlocking systems, the premise and official feature set point toward a different kind of game. The useful question is not whether the pace is objectively too slow, but whether you want to spend your time observing and recording rather than overcoming repeated obstacles.
Is it a good story game?
SEASON is positioned as a narrative-led exploration game, with the story carried by the threatened valley, the people you encounter, and the memories you choose to preserve. Its storytelling premise should suit players drawn to atmosphere, place, and character meetings. The available official descriptions support that characterization, but they do not establish a broad critical consensus or justify a universal verdict on the writing’s quality.
Rank #3
- TIME TRAVEL: Prepare for a DeLorean-fuelled race against time to prevent Marty McFly’s future from fading away! Players take on the roles of major characters from the blockbuster movie that launched the time traveling trilogy and helped define the 1980s
- COOPERATIVE: Players work together to defeat Biff and his trouble-making gang while ensuring Marty’s parents fall in love and the DeLorean accelerates to 88 mph in time to blast Back to the Future
- CHARACTERS: Filled with cinematic touchstones and fun strategic choices, this is the game fans have been waiting for - Play as Marty McFly, Doc Brown, Jennifer Parker, or Einstein
- EXCITING RACE: Cooperative gameplay pits players against Biff and his gang, the game brings major movie plot points to life in an exciting race against time
- MAJOR EVENTS: Features a 3D clock tower used as a dice tower for DeLorean movement! Resolve all Major Events before the three McFly children disappear from the photo and you win the game!
Steam’s official listing displayed a “Very Positive” user-review rating when accessed in 2026: 93% positive from 1,835 total reviews and 90% positive from 11 recent reviews. Those are changing Steam user-review aggregates, not a critic score, and the recent sample is small. Check the live listing for the current figures rather than treating these as a permanent rating. Steam store listing.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Platforms and release date
Steam lists the PC release date as January 31, 2023. PlayStation’s US product page lists the game for PS4 and PS5. Current prices, subscription access, and regional availability can change, so confirm those details on the relevant store page for your region. PlayStation Store (US).
Quick Recap
Best Value
- BACK IN STOCK! - The Back to the Future Game everybody is raving about!
- Celebrate the 35th Anniversary of the groundbreaking franchise and join Marty McFly, Doc Brown and a time traveling DeLorean-fueled adventure of a lifetime!
- Play as Marty McFly, Doc Brown, Jennifer Parker, or Einstein
- Game brings major movie plot points to life in an exciting race against time
- Cooperative gameplay pits players against Biff and his gang
Rank #4
- What You Get: 1 game board, 4 player mats, 4 DeLorean movers, 4 Biff standees and plastic bases, 16 dice, 72 Event cards, 20 Item cards, 20 Paradox tokens, 24 Einsteintokens, 1 OUTATIME marker and plastic base, 1 First Player marker, and instructions
- Perfect for Back to the Future Fans: Incorporates key events from the complete filmtrilogy.
- Immersive Gameplay: Recreates film pacing, drawingplayersinto the Back to the Future storyline
- Makes a Wonderful Gift:Back to the Future: Dice Through Timeis perfect fortwo tofour playersages10 and upand plays in 45 minutes to an hour
- Easy to Learn: Learn to play using the YouTube video tutorial by Watch It Played
Who should play SEASON?
- Consider it if you like meditative exploration, narrative games built around place and character, and the satisfaction of photographing, recording, and arranging what you find.
- Be cautious if you need a brisk pace, frequent mechanical challenges, or a world driven by complex systems. The game’s official pitch centers on observation and memory-making instead.
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