Common Sense Media Review
By Chad Sapieha
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Heavy RPG tackles teen depression, self-harm, suicide.
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Omori
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 11 parent reviews
Based on 29 kid reviews
Kids say this game skillfully explores dark themes such as depression and suicide through the story of a young boy named Sunny, who struggles with his mental health following his sister's tragic death. Many reviews emphasize that while the game contains heavy topics, it also delivers valuable messages about friendship, coping, and personal growth, making it suitable for mature players, particularly adolescents who can process its complex emotions.
- dark themes
- mental health
- friendship lessons
- suitable for teens
- emotional maturity
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's It About?
In OMORI, players assume the role of Sunny, an Asian American teenager grappling with depression, anxiety, and guilt, which causes his psyche to break in two. When this happens, he enters a fantasy headspace and becomes Omori, a dark version of Sunny who seems intent on punishing himself. The game is split between these real and fantasy worlds, with disturbing details about Sunny's past surfacing slowly as the story progresses. Sunny/Omori spends much of his time with friends, and the group gets into plenty of fights with strange enemies ranging from monster bunnies and slime girls to robot worms and even the Earth itself. Players must pay attention to each party member's emotions (they can be sad, angry, and happy, with each state carrying perks and disadvantages) as they use attacks and skills ranging from headbutts and body slams to more creative actions, such as reading a poem to induce sadness or mocking a foe to reduce its attack power. The decisions players make throughout the story will change how the tale ends both for Omori and for his companions.
Is It Any Good?
This is essentially a mental health simulator that takes players on an intense and emotional journey. Omori is, at times, very bleak, as it follows Sunny, a deeply troubled teen who is struggling to deal with his unresolved trauma and psychological issues. The game time spent in Omori's head can be frightening, psychologically grueling, and visually gruesome, with scenes serving as metaphors for what his real-world self is experiencing. And his time in the real world—especially near the end of the game as secrets are revealed and the story plays out to one of several endings—can be just as brutal.
Despite its heavy themes, there are also spots of genuine (if rather dark) humor, particularly during the combat scenes. What other game lets you choose to use a skill called "the painful truth" to damage an enemy and then cause both the enemy and the hero to become sad? Or choose to "annoy" a fellow party member to purposefully make them angry? These serve as a clever way to inject a bit of comic relief in what might otherwise be too relentlessly a depressing adventure, as well as mask what is actually a pretty basic and derivative turn-based battle system. That said, Omori is far from a lighthearted game, and players, regardless of age, should ensure they're in a healthy mental headspace before beginning.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Omori handles themes around mental health. The game tackles issues such as depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide head on, and what can happen when mental health issues aren't properly treated. Do you think it handles them well? Sensitively? Who do you turn to for help when you're feeling sad or anxious?
Discuss the game's violence. How did the game's simple hand-drawn images compare to the hyper-realistic gore found in some other games? Was it more or less impactful? What's the impact of media and screen violence on children?
Game Details
- Platforms : Nintendo Switch , Windows , Mac
- Pricing structure : ($22.99)
- Available online? : Available online
- Publisher : OMOCAT, LLC.
- Release date : December 25, 2020
- Genre : Role-Playing
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Friendship
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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