Love, Sam: Is it Love or Obsession? 

Do you remember those silly crushes you used to have in high school? Those crushes that at the time felt so full of love, felt like they were the only thing that mattered in the world?

That obsession—the need to be loved—is expressed masterfully in Love, Sam, a video game released in May 2019 and developed by Korean Linguistics Lab. This single-player horror experience takes roughly two hours. If you dare to venture into the mind of someone blinded by obsession, you can find Love, Sam on these platforms: Steam and Windows.

It All Started With a Boy

Love, Sam is a story-driven game that has the player sit at a desk and read through a diary. In this diary, you learn the darkest secrets of the person you’re playing as, and that they’re in love with a boy named Bryan. Now sitting at a desk and reading may sound boring, but I can assure you it’s not. 

During this time of sitting at the desk, you’re stuck, wondering what could possibly be happening behind you. There is no way to turn around and look, not unless you get up. 

Just because you can’t see doesn’t mean you can’t hear. The player can hear many noises behind them and is left to wonder what they could be. 

Then the game forces you to stand and explore. That’s when you discover what’s really been going on behind you. From delirious drawings to a shadowy figure hunting you down, there’s always something lurking, waiting to catch you off guard. 

Every Step You Take, I’ll Be Watching You

In the beginning, you don’t get much on the playable character. You only learn what’s written in the diary pages. At the end of each diary entry is the same sign off—“Love, Sam”—leaving you to draw the conclusion that you are playing as Sam.

As you play, you learn there is something not right about this character you are playing as. Sam isn’t who you think they are. They seem obsessed over their crush, Bryan, and slowly this pit grows in your stomach as you realize this isn’t just a normal high school crush; Sam is a stalker. 

The further you read in the diary, the more obvious it becomes that the character you are playing has an unhealthy attachment to Bryan. You also discover that this person is reliving what drove them apart from Bryan. 

The Things I Do For Love

Within the diary are moments where the text tells the future. Entries will begin with the retelling of something from the past and end with certain cues. For example, one entry ends with the interruption of knocking at the door. When you flip that page, there’s a knock that comes from the door behind you. 

This forces the player to get up and confront whatever demons lurk in the character’s apartment. The moving mechanics in Love, Sam are rather simple, and there’s nothing too complicated that you, as a player, must do. There are a few confusing chase sequences, but outside of that, Love, Sam truly is a story-driven game. 

Just because Love, Sam focuses on its story doesn’t mean its scares don’t make chills run down your spine. Love, Sam uses its unique way of telling its story in a diary to its advantage. Pages are covered in creepy drawings — drawings that sometimes come to life and hide in your peripheral vision. 

Love, Sam lets your paranoia grow and grow until eventually you reach the climax of the story and everything explodes.

Love Drives You Mad

Love, Sam sets up and executes its narrative masterfully. The player gets to piece things together the way they want to, and that is what makes the twist of Love, Sam so effective. Love, Sam leads you in one direction when you really should’ve been heading elsewhere. 

Everything I’ve explained about the story so far makes it seem like Love, Sam is straightforward; it’s far from it. Yes, the character you play as is a stalker. Yes, there’s a falling out between them and their crush because of something they did. But just when you think you have everything pieced together, the game throws a wrench into your taped-together narrative. 

It’s this twist that makes Love, Sam such a powerful and eye-opening game. Love, Sam leaves you with this empty hole in your chest after you're done playing. A pit that makes you pity the character you play and almost has you forgive their heinous acts as a stalker. 

At its core, Love, Sam is about love, but not in the way you think. This theme is even more visible in the multiple endings. Each ending has a new message to leave the player thinking or absolutely devastated. 

Till Death Do Us Part

I didn’t expect much from Love, Sam. It's a simple-looking horror game. It's the developer's—Korean Linguistics Lab—debut game, and they created something so profound in such little time. Love, Sam is a game that will forever stick with me. I sat down to play and the compelling story had me seated the whole time.

If you dare to dive into the burning passion that is love, Love, Sam will take your definition of love and make you question everything. But most of all, Love, Sam will unsettle you to your core. So, take a deep breath, cozy up in some blankets, and get ready for a story that will haunt you forever.

Love,

Sam

My Rating