Dear Esther | Explained

Welcome to The Game Lore Archives. Today we will be discussing one of the earliest Walking Simulators, Dead Esther. Originally created using Mods in 2008, while the studio The Chinese Room was a research project in University. They then rereleased the project as a game in 2012 (release on console in 2016 titles Dear Esther: Landmark Edition)

Who is Esther, and the other 3 characters discussed? How is the protagonist involved with them? Is the Island we are one real?
Find out today, and as ever subscribe for more Explanations and Lore.

Dear Esther, one of the first walking simulators.
Made in 2008, re-released in 2012, and explained now.

[breadan]

i would argue that the narrator IS paul, and that paul was the driver of the car and esther was his wife. the whole story is him trying to get over his own guilt

[WhiteCavendish]

An interesting theory. I agree with some aspects and disagree with others. Here's what I think: I believe that the narrator is actually Paul, that he is Esther's husband, and that he is the drunk who caused the accident that killed her. He was so wracked with guilt and grief over her death that he had a dissociative break - he separated himself from the identity of Paul. When he speaks of "visiting paul" in his kitchen and "trying to connect" over coffee, he's speaking of being alone with himself and trying unsuccessfully to heal this schism in his mind, this break from himself. The narration of this game, which many criticise as overly flowery and grandiose, actually has many of the hallmarks of the tangental, disordered speech commonly found with psychoses such as schizophrenia, and as the game progresses, the degeneration into raving demonstrates how the infection is causing Paul further confusion and delirium.


I'd like to know the ingame reference for Esther and Paul having visited the island together before. This makes sense narratively, but I think I haven't heard the narration that mentions it. It is definitely mentioned that Paul steals Donelley's book from the library and takes it with him. Tortured by his grief and guilt, Paul sought solace in solitude on this island, intending to remain as a hermit for the rest of his days, and while there, he injured his leg and eventually either committed suicide or died of sepsis from the infection. He also created the paintings of circuit diagrams and neurons, and what I believe are depictions of the fetus of his unborn child (the amoeba looking things) as well as leaving the sleeping bags, suitcases, the suit, books and other traces around the island.


The game, I think, begins after his death, and the island we see as the players is not entirely real. Some traces of Paul's presence are real, concrete objects, like the tent, sleeping bags, suit, etc, while others are ethereal - they are visions, not objects.

Furthermore, I think the most likely identity we play as is actually Esther's spirit, drawn to this island by Paul's letters which he set sail as paper boats. A variation of this is considered a method of sending messages to the dead in some cultures - setting paper lanterns afloat, for example. Esther's spirit is hearing the letters Paul sent her as she walks around the island, seeing some real traces and some symbolic visions, all, essentially, left by Paul. This is why 1. We cannot interact with anything 2. why we cannot see our own reflection in the water, even though other objects are reflected 3. Why when we fall from a cliff or "drown" it's Paul's voice we hear saying "come back, " and finally why at the end as we take flight, we hear Paul saying "come back Esther"

The ghosts seen around the island, I believe, are only one ghost, that of Paul who has become trapped here, in effect leading us through the story of his descent into madness and his death. Paul has become the island in that he has imprinted it, made it into the shrine of his love for Esther and his guilt over her death, and finally, hopefully, his atonement to her. In the end, I think in order to be free, Paul's spirit needs Esther's to walk the same journey he did, so they can be finally reunited as they take flight in the end.

The references to Jakobson and Donelley are Paul identifying with these figures of the past and in a sense using them to come to terms with his own life and death, and that of Esther.

I may have it all wrong, but I feel like this interpretation best fits what we are shown throughout the game.

[karenvanhook]

Your theory is interesting. I tend to think the narrator is a ghost, haunting the island and endlessly ruminating over the accident that killed his wife and his own suicide. I think that what we're supposed to experience as we walk around the island with no ability to affect any objects is the way that this ghost feels, endlessly wandering the island but unable to touch or do anything. I like your explanation of why he's so obsessed with these people Donnelly and Jakobson, and with the history of the island, though.

[ConspiracistLizardMan]

You can hear the sound of a flatline at the end, and the narrator saying “come back”.

[bastrixer]

Say what you want, but the end with that soundtrack just got to me, all the feelings and emotions.
Loved this short little story.

[dnominic]

You didn't mention that it was the NARRATOR that was drunk driving: "...my lack of sobriety", which is the main reason for his guilt.

[EnriqueNuesch]

One chapter of my PhD in Literary Studies is about this. I stumbled on Dear Esther one day and it kept pulsating in the back of my mind. When I was in the research process of my PhD on Digital Literature, suddenly Esther popped out of my memories, and was one hell of example of what can be achieved uniting plot, graphics and interactivity.

[cheyne]

Probably one of the most beautiful ending of a video game I've ever experienced.

[ahorserunning]

Incredible. I've adored this game since it was an original Steam mod, but could never truly grasp the story.("Is the island even real?" ''Who are these other people and what is the importance?") And within a few minutes you managed to lay out every single major point to the game. I'm going to reinstall the latest version and give it another go tonight equipped with the knowledge from this video, and I shall continue to appreciate the game on yet another level. Thanks for coming through on this walking simulator classic

[stahlight]

This game is amazing... It began as suspense and fear of the dark places on the island and the ghosts that wandered to and fro. It devolved to sadness to see a broken man on his last journey, perhaps feeling himself like the Apostle Paul on the way to Damascus. He loved to make Esther cry - he said as much - but perhaps the accident that killed her was the moment when the scales fell from his eyes and he had neither food nor water for 3 days and nights. The chemicals - alcohol and dopamine suggest addiction. And as he makes his last journey he takes us with him on his final hours, that we may learn from what has become of his life. Yea it is he who is truly wracked with guilt over a wife he didn't love... until it was too late...

[fk]

I think the whole island isn’t real. It’s just a metaphor Paul uses to tell the story of his wife Esther dying in a car accident because it would be too hurtful to talk about it directly. The player character is the person the story is being told to. The characters Jakobson and Donnelly represent Esther and him and the symbols on the wall stand for ethanol, indicating that he was drunk driving. So he created this imaginary world in order to escape reality and cope with his guilt. But as the story goes on he mixes up reality and imagination more and more, which is visible for example through the car parts on the island or him seeing the accident underwater. In the end he kills himself because he can’t bear the guilt anymore and to be with Esther.

[michaelpisciarino]

0:22 The Setting
- The Island
- 2 people: Jacobson and Donnelley
- Jacobson Died Just After construction of the Brothy
- Donolley was a writer

0:57 Narrator + Esther
- M5 Car Crash, semi-drunk driver Paul crashes, kills Esther
1:23 Paul kills himself due to guilt
1:38 Health decline, 1 final walk around the Island, connecting book to his life,
1:45 Narrator ends his long life

[Riververchi]

Actually the Jacobson part is not correct. He died not after he has finished the construction, but after he even already had his animals, particularly goats, from whom some unknown disease was transferred and was the cause of his death.

[redoberon]

I liked dear esther because there is a wide range of posible interpretations and all of them can be right (said by the developers). I myself think that the only characters in the story are the protagonist, who is both paul and jacobson, and the wife who is both esther and donnelly. You crash the car and she dies, and the whole time you are in a coma in a hospital trying to redeem yourself.

[stacymitchell]

So you're just gonna ignore how their names are Paul Jackobson and Esther Donnelly which brings the number of characters from five down to two? Also it is never implied that's your wife or even girl, it could be your sister or anyone realy

[joshw]

Thanks man! very helpful! btw you have a great voice for commentary!

[MeggieJones]

Thank you for explaining this! I played EGTTR, but never completed it due to messing up somewhere along the line, but I don't know where so I can't fix it and carry on. I think they're absolutely beautiful games!

[coltenriggs]

To save you all a headache play the game with the commentary directory on. You'll actually find out what happened instead of hearing a theory.

[repo]

Your story line is too simple. For example as the narrator climbs the tower he mentions Esther Donnelly and Paul Jakobson, clearly there is much more to the story and the characters than you say. I don't think even the creators know exactly what's it about.

[damianmarkland]

Only game that's ever made me cry.