Anna

Summary

Anna is a 2012 puzzle video game available on Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux. Psychologically unsettling in tone, the game is set in a deserted sawmill located deep in the Italian mountains. Players must uncover disturbing clues and use them to solve puzzles that reveal the protagonist’s dark history. The player’s actions influence the character’s mental state, altering the environment and revealing hidden secrets that lead to multiple endings. On April 13, 2013, the Extended Edition was released, introducing new areas, puzzles, a redesigned interface, additional music, enhanced visuals, and a new character. PLOT: The story follows a man suffering from amnesia who is haunted by dreams of a sawmill near his hometown. Determined to uncover its connection to his lost memories and a mysterious woman named "Anna," he travels to the location and enters the house by solving puzzles in the surrounding garden. As he explores, he encounters strange occurrences that suggest the house is haunted. During his journey, the protagonist hears voices—his own, Anna’s, and others—along with texts scattered throughout the mill. These reveal his past obsession with an ancient deity also named Anna, a figure he has long since forgotten. The narrative remains intentionally ambiguous. One interpretation suggests that in the past, Anna lured men into worship, leading them to commit violent acts or self-starvation in her name. After she seduced the protagonist, he allegedly murdered his wife and children, believing they threatened his devotion. Another interpretation portrays the protagonist as the villain, who falls in love with a human manifestation of Anna in the forest. When she leaves due to his obsessive and abusive behavior, he sacrifices children in an attempt to summon her back. The game features three distinct endings. Unusually, the more effort the player puts into reaching a conclusion, the bleaker the outcome. In the first ending, the protagonist concludes that Anna was burned as a witch centuries ago and vows to leave the house for good. In the second, he becomes consumed by longing for Anna, allowing her to possess him and joining the many mannequins scattered throughout the house. In the third, he remembers killing his wife after she desecrated Anna’s statue and discovers the statue along with dolls of his children in a hidden chamber. As the chamber collapses, he accepts his eternal entrapment, content in the presence of "Anna." The story remains intentionally vague, with the protagonist uncertain whether the events are real or part of a dream. Strange phenomena and disjointed voices further contribute to the game’s enigmatic atmosphere. DEVELOPMENT: Dreampainters, the game’s developer, drew inspiration from local legends in the Val D'Ayas region of Italy, particularly a tale about a lumberjack who murdered his family. The studio emphasized mystery and exploration, allowing players to uncover the story at their own pace. One of Anna’s most notable mechanics—letting players pick up any object, regardless of its future use—was inspired by the developers’ dislike of adventure games and cartoons that highlight key items too obviously. Originally, the game was said to include a system where the player’s actions would be used to scare them—such as making an object appear more frequently if stared at for too long. However, this feature was never implemented. While the developers claimed the protagonist’s descent into madness would affect the ending, the actual conclusion is determined by when the player chooses to leave the sawmill. RECEPTION: Anna received a mixed critical reception. Critics praised the visuals, story, and sound design, but criticized the game for its confusing narrative, complex interface, and challenging puzzles. The horror elements were similarly divisive—IGN felt the lack of death diminished the sense of danger, while Zero Punctuation praised the horror but noted that the need for a walkthrough broke immersion. The game scored 49.13% on GameRankings and 55/100 on Metacritic.

Storyline

The narrative of Anna follows a man suffering from amnesia who is haunted by visions of a sawmill nestled in the mountains near his home. Determined to uncover the link between the location and his lost memories, as well as the presence of a woman named "Anna" who seems to be calling to him, he journeys to the site and gains entry by solving puzzles in the surrounding garden. Strange occurrences soon convince him that the house is indeed haunted. As the hero delves deeper, he begins to hear voices—his own, Anna's, and others—while uncovering texts scattered throughout the mill. These clues reveal his past entanglement with an ancient deity also named Anna, a connection he had long since forgotten. However, the story remains deliberately unclear from this point. One possible reading suggests that in the past, Anna lured men into devotion, leading them to commit heinous acts, such as killing their loved ones or starving themselves at her statue. According to this interpretation, the protagonist, under Anna's influence, killed his wife and children after they threatened his bond with her. Another interpretation flips the narrative, portraying the protagonist as the aggressor who falls in love with a human form of Anna in the forest. When she leaves due to his obsessive and abusive behavior, he resorts to sacrificing children in a desperate attempt to bring her back. The game features three primary endings, each defying the usual pattern—greater effort in reaching an ending results in a more bleak outcome. In the first, the protagonist concludes that Anna was burned as a witch long ago and departs the house, vowing never to return. In the second, he reflects on Anna, accepts his need for her, and allows her to possess him, becoming one of the many mannequins scattered throughout the house. In the final ending, he recalls murdering his wife after she desecrated Anna's statue. He discovers the statue and dolls of his children in a hidden chamber. As the entrance collapses, he realizes he will be trapped there forever—but he no longer cares, for he is reunited with "Anna." The story remains enigmatic, as the protagonist is unsure whether the sawmill is real or part of a dream. The surreal events and disjointed, cryptic voices further contribute to the game's uncertainty.

Screenshots

Release dates by platform

Similar games

Get Even

Nevermind

Rusty Lake Hotel

Figment

Yuppie Psycho

Use Your Words

Judgment: Apocalypse Survival Simulation

Rusty Lake Paradise