missed messages. — All 4 Endings Guide & Complete Walkthrough

Content Warning: This game contains depictions of and references to suicide and self-harm. Please take care of yourself before and after playing.

missed messages. is a short visual novel by angela he, originally created for Ludum Dare 44 and released on itch.io in May 2019. Rated 4.8/5 stars from over 2,500 players, the game explores themes of depression, connection, and the cost of not paying attention to the people around you. Each playthrough takes 15–30 minutes, and four distinct endings are determined by the small choices you make throughout.

What is missed messages.?

The game begins with a single notification: a goth girl's iPhone has airdropped you a photo. Accept or decline? That first choice sets the tone — a story described by its creator as being about "life, death, & memes." What starts as a light, meme-filled romance slowly reveals itself to be about something much heavier: the things we miss when we are too busy, too distracted, or too afraid to ask if someone is really okay.

missed messages. is available for free (name your price) on itch.io and Steam. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and is also playable in-browser on desktop.

Characters

• You — The player character. A college student in their dorm room, trying to finish work. The entire game is filtered through your attention — or lack of it.
• May — Your neighbor, the girl who airdropped you the photo. She is funny, relatable, and carrying far more than she lets on. How much time and care you give her across the game's runtime determines what happens to her.

Gameplay

missed messages. plays as a linear-branching visual novel. You make a series of small choices — whether to respond to a message, whether to knock on a door, what to say when you do. None of the choices feel obviously high-stakes in the moment. That is the point. The four endings emerge from accumulated decisions, not a single dramatic pivot.

The game is short enough to replay multiple times in a single sitting. The developer recommends discovering the endings organically before looking anything up.

All 4 Endings — Complete Guide (Spoilers)

The four endings are: Missed, Forgive, Hope, and Survivor. Experience them in any order, but consider going in blind first.

Ending 1 — Missed

This ending reflects choosing distraction and avoidance throughout. On your laptop, accept the airdrop. In your conversation with May, respond with: "Send meme back," "Working but can't focus," "Let's see the makeup," "You're the cutest," and "Yes." Close your laptop. When prompted, choose "Why," "Bye," "Let time pass," and "Yes." Click your phone, then click the door. Whether you open the door or call the police, the outcome is the same — you were too late.

Ending 2 — Forgive

This path represents choosing work over connection, but being present enough to face the aftermath. Accept the airdrop, then keep selecting "Go back to work" at every opportunity until you hear voices coming from next door. Click the door facing you and listen. Then return to your laptop and continue selecting "Go back to work" until it goes quiet again. The silence is the ending.

Ending 3 — Hope

The core good ending. Knock on May's door and choose to engage with her fully. Select: "Hang out," "Take a break," "Sky," "I feel you," "How are you?," "What do you mean?," "Things you enjoy," "I'll help you," then "Let time pass." Go to the bathroom by clicking the hallway door. Click on May. When given the choice, select "Are you really okay?" followed by "Hug."

Ending 4 — Survivor

A variation on Hope. Follow the exact same steps as the Hope ending through the bathroom scene. When May says she has to go, click "Ok." When you are then given the option to text her or ignore her — click "text." The small act of reaching out one more time is what changes the outcome.

What the Game Is Really About

Each of the four endings maps to a different version of the same situation: someone near you is struggling, and how you respond — or fail to respond — determines what happens next. Missed is about distraction. Forgive is about absence and its weight. Hope is about showing up completely. Survivor adds one more layer — that the work does not end when you close the door.

The memes and light tone of the opening are not a bait-and-switch. They are part of the game's point: that the moments before a crisis look ordinary. That you can be on your laptop, sending memes, while something serious is happening five feet away.

Tips Before You Play

• Play at least once blind. The game is 15–30 minutes. Going in without a guide on your first run lets the story land as intended.
• The game is desktop-only in browser. It will not run correctly on mobile. Use a computer or download the standalone version.
• You can reach all four endings in under two hours total. After your first blind playthrough, the guide above gives you everything you need to see the remaining endings in any order.
• The bonus goodies file is worth downloading. The itch.io version includes a 24 MB extras package with additional art and materials from angela he.
• Check in on yourself after playing. The content warning is genuine. If you are in a difficult place right now, consider whether today is the right time — or who you might want to call after finishing.

About the Developer

missed messages. was created by angela he for Ludum Dare 44 in 2019. All artwork, writing, and the original soundtrack were made by angela he. The game uses a name-your-price model on itch.io and is also available on Steam (App ID: 812810). It has been one of itch.io's most-recommended mental health-adjacent visual novels since its release, with player comments frequently noting the game helped them talk to someone or reconsider a difficult decision.

Conclusion

missed messages. is one of the most quietly effective short games ever made about mental health and human connection. At 15–30 minutes per run, it asks almost nothing of your time — and uses that brevity to make its point with precision. Four endings, each one a different answer to the same question: were you paying attention?

Accept the airdrop. See what you notice.