[h1] Had a bad day? [/h1]
Did your car break down in the middle of a road, did you lose your personal things, and get lost in a strange forest? Oh wait, that's exactly what happened to the protagonist! Oh no...
I noticed the demo on Steam Next Fest. It was an unusual format for me, but the demo intrigued me very much, so I waited impatiently for the release of the full version and was very pleased with the result! It exceeded my expectations!
In a nutshell, I decided to... Recommend this game to all my friends!✍️
I strongly advise you to read this story, but you will especially like it if a really cool plot and a very lively text are important to you; and if you're a fan of horror, philosophical themes and [i] yo mom jokes. [/i]
As the developers claim, it’s a mix of various storytelling styles: drama, horror, comedy, but despite everything it still remains a very atmospheric and creepy game.
Along the way, we're accompanied by very vivid characters. They all have their own unique traits and behavioral patterns, and even their speech and fonts used for their lines characterize them. The characters' interactions with the MC or with each other make the world look alive, even if some of them haven't met each other. Cool photos, personalities and crazy designs! You can find a friend for every taste! Introvert and don't like small talks or talking at all? Well, even then, you can find a buddy!
The game stands out among modern hits by fully immersing you in its world, rewarding you with a [b] truly compelling plot. [/b] Getting endings is more than an adventure, it's a real philosophy that allows you to see a complete picture of this story, or look at familiar things from a new perspective, and notice details you might have previously overlooked.
Of course, at first glance, the amount of text may be intimidating, especially in the era of fast content, but give it a chance and it will surprise you! I think even the protagonist is very distinctive and lively, not impersonal, despite the fact we don't see his face. It was very interesting for me to look at the world through his eyes and see how he reacts to the things happening to him. Through his notes, we can draw clear conclusions about him as a person 😏
Each sentence and individual word here has a multi-layered meaning. The text is executed at a high artistic level. Lively text even about the dead forest! You can make different choices, and this will definitely affect the mood of the text you see. Before every important decision, the game will warn you about this serious step. Great attention to detail! Out of interest, I made different choices when getting different endings, and believe me, it wasn't in vain. [b] Is this a BOOK? [/b]
The text is not only easy to read and interesting, [u] but also carries a certain philosophical message. [/u] You would hardly expect this, but the game is not afraid to raise serious topics that require in-depth analysis. I think this is a highlight of the authors' vision, and in their future works we will see the same philosophical elements.
About surprises. Locations can be visited repeatedly, and it is possible to interact with the environment. I should note that even in seemingly plain locations there is a surprise effect. [b] Sleep more, friends!! [/b]
Despite the fact that it's a horror, one of its strengths is humor. Good jokes and comical situations perfectly fit into the overall tone of the narrative and allow you to reduce the tension that has accumulated during the playthrough. Think you’ve just found an easter egg? There is a high probability that this is actually an easter egg. At some point, I lost count and just started enjoying the competent integration of pop culture into a modern work. Don’t be afraid that the game will tire you with its intellectual pressure; references to legendary memes do a good job of reducing the tension in the game. If you didn’t grow up in a cave, then you will definitely recognize them. Were the developers on the internet since its very invention?
[spoiler] (Are there actually references to real cases of missing people? A creepy reminder of what a terrible place we are unlucky to be in 💀) [/spoiler]
About that... Do you think a text-based horror won’t be able to scare you? [b] Stephen King [/b] can go take a walk in the woods, because in addition to a high-quality narrative this game has things that capture your soul. The creepy, oppressive atmosphere, the feeling of being lost and hopeless, the soundtrack, and of course, the jumpscares. But the expressive text plays the main role in the horror.
What a cool OST! Where can I add it to my playlist? I want to listen to it not only in the game 😭😭 The sound design as a whole is a strong point of the game. It perfectly immerses in the world of the forest, and also has well-placed accents, serves as an excellent addition to the already spectacular text. Picking mushrooms is a real thrill, guys 🤤
The atmosphere is mainly reinforced by the vivid art style. It doesn’t comfort you; instead, it scares and creates anxiety. Such cool illustrations! I like that it’s not just a straightforward realism, but the authors' unique vision. Spectacular, give me 14 of them right now!
This is true horror, and the genre’s influence can be seen in literally every aspect of the game. Brrrrr!😱😱
By the way, are you still alive after communicating with the Moth? Then you have to solve a huge number of puzzles if you want to get all the endings. They can be solved if you [strike] haven't dropped out of school [/strike] show a little wit and care. Sometimes I had to brute force, which can be a little confusing, but this way I feel even more connected to the main character, who found himself in a strange and frightening place. [i] At some point in our lives, we all have to brute force..... [/i]
Interface design! A great move for a text adventure to stylize it all as a diary in which the protagonist notes things so quickly. Where did he learn this?? It's cool that we can go back to past notes!
While I was playing, I didn't notice any bugs! There are a lot of things in the game that depend on each other, and at the same time everything works pretty well. In my opinion, this is a very high-level work for an indie game in general and for a debut project in particular.
Technically, this game is just perfect! [i] I'm not sure that a game of this level could be found even in flight... [/i]
I can’t say the game has any real cons, but I do have a couple of wishes, but it's really very subjective!
It was often unclear to me what exactly needed to be solved and for what purpose. If you hurry up and solve everything at once, then you will have to do it again. Don't rush to do extra work! Most of the puzzles are solved logically, but sometimes you need to brute force, it confused me a little bit.
You also run the risk of doing a lot of unnecessary actions if you haven't decided on one route and are trying to get two at the same time, for example. In my opinion, it is worth making the choice of a particular route more distinct.
[spoiler] Developers, please add the option to marry LD🙏🙏 [/spoiler]
I'm very glad that I noticed this game! I think I can call it my favorite now! I wish there were more such thoughtful works on Steam! A very large space for theories and interpretations of the plot! I think this game has the potential to be a hit. I really hope that in the future the studio will keep its bright individual style and we will see many more exciting stories!
[spoiler] I wish... I wish it had a sequel or smth like that! [/spoiler]
