Eastshade

Completely cozy and immersive side quest game. It's just a knockout gorgeous world to explore. They knew exactly what vibe they were going for and just nailed it.

Beautiful, atmospheric, and chill game that has a lot to offer when it comes to exploration, discovery, and narrative. Close to the end of the game I found myself sad that it was going to be over soon, and hoping that I shall play more of games like this in the future. The fact that community guides have a guide called "Games, even remotely, resembling Eastshade" shows that I am far from the only one with such sentiment. Some more polish could probably make it even greater, but that really is nitpicking on my part, it was well worth the asking price as-is. I have thorougly enjoyed my time with it and can strongly recommend it.

Hidden indie gem. Walking simulator with a photography mechanic. Stunningly beautiful. Open-world RPG meets 90's era adventure/mystery game. 15-20 hours long. Buggy. Recommended for fans of cozy games, atmospheric open-worlds, and point & click adventure games. Tags: indie, first-person, open-world, walking simulator, adventure, exploration, mystery, crafting, puzzle, medieval, fantasy, immersive, relaxing, beautiful, nature, simulation, great soundtrack.

No idea what the core gameplay is like because the performance is so bad I had to refund prior to getting into the game proper. Framerate veers wildly from 300 to 60 in the same environment with little to no graphical options in the settings menu. On top of that there's no keyboard controls for the dialogue interactions which is wild given it's a dialogue driven RPG.

A Shallow Walking Simulator Hidden Behind a Pretty Face. While Eastshade promises a serene, combat-free artistic escape, it ultimately falls flat, trading meaningful gameplay for artificial pacing and tedious busywork. What begins as a charming concept quickly devolves into an uninspired walking simulator that prioritizes aesthetics over engagement. Why Eastshade Fails to Deliver Tedious Fetch Quests: The core loop relies entirely on doing favors for unlikable anthropomorphic NPCs. Instead of feeling like a respected artist, you are treated like a glorified errand boy tasked with gathering sticks and twine. Clunky Painting Mechanic: The game’s biggest selling point- the painting- is nothing more than a glorified screenshot tool. You pull up a cropping box, press a button, and watch a progress bar fill up. There is zero artistic creativity or input required from the player. Frustrating Progression Gates: The open world is artificially restricted. Key items like the bicycle or coat are locked behind specific quests, forcing you into slow, repetitive backtracking across the map just to unlock basic mobility. Poor Optimization: For a game that relies heavily on its visual charm, the technical performance is shockingly subpar. Severe frame rate drops, screen tearing, and immersion-breaking visual glitches. Disjointed Tone: The absence of combat doesn't automatically make a game relaxing. A clunky night-time mechanic that forces you to find shelter, introduces an annoying layer of stress that clashes with the game's cozy marketing. Final Verdict: 4/10 Eastshade is a beautiful screensaver masquerading as an open-world adventure. If you want a truly relaxing experience, you are better off taking screenshots in almost any modern RPG rather than slogging through this tedious, poorly optimized chore-fest.

First of all, I just want to say that this game is so freaking beautiful. The visuals and the environment are some of the best I have ever seen in a game. Secondly, if you are looking for action, fast-paced gameplay, and a solid game plot then this is not the game for you. This game is slow-paced, peaceful, relaxing. For me, its helping to slow my quick mind and keep me calm which is barely achievable through most games. The characters are an interesting aspect and were surprisingly fitting for the game. And the soundtrack is stunningly magical. I found this game through an Instagram reel where it was described as "Skyrim without the fighting" and I could not pass that up. Basically, if you are looking for a cosy, adventurous game to get lost in then this is for you!

Pretty awful NGL. Writing sucks, "gameplay" sucks, it doesn't even look that good. Thought i would be traveling around and painting cool things, not preforming dull fetch quests for the most annoying and unlikeable (and terrible voice acting) NPCs around. Go buy some paint yourself and paint, or some crayons and draw, both of those would be better than this POS. Unfortunately, I already bought it, so now i have to get 100% achievements, this is going to suck...