Half Away

Gioco creato da un team davvero giovane e talentuoso, il gioco scorre molto fluido e lo stile puzzle game aggiunge quel pizzico di difficoltà e sfida che lo rende un ottimo indie

*UPDATED* Half Away is a cozy indie game, which shares a lot with Ookami and other PS2-era titles. I have to prise the art style and music, as they help conveing the spiritual essence of its fantasy world. Little spirits were super funny to interact with! All 4 endings gave me satisfying answers regarding the quick, yet rich adventure... also some hope in a future sequel ;) At launch, I had to face quite some frustrating technical bugs during my playthroughs. The development team has listened to my suggestions, and fixed them in a very short time! Congrats to Better Half for their first project, and I hope to see more from them in the (near) future ;)

A stunning world, deep story—"Bibbidi bop! Wabba wibba!" The puzzles? Smart. "Hoo chaka! Brrp brrp!" But sometimes slow. "Egh? Too much walky!" The music? "Ooooh! Hama waba!" But movement? "Fweep! No no no!" That final choice? "Bop! Yibbi yibbi! AHHH!" "Zzzzt! Wahaha! 8/10!"

An unexpectedly good game for a first project of a small student team. The creativity, aesthetics, and music are great. While there are a few bugs and the gameplay isn’t always smooth, this game is a really strong starting point!

interessante e piacevole da giocare, mi piace il design dei personaggi e le musiche ascoltate finora

Great game for being their first one. Loved the characters, the narrative and the art part in general. I really got the vibe, the awesome music was also a big part of the experience. Some puzzles are great too, but there are some problems like cameras, main character movement, and sometimes the journal can be pretty buggy. A fun brief experience overall.

As indie as it gets. Good: - nice visual style - chill and comfy to play - short and to the point - worth the time and money spent (costs almost nothing on sale) Bad: - bugs - some typos - launched the game twice. first was quite poor optimization-wise, second had no problem at all, weird - not enough attention to detail and understanding of game design (screams "first game", as stated both in-game and here on the store page) - story and lore reach for a depth the game can’t support. the writing wants to be weighty but isn’t strong enough to pull it off in a 2.5-hour experience - audio puzzles are a crime against humanity Overall, some honest jank from a first-time dev team, which doesn't make it objectively good. Not for everyone, not for no one. Know what you're getting into and you may just enjoy it.

Nice visuals, but unfortunately it's a story-heavy puzzle game where the story is poorly translated (English is not the first language of the devs, Italian is) and the puzzles themselves suck. There's a section of the game called The Nest where everything falls apart as you're supposed to follow footprints of someone who is invisible except the footprints stop spawning near the end of the puzzle. Supposedly an update was released to fix this some time back, but I still ran into this bug and it took me about 30 minutes of retrying the puzzle over and over again before the footprints started to finally spawn. It is clear there is passion and talent here and I'd like for these folks to try again using this game as a learning experience. Great soundtrack and nice Okami style visuals, just unfortunately a short, poor, uninteresting experience. Full video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPjg5-mnTsM

Half Away è un gioco nuovo, fresco e originale, capace di distinguersi grazie a uno stile artistico affascinante e ben definito. Ogni sezione ha un’identità visiva unica, arricchita da ambientazioni evocative, personaggi memorabili e una colonna sonora che immerge il giocatore in un’atmosfera sospesa tra il [b] limbo [/b] e la realtà. L’uso del colore, l’illuminazione e la composizione delle ambientazioni sono studiati per guidare il giocatore, in generale creando un’esperienza che sembra fluida e naturale. Proprio come quei giochi che ti portano da un puzzle all’altro senza farti mai sentire bloccato, facendoti credere di essere un genio quando trovi la soluzione… giochi con un design così perfetto che quasi non te ne accorgi. Il gameplay, dei nani, si concentra sull’esplorazione e sulla risoluzione di enigmi, con una forte componente narrativa. Gli enigmi sono semplici e intuitivi, richiedono logica e attenzione per l’ambiente circostante. È sempre bello vedere giochi che riescono a raccontare una storia attraverso il gameplay, sfruttando lo spazio e la fisica in modi intelligenti, no? Anche se, beh… quando si parla di enigmi basati sulla fisica e di narrazione ambientale, è impossibile non pensare a quel gioco. Quel gioco che ha ridefinito il genere, che ha creato stanze di test così impeccabili da sembrare scolpite nella matematica stessa. Certo, in alcuni punti si nota la necessità di una maggiore rifinitura: qualche bug qua e là, qualche sezione meno curata. Ma è normale, no? Non tutti i videogiochi possono essere PERFETTI. Soprattutto per chi ha appena iniziato a farli. Non tutti possono avere un level design studiato al millimetro, dove ogni stanza è un CAPOLAVORO di game design e narrazione ambientale. Non tutti possono avere [b] [u] UNA SCRITTURA CHE SAREBBE DOVUTA ESSERE INCISA SU TAVOLE DI PIETRA E CONSERVATA PER LE GENERAZIONI FUTURE. [/u] [/b] Oh, ma non fermiamoci qui. Half Away ha qualche bug? Qualche sezione meno rifinita? Come primo videogioco del team è UN OTTIMO LAVORO. E dimmi, amico mio, invece in Portal 2 hai mai trovato un bug? NO. Perché non esistono. Portal 2 non ha bug. Portal 2 È perfetto. Non è un videogioco, è un’esperienza di vita. Portal 2 è un 10/10 OGGETTIVO. Anzi, 11/10. NO, 200/10. Il giocatore che tocca Portal 2 non gioca, [b] TRASCENDE [/b] . Il cervello si connette direttamente a un piano superiore di esistenza. Non esiste più il tempo, non esiste più la realtà. Esisti solo TU, IL PORTALE BLU E IL PORTALE ARANCIONE. [b] E GLaDOS che ti insulta mentre vivi l’esperienza più perfetta della tua misera esistenza. [/b] Half Away è un titolo che merita di essere provato. Ma alla fine della giornata, quando avrai chiuso il gioco, spento il PC e guardato il soffitto in silenzio… nel profondo del tuo cuore, SAPRAI che UN solo gioco brilla come [b] IL SOLE NELL’OLIMPO VIDEOLUDICO. E quel gioco è PORTAL 2. [/b] Non c’è altro. Nulla che possa avvicinarsi a questa opera divina. E ti sentirai strano, come se avessi appena lasciato una dimensione per un’altra, una dimensione più perfetta. La tua vita non sarà più la stessa, e lo sai. [b] Lo SAI. [/b]

Half Away is a narrative-driven puzzle adventure that immerses players in a beautifully surreal realm inspired by both Slavic mythology and Japanese folklore. Blending emotional storytelling with mystical exploration, the game follows the journey of Juna, a young woman who awakens inside a mysterious forest with fragmented memories and no understanding of how she arrived there. The only thing she remembers clearly is the feeling of being seriously ill before losing consciousness. As confusion slowly turns into realization, Juna discovers she has entered Limbo, a spiritual realm inhabited by wandering souls, forgotten beings, and ancient entities hidden between life and death. Unlike traditional fantasy adventures focused on combat or action-heavy progression, Half Away builds its identity around atmosphere, emotional introspection, and the relationships formed between humans and spirits. Limbo is portrayed as a fractured and dreamlike world filled with forgotten ruins, sacred forests, abandoned pathways, and hidden corners where spirits quietly linger. Every environment carries a sense of mystery and melancholy, making exploration feel deeply personal rather than simply objective-driven. The world itself feels alive with memories, whispers, and emotions waiting to be uncovered. At the center of the experience is Juna’s unique ability known as Resonance, a supernatural power that allows her to hear the hidden voices of objects, places, and spiritual echoes left behind within the environment. Through this ability, ordinary objects become gateways into forgotten stories and concealed truths. A broken lantern may reveal traces of sorrow from a lost spirit, while abandoned belongings can expose fragments of the lives once connected to them. These discoveries are carefully documented in Juna’s journal, gradually helping players piece together both the mysteries of Limbo and the emotional histories tied to its inhabitants. The game strongly emphasizes storytelling over traditional gameplay complexity. While puzzles are present throughout the journey, they serve primarily as extensions of the narrative rather than major obstacles designed to challenge players mechanically. Most puzzles revolve around observation, environmental interaction, and using Resonance to uncover hidden clues that reveal pathways forward. Friendly spirits often assist Juna during these moments, offering guidance and helping her overcome supernatural barriers tied to Limbo’s fragmented nature. This design creates a slower and more reflective pace where emotional immersion remains the primary focus. One of the most compelling aspects of Half Away is its branching narrative structure. As Juna encounters different spirits and uncovers the deeper truths surrounding Limbo, players are repeatedly asked to make choices that shape both her personal journey and the fate of the spiritual world around her. Some decisions affect individual spirits struggling with unresolved pain, while others influence the fragile relationship between the world of the living and the dead. These choices gradually lead the story toward four distinct endings, each reflecting different emotional outcomes and perspectives on life, death, and belonging. The themes explored throughout the adventure are deeply human despite the supernatural setting. Loss, loneliness, healing, regret, and acceptance all play major roles in shaping the narrative. Juna’s journey is not simply about escaping Limbo, but also about understanding herself and confronting the emotions tied to her forgotten past. The game quietly asks whether returning to life is truly the only path forward, or if there is meaning in remaining within Limbo to help the wandering spirits trapped between worlds. Visually, the game embraces a soft and atmospheric art direction inspired by folklore and spiritual fantasy. The environments feel delicate and haunting at the same time, blending vibrant natural beauty with an underlying sense of sadness and isolation. Spirits are portrayed with unique visual identities that reflect their personalities and histories, helping every encounter feel memorable. Combined with subtle lighting and dreamlike scenery, the presentation reinforces the emotional tone of the story remarkably well. The soundtrack also plays a significant role in building immersion. Gentle melodies, ambient sounds, and emotionally restrained musical themes accompany exploration through Limbo, enhancing both quiet moments of reflection and more emotionally intense scenes. Rather than overwhelming the player with dramatic orchestration, the audio remains subtle and intimate, allowing the emotional weight of the narrative to take center stage. Half Away is intentionally designed as a compact experience rather than a massive open-world adventure. Created by a small indie studio, the game focuses on delivering a concise but meaningful journey where every interaction contributes to the atmosphere and emotional progression of the story. Its shorter runtime works in its favor because the pacing remains focused, allowing the narrative themes and character moments to leave a stronger impact without unnecessary filler. Ultimately, Half Away offers a heartfelt and emotionally driven adventure centered around mystery, spiritual connection, and self-discovery. By combining folklore-inspired worldbuilding, narrative exploration, environmental storytelling, and meaningful player choices, the game creates an experience that feels intimate and reflective rather than traditionally heroic. It is less about overcoming enemies and more about understanding the fragile emotions connecting both the living and the dead. For players who appreciate story-focused adventures with atmospheric worlds and emotional themes, Half Away promises a memorable journey through a haunting realm suspended between life, memory, and spirit. Rating: 7/10