MANDAGON

Wow, this game caught me off-guard. It was such a beautiful and calming experience. I immediately fell in love with the aesthetic and design; the landscape, the architecture, the traditional Tibetan Buddhist iconography and the sound design were just absolutely delightful. You're exploring the Bardo (the transitional state between death and rebirth), slowly ascending and gathering tablets to open the final door, which is guarded by three Buddha statues, a number so relevant in Buddhism that it leaves this part open to many interpretations. It's a small detail but it's appreciated. Along the way, you come across totems that offer words of wisdom. If you put the pieces together, they tell the story of a father and his sick daughter, a parent willing to make the ultimate trade to save his child. The story is not linear and it's definitely not spoon fed to you, but if you stop at every totem, you can connect the dots and come up with your own interpretation. This is just mine. It's a short experience, but it's so much more than a "chill 2D platformer to kill time." There's a profound story here if you're willing to slow down and listen. Honestly, the fact that both the game and the DLC are free feels like a crime; I would happily pay for this. It's been 10y since this game was released and it seems like the studio is no longer active, unfortunately. I'd love to play the sequel they started working on all those years ago! Thanks for making this game.