There Was the Moon

Truly an experience. The game drops you in the middle of something bigger than you, and as you travel the mind-bending ambient landscape, performing a ritual through environmental puzzles and exploration that leaves you in mystery, the story unravels in front of you. It truly is a visual and story-telling masterpiece. Though short, it will keep you engaged and wanting more until the end. Prepare for a calming, yet slightly creepy, jaunt in a world not quite like our own.

The game definitely soars on its atmosphere. The art direction and sound/music design are top notch. Puzzles were too easy for my taste, but there were a couple clever ideas in there. I didn’t find either of the endings to be narratively compelling, but the bizarre visual concepts certainly didn’t make them boring either. Kind of a mixed bag overall, the sort of game you have to be in the mood for. Fortunately, I was.

Wow, I really liked this! The environments are mysterious and intriguing, and the entire mood that the game sets is very effective. Was stuck briefly on a "puzzle" that ended up not being one at all (I had missed an item), but it was a smooth and very thematic experience apart from that. If you think you'd like this, then it's absolutely worth checking out.

Fantastic style and wonderfully relaxing. The puzzles are simple, but not simple enough to be tedious. The mood and pacing keeps me engaged. I haven't finished it yet, but can't wait to dive back into it. Overall the game is a little janky, but as a solo developer, it still impressive and I can't wait to see how Ben progresses as a game designer/story teller for their next project!

Довольно сюрреалистично, наркоманисто и таинственно. Огорчает отсутствие русского языка. Есть интересные и не очень головоломки. Проходится быстро, примерно за час. Понравились интересные и красивые локации. Любителям психоделики должно зайти)

The game, while short, is beautifully built. The aspect ratio is a bit off putting at first but you get used to it quickly and it adds a subtle layer to the immersion. There is a dreamy, uncanny feeling that is hard to describe but works wonder. I don't know how much developpement went into the game so I don't want to undermine the devs work but the price feel a bit steep for less than an hour of gameplay. That being said the experience was really wonderful and if you're into liminal space and brutalism, it's worth picking up.

I've always loved these kinds of puzzle game/walking simulators; these surreal, experimental journeys through strange places and structures, piecing together the story through the bits you find, if there is a story to begin with. This game reminds me so much of Kairo, but it brings out a unique atmosphere of its own. Unfortunately due to it being on the short side, roughly around two hours, I'm hard pressed to say it's worth the 10 dollars (Maybe wait for it to go on sale at best). It's a small shame too, because I would LOVE to learn more about the world this game takes place in, explore the temple even further, solve more puzzles, and just be utterly absorbed in the mystical vibe this game gives off. If this kind of game is you're thing, though, it's worth a try!

So this game is quite good in terms of being a well constructed, mysterious sort of science fiction walking simulator. The world on display here reminds the player of Naissance and Fugue in Void, although probably more so the latter. There's no way this game's content could match the massive, epic sprawl of the alien architecture in Naissance. Still, the developer did a nice job of creating a game that takes you on an interesting journey, one that spans a good dozen or so levels. A few years ago on Steam, I remember a store page advertising a game called "EGO," that looked like it could be a follow up or spiritual successor to Naissance. I kept my eye on it but it never released and then, as far as I know, the store page finally just disappeared. Just by chance, I spotted a review for There Was the Moon and it sounded so interesting I followed up on it and I'm glad I did. Initially, I wondered if this was the aforementioned game, "EGO," but revised and reworked under a new title. I have no idea, but this is an example, IMHO, of a walking simulator done right. My one and only complaint is that a few of the puzzles have really obscure solutions. But it's almost the sort of thing you can succeed in solving through simple trial and error. I consulted a walk through a couple of times but was then able to proceed easily with no further problems at all. Congrats to the developer on this. It would be nice if there were more games like this out there, that are put together as well as this is. It's not a long game, as you can see from the play times. If that sort of thing bothers you, probably try and wait for a sale. But otherwise, in my view it's worth full price.

I will say that the art is fantastic. Game mechanics weren't super intuitive (at least not to me) and it became unplayable. I wish I could have played more but I would still recommend this game for the atmosphere alone.

Very meaningful and visually appealing game