Unto the Aurora

[b]Unto the Aurora[/b] is a great game set in late 16th century Scotland, a time I find to be almost entirely unexplored in games. [spoiler] don't say Soulcalibur II & III or I'll kick you in the head. [/spoiler] I think the unfamiliar sea really gets at what [i]you [/i] the player and [i]you[/i] the character might recognize or be unfamiliar with. The player character is a woman persecuted for witchcraft and the primary gameplay is sailing the ocean so as to escape. Though the gameplay is not the most difficult to master, the feeling of the sea fighting your small boat or the need to eat to survive are vital to the story telling, I don't think this would work as a book or a film. There's a strong emotional core to this game, if you let it, even simple elements are very effective [spoiler] "hame" journal made me well up. [/spoiler] The music is also great and really evokes a sense of melancholy and distance that give way to feelings of liberation. I found the use of colour very effective, scene to scene colours change and give a sense of changing visual fidelity. For example, the game starts at night with everything being almost totally black and white, but as you progress colour is used to detail your surroundings, clouds a brilliant white in the frenetic cold, the sea blackens in gloomy depth [spoiler] a warm light washes over you [/spoiler]. Strongly recommended, deeply effecting, and can be finished in an afternoon, buy it now. Edit: No problems playing on Steamdeck and includes a resolution option specifically for it in the settings. Stays above 30fps pretty consistently. Disclosure: I received this game as a gift.

A short game about sailing home. The eerieness mixed with the (very good) music let's you dive deep into the coldness of your thoughts. Definitely worth it.

魔女狩りの標的となった主人公は死罪を逃れるため、一人船を出す。帆船を操り、未知の世界をレンズで確認し、ジャーナルを書く。シンプルなゲームプレイながらセンスの良い画と、未知に対する興奮に満ちたテキストを味わえてとても良かったです。

Well, I don't know. Maybe I played it "wrong", but this was not a "60-90 minute" game for me with "Realistic Sailing" or "Exploration". Maybe because I followed the logbook and only sailed North? I guess if you sail in any other direction then there is "exploration" and maybe even something to find, but it feels pointless if the only clear goal of the game is to escape North, so that's what I did. Aside from a ghost ship, a few whales, a fever dream (only way I can describe it) and a red storm, it was a constant loop of (a) eating a fish, (b) ducking near the oven and (c) correcting the course. It's not hard. It has atmosphere, but it leads nowhere and the ending just happens (literally, I was just crouching near the oven when the epilogue logo appeared). If this were a free game, I would give this a thumbs up for its "artsiness", but for 5€ I expect a lot more game than what is given here.

Interestin' experience this game. We control a boat with a wind sail and gotta keep tabs on our journal along the way. It has survival elements as well. Gotta retreat to heater when character gets cold. There's also fishin' which I didnt get to experience. Int he end, I got stuck at some stars and couldn't figure out whether I should backtrack or not. Still I'm intrigued enough to pick it back up to continue the story. It also helps that it doesn't break the bank. Gameplay Impressions: https://youtu.be/VsR86xgiaf4

Come for the satisfying, realistic sailing mechanics; stay to experience wonder, struggle, and, on the other side, hope. An audio-visual delight, as usual from Arboreta, with evocative music, breathtaking skies, and all manner of cool historical details. Worked great on my Deck.

Such a great game. I was immersed in the feeling of the journey - escaping on a small boat to safe harbour. As with all Arboreta Games titles, it's the environment and atmosphere that really stands out. The music and visuals make the game feel both haunting and cosy, balancing the necessity of survival (catching fish and huddling by your stove in bad weather as you try to steer your boat through the world) with exploration and wonder as you use the spyglass to take note of your surroundings as you journal your journey - as well as some trippy, otherworldly effects that I won't spoil here. I definitely recommend giving it a play.

Сон при температурі -40

short. simple. atmostpheric. interesting.

Une brève expérience narrative avec un peu de mystère et de navigation à bord d'un voilier dans une ambiance historico-fantastique. Un petit jeu aussi court qu'intense, j'ai trouvé ça super réussi à tous points de vue. Mention spéciale pour l'ambiance sonore et la musique. Je vais m'empresser de jeter un oeil aux autres jeux de la même développeuse, qui semblent tout aussi intéressants.