Valley of Shadow

Every once in a while, a game comes out that leaves you feeling its effects for days on end. Valley of Shadow is one of those games. At its core, it's a first person puzzle game with some unique mechanics that rely on perspective, logic, and observation. It teaches you the puzzle language without explicit instruction, instead utilizing tutorial puzzles that teach the mechanics in their simplest forms. As the game progresses, you are presented with increasingly more difficult challenges, culminating in a clever twist of the puzzle ideas as they begin to weave their way from fantasy into reality. But Valley of Shadow is more than just a puzzle game. Underlying the puzzles is a deeply personal narrative that aims to tell the story of childhood trauma, family tragedy, depression, self-destruction, and rebirth. It connects you to a family's true story like no other game I have ever played. It is beautiful, sad, horrible, and wonderful all at the same time. If you want a game that will leave you sitting in silence for minutes on end as you contemplate the journey you just experienced, then please give Valley of Shadow a try. You can see the love and dedication that went into its creation. It might be a two-person development team, but the game is polished and easily playable with a controller. It also rewards discovery with some fun surprises, so don't be afraid to explore every nook for extra puzzles and floppy disks.

Valley of Shadow is a unique game about loss, healing, and family that blends an emotional narrative with thought-provoking puzzles. As you journey through the temples of light, force, and fire, solving puzzles with your magical staff, you'll uncover details of the protagonist’s childhood, his relationships, and the traumatic event that has led him to explore the vaults of forgotten memories. The game contrasts the mysterious, ambient atmosphere of the temples with exploration of the family home, filled with nostalgic references to '90s video games, as well as real family photos and home videos. I found the puzzles both challenging and satisfying. There are also a number of optional, more difficult puzzles that don't hinder progress in the main storyline if you're unable to solve them. The narrative unfolds entirely through a therapy session between the protagonist and his therapist. While the story can be heavy at times—tackling themes like generational trauma and depression—it’s balanced by the therapist's retorts and challenges to the protagonist's views. Ultimately, the story is hopeful and bittersweet. If you enjoyed the unsettling, deeply human stories of Gone Home or What Remains of Edith Finch, or the mind-bending puzzles of The Talos Principle or Portal, Valley of Shadow is well worth a try!

This game is a deep dive into the developer's life. You'll split your time between their real world experience & a fantasy world, used as a tool to deep dive into the past. The fantasy world is full of nostalgic game references & complicated puzzles & is fun to get lost in while you walk around taking it all in. It's definitely one of the most unique game experiences I've had. Definitely recommend.

I'm a huge fan of first person puzzle games and literary memoirs. This game is a great FP puzzle game and a heartfelt memoir, all in one. Think of Portal, Q.U.B.E., The Turing Test, and The Spectrum Retreat and then add heartbreaking memoir and you get Valley of Shadow. There's really great puzzles, a good story...and collectibles! I don't normally like collectibles in puzzle games, but it's fun to find the pictures in this game because they are of the people who made the game and are telling the story. If you like puzzle games, definitely get this one! I have not completed it yet, and I'll edit my review as I make progress. So far it's great!

[h3] 당신이 이 글을 읽는다면, 산의 정상에서 뵙기를 [/h3] 인생이라는 게, 마치 꿈과도 같아서 처음부터 끝까지 행복할 수만 있다면야 참 좋겠지만. 그렇지만 인생은 그리 흘러가지 않는다. 불행에 이유가 있을 필요는 없다. 큰 불행, 그러니깐 파괴적인 불행은 그저 발생했다는 사실 그 자체만으로도 존재의 이유가 충분하다. 아버지가 되어서 매일 아들에게 웃어줄 수 있다면 얼마나 좋을까. 아들 가진다는 것만으로 내가 더 좋은 사람이 될 수 있다면 얼마나 좋았을까. 피던 담배로 끊고, 술도 덜 마시고, 아이 엄마한테 더 잘해주고. 자기 전에 사랑한다고 말해주고 이마에 가벼운 키스를 한 다음 아이 엄마와 함께 평화로운 잠에 들었다면 얼마나 행복했을까. 그녀가 어려울 때 의지할 수 있는 기둥이 되어줬더라면. 아들이 방황할 때 단단하게 잡아줄 수 있었더라면. 싸울 시간에 한 번이라도 더 미소를 지어줬더라면 이렇게까지 아프진 않았을지도 모르는 일이다. 길을 가다가 하늘을 보고 한숨 돌릴 여유가 없던 탓일까. 왜 모든 게 산산조각이 나도록 방치했을까. 하지만 이미 일은 벌어졌다. 누굴 탓할 수 있겠는가? 탓하고 싶다는 마음이 든다면 당신은 그림자 계곡의 바닥을 헤매야 한다. 원망스러운가? 화가 나는가? 도망치고 싶고 무시하고 싶고, 머릿속은 짜증으로 가득하면서 하루하루가 지날 때마다 죽을 이유를 일기장에 하나둘 늘리고 있는 것은 아닌가? 난 설명할 수 없다. 하지만 안다. 이 계곡에서 빠져나갈 수 있는 방법은 딱 세 가지가 존재한다. 사랑, 희망, 긍정. 이제부턴 당신의 선택이다. 사랑하든지, 아니면 계곡에 가라앉든지. 당신이 이 글을 읽었다면, 산의 정상에서 뵙기를. Review If Life was like a beatiful dream—if we could be happy from beginning to end, that would be wonderful. But life doesn’t flow that way. Misfortune doesn’t need a reason. Great misfortune—especially the destructive ones—needs no justification beyond the fact that it happened. That alone is reason enough for it to exist. How nice would it be if, after becoming a father, I could smile at my son every day. How nice would have been if simply having a son could’ve made me a better man. If I’d quit smoking. If I drank less. If I treated his mother better. If, before sleeping, I’d told him that I loved her, kissing him lightly on the forehead, and then falling into peaceful sleep beside her. If I’d been a pillar she could lean on when things were hard. If I could’ve held my son steady when he started to drift. If, instead of fighting, I’d smiled just one more time—maybe it wouldn’t have hurt so much for both of us. Was it because I never had space to breath? A simple space to look up at the sky on the way back home, just being there peacefully. Why did I leave everything unattended until it shattered into pieces? But it happened. Already, happened. Who can you blame? If you feel the urge to blame someone, then you must wander the bottom of Valley of Shadow. Do you feel wronged? Are you angry? Do you want to run away and pretend it doesn’t exist, while your head is packed with irritation—adding, day by day, one more reason to die into your diary? I personally have been through it all, like Anthony. I can’t explain why, But I know. In this valley, there are only three ways out: love, hope, and positivity. From here on, it’s your choice. Either love—or sink into the valley. If you’ve read this, then I hope to see you at the summit.