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"The forest seemed like a fairy tale when you were little, one where you might wander down the trail and never return. In truth, it only stretches a few acres to what used to be an outlying subdivision. Now, though, it might fulfill its old potential. An adventurer could wade, then swim, then find an entire realm under the still and clouded water.
Do you still believe that?"
A Twine game about the physical and emotional landscape of your flooding hometown and your attempts to get the hell out.
Average play time: 30-45 minutes.
Music can be toggled on most screens.
| Average Rating: Number of Reviews Written by IFDB Members: 1 |
Moody games focused on traversing significant places and memories are always going to be my jam. This one is a quiet exploration of a flooded town, playing as a protagonist who knows this place intimately and is now set on leaving. As you wander, you encounter layers of memories on what is essentially a farewell tour. Mechanically, you need to acquire goods for your journey away, but it’s the emotional landscape that’s really important.
Ghosts of the past are everywhere; the game’s opening image, describing a washed-out bridge, mirrors the relational broken bridges the protagonist reminisces on throughout the game. Friends who’ve left, former friends still physically present but your friendship irrevocably lost. The protagonist moves like a ghost themself, lingering in the various locations largely unobserved or ignored, acting out echoes of the past. In one instance, they flee from a possible interaction. A sense of loss permeates; we and the protagonist pause in spaces once carefully designed and curated that are now abandoned, useless.
The protagonist has decided to leave before they really know where they’re going, but the emotional heart of the game is discovering a sense of purpose, reviving a broken connection. Leaning in to the memories instead of shying away. Following this path requires some minor puzzle-solving; while you can reach an ending without it, it’s definitely the worse of the two.
The game is accompanied by music written by the author. I played with it off on my first playthrough, but listened to it my second time through and found it fitting, a subtly melancholy backdrop.
Atmospheric, evocative, bittersweet. I liked it a lot.
2025 Review-a-thon - games seeking reviews (authors only) by Tabitha
The IF Review-a-thon is an event meant to spur reviews of games that haven't received much reviewing attention (for this event, that's defined as "has fewer than 5 reviews across IFDB and the intfiction.org forum"). If you're an IF...