I sat down and opened up the game. Then, almost immediately, I opened up a notepad file to take notes. Then, not long after, I opened a second concurrent file for a different type of information. Eventually, a third. These weren’t even fully necessary mechanically — I was just becoming increasingly invested in tracking the non-essential details and character dynamics. I crunched through the game in a single (fairly long) sitting and felt satisfied with every part of it. It was tremendously well-executed.
The big questions, the details, combing through to answer every question and find every last scene. The fact that it was possible (mechanically) to make leaps ahead of what seemed to be the set of intended paths if an idea occurred to you. The details that fleshed out the characters and dynamics. The avoidance of over-explaining. It’s all wonderful.
I really love a game that trusts the player to buy in and do the mental legwork required to get invested and understand that some context will never be explicit or even fully outlined. This gave that in spades.
I might go so far as to say that, while I tremendously enjoyed Obra Dinn and can clearly see the inspiration, I enjoyed this game more. Thank you for the fantastic experience!
