There's something quite special about Night in the Woods.The game really captures the sense of small-town desparation and sets a tense mood of uncertainty.

The interactions between characters feels so genuine and palpable, with slang and in-jokes being tossed into casual conversations. The dialogue in the game is a class act.The visuals are colorful and neon-esque, even in scenes where there is a lot of darkness.

The brilliance in the storytelling is how the middle of the game felt so aimless and confusing. How we feel as a player going about and doing things that don't really advance the game is how Mae feels returning to a dying town where all her friends, her last bastion of familiarity, are all ready to move on.

I can't really describe how the game made me feel, but it *did* make me feel... something. Getting in a fight with your mom felt terrible, like you knew what was coming but you didn't want to believe it. That made me feel bad. But then there's the unbearable lightness of hanging out with Gregg and missing every pierogi or lightbulb that was thrown.

Mae clings onto the childish things in her life that make her feel safe while avoiding the heavy reality of adulthood and responsibility. The game tosses around some really weighty themes ranging from sexuality, dealing with mental illness and depression, death, financial struggles, injustice, and failure. In between are bouts of guitar-shredding, bike-riding and baseball-bat swinging that lighten the mood and keep you engaged. I'm certain there are a ton of secrets to find, and it'd worth it to replay it at least once to play all the different story branches or make different choices.

If you are the kind of person who enjoyed games like Undertale or Dust: an Elysian Tail, you will also enjoy this story-driven adventure game.

My only complaint were the lack of precise controls and sometimes very small interactable hitboxes for dialogue and inspection. The jumping can get awkward, and the game could probably do well to have a sprint or some sort of temporary short distance boost to shorten those long jogs across the town to get things done.

I rate a solid 9/10. Very fun game and worth every penny of the $20 pricetag.

There's something quite special about Night in the Woods.The game really captures the sense of small-town desparation and sets a tense mood of uncertainty. The interactions between characters feels so genuine and palpable, with slang and in-jokes being tossed into casual conversations. The dialogue in the game is a class act.The visuals are colorful and neon-esque, even in scenes where there is a lot of darkness. The brilliance in the storytelling is how the middle of the game felt so aimless and confusing. How we feel as a player going about and doing things that don't really advance the game is how Mae feels returning to a dying town where all her friends, her last bastion of familiarity, are all ready to move on. I can't really describe how the game made me feel, but it *did* make me feel... something. Getting in a fight with your mom felt terrible, like you knew what was coming but you didn't want to believe it. That made me feel bad. But then there's the unbearable lightness of hanging out with Gregg and missing every pierogi or lightbulb that was thrown. Mae clings onto the childish things in her life that make her feel safe while avoiding the heavy reality of adulthood and responsibility. The game tosses around some really weighty themes ranging from sexuality, dealing with mental illness and depression, death, financial struggles, injustice, and failure. In between are bouts of guitar-shredding, bike-riding and baseball-bat swinging that lighten the mood and keep you engaged. I'm certain there are a ton of secrets to find, and it'd worth it to replay it at least once to play all the different story branches or make different choices. If you are the kind of person who enjoyed games like Undertale or Dust: an Elysian Tail, you will also enjoy this story-driven adventure game. My only complaint were the lack of precise controls and sometimes very small interactable hitboxes for dialogue and inspection. The jumping can get awkward, and the game could probably do well to have a sprint or some sort of temporary short distance boost to shorten those long jogs across the town to get things done. I rate a solid 9/10. Very fun game and worth every penny of the $20 pricetag.