Somewhere in a Clay Nowhere

I Found this game to be unique and challenging. Completely enjoyed it!

The main focus of this game is gaining an understanding of an alien world. The more you interact with the game, the more your understanding grows. Curiosity is rewarded, and required in order to advance. The best way to know if something is possible is by simply giving it a try! The game also offers excellent visuals and music. The black and white color palette mixed with the creative use of clay give this game a feel unlike any other I've played. Every zone of the map has a unique feeling to it, which really adds to the atmosphere. A fitting soundtrack also helps immerse you into this strange new world. If you're looking for a unique indie game to beat over the course of a weekend, this is certainly it!

Great game from a new indie dev! I really liked the spooky atmosphere and slow understanding of the game world. Good tension, too--there were lots of moments where I was racing to find shelter before the day was over, or managing stamina while outrunning enemies. If you like games that throw you into an unfamiliar world and let you learn on your own, this one's for you. This game doesn't handhold, but it never felt unfair to me, either. Journal entries help you not make the same mistake twice. There's definitely a lot of heart put into this game. All the assets were hand made in clay and the NPCs are super cool. And there's extra lore for new game plus playthroughs! The OST also slaps. Highly recommend for indie fans. (I had the opportunity to playtest this game. It has not affected the content of my review.)

The Dark Souls of Claylikes™ Sincerely, though - the game captures a similar air of mysterious, lived-in ruins. You are a visitor, in a world with rules and ecology that you're constantly learning about and adapting to. The game isn't horror, though - you're in a hostile land, but it's not looking to scare you (thus far, anyway). Don't trust the snails, though. The translation mechanic is straightforward but fun, especially as you try to narrow down just which words are actually important and which you can infer. (Got to save that Insight 👁‍🗨👁‍🗨). Overall, the explore->find->chat->understand loop works very well. Combat is indirect, mostly through exploiting a creature's movement and momentum, but the frequently-high stakes of dying mean that it's a tense affair. I was reminded of trying to slip past zombies in a Resident Evil hallway. I haven't finished it, and got pretty lost last time, but I know I can follow my compass in a place I don't know the name of yet and probably find some progress! The game is punishing and unforgiving in ways, but also goes out of its way to let you know that in This World, it's safe to fail. Get some rest. Try again tomorrow. So that's just …

I played this game while it was being developed and have beaten it a few times now, It's about exploring an alien world and you can expect the gameplay experience to stay very dedicated to that idea. You won't have a map, you won't be able to read any signs, you won't know who the person you're talking to is or what they're saying, you won't know what the item you just picked up is, you won't know why you died when you ate it, etc. There is a lot of thought put into the design of this game and what it does or doesn't tell you. I have played through a few times now and can highly recommend this game after not running into any bugs whatsoever (glitches, expect insect bugs). My advice is just know that this game doesn't directly tell you very much information, so make sure to pay attention when it does!

I'm scared of the slugs. 10/10