A Highland Song
inkle Ltd · 2023 · Exploration, 2D Platformer, Nature, Female Protagonist, Dynamic Narration
PC
Very Positive87% · 53883Metacritic
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Screenshots
About A Highland Song
Moira McKinnon is running away.
To reach the sea, Moira must first cross the Scottish Highlands—a wilderness of paths, peaks, shortcuts, dangers, and song.
Platforming
Climb peaks to orient yourself and plan your next steps. Spelunk caves, scale cliffs, jump from rock to rock and slide down scree slopes as you make your way forward.
Survival
Wind, rain and cold are your enemies. Moira is no superhero, and the Highlands are not to be underestimated. Shelter to survive.
Navigation
Collect and position 100 map fragments to discover faster routes. The hills are crisscrossed with paths: some well-trodden, others hidden away.
Narrative
Learn the stories and the secrets of the hills, which are filled with lost things, echoes, and memories.
Rhythm runs
Skip and jump through the valleys to the incredible music of TALISK and Fourth Moon. The landscape itself forms itself around the shape of the music.
Replay
Get ready to make the journey more than once, because a single trip isn't nearly enough to discover the Highlands' deepest secrets.
The Story
Moira McKinnon has never seen the sea.
For fifteen years she’s lived with her mum in a small house on the edge of the Scottish Highlands—then one day she receives a letter from her Uncle Hamish urging her to come to the coast. If she can reach his lighthouse in time, a wonderful surprise will be waiting...
And so, Moira runs away.
The hills are full of secrets and stories, but what you find will depend on where you go. The narrative is not branching but weaving; a mesh of history, mythology and family secrets. What truths will you discover?
The World
In the Highlands, every peak has a story to tell and every valley echoes with song. Giants sleep, ghosts sing, crows carry messages, and eagles lift the dead.
But the Highlands’ crags are unforgiving and its summits are cold—Moira’s trek will not be easy.
Can you help her find a way across this winding wilderness in time?
The Music of the Highlands
A Highland Song’s soundtrack is composed by Laurence Chapman alongside two multi-award-winning giants of the Scottish folk scene, TALISK and Fourth Moon. Royalty of the festival circuit, these two bands combine virtuosic instrumental playing with fast, inventive rhythms, to produce new tunes in traditional styles played with beauty, energy and swagger.
Accessibility and Settings
The following settings area available and may help depending on your needs:
Narrative
- Reading speed setting: How long the dialogue gives you before it animates out again.
- Allow mild profanity: On by default.
- Unfortunately we don't currently have any font or text size settings, although it is planned for a future update. Our text size is however relatively generous - we we suggest you look at screenshots full screen where you intend to play to get a sense of how readable it is for you.
Controls
- Alternative gamepad controls: By default choices and interaction is on the A button, and jump is on the Y button. But for those that find it more natural for jump to be on the A button there is an alternative control scheme.
- Remap keyboard controls: Full remapping of all controls in game is possible. Mouse buttons are assignable although general mouse movement control isn't supported.
Gameplay
- Trip less when running to music: Normally during the rhythm running mechanic 3 stumbles will cause the music and momentum to stop. With this setting on you are allowed infinite stumbles. (However some types of platforming mistakes may still cause failure.)
- Never flail while climbing: Occasionally a quick time event may occur during climbing that requires you to quickly press a button to re-attach to the wall. This option disables the mechanic completely.
- Easier music rhythms: During the rhythm run mechanic, use less complicated rhythms to make the game easier.
- Single jump button only: After the first few rhythm runs the game will introduce a second jump button to introduce difficulty and complexity. This option will mean you only ever require a single jump button during the rhythm mechanic.
- Weather and Environment: How strongly poor weather will affect your health and recovery.
- Lightning: By default switched on, this is a strobe effect during thunderstorms that can be disabled.
- Highlight routes when looking further: By default switched on, when using the "Look Further" mechanic (zooming out), this will highlight the available surface that can be walked and climbed on for easier navigation. For players that prefer more of a challenge and to look at the raw art only, this can be disabled.
Audio and Vibration
- The following volumes can be independently controlled: master volume, ambient music volume, rhythm music volume, speech volume.
- Gamepad vibration can be disabled.
What Steam players say
Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.
I wanted to enjoy nature and music, but instead I'm losing max health every day and wasting days trying to find the path, because apparently I can't move forward until I randomly find a map on the ground. The lost-in-the-wilderness simulation is a little too real.1 found this helpful
[b]Base game – 10+/10[/b] This game is a hidden gem in a Steam store! At first glance it may look like a regular platformer, but it is much more fun than this. The game is about exploration, secrets, and finding the best route to complete the game. The in-game environment is beautiful and represents some kind of 2D open world. Finishing the first playthrough is only the beginning. The game is designed in such way that you complete a single run while discovering the hidden paths, and for the next run you preserve this knowledge. Each time you are free to take any path you want and each time your journey is unique and gives you something you haven't seen before, like secrets, items, or NPCs. The game is not difficult as some people say in reviews. You just need to approach the game in a right way. Do not try to complete everything in one go. The game is designed for iterative playthroughs and during the first run you are not familiar with the environment and you only start collecting the in-game maps to uncover secret ways, so the game might fill a little bit hard. But there is literally no way you can fail the run or loose. If you die you don't have to start over and you don't lo…
I thought this game was a relaxing easy platformer. I found is tough as nails, there is an accessibility mode. By the fifth day I barely had any health left because of resting in caves and such. Apparently I was supposed to rest in buildings but there are so few of those I'd basically have to lose an entire day to be able to rest here. I found the story engaging enough. Except I had no idea where I was even supposed to go. Right, I guess?
Wholesome and breathtaking. Reminds me of my time exploring Skye and the rest of the highlands. I cannae wait to go back and have more adventures but for now this game will do!
Cozy.
This game is wonderful. It's visually beautiful, the music is lovely, and the story and mythology is both warm-hearted and intriguing. I also really appreciate the gameplay - both the interactive music elements, and the encouragement to play the game multiple times and get better at it each time. It's so low pressure, which just let's you focus on enjoying yourself.
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