Embracelet

[h3]Multiple Themes[/h3] A Visual novel, that would have benefited from a voiceover if not for the fact that it's a long game with loads of dialog. Love, life, death and regret, and even, you know when boys prefer boys. Sabotage, espionage and vandalism interspersed with a side story all about the threats to our beautiful planet fill out the plot. Something for everyone. Don't let the simple boxy graphics put you off, very good controls and puzzles. [h3]Coming of Age[/h3] The back story follows multiple young people all trapped in circumstance. You must play a part in telling their story. Sure you have to make choices, and some choices and some objects you interact with change the way the story unfolds, but in the story arc it's pretty classic, twists and turns some predictable others not. Very much about having fun and some fantasy and magic lightens the mood of what is otherwise a deadly serious story. I missed a fair few items in my playthrough, and this may be one of very few games that I have time to play through a second time. If you enjoyed this game, you can find other much like it here https://store.steampowered.com/curator/41773079-EmpathyGames/list/91358/

Embracelet is a sweet narrative adventure in the vein of Life is Strange. You play a teenager who finds a magical bracelet and heads back to the fishing village where his grandfather grew up to learn more about the family history and discover the origin of the artifact. It's set in Norway, which is not a common location for games, and that makes it feel a bit special. The characters are all kind to one another, and although the bad guys are a bit over-the-top, the obvious villainy gives it a bit of a feeling like a Famous Five story or Tintin or something. You know the baddies will lose and you're going to make it through just fine, which is exactly the way a light adventure yarn should go. The most annoying part of the game is the controls because you cannot control the camera and sometimes it swings around to really inconvenient locations that lead you walking back in the opposite direction you were just walking in. There is an especially egregious section near the end where the camera keeps swinging around and then you fall off the thing you were standing on and have to walk all the way back round and start again, over and over. I almost threw my keyboard out the window, but …

I loved Milkmaid of the Milky Way and at first I really liked felt the same way about this game, its art style, the soundtrack, the story. But then the creator felt the need to add twitch elements, which at my age and as someone with nerve damage limiting coordination I can no longer cope with. Meaning I could never finish the game, as I gave up after 5 or so failures. I do not have a controller, which may have made it easier, and find it inexcusable that in this day and age a PC game would cater purely to that. Pity! Fortunately it was a Steam sale.

Embracelet, developed by Mattis Folkestad and published by machineboy, is a delicate and heartfelt narrative adventure that blends quiet storytelling, light puzzle mechanics, and emotional reflection into a small but moving experience. Set in Norway, the game tells the story of Jesper, a seventeen-year-old boy living in the city of Oslo who inherits a mysterious bracelet from his late grandfather. This object becomes both a literal and symbolic source of power, allowing Jesper to manipulate the world around him while guiding him toward an understanding of his family’s past. What begins as a simple trip to a remote northern island soon transforms into a journey of discovery about identity, friendship, and the weight of legacy. Embracelet may appear unassuming at first glance, but beneath its soft visuals and restrained pacing lies a deeply personal exploration of belonging, empathy, and emotional growth. The story unfolds through Jesper’s return to the isolated island of Slepp, a place his grandfather once called home. It is a small, rugged community surrounded by cold waters and crumbling cliffs, struggling to hold on to its history in the face of modernity and decline. Jesper’s m…

Really wonderful game. Feels like one part [i]Life is Strange[/i] (low-key supernatural adventure with some light puzzle solving) and one part indie coming of age film, with a dash of goofy humour thrown in. I really enjoyed the strong sense of place despite the simple graphics (I could practically smell the sea air!) and the understated soundtrack. The writing is the best part - the game is written with a light touch and manages to deftly balance drama, humor, some heavier themes and even some (optional) sweet romance.

Really good adventure game with a great story. Only downside is the buggy walking.