Night in the Woods is one of the best, most powerful games I’ve ever played…
Find out why this indie adventure spoke to me so much, how it made me challenge some difficult emotions, and why I loved every second of it.
Download Night in the Woods’ soundtrack
Transcript
It’s such a hipster cliche, but you just don’t get creativity like you do in indie games. Seeing a small team’s (or sometimes one person’s) singular vision come to life, without pressure from big publishers to drain players of every penny or serve as the 20th sequel to Mr Shooty-Shooty Bang Bang has led to timeless, genre-defining pieces of art.Â
For the record, Mr Shooty-Shooty Bang Bang 3 was pretty good.
And among the best of this golden period of indie gaming, Night in the Woods emerges as not just a game, but a profound journey into what it means to be human. A depressed, broken human. Relatable, no?
Developed by Infinite Fall, it’s a narrative-rich adventure that masterfully blends the whimsy of exploration with a depth that tugs at the very fabric of the soul.
If you’ve never heard of it before, Night in the Woods is essentially a 2D adventure game Players step into the shoes of Mae Borowski, a college dropout returning to her hometown, Possum Springs, to reconnect with old friends and confront her personal, as well as the town’s collective issues.
The game combines incredible dialogue with exploration mechanics, allowing you to navigate through the town, interact with a host of characters, and uncover hidden secrets. This is all punctuated with mini-games and sequences that range from dreamlike platforming challenges to activities like band practice or stargazing, which help to deepen the immersion into this world.
While the mechanics and technicalities of the game might not be anything we haven’t seen before, it’s the way it helps to convey the narrative in a way that feels real, despite its cutesy presentation. Mae’s return to her deteriorating hometown serves as a poignant reflection on the disillusionment of young adulthood. This setting, familiar yet estranged, became a canvas for our own reflections and yearnings for a place and time that just don’t exist anymore.
Through Mae’s eyes, we experience the dissonance of outgrowing places that once felt like the entire universe. It’s impossible not to resonate with that feeling of being adrift, caught between the nostalgia of childhood innocence and the daunting realities of adult life. Mae’s struggle with her mental health, her feelings of alienation, and her desperate search for meaning echo the silent battles many of us face. And for me, these feelings are often pushed back into my subconscious (for better or worse), so having them articulated in such an explicit presentation can feel jarring, yet in a way that feels necessary.
And this is just scratching the surface of how Night in the Woods transcends mere storytelling by weaving a complex tapestry of themes. Each character and subplot enriches the narrative with layers of depth and emotion. Gregg and Angus’ relationship, for example, became a beacon of stability and hope, showcasing the power of love and understanding amidst chaos. Honestly, they’re couple goals.
In contrast, there’s Mae’s former best friend Bea. Her narrative arc, marked by the burdens of familial obligation and the loss of her own dreams, offers a stark reminder of the sacrifices many of us make, often in silent isolation.
My journey through Possum Springs was punctuated by moments of laughter, tears, and introspection. The game’s ability to oscillate between moments of youthful exuberance and profound melancholy I’m sure mirrors many of our experiences with life’s unpredictable ebb and flow. The town’s economic struggles and the crumbling infrastructure served as a metaphor for the internal decay we often ignore, urging us to confront the parts of ourselves we’d rather leave untouched.
And this gut wrenching experience is augmented through its visuals and audio.
The art style, with its charming yet hauntingly melancholic atmosphere, paints each scene with emotional resonance, transforming Possum Springs into a character in its own right. The soundtrack, a masterful composition of ethereal tunes and melodies, envelops you in whatever mood it tries to convey. From hopeless sadness to moments of levity and hope, it can make you tear up as easily as it can get your toe tapping. Full credit has to go to composer Alec Holowka for some exceptional pieces. You can download the full soundtracks on his Bandcamp, which I’ll stick a link to in the description below.
These elements combined to create an immersive experience that, if anything, transcends the medium of gaming. Each playthrough feels like peeling back another layer of this intricately crafted world, discovering new facets of the characters and the town that I hadn’t noticed before.
But like I said, what ultimately broke me was the cathartic power of Night in the Woods’ storytelling. The game’s conclusion, which I won’t spoil, balances melancholy with just enough hope to stop it feeling oppressive and mean-spirited. It reminded me that while not all stories have happy endings, there is beauty in the struggle, in the resilience of the human spirit, and in the connections we forge along the way.
I often wonder why I keep coming back to play it time and time again. Not just because it means my ‘to play’ list keeps growing larger, but because I know it’s going to hurt. But it’s no hyperbole when I say it genuinely feels like a therapeutic experience. It serves as a poignant reminder of the complexity of life, the inevitability of change, and the importance of facing our darkest moments head on, even if to spite the negative emotions themselves. It’s a testament to the power of indie gaming to not only entertain but to enlighten, to comfort, and to challenge our perceptions of the world around us.
This is a really different tone of video to the ones I usually make, but it’s one I’ve been thinking about for a while. Revisiting the nuances of Night in the Woods has been a reminder of the game’s profound impact on my understanding of storytelling, character development, and the art of video games as a medium for profound personal and communal exploration. For those who have yet to walk the streets of Possum Springs, I can only say this: prepare for a journey that will challenge you, change you, and ultimately, show you the strength found in vulnerability, the beauty in brokenness, and the unbreakable bonds of community and friendship.
And for those who have tortured themselves like myself, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below, so let me know if you want to have a chat about it. And if you enjoyed this video, make sure to drop a like and check out upsidedownshark.com to keep up with everything else we’ve got going on.
Until then my name is Tom, this has been UDS, and we’ll see you next time.
While you’re here, please subscribe to Upside Down Shark on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts!
Tom Baker
I like Star Wars, heavy metal and BBQ Pringles.
