What can be said about Mae Borowski...

Well, for starters, Mae Borowski, much like myself, doesn't seem very social. She, much like myself, is often at times seemingly unable to control exactly what it is she's saying or the intention behind what's being said. She, much like myself, seems to be floundering after the general tedium that was day in, day out, monotonous school life has come to an end and she, unlike myself, went to a college and then went home. She, much like myself, seemed to be very close to her grandfather, and, much like myself, seems to miss him quite a bit, as do I.

My grandmother died in 2008. This invariably ended my life in a number of ways, and no I'm not being dramatic. I was already a fairly introverted little girl, who grew up to be a fairly introverted young lady, and when my grandmother died, I became even so more jaded and bitter and cynical than I already was. I still, to this day, despite having had (and currently have one right now) longtime girlfriends, have an extremely hard time connecting to people or feeling anything at all. I suffer from dissociation and heavy depression, and have since early childhood. My parents abused me, I don't speak to them anymore, I lost all of my longtime close friends and I am telling you all of this because, for me to be able to talk about this game, I have to come out and talk about Mae Borowski specifically, and how I have never felt more represented by a single character in anything ever than this title right here.

Night In The Woods is a seemingly simple title. You play as Mae Borowski, a young cat who has dropped out of college to return home to the rust belt community she lived in, whose failing economy is slowly eating the town away, and everyone seems rather surprised or angry to see her come home. Let's be honest, if you're reading this review, you probably have played this game or know what the basic story is. It's essentially an open world, side scrolling platformer/adventure title with some guitar hero-esque minigames thrown in, complete with a coming of age tale mixed with that of a cult murder. It plays well, it's beautiful to look at, the music is awesome, all that good stuff. Should you buy it? Yes, absolutely, it's likely my favorite game ever now.

Now that the generic review stuff is out of the way, let me really dive into this thing headfirst. Night In The Woods is a story about a young girl who is being thrust into the world because it's what's expected of her, when she clearly has no business being there and is obviously not capable of succeeding there, in her current state of mind. Mae Borowski is a broken individual, moreso than I think any other I've come across in a long time, specifically in a video game. Mae is, in essence, a fairly unreliable narrator, but not particularly because it's simply an interesting way to access the story but because she herself is just an unreliable narrator to her own life. She often doesn't know what's going on around her, why people are mad at her, what she may have done wrong and sometimes isn't even sure things are real. And while I personally have never done what Mae has done to someone (trying to keep this fairly spoiler free) in order to try and feel something, I still relate hardcore to her problems, specifically her problems surrounding her mental health.

Mental health is, and was especially when I was growing up, a very tough thing to talk about and moreso than that, a very tough thing to get other people to talk about. My parents didn't want to talk to me, they simply paid someone else to talk to me. Solid parenting right there, I think. See, I, much like it's stated Mae did in the game, grew up in the "rich" side of town, and lived in a fairly well off family, and in these sorts of families, in these sorts of neighborhoods, talking about your mental health was just a big no no. You smiled, nodded, dressed nicely and pretending you had the perfect family, god forbid you let your neighbors know there's something wrong with you. It was a competition, at all times, and it was exhausting. That seems to have changed in the recent years, since, especially on the internet, mental health is now discussed fairly openly, and is often praised when accurately portrayed in a medium.

Night In The Woods is far from the first game to do such a thing, to portray mental health, but I dare say it's the best. I also think it's great because so many young people might play this game, see themselves in Mae and realize they too may want to get help of some kind. It opens up discussion, it promotes awareness, and that's a wonderful thing. And what's more wonderful is that it isn't overbearing. It isn't the main focal point. Night In The Woods doesn't exist solely to push a statement about mental health; Mae and her problems are just a byproduct of what's going on in the game. They're just another aspect to an enormous story. Which is exactly what life is. I myself, as I stated, suffer from some very severe problems, but those problems, while they impact my life in various ways every day, ranging from minimal to severe depending on the day, don't run my entire life. They are simply something else I am dealing with.

I have a hard time getting through games these days, especially when they are fairly long, which Night In The Woods can be. It took me about 20 hours to get through my first playthrough, mainly because I tried to do every single thing imaginable in the game because I was enjoying the experience so much that I wanted everything it had to offer on the first time through. I didn't have a problem playing Night In The Woods, though, and I think that's a testament to how great a title it is. I didn't have a problem playing it because it connected with me, because it was interesting, because it was fun, because I genuinely enjoyed my time with it. I never once got bored of it. That's the biggest positive thing I can say about a game at this point. It succeeded on every level, even levels I didn't know existed. And what makes it truly special is I don't think you even have to be someone who suffers from something to enjoy it! It's just a genuinely great game with a very good story, well written characters, a rich world around them and some interesting morals to it. And while the plot can be quite muddled at times, and often ending to being open for interpretation, that's actually one of the best selling points to me. In life, you don't get all the answers. You are playing somebody's life. You're not going to get all the answers.

So yeah, obviously you can tell this isn't like a lot of my other reviews. This game is extremely personal to me and it really moved me in ways I cannot particularly describe without almost crying. I know, that sounds ludicrous but hey. It was nice to see a character who, for once, truly made me not feel alone in this goddamned world. In fact, the only real difference between Mae Borowski and myself is that while we may suffer from a lot of the same things, at least I don't have a cult out trying to kill me.

Hey, it's important sometimes, to look at the positive side of things.

I enjoyed this immensely! It is such a wonderful experience in every sense, the creators clearly poured a lot of love and care into it.

The minigame parts were enjoyable and never felt forced in or like they were slamming on the brakes to shove it down your throat before you could move on, like so many other titles. Except Demon Tower, I gave up on that early on.

The light platforming and exploration is fun, and never gets in the way of the real stars, the characters and the story. I really feel for the whole cast, they are fully fleshed out and lovable in their own way.

Regarding the plot, I may have to think on it a bit longer. The missing sketchbook pages and concept art stills tell me there's a good amount of content I missed out on. I'm a little bummed you can't do all of the "quests" the game presents to you. I was saving one for last and that became inaccessible. Unless I did them in the wrong order. The progression of Mae's mental health struggles was handled well, and it was interesting how it played out against the "conservative uncle death cult" and uncaring "god" figure, but I have mixed feelings about the later, I suppose.

The humor and politics of the game were delightful. It's good to enjoy something by my kind of people every so often. It's refreshing to see well developed queer people, in a relationship, in media, so Gregg and Angus (and Mae (and Beatrice?)) were appreciated inclusions. As was Mae's healthy distrust of the police

So yeah, I really loved it. Enjoyable start to finish, with an ending that is a bit open ended but also totally satisfying. I'm bad at reviews. You should play it. If for no other reason than Gregg rules, ok?

Let's talk about the characters a bit, because they're the best part. Tag yourself, I'm Angus. I've known a few Greggs myself, who dragged me into our fair share of "crimes." And Germs, who had their own fight club and beat the shit out of each other for fun, but were totally cool and a blast to hang out with. That's another thing I love about this game, is that even though these are anthropomorphic cats and alligators with pet dogs and cats and it's so cutesy and silly, they're all just so real for those of us who have lived these experiences. I would love to see the developers do more with them.

Just a disclaimer: I’ve never made a real attempt at a game review up until now, but I figured if any game deserves a review it’s this one (for me at least). This review also contains some LIGHT SPOILERS, so please don’t continue reading if you want to go in 100% blind.

Night in the Woods (or NITW) is undoubtedly my favorite game of all time. That being said, it’s much less of a “game” than most other games. It mainly involves walking and platforming around the town and interacting with objects, scenery, and characters. Every once in a while there will be a small minigame, such as a shoplifting game similar to “red-light, green-light” where you stop moving whenever the clerk looks over at you, or a minigame where your friend tosses lightbulbs into the air for you to smash with a baseball bat. Outside of that, the game is mainly focused on exploration, themes, and characters. If that doesn’t interest you, I can't recommend this game.

So if the “gameplay” isn’t much fun, what makes it so great? I guess this would be a good time to mention that I am a complete sucker for characters when it comes to the main elements of a story, which is a huge part of why I love NITW so much. This game has the most realistic cast of characters I have ever encountered (despite them all being walking, talking animals), due in part to the amazingly written dialogue. They have struggles, fears, flaws, dreams, backgrounds, and lives outside of you and servicing the progression of the plot. I know these sound like basic things but it’s not something you actually see in too many games, and it really helps you grow attached to each of them (especially if you play multiple times so you can experience every “character hangout” situation the game has to offer). Unlike many protagonists, Mae Borowski is entirely her own character, rather than a relatively blank slate for the player to project themselves onto. Despite this, she reminds me so much of myself that it’s honestly kind of scary, but I won’t go into it to avoid spoiling too much.

The setting of NITW is very charming, with its own extensive history that you can still feel the echoes of as you play while learning more about it. Local legends, original constellations / astrological signs, and old newspaper articles covering specific historical events all help immerse you into this small suburban town that’s being crushed under the weight of late stage capitalism. There are also several hidden areas to find if you explore around enough, but I won’t spoil what / where those are.

The soundtrack is also phenomenal. It has some really beautiful, memorable tunes that make each area / character / encounter feel complete. I play this OST all the time when I’m driving or just trying to relax.

What could be called the “main story” of NITW kind of takes a backseat until the last act, so you might be disappointed if you’re looking for something intensely narrative-driven. As I said before, the game’s main focus is developing the characters through charming dialogue and establishing the history of the setting. However, this doesn’t make the story any less chilling or intense (I’d even argue that it enhances those feelings, since the seemingly calm, quiet nature of the game is unexpectedly shifted).

By the end, this game leaves you wanting more. You want to spend more time with your friends, you want to find more new and exciting things, you want to make more memories to cherish, because you know it’ll hurt when they’re gone. But you want it to hurt, because that means it meant something.

Thanks for reading, and I sincerely hope I was able to convince you to at least give this game a chance.

Thank you for everything, Alec Holowka. For what it’s worth, you created something that myself and many others hold very dear to our hearts. Please rest in peace.

Loved it!

The sort of "Mary Blair meets sew-on patch" aesthetic works wonderfully, thanks in large part to the subtle but fluid animation. The music is understated most of the time but artfully swells when the scene calls for it (or during band practice, where I found the tunes surprisingly catchy). The design of Possum Springs feels approachable and small-town yet easy to get lost in (I was particularly impressed at the layout of the abandoned subway and the church on a hill, effectively pulling off a 3-D-esque layout in just two dimensions).

But I fell in love with the characters most of all. Each felt so clearly defined by the end of the story... even the protagonist, which surprised me given that games tend to make the lead a "blank slate" for the player to project upon. Their dialog made me laugh out loud several times, with a sort of naturalistic style that reminded me a lot of Bryan Lee O'Malley.

Minigames can be really hit-or-miss in the adventure genre, but I found the platforming, rhythm and other bits of seasoning to be really fun diversions. They're always kept very simple, approachable and, to be honest, rather easy, but they really serve their function of rounding out the experience and giving your brain a chance to exercise a different muscle. As a designer, I found the game's rhythm of day and night, dialog and minigame, exploration and story pretty masterful. (Although vastly different games in almost every other respect, my brain reached a similar loop playing Persona 5.)

I played the Nintendo Switch release, which includes the Longest Night and Lost Constellation supplementary stories. I found these enjoyable, too, though the former is quite short, and the latter gave me a bit of trouble when a puzzle element got stuck against a piece of the environment. They're worth playing for what they are.

Night in the Woods impressed me with its uncompromising depiction of a group of friends struggling with their demons against the backdrop of a small mining town slowly withering away. This setting feels well-realized and the characters have a depth to them that makes me wish we could spend more time hanging out together. From the moment I hit the main menu, it was evident this game knew how to present itself as well. The art is adorable, the animations ooze personality, and the music is consistently fantastic. Even the mini games which often show up in games like this feel like there was a level of care put into them that I don't often see. They're all pretty fun and don't get in the way of experiencing the main story either, which is a big plus.

The big highlight is definitely the main cast. Mae and her gang of friendos are a joy to watch interact, even when it hurts a bit. The dialogue totally nails the way some people use silliness/comedy as a form of escapism when each day is slowly grinding them down. I kind of wish I could spend more time with them, which I suppose a replay would offer to a certain extent, since you can't see all of the scenes in a single go-around. Regardless, they're all really great and there's some stuff in this game that hit a little closer to home than I expected it would.

Not all is perfect here though. I gave myself some time after completing the game to let it sit in my thoughts for a little because the ending felt...ill-suited for the rest of the experience. I'm still conflicted. I've spoiler-tagged my thoughts below since they're, y'know, spoilery.

For most of the story, Night in the Woods walks a line between reality and hallucination that works really well for the type of struggle it wants to depict Mae going through. I really liked that I wasn't totally sure which of Mae's experiences were actually happening and which weren't. Which is why I find it odd that the end of the game makes a sharp turn into cosmic horror and basically states outright that it was all real and there's some kind of godlike creature responsible for her nightmares. It takes away the mystery while also escalating the stakes in a way that the story simply isn't interested in taking the time to deal with, as it ends shortly after.

This all was very odd and left me unsure how I felt about it as the credits rolled. I still am unsure, but I think now that it doesn't really put a significant damper on what was otherwise a very tight experience with excellent writing. I'd give this a big recommendation to anyone willing to dig into something quite a bit darker than what most adventure games with cute animal characters offer.