ConsTance

And I’ll just put a happy little tree RIGHT ACROSS YOUR FACE.

Visually arresting and mechanically fluid, Constance paints a beautiful picture of mental health via satisfying paintbrush combat.

Although it never really does anything we haven’t seen before, Constance is well-made enough to be worthy of your time, and does enough to earn its place in a crowded genre.

Constance is a beautiful and challenging action-adventure game that uses metroidvania mechanics to explore the hardships of mental and emotional burnout.

Constance is a fantastic game that I would recommend to anyone who’s a fan of the genre. It draws heavy inspiration from Hollow Knight, which is clear as day, but brings fresh ideas to the table that make it feel like a unique experience. The story, where players bounce between the real world and a world inside the protagonist's declining mental state, is a sad tale that sends a powerful message about depression and anxiety. Constance tackles subject matter that we don’t typically see enough of in the gaming industry, at least with this much depth, and it’s refreshing to see them explored here...