Night in the Woods

Night in the Woods is basically everything I always hope games can be. Powerful and moving with gameplay that's clever, rewarding, and unique, all wrapped up in one of my favorite presentations. Don't pass this up.

Imagine if Superbad, Twin Peaks, and Animal Farm had a baby. That’s what Night in the Woods would look like, and it’s that good. The game follows Mae as she moves back to her hometown of Possum Springs because she has decided that college isn’t for her (and for other reasons unknown). She spends her days traveling around town, hanging out with her friends, and trying to dig herself out of the mela...

Night in the Woods is about mistakes, recklessness, and friendship, all wrapped up in a colorful adventure game. You play as Mae, a 20-year-old anthropomorphic cat who drops out of college and returns to her hometown. With an emphasis on self-discovery, rebuilding old relationships, and understanding the struggles of a dead-end town, Night in the Woods is an enthralling experience that captures bo...

Night in the Woods captures the fears and anxieties of being a young adult with surprising clarity, but brings it into new and interesting territory thanks to its developers’ deep understanding of rural America’s economic hardships. Branching, well-written dialogue made me feel closer to Mae’s story as I helped build out her history and reignite friendships, encouraging a second playthrough to unc...

Night in the Woods isn’t perfect. I’m not perfect. You’re not perfect. Life isn’t perfect. But as the game itself tries to espouse, if you’ve got the patience, you may find that there is true beauty in that revelation.

I have so, so much more to say about it, and it feels mad that I only really mention the three friends so far into this review, then don’t talk about them. But that’s important, that’s me remembering to allow you the same blank slate I started with too. I want to talk about the role of religion, about the complexities of the town’s politics, about Mae’s relationship with her parents, about just so...

While the main narrative drags a little, wonderfully crafted characters that deal with real-life issues, fill this beautiful Saturday morning cartoon show where the mundanity of life is the backdrop for some wonderful exchanges between Mae and her friends

We have come to expect a lot from the games that independent developers bring us. These developers are offered an opportunity that many bigger groups don’t have. They can develop deep experiences that enable the player to seep into a world and become absorbed in the world that they create. We can enjoy the depths of what these developers have to offer and enjoy the subtle commentary that waits for...