ANGUS SWEEP!!!
This quote changed my life btw "This won't stop until I die. But when die, I want it to hurt. When my friends leave, when I have to let go when this entire town is wiped off the map, I want it to hurt. Bad. I want to lose. I want to get beaten up. I want to hold on until I'm thrown off and everything ends. And you know what? Until that happens, I want to hope again. And I want it to hurt. Because that means it meant something. It means I am something, at least... pretty amazing to be something... at least..."
This quote changed my life btw "This won't stop until I die. But when die, I want it to hurt. When my friends leave, when I have to let go when this entire town is wiped off the map, I want it to hurt. Bad. I want to lose. I want to get beaten up. I want to hold on until I'm thrown off and everything ends. And you know what? Until that happens, I want to hope again. And I want it to hurt. Because that means it meant something. It means I am something, at least... pretty amazing to be something... at least..."
Night in the Woods made me relive the worst years of my life and I loved it. I wasted two years at the University of Pittsburgh before the marijuana faded away and all I had to show for it was a streak of black outs and insurmountable student debt. Those hazy memories bias me to more closely relate to a protagonist as deeply flawed and, at times, unlikeable as Mae Borowski. But, even without history coloring my experience, the writing from Infinite Fall's Bethany Hockenberry and Scott Benson imbues its world with tremendous empathy and slice-of-life details rarely seen in video games. It deserves to stand alongside works from other media like Bojack Horseman, Scott Pilgrim, and Ghost World--places where the surreality of the world masks our deepest wants, hopes, and fears. Never before has a game so clearly spoken to me personally and spoken for me generationally.
i barely played it but somebody i knew years ago who was into incest yaoi liked it so it probably sucks
Not much to 'play' here, but regardless I really loved the story. I'd recommend just playing it if you enjoy a good story and can get over minimal gameplay, its worth experiencing blind.
I quite enjoyed this. It was a very human story that I could really understand how it might resonate with other people. Parts of it hit home for me, coming back to your hometown to see how it has changed and left you behind in some ways is something I went through not too long ago and the way the game portrayed it felt really familiar. The gameplay is nothing to write home about, but exploring might give you fun bits of extra story so its worth doing. This game's focus and major strength is on its characters, and they're all well realized people. Their experiences here made for a very engaging game.
I like this game
a great game in exploring the natural anxiety's that come from a 20-something college drop-out visiting their hometown and reuniting with old friends. Very relatable especially if you are going into university, just graduated, or just generally lost in this thing we call life.
This review contains spoilers
Quando joguei Night in the Woods pela primeira vez, o jogo não me pegou. Mesmo tendo amado diversos aspectos como os visuais, a representação queer e a sensação de rebeldia, que para mim foi presente quase que exclusivamente na adolescência, não consegui terminá-lo. O tempo passou, eu cresci e recentemente decidi parar de postergar esse jogo que vem me assombrando (tal qual o fantasma de Possum Springs) e experienciá-lo de uma vez por todas. E que experiência.
Night in the Woods é sobre reconhecer que o mundo está acabando, mas não aceitá-lo enquanto ainda há algo a se fazer. Se rebelar contra as correntes que levam as coisas ao fim, levantar-se e fazer um posicionamento (que o jogo como obra também faz). Nadar contra o fluxo, quebrar tradições e não aceitar as coisas como elas são em prol ao conservadorismo, visto em peso em Possum Springs e também é razão da existência do culto. Aceitar que, por mais que as coisas estejam no passado, não significa que elas acabaram, apenas mudaram.
A protagonista, Mae, reconhece que todas essas coisas estão acontecendo, mas jamais de forma apática. Ela está sempre em movimento e quebrando coisas: as diversas coisas em seus sonhos, a fornalha da Mrs Miranda, o túmulo do fantasma Little Joe. Tudo. Mae não aceita abandonar as coisas para morrer, ela deixa sua marca em absolutamente tudo e todo o lugar que pode, assim fazendo questão de, além de não ser esquecida, mudar o rumo das coisas pra sempre. Talvez assim ela consiga parar o fim do mundo (ou adiantá-lo).
Night in the Woods é sobre reconhecer que o mundo está acabando, mas não aceitá-lo enquanto ainda há algo a se fazer. Se rebelar contra as correntes que levam as coisas ao fim, levantar-se e fazer um posicionamento (que o jogo como obra também faz). Nadar contra o fluxo, quebrar tradições e não aceitar as coisas como elas são em prol ao conservadorismo, visto em peso em Possum Springs e também é razão da existência do culto. Aceitar que, por mais que as coisas estejam no passado, não significa que elas acabaram, apenas mudaram.
A protagonista, Mae, reconhece que todas essas coisas estão acontecendo, mas jamais de forma apática. Ela está sempre em movimento e quebrando coisas: as diversas coisas em seus sonhos, a fornalha da Mrs Miranda, o túmulo do fantasma Little Joe. Tudo. Mae não aceita abandonar as coisas para morrer, ela deixa sua marca em absolutamente tudo e todo o lugar que pode, assim fazendo questão de, além de não ser esquecida, mudar o rumo das coisas pra sempre. Talvez assim ela consiga parar o fim do mundo (ou adiantá-lo).
Played this during one of the worst periods of my life and it was... absolutely intense. Insanely well written piece about never being able to truly go home again, and the things that change as we grow older.
A bit of Twin Peaks mixed with a story about growing up and the associated existential fears told with anthropomorphic characters. I found it very convincing. The mystery remains exciting until the end and the exciting little adventures that you experience with Mae were really fun and brought me closer to the world and characters. There are also lots of fun ideas in the form of mini-games and a real dungeon crawler that you can play on Mae's laptop, as well as cool dream sequences and fantastic music. I was very impressed.
This game came to me at the perfect time in my life and has stuck with me ever since
I got bored so quickly it is like walking sumilation
Possum Springs is one of the most bittersweet locations I’ve seen in gaming. The industrial small town look and autumn sunset makes for a strangely cozy place. But it’s falling apart, you get the impression that it’s hardly holding itself together. Corporate America is really the only thing that seems to be doing fine.
On paper, Night In The Woods is like a 2/10. You walk and you talk to people. Sometimes there is incredibly basic platforming. And yet the vibe is incredibly immaculate. Visual design, music, and most importantly the interactions with characters. In the vain of games like Firewatch, it's more about 'experiencing' the atmosphere and narrative rather than exciting gameplay. Even with a sort of mystery thriller to create the illusion of a central narrative, I found myself craving the comfort of the daily routine, with every development in the mystery threatening to upheave the nostalgic wandering around town.
While the artstyle is unique and well done, and the music is great, the characters are what far and over make this game. Gregg is perhaps the best hypeman in written history, although I spent most of my time hanging out with Bea because I really wanted to repair the relationship. All the other characters are well done with some pretty realistic conversations, especially with your parents.
As Mae, you are presented with a few dialogue choices that sometimes change what information you get in a conversation, or more impactfully, decide what activity you will be doing. Despite the choices, Mae is really more of a character you control rather than a blank slate for the player. The ending is the same no matter what, however you can find optional side stories with characters around town, and who you hang out with the most gets extra dialogue in the final leg of the game. Threads of her past are teased but you never feel a need to know everything. The most significant thematically is the “shapes” monologue near the end of the game. Less so because of what it tells us about Mae but how it begs us to reflect on the experience of Night In The Woods as a whole. Trying not to spoil it but if you get to the part of the game you’ll probably understand what I mean.
The sad thing about Night In The Woods, is change. As I mentioned earlier, Possum Springs feels on the brink, which ties directly into the narrative in some places, but also serves as thematic backing. Your parents are struggling to pay mortgage. Gregg and Angus are planning to move one day. You don’t have enough time to hang out with everyone equally in a single playthrough. You can almost feel the time slipping away with every day that passes, as you can’t load previous saves. After a while I ended up really taking my time because I knew that the game would just end eventually. Sure I could start another playthrough, but that doesn't really feel like what the game wants me to do. Night In The Woods is really, literally, a slice-of-life, someone else’s life. I interpret the games themes as the fear of change, trying to hold on the what you have, and learning what you need to let go of.
Oh yeah, and there's a Guitar Hero minigame that I suck at
On paper, Night In The Woods is like a 2/10. You walk and you talk to people. Sometimes there is incredibly basic platforming. And yet the vibe is incredibly immaculate. Visual design, music, and most importantly the interactions with characters. In the vain of games like Firewatch, it's more about 'experiencing' the atmosphere and narrative rather than exciting gameplay. Even with a sort of mystery thriller to create the illusion of a central narrative, I found myself craving the comfort of the daily routine, with every development in the mystery threatening to upheave the nostalgic wandering around town.
While the artstyle is unique and well done, and the music is great, the characters are what far and over make this game. Gregg is perhaps the best hypeman in written history, although I spent most of my time hanging out with Bea because I really wanted to repair the relationship. All the other characters are well done with some pretty realistic conversations, especially with your parents.
As Mae, you are presented with a few dialogue choices that sometimes change what information you get in a conversation, or more impactfully, decide what activity you will be doing. Despite the choices, Mae is really more of a character you control rather than a blank slate for the player. The ending is the same no matter what, however you can find optional side stories with characters around town, and who you hang out with the most gets extra dialogue in the final leg of the game. Threads of her past are teased but you never feel a need to know everything. The most significant thematically is the “shapes” monologue near the end of the game. Less so because of what it tells us about Mae but how it begs us to reflect on the experience of Night In The Woods as a whole. Trying not to spoil it but if you get to the part of the game you’ll probably understand what I mean.
The sad thing about Night In The Woods, is change. As I mentioned earlier, Possum Springs feels on the brink, which ties directly into the narrative in some places, but also serves as thematic backing. Your parents are struggling to pay mortgage. Gregg and Angus are planning to move one day. You don’t have enough time to hang out with everyone equally in a single playthrough. You can almost feel the time slipping away with every day that passes, as you can’t load previous saves. After a while I ended up really taking my time because I knew that the game would just end eventually. Sure I could start another playthrough, but that doesn't really feel like what the game wants me to do. Night In The Woods is really, literally, a slice-of-life, someone else’s life. I interpret the games themes as the fear of change, trying to hold on the what you have, and learning what you need to let go of.
Oh yeah, and there's a Guitar Hero minigame that I suck at
the longer I played the less I liked the story but I think that's just because it was hitting too close to home and making me uncomfortable
MaeBea the real friends were the time we spent in the woods... trying to unfold the mystery...
The words "this changed my brain chemistry" is thrown around a lot these days but man. playing this game as a lost 20something who'd just come home from university, spending the 2020 covid lockdown in my parent's attic in a dead-end small town. yeah let's just say this one hit home a lot.
Night in the Woods is- and allow me to be a little pretentious for a sec- less of a "game" and more of a playable visual novel using the medium of gaming to make a social observation about growing up in the digital age, making the fact that it is a game appropriate. I can see kids in English class 100 years from now discussing this text and how it reflected the experience of being a young adult in the early 21st century and late-stage capitalism, and as someone around the same age as the characters (are we called Zillenials? I like to call us Gen Void- we are u n m a r k e t a b l e), I can tell you it's pretty spot-on, probably even more so if you're American. It feels like playing through a great novel is what I'm saying.
Despite the 2017 release date this game feels a good few years ahead of its time, playing for the first time during the Covid lockdown really hit different and extra-hammered home the theme of "the world is broken and everything around you is changing and falling apart but you gotta find meaning and hope in it all and save what you can anyway" vibe, really added to it lol and was an experience I'm glad I had. Also Mae is literally me fr fr I've never related to a character more. her conversations with her friends and her mom were so weird to play through for me it was like the devs followed me around for a while. I am also short and kinda bug-eyed and am sometimes mistaken for a minor. I have an alcoholic father and am queer and adhd-coded with an array of mental health problems and kind of a disaster. she's sooo me guys. These characters feel way more human than a lot of other games and they are animals.
Some of my tips and advice for the game - explore everywhere and talk to everyone you can and exhaust their dialogue, this is a small game but has so much packed in and some of the best parts of the game are hidden in a secluded room or at the edge of the map or at the end of a seemingly obscure questline. Two playthroughs AT LEAST- Gregg and Bea routes- are recommended to get everything out of it but honestly I'm probably on my 6th or 7th playthrough and am still finding stuff.
Also play all the accompanying games- Demon Tower, the mini-game within the main game, is the Night In the Woods universe's answer to a souls-like game (dungeons, bosses, characters complain about how hard it is). It's a great game all by itself and does get genuinely challenging in the later levels (Finji you want to release Demon Tower as a separate game on PC, consoles and mobile sooo bad) Longest Night is a small game but adds lore to the characters and world. Lost Constellation adds even more obscure lore which is referred back to in the main game, but mostly stands as its own thing, acting as a story-within-a-story. I always play it around the holidays and it leaves me with a sense of hope going into the new year.
Night in the Woods is not a game I can recommend in good faith to just anyone, like you have to get it. Not everyone knows what it's like to be young and queer and mentally ill and directionless in a tumultuous time. Different journeys. But if you are a 20- or 30-something and lost, or even if you are older and still lost, or have ever been that person, well, this game won't offer solutions or change that. The only conclusion it has to an uncertain present is an uncertain future, which is way less depressing than it sounds, I promise (and for the people saying the game ends too abruptly- that's kind of the point?), BUT it might just change YOU, and maybe even save you a little bit. And eh even if it doesn't, you still played a fun game with great engaging characters and a cute artstyle, and a gorgeous soundtrack. And sometimes that is the same thing.
At the end of everything, hold onto anything
Night in the Woods is- and allow me to be a little pretentious for a sec- less of a "game" and more of a playable visual novel using the medium of gaming to make a social observation about growing up in the digital age, making the fact that it is a game appropriate. I can see kids in English class 100 years from now discussing this text and how it reflected the experience of being a young adult in the early 21st century and late-stage capitalism, and as someone around the same age as the characters (are we called Zillenials? I like to call us Gen Void- we are u n m a r k e t a b l e), I can tell you it's pretty spot-on, probably even more so if you're American. It feels like playing through a great novel is what I'm saying.
Despite the 2017 release date this game feels a good few years ahead of its time, playing for the first time during the Covid lockdown really hit different and extra-hammered home the theme of "the world is broken and everything around you is changing and falling apart but you gotta find meaning and hope in it all and save what you can anyway" vibe, really added to it lol and was an experience I'm glad I had. Also Mae is literally me fr fr I've never related to a character more. her conversations with her friends and her mom were so weird to play through for me it was like the devs followed me around for a while. I am also short and kinda bug-eyed and am sometimes mistaken for a minor. I have an alcoholic father and am queer and adhd-coded with an array of mental health problems and kind of a disaster. she's sooo me guys. These characters feel way more human than a lot of other games and they are animals.
Some of my tips and advice for the game - explore everywhere and talk to everyone you can and exhaust their dialogue, this is a small game but has so much packed in and some of the best parts of the game are hidden in a secluded room or at the edge of the map or at the end of a seemingly obscure questline. Two playthroughs AT LEAST- Gregg and Bea routes- are recommended to get everything out of it but honestly I'm probably on my 6th or 7th playthrough and am still finding stuff.
Also play all the accompanying games- Demon Tower, the mini-game within the main game, is the Night In the Woods universe's answer to a souls-like game (dungeons, bosses, characters complain about how hard it is). It's a great game all by itself and does get genuinely challenging in the later levels (Finji you want to release Demon Tower as a separate game on PC, consoles and mobile sooo bad) Longest Night is a small game but adds lore to the characters and world. Lost Constellation adds even more obscure lore which is referred back to in the main game, but mostly stands as its own thing, acting as a story-within-a-story. I always play it around the holidays and it leaves me with a sense of hope going into the new year.
Night in the Woods is not a game I can recommend in good faith to just anyone, like you have to get it. Not everyone knows what it's like to be young and queer and mentally ill and directionless in a tumultuous time. Different journeys. But if you are a 20- or 30-something and lost, or even if you are older and still lost, or have ever been that person, well, this game won't offer solutions or change that. The only conclusion it has to an uncertain present is an uncertain future, which is way less depressing than it sounds, I promise (and for the people saying the game ends too abruptly- that's kind of the point?), BUT it might just change YOU, and maybe even save you a little bit. And eh even if it doesn't, you still played a fun game with great engaging characters and a cute artstyle, and a gorgeous soundtrack. And sometimes that is the same thing.
At the end of everything, hold onto anything
Be crimes, do gay or something idk.
very nostalgic and memorable. honestly changed my brain chemistry i wont #lie..
crimes
honestly playing this game made me a furry
in all seriousness tho, Night in the Woods is better than you could guess from first glance, and it looks pretty good at first glance. The story is a fun ride, Mae is insanely relatable (unexpected for a cat but hey i'm not complaining) and hanging out with her & her friends is cozy. It feels like home. There are games in this game: a rhythm game?! and a lil dungeon crawler, both are great on their own. This game is all kinds of good, if you like story games I'm sure there is something here for you.
in all seriousness tho, Night in the Woods is better than you could guess from first glance, and it looks pretty good at first glance. The story is a fun ride, Mae is insanely relatable (unexpected for a cat but hey i'm not complaining) and hanging out with her & her friends is cozy. It feels like home. There are games in this game: a rhythm game?! and a lil dungeon crawler, both are great on their own. This game is all kinds of good, if you like story games I'm sure there is something here for you.
"Nothing can save us forever but a lot of things can save us today."
When things are fine and dandy, this game is here to make me as uncomfortable as possible, and when nothing feels quite right, it’s there to provide comfort and set things straight again. gregg rulz ok
I don't like reading but I've read this game dialogue
This review contains spoilers
"i want to hope again. and i want it to hurt. because that means it meant something. it means i am something, at least... pretty amazing to be something, at least..."
argghghghgh. really glad i bounced off this as a 15 year old and came back to properly play and beat it now honestly. couldn't possibly have resonated as much as it did for me now back then. good game. really good game. one of my favourites, even.
argghghghgh. really glad i bounced off this as a 15 year old and came back to properly play and beat it now honestly. couldn't possibly have resonated as much as it did for me now back then. good game. really good game. one of my favourites, even.
Everything about this game is perfect. The music, the characters, the story, the themes, the art style, everything make me feel like if the developers entered inside my brain to make the game the most ideal game possible for my tastes. Now, I know some people might not like how little gameplay there is, others might not like the story as much as I did, but I don't care, I believe art is subjective and the most impactful art to the individual is often the most subjective.
Maybe this game isn't for everybody, but if you are a the kind of person who can relate to the themes of the history, it will be one of the most memorable experiences you can have.
Maybe this game isn't for everybody, but if you are a the kind of person who can relate to the themes of the history, it will be one of the most memorable experiences you can have.
I love NITW! All the characters are super fleshed out and all have different views on Mae and her story. Mae is one of the greatest depictions of mental health issues I've seen in a game. And Gregg is a great depiction of learning disabilities! (´▽`♡)
really really liked the atmosphere. just worked for me
characters in this game are so relatable. i too will go through existential crises, traumatic and life-threatening events and react by only saying "huh. weird day"
Don't have a concrete opinion on this yet nor have finished it, but this is the hardest anything has given me mid-2010s tumblrite college dropout vibes.
The only bad thing I can say about Night in the Woods is that it’s ending feels the tiniest bit rushed. But that grievance is so microscopic and pales in comparison to the rest of the brilliant things this game achieves. Other than that, this is a one of a kind experience that I often find myself wishing I could feel for the first time again.
Really good writing and dialogue that feels very natural, which is hard to pull off. Brilliant soundtrack and characters, all of whom have a sense of relatability to them. The game oddly has a vague sense of nostalgia/melancholy to it, which I think is a testament to how well it establishes it’s characters and their environments. Despite the bright colourful art style, it mirrors and acknowledges many of the mundane aspects of real life which is very interesting. It looks so escapist, but it’s actually really grounded to life.
A really great game with superb world building and a lot of relatability to offer for all kinds of people. It’s not afraid to get deep, and the writing is so well tuned that those moments always feel genuine and like they’ve come from a place of experience.
Really good writing and dialogue that feels very natural, which is hard to pull off. Brilliant soundtrack and characters, all of whom have a sense of relatability to them. The game oddly has a vague sense of nostalgia/melancholy to it, which I think is a testament to how well it establishes it’s characters and their environments. Despite the bright colourful art style, it mirrors and acknowledges many of the mundane aspects of real life which is very interesting. It looks so escapist, but it’s actually really grounded to life.
A really great game with superb world building and a lot of relatability to offer for all kinds of people. It’s not afraid to get deep, and the writing is so well tuned that those moments always feel genuine and like they’ve come from a place of experience.