I've been sitting here trying to think of how to even start this review. I'll avoid big spoilers, but this may spoil the game in more general ways, so keep that in mind before reading.


This game is just so amazing and beautiful (emotionally). Feels so raw and realistic (excluding the physics and the anthropomorphic animal people). Characters are so loveable, but in a way that feels true to life, not just a "loveable fictional character" way. Idk, everything about the characters and their relationships feel accurate. Love it tackling the pains of growing up and how it affects relationships, along with many other topics.

I find Mae relatable in many ways (not necessarily her overall personality, but some specific things she deals with), and have grown more attached to Angus over time, despite his limited focus in the story. He might be my favorite character by now. Gregg and Bea are also great and get a lot of focus to expand on them.

I'll try to talk about this as vaguely as possible: I will say that the whole...thing...that happens near the end/second half is strange, not sure why they went that direction. That's not even a complaint or anything, just saying that even after finishing the story, I'm not quite sure what the reason for it was. It led to one of the greatest scenes in anything I've ever seen, though, and sparked interesting moments with the characters, so I'm fine with it. Just mentioning that it's a lil random, and you probably never would've expected anything like it from the beginning. There are some signs of something like that happening, but it still felt a lil out of place with the overall vibe the game had going on.

Anyways, if you haven't, please play this game or watch a playthrough of it.

Unemployed friend simulator. I love the characters, setting, and writing. This game does a great job portraying what it feels like to not be enough to your friends and family. It also shows how complex the relationships with your friends and family are, it’s not black and white. These are people with their own problems and emotions and I think they feel as genuine as I’ve ever seen in a video game. The little music sections of the game are well done too, and I like how the difficulty of the songs gets harder as you unlock more. This is a really comfy game and it’s one of my favorite narrative based games in the past decade.

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