Thomas Olsson's largely self-developed Olija is, in a word, scrupulous.

By giving the player just enough control feedback and visual cueing, Olija time and time again successfully executes a 'feeling first, narrative second' approach to storytelling that perfectly complements the deliberate art direction and audio design.

Each environment you sail to is diverse and inspired, with the consistent sense of exploration heightened by a combat system that is frantic and exhilarating while always maintaining a snappy sense of control. Every new ability you obtain is thoughtfully implemented, and the steady difficulty curve balances the adventure in such a way that keeps you attentive without falling into the trap of 'preserving the integrity' of old-school inspired challenge.

Clocking in at ~4 hours to reach the end, the journey is short, but when you consider the whole package, from the art, to the music, to the design and programming, is primarily developed by one guy? It's clear that this is a labor of love, and it paid off with a product that's all killer, no filler.