Endling Extinction is a game I found, and decided to play on a whim. Despite knowing nothing, it's fairly obvious what sort of game it's going to be. Those expectations were matched, it's a game where you play a mother fox protecting her cubs. It uses the inherent cuteness and lovability we have for little animals to tell a message on animal cruelty and environmentalism. However what surprised me was just how harsh the world of this game is. Playing with my partner, we were sweating and screaming multiple times desperately trying to avoid or run from encroaching hunters. Our decision to name our cubs (John, Johnathan, Jardani and Baba Yaga respectively) immediately attached us to each cub, and the game set it's stakes early on. Realizing the cubs were in very real danger, and might not make it out of the game alive made the game's dangers tense and terrifying. To the point of my detriment sometimes, as I didn't explore as much of the world in the first half as I would've liked, being too afraid to venture too far from home or take risks.

As the game's story progressed I found myself taking more and more of an interest in trying to figure out the clues it was giving me, and piecing together the background events of this world. The game surprised me with it's depth of commentary. I've often found stories like this lean towards a simplified approach of 'humans evil and bad for environment', with maybe a few good guys so we can feel good about ourselves. This game's perspective, really effectively digging into you through the increasingly oppressive environment and terrifying threat of survival, is more successful in communicating and emphasizing with the overwhelming horrendous impacts we as a species have on the world we live in, and the other species that occupy it. However, it doesn't resort to a simple 'humans are bad, they shouldn't be bad' approach. This will now be the spoiler section.

The obvious way it subverts this is the Scavenger. His intimidating character is the closest to a main antagonist for the majority of the game. The game's decision to show his life as a refugee struggling to earn money to pay for his daughter (Molly's) life-saving medicine is an emotional twist on the story that highlights individuals are often not the one's to blame for the state of the world (though some suck, looking at you, Furrier) but it's the large scale institutions and corporations that force people to do whatever they need to survive. And if the scene between the Scavenger and the mother fox upon Molly's death doesn't do something to you, I don't know what to say. Sociopath. It also puts enough onus on individuals would still try to be kind despite their pressures, as we see from encounters with kind strangers like Molly and the musician.

An image that sticks with me was early in the game hearing music from off view. As we approached, I found a view of a woman playing a lovely song to herself. In the background was the view of a large factory, and all around us rubbish and pollution. This view to me in scene encapsulated what I think is all the evil and destruction humanity is capable of, but also the creation, imagination and warmth.

Anyway, the gameplay was definitely engaging, although stressful. The story was emotional and effective. I think the game accomplished everything it was trying to achieve. A good game to play with your significant other, or if you're curious. Short enough it would be worth most people's time. Recommended!

Genuinely surprising and enjoyable game.

Probably could power through this in a couple of hours with it’s very quick 5 or so minute rounds if you’re focused. But actually recommend doing what I did and play a couple rounds a night to wind down. Very straightforward but engrossing game with plenty to soak in via environmental - pun intended - storytelling.

Had an emotional impact on me I was not expecting but delighted to have given it a go. Fully recommended.

Woof. I knew it was going to be sad, but... dang.

A game about a fox with a name that includes "Extinction Is Forever" is going to be rough on the ol' feelings, for sure. The game drops you right in to the sadness for the fox family, adds in some frantic hopelessness, then you slowly realize the game is sad for basically every character in it, and then you remember that the skies outside are full of wildfire smoke and we're all witnessing the start of the end times for the planet as we know it... and then you get to the final ending you knew was coming... bummer, man, bummer.

The low-texture polygon graphics are nice and the sound design and music are pretty great. I did feel a little lost on a couple of the days and definitely said out loud, "Where am I supposed to go?" Otherwise, the gameplay was fine, but not particularly interesting. Apparently folks are finishing this game in an hour or two, but I took my time exploring and moping around so it took a bit longer than that. I also died a few times as some of the visual cues for danger were a little subtle for me, which seemed unfair, but that does fit with the brutal world that the game has designed for us to be sad in. The game over screen is a downer, as well, of course.

Well, if you need a game to help you lean in to your sadness about how we've treated nature, pick this up. If you are out there rollin' coal in your truck and/or don't care about the impending end of life on Earth, just stick with Call of Duty or whatever.

Review from thedonproject.com

Finally, a short narrative indie survival game gets the ending right. The right mix of ideas and feels, just well done. I do wonder how players might interpret this but I do hope it is empathy.

My only desire is that the game could have been harder and more dynamic rather this is mostly for its mood and vibes. I do like the 2D movement and tracking camera, but I did find it difficult to detect incoming threats while running even if the camera could be moved slightly. The indicators do help, but I thinking if the camera could be zoomed out as an easy fix. The game is not hard so these issues are just slight inconveniences.

Good game and can recommend.

"Endling é um conto sobre o que estamos a fazer ao nosso mundo, uma previsão para onde caminhamos quase cegamente. É apresentar-nos, através dos olhos de uma mãe raposa, que vê uma das suas crias a ser raptada por ganância humana, o mal que estamos a fazer ao nosso planeta, destruindo ecossistemas com o objetivo de termos mais, de produzirmos mais, sem termos em consideração o impacto que temos para com esses ecossistemas e para os seres que sofrem. Porque não é só a nossa mãe raposa que está a sofrer, enquanto se refugia em lugares cada vez piores."

https://soficious.substack.com/p/endling

So humans are destroying the world and you have to survive for a month.

It's a good indie game with great environmental storytelling, and the gameplay is... alright. I wish there was more to "being a mother" and taking care of your cubs; they are invincible and in most situations you can just run around as if they weren't there.

It's ending is sad but expected... I mean the title of the game says it all.

6/10

As the nth posthuman narrative on how humans destroyed the world and themselves, the game works pretty well. It is short and straightforward, it doesn't want to be funny, and it has some very moving moments.

The only thing that I lacked was becoming an actual caregiver of my children - they cannot be hurt, they don't have to hide, they are basically like Ellie in The Last of Us. Soon, you start running around as if alone, and since the game is all about caregiving this is kinda bad.

Although didactic, the storytelling is pretty good and doesn't fall into simplistic cliches as many others. The double ending could be avoided but it's not that big of a deal.

If you love foxes, hate human beings, want to cry over your sins, and imagine absolution in a future extinction, then this is the game for you.