This game is currently in the Humble Choice for December 2023, and this is part of my coverage of the bundle. If you are interested in the game and it's before January 2nd, 2023, consider picking up the game as part of the current monthly bundle.
Sailing into the frozen south to find a mysterious wreck.
The Pale Beyond starts with an interview for the main character to join the interviewer’s crew as a first mate. The game is played in a slow story-based style where players have to make choices but also those questions will make the player think a bit about their character. The game says that decisions will change the crew, their opinions of the player, and their morale. There are also several resources that players will have to balance between food, fire, and the aforementioned morale. The game moves at a brisk pace but there’s probably a lot more to discover after the first hour.
At the same time, this does seem to be very story-heavy. I’m not sure how much each decision will matter, and the game pretty much forces most of the important choices in the first hour. It’s likely just holding the player's hand but as usual, this is a game claiming “choices will matter”, and the question as always is “how much”. It seems the gameplay is more about staying alive than necessarily changing the ending, but that’s also where the challenge will lie.
Pick this up if you like a story-based game. Parts of me were thinking about Return of the Ober Din due to the language and an experience on a ship, but that was more of a puzzle game and this is more of a narrative. Still, something is intriguing about this story so far so it’s possible I’ll play much more.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/FzxvEceV60k
Sailing into the frozen south to find a mysterious wreck.
The Pale Beyond starts with an interview for the main character to join the interviewer’s crew as a first mate. The game is played in a slow story-based style where players have to make choices but also those questions will make the player think a bit about their character. The game says that decisions will change the crew, their opinions of the player, and their morale. There are also several resources that players will have to balance between food, fire, and the aforementioned morale. The game moves at a brisk pace but there’s probably a lot more to discover after the first hour.
At the same time, this does seem to be very story-heavy. I’m not sure how much each decision will matter, and the game pretty much forces most of the important choices in the first hour. It’s likely just holding the player's hand but as usual, this is a game claiming “choices will matter”, and the question as always is “how much”. It seems the gameplay is more about staying alive than necessarily changing the ending, but that’s also where the challenge will lie.
Pick this up if you like a story-based game. Parts of me were thinking about Return of the Ober Din due to the language and an experience on a ship, but that was more of a puzzle game and this is more of a narrative. Still, something is intriguing about this story so far so it’s possible I’ll play much more.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/FzxvEceV60k