What a strange game. What begins as survival as a necessity... actually, never really leaves that part behind, really!

Rain World is gruelingly punishing. It has a fairly long play time, not because the content available is massive, (although it is considerable in size)but because you will die MANY times. By the end of my playthrough I was encroaching on 110 deaths. Still, the breadth of things to do and discover in the game result in a rewarding experience I have not seen replicated elsewhere. Entire regions are simulated at a time, leading to complex emergent behavior that you must identify and potentially exploit if you are to trick your assailants and progress. It's an expertly crafted game that does a good job at always pointing you in the correct direction, and does a terrible job at letting you know it is doing so. I got "lost" and looked up a guide many times, only to discover I was 2 rooms away from my destination and if I had just persevered, I would have made it just fine.

Be quick, be witty, stay determined, stay alive.