The Hero's Journey is a narrative trope, common in mythology, where a seemingly ordinary character is thrust into a world of the unknown. They face perilous trials, battle their inner demons, and overcome the odds. And, when their journey is complete, they return to their home, changing for the better and facing the future with optimism. But what happens when the hero fails? They still return home, but without the victory, without the lesson. Enter Mae Borowski. In the 2017 hit indie title Night In The Woods, Mae, a recent college dropout, returns to her rust belt-inspired hometown, Possum Springs, in an attempt to recapture the familiar. But not all is how it seems, and though she was only gone for two years, this isn't the town she used to know.
Night In The Woods was a product of the post-indie boom; as a late 2013 Kickstarter project, it amassed its funding in less than 24 hours, and quadrupled its goal in weeks. The reasons are immediately apparent; NITW is an utterly gorgeous game. It's glowy, color block artistic style is instantly enticing. It naturally takes place during autumn, and beyond the innate narrative symbolism, it creates the beautiful backdrop of Possum Springs. The music is wonderful; it's just the right amount of nostalgia. If there's one negative about this game, it's the actual gameplay. It's hard to define NITW with a genre-let's say, a narrative focused walking sim & adventure game-but its game design doesn't always quite reach the heights of its characters. Exploring Possum Springs is, on the whole, a delightful time, and there's a dense amount of secrets to find and characters to meet. After the nth time through it, though, the exploring-even while finding new things-begins to feel like a routine, and you wouldn't be unique for wishing for a run button or a fast travel mechanic. Loading screens are also more prevalent than they should be, and even though there are some mini games to break up the monotony, it can still feel like moving around sometimes takes too long.
It's clear that Night In The Woods was a narrative-first experience, and while that may have left some shortcomings in the gameplay design, it creates a fascinating world to get wrapped up in. The themes of NITW are as plentiful and varied as its memorable cast. Mae's flaws and the flaws of her friends so strongly reflect the town they are living in, and it makes the game's setting feel as another character-or, rather, a summation of all characters. Possum Springs is the archetypical failing small town; once a booming economy fed by coal mining, it's slowly been bled dry of resources and inhabitants. It's dying, slowly but surely, and everyone knows it. Buildings are boarded up, businesses are closing, and the town is heavily reliant on mega corporations to keep things afloat. Just like Mae, the town can't adapt to modern times. It harkens back on "the good old days", when everything made sense. Mae's juxtaposition among her friends, who she seeks out as an anchor in a dispassionate, ever-changing world, initially only alienates her further. Times are changing, but Mae isn't.
One of the bigger points of contention for some players with NITW is its ending; specifically, the cult revealed in the final act, which sacrifices drifters to an eldritch horror in exchange for supposed prosperity of their hometown. And while it's true that the pacing is a bit off, the dichotomy between Mae and the cult is perhaps the game's strongest narrative punch. Mae's struggles throughout the game are predominantly ones of disassociation; she feels disconnected to the world at large and those in it. It's these feelings that motivate her entire story. And yet, when she's at her lowest, fully willing to sacrifice herself to an uncaring void, it's her friends that provide a reason to keep going. While the cult will accept any collateral damage caused as a means to an end in order to return things to the past, Mae takes an active role in facing the future. By acknowledging the universe's indifference, she commits to finding life worth fighting for.
In Night In The Woods, you can never go home again. Or, at least, not to what you think home is. And maybe that's okay. Because maybe what we think are the glory years are just photographs heavily coated in nostalgia. Home is what you make it, where you make it, and cosmic insignificance doesn't equate to personal insignificance. Mae's story will no doubt resonate with many, and even though she is just a character, her words are still real. If the world has no meaning, then at least we have the capability to create meaning ourselves-to create our own home. In an increasingly detached and decaying world, Mae takes agency as her own storyteller, and NITW shows us how to follow her lead, how to create a home worth defending. And sure, the woods are scary. But they're worth facing. And you don't have to do it alone.
Night In The Woods was a product of the post-indie boom; as a late 2013 Kickstarter project, it amassed its funding in less than 24 hours, and quadrupled its goal in weeks. The reasons are immediately apparent; NITW is an utterly gorgeous game. It's glowy, color block artistic style is instantly enticing. It naturally takes place during autumn, and beyond the innate narrative symbolism, it creates the beautiful backdrop of Possum Springs. The music is wonderful; it's just the right amount of nostalgia. If there's one negative about this game, it's the actual gameplay. It's hard to define NITW with a genre-let's say, a narrative focused walking sim & adventure game-but its game design doesn't always quite reach the heights of its characters. Exploring Possum Springs is, on the whole, a delightful time, and there's a dense amount of secrets to find and characters to meet. After the nth time through it, though, the exploring-even while finding new things-begins to feel like a routine, and you wouldn't be unique for wishing for a run button or a fast travel mechanic. Loading screens are also more prevalent than they should be, and even though there are some mini games to break up the monotony, it can still feel like moving around sometimes takes too long.
It's clear that Night In The Woods was a narrative-first experience, and while that may have left some shortcomings in the gameplay design, it creates a fascinating world to get wrapped up in. The themes of NITW are as plentiful and varied as its memorable cast. Mae's flaws and the flaws of her friends so strongly reflect the town they are living in, and it makes the game's setting feel as another character-or, rather, a summation of all characters. Possum Springs is the archetypical failing small town; once a booming economy fed by coal mining, it's slowly been bled dry of resources and inhabitants. It's dying, slowly but surely, and everyone knows it. Buildings are boarded up, businesses are closing, and the town is heavily reliant on mega corporations to keep things afloat. Just like Mae, the town can't adapt to modern times. It harkens back on "the good old days", when everything made sense. Mae's juxtaposition among her friends, who she seeks out as an anchor in a dispassionate, ever-changing world, initially only alienates her further. Times are changing, but Mae isn't.
One of the bigger points of contention for some players with NITW is its ending; specifically, the cult revealed in the final act, which sacrifices drifters to an eldritch horror in exchange for supposed prosperity of their hometown. And while it's true that the pacing is a bit off, the dichotomy between Mae and the cult is perhaps the game's strongest narrative punch. Mae's struggles throughout the game are predominantly ones of disassociation; she feels disconnected to the world at large and those in it. It's these feelings that motivate her entire story. And yet, when she's at her lowest, fully willing to sacrifice herself to an uncaring void, it's her friends that provide a reason to keep going. While the cult will accept any collateral damage caused as a means to an end in order to return things to the past, Mae takes an active role in facing the future. By acknowledging the universe's indifference, she commits to finding life worth fighting for.
In Night In The Woods, you can never go home again. Or, at least, not to what you think home is. And maybe that's okay. Because maybe what we think are the glory years are just photographs heavily coated in nostalgia. Home is what you make it, where you make it, and cosmic insignificance doesn't equate to personal insignificance. Mae's story will no doubt resonate with many, and even though she is just a character, her words are still real. If the world has no meaning, then at least we have the capability to create meaning ourselves-to create our own home. In an increasingly detached and decaying world, Mae takes agency as her own storyteller, and NITW shows us how to follow her lead, how to create a home worth defending. And sure, the woods are scary. But they're worth facing. And you don't have to do it alone.