This review contains spoilers

This is a sweet little hidden object puzzle game about remembering the dead and exploring the afterlife. It's also about finding the right person for the job of Custodian --a caretaker of the Island you lived on-- in order to prevent an impending volcanic eruption. The nature of the puzzles were unique; you're able to click and dissect items and scenes, and the level of detail is incredible. Wooden statues had insect tunnels worming their way through; barnacle clusters had secret treasures inside, and you could even see circuitry in electronics. Each object was fun to explore!

In order to find the candidates for the Custodian you had to delve into the memories of the loved ones/people who remember the departed. Memories were fully voice acted with expert delivery from the VAs, each memory truly bringing these characters to life from a beloved fish person harbormaster, to a cranky campsite director who just loved an owl so much.

There's additional mechanics and puzzles in the form of finding "Grenkins" and the last few environs had a riddle master associated with them, but the latter wasn't utilized throughout the game so it felt out of place.

I love games of death and dying and remembering loved ones, and i really enjoyed this game. However, the ending was fumbled terribly--it was abrupt, confusing, and unresolved. You speak to the former Custodian, Aggi, a bog body from the bronze age who gave her life ahead of a volcanic eruption to save the Island, but when you speak with her, it ends abruptly, talking about what she'll do now. The imminent volcanic eruption isn't mentioned, isn't knowingly resolved. I was almost expecting an after credits scene to explain but nothing. Not even enough information was provided to keep the player wondering. It's not that it feels unfinished, it feels like a hit that didn't land. It's still a game I'd recommend, just now with a large CAUTION sticker ahead of it.

Reviewed on Jul 09, 2023


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