“You want to spend your first night back in jail, Mae?”
This line spoken near the beginning is a great way to describe Night in the Woods main character, Mae Borowski, and the general feeling of the game: unexpected and daring. Night in the Woods is an adventure game from developer Infinite Fall, originally a Kickstarter project, that puts you in the boots of Mae, a college sophomore freshly dropped out and returning home to Possum Springs. The circumstances behind what exactly caused her to drop out remains a mystery for a good majority of the game, but now she’s home and discovering what may have changed in her small hometown. The journey down this winding road is an extremely sentimental and rewarding experience that takes players through the very real struggles of a town on the brink of nonexistence. It also comes with the added benefits of an alluring art style and witty writing that still feels grounded.
As you make your way through you’ll come across a plethora of characters that Mae has known for years, but has lost contact with or has just not seen since her high school days. The crazy Mr. Wilson-esque next door neighbor, the old classmate who lives down the street and has taken a penchant for a new hobby, the science teacher who still yearns to educate you even out of school; these supporting characters and more build up the town and at the same time break it down to showcase just how average Possum Springs makes itself. Run down to the Ol’ Pickaxe for your tool supplies and needs, hop over to the Snack Falcon and grab yourself a slushie and some fruit snacks (Atomic Dino Snacks), or perhaps take a visit to the church and chat with the pastor. The characters you see are on the daily grind making ends meet and weighing their options for some chance of a future. There’s knowledge to be gained from the background characters that hold conversations as you pass by as well as from your closer friends and family that you take time to hang out with. Each individual provides a look into a middle class working life that remains entertaining and fun even while being injected with some doses of hard reality.
In terms of the gameplay, it’s a fairly straightforward adventure game where you travel around town interacting with various items and people, gaining dialogue and insight. There is a degree of platforming involved to reach specific places up high with characters and locations. When finding a person to chat with, you can occasionally choose where that conversation is headed with a list of different dialogue options and making certain choices. This isn’t exactly a Telltale-style of “Your choices will be remembered and directly impact the game”, but more simply a way to flavor Mae’s adventure to your liking. There are spots in which making a choice on who to hang out with will affect certain things towards the end, but the game doesn’t pretend to be a revelation in choice-defining storytelling and it’s all the better off for that. The developers have crafted a clear story that Mae is going on, and it’s up to the player to steer how they want to reach that end. You’ll fill in small, welcoming details with exploration and the choices you make in conversations, but it’s mostly there to see the great responses you’ll get back in that moment. At various points the gameplay switches up for a segment or two, for instance a rhythm game while playing bass in Mae’s old band or a stop-and-go stealing section. The developers have also added a dungeon-crawler of sorts with Demontower, a game within the game that you can go and play almost any time once you unlock it (highly suggested). Ultimately the crux of the game is jumping around to do some exploring and conversing.
Going into a more personal note, the writing in Night in the Woods is among the strongest writing I’ve seen in a game, period. I lost track of the amount of times that words exchanged in conversations would line up so strongly with things I’ve said and discussed among friends. And with friends in the game like Bea the sarcastic chain-smoking crocodile, Gregg the rambunctious down-for-anything fox, and Angus the soft-spoken but fiercely loyal bear, Mae has quite a bit to say. She’s a perfect foil to Bea’s work ethic, and the perfect accomplice for Gregg and his antics. I’d also have to say that Gregg and Angus are the most adorable couple in a video game, and in general. I do wish the player was able to spend a little more time with Angus, but there is a phenomenal scene involving him later on in the game. The writing is perhaps a tad more witty than how people act in reality but I’d like to think that says more about the folly of human beings not living up to its greatness rather than a weakness of the game. All types of humor are on display, sarcasm taking a strong lead role, and it stays consistent throughout. At risk of spoiling all of these excellent lines, Mae brings a balance of being the lovable screw-up who isn’t afraid to spout some less than posh words and an individual who is tackling an ongoing depression and anxiety.
In fact, many of these characters are dealing with their own set of issues. One such example with a character coping with a mother who has passed away from cancer resonated with me since I have dealt with the same issue for the past few years. The game covers a variety of topics, ranging from religion to mental illness to existentialism, that most people can find little things here and there to identify with. This is another brilliant thing that ties into how “normal” the game is; it doesn’t shy away from the ugliness of the world. Just as much as it will make you laugh and smile, it’ll make you feel awkward and uncomfortable. You won’t finish every play session with a fun romp, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be enjoying the ride. This is a trend I feel modern games have been inching closer and closer to, especially indie games, which is admirable. Night in the Woods keeps that trend alive and kicking, showing that it’s nigh essential to continue having games that strive to challenge your emotions.
With all the positive reception the game has been getting, the one aspect that has gotten perhaps a slightly more divisive response is the ending. It throws a bit more at the player than they might be ready for, and it depends on how one views endings that give the player more to interpret. I’m of the opinion that it fits with the general feeling and direction of the game. In particular the very end reminds me of the movie Inside Llewyn Davis in that it feels like a day in the life of this small town and its residents. Life goes on and there is no magic cure-all for problems, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up entirely. In the words of the game, at the end of everything hold onto anything. I’d greatly consider holding onto Night in the Woods.
Go grab it on itch.io, Steam or PSN for $20.
Everyone Arguing Over Everything 