Night in the Woods

Beautifully created adventure game will catch you not only for its visuals, but mainly by the way it observes the problems of young adults. [Issue#273]

While I can try to find something negative to say about the game it would be absolute nitpicking and at this point, nothing comes to mind. I can certainly say that Night in the Woods’ relatable and lifelike story won’t be for everyone, and I can imagine some finding the characters too whiny or depressing. However, I think the people who enjoy these kinds of stories and characters will be in for one of the best examples of lifelike interactions and relatable storylines in a game to date. Night in the Woods blends beautiful art, a nuanced soundtrack, and expertly crafted, human writing into a single, cohesive experience.

While slow in patches when it deviates from its core strengths, or occasionally fiddly in its mini-games, the game is buoyed by its dialogue, warm and charming art style, and Holowka’s soundtrack, which keeps even the occasionally clunky platforming from feeling too tedious.

I'd been looking forward to Night in the Woods since its announcement and crowdfunding campaign way back in 2013, and I still ended up being surprised at just how much it affected me. It's a bittersweet tribute to slackerdom: a tale of existential crisis and failure, and the odd sense of comfort that failure may result in. Even when your world is crumbling, there's solace in family taco night or the predictable evening talk show hosts, who spout the same catchphrases night after night. We've all had our own personal nights in the woods, but in the words of Possum Springs' welcome sign, "You're not lost, you're here."

Adventure of unusual style that excels with characters, script, the atmosphere, the style and even mini-games. Do not miss it especially if you love great stories.

Quotation forthcoming.

Despite some slightly uneven pacing, Night in the Woods is a mature, honest and fun tale of how it feels to be lost in a damaged world. This is the indie game you just have to get your paws on.

Night in the Woods is an universal game about the fear of becoming and adult. A fear to struggle with politics, money and family. A fear to lose your beloved ones and yourself. A fear to life itself. But it's also a survival guide to life and adulthood and one of the best written videogames of the last few months.

The detailed characters and excellent writing tell stories that can be hilarious and heartbreaking and, as Mae, you develop some relationships with people you truly care about. The conversations and little moments that come from hanging out with friends are what make Night in the Woods such a special experience.

Night in the Woods is a reminder of how emotionally tepid most other titles are in comparison.

Though its charming and angsty story works well on its own merits, it’s special because of how it prioritizes conveying emotion over telling a straight narrative.

What will stick with me long after everything else about Night in the Woods fades away is its main protagonist, Mae. She is such a fully realized character that I felt like I knew her – or, at least, that I’ve known people like her.

Contrary to what may seem by seeing a couple of images, Night in the Woods is, in a conversational adventure form, a punk call, an existential, social, economic and political review. Mae's adventure is the sentimental reflex of an twenty-year-old young adult.

Night in the Woods is a strange tale with an even stranger cast of characters, but it revels in its oddities. The excellent writing pulls off a realistic sense of cynicism, childlike wonder, and comradery between friends. With its careful balance between adult themes and youth, it captures a stage of life that is confusing, frightening, and thrilling. The sluggish pacing can drag, but players fill the time by building friendships and understanding the grim secrets of a town they once again call home.

Its ability to swerve from the amusing hijinks of its vibrant heroes into very real, and very serious subject matter without feeling forced or unnatural was a pleasant surprise that kept me invested in its character drama long after I’d said goodbye to Possum Springs for the first time. But just like Mae, I know I’ll be back soon.

A delightfully different narrative experience that offers the perfect blend of serious and silly. [Apr 2017, p.79]

During 12 hours I spent with Night in the Woods it grew from an average game to a member of genre’s elite. [04/2017, p.42]

Anthropomorphic animals of Night in the Woods are far more humane, honest and touching than human-like robots of many other games that try to tell a simple, down-to-earth story. [Issue#218, p.58]

This little game hides a great message. Its realistic tone and characters makes this work special, scarce and valuable.

Night in the Woods reminds me of an old, relatively unknown PC adventure gem called The Adventures of Willy Beamish. It's unconventional, deals with a younger character, and while irreverent, has a lot of commentary on life that applies to just about everyone. I have a feeling Night in the Woods is going to benefit a lot from word of mouth the same way Undertale did, but just in case it doesn't, take my recommendation - go play it.

Witty, smart and great to look at, there are many worse ways to spend your time than a Night in with Night in the Woods.

I wish there was more to do in Night in the Woods, but that doesn't stop it from being a delight. I love that it addresses something relevant and honest. It's a slice of life that speaks to a generation and explores a world with unusual depth.

A dialogue-heavy adventure with a moving story, lots of written text, discoveries and secrets and mini-games.

A beautiful, heartfelt coming of age story that says something about life, and cracks a few jokes in the process.

Perhaps that's Infinite Fall's ultimate triumph: with a group of 2D animals it's built a cast that's more rounded and identifiably human than any mo-capped blockbuster. [May 2017, p.116]

Night in the Woods may be a pastiche of influences, but as far as video games go, there’s really nothing else like it, and there’s a lot to be learned from spending a dozen days in Mae’s life—about her and her friends, about yourself, about America and towns forgotten by time.

Although it’s told through the lenses of cute cuddly woodland creatures, Night in the Woods‘ narrative themes of isolation and insecurity are nothing to shake a stick at. Despite its pitfalls Infinite Falls’ story about the declining heartland touched me more than any game has any abject right to.

Night in the Woods isn't perfect. I'm not perfect. You're not perfect. Life isn't perfect. But as the game itself tries to espouse, if you've got the patience, you may find that there is true beauty in that revelation.