The Longing

 PC
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 30 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 30
  3. Negative: 3 out of 30

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  1. B-Bog
    Aug 31, 2020
    4
    Initially, the concept of a game based entirely on waiting and the ominous instruction to wake up the king after 400 days, not knowing what exactly that will result in, seemed really intriguing to me. And that feeling also carried over into the first few hours of the game. I was OK with things taking much longer than in other games; it gave the game a really contemplative character, almostInitially, the concept of a game based entirely on waiting and the ominous instruction to wake up the king after 400 days, not knowing what exactly that will result in, seemed really intriguing to me. And that feeling also carried over into the first few hours of the game. I was OK with things taking much longer than in other games; it gave the game a really contemplative character, almost like a meditation. Exploring the caverns was also really interesting in the beginning because they seemed like this mysterious, incomprehensible maze and you would run into paths that are blocked and require you to wait for a week, or two weeks, or a month, in order to progress past them. At this stage in the game, there was a lot of promise for what will still be unveiled, there seemed to be a lot of potential and this great sense of mystery of what's yet to come.

    The thing is: That promise was not kept. There's really not that much to the game besides waiting. The cavern system isn't really all that big or complicated once you get a grip on the structure, and it only takes so long to explore because your character, The Shade, walks painfully slow. There simply is very little actual content or gameplay in this "game", it's all just stretched out beyond belief because every little thing takes forever. Once I got past a certain point playing the game basically devolved to speeding up in-game time as much as possible through decorating my home, and then either muting the game and doing something else while it ran in the background, or quitting the game altogether and checking back in later. While the developer did attain his goal of making a game that you still think about even when you're not playing it (at least in the beginning parts), there most definitely are other, much more enjoyable ways to achieve this result, e.g. actually making the game fun and entertaining so that you want to go back to playing it ASAP.

    Eventually, I progressed to a point where I had seen pretty much everything the game has to offer (aside from a few VERY obscure mysteries that require even more waiting or even worse, very specific timing, so if you miss it, you're f**ked and your only option if you want to see it is to completely restart the game) and just had to choose in which way I wanted to conclude the game (there are multiple endings). I'm currently waiting for a specific event to unfold, just so I can end the game, and I have absolutely no idea how much longer it will take, which makes it reeeeaaaally frustrating. Imagine playing Mario, but the game makes you wait an unspecified amount of time before you can finally press A and deliver the final blow to Bowser. Doesn't sound too great, now, does it? Maybe I'll just look up the endings on Youtube and de-install the game.

    EDIT: I did just do that, and my approach to the last "puzzle" apparently was not correct. This is another problem with the game's design, as you can never really know if you need to DO something different at any given point, or just wait longer.

    In short: Intriguing idea, but ultimately a big let-down for me, especially because the concept and story had much more potential IMO. If you thoroughly enjoy waiting, this might just be THE game for you ;) Though you could also just sit in your chair or go to the DMV for that experience instead of spending 15 bucks on this game.    … Expand
  2. yojik
    Mar 20, 2020
    10
    Крохотный шедевр,заставляющий взглянуть на тоску с другой стороны)
  3. heiok
    Apr 3, 2020
    9
    o jogo ele bom com uma ideia boa mecânicas incríveis mas tem um problema o personagem anda muito lento ele demora em media 15 minutos pra chegar em um lugar distante eu sei q 15 minutos não e nada comparado a 400 dias mas se ele andasse mais rápido ajudaria muito
  4. Progressistor
    May 7, 2021
    10
    La meilleure expérience vidéo-ludique jamais vécue en 30 ans de jeux vidéo. Le concept de solitude et du temps qui passe est exploité à merveille avec une mécanique très judicieuse autour du compte à rebours qu'il nous appartient de subir ou de manipuler. Très bonne ambiance, une magnifique OST, un monologue subtil, percutants et souvent drôle, et une direction artistique qui n'est pasLa meilleure expérience vidéo-ludique jamais vécue en 30 ans de jeux vidéo. Le concept de solitude et du temps qui passe est exploité à merveille avec une mécanique très judicieuse autour du compte à rebours qu'il nous appartient de subir ou de manipuler. Très bonne ambiance, une magnifique OST, un monologue subtil, percutants et souvent drôle, et une direction artistique qui n'est pas sans rappeler ce qu'on connait de dessinateurs de BD tel que Lewis Trondheim ou Joann Sfar.… Expand
  5. TomMonday
    Aug 20, 2022
    8
    Difficult to put into words the hypnotic trance this game induces. You play as a “shade” waiting 400 days in endless caverns for a slumbering king to awake. You spend your days walking around, reading, gardening mushrooms, decorating your room, creating art, sitting, staring. Little by little, your backstory begins to unfold in unexpected ways. There’s often nothing else to do for longDifficult to put into words the hypnotic trance this game induces. You play as a “shade” waiting 400 days in endless caverns for a slumbering king to awake. You spend your days walking around, reading, gardening mushrooms, decorating your room, creating art, sitting, staring. Little by little, your backstory begins to unfold in unexpected ways. There’s often nothing else to do for long stretches of time – a built-in mechanism to force you to stop and just wait while the game-clock keeps ticking. When I wasn’t playing, I found myself thinking about the main character – how he was doing, if he was lonely, what he was going to do next. And then I thought about myself – how my life wasn’t that much different. We are all just trying to fill time. Definitely not for everyone, but perhaps one of the most existential and absorbing video games ever made.… Expand
  6. lessacebola
    Sep 14, 2020
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Tem uma ideia bem diferente de outros jogos, o que é bem positivo, a ideia consiste em esperar 400 dias para sair de uma caverna e obviamente existe toda uma história por trás disso. Você pode fazer algumas coisas com seu personagem para fazer o tempo passar mais rápido, como ler livros ou dormir. Existem outras maneiras de zerar sem ter que esperar os 400 dias.

    No geral, é um jogo bem tranquilo e sem muitas emoções, mas a sensação de descobrir alguma coisa dentro do jogo e ficar pensando sobre aquilo é indescritível.    … Expand
  7. Miss_M
    May 13, 2023
    10
    This game was art. It was an extraordinarily reflective and meditative game. I related closely with the lonely Shade talking to himself - a mix of wit and depression that pulled the heartstrings. The environments were beautiful, the music was fantastic at creating a reflective, profound mood, and exploration always felt worth the wait. At times it was very eerie and strange, then homely,This game was art. It was an extraordinarily reflective and meditative game. I related closely with the lonely Shade talking to himself - a mix of wit and depression that pulled the heartstrings. The environments were beautiful, the music was fantastic at creating a reflective, profound mood, and exploration always felt worth the wait. At times it was very eerie and strange, then homely, warm and familiar again. I revelled in its slowness that made every small accomplishment feel worthwhile, and it felt so good knowing I had so much time to explore the calm, beautiful, eerie world. What an entrancing game.… Expand
  8. GWW
    Apr 28, 2022
    9
    This is not your typical game. It has a much slower pace and there is no fighting. To me is was all about exploring, not just the world but myself. Playing the game alone and just being alone in general lately the game helped me to cope with things going on around me.

    So many fun little things to find as you go along. So glad that I played it.

Awards & Rankings

79
#79 Best PC Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. The Indie Game Website
    Apr 30, 2021
    95
    I had wondered, at the beginning, if this was all just an elaborate joke to waste my time. Turns out it isn’t, and The Longing is one of the most inventive experimental games I’ve played. It captures the depths of crushing loneliness and isolation, but also a surprisingly soothing companion to equally lonely souls. I’ve spent three hours on it already.
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  2. Adventure Gamers
    Feb 1, 2021
    90
    The Longing uses isolation, open space and freedom of choice to send players on a year-long exploration of loneliness, identity and meaning in real time. It won’t be to everybody’s taste, but those who commit to seeing it through will find a surprising, poignant and rewarding experience unlike anything else out there.
    Read full review
  3. CD-Action
    Apr 17, 2020
    60
    An intriguing idea of a game but unfortunately lacks soul. [05/2020, p.77]
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