Title: Lonesome Village
Developer: Ogre Pixel
Publisher: Ogre Pixel
Release Date: September 13, 2021 (initial)
Platforms: PC/Mac, Linux, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Series X/S
Reviewed on: Steam Deck
Price: $19.99 (USD)

SYNOPSIS

While the title Lonesome Village may be self-explanatory, it is nothing short of extraordinary. The game begins with the the disappearance of residents in a small village–except you. A mysterious, tall tower erupts from the ground, and with the assistance of a fairy named Coronya, you set out to save your friends.

However, saving the villagers does not require any battling! This is where Lonesome Village deviates from other run-of-the-mill adventures. Each floor of this tower contains a puzzle. If you manage to solve it, you receive an item that helps you free one (or more) villagers from their prison within a statue. You earn the gratitude from the villagers in the form of hearts, and you will need more and more hearts to unlock higher levels in the tower. Occasionally, you will also need to place offerings to continue, and that is when you need to venture back out into the wild.

As the game progresses, you interact more with the villagers you’ve freed and explore areas beyond the immediate village. They will have side quests for you, and they will reward you with either more “gratitude hearts” or important items. Such items you collect and use to solve puzzles include a magnifying glass that can see secrets, a shovel, and a musical instrument.

Live out your life, discover the secrets of the land, and make your way to the top of the tower!

ANALYSIS

Firstly, let’s tackle the concept. Lonesome Village is described by the creators as “Puzzle-Solving Adventure with Social Simulation”, and that’s pretty spot on. It is a pleasant mesh of lore-rich adventuring with the pacing of a sim game. At first, I was hesitant about a game that didn’t have any battling, but it turned out to be incredibly refreshing! I love the concept of saving a town one level at a time with a wide variety of puzzles. Then, when you need a break, you can head out and converse with the town. Each villager has their own roles, and you can help them out with tasks. Not many games classified as “adventure” take this route, and that makes it stand out. (Another game that meshes genres is Cult of the Lamb with rogue-lite battling with management sim).

Next, let’s talk about aesthetic. The art style is adorable with a calming soundtrack to pair with it. Lonesome Village is a colorful game that is easy on the eyes. And who doesn’t love a village with cute, talking animals!

Gameplay is simple and easy to get into. You can roll around your environment and interact with things directly or with an item. The inventory system can slow things down unfortunately, and you can only equip and use one item at a time. The same can be said about the UI overall, where its simplicity can result in extra clicks (including a manual save system), but these are all minor inconveniences. I also wanted to note the day-night cycle, which provides an additional layer of depth to the game.

I appreciated the balance between puzzle-solving and quests. The puzzles grew increasingly more difficult as you ascend the tower, but I never felt like they were unfair. I felt like these were meant to be calming rather than brain-twisting. The things you can do in the overworld also grow exponentially as you free more villagers. Quests range from fishing to fixing a run down windmill. You can collect berries, chop wood, and bake desserts!

Lastly, I wanted to draw some uncanny similarities to the Zelda franchise. Whether it was intentional or not, I really enjoyed these nods to the franchise. Firstly, your main character is wearing a blue tunic and you have a fairy companion. Secondly, you have a symbol apparent throughout the tower that looks like a Sheikah eye. You can roll! Finally, there are lots of items that are commonly found in Zelda–a fishing rod, a musical instrument, a lens that sees hidden things (Lens of Truth), and a shovel. Again, while I cannot confirm or deny if the devs were inspired by Zelda, it certainly did for me.

FINAL SCORE

This is an astounding indie title from Ogre Pixel. You can tell a lot of love and time went into this game with its playful art style and smooth game play. The mix of puzzle solving and social sim is a delight, and Lonesome Village executes a near-perfect gaming experience. There are some things that can slow you down like the constant need to switch out the one item slot, but that is a small price to pay for an otherwise outstanding game. I can’t recommend this game enough, and I’m looking forward to more from Ogre Pixel. PS: This ran fine on my Steam Deck!

Join the conversation! Have you tried Lonesome Village yet? Please share your thoughts with us on our Boss Rush Facebook Group or our Boss Rush Discord.

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Featured Image Source: Ogre Pixel