While attending PAX West 2023, I had the opportunity to sit down with Indie publisher Whitethorn Games and play their upcoming release Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island. The game is the second from award-winning developer Polygon Treehouse.
The micro-studio debuted in 2017 with their debut title Röki, which was nominated for “Best Debut Game” at both the BAFTA Game Awards and The Game Awards. Their co-founder Alex Kanaris-Sotiriou was named as a BAFTA Breakthrough Creative the following year.
Check out the trailer for Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island below:
Game Story
In Mythwrecked, players control Alex, a backpacker who is on a much-needed vacation. Unfortunately, her trip is interrupted by a huge storm, and she washes up on Ambrosia Island. This isn’t any ordinary island, however; this is home to the ancient Greek Gods. There’s a problem though: the Gods have all forgotten who they are, and Alex must help them recover their memories and unlock the mysteries of the island. Otherwise, she may be stuck on Ambrosia Island forever.
Gamplay Features
- 💙 Make friends with Greek Gods: players must carefully navigate dialogue opportunities and complete tasks to increase friendship points. Doing so will unlock new dialogue opportunities for Alex.
- 🔎 Find hidden mementos to restore their memories: Players are rewarded for their curiosity! Exploration is key to progression in the game.
- 🏝️ Return the island to its former glory: Your accomplishments change the area around you as you progress deeper in the island and progress through the game.
- ⛵️ Solve the mystery & find a way home: Alex will need help from the Gods if she is ever to get home; but they can’t help her if they don’t remember their identities or their powers.
Mythwrecked has a day and night cycle that opens different opportunities for Alex as she explores. Couches serve as save stations and are scattered across the island, though that wasn’t as relevant for the playable demo as the first area only was available.
Accessibility
As I played the demo of Mythwrecked, I was able to talk with Alex Kanaris-Sotiriou, the game’s lead developer and creative director. He told us about what it was like working with Whitethorn Games and praised the company for its commitment to accessibility.
Whitethorn Games is the only Indie developer with a Chief Accessibility Officer, a position dedicated to the notion that video games are for everyone. As such, the publisher offers assistance to developers to make sure their games meet their standards of accessibility. The position is currently staffed by Britt Dye.
Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island has the following accessibility features:
- high-contrast colors
- fonts for dyslexia
- non-narrative captions (environmental sounds, animal noises, etc.)
Analysis
The demo for Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island was a lot of fun; the exploration, puzzle-solving, and mysteries make the game intriguing. Visually, the presentation is gorgeous, and the relaxed environment gives the game chill vibes while maintaining interest.
I wish the demo could have been a bit longer because I felt like I was just getting the hang of the game. I would also have liked to have gained entrance deeper into the island and observed other biomes or scenery beyond the tropical beach, though the opening area was beautiful.
Finally, the game would benefit from a change in camera settings; currently the game has a fixed camera, though I don’t know what the final version of the game will feature.
Overall, Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island is a well-made Indie game with a unique spin on the RPG / Adventure game format. Those who love Indie games will definitely want to check this one out when it releases on PC in 2024. No word yet on a console release, though the developer mentioned that Whitethorn Games is working on that.
Tell us what you think! Will you be playing Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island? Share your reactions in the comments below or join the conversation on Boss Rush Network’s Discord and Facebook.
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