Exploration is a key facet of so many games. Yet it is often facile, simple, pointless, entirely menu-driven, or defeated by fast travel. So often an expansive open world either has nothing to do—just empty space between points of interest—or requires no real thought to traverse. It is simply unengaging space, consuming hours of playtime but offering nothing in return.

The joy of exploration comes from a combination of three things. First, there is must be locations and surprises you can find in the world. Second, there are mechanics that engage you along the way, whether it’s skill-based movement or interesting resource management. Third, you must be truly exploring for yourself, remembering your finds and charting your paths; instead of the suggestion of exploring, you are actively emulating wayfinding and discovery.

Traveller’s Hymn holds true to these principles, and helped me discover and articulate what makes for satisfying exploration in games.

You must find points of interest for yourself, some of which are not so easily found and blend into the overworld’s environment. Because of this, you are encouraged to navigate on your own. Making your own map, charting the general area or counting steps, is the only way to reliably find some secluded, important spots again.

This alone would be interesting, but the cooking system ties every mechanic and thread of the game into a neat package. It is the most fully featured system in the game, and everything revolves around it. A wide variety of ingredients can be combined into a startling buffet of meals that restore health, restore mental health, provide bonuses—and keep you alive as you travel. If you don’t eat, you starve. This naturally throws you into conflict with the game animals on the overworld—without their ingredients, you won’t make it far—and encourages you to keep exploring outward. Sentient enemies, which cannot be eaten, become a potential resource drain. Is it worth fighting a humanoid enemy for loot, but perhaps lose the meal momentum to continue onward? You need a balanced meal and full stomach to even dream of clearing the game’s dungeons, and your inventory is limited. What do you keep? Loot, or a cut of meat?

If the above sounds familiar, the game cheerfully takes inspiration from Dungeon Meshi / Delicious in Dungeon, down to some charming cameos.

Bringing together Ultima, Rogue, Delicious in Dungeon, and early installments of The Legend of Zelda (it’s much more of an adventure than an RPG), Traveller’s Rest carries a true sense of exploration and adventure.

Traveller’s Hymn is available for free on Steam and Itch.

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Featured Image: Aquatic Ranger Studio

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