These are stories of being alive told by the dead, who can be big-hearted and good-natured as they can be rude and petty. There are no moralistic lessons to these tales, no cautionary fables. It is a game about providing care to those at the last moments of their existence, no matter if they are thankful or testy, culminating in a game that warms and dims the soul in equal parts.ĭuring the nautical travel, each character’s backstory unravels through their conversations with Stella. But it is refreshing how Spiritfarer approaches the topic - with compassion. Spiritfarer is touted as ‘death-positive’, which is a movement to encourage open discussion about the often-taboo topic: death.ĭeath in games is no novelty – kill or be killed is pretty much the point of many titles out there. The passengers (literal spirit animals) in their care are the ones who decide when they are ready to move on to the Everdoor – a portal to the underworld inspired by an actual bridge in Germany, called the Rakotzbrücke, which creates a circle in its reflection. Stella and Daffodil roam the map and stop at various islands for resources, mystery boxes and plot progression. The ship would be upgradable to whale-like proportions. Stella and Daffodil (yes, kitteh is an equal partner) wake the passengers up in the morning, cook for them, grow the ingredients needed for their meals, craft materials to build and decorate their rooms, run errands for them, and dish out hugs when they need it. Much of the game is about running a sort of bed-and-breakfast on water – a departure from the journeys of the mythical Charon on his dinghy. Like death, the game straddles the narrow path between relief and grief. Simultaneously, every moment in the expansive and gorgeous world buoyed me with bliss. What I was not prepared for, however, was my inordinate investment into the characters that gives the inevitable heartbreak that extra twinge. I dived in fully-prepared to pay some emotional cost for a spin on my favourite genre.
That is no small statement, and a highly evocative one for this management game fiend. Developer Thunder Lotus, known for monster-laden hits like Jotun and Sundered, called Spiritfarer “a cosy management game about dying”.
With its vibrant yet harmonious visuals, a soothing soundtrack, a big map to explore, dopamine-pumping mini games, conversations ranging from affectionate to zany, and a cat that actually does chores – Spiritfarer is everything I want (not just in a game).īut a finessed execution is not the only thing that makes Spiritfarer a unique experience. The game is playable in both single or local co-operative mode – Player One controls Stella, and another can join in as Daffodil. Together, you manage a ship and bring spirits aboard to the underworld. In Spiritfarer, Charon is replaced by the cheery Stella and her fluffy cat, Daffodil. In Greek mythology, Charon ferries souls of the deceased across the Rivers Styx and Acheron to reach the underworld, and receives a coin ( obol) in return. The game is loosely inspired by the poster boy of in-between-ness – Charon, the folkloric ferryman. It was apt, then, for Spiritfarer to be released during this time. Those of us who are lucky enough to feel lucky were caught between not wanting to die and wanting to throw a party. Those of us lucky enough to enjoy our time at home were caught between the peace of not having an obligation to attend social events and the anxiety of seeing the economy in freefall. Those of us lucky enough to keep our jobs were caught between gratefulness and the pandemonium of home life (feat. Those of us lucky enough to stay alive were caught between the tragic news of lives loss and the shelter of home. As the Covid-19 pandemic torpedoes around the globe, and people hunkered down indoors to avoid the highly infectious virus, life took on a strange sense of duality. This year has been a year of in-betweens.
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