I have said this probably dozens of times over the years, but there are tons and tons of cool video games on non-mobile platforms that people gush about all the time, and I always tell myself “I’ll definitely get around to playing that myself on [insert platform] one day!" but I just never end up doing it. Mobile devices are just so darn accessible, and if it isn’t something I can choke down in bite-sized chunks while dealing with the insanity of two kids and general everyday life obligations, chances are that I won’t actually get around to playing that cool indie game I keep hearing about at all.
Well, guess what? Night in the Woods is yet another of those games I’ve wanted to play ever since it first launched back in 2017 and became the talk of the video gaming town. I even own it on Switch, and probably PC too. Why the heck haven’t I just carved out some time to play this before? Oh yeah, those little dream crushers called children, that’s why. Anyway, after initially being announced for mobile way back in the fall of 2017, Finji and Secret Lab have finally released Night in the Woods on iOS. This tired, beaten down, 40-something parent can finally experience what everyone has been raving about for years now.
The verdict? Yeah, everyone was right. This is freaking phenomenal. I won’t go into too much detail as this is very much one of those games you can spoil by talking too much about it, and it’s best experienced as fresh as possible. There’s also no shortage of qualified and entertaining people across all types of media on the internet who have summarized what makes this game so extremely special far better than I could ever hope to do. If you haven’t played this one on another platform already and desire more information before deciding if it’s for you or not, that information is readily available. Go nuts.
What I will say though is that I haven’t felt so close to a game in, well, perhaps ever. The characters, the dialogue, the stories, the town itself. This game is about as heartfelt and real as I’ve ever seen, and it expertly bounces between being darkly humorous and extremely serious without ever feeling contrived. This game feels like an actual slice of life. If you are the type who can enjoy a game more for its story and characters, and to a lesser degree its actual “gamey" parts, then Night in the Woods is absolutely required playing, especially with this super accessible and affordable new iOS version.
