Back in 2015 developer Jesse Makkonen released a 2D side-scrolling psychological horror game called DISTRAINT onto Steam that resonated with quite a few players and became something of a cult hit. The following year the game was adapted for mobile and released on Android, and then the year after that it was also brought to iOS. In May of 2018 a slightly revamped version called DISTRAINT: Deluxe Edition was released on iOS, and then just under a year ago in April of last year the popular sequel DISTRAINT 2 also made its way to the App Store. Basically, Makkonen has built up quite a following thanks to the DISTRAINT games, and it has left many people wondering what could possibly be next. The answer to that is a game called Heal, and I think this trailer speaks for itself.

You can see that there’s definitely the same kind of vibe in Heal as in DISTRAINT, but with a more natural hand-drawn aesthetic and perhaps an even greater emphasis on classic point-and-click adventure game style puzzle solving. All I know is that both the DISTRAINT games made me feel the feels, and Heal looks like it cranks that factor up to 11. I mean just listen to this description from the developer: “Heal is a game that holds a priceless message about old age, life, memory, and love. It tells a story of which we all can somehow relate to. It could be us, our parents or our grandparents. Heal tells their story, and many of our stories yet to come." Yeah, stock up on tissues, ya’ll. Heal will be launching simultaneously on iOS, Android, and Steam on April 10th and if you enjoyed Makkonen’s previous work I think you’re going to want to check this one out as soon as it arrives.