Spiritfarer
Spiritfarer is the best couch co-op game I’ve had the pleasure of playing (or co-playing). Moreover, the co-op element is entirely optional, as the game plays just as well solo. It’s one of the best games that can be classified as “easy without crossing the threshold of infantility or boredom.” It’s also the most underrated game I know. Normally, I would feel obligated to warn here that the game contains skill-based elements, such as reflex-dependent fishing… But Spiritfarer sells its platforming part better than any arcade-style game. Our character simply sails through levels, and as they develop – the glide through the beautifully hand-drawn realms becomes even smoother. And the fish? Well, I’ve caught all the available species, so it couldn’t have been that bad 😉
Spiritfarer also has one of the most bizarre promotional slogans: “a cozy management game about dying,” which is as peculiar as it is… accurate. Indeed, it is a mix of management elements from Stardew Valley and Fallout Shelter. In addition to RPG elements and the aforementioned platformers, it also features crafting. It’s enjoyable and is, well, “about dying” 🤷♂️. Or even more so: about maturing to departure, metaphysical or psychological closure of unfinished business.
This layer is very emotional. Yes, it’s one of THOSE games that, under a colorful, cartoonish cover, lulling your vigilance with a serene atmosphere, occasionally drop a painful bomb of feelings on us. It’s not pushy, like in melodramas or some Disney cartoons, but it’s there. However, the perspective of a Charon’s substitute, ferrying souls to the Other Side, allows effectively distancing from these emotions. We learn the life stories and characters of the figures, help them close these stories, and in the process, to make this possible – we travel on Charon’s boat through the beyond.
For casual or n00b players, Spiritfarer is the perfect game: it doesn’t penalize for anything and never, but can give a sense of satisfaction. The gameplay takes place in 2D, the map is clear, challenges can be repeated, so it’s not a problem if we can’t meet them satisfactorily the first time around. The controls are a pleasure in themselves, it’s easy to follow the story and understand it even after a longer break. Mechanics are learned very gradually, so mastering them comes easily. Meanwhile, the brilliant couch co-op, where one player can act as a guide and the other more as support, means that even being the biggest n00b who has never played any game and never held a controller in hand, not only will we meet the challenge, but we will feel as though we’ve been doing it for a long time.
There’s also a trick: if one player can get to some hard-to-reach place, and the other has a lot of trouble (which may happen maybe a few times throughout the game), you can always turn off the less experienced player’s controller, allow the more skillful one to reach the destination alone, and turn the n00b’s controller back on – their character will appear next to their companion.
The whole gameplay, especially combined with soothing music, is so relaxing that I actually fell asleep during evening play sessions. Not out of boredom, as a spiteful cynic or cynical spiteful person might suggest, but precisely because of relaxation.
Taking all this into account, I hereby announce that the Izzy Mode service awards Spiritfarer its first, historic 10/10! The well-deserved ten is our small contribution towards increasing the still definitely too small popularity of this game.
Ten or not, journalistic duty says, however, that a few warnings should be listed:
above all:
- !trigger warning! The game does deal with dying and can be emotionally challenging for many people.
- the dialogues (actually monologues) are not read by a narrator, and
- can be quite lengthy.
If you’re worried that these three issues will be an insurmountable obstacle, then… no problem, because Spiritfarer, as one of the few games today, offers a solid demo allowing you to familiarize yourself with its mechanics and style for free. Download, play, and judge. The demo convinced me immediately. I went through the entire title leisurely in couch co-op and am still waiting for another game that’s so casually relaxing and yet simply good and engaging. While it is not the best title I have ever played nor my game of all time, from the perspective of Izzy Mode, Spiritfarer is an outstanding work.
Final Izzy Mode Score for Spiritfarer
Casual score: how suitable the game is for casual players – casual players who like a challenge from time to time, but generally just wanna’ have fu-u-n🎵 a few hours a week without stress and just for the fun of playing. The higher the score the more casual-friendly the game.
n00b-o-meter: how suitable the game is for n00b players – new players whose gaming career started and ended with Candy Crush, Tetris or browser games or even never played a game and would like to start. The higher the score the more n00b-friendly the game.
General Izzyness Level: between Izzy Mode, Normal, Hard and Nightmare – how would the title score in the difficulty scale known from games?
