Journey

Journey - a robed figure walks through the desert towards a distant mountain, with a scarf behind his back fluttering in the wind. There are no words in the game, but there is sand, ruins and fellow travelers who appear unexpectedly. The game is designed to last a couple of hours, but it is memorable for a long time and you want to return to it. You can move on foot or in flight: the scarf flutters, and how long the hero can stay in the air depends on its length. Jumping, floating and sliding along the dunes become the basis of the movement, and you quickly get used to it. There are no landmarks here, and this is for the best: the path is on its own, you just have to look around. There are other wanderers along the way, but only one of them can help: the rest pass by. Along the way you come across ancient buildings, fabrics and luminous creatures that make up the history of a bygone people. Some scenes are revealed only in the second playthrough, when you realize that you were looking in the wrong place. The path up the mountain can be walked faster or slower, and this changes the mood of the journey. Certain finds unlock additional abilities and are worth going off the main road for. The wanderers they meet can walk side by side, and going through the ridge together is noticeably easier, although they will have to communicate without words and without prompts. The names of the players appear only after the credits, and this is also part of the design. The music here is strong: one of the themes has become recognizable far beyond the game itself. The sand under your feet, the light on the dunes and the sounds of the wind make the hike almost meditative. Anyone who appreciates short, experiential games where the sense of movement and music are more important than the story.