Games these days tend to lean towards the quick and snappy side of things. Whether it’s the ability to hop in and do a couple of rounds online or move through a compelling story, the pacing often mandates that things progress or conclude typically within a couple of hours for each session. The Longing aims to challenge that idea with the concept of rewarding patience. The Longing follows a young shade living within a mountain, where he is asked to stay and wait for 400 days while he rests. The time the shade has left is always displayed at the top center of the screen as it counts down, in real-time. Players must go through 400 real-time days to explore the caves and count down the days until the king under the mountain awakens. I take a quick look at this long game and so far I am thoroughly enchanted.
Your room starts out sparse, perhaps more stuff awaits a brave adventurer!
What does one do with 400 days? Primarily you can explore the tunnels, stairs, and rooms that sprawl out from where you start. Even this isn’t a quick affair. The shade boy plods along slowly as he makes his way through the maze of tunnels. You also have a home where you can draw, rest, and read actual full novels like “Moby Dick.” Finally, sometimes all you can do is wait.
Occasionally progress is impeded by a gap too large to jump, or a door that takes a long time to open. The shade boy often talks to himself in these moments, observing that it could take a few hours for a door to open or even a month for dripping water to fill a hole, enabling the shade to swim across. He also sometimes asks himself philosophical questions and other musings. It should also be noted that time progresses even when the game is turned off, so one could just simply wait 400 days and then turn the game back on to see what happens.
Patience is a virtue in The Longing
The visual direction uses blacks and browns with splashes of color and highlights that do an excellent job of capturing the essence of loneliness. The thin scratchy linework for outlines and details feels a lot like old children’s scary stories books. Specifically what comes to mind are the “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” books.
The Longing is a game offering plenty of time for quiet reflection, but it also adds a bit of anxiety to see what is out there to discover and to pass the time. The game devs were inspired by the German Kyffhäuser legend, where a King under a mountain is waiting for the right time to awaken. They also describe The Longing as:
“It’s a game about loneliness, escapism, and the eternal search for purpose.”
With the little time I’ve had with the game so far, I’ll say they’ve nailed it. Luckily, you won’t have to wait too much longer to get started as the game comes to Steam on March 5th. I personally can’t wait to see what else this game has in store, as it seems there are many different approaches to the game, including ignoring the king and trying to escape the caves!
This is only The Longing hands-on preview, be sure to keep an eye out for my full-length review!
More information can be found on the official website. A digital Steam copy of The Longing was provided for the purpose of preview and review.
