Legend has it, that after God created the World, he scattered the crumbs left from his bag of miracles in the place that is now Moroi Springs. The land began to be inhabited by strange creatures to balance out the good and the bad in the World.
Time Played: 30 minutes
Console: Computer
Recommended For: For a Quick, Chill-Out Game
Winterlore, like The Cabin, is another quick escape room game I spotted on itch.io. Yep, it’s quickly becoming my go-to platform for new and upcoming puzzle videogames and it hasn’t let me down yet!
This absolute gem of a game comes from the creative folks behind videogame universe “Moroi Springs”. Moroi Springs is a universe packed with Romanian folkloric history and retold through the main character’s quest of ‘self discovery’ through beautiful illustrations, puzzles, and environments.
You play the young Ozana, a girl whose grandmother has passed away, as you navigate a sparsely populated room. In all essence, it is a classic point and click game. You click on objects to get a closer look and to interact with them. You must find keys, equipment, solve puzzles by sliding and rotating items, combine things logically – ultimately all in the quest to find your grandmother’s belongings and pack them away safely in a beautiful box.
The story grows more vivid, the music more vibrant, and the environment exciting as the game progresses. Although it is not a long game, it tugs on all the heartstrings and makes you feel as if it is your own relative who has passed from this life.
The puzzles too grow in complexity, but each have a very fun mechanic. Yes, there are a couple of different types of locks, but in order to succeed you also need to think outside the box. Reassemble, fix things, sew things, paint things, and a whole medley of traditional wooden puzzles in there too.
I did have one small technical error with the game and had to restart to get past a certain point – but this game gets a free pass! As an indie game whose emphasis is on the narrative and storytelling, one small glitch in a puzzle is nothing in the grand scheme of things.
Overall, a really charming little game! The best part is, this is the first game in many more to come in the Moroi Springs universe. I can’t wait to see where they go with it!
Winterlore can be played for $1 USD (currently on sale) on Moroi Springs’ Itch.io page or on mobile devices via their website.
[…] and heartfelt Winterlore game, my heart skipped a little beat! I first played the original Winterlore game over Christmas in 2020… At the height of the pandemic, isolated from my friends and […]