A Selection of Autumnal Games
coming to you from the subtropics
Autumn has finally arrived here in the southern hemisphere. Leaves are starting to turn and soon, the smell of woodsmoke will fill the air. Unfortunately, not so much for me because I live in Brisbane, where autumn means I might go a day without sweating and if I’m lucky, I can comfortably wear a jumper at night.
The approaching equinox manifests in different, perhaps much more subtle ways here. The frangipani dies off leaving swathes of brown leaves on the ground among crushed, scented petals, and if you get up really early in late autumn (like 4am) you might see a little dew on the ground.
I’m sure the northern hemisphere folk reading this are snickering and probably think it would be nice to live somewhere with cooler seasons that are on the mild side. But I personally get a lot out of the physicality of the change of seasons and tend to look for media that reflects the feelings and visuals I don’t get in real life (not to worry though! I'm going to Melbourne in May for my annual autumn fix where it’s close enough to winter that I'll be able to wear a coat!)
So, wherever and whenever you celebrate what is arguably the best time of year, here are some of my favourite autumnal games.
Mail Time
This was my favourite game that I played last year. A gorgeous, autumnal, cosy little adventure game by Kela van der Deijl, you play as a little mushroom capped, customisable Mail Scout, delivering mail to the forest inhabitants and the odd fetch quest while exploring Grumblewood Grove.
The art and music of this game is so sweet and the characters are both adorable and funny. There's quite a lot of dialogue so be prepared to press “enter” or the console equivalent a lot, but honestly, I loved the chats and solving the communication issues some of the characters were dealing with (typical of any small town if you ask me.)
I also want to give a shout out to the gliding ability, giving Scout a bird’s eye view of the wood and its residents, as well as being a little like fast travel in some instances.
Mail Time took me almost 5 hours to complete, including sticking around after the main story to make sure I got all 23 Steam achievements.
A Short Hike
A Short Hike is a lovely exploration game by Adam Robinson-Yu about hiking up a mountain in order to get cellphone reception. You play as Claire, a cute little bird visiting her aunt for the summer who works as a ranger at Hawk Peak Provincial Park. Claire is expecting an important phone call and with no reception at the park, must reach the summit. On the way up, she meets some delightful critters hiking, fishing or just hanging out in the park.
I adore the pixel style artwork of this game and all the little quests feel important to the task at hand. Like Mail Time, this game also has a glide mechanic which is a great way to see the lay of the land. The soundtrack adds to the ambient atmosphere, often changing to suit the terrain.
The story is emotional and I found myself shedding as few tears at the end of the 2 or so hours I spent playing.
Cozy Grove
Cozy Grove is a life simulation game by Spry Fox where you play as a Spirit Scout who has recently arrived on the haunted island of Cozy Grove. You’re tasked with helping the spirits of the island which are adorable little bears all with unique personalities and things they want from you. Each quest opens up new dialogue and tells the story of what happened to each bear as well revealing more of the island as you go. I loved how this was done through the use of colour.
The style of this game is lovely and a little different to other simulation games I’ve played. Your spirit guide is customisable with the opportunity to find new clothing and other bits and pieces to help build your little life on the island.
As a fan of Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley, I thought I’d love this, but after 40 or so hours, I found elements of the game repetitive to the point that I felt I’d seen enough. However, if you’re looking for a cosy game designed so that you play for an hour or so every day with no way to skip ahead, then this might be for you.
Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture
This game you guys… this beautiful beautiful game….
I’d never played a walking simulator before and I was a fan of the soundtrack long before I played. I can honestly say that this is one of my favourite games, ever.
Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture is an adventure game by The Chinese Room. Although not autumnal (it’s set in early summer time,) it feels like it is due to the supernatural elements of the story.
Set in 1984 in the fictional, rural town of Yaughton in the UK, you, as the player, are tasked with exploring the eerily empty town to discover what became of its inhabitants. Abandoned radios and telephones leave behind messages and as you wander the town, you trigger the ghosts of conversations between the residents who appear to be on the cusp of something akin to the apocalypse.
The level of detail is incredible and the sound (did I mention how much I adore the soundtrack?) is haunting and ethereal. The choral arrangements by Jessica Curry with lyrics lifted from the bible itself add a poetic, doomsday quality to the game that somehow fits perfectly with the calm, pastoral atmosphere. Make sure you wear good headphones while playing to get the full effect.
Be aware that this game relies heavily on patience and you’ll need to be okay with moving through the world at a leisurely, walking pace as you explore. While there’s definitely a few elements I thought could be better (as do a lot of other gamers who couldn’t even finish it,) I found that not being too concerned with what it wants from you is the key to enjoying this beautiful, thought proving game to the full. Just walk, pay attention and watch the non linear story gradually unfold.
The Lord of the Rings Online
The Lord of The Rings Online (fondly nicknamed LOTRO) has been continuously running since its release in 2007 by Standing Stone Games.
While this MMORPG recreation of Tolkien’s Middle Earth has paid subscriptions, I’ve only ever played with a free account, occasionally purchasing what I deem a necessity, such as the riding ability (simply running around and trying to utilise the basic fast travel mechanic gets old quickly.)
In saying that, it’s absolutely possible to play solo and for free! There’s a lot of freedom to do what you want, whether that’s going through the quests available to you, getting ahead with your crafting (there’s a host of different races, classes and specialisations available even in free-to-play,) or just jumping on your horse and roaming the huge, open world.
There’s also frequent, seasonal events with different quests and ways to earn cosmetic rewards for your character and their home (yep, you can build a home for yourself in Middle Earth!)
I’ve dipped in and out of this game for years, always finding myself logging on during Easter weekend when autumn is in full swing and I might even be wearing slippers as I ride my pony though the beautiful, autumnal forests of Ered Luin like the elven princess that I am (lol!)
I’m in the Brandywine Server if you ever wanna hang out ;)
And that brings us to…
The Games I Hope To Play This Autumn
Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley
I loved the animated Moomin tv series as a child and this looks like it fills the spot the series left behind! Snufkin is a chill guy and Moominvalley looks decidedly autumnal in this musical adventure game by Hyper Games.
Night In The Woods
Developed by Infinite Fall and Secret Lab, Night In The Woods is a single player, adventure game focusing on story and exploration in a small town and the dark woods beyond it. Sounds to me like it fits the bill for an autumnal game!
Spiritfarer
It shames me to acknowledge that Spiritfarer has been in my library for years, and now even has a “Farewell Edition.” Developed by Thunder Lotus Games, I think the melancholy story element to this life sim/sandbox game has the right kind of autumnal vibes for me.
I’d love to know your autumnal game recommendations and whether you’ve played any of the above.
This was a fun idea with some great Autumnal recommends. Have seen A Short Hike recommended a lot so I really need to set off on that gaming journey as we head into Autumn.
As a fellow Brisbanite, I can relate to the disappointing lack of authentic autumnal ambience in this sauna of a city haha!
Great article though! I'll definitely be checking out some of these games over the next months to escape to whimsical autumn worlds. Though it's only a level in a game, I fell in love with Autumn Mountain while playing Paper Mario: The Origami King. Absolutely magical!