Review
Sasha here! 👋
Stranded in the middle of the forest in the freezing cold, Burning Snow's atmosphere is conveyed through scenes of serene snow fall contrasted with an urgency to survive.
You spend most of the time walking, collecting matches, lighting fires, and trying to keep warm. All while you search for a firework to use as an emergency signal.
I found myself glancing into the dark, looking up at the top of evergreen trees, and admiring how the game's art manages to capture its cold calming undertone with such simplicity.
Gameplay
You walk around, collect matches from crates, set piles of branches on fire, and try to stay warm. Not much else. There isn't even the ability to sprint.
The simplicity of the gameplay doesn't make the game bad in any way, though. It emphasises well the intended pace of the experience, re-enforcing the speed at which you should be taking in the environment and what it has to offer.
Piles of dead brush lie about, carefully spaced. Your view slowly freezes over as you approach the next pile to set on fire. The game builds up tension for its climax through the slowness of the movement and the scarcity of the dialogue.
If you could sprint, all the tension the game built up would dissipate! It's an action that's against the core values of the game itself. Walking reflects the slowness of the cold and the restrictive nature of deep snow.
Parka Cat
This is a character that's only here to set the tone of the game.
It's a cat wearing a parka.
Parka Cat, with very little words, delivers the dialogue in a cool-headed tone. Panicking isn't good when you're stranded in the middle of a frozen boreal forest, but it still gives an emotional undertone that contrasts the urgency of survival. You must survive, but the character's language, the environment, and the general vibe of the game conflicts with that emotionally.
Final Thoughts
You can download Burning Snow over on Itch.
Play this game if you liked Easy Delivery Co. and/or just want a short taste of what *cold* could feel like in a game.
It'll take around 10-15 minutes to play.
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