A journey of self-discovery via documenting others’ memories
Since the first time it was shown to the public, at the Game Awards in 2020, Season: A letter to the future charmed me and entered my must play list. The visual style, the atmosphere and the story promised a memorable indie that focuses on human emotions and the big questions of life. Now that the game has finally arrived, can it live up to the expectations of indie game fans looking for more than cheap thrills or spent shells flying in the air?
Developed by Scavengers Studio, this new indie title is not exactly what I expected, but still delivers on the promise of beautiful vistas, exploring human connection and posing some questions about what is important for us as individuals and as a community. It offers an atmosphere that completely engulfs you and teleports you to a land that looks serene on the surface but is silently struggling underneath.
The one thing I did not expect is the mystical angle the developers have given to the story. It all the starts in a small village in the mountains, Caro, a safe place for its inhabitants, that isolated themselves from the outside world. The game’s world seems to be a post-apocalyptic one, albeit different from how we usually picture it. Instead, devastation and mayhem, people seem to have reverted to a simpler way of life, focusing on spirituality and creating or keeping memories.
Leaving behind the overwhelming lifestyle of the giant metropolises, the surviving humans seem to have been cured of the mysterious illnesses that plagued their life before. Giving up the rush and hustling of everyday life, they turned toward spirituality and community. As a result, Seasons have been born, each one bringing new an unexpected challenges. Going from one season to another signifies major changes that affect the lives of people, much more than just climate conditions. In the least people tend to lose their memories, but there is a real danger of not making it through the shift.
In this weirdly tormented yet somehow calm world, you will meet Estelle who is burdened with the task of recording what the current season looks like and preserving the memories for future generations.
