Fly among the clouds and explore floating islands
Curly is eating apples and drinking water, presumably bored by this rather restrictive diet. The island she’s on has two trees that she’ll shake to get more fruits and a pump that will refill her bottle. There’s also a fire that warmed her up nicely. All conditions are met for a nice, restful sleep before I take the balloon out again.
To get airborne the anchor needs to be up while the burner creates hot air for liftoff. A medium burn rhythm will keep the climb rate relatively stable. It’s now time to go up a long ladder to reach the sail controls and get some extra momentum. The telescope is nearby, the perfect way to take a look around and see if there’s anyone to talk to on nearby floating islands. I also check on my precious orange tree and eat one.
The compass is clear that a big island is straight ahead. I soon spot it and then quickly jump down to get to the hold and drop anchor. I jump over the bow onto solid land and start talking with a nice girl who loves rabbits. Her island is connected to another via funicular, but her source of power is refusing to work. Apparently, the judicious use of dynamite will solve this problem.
Passing By – A Tailwind Journey is developed by Studio Windsocke, with publishing handled by Dear Villagers. I played the PC version on Steam and the game is also offered on the Nintendo Switch. The title combines balloon navigation, platforming, and some puzzle elements.
The premise is simple: Curly is a young woman living on a floating island who gets the chance to explore the world thanks to a random encounter. A veteran mailman lands in a balloon, teaches her the basics of flying, entrusts her with an important letter that simply must reach its destination, and then gives her the freedom to go wherever she wants.
