Pine Hearts fits the bill as a wholesome game, but it packs a punch in its story that is bound to tug on your heartstrings.
To me, Pine Hearts looked like yet another cutesy adventure game to pour a few hours into and leave with a warm fuzzy feeling in my chest. But the further I ventured into the sleepy scenery of the caravan park, the more heart-wrenching the story became rather than the heartwarming feeling I thought I was in for. The truth is, Pine Hearts at its core is a game focused around coming to terms with loss, no matter how many distractions you try and throw yourself at along the way.
When you start the game, your character—Tyke—has a single intention. You just want to climb the mountain and reach the summit. Unfortunately, you don’t have the right gear to do so and the only way we can get ahold of it is to explore the park. This is done through meeting the charming characters littering the map and helping out across various puzzles and fetch quests, all featuring humorous dialogue and interactions. I felt like each character I helped out became my friend, which started to build a support network for Tyke and his adventure.
But the more time I spent with the game, the more I unraveled a thoughtful, more solemn story than I expected. There was still this feeling of childlike wonder that accompanied the exploration, though, which helped alleviate the heaviness of the game.
