THE LONGING

As a retired senior during the pandemic, this is a very fun game, sorry to see it end soon. Loved the slow pace and discovery. Use of guides/walkthroughs/discussions allowed me to fully enjoy the adventure.

The Longing for me wasn't a game; it’s an existential partner that sat quietly with me as I worked, procrastinated, and questioned what it all meant

The shade became my silent coworker, a pixelated companion who never judged my productivity or the number of times I alt-tabbed to check emails or minimize it on a meeting call. Like a Tamagotchi for introverts, it needed just enough attention to remind me it was there but never demanded more than I could give. we explored caves, read books, and even stared at walls in contemplative silence.

And now, after some hours, I say goodbye to my loyal, brooding little friend. So long, my work companion. May your shadowy vigil continue in the deep halls of my eternal hall of memory.

The shade is the kind of character that you easily love. The game has really helped me to slow down and to appreciate everything you do. Normally when games are full of things to do, you care less about the next thing and want to proceed. In the longing, I cherish every (small) thing I find.

Update:
I'm now much further in the game, and I can say that the game is very strong. The story and puzzles are well-rounded, the puzzles are easy in the beginning and more difficult in the end and the atmosphere is great.

There is however one thing that kind of destroyed the game for me, and that is the fact that time in speeds up way too fast. I expected to carry this game with me for over a year, an although I would have been okay with time passing two or maybe three times faster, it started passing over twenty times faster in the house of the shade. It kinda destroyed the whole "there is nothing to achieve, I can spend weeks just reading and sometimes going for a walk, I have so much time" atmosphere for me. There are some difficult puzzles in the end, and I would have liked to spend weeks keeping a puzzle in the back of my mind while I'm trying to read Moby ♥♥♥♥, but this isn't the way the game turned out (I looked up walkthroughs). I would very much like to see an option which gives a much weaker version of time speeding up, ten times as weak if you ask me.