A Winding Path Switch Review – A Walk Through a Sketchy World
A Winding Path is a hand-drawn adventure game by Three Eyed Games that is about finding the beauty of the world and enjoying the little things within it. You can explore the atmosphere of ancient caverns, enchanting forests, and busy settlements, and you can help colorful characters, find the rain, and unveil its magic.
So is A Winding Path an adventure worth taking? Or does this cheap, hand-drawn title deserve to go in the bin? Let’s find out!
A Winding Path takes place in a fantasy world where trolls exist, scarecrows can talk, and a Rainmaker shamen instructs you on your journey. The story is simply that the world has not experienced rain in quite some time, so the inhabitants are growing weary and tired. It is up to you to find the Rainmaker and seek instruction as to how to bring rain back to the world, save the crops, and restore the river.
This is a very peaceful game where no real danger lurks. Just a fantastical world with lovely storytelling and mystery. The characters are also quite likeable, and the conversations, albeit silly at times, feel authentic in the world created and provide some solid fun.
It is not the longest adventure, but it entertains well from start to finish and is quite easy to follow. I honestly found A Winding Path‘s story to be wonderfully paced, and the low key nature of it soothes the mind as you play this lovely, little adventure.
A Winding Path is a relaxing adventure game, and it feels a lot more like a point-and-click adventure than anything else. The rhythm is about discovering the needs of the inhabitants and catering to them by process of elimination. Speaking to the right people or things to initiate a sequence, solving simple puzzles, and collecting items are all part of the gameplay experience, and just like the story sequence, everything is just so simple and peaceful.
Honestly, there is not a whole lot of challenge here, but that is exactly the appeal. A Winding Path is something you can clear in one sitting, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. This is simply a title to casually experience and one that will help calm your nerves no matter the mood your are in.
There is a lot to explore, though, and plenty of NPCs to connect with, so talking to them, learning about the areas, and finding the right items or pieces to a quest line are key to progress. Some times is can feel a bit aimless, but thankfully the pause menu allows you to access all of the conversations you have had to easily retrace your steps and help you move forward.
You collect Dew Drops over the course of the game, and finding these will gain you access to “achievements” of sorts in the temple. Finding a certain amount will unlock you a hat to wear, and who doesn’t love hats? This is just great fun! Finding the Dew Drops are a challenge, but nothing a little trial and error cannot solve.
As you can tell by the screenshots, A Winding Path is a hand-drawn adventure that keeps things simple with the black and white scale. It is interesting that some aspects of the game appear to be minimalistic while other areas are so detailed, and for whatever reason, this works to the game’s favor. There is such a unique look and feel to it all that I found myself over-analyzing certain areas to understand the meaning behind the design, and for me, this was a huge part of my enjoyment. Just wondering the meaning behind the art.
Where things get more interesting in regards to expression is the sound. A Winding Path uses silence for the most part, so when sounds comes in, it feels like it means something immediately. You receive a lyre early in the game that allows you to call for rain, and the sound of you playing is so pleasant that it is just a joy to whip it out and wiggle the right stick to play. I also adore the sounds of pages turning and script being written as you chat with others and record what was said. It is such a nice touch considering the graphical style, and it really meshes well.
A Winding Path is a simple yet meaningful adventure that sees you taking control of someone with the desire to heal the world around them. The goal to bring joy to others and unite all sides is an ambitious one, and it is a lovely journey from start to finish as you discover more and help those in need.
Considering the price of the game, this is an excellent package, especially for fans of narrative adventures and point-and-click style games. A Winding Path is not necessarily point-and-click, but it does have some similar gimmicks that require you to think outside the box as you accomplish tasks and help the various villagers’ needs.
It may not be the longest adventure, but this is a beautifully simple game that provides the right amount of challenge in its casual experience. I highly recommend A Winding Path to anyone looking for a laid back game with some entertaining puzzle elements, and I am pretty positive you are going to learn some special things along the way as you complete the journey.
A Winding Path Switch Review provided by Nintendo Link
Publisher: Flynn’s Arcade
Developer: Three Eyed Games
Release Date: September 1st, 2022
Price: $6.99, £5.99, €6,99
Game Size: 106 MB
Simple yet beautiful hand drawn art
Fun and warm story about helping those in need
A solid casual experience for anyone
Excellent use of limited sound
On the shorter side
Some puzzles can feel a bit aimless
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