From small indie team Mads & Friends in Copenhagen, here's a jazzy little number. It's a chillout puzzle game life, death, jazz, and minimalism.
It reminds of Seasons After Fall (2016) a bit, which has a soundtrack of a string quartet. But this short little experience stands out with a
Misty Mountain Hops in The Forest Quartet
This one launched in December 2022 and is available on PC and PlayStation (the console for half-witted noobs lol lol lol!!!!).
It's a story about a group of musicians mourning the loss of their lead singer Nina. With the band members devastated, you take control of the singer and guide her spirit through a dreamy forest for one final farewell concert.
Other indie game titles, such as the glorious Spiritfarer (2020), have dealt with grief before. Just not in such jazzy fashion.
The Forest Quartet is a surreal game.
It's very minimalistic as a playing experience, it's more about relaxation. The puzzles are simplistic but fun and the challenge is lowkey.
It's also brief game, one of those you can actually just watch unfold (if you're that way inclined). Here's the journey in all its glory.
So, yes, one hour and the experience is over. But for the low asking prices over less than £10 you can't complain too much.
The art style is fantabulous. Lots of mist rolling through forest chambers as you float about the place.
It is a narrative-driven experience and it's a story of hope.
The healing power of music is here, too, with the melancholic story handled in compassionate fashion. It's all rather peaceful—you're not gunning down hordes of enemies in this one, it's all about 60 minutes of reflections on life.
All to the tune of that jazzy soundtrack by Kaspar Vadsholt, which riffs pretty heavily on lounge music and being super cool.
If you like jazz, definitely go off and listen to the whole thing. We're not 100% jazzy aficionados, although we do love jazz drummers.
And that's why the game Ape Out (2019) with its jazzy drumming soundtrack had us so intrigued.
Naturally, Forest Quartet isn't for everyone. AAA gamers won't be interested in it, we should think, but for indie gamers it's another example of the intriguing creativity going on with gaming concepts.
The Forest Quartet is a simple game, yes.
Its puzzles are basic, more for visual appeal than anything else, and it's over very quickly. Yet it's a shimmying experience.
Cool as a cucumber and reflective on the nature of life, all delivered in a fancy package that's super smooth. Good stuff and strangely memorable.
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