Heartwood is a short audio-visual adventure created by Kerry Turner and Dan Bibby. It was inspired by folk tales, horror movies, theme park rides, and those dreams you have where nothing makes sense but everything "makes sense". There aren't really any puzzles to solve or quests to complete, just a small world of strange events to stroll through and experience.
Look around with the mouse and walk forward by holding the left mouse button. No need to worry about solid objects, examine buttons or menu screens. Just focus on what you can see and hear, letting curiosity do the rest. Make sure you have headphones or stereo speakers, as part of the game requires you to pinpoint a sound and walk towards it.
Heartwood looks sort of like a horror game, but it isn't. It's a very quiet, almost solemn experience, sharing some design elements with the likes of Kairo, Proteus and Hiversaires. There's not much in the way of interaction, just a good soundtrack and a dark forest to play tricks on your imagination. In a lot of ways isn't really a game. It's just a well-made interactive experience that provides ten or so minutes of mystery and intrigue.
Windows:
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I am so glad I played that. I was expecting something light and artsy and maybe a little eerie, and boy, you got me, you kids. More than once! It's not 'jumpscares' exactly, but I will say you're only cheating yourself playing this without headphones. Just wander around and enjoy it.
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