“Tumbleweed” by Rémi Lefevre, Kim Tervamaki, Yohan Jager, Nicolas Meyssonnier, Reece Bridger & Adrien Lucas.
“[A] poetical game about the life of a desert plant who needs help to spread its seeds. The game takes place in a [science fiction] desert forged by wind. You play as the wind and must help [the] tumbleweed to make [its] way through dangers.”
You act as the incarnate wind in “Tumbleweed”, following one goal: To guide the eponymous desert plant on its journey through the dangerous solitude. The whole area seems to be abandoned for ages already, but still some turrets are activated and attack anything that moves in their direct sight. The heated up warmth thermal output tubes are also not exactly a friend of dry brambles.
However, with your direct control of the wind you are able to create little squalls, leading to a manipulation of the tumbleweed’s path. It also allows you to build bridges, if there are some lightweight platforms around. The whole gameplay feels very soft in this regard, making “Tumbleweed” a nearly meditative jam entry. A series of small poems, which is the narrational foundation of the game and written through the eyes of the wind itself, also underlines the atmosphere.
But do not let these gimmicks deceive you, as “Tumbleweed” can still be quite tricky at some stages. Sometimes you will need to perform very precise movements to get from one plateau to another, while at other moments all the game cares about is your movement speed. The little tribulations are worth it whatsoever, as the journey will end in an unexpected way. [PLAY]
