Night in the Woods
10 Games to Play While You Wait For Stranger Things Season 2
Much like Oxenfree, Night in the Woods is a coming of age story, this time revolving around a 20 year old cat named Mae who has abruptly returned home from college. The game is mostly focused on Mae, although her friends also play important roles. At the start of the game Mae starts having strange dreams and encountering strange events in her home town of Possum Springs. These events and mysteries aren’t really developed on until later though, as most of the first half of Night in the Woods is about exploring Possum Springs, learning about the residents, and helping Mae work through here issues. As a main character she is deeply troubled and conflicted, even suffering from depression and mental illness. The truly impressive thing about Night in the Woods is how the game tackles these subjects, presenting them as natural things that the characters have to overcome instead of making them the entire point of each character’s personality.
Mae and her friends build heartwarming bonds throughout, but make no mistake there is a threat and mystery to contend with, more than one in fact. It has a lot in common with Stranger Things, even if it does sport an anthropomorphic animal aesthetic.
