Samorost 1

I'm not sure what I was expecting when I picked up Samorost, but it certainly wasn't this. My understanding was that this was some sort of peculiar point-and-click title, which was somewhat correct. However, I underestimated just how bizarre the world of Samorost could be, and I was blown away at how atmospheric and engrossing its environments were. I think I came into the game expecting the puzzles to be what held my attention the most, so I was pleasantly surprised when I enjoyed exploring the environment more.

Samorost is very short but very engrossing. It started life as a Flash game created for a college project and has since been re-released outside of Flash in order to promote its two premium sequels. This updated version supports different screen resolutions and is in high definition, but it retains everything else from the original release. Considering Samorost from the perspective of it being a Flash game, its point-and-click structure makes a lot of sense, but its photorealistic aesthetic really stands out amongst its far more cartoony peers. This style is what made me interested in the series in the first place, and it's absolutely the reason that I'll be returning to it in the future. 

It's just a shame that the game itself was so short. I was thoroughly captivated by the environments, the sound design, and the animations, so I was disappointed when I finished it all so soon. Luckily, there are two much-longer sequels, so I'll have at least a couple of opportunities to come back to the unique world crafted in this game, and I am looking forward to that. In the meantime, I can easily recommend this game to anyone with a phone. It's completely free, and it's waiting for you to give it a try. 

The game is available for Android here (as of 11/23/21): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.amanita_design.Samorost1
The game is available for iOS here (as of 11/23/21): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/samorost-1/id1561324007
The game is available for Steam here (as of 11/23/21): https://store.steampowered.com/app/1580970/Samorost_1/

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