Night Stones

Night Stones is a project by a sole developer, mixing aesthetics and inspiration from games such as Animal Crossing, The Legend of Zelda, and A Short Hike.

The story revolves around you, the Traveler, who gets pulled through a portal into a strange land. Promptly upon arriving, the portal explodes – leaving you no way to return. It is then your job to use the ability between night and day to uncover the mystery of why you were brought here and how to return.

Design

Night Stones takes place in the world of Mythica, where you are presented with a charming and cozy atmosphere. Bright landscapes invite you during the day, with night bringing mystical tones. Areas with lush gently blowing trees and grasses, dark mysterious caves, and coastal paths charm players, while traversal across varied terrains is aided by tools like a glider and sailboat.

Detailed lighting effects combined with energetic colors and whimsical touches improve the game’s aesthetic, creating create a sense of magic and discovery. This includes the many character and creature designs that improve the charm with the storybook-like simplicity blends perfectly with special flares, guaranteeing that every element is memorable.

The gameplay of Night Stones blends exploration, puzzle-solving, and light RPG elements to create an cozy experience.

Gameplay

After a brief introduction to get your bearings, you are set free on the island. On our first playthrough we thoroughly enjoyed exploring and chatting with the characters roaming around.

Night Stones does an exceptional job allowing player the ability to discover things on their own, while also mixing in the use of hanging informational boards that provide a little more direct information should you get stuck.

The puzzle combat introduces strategic challenges, where magic and clever thinking are key to overcoming enemies and unlocking doors. You don’t get unnecessarily punished for maybe attacking a plant from the wrong side, or using the wrong path when trying to escape a charging enemy. Night Stones will place you back at the start of the section you were on – allowing for you to play and tinker.

Critiques

We only have a couple of items we wish we could change, but they are just preferences and not game breaking bugs or anything.

First, camera controls. In some of the tighter spots in the game, it felt a bit prohibitive, and when you were sailing, it would have been nice to have the camera shift “down” giving you longer sightlines as to where you were sailing. 

The other was the compass. When we received the compass we thought it was going to be more helpful in helping us navigate the island – but without a larger, or even mini map, the only time it felt somewhat useful was during sailing. That was because someone told us what general direction we had to sail, and without being able to see land in the distance, all we had to rely on was the compass.

Verdict

Night Stones delivers an enchanting blend of gameplay, storytelling, and engaging interplay between day and night, that feels both familiar and fresh. For fans of exploration-driven adventures with a touch of magic, Night Stones is a delightful journey worth embarking on.

Check out Night Stones on Steam