There's a lot of emotion going on in the gaming world at the moment. Some still want Blizzard to answer for its actions against free speech, others passionately argue for their right to enjoy more Diablo and Overwatch. Death Stranding's mixed reviews are bringing Hideo Kojima's greatest fans and harshest critics out of the woodwork. Even Pokémon, one of the friendlies franchises, is in a state of chaos. That's why it's nice to play a game like Spring Falls that only wants to offer a relaxing time.
Spring Falls is coming to iOS and Steam November 17, but it's definitely most at home on touch screen devices. You start at the top of a mountain with a single pool of water. By tapping a nearby hexagon of land, you erode it down so the water can pass through. The ultimate goal is to make your way to the bottom of an area where a seed lies. Watering the seed will cause it to bloom, and also takes you to the next level.
The simplistic gameplay matched with a minimalist soundtrack (mostly ambient guitar plucks) creates an overall soothing experience. This is a game that will put you to sleep, in a good way. I had a chance to play Spring Falls at the recent IndieCade 2019, and it proved to be a nice rest in between some of the more intense and wild experiences I had at the show.
Spring Falls also has a bit of a pedigree behind it. It was a nominee at IndieCade 2019, and also an official selection in the Indie Megabooth at both PAX East and PAX West 2019. Even more impressive is that the game is a one-person project. The man behind it is Eric Billingsley, the lead programmer of Cuphead who runs his own studio called SPARSE//GameDev. So even if Spring Falls is basic in its ambitions, it still has experience and passion behind it.
Spring Falls will launch on November 17 for $3.99 on iOS and $6.99 on Steam. The Android release will come sometime in 2020. Maybe, in these tense times, it will help remind gamers that the hobby is supposed to be fun.
Source: SPARSE//GameDev