THE WATCHER WATCHES: SEEDLING

Seedling is a free Flash action-adventure game with a Zelda/Metroidvania approach to the world. You'll pick up new tools as you play that allow you to endure lava, swim up waterfalls and reach across walls (and more) while swinging a sword, wand or spear at wandering foes. The game has seven large dungeons and boss battles, as well as a sizable overworld.

Of particular note is the quiet-but-omnipresent sidequest to find all of the hidden chests. It spans the entire game, and you'll have to decide the reward is worth it to find them all...

A bunch of screenshots I took while playing through:



My own opinion on Seedling is that it's quite excellent -- the gameplay is smooth, the bosses are fun, the dungeons are clever, and the Watcher is most certainly watching. The narrative could use a bit more prevalence; there's a lot of gameplay/story integration, but the ideas the game is trying to get across could be communicated a bit more often. Still, I'm a huge proponent of minimalistic storytelling in games, so kudos for a solid attempt and a great "bad" ending. My only other concern is that the difference between ground and ceiling tiles wasn't as clear as it should have been (final dungeon, I'm looking at you).

When I first started up the game, I thought I was in for an obnoxious, preachy, neo-retro "WHO AM I... WHAT IS LIFE... WHY DO WE EXIST..." indie game with me-too chiptunes. How very wrong I was. The game stands on its own two feet, doesn't muck around with terribly-presented ~emotional drama~ or existentialism, and is simply fun. I totally recommend it.

And remember...



...the Watcher is watching.

That's why you get all of the hidden chests!