The Growing Stones’ The Mildew Children chapter one is available now! A game with stunning visuals that immediately makes itself stand apart from similar titles with its potent aesthetic alone. With a largely women-centric cast, this narrative game is sure to make a big splash on its full release.
*Spoilers Ahead*
Credit: The Growing StonesFirst Impressions
Despite its interesting story, this game can feel fairly slow in this first chapter. However, the creators make magnificent use of this initial pacing by creating a greater panic once you realize you suddenly have a more active task. The sense of calm completely disorients you to the skill checks that appear, leaving you on the edge of your seat.
Story
You take the perspective of a young witch, accompanied by her sisters in a small village. As the game progresses you begin to realize the weight of the responsibilities placed on her. Her role extends from fortune-telling to spiritual rituals assisting the dead pass in peace. All these rituals take their toll on the sisters, putting them in immense pain by assisting the afterlife as they do, and it can’t be sustainable for their health. Could everyone else survive without the help they provide? We can only guess as we wait for the story to unravel further.
Beyond the story the player follows, the game’s active mechanics are so well done. The tasks appear suddenly and consistently offer a change of pace to both the action at hand as well as the narrative itself. The skill checks get even more challenging just as you start to feel as if everything is finally under control. The game’s art and careful sense of timing work to bring the player into the story as they go on.
Final Thoughts
Both the art and mechanical polish of the game pull you into the experience. While the pacing can feel a bit slow at first, it just takes some time to build suspense. Once it sets in motion, however, the game shows what it’s capable of. Altogether, I can’t wait to see what the full release of this title has to offer.
The demo is now available for The Mildew Children Chapter One or add the Full Game to your wishlist now!
