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Woods, snow, a warm fire, and soft critters are the definition of cozy. Developer Pine Creek Games and Publisher Noodlecake bring all of these quintessential qualities together in the woodland survival game, Winter Burrow, to make for a nicely paced, albeit short experience that is best experienced in a few comfy gaming sessions.
Finding Your Way
In Winter Burrow, you play a mouse who returns from the big city to find their childhood home in disarray, and in need of repair as soon as possible, even with the cold, barren surroundings bearing down on you. To make matters worse, your Aunt (who was supposed to be looking after it) is nowhere to be found. Lucky for you, your Aunt has made friends along the way nearby that will help guide your path and objectives as you work to restore your tree stump home’s former liveability. To accomplish this, you’ll have to venture out into the snow-covered grounds that sprawl out in all directions. This can be daunting at first, as you’re faced with multiple status bars to keep up with, including health, hunger, warmth, and stamina. I was actually initially a little put off by the restrictiveness of the warmth bar, specifically, as I found myself struggling to be able to feasibly explore much more than the few areas very close to my safe, warm home. This however did force me to quickly learn the ways of the humble mouse, as I worked to acquire more formidable clothing accessories, learn crafting skills to stay out longer by refilling my heat level, and cook up food that kept my tummy full and my body restored. It was a rewarding system that really felt like you were having to truly survive in a daunting situation throughout your expeditions outside and then back to your house. Every discovery I made, whether that was a new ingredient, recipe, or crafting station, added to my exploration capabilities in my quest to restore my humble abode and find my Aunt.
As you pad around and gather materials, your goals shift, guiding you lightly with where to go next to proceed with story progress. It doesn’t hold your paw too much, which some may find frustrating, but I eventually found where to go and what to gather & build next. In fact, when I was playing the game there was no in-game map system, and you had to use your own remembered knowledge of your surroundings and paths between areas to find your way around. After player feedback a simple map was added, which I do think was an improvement, especially for a cozy experience. I’m not looking to be challenged -too- much with these types of games, and struggling at times to recall which way I needed to go before I froze to death was off-putting at points. All the while though the game still managed to keep the coziness at the forefront by employing two very key ingredients: stellar storybook visuals and an impressively crafted soundtrack by Andreas Busk.
Beauty in the Snowy Scenery
Every single stitch and stick in Winter Burrow is a story in and of itself. There’s not a leaf out of place or a pixel without reason. The menus ooze texture, the woodlands feel natural and familiar, and each character you meet fits into the story like marshmallows in hot chocolate. Your mouse playable character is the perfect protagonist, too, with its little squeaks, animations, and actions feeling minute, yet determined. I do wish perhaps that the map itself was a bit more involved and the land a touch bigger, with more to explore and unlock, but the devs obviously had a targeted size and mission, and accomplished that goal. Sometimes bigger isn’t better. In fact, some of the gameplay systems and restrictive travel abilities (no fast travel, small inventory) may have become more of an annoyance if the game had tried to push things to bigger and more involved heights.
Surviving to a Superb Soundtrack
Lastly, the soundtrack is probably the most important part of Winter Burrow. It leaves an indelible, defining mark on the game experience that elevates the story, how your survival feels, and the moments of peril and connection you face within it. It’s light, orchestral, varied, subdued, and essential to the game. I’m always impressed when an indie game goes out and employs a Producer/Musician to score an entire game, and I’m usually very impressed with the results. When you can’t tell if it was the game guiding the music or the music guiding the game, you know they were both made with incredible audio direction. Winter Burrow is one of those games.
In Conclusion
I had a pleasant time with Winter Burrow, even if it was a tad repetitive after the initial couple hours of discovery. The music, art, and achievable goals made for a comfily packaged gaming experience that has all the trademarks of a short and palatable survival game, with the added bonus of getting to play as a fluffy little mouse in snow shoes. Pine Creek Games is hopefully just getting started in this genre of cozy survival gaming, and I look forward to seeing where their creative eyes look next for inspiration.
Thanks to the Developer/Publisher for a review copy. Winter Burrow is available on Steam, Switch, and Xbox
