The Longing (english)

Waiting can be boring

Mountain King decides to take 400 days nap and leaves his kingdom to his shadow, telling him not to go outside. This starts out a long, idle adventuring game that deals with loneliness and time. The developer is Studio Seuf from Stuttgart, which is known better from Lucky Tower F2P-games. The Longing will be released at 5. Mar. 2020.

Game information:

Name: :The Longing: Publisher/Developer:
Application Systems Heidelberg/Studio Seufz
Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux Type: Adventure/Art game, Indie, Idle
Age rating(s): -
Reviewer: Rami
Pictures&Links
Traileri, Debyt
Official Game Trailer #2 (Warning! Lasts 4 hours!)

The perspective of the gamer

Time is highly subjective. It is also one of the most important mechanics of the game. Luckily it does run even when the game is on, and it not 1:1 with real-time. In one mystical place, it even stops totally. The Shadow can improve his lodgings by drawing pictures on the paper and charcoal found and reading books.

The exploration of the Halls of the Mountain King happens s   l     o       w       l             y.

For all ADHD-gamers who want to conquer the tunnels now, this is like a slap to face. The very first door opens in two minutes, and the waiting game starts from here.

There are things you can do to make time go faster, but still, you are prone to wait the moss grow, stalagmites to drop down, and water to fill the hole. In-game books are real books from Project Gutenberg, and including them is a statement of its own. The spider will weave its web in due time, and you can't make it grow it faster. Gradual progress enable us to reach places that you normally wouldn't. The Shadow would like to find the library to feast on books, but that might take some time.

The Longing is stopping experience. The merits are that here the game actually dares to be boring and deal the time with quite antimodern ways. While mobile games need to hook their players in two minutes, Longing doesn't go with the flow. The game is a daring piece of art that talks to the player with the unique experience of loneliness and Longing.

The game is a nominee at Independent Game Festival 2020 and already gained some rewards
like 2019 A Maze awards Long Feature and Special Mention, Animated Games Award Germany 2019

The perspective of the rating systems

The game has slight tension, but generally, this won't generate any kind of age rating. For example, Finnish age rating system would not give a rating for depictions of sorrow or longing. The music is dark ambient, maybe featuring the inner feelings of shadow, but the actual slow place of the game is the one that sets it apart from any classified game. Simply said, it would be something like Finnish 'Suitable for all' because it doesn't really correspond to any of the criteria. It's also safe to play at home or at work.

Parents and game education?

'Art games' are a bit of puzzling classification. In these games, the game mechanics are second to message and story, as the point of the game is to deliver certain experience and feeling. The Longing tells about the situation where you are not busy to go anywhere, as you have time, too much of it.

The Undermountain King is a German legend of Frederik Barbarossa, who drowned during the third crusade. Accordingly, the legend he sleeps under Kyffhäuser hills, and such the games graphics have got their innovation from the real caves a the area. Additionally, the developers name other games that inspired them Dear Esther, Clicker Heroes, and even the Moomins (!)

During the play, you can talk about... 

• Loneliness might be a true thing for some people?
• What things affect your experience of time flow. When does it fly?