Welcome to EXPlay, (Explain & Play) the review series where we care not for scores, but tell it how it is when it comes to every game we get our hands on, all whilst including some lengthy gameplay, to give you, the reader, the chance to form your own impressions and views while reading and watching.
In this explanatory review, we’re covering Pine: A Story Of Loss by developer BattleBrew Productions:
Pine: A Story Of Loss: (Nintendo Switch)
Pine: A Story of Loss is a heartfelt narrative game that explores the raw, quiet beauty of life after love. Presented as an interactive, wordless short story, Pine invites players to step into the shoes of a grieving woodworker as he navigates the solitude left by the passing of his wife. This emotional journey is brought to life through stunning hand-drawn animation and an evocative musical score, making it a game designed to be experienced in a single, impactful sitting.
Set in a serene woodland glade where the couple once built their life together, the game seamlessly blends the routine of daily chores with bittersweet interruptions of cherished memories. As you guide the woodworker through tasks like gardening or gathering wood, you’ll also join him in reliving moments of joy through charming mini-games and puzzles. Each memory is captured in lovingly crafted wood carvings, brought to life by a unique carving mechanic that places these mementos—both literal and emotional—into your hands.
With its focus on accessible, engaging interactions, Pine immerses players in the woodworker’s journey, balancing the joy of remembrance with the weight of loss. Every moment of the game, from its meticulous art style to its resonant sound design, feels deliberately crafted to draw you deeper into its tender, unforgettable story.
As I played through the story of Pine it quickly became clear to me that I would probably not make it through the story without shedding at least a few tears. The gameplay in Pine varies through the four seasons, presumably the calendar year after the recent loss of the main character’s wife.Â
The gameplay is basic, first you select a chore or basic daily task to do, like cutting wood, harvesting straw, gardening, gathering water from the well, eating a meal and more. Within each season you may see a flashback that winds the present and the past as the woodcutter remembers his life with his wife.Â
These flashbacks are shown without any voice lines, in fact, the game is all music and no talking whatsoever. The animation evokes feelings and emotions through stylized art, music that hits the feels, and scenery that captures your attention. There is a lot of beauty in Pine: A Story of Loss and as a game that is more of an art piece and story it is really well done.
Within each season there are times where either through memory or deep grief that woodcutter stops what he is doing and sits down with a block of wood and carves an image. These moments in the game typically cover one of the memories he had and have you spinning the wood block and carving a statue remembering his wife. As the game progresses these moments become central to how he goes through his stages of grief and honoring his wife’s memory.
If there is one ‘downside’ with Pine: A Story of Loss it’s that once the game is over there’s not much in terms of replayability. The game is short too. Even the developer encourages you to play the game in one sitting as you can complete the story in roughly 1 ½ hours. But Pine isn’t about rushing through the game, but valuing the art, story, and the journey through the steps of grief. Overall it’s a game that I recommend as most of us have lost someone. Just know that as a 42 year old guy, I definitely cried at the ending and enjoyed the story of Pine: A Story of Loss.
Game Specifications:
Developer: Made Up Games
Publisher: Fellow Traveler
Platform: Nintendo Switch (eShop)
Category: Adventure
No. of Players: 1 (Single System)
Release Date: December 13, 2024
Price: $9.99
File Size: 1.7 GB
Nintendo.com Listing
