It has been seven years since I first set foot in Possum Springs, and some days, it feels like I never left. Maybe it’s because the stories of the people who live in that “idyllic” town from Night in the Woods just hit that hard. Maybe it’s because my room is covered in figures, shirts, and other miscellaneous paraphernalia from the game, and has been for years. As I write this, the protagonist’s best friend Gregg is staring at me from across the room. A hat that says “Crimes” on the underside of the brim sits on a rack on my door. I think I just live there.
That’s the kind of power that Night in the Woods impresses on a player. The exceptional adventure game set in a small Rust Belt town is going to be available on PlayStation Plus’ Extra tier, which grants access to an expanded catalog of games that evolves by the month, on September 17. I think, given the profound impact it has had on my life, that it is one of the most essential games of the last decade, and there’s no reason you shouldn’t play it now.
Let me start off simply and benignly: Night in the Woods is my de facto fall game. I know you all feel the temperature cooling, and I’m already wearing my comfiest hoodies and sweaters indoors. Soon, the colors of the leaves will change, then they’ll fall from the trees, and before you know it, we’ll be layered up and taking picturesque park walks straight out of When Harry Met Sally. Never before, and never since, has a game made such wonderful use of the full autumnal palette as Night in the Woods. It is positively swimming in a rich swirl of brownish yellows and fiery oranges that’ll make you instinctively reach for a coat. As Mae, the game’s protagonist, walks up and down the streets of her hometown, she kicks up leaves everywhere she goes. The sky burns bright despite the obvious chill in the air, and the nights threaten to swallow people whole. In a word, it’s got an aura.
Night in the Woods is also a source of immense comfort. I’ve always gravitated towards the fact that Mae’s unceremonious return to Possum Springs is brought on by a mental breakdown and her subsequently dropping out of college. When I played the game in 2017, Mae and I were both 20-year-olds feeling the growing pains of adulthood and our own steadily declining mental health. I wouldn’t drop out for another few years, but when I did, it was largely because of the same reasons: I needed peace of mind and some sense of normalcy in the midst of a personal crisis.
Mae is just like us. She’s been chipped away at over the years, and feels defunct and broken in ways that countless loved ones have professed to me over late-night talks. She doesn’t feel she deserves much in this life, and yet she desperately wants more out of it than the hand she’s been dealt. She comes back to town to play hookie with old friends, catch up, and feel something. She has agonizing conversations with her parents, reflects on embarrassing stories from her teenage years, and can’t handle her booze when she’s in the throes of depression. She’s also hilarious, and part of me feels that humor comes from a place of insecurity. You know those jokes about how depressed people use humor to deflect and mask their sentiments? Yeah, Mae embodies that fully. She’s the most true-to-life protagonist I’ve ever encountered, and that’s gone a long way to making her one of my favorite characters ever.
Despite how sullen the material of Night in the Woods may sound, it’s rarely ever so plainly dour. Night in the Woods is broken up into various days across Mae’s stay in Possum Springs, and every one of them is an excuse to walk around, jump on rooftops, and spiral. There are tons of tough and entertaining conversations to have with people along the game’s critical path, but there are so many more pockets of nostalgic joy and catharsis along the way too, particularly at the end of certain days where you must prioritize hanging out with one of Mae’s closest friends, like Gregg, Bea, Angus, or even that weirdo Germ who lives…somewhere. There’s Mr. Chazokov, one of Mae’s former teachers, who lets her stargaze on his rooftop and teaches Mae about the history and legends associated with the constellations. There are baby rats to be saved and pretzels to be stolen. There are playable band practices and a Halloween festival!
By the end of Night in the Woods, you will love the town of Possum Springs so much you’ll never want to leave. Maybe then you’ll also decorate your room with odds and ends lifted from the game, and consider etching it onto your own body, Iike I’m currently plotting to do. At the very least, it’ll live on your dashboard where you can consider returning to it whenever you need a dose of reality, a sprinkle of whimsy, a home away from home, or a reminder that it’s okay to not be okay.