I Am Dead comes to life

Is death really the end, or just the start of a whole new adventure? Whatever the elusive answer to that question in real life, fortunately in gaming the latter seems often to be the case, such as in Hollow Ponds and Richard Hogg's newly released charming afterlife adventure, I Am Dead. 

If a title like that sounds morbid, this game is anything but. Sure enough, Morris Lupton has shuffled off this mortal coil, but not only is his spirit reunited with "the ghost of his old dog Sparky," the former museum curator on the tiny but beautiful island of Shelmerston now possesses the ability to "peer inside objects and people to reveal their contents and memories, like a supernatural X-Ray." He's going to need it, too, as when a long-dormant volcano threatens to destroy everything, Morris and his canine pal must "uncover Shelmerston's ancient mysteries, prevent the island's volcano from erupting, and save the place they call home."

I Am Dead is described as a "heartfelt story about exploring the afterlife," and its bright cartoony 3D graphics match its surprisingly upbeat atmosphere. The stakes are high, to be sure, but rather than feel like a race against time, in order to track down "a number of Shelmerston's lost and scattered ghosts," Morris and Sparky must "visit the places they spent time in, dive inside the memories of the people who knew them best, and learn the stories of their lives." Along the way, they will solve puzzles and "discover many stories about the history and folklore of Shelmerston and its cast of curious inhabitants and visitors: tourist finches, the fishfolk, morlos, and the Legend of Aggi – the one who originally silenced the volcano."

You can safely get started playing I Am Dead from this side of the grave right away, as the game is available now on Steam and the Epic Games Store for PC, as well as the Nintendo eShop for Switch.