Nordlicht now shining on Windows, Mac, Linux and Android

Written by Jack Allin — August 22, 2019 at 11:19

A trip to see the aurora borealis is a worthy journey in its own right, but all the more so when it comes in a charming-looking family adventure like Nordlicht, a two-person German student project that is available now for PC and Android devices.

The game stars an "unusual family" of three (if you count pets) as they set off on a "fascinating journey to the cold north." The father is a writer named Rupert, a man some would describe as "chaotic or even crazy. But in reality he's nothing less than brilliant." With him is his seven-year-old daughter, the appropriately-named Aurora, a "talented treasure hunter and sludge cake baker" who manages to keep "everything under control and takes good care of her father." Always at her side is Aurora's best friend Peter Silie, an "intellectual guinea pig" who is "a crucial part of the family (although nobody understands him as well as Aurora does)."

Presented in a delightful hand-drawn art style with paper cut-out characters, Nordlicht (meaning "northern lights") follows the trio throughout their annual winter journey to see Aurora's mother Maren, during which they "encounter mysterious Starsigns of the polar night, have to overcome nature's dangers and confront their fears." Control of all three characters will be alternated at predetermined times, with much of the game playing out like a traditional point-and-click, third-person adventure that tasks you to "solve the world's mysteries, by cleverly combining items and figuring out how to utilize them." Occasionally cooperation between more than one character is needed to progress, helping to demonstrate "the bonding of the family over these yearly trips." In between puzzles will be some "faster paced action sequences" that are intended to "loosen up the gameplay but also demand a lot of skill to safely bring the family to its destination."

Originally released along with a PC demo in April on itch.io for Windows, Mac, Linux and Android, Nordlicht will be  launched on Steam (minus the demo) for Windows and Mac on September 27th.