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The Longing

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This article is about the video game. For the film, see The Longing (film). For other uses, see Longing (disambiguation).

The Longing
A silhouette with a pointed nose and yellow eyes stands at the top of a zig-zagging, brown, stone staircase, which leads up to an enclosed door with pink columns on both sides, with the logo, in all caps and surrounded by colons on both sides, hovers above. A brown tile pattern acts as a border for the whole cover. Within the border are a timer marking 399 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds.
Promotional Art
Developer(s)Studio Seufz
Publisher(s)Application Systems Heidelberg
Director(s)Anselm Pyta
EngineUnity
Platform(s)
Release
  • Windows, macOS, Linux
  • March 5, 2020
  • Nintendo Switch
  • April 14, 2021
Genre(s)Point-and-click adventure, idle
Mode(s)Single-player

The Longing is an indie point-and-click adventure game developed by Studio Seufz. Set in an underground kingdom, the premise follows a creature called a Shade, who is tasked with watching over a sleeping king for 400 days. Gameplay involves activities such as exploring caves, drawing pictures, and decorating the Shade's home as the player waits out the 400 days in real-time. Time passes in the game world regardless of the player's actions, but progresses faster if the Shade performs certain pastimes such as decorating its home.

Director Anselm Pyta gained inspiration for The Longing after hearing a legend about a king sleeping inside the Barbarossa Cave. Pyta wanted to explore feelings of loneliness and empathy in a narrative-driven story, while also using time as a game mechanic. He was influenced by idle games such as Clicker Heroes (2014), which he felt were flawed because they had repetitive gameplay and lacked endings. Pyta developed the majority of the game alone, creating the backgrounds in Photoshop and the characters in Adobe Flash, and merging the final product in Unity.

The game was released for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux on March 5, 2020, and later for Nintendo Switch on April 14, 2021. The Longing received positive reviews from critics for its soundtrack, visuals, and experimental nature, while the pacing had a mixed reception. Many commentators drew comparisons between the game and the COVID-19 pandemic, relating gameplay elements to experiences under quarantine. It was nominated for the Nuovo Award at the 2020 Independent Games Festival, and won the "Best Debut" award at the 2020 Deutscher Computerspielpreis.

Gameplay

A small cave. Crystals and hand-drawn paintings line the walls. There are various carpets on the floor. A small fire is lit in the corner. The Shade sits in an armchair next to a mostly filled bookshelf, smiling. There is a table next to the bookshelf for drawing and a musical instrument to the right of that. A large curtain and a stuffed horse head are near the cave entrance at the right of the screen.
The decorations and pastimes within the Shade's home cause time to advance faster.

The Longing is a point-and-click adventure game. Taking place in a subterranean kingdom, the player controls a creature called a Shade, the lone servant of a sleeping king. Asked by the king to watch over him for 400 days, the Shade must awaken his master after that time so that he may "end all fear and longing".[1][2] Time in the game is represented by a countdown of 400 days, as the Shade waits to awaken the king in real-time.[3] Interaction with the world is slow-paced by design,[4] with the Shade's movement speed being significantly slow.[5] The Shade can explore caves, gather resources to furnish its home, or perform other time-wasting activities such as reading[a] and drawing.[2] Many aspects of the game are time-dependent, for instance, puzzles which require the player to wait a certain amount of time before progressing.[4]

Other mechanics are reminiscent of idle games,[4] enabled by features such as idle reading and a bookmark system, by which the player can direct the Shade to automatically walk to a previously saved location, return to its home, or randomly wander around.[7][8] Time passes faster in the Shade's home if it is decorated with drawings and other items, and the timer can be further advanced if the Shade performs certain pastimes such as lighting a fire.[7]

The player's main goals are driven by a to-do list of things to improve the Shade's life,[9] however, no interaction with the game world is required to advance the timer, and it progresses even if the game is not open.[10] As a result of the timer's constant progression, it is possible to beat the game by opening it once, waiting 400 days, then opening it again, although this is not the only intended way to play.[4] To prevent cheating, the game sends players to a dungeon as a consequence for attempting to circumvent the time limit by changing their computer's system clock.[4] The Longing features several endings, and not all require the player to wait out the 400 day timer.[7][3]

Development

Background

Game director Anselm Pyta was inspired to create The Longing after exploring Barbarossa Cave (pictured).

Development of The Longing began in 2014 and lasted six years.[11][6] Director Anselm Pyta originally created flash animations that were released on Newgrounds, until he co-founded Studio Seufz in 2017.[6] Pyta gained the idea for The Longing in 2012, while he was hiking in the Barbarossa Cave near Kyffhäuser: He heard both a legend and poem of an old king sleeping inside the cave for hundreds of years, with a dwarf checking on the king once per century to see if he would awaken. Perplexed about how the dwarf lived its life with so much waiting, Pyta recalled that the character had "stuck" with him.[12] For his diploma at Animationsinstitut in Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg, Pyta wanted to develop a game and a film, but only the film was eventually finished. Animationsinstitut later transferred their rights to the unfinished game back to Pyta, who used it to apply for funding towards The Longing.[13] Pyta developed most of the game on his own, but received some help with coding. He used Photoshop to create the backgrounds and Adobe Flash to animate the characters; both elements were coded and merged in Unity.[12]

Design

Pyta was interested in using time and waiting as mechanics for one of his games, believing they could be used to create "empathy and emotion" if paired with a good overarching narrative. He imagined many possibilities with these mechanics, but said that avoiding redundancy with them was a challenge.[6] The Longing was partially influenced by idle games such as Clicker Heroes, which Pyta liked because they would progress when he was not using them.[12] However, he felt as though they negatively impacted players with repetitive gameplay and the lack of an ending, recalling that he had quit many of those games because they did not have an "emotional conclusion". Pyta sought to alleviate the "Sisiphos mindset" of idle games by giving The Longing an end, and pacing gameplay to keep the player interested enough to see the conclusion of its narrative.[6][12]

The atmosphere was considered to be an important part of the game, with Pyta calling it an aspect of gameplay that he best remembered after playing. While still studying, Pyta began listening to dungeon synth music and residing in a cellar; these environments helped him define The Longing's cavernous atmosphere, with Pyta calling the experience "a weird and special time in my life".[12] Thinking of different ways that the game could be played, Pyta conceived three possible routes that the player would take; they would do nothing but wait for the timer to advance, try to make the Shade's life comfortable while waiting, or abandon the king and leave the caves. He considered the first option because it would remove "negative stress", while including the last because it would allow for "adventurous" gameplay as the player solved problems that were based on time.[12]

The Shade was designed so that the player could compare their own moments of loneliness to the character's, and players were encouraged to empathize with its condition. Pyta deliberately made the Shade's appearance and emotions cryptic and unclear, in order to allow his audience to interpret and understand the Shade's traits how they saw fit.[12] He needed to find ways to keep the player interested in waiting and remind them that progress was occurring, even if it was not readily apparent. To do this, he implemented certain behaviors for the Shade such as self-talking and sleeping and showed rocks falling in the cave to act in the place of a day-night cycle underground.[4]

Philosophy

Pyta felt as though The Longing created meaning through the "pain of boredom", believing that it could act as a remedy for moments of "constant excitement" brought about by consumption of technology.[14] His belief was that satisfaction did not come from fast-paced experiences, and that giving time to enjoy something allowed for greater emotional connections to form.[12] One important theme of the game was loneliness, which Pyta was experiencing when he gained inspiration for The Longing.[12] He explored this theme through the Shade, noting the darkness that appears in the cave represents "the journey to overcome loneliness".[6][12] When asked if his emotional portrayals may be insensitive to some viewers, Pyta replied that he included them to allow his audience to relate their own experiences, believing "ultimately, there should be no self-censorship".[6]

Empathy was considered by Pyta to be an important aspect of keeping the player engaged.[4][6][14] The game was deliberately designed to encourage empathy between the Shade and user, and Pyta implemented behaviors such as the Shade's side dialogue to keep players hopeful for improving its environment.[6] Pyta wished to show the "subjectivity of time" by demonstrating that if the player keeps the Shade comfortable inside the cave, the speed of the timer will increase; he said this reflected the fact that whoever finds happiness will be able to better endure waiting.[6][12][15] Although The Longing has multiple endings, Pyta hoped that players would not restart their saved game and begin another playthrough. This aligned with his belief that resetting games caused them to lose the value of their experiences, robbing them of their emotional appeal. He compared the phenomenon to an essay from Roger Ebert, in which Ebert argued that video games could not be considered art because choices could be easily unmade and life respawned.[6] Pyta hoped that when the player eventually reached an ending, they would feel as though the story had properly concluded for the Shade, and would find meaning in the fate they chose for it.[14]

Reception

Prior to release, the game was shown at PAX West in 2019[15] and a demo was showcased at AdventureX 2020.[23] The game was published by Application Systems Heidelberg[1] and released on March 5, 2020, to Steam for Windows, Mac, and Linux,[24] followed by a release for Nintendo Switch on April 14, 2021.[25] The Longing was received positively by critics, winning the "Best Debut" award at the 2020 Deutscher Computerspielpreis[26] and was nominated for the Nuovo Award at the 2020 Independent Games Festival.[27]

The game received a "generally favorable" aggregated score by Metacritic for both PC and Switch versions.[28][29] Critics praised The Longing's experimental premise. Adventure Gamers recommended it to players who appreciated video games as an art form, and to those that appreciated unusual gameplay.[3] PC Gamer in Swedish called it a "fascinating experiment" and an "original experience" with plenty of atmosphere.[21] The Washington Post said that its creativity it helped him better understand what video games could do.[2]

Many reviewers highlighted the visuals and atmosphere.[30][31][10][32] Nintendo World Report felt as though each area of the caves was distinct and well-drawn, saying that it was difficult to find a better designed video game in a subterranean setting.[30] Switch Player found the visuals to be reminiscent of a destroyed kingdom, appreciating the choice of tones.[31] While considering the experience to be inferior to that of the indie game A Dark Room, Nintendo Life considered the visuals atmospheric by design.[10] The soundtrack was also frequently acknowledged by critics.[3][32][33][31] Adventure Gamers praised the music for displaying a medley of emotions, feeling as though each song expressed both the breadth of the kingdom and the Shade's small size in comparison to it.[3] PC Gamer in English said that the soundtrack was full of sounds that "would normally make my [sic] hair stand on end."[33] and The Games Machine felt as though the sound did well blending both the atmosphere with the movement of the Shade.[32]

Reception towards the slow-paced gameplay was mixed. Nintendo Life called the game "perhaps the most boring we have ever played", acknowledging that although The Longing acted as a thoughtful reflection on themes of loneliness and dullness, the large amount of waiting made the game feel like a waste of time.[10] The Games Machine, Adventure Gamers and 4Players all felt as though many players would be impatient while waiting, and the slow pace would not be for everyone.[8][3][32] On the other hand, The Washington Post compared the pacing of the game to the works of filmmaker Béla Tarr, saying it "stimulated thought".[2] Hardcore Gamer likewise felt as though the appeal of the Shade helped with the pacing and made waiting "feel natural".[5]

Due to the game's release during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, commentators frequently compared playing it to life during the pandemic.[3][34][14] GamesRadar likened The Longing to experiencing a COVID-19 lockdown, finding "novelty" in looking for ways to improve the Shade's livelihood while she was doing other tasks.[34] Adventure Gamers questioned whether The Longing would have found an audience if it hadn't been released during the pandemic. The reviewer opined that players had little interest in topics of loneliness, and the game's appeal may have been aided through the isolation brought by the lockdowns.[3] Wired said that people affected by quarantine would relate to the Shade, and likened the perception of time in-game to that of the world of the pandemic. The commentator compared DIY crafts created while under lockdown to decorating the Shade's home, calling the entire experience a "cocktail of intense boredom and occasional triumph".[14]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Mainly classical literature including Moby Dick and Thus Spoke Zarathustra, supplied through Project Gutenberg.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b Studio Seufz (March 5, 2020). The Longing (macOS, Nintendo Switch, Windows). Application Systems Heidelberg. Level/area: Credits roll.
  2. ^ a b c d Byrd, Christopher (March 5, 2020). "Review | 'The Longing': Patience (and lots of it) is required, but it's worth every minute". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 11, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Aickman, Will (January 29, 2021). "The Longing review". Adventure Gamers. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Jackson, Gita (December 18, 2020). "One Way To Beat This Upcoming Puzzle Game Is To Wait 400 Days". Kotaku. G/O Media. Archived from the original on March 6, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Cunningham, James (March 6, 2020). "The Longing Completes its Yearning for Release". Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on June 15, 2020. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Valentine, Rebekah (February 27, 2020). "Designing the end of all Longing". GamesIndustry.biz. Gamer Network. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c MacLeod, Riley (March 9, 2020). "The Longing, Which Can Take Over A Year To Finish, Encourages You To Embrace Waiting". Kotaku. G/O Media. Archived from the original on March 25, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  8. ^ a b Verfondern, Maja (March 5, 2020). "The Longing - Test, Adventure". 4Players (in German). Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  9. ^ Bell, Alice (March 12, 2020). "The deep darkness of caves and mushrooms in The Longing". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on April 12, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  10. ^ a b c d Gipp, Stuart (April 30, 2021). "Review: The Longing - Tedious By Design, And Incredibly Successful At It". Nintendo Life. Gamer Network. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
  11. ^ Ewins, Henry (June 10, 2020). "The real beauty of secrets in games like The Longing is to share them". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Gamer Network. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Couture, Joel (February 18, 2020). "Road to the IGF: Studio Seufz's THE LONGING". Game Developer. Informa. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  13. ^ "From Animationsinstitut straight to founding a studio". Animationsinstitut. Film Academy Baden-Württemberg. May 9, 2020. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  14. ^ a b c d e Gordon, Lewis (December 15, 2020). "'The Longing' Is a Video Game of Transcendent Slowness". Wired. Condé Nast. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
  15. ^ a b Green, Holly (September 3, 2019). "In The Longing, Time Is Everything". Paste Magazine. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  16. ^ "The Longing for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  17. ^ "The Longing for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  18. ^ Verfondern, Maja (March 5, 2020). "The Longing - Test, Adventure". 4Players (in German). Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  19. ^ Gipp, Stuart (April 30, 2021). "The Longing (Switch eShop)". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  20. ^ Robin, Joshua (April 29, 2021). "The Longing (Switch) Review". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on May 1, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  21. ^ a b Kilman, Joakim (March 5, 2020). "The Longing – Recension" [The Longing – Review]. Svenska PC Gamer (in Swedish). Archived from the original on June 15, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  22. ^ Mercia, Ash (April 28, 2021). "The Longing Review". Switch Player. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  23. ^ Hadley, Jupiter (November 25, 2019). "'The Longing' Explores Gloomy Depths Over 400 Real-World Days". Indie Games Plus. Archived from the original on June 15, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  24. ^ "Pass 400 days underground in IGF-nominee The Longing, coming to Steam on March 5 (Win/Mac/Linux review copies available now)". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on January 14, 2020. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  25. ^ Craddock, Ryan (April 14, 2021). "The Longing Makes You Wait 400 Real-Life Days To See The End, Launching On Switch Today". Nintendo Life. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  26. ^ "Nachwuchspreise: Bestes Debüt The Longing". Deutscher Computerspielpreis (in German). March 28, 2020. Archived from the original on April 27, 2020. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  27. ^ "Finalists and Winners". Independent Games Festival. September 22, 2016. Archived from the original on April 1, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  28. ^ "The Longing for PC Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  29. ^ "The Longing for Switch reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  30. ^ a b Robin, Joshua (April 29, 2021). "The Longing Review - Review". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  31. ^ a b c Mercia, Ash (April 28, 2021). "The Longing Review". Switch Player. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
  32. ^ a b c d Emanuele, Feronato (May 3, 2020). "The Longing – Recensione". The Games Machine (in Italian). Archived from the original on April 11, 2020. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  33. ^ a b published, Rachel Watts (March 9, 2020). "My review of The Longing will be ready May 2021, at the earliest". PC Gamer. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
  34. ^ a b Weber, Rachel (April 3, 2020). "The Longing is the indie game that sums up self-solation perfectly". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2020.

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