Beacon Pines

A cute and creepy adventure game about three young friends exploring a small town and uncovering the secrets that lie beneath its surface.

This is a splendid creation, superbly written, with spellbinding art, and a unique approach to telling a story. It’s also a fascinating exploration of grief, loss, and more than anything else, how we react to change. That and secret underground organizations and their evil plans to control towns through fertilizer production.

Beacon Pines presents a rich world filled with deeply considered, not to mention adorable, characters. The beautifully crafted art, paired with a soundtrack that both captures and sets the mood, make for a wholly enjoyable experience. It might not be for those who prefer action, but it is a lovely and compelling story that sees Luka, Rolo and Beck delve into a bevy of unique situations. You might finish it in less than a work day, but it'll stay with you for much longer.

A young adult mystery surrounding a quaint town that prefers simplicity over ambition.

I’ll admit, I’m a bit of a softy when it comes to good stories, but I’ve still played quite a few games and seen enough narratives of all kinds to think it’s hard to floor me these days. Or so I thought, anyway. I’m not sure if I was caught off guard or if Beacon Pines really is just that good. It’s pretty easy to see that its art and music are both top notch. Ultimately, this is also a story good enough that I’d love more people to see it so I can talk to them about it. It might not be the longest game, and the thrill of the exploration may bottleneck a bit at the end, but the changing course, different routes, and ultimate ending of Beacon Pines are still more than worth exploring for any fan of narrative adventure.

Beacon Pines offers a quirky gameplay hook, pleasing art style, and an unexpected mystery, but that might not win over more than a select group.

Beacon Pines is the type of adventure game that's perfectly suited for genre newcomers and those seeking to get away from the point-and-click style while retaining the genre's deeper storytelling. The story remains fascinating, since it clashes with the idyllic town setting and cast of cute characters. The ability to uncover every branch of the story tree via your discovered actions drives the desire to see every possible outcome even, if it is forced on you via the game design. The overall gameplay length ensures that it doesn't overstay its welcome, but some players may not like the semi-visual novel flow of most of the game. If you're willing to overlook that design decision, you'll be more than happy with this unassuming adventure.

Beacon Pines is an experience that will have its players cross a fairy tale and find words that will cause shifts to the events on the plot. With less emphasis on action and more on narrative discovery, Beacon Pines treats its players to a charming visual world and an exquisite soundtrack, while its environment flows between an adorable kid-friendly world to something more disturbing and menacing, and the game does all this naturally. One of the best indie gems to make its way to the Nintendo Switch catalogue.

Beacon Pines is a wonderful story about change, and also about growing up, and also about friendship, and also about some of life’s pitfalls, and also about… It tackles powerful themes, evokes emotions, and presents the plot in a slightly unconventional yet captivating way. This spooky summer vacation adventure will make you wonder more than once whether it’s always best to do the right thing. Help Luke find his happy ending and save the whole town.

Beacon Pines is a lovely way to spend some hours in the company of some charming characters and a nicely emotional sequence of branching narratives.