Nivetha -Whiteout Game from Itch.io

Link to the Game “Whiteout”—> http://primaerfunktion.itch.io/whiteout

After looking through itch.io and the other indie games websites, I found a game called “Whiteout” created by Rene Rother.

Most of the games I like to play are very story or narrative based. I was wondering how to make a game with these elements on a much smaller scale. Obviously, text adventures are one option but the idea of a text adventure seems plain and boring to me. “Whiteout”, on the other hand, feels like a beautiful short narrative piece that is craftily and beautifully executed.

The game basically starts out with a white, snowy scene. The main character, who you control, has lost her friend, Fox. She sets off to find him in the freezing arctic.

The object of the game is to find her friend in the white, vast arctic while maintaining a warm body temperature. As you walk, your temperature drops and the only way to bring it up is to stand close to the fire at your camp. You must also make sure you know where your camp is at all times. The game provides you with flags you can use to mark your way and help you find a path.

The game is VERY long. It is almost impossible to find Fox and the only thing you can do is wander around for a long time. However, what is really interesting is the small features they add in the landscape that is not just plain snow. If you walk for awhile, you will begin to see glaciers, caves, and even frozen whales in the middle of the frozen wasteland. These strange objects combined with the beautiful scenery give this game a very interesting narrative (at least, for me).

Another thing I enjoy about the game is that it is totally immersive – the howling winds and desolate landscape make me feel like I am this character. Moreover, the game doesn’t try to provide you with strategies and tips to survive. Instead, players end up making strategies themselves during gameplay. For example, you start to pay attention to your shadow or the direction of the wind to locate yourself and keep from getting lost.

One thing I didn’t like about the game, though was the fact that you had to use flags to mark your way. I would rather (and I did) play it without using any flags because when I do use the flags, I pay less attention to the landscape and more to figuring out where and when I should place flags down. However, I understand why, game mechanics-wise, this flag system is necessary to give the player at least a hope of winning the game.