‘Autumn’ Looks to Enhance Your Spiritual Growth
In the game, you take on the role of a Spirit who enjoys a symbiotic relationship with nature. Help the world around you to grow and thrive, and you will be rewarded with Prana, a kind of energy which is vital to your own existence. During the titular season, as the trees lose their leaves, orbs of Prana are released into the air for you to absorb into yourself. In turn, you can use your own Prana to improve the world. Very give and take.
The game was designed to keep the information as minimal as possible, so as not to distract from the beautiful surroundings and music that unfold before you. A rotating color wheel in the top left corner will identify the current season, so you know how long you have until the eponymous Autumn (represented by the color orange). In the top right is an icon of a chest, representing your inventory, and a minimap in the top center helps you navigate this world. As you travel, white fog represents unfamiliar regions where you may encounter new experiences. Road signs will crop up intermittently to offer gameplay advice. Plant and raise trees, collect items, and solve puzzles in this relaxed and undemanding environment.
What really makes Autumn stand out as an unusual game is the complete lack of goals. You have no time limits, no enemies, no achievements. It is intended as an exercise in relaxation and spiritual growth. As you play, you are reminded that you and the world around you are part of one another, and that all living beings have a responsibility to care for each other. When you turn off the game, you may just find that you observe the real world a little differently than you did before you played Autumn.
Now in its final phase of development, Autumn will be released on September 23rd. It will be available free of charge for PC, Mac, and Linux players. Follow Nuno Donato on Twitter for additional news and announcements, and read the blog about the process of developing Autumn to learn more about the spiritual journey of its creator.
