Beacon Pines Explained

Beacon Pines
Developer:Hiding Spot Games
Publisher:Fellow Traveller
Director:Matt Meyer
Producer:Louis Li
Programmer:Matt Meyer
Composer:Matt Meyer
Engine:Unity[1]
Genre:Narrative adventure
Modes:Single player

Beacon Pines is a 2022 narrative adventure indie video game developed by Hiding Spot Games, and published by Fellow Traveller. The game was released on September 22, 2022, for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch and the Xbox One (via Game Pass).[2] [3]

Narrated by Kirsten Mize and set in the titular town, the storybook-based exploration game follows Luka uncovering the mysterious secrets of his hometown alongside his friends Rolo and Beck.

Plot

Luka VanHorn is a 12-year-old deer boy who lives in Beacon Pines with his grandmother after his father passed away when he was six, and his mother mysteriously disappeared. He hangs out with his best friend Rolo Cotter, a liger. While awaiting the town's upcoming Harvest Festival, the pair stumble onto some strange happenings at the abandoned warehouse in the woods near their treehouse. Along with the new girl in town, Beck Moedwil, the trio seeks to unravel the mysteries of what exactly is going on in their town.

Gameplay

Beacon Pines is a narrative-focused game where the goal is to end the story with a happy ending. The player will com across "Turning Points", moments in the story where the players actions changes the outcome of the story. The choices are limited by the amount of words (called "Charms") the player has picked up. The player is encouraged to explore the branching timeline to get different charms to get further in the story.[4]

Reception

Beacon Pines received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Made with Unity: 2022 in review. Saver. Michael. Unity Technologies. December 26, 2022. July 31, 2023.
  2. Web site: 'Cute and creepy' adventure game Beacon Pines launches September 22 for Xbox One, Switch, and PC. Romano. Sal. Gematsu. August 18, 2022. August 18, 2022.
  3. Web site: Beacon Pines Devs Describe Game as 'Winnie The Pooh Meets Stranger Things'. Trama. Andrea. Game Rant. September 22, 2022. September 22, 2022.
  4. Web site: September 22, 2022 . Beacon Pines: The Kotaku Review . April 8, 2024 . Kotaku . en.