Deer & Boy

“This game was charming, heartfelt and tugs on the heartstrings.”

“The game delivers its story with no dialogue but still manages to tug at the heartstrings and deliver a touching message of overcoming grief.”

“Absolutely beautiful game from start to finish with a deep, meaningful narrative that made me so emotional.”

“Rather than overwhelming the player with elaborate systems, inventories, or constant combat, the game keeps its mechanics focused on movement, environmental interaction, puzzles, stealth, and cooperation between its two central characters.”

“Surprisingly varied, it starts off simple enough with stealth, then it evolves with puzzles involving your adorable deer fawn friend which gradually grows up during the story and brings new mechanics to the table: if at the start the fawn is defenseless and can only stay in your little backpack to hold a platform and occasionally get in trouble, by the end he'll be an invaluable asset that protects you from dangers, reaches faraway places for puzzle solving, and lifts you up platforms. The gameplay is simple but keeps evolving as the deer grows, culminating in a final stretch with an explosion of emotion and gameplay.”

“The game gradually builds upon the simple foundations of the deer & boy mechanics to make puzzles increasingly complex without ever becoming hard or convoluted.”

“The visuals were amazing!!”

“Quite stellar, it has a cinematic angle and the vistas and locations feature a beautiful cell shaded art-style that is pleasing on the eyes with a lighting engine that is fantastic with deep and strong dynamic shadows that dart around the levels and interact with lights.”

“The music is downright phenomenal; if Corentin Brasart's 'The Words I'd Wish to Say' track doesn't make you cry, you're completely heartless.”

“A wonderfully enjoyable soundtrack wraps emotional moments in a tight hug, with all the design elements coming together to create the perfect tear-jerking moments.”

“The soundtrack and environmental sound effects work hand in hand with the game's gorgeous visuals to create an immersive atmosphere, often helping to carry moments where the gameplay itself isn't quite as engaging.”

“The soundtrack and environmental sound effects work hand in hand with the game's gorgeous visuals to create an immersive atmosphere, often helping to carry moments where the gameplay itself isn't quite as engaging.”

“In my opinion, the visuals and atmosphere are a big part of why this game works as well as it does, doing much of the heavy lifting when it comes to creating an emotional and memorable experience.”

“The simple character design of the deer and his boy only heightens the visual depth of the detailed backgrounds and environments, with vivid colors and atmospheric lighting.”

“No performance issues.”

“Its viewpoint and methodical pacing translate naturally to portable play, although demanding visual settings may require sensible performance adjustments for players prioritizing battery life or consistent performance.”

“There has been no bug, no performance drop, no issue whatsoever; only good things.”

“This gives the gameplay a satisfying thematic consistency because character development and mechanical progression are directly connected.”

“At first glance, the character designs may not scream 'expressive,' (to me, anyway), but the combined efforts of everyone behind the game led to something that surpasses big AAA productions in many ways.”

“The simple character design of the deer and his boy only heightens the visual depth of the detailed backgrounds and environments, with vivid colours and atmospheric lighting.”