Fallow
- August 25, 2021
- Ada Rook
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Fallow" is a single-player adventure game with a good plot, impressive graphics, and moving original music. In this emotional game, players follow Isabelline Fallow, who lives in a world that keeps forgetting itself and its inhabitants. The game features 80+ hand-drawn pixel art backgrounds and various puzzle-filled locations. With a length of 2-5 hours, it's a compact but immersive experience that lets you explore and uncover its mysteries, while also supporting the developer through Patreon and Twitter.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Fallow features stunning sepia-toned pixel art, a haunting soundtrack, and deeply emotional writing that resonates with players on a personal level.
- The game offers a unique and immersive experience, blending exploration with narrative-driven gameplay that encourages players to piece together its themes and secrets.
- Many players found the atmosphere to be mesmerizing and evocative, creating a hauntingly beautiful world that lingers in their minds long after playing.
- Some players felt that the game was overpriced for its short length and minimal gameplay, leading to a sense of dissatisfaction with the overall experience.
- The narrative can be opaque and vague, leaving some players frustrated with a lack of direction and resolution by the end of the game.
- The slow pacing and repetitive elements, combined with a large world map and slow character movement, made progress feel tedious for some players.
- music118 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in "fallow" is widely praised for its haunting beauty and emotional depth, perfectly complementing the game's melancholic atmosphere and stunning pixel art. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, describing it as atmospheric, immersive, and capable of evoking strong feelings, with some even considering it one of the best soundtracks in gaming. The creator, Ada Rook, is recognized for her musical talent, which significantly enhances the overall experience of the game.
“The sepia-toned pixel art, rich language, and melancholic folk music of Fallow come together to create an atmosphere unlike any game I've played.”
“Mesmerizing, gloomy atmosphere with beautiful pixel artwork and a melancholy soundtrack to accompany you on this little journey through Isabelline's dreams and memories of a decaying world.”
“An amazing game with one of the best soundtracks of any game ever.”
“Wandering around the world, you gain an uneasy feeling from strange sights and dark areas that feel as though something will jump out at you since the music actively changes between screens or is suddenly not there at all.”
“Music that, as I've come to expect, worms its way inside my brain like a parasite.”
“Soundtrack haunts.”
- story71 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story of "Fallow" is described as deeply personal and emotional, primarily conveyed through flashbacks, dreams, and memories, which some players found engaging while others felt it lacked concrete details and direction. The game excels in world-building and atmosphere, creating a haunting and introspective experience, though opinions vary on its narrative depth and coherence. Overall, it offers a thought-provoking exploration of themes that resonate differently with each player, making it a unique but polarizing storytelling experience.
“The story was deeply emotional and the world building was perfect.”
“This is a beautiful game which really hit home for me, and I imagine anyone else who's been through similar experiences as those depicted in the story will also feel very seen by it.”
“All pieces of Fallow manage to work together to support immersion, bolstering the simple exploration and adventure gameplay into a very haunting introspective experience, one that tells a story filled with interesting themes and great world building.”
“The story is mostly told through flashbacks, memories, and dreams with not a lot of concrete details.”
“Nothing really happens in the story.”
“Io worth an eighth of the price, with a story that is barely worth talking about because it barely exists in the first place.”
- atmosphere55 mentions
- 69 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its haunting beauty, characterized by sepia-toned pixel art, melancholic folk music, and a moody ambiance that immerses players in a richly detailed world. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke strong emotional responses through its atmospheric horror elements and meticulous world-building, making it a memorable experience that lingers long after gameplay. Overall, the combination of art, sound design, and narrative creates a unique and captivating atmosphere that resonates with players.
“Mesmerizing, gloomy atmosphere with beautiful pixel artwork and a melancholy soundtrack to accompany you on this little journey through Isabelline's dreams and memories of a decaying world.”
“A meticulously crafted atmosphere of often serene scenes, coupled with sparse but detailed animations, and a soundtrack that will stay with you long after you put the game down.”
“It is a beautiful looking game with an atmosphere so thick you could cut it with a knife.”
“The game constructs a dour, sometimes suffocating atmosphere through its limited-palette environments, a score of brooding folk and ambient, and a cast whose tear-stained pasts tore apart the now that they couldn't keep.”
“The sepia-toned pixel art, rich language, and melancholic folk music of Fallow come together to create an atmosphere unlike any game I've played.”
“Even during those downtimes, the atmosphere of the game makes up for it and it never stops being interesting.”
- emotional31 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of "Fallow" is highly praised, with players noting its deeply personal and touching narrative that resonates with their own feelings and experiences. Many reviewers expressed that the game evokes strong emotions, often leading to tears, and provides a sense of comfort through its exploration of interpersonal themes. However, some found the ending unsatisfying, feeling it undermined the emotional journey they had experienced throughout the game.
“I love Fallow; it put a lot of difficult feelings that I could never describe into words. I cried a couple of times while playing it.”
“This is a deeply emotional game that touches interpersonal themes at a level that often feels neglected in popular media.”
“Complimented with a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere created by the art and the soundtrack, the writing of Fallow is an emotional experience that has stuck with me since release.”
- gameplay28 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Fallow" is primarily a narrative-driven experience that combines walking simulator elements with small puzzles, set in a beautifully crafted world. While some players may find the minimalistic and repetitive nature of the gameplay frustrating, others appreciate the engaging story and atmospheric design, which enhance the overall immersion. The game evolves in complexity as it progresses, offering a haunting and introspective experience that resonates with fans of soulful exploration and unique storytelling.
“Fallow is a beautiful work of artful gameplay and storytelling that I highly recommend to anyone even a bit intrigued by it.”
“The sound design, atmosphere, and world building are immaculate, and the way the puzzle-solving is woven into the gameplay is simply excellent.”
“All pieces of Fallow manage to work together to support immersion, bolstering the simple exploration and adventure game-esque gameplay into a very haunting introspective experience, one that tells a story filled with interesting themes and great world building.”
“This game has a non-cohesive narrative to drive its walking simulator gameplay.”
“The gameplay can be a little frustrating - there's so much walking, and the world isn't stable, so the things you need can pop up in places you think that you've already explored.”
“As for the gameplay, there are small puzzles, but it's generally narrative-driven via flashbacks and environmental object descriptions.”
- graphics27 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are praised for their beautiful pixel art style, which effectively creates a mesmerizing and gloomy atmosphere that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the aesthetic appeal and the way the visuals complement the game's themes of exploration and melancholy, often drawing comparisons to classic Game Boy titles. The combination of striking visuals and a haunting soundtrack contributes significantly to the game's immersive worldbuilding and emotional depth.
“Mesmerizing, gloomy atmosphere with beautiful pixel artwork and a melancholy soundtrack to accompany you on this little journey through isabelline dreams and memories of a decaying world.”
“If the idea of a soulful exploration/puzzle game set in a deserted world with hints of strange biomechanic technology and a weird sense of foreboding eeriness, all presented in amazing pixel graphics that give off a Game Boy Link's Awakening vibes sounds like something you'd be into, then yeah, get this.”
“Its Game Boy-like graphics balance being aesthetically pleasing with being vague enough to allow your imagination to do the heavy lifting expertly, and the soundtrack (arguably the strongest part of the game) is an interesting blend of atmospherics, synths, and folk instrumentation.”
“Visuals are well done; however, the color palettes range from a darker beige to lighter beige.”
“Mechanically, visually, and especially the music design is phenomenal, but that might not land if you aren't digesting the complex metaphors and aesthetics.”
“Its Game Boy-like graphics balance being aesthetically pleasing with being vague enough to allow your imagination to do the heavy lifting expertly.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game offers high replayability due to its abundance of secrets and detailed descriptions, despite the puzzles being relatively simplistic. Players are encouraged to revisit the game to uncover all its hidden elements.
“Most of the puzzles are relatively simplistic, but the game is dense with secrets and descriptions that warrant a high degree of replayability.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy appears to rely heavily on creator-driven advertising, particularly through social media platforms like Twitter, suggesting a focus on influencer marketing to promote the game.
- grinding2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the absence of grinding, combat, and stressful timed action sequences, highlighting a more relaxed gameplay experience.
