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Leaving Lyndow

Leaving Lyndow is a beautiful experience in a fascinating world, but may be more of a 45-minute-long commercial for the upcoming Eastshade than an actual game.
Leaving Lyndow Game Cover
77%Game Brain Score
story, graphics
replayability, character development
84% User Score Based on 563 reviews
Critic Score 63%Based on 4 reviews

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Leaving Lyndow Game Cover

About

Leaving Lyndow is a single player simulation game. It was developed by Eastshade Studios and was released on February 8, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

Leaving Lyndow is a short, first-person exploration adventure game, set in the Eastshade universe. It's Clara's last day on the island where she grew up. With high honors, she's graduated and fulfilled her childhood dream of joining the Guild of Maritime Exploration. She needs to complete preparations, visit her favorite places, and say her goodbyes - before leaving on a journey she may not retur…

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Leaving Lyndow screenshot
Leaving Lyndow screenshot
Leaving Lyndow screenshot
Leaving Lyndow screenshot
Leaving Lyndow screenshot
Leaving Lyndow screenshot
Leaving Lyndow screenshot
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84%
Audience ScoreBased on 563 reviews
story82 positive mentions
replayability4 negative mentions
  • Stunning, beautiful graphics and carefully crafted environments that create a calming, immersive atmosphere.
  • A touching, emotional story about leaving home that resonates with feelings of nostalgia, hope, and bittersweet farewells.
  • Relaxing gameplay with simple mechanics, mini-games, and an evocative soundtrack that enhances the tranquil experience.
  • Extremely short gameplay length, generally lasting around 30 to 60 minutes, making it feel more like a demo or teaser than a full game.
  • Unpolished character models with unsettling designs and lack of facial animations or voice acting which detracts from immersion.
  • Limited exploration and shallow narrative depth, with some forced or tedious tasks and lack of impactful player choices.
  • story
    302 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in "Leaving Lyndow" is a short, poignant narrative focused on Clara’s farewell to her home before embarking on a voyage, evoking themes of transition and nostalgia through atmospheric exploration rather than complex plot developments. While many praise its emotional tone, rich world-building, and beautiful presentation, the story’s brevity and limited depth leave it feeling like an incomplete prologue or companion piece to the larger "Eastshade" universe. Overall, it offers a touching but minimalistic storytelling experience that may appeal most to players interested in mood, setting, and subtle narrative rather than traditional, expansive storytelling.

    • “The entire story unfolds in the span of a single day, creating a reflective and meditative tone that emphasizes the emotional weight of leaving one’s home behind.”
    • “In thirty minutes, the game makes you feel like you know the people, the town, care about the main character’s story, and believe the emotions of the characters.”
    • “Whether it be going to college, making a big move, a career change, or saying goodbye to loved ones, this game fully captures the difficulty of departure with its storytelling, graphic design, and soundtrack that tugs at your heartstrings.”
    • “The story is barely a prelude, and it doesn't feel immersive enough for a standalone title.”
    • “It's a very short and sweet story, but it all felt like a tease to something that could have been greater by allowing us to explore the island while completing tasks and conversing with the locals before heading out on your journey.”
    • “There is no story really and the meager slivers of actual storytelling are never expanded upon before the game just ends; you literally pack a bag, walk through a forest, visit your uncle and a Starbucks, and when you finally get to the harbor, the game is over.”
  • graphics
    170 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's graphics are widely praised for their beautiful, vibrant, and atmospheric visuals that create a calming, nostalgic, and immersive experience. While some users note occasional technical limitations, minor glitches, or simplistic character models, the overall art style and detailed environments are considered stunning and a standout feature, especially given the game's short length and indie status. The graphics, combined with a fitting soundtrack, effectively enhance the game's emotional and reflective mood.

    • “The graphics are spectacular and in a not too photo realistic type of way; it has a subtle color palette that gives it a fairy tale, almost cartoony look, yet is full of details and great filled environments.”
    • “The graphics, art style, and a moving story make it an unforgettable experience.”
    • “The game world is interesting enough that I hope to see it fleshed out in more detail in subsequent games from the developers; the graphics are absolutely top notch; and it's clear that the game, short though it is, is a labour of love.”
    • “The only thing to pay attention to is the graphics; it could make some players nauseous.”
    • “Graphics were pretty poor as I saw trees in the sky!”
    • “ I feel like even though I maxed all the settings, the visuals do not look like the ones on the Steam store page.”
  • music
    152 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in this game is widely praised for its calming, atmospheric, and emotionally evocative qualities, perfectly complementing the beautiful visuals and reflective mood. Phoenix Glendinning's soundtrack, featuring soft piano and folk-inspired melodies, immerses players and enhances the game's nostalgic and serene tone. While the soundtrack is considered a standout feature and often purchased separately, some players found the mandatory music puzzle frustrating despite the overall excellence of the music.

    • “Its aesthetic conveys a sense of calm and nostalgia, supported by a soft, unobtrusive soundtrack that enhances the reflective mood without overwhelming it.”
    • “Phoenix Glendinning’s soundtrack (haunting piano pieces and orchestral ballads) is atmospheric and aligned with farewell and longing.”
    • “Each part of Leaving Lyndow, from the world to the gentle music to the heartfelt story, is a joy to behold and I found myself taking multiple screenshots throughout my journey or simply listening to the music while enjoying the vistas.”
    • “The mandatory music-tone puzzle is the low point, locking you in until you replicate a melody from memory; it feels forced.”
    • “But it's all ruined because the devs insist on you completing a single tedious music puzzle (the only puzzle in the game, mind you).”
    • “The music mini-game was annoying, and I would have liked to have been able to quit it and not lose out on the cutscene.”
  • gameplay
    83 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Gameplay in "Leaving Lyndow" is deliberately simple and primarily involves relaxing exploration, brief interactions, and light mini-games, offering about 30 minutes to an hour of playtime. While it provides a charming, atmospheric, and peaceful experience with well-crafted visuals, many players find the gameplay limited and lacking depth compared to its sequel or the main Eastshade game. Overall, it's best suited for those seeking a short, mellow narrative stroll rather than substantial gameplay complexity.

    • “The mechanics are deliberately simple: exploring environments, interacting with familiar characters, and engaging in small mini-games that punctuate the narrative.”
    • “As a one-sitting game, Leaving Lyndow packs a good bit of interactive gameplay ranging from choice-based conversations to mini-games and puzzles.”
    • “There’s not a ton of gameplay in Leaving Lyndow; exploring every area completely and playing all of the mini games will probably only take you an hour or so, but what’s there is incredibly well done.”
    • “It has really nice visuals but only takes half an hour to complete and offers little to no gameplay.”
    • “There is no gameplay, just walking around and looking at objects, saying goodbye to characters with no voice acting.”
    • “The character design is ugly, the story is presented as an afterthought with nonsensical written text and worst of all, the gameplay is truly horrible.”
  • atmosphere
    72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is widely praised for its serene, immersive, and calming atmosphere, characterized by stunning visuals, relaxing music, and detailed, peaceful environments. Though short in length and light on gameplay, it offers a memorable, reflective experience that appeals strongly to fans of atmospheric walking simulators. The soundtrack and scenic design effectively complement the mood, creating a tranquil and emotionally engaging journey.

    • “At its core, the game is a walking simulator, but that label does not do justice to the atmosphere and subtle detail packed into its short runtime.”
    • “The atmosphere just sucked me in to this beautiful world, where every inch of the game pleased my eye.”
    • “The aesthetics and sound come together so beautifully to create a world with such an appealing atmosphere that this is the first time since I was 12 that I wish I could be in a game world.”
  • emotional
    55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    "Leaving Lyndow" offers a brief but heartfelt and meditative emotional experience centered on the bittersweet feeling of leaving home, accentuated by beautiful visuals and calming music. While its narrative is simple and fixed, many players found moments genuinely touching and immersive, though some felt the story and characters lacked depth due to its short length. Overall, it succeeds as a poignant vignette that sets a tender emotional tone, especially appealing to those seeking a calming, reflective journey rather than complex storytelling.

    • “The entire story unfolds in the span of a single day, and this decision creates a reflective and almost meditative tone, emphasizing the emotional weight of leaving one’s home behind.”
    • “Each part of Leaving Lyndow, from the world to the gentle music to the heartfelt story, is a joy to behold, and I found myself taking multiple screenshots throughout my journey or simply listening to the music while enjoying the vistas.”
    • “An emotional ride about leaving things behind, packing, and saying farewell to old loved ones.”
  • replayability
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game has very low to no replayability, with playtimes under an hour and little incentive for repeated playthroughs beyond appreciating the atmosphere. Its value lies more in its aesthetic, relaxing experience, and story rather than replay value. It is generally recommended at a low price point or sale.

    • “A playthrough should take between a half hour to an hour, and replay value only really comes in the form of slowing down and really appreciating your surroundings.”
    • “Not a ton of replayability, but as a tester for the dev to see how people react to the style and the mechanics and methods he uses, it is a good little offering for short play fans, who want something beautiful and quiet to walk through, to relax and play music on pipes, or have fun swirling beads around.”
    • “While the features might not offer much replayability and the game resembles more a proof of technological talent, I am surely gonna visit the village of Lyndow once more someday.”
    • “I recommend this on sale, since $4 for less than an hour of game time (I spent entirely too much of my own time wandering around and taking screenshots) with no replayability sounds a little steep.”
    • “It is a short game with almost no replayability but it's beautiful, has a lovely soundtrack and is cheap.”
    • “Overall, I'd recommend it for the story, not for any form of replayability though.”
  • character development
    14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is generally seen as minimal and lacking meaningful engagement, with many players criticizing the odd and inconsistent character designs. While some appreciate the unique and atmospheric visual style as part of world-building, the absence of voice acting and depth in the characters' stories hampers emotional connection and memorability. Overall, character development is viewed as an area needing significant improvement.

    • “I truly hope the developers will create more games in this universe because it's a beautiful world, fun character designs, and wholesome, pretty deep stories and characters.”
    • “An interesting point and click "walking simulator" which displays a beautiful atmosphere and ambiance coupled with wonderfully designed areas, soundtrack & artistic character design.”
    • “Some people dislike the character designs - I think they work, and are a nice aspect of world-building.”
    • “Unfortunately, its extremely short run time (less than an hour), lack of voice overs from the characters, and odd character designs inconsistent with that of Eastshade make this hard to recommend.”
    • “The character design is ugly, the story is presented as an afterthought with nonsensical written text and worst of all, the gameplay is truly horrible.”
    • “The reason being is the game tries very hard to put you into the emotional mindset of someone leaving home for a very dangerous journey, but we're not left with any character development or really anything meaningful at all to accomplish this.”
  • grinding
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Grinding in the game is generally seen as tedious and time-consuming, often requiring multiple playthroughs to fully complete achievements. While the story and visuals are appreciated, slow and repetitive gameplay elements contribute to a tiresome experience for many players.

    • “You'll be grinding a lot.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Time for grinding will be required.”
    • “The story is nice, and the scenery is nice, but not being able to run through it after the first time makes it feel quite tedious.”
  • optimization
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Optimization reviews are mixed, with many praising smooth performance even on mid-range hardware, maintaining steady frame rates at high settings. However, some users report occasional frame drops and performance issues, especially compared to previous entries in the series. Overall, the game is generally well-optimized but still has room for improvement in stability and frame rate consistency.

    • “Performance was great overall with the lowest my frame rate hit was a second or two at 66 fps and the rest of the time was higher.”
    • “Optimization is perfect, running this game on max settings on my GTX 1050, i5 was a breeze and held a steady 60 fps.”
    • “Also it's quite well optimized, I played through on the highest graphics settings at 4k resolution on my GTX 1060 and it ran a constant 50 - 60 fps indoors and about 40 - 60 outdoors, so hats off to the developer for that.”
    • “Terrible optimization for such a small indie game (even at the lowest graphics quality).”
    • “As beautiful and wonderful as Eastshade was to play and experience, it was hampered by some of the worst performance issues I have encountered in a recent game.”
    • “Poor optimization (FPS drops on my GTX 1070 sometimes).”
  • stability
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game suffers from multiple bugs and glitches that affect its overall stability, resulting in a poor and sometimes glitchy experience. However, the issues are generally minor and do not severely disrupt gameplay.

    • “It is short, buggy and runs poorly.”
    • “Boring, uninspired, buggy, not the greatest looking, either.”
    • “In this prelude I did encounter a few graphical glitches but nothing that outright hampers the game.”
  • monetization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Monetization is handled through the game serving as a brief, polished advertisement for a larger upcoming title, effectively promoting Eastshade without intrusive ads or purchases.

    • “And it's abundantly clear that this short walking simulator was nothing more than an advertisement for what was to come.”
  • humor
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor is subtle and quirky, featuring amusing visual gags like NPCs performing actions incorrectly with accompanying sound effects, creating unexpected and lighthearted moments that catch players off guard.

    • “There's other funny things like an NPC who is supposed to be sawing wood but they're just moving their hands in random directions (without any saw to be seen) while you hear the sound effects going.”
    • “Kinda like watching an old style movie that's supposed to be pre-industrial age and then seeing a jet making a contrail in the sky and laughing because you didn't see it previously.”
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63%Critics’ scoreBased on 4 critic reviews
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6h Median play time
5h Average play time
2-9h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs
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Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Leaving Lyndow is a simulation game.

Leaving Lyndow is available on PC, PlayStation 5, Mac OS, PlayStation 4 and others.

On average players spend around 5 hours playing Leaving Lyndow.

Leaving Lyndow was released on February 8, 2017.

Leaving Lyndow was developed by Eastshade Studios.

Leaving Lyndow has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked Leaving Lyndow for its story but disliked it for its replayability.

Leaving Lyndow is a single player game.

Similar games include Eastshade, Home is Where One Starts..., AER Memories of Old, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, What Never Was and others.