Naiad

About

"Naiad is a serene exploration game where you swim along a river, interacting with its fauna and flora. In 16 episodes, you'll journey through diverse environments, helping animals and making flowers bloom. With its beautiful visuals and sound design, Naiad offers a calming, personal experience."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

+11

98%

Audience ScoreBased on 158 reviews

music37 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

Naiad offers a beautifully crafted, relaxing experience with stunning visuals and soothing music, making it a perfect game for unwinding.
The exploration is rewarding, with many secrets to uncover and charming animal interactions that enhance the overall enjoyment of the game.
Developed by a solo creator, the game showcases a deep passion for art and storytelling, providing a unique and heartfelt experience.

Some puzzles can feel frustratingly unclear or unintuitive, leading to moments of confusion and potential disengagement from the gameplay.
The music, while generally soothing, can become repetitive and may detract from the immersive experience over time.
The lack of a proper map or guidance can make navigation challenging, especially when trying to revisit previous areas.

music
65 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
38%
5%
The music in the game is generally praised for its beauty and soothing qualities, creating a calming atmosphere that complements the stunning visuals. While some players find the soundtrack to be a mixed bag with occasional monotony, many appreciate the immersive experience it provides, especially during music puzzles. Overall, the sound design and music contribute significantly to the game's tranquil and enchanting vibe, making it a highlight for many players.
- “The soundtrack is absolutely beautiful, the atmosphere is calming and relaxing, the art style and color palettes are stunning, and the overall vibe is just so adorable.”
- “The sound design, music, and beautiful singing all come together in perfect harmony with the visuals, creating a wow experience.”
- “Absolutely lovely, relaxing game with soothing music and stunning visuals - especially when you take into account this game has been developed by a single person.”
- “The soundtrack is, for me, a mixed bag, where some tracks are too monotone and some have elements that feel sharp and grating, but overall very soothing and chill.”
- “My only negative is that the music, while pretty, can get fairly repetitive, but that's only sometimes a bother, and certainly not a major quibble.”
- “The soundtrack is, for me, a mixed bag.”
graphics
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
26%
7%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning beauty and unique art style, creating a captivating and immersive experience. Players appreciate the harmonious blend of visuals and soothing music, which together evoke a tranquil atmosphere reminiscent of a childhood storybook. The attention to detail and the fact that the game was developed by a single person adds to the admiration for its exquisite design and overall aesthetic appeal.
- “The visuals are breathtaking; every location feels rich and like its own piece of art, brimming with colorful landscapes, winding rivers, and peaceful creatures.”
- “The soundtrack is absolutely beautiful, the atmosphere is calming and relaxing, the art style and color palettes are stunning, and the overall vibe is just so adorable.”
- “From start to finish, I absolutely loved it, and the visuals kept me captivated throughout the entire journey.”
- “The graphics are very well crafted and unique.”
- “The visuals are straight out of your favorite childhood storybook.”
- “Speaking of visuals, this is where the game truly excels.”
story
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
82%
7%
The story in "Naiad" is a touching and metaphorical exploration of the water cycle, environmental themes, and humanity's impact on nature, conveyed through text rather than voice acting. While the narrative is subtle and beautifully integrated with the gameplay, some players feel it serves more as additional content rather than a driving force of the game. The exquisite art style and soothing soundtrack enhance the storytelling experience, making it both heartwarming and thought-provoking, despite some frustrations with escort missions in the gameplay.
- “The storytelling is subtle but impactful, with allegorical themes seamlessly woven into the gameplay.”
- “The story is really well-written; not only is the story of Naiad herself really touching (I cried multiple times throughout the last few episodes), but the level design for each chapter increasingly depicts the tragic impacts of oblivious human activity and industry on nature in a more and more devastating manner each time. It is actually heart-breaking, and I hope it brings more people to fight alongside us for the protection of nature and its conservation.”
- “It's a metaphorical story about the water cycle, mixed in with mythology, environmental protection messaging, and symbolism of the cyclical nature of life itself.”
- “It almost feels as though the story was added to provide some additional content, rather than being a central pillar that drives the game forward.”
- “Naiad doesn't feature a voice cast; rather, all storytelling is conveyed through text.”
- “If you are trying to engage with the puzzle elements, though, it's hard to ignore that a large chunk of this is escort missions, which are about as frustrating as escort missions can be.”
gameplay
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
55%
16%
The gameplay in "Naiad" is characterized by its rewarding exploration and serene atmosphere, enhanced by beautiful visuals and a calming soundtrack. However, many players find the mechanics to be repetitive and shallow, with some puzzles lacking intuitiveness, which can detract from the overall experience. While it offers a peaceful journey, some reviewers suggest that a shorter length and improved mechanics would enhance the gameplay significantly.
- “Gameplay-wise, I do enjoy that you're rewarded for investigating most everywhere.”
- “The storytelling is subtle but impactful, with allegorical themes seamlessly woven into the gameplay.”
- “The way the game blends stunning visuals, tranquil music, and simple yet engaging gameplay is masterful.”
- “But the gameplay is simply too repetitive and shallow for a game this long.”
- “I wish I actually liked the game part of this game, but I find myself continually frustrated by the languid character movement and overly ponderous tempo of the moment-to-moment gameplay.”
- “The message of the game is great, but I would have loved it to be 1/3 of its length and less clunky mechanics.”
emotional
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game delivers a deeply emotional experience, with players expressing strong feelings such as crying and surprise throughout the narrative. Its well-crafted story, centered on themes of nature conservation and the impact of human activity, resonates powerfully, particularly in its poignant conclusion. While the deeper messages about real-world issues may feel secondary to the gameplay, they enhance the overall emotional weight of the experience.
- “It's an emotional experience; I cried and gasped in surprise at several points in the game.”
- “I cried at the end of this, and I thought that made this game wholly worthy of full completion.”
- “The story is really well-written. Not only is the story of Naiad herself really touching (I cried multiple times throughout the last few episodes), but the level design for each chapter increasingly depicts the tragic impacts of oblivious human activity and industry on nature in a more and more devastating manner each time. It is actually heart-breaking, and I hope it brings more people to fight alongside us for the protection of nature and its conservation.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its calming and relaxing qualities, enhanced by a beautiful soundtrack and stunning art style. Reviewers describe it as a magical and peaceful experience, with excellent sound design that complements the overall adorable vibe.
- “The soundtrack is absolutely beautiful, the atmosphere is calming and relaxing, the art style and color palettes are stunning, and the overall vibe is just so adorable.”
- “Every second in Naiad is the most beautiful, atmospheric, and magical experience of any indie game of recent release.”
- “The atmosphere is top notch, so peaceful and lovely.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The game is well-optimized, delivering good performance with over 60 fps at the highest settings in 1080p on the Steam Deck, and users report no performance issues.
- “Good performance (highest settings 1080p is much more than 60 fps on the Steam Deck).”
- “As for performance, I didn’t encounter any issues at all.”
- “Good performance (highest settings 1080p is much more than 60 fps on the Steam Deck).”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
Players find the game highly replayable due to the abundance of collectibles and hidden secrets, including a special door that unlocks with specific items. The discovery of numerous poems and other secrets further enhances the incentive to revisit the game.
- “The amount of collectibles encourages replayability, and there is a hidden door you can open by collecting a certain type of collectible.”
- “There are lots of poems to discover and secrets to find, which adds to the game's very good replayability.”
- “The amount of collectibles encourages replayability, and there is a hidden door you can open by collecting a certain type of collectible.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the humor in the game surprisingly engaging, noting that the lack of action does not detract from their enjoyment. Instead, the comedic elements keep them entertained and invested in the experience.
- “It's funny! I thought since there's no action I wouldn't be as engaged, but it's the opposite!”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report that there are no grinding achievements in the game, indicating a lack of repetitive tasks or extensive farming required to progress. This suggests a more streamlined experience that may appeal to players looking for a less tedious gameplay style.