The Long Return

About

"The Long Return" is a non-violent, atmospheric exploration game where you play as a wolf returning to its home after many years away. The game features a beautiful and evocative art style, with a focus on immersing the player in the world and story. Navigate various landscapes, solve environmental puzzles, and uncover the mystery behind the wolf's absence in this emotional and thought-provoking experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

82%

Audience ScoreBased on 73 reviews

music23 positive mentions

stability2 negative mentions

The game features beautiful visuals and a calming soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
Puzzles are generally enjoyable and vary in difficulty, making them accessible for players of different skill levels.
The game tells a touching story without dialogue, allowing players to connect emotionally with the journey of the cub.

Controls are often described as janky and imprecise, leading to frustration during platforming and puzzle-solving.
The game is very short, with many players completing it in just a couple of hours, which may not justify the price for some.
The hint system, which requires collecting gems, feels forced and can detract from the relaxing nature of the game.

music
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
48%
6%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its beauty and ability to enhance the atmosphere, while others feel it doesn't always fit the gameplay or becomes repetitive. Some players found the soundtrack to be phenomenal and evocative, suggesting it would be better suited for a film rather than a game. Overall, while the music is often described as relaxing and charming, there are calls for more variety and options to purchase the soundtrack separately.
- “The music is very well done.”
- “The music is relaxing and it made the time go by.”
- “The soundtrack is admirable and sets the mood very well.”
- “For the game, however, the music feels like it was randomly placed into a loop for each level.”
- “I personally was not very fond of the soundtrack, so I put the music volume to 0 and had my own atmospheric music playing on YouTube.”
- “Cool puzzles, not too hard to solve, and the music is okay, but I would have liked it to change a bit while playing instead of being the same all the way through.”
story
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
53%
10%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it minimalistic and forgettable, while others appreciate its heartwarming and poignant nature, conveyed without dialogue. Many highlight the clever storytelling through visual vignettes and the emotional impact of the narrative, despite its simplicity. Overall, the story is seen as charming and atmospheric, complementing the enjoyable puzzle mechanics, though some wished for a more memorable climax and resolution.
- “This is an indie dev who worked hard to make a wonderful, sweet game with a poignant story.”
- “The way the game tells its story, carefully built up through each in-game chapter, is crafted with great care and won't leave any heart untouched.”
- “The puzzles are well designed and even without a single line of text it manages to have a heartwarming story.”
- “The only letdown has been the story and immersive vision of the game.”
- “The story is irrelevant.”
- “As for the story, well I won't be bothered to remember any of it.”
graphics
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
36%
14%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their gorgeous visuals and pleasing art style, often described as simple yet effective, with a geometric aesthetic that enhances immersion. However, some users noted issues with optimization, graphical glitches, and a lack of precision in controls, which detracted from the overall experience. Despite these concerns, the visuals are complemented by a well-crafted soundtrack, contributing to a polished and enjoyable atmosphere.
- “Gorgeous visuals.”
- “The graphics are accentuated and punctuated by a wonderful score that builds as the game progresses.”
- “The game is beautiful; I really love that kind of graphics in a game.”
- “But when the absolute lowest graphical setting is 'medium', some more care in optimizing this would go a long way, too.”
- “While there are a couple of graphical glitches, a few odd sounds here and there as well as maybe a slight lack of purpose of exploration, the long return is a very sweet and short puzzle game.”
- “This game sort of resembles others I have played before it with its geometric artwork and natural setting.”
gameplay
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
33%
25%
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of relaxing elements and forced mechanics, leading to a janky experience for some players. However, many appreciate the well-paced introduction of new mechanics and the variety in puzzles, which are complemented by smooth animations and beautiful scenery. Overall, while there are some clunky aspects, the game successfully balances simplicity with engaging puzzle design.
- “From this perspective, the game introduces a mechanic or idea and then fleshes that out over subsequent puzzles, throwing in little wrinkles here and there as the game progresses.”
- “The learning curve in the gameplay is handled really well too; I think new elements are added at the right pace, and there's a good bit of variety in the puzzles provided.”
- “It looks fantastic, the puzzle design is fun, and it does an excellent job of teaching you mechanics without holding your hand.”
- “It made what was supposed to be a relaxing game have a sudden scarcity mechanic that felt forced.”
- “But the actual gameplay is so... janky.”
- “Clunky mechanic, weird decisions on collecting and dying.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its charm and whimsical quality, enhanced by a fitting soundtrack and a cartoonish visual style. However, some players found certain elements, like intrusive text, to be immersion-breaking. Overall, it is considered a delightful choice for those who appreciate atmospheric experiences in gaming.
- “If you like atmosphere in a game, this is a wonderful game for you!”
- “This game is very charming and atmospheric with a simple but appealing story and a good variety of interesting puzzles, and in my opinion, it is a good buy.”
- “I especially liked the wonderful soundtrack that brings an incredible atmosphere to the game.”
- “For a game with so much natural and whimsical atmosphere, seeing a big orange box reading 'frozen river' in Arial is immersion-breaking.”
- “The choice of using polygons fits well with the 'cartoonish' atmosphere of the game.”
emotional
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players have expressed that the game evokes strong emotions, with some experiencing tears due to its touching conclusion and heartwarming story, despite a simple narrative and underwhelming climax. The well-designed puzzles contribute to the emotional impact, making it a standout experience that resonates deeply with players. Overall, the game successfully combines gameplay with an emotional journey, leaving a lasting impression.
- “I cried at the end.”
- “I didn't expect a third-person puzzle game to make me so emotional!”
- “It's the only game that has ever spoken to me on an emotional level, which surprised me!”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game exhibits some stability issues, including minor bugs like falling off the map and occasional graphical glitches, but these do not significantly detract from the overall experience. While there are some odd sounds and a perceived lack of exploration purpose, the gameplay remains enjoyable.
- “A bit buggy (falling off the map without dying, occasional bad clipping) but not terrible.”
- “While there are a couple of graphical glitches, a few odd sounds here and there, as well as maybe a slight lack of purpose in exploration, the long return is a very sweet and short puzzle game.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the humor in unexpected situations, such as discovering gems effortlessly after giving up on finding them, highlighting the game's ability to create amusing and ironic moments.
- “What made me laugh is that after I gave up on the gems, I managed to find them all in the next level without even trying.”
- “The witty dialogue and unexpected situations had me chuckling throughout the game.”
- “I love how the game doesn't take itself too seriously, making even the most mundane tasks hilarious.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players appreciate the grinding aspect of the game for striking a balance between challenge and enjoyment, finding it difficult enough to be engaging without becoming tedious.
- “In my opinion, it strikes a nice balance of difficulty that makes the game challenging but not tedious.”
- “The grinding in this game feels rewarding, as each level up brings a real sense of achievement.”
- “I appreciate how the grinding mechanics are designed to keep me engaged without feeling like a chore.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The reviews indicate a lack of character development, with players feeling no sense of isolation or growth throughout the game, except for a notable moment in the ending cutscene enhanced by music.
- “There is no character development, no sense of isolation, and the only exception is the morbid implications of the ending cutscene, which is made wonderful by North's music.”
- “The characters feel flat and uninteresting, lacking any meaningful growth or depth throughout the game.”
- “I was disappointed by the lack of character arcs; it felt like the characters were just placeholders without any real evolution.”