You are on an island. A windy, abandoned island, dotted with rugged brick buildings, ruined walls, old electrical poles... and fires and candles still burning. What happened? Where is everyone? As you explore and uncover pieces of narration, questions are answered and new ones emerge. And as night gradually falls, it becomes apparent that something is hunting you... The Moon Sliver is an exploration/horror game from the developer of Fingerbones, that emphasizes story and atmosphere. It features a unique narrative mechanic that blurs the line between story and exploration, where interacting with objects and even just moving around will reveal fragments of narration. Explore the island, keep your flashlight charged, wait for night to fall. Discover answers.
This is the kind of game that reminds us that there’s a lot left in the tank with the Dear Esther and Gone Home approach. The gameplay is minimally interactive, comprised primarily of traveling from place and place and reading text as it appears on-screen, with a door/key mechanic peppered in here and there for good measure. Its strength lies squarely in the story it tells, while the game’s atmosphere is leveraged to great effect to reinforce the narrative. And the payoff is awesome — the ending left me satisfied.