Once a mini-post supplement to the game design blog at Semionaut's Notebook, the scrapbook now serves as a replacement for CorvusE's shared posts in Google Reader.
Intriguing teaser from AbleGamers and Evil Controllers for something called an Adroit Controller.
MicroPlay: Mushroom Hunter
Mushroom Hunter
Studio: Semionautics, Inc.
Publisher: TBD
At first glance, this hunting sim would seem to be purely comprised of the more… meditative aspects of traditional deer hunting games. The first level presents you with a basket and places you in an environment modeled after an old growth forest in Russia. With no further guidance than suggested by the title, you are left to freely wander the detailed environment.
At first, I thought that having only a single forest to explore would feel limiting, but the forest is truly immense and after playing for nearly ten hours, I had yet to explore it all. This is not a game that allows you to hurry through it. The woods of Mushroom Hunter are more like a classic painting than an actual forest landscape. The art direction is incredible and seems specifically geared to relax and engage the player, without ever being over-stimulating. Small flowers peek out from the forest underbrush, a fox watches you cautiously from a distant spot of sunlight before dashing into a pool of shadow. Even the soundscapes are meticulously lush—full of insect hums and the muted warning cries of startled birds.
There is no overt scoring system at work during the gameplay either. But once you’ve collected mushrooms to fill your basket, you are presented with a village-themed menu screen where you’re paid for the mushrooms you’ve collected. You can then spend this money on helpful items from the village store. Larger baskets, broad brimmed hats, and walking sticks are among the items available early on. I bought a walking stick, which allowed me to overturn larger rocks and push aside underbrush more effectively as I searched for rarer fungi.
From the menu you can also access a field guide, which is nicely hand-illustrated with each type of mushroom you’ve found in the game, and includes quite a bit of interesting information about them, including recipes.
All in all, Mushroom Hunter is a very enjoyable game. There is no pressure to play better, work harder, or even to complete it. I understand the Semionautics, Inc. is working on an expansion set in Italy that will include coop play and a pig-training module for truffle hunting.
