A video game’s ability to use a real-world medium for creativity and artistry as a key gameplay mechanic can be tricky to pull off. That said, photography has proved to be one such medium that translates well to a video game. In The Star Named EOS, players are tasked with utilizing photos to explore the past. With a story and art style that are very appealing, fans of cozy yet challenging puzzle games will want to check out this latest release from Silver Lining Studio. Here’s our review for The Star Named EOS, reviewed on the Nintendo Switch but available for other consoles and PC as well.

The Star Named EOS is hand-drawn and heartfelt, two traits that immediately perked my attention when it was first included in the Nintendo Indie World Showcase earlier this year. The game is a first-person puzzler that utilizes photography to tell the story of Dei. As a child, Dei regularly received letters from his traveling mother, each of which came enclosed with a special photograph of the location she was visiting. But at the story’s outset, Dei notices something odd about one of the snapshots she left behind, putting his beliefs to the test. Now, guided by his mother’s voice within, Dei must chart his own path to unearth the truth and face the echoes of the past.

By recreating photographs from his mother, the player leads Dei through a journey that largely focuses on finding the right vantage point, positioning, or background to make the photos match their original version. Obtaining items for the photo by locating codes or keys gives each photo a fun challenge, and the game as a whole is fairly difficult. With some brain power and perseverance, these puzzles are not above your ability to problem-solve, but they aren’t a cakewalk either. As you work through each photograph, the story becomes quite impressive and introspective. I can’t dive into too many details on that without entering spoiler country, but if you love a good story, it’s here.

The simplistic controls that help you navigate the game make it easy to play through the story, which took me about three hours to complete. If short experiences are a turn-off for you, I’d highly recommend getting over that. Simply put, some of the games in this vein of cozy indie such as Unpacking or When the Past Was Around are simply too well-designed to ignore because they’re not 10+ hours. What you get in A Star Named EOS is a well-crafted story, wonderful visuals, and puzzles that are the right amount of tough. That type of design isn’t easy to pull off, nor is it a given that a game like this is going to really draw me in, but it absolutely did.

There are plenty of indies worth your time in the Nintendo Switch library, and for $14.99, I’d say that includes A Star Named EOS. While the narrative and puzzle focus might not be your cup of tea, folks who love those elements of a game will certainly enjoy unlocking the mystery behind Dei, his mother, and the world that exists in photographs and memory. The only negative I can come up with is the fact that I’d love more time in this world and with The Star Named EOS, but if you know the runtime going in, there’s truly nothing I disliked about my time with this game. Give A Star Named EOS a shot, a snapshot, if you will. 

A Star Named EOS is available now for $14.99 on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S Consoles, as well as PC via the Epic Games Store.

A Nintendo Switch review copy of The Star Named Eos was provided by PLAYISM for the purposes of this review.

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A Star Named EOS

$14.99

8

Score

8.0/10

Pros

• Great hand-drawn visuals
• A wonderful story that surprises and entertains
• Great mechanics tied to photography

Cons

• A brief experience, likely under 5 hours for most