Selfloss

Selfloss is a narrative adventure game about a kind old man in a myth-filled world. You explore the land using the light of your staff to defeat mythical creatures and help those you meet. It's unusual because of its basis in ancient Russian and Icelandic myths and your mission that combines compassion and cost to heal your old own wounded soul.

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You adventure starts as you hear the cry of an animal and go to help it. Play involves exploration and interaction with the world punctuated with combat. In the fights you control both the old man and his staff independently: you can call it back to your hand or let it levitate ahead of you generating spells.

As you progress you gain more abilities and ways to get around. Boats let you move between island and explore deeper into the world. As you do you discover Slavic and Icelandic myths that encourage you to you help others overcome their hardships and grief.

The result is a haunting game visually and audibly. It's an unusual slow look at what we must pay to help those in need. The name, Selfoss, comes from a town in southern Iceland on the banks of the Ölfusá river. It seems to serve as both inspiration for the setting and theme of the game.

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Our examiner, Jo Robertson, first checked Selfloss 2 years ago. It was re-examined by Andy Robertson and updated 6 months ago.