How To Say Goodbye EGX Preview
A puzzle game with a lot of soul(s).
We all have a favorite illustrated book from our childhood. One that excels at being funny or featuring a beloved character, and most will remember the first book, which also gave them their first taste of heartbreak. Children’s books often tackle hard-hitting subjects in an accessible way for young minds, while the soft art styles and muted color palettes lull us into a false sense of security.
Ditto for How to Say Goodbye, a narrative puzzle game inspired by children’s picture books that I recently played at EGX 2022. It features beautiful 2D graphics and an emotional journey that deals with grief and death. The story revolves around a recently deceased character – in a delightful ghost form – who finds himself in a strange new world.
You have to help this poor little ghost make his way, but you don’t really control the character. Instead, you control the floor tiles and must manipulate the landscape by sliding rows of tiles around the grid to move characters and objects while solving each puzzle level.
The mechanics are simple, but the puzzles can feel surprisingly complex – in a good way. Because who doesn’t love a challenge? New ways of interacting with the environment appear as the game progresses, giving you more pauses for thought as you try to navigate your spooky traveler to each door destination.
When playing the EGX demo, I found myself surprisingly often at a loss because I forgot that I could move both characters and things. A new mechanic would come along and make me reconsider things for a second. In most levels you have to get the ghost to a key which you then use on the door to exit the level. When the button mechanic was introduced, I had to position the ghost on top to open a path, but it took me a while to realize I had to move it key through the gap, not the ghost.
As you add additional characters, more mechanics and obstacles, the game will gradually require you to consider several facets of the puzzle at once. It’s a clever little game that feels more relaxing than frustrating. The mildly entertaining gameplay combined with the stylish art and smooth soundtrack that blends between beautiful and haunting would be enough for me to be happy, but the added benefit of a well thought out storyline goes further. The game explores themes of sadness and kindness through multiple ghostly characters, offering glimpses into their past lives and relationships as they may face nefarious spirits, a mysterious wizard, and ultimately acceptance of their fate.
How to Say Goodbye is due out for PC, iOS, Android, and Nintendo Switch by the end of 2022. You can currently add it to your Wishlist on Steam.