Seasons after Fall

Seasons After Fall is a beautiful game with lovable fox and a sweet story. The art and the music are lovely and the voice acting is professionally done. The game has full controller support which was appreciated because I currently have my right hand (including 3 fingers) in a cast. I think this would be a tough game to play with a keyboard and mouse, even with two hands!
This a very complicated landscape that can be quite frustrating at times. The absence of a map and the inability to see more than the current screen compound your ability to feel hopelessly lost. Thus, prepare to peek at a guide or to practice patient exploration.
The game auto-saves at regular intervals to a single slot. Achievements are not truly missable, as you can circle back to take care of missing tasks or collectibles. The only exception to this may be the requirement of finding all 4 dreams to activate the full ending.
There is a lot of platforming required and no instructions in-game. The mechanics of the 4 seasons are tough initially but become intuitive after awhile. The good news is that there are no time limits and nothing to chase you.
All in all, a very cool but complex game. I recommend it to those who don't mind A LOT of running and jumping and are not in a hurry. Those who enjoy games like Neva and Gris (sans the monsters) should feel right at home in Seasons After Fall.

This review is based on 100% completion and 6.6 hours of gameplay.
Recommendation:
Would I recommend this game? Absolutely. This is a lovely, relaxing game with a unique and beautiful aesthetic. The art style is something to truly appreciate. However, it’s important to note that not everyone will enjoy this type of game. There’s no action, and it’s highly narrative-driven. But if you’re looking for something to chill out with and simply enjoy, this is perfect.
The game’s unique style gave me strong Bambi vibes, both in its storytelling and presentation. The narrative was engaging, with a charming, upbeat tone, yet it carried a sense of melancholy, much like Bambi. The only real improvement I would suggest would be in player guidance. The game doesn’t do much to subtly direct you on where to go or what to do next. While most things are straightforward, a few gentle hints through story narration or in the game world would have helped with some moments of confusion.
The voice acting, especially the narration from the seed, is delivered with great enthusiasm and really fits the tone of the game. The audio and music are also well done and complement the experience. However, there were times when the music seemed a bit off, playing randomly and then stopping shortly after—not a major issue, but noticeable.
The gameplay is straightforward, with basic controls for movement, jumping, actions, and the ability to change seasons. Overall, it felt smooth and fluid on a controller, though there were occasional moments of slight awkwardness with smaller movements. The platforming is simple and easy, and the puzzles are not too difficult, although, as mentioned, better guidance could have enhanced the experience further.
While the game isn’t long, it’s a lovely and enjoyable experience. For the content you get, the base price is just about acceptable, though I’d say it’s on the upper end of the value scale. As the game is older and goes on sale frequently, I’d recommend waiting for a good discount before picking it up.
Achievements:
The achievements in this game aren’t difficult. Most are story-related, and you’ll earn the majority by the time you finish the game. There’s also a collectible achievement and one miscellaneous achievement.
Fortunately, the game offers free roam at the end, so you can go back and tidy up anything you missed during your playthrough. As a result, there are no missable achievements in this game.
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I would definitely recommend this game to at least try. It's beautiful, has a great soundtrack, a really fun and clever season switching mechanic.
But
I could not make myself finish this game. Once the full map opens up, you have absolutely no idea where to go, the game doesn't give you any sort of map - and after unlocking the next progression point needed, it just gives you a cutscene and hopes that you remember where that is and how to exactly get there. I know that used to be the case in a lot of games, but I do not find aimlessly meandering around fun. This game desperately needs a map, just like Guacamelee or Ori has. That is my biggest negative, but sadly it is big enough to turn me off from finishing the game.
I simpy find the lack of it frustrating as it adds nothing to the puzzles or the feeling of exploration since you are gonna be goin back and forth from places you've already been before multiple times.

A decent platformer with beautiful visuals and art. However, it lacks certain elements like map navigation. Sometimes you feel a bit lost and don't know what exactly you have to do or where to go.
Still giving the thumbs up, because it's short and overall a solid game.

After going through my library of games, I came back across this. A gem of a platformer that, while simple in its design, can lead you to explore the beautiful landscape to soak up the atmosphere while trying to figure out what you've yet to find next.
Despite that though, the lack of a map can really hinder progress as you try to figure out where you've been, and how you get back to where you were an hour ago. But, the lack thereof is also a part of it's charm, too. In a way, it hearkens back to times when you didn't have a map to navigate as game at all, and really helps you to lean into the natural vibe that the game conveys.
In all honesty, I lamented the lack of a map, until I started to really enjoy the beautiful graphics and soothing atmosphere.
It's a gorgeous little game that I would totally recommend purely for that alone, and despite it taking me a long time to complete the game 100%, it is easily done within a short period of time, and probably less than the near-10 hours it took me to do. You'd be doing yourself a disservice passing this one up, especially for the price.

An adorable game with stunning visuals. I enjoyed every moment I spent in it (except for trying to find what I missed on the way to activating the last altar.... Turned out I forgot to use one of the wind stones). If someone were to ask me which fantasy world I'd like to live in, I'd choose the forest in Season after Fall.

Seasons after Fall is a very simple and straightforward platformer. There is backtracking involved, but I do not think this game could be considered a metroidvania. Yet, the main mechanic is complex enough that you do not fall asleep playing it. I think it is alright and that it could be a great entry-level platformer for beginners.