Draugen

(spoiler-free)
Draugen is a first person story-driven experience where you unravel the mystery of an abandoned Norwegian town named Graavik. It is a pretty short game, however, it’s going to bring a lot of different emotions in you and it’s going to make you crave for even more. It is a full ride. The game contains psychological as well as horror elements which only add up to the experience.
The thing that makes this game unique is the fact that we have a companion. We are accompanied by a young lady going by the name of Alice. She is a lot and literally all over the place. At the beginning I wasn’t very fond of her. She gave me a really bad impression. She was mean and pretty annoying with her comments. Over time she grew on me and I started to appreciate her presence. Those interactions became enjoyable. The town is spooky and will make players experience an eerie feeling. Having someone by your side whose location you can check by just shouting to them is interesting. It doesn’t make this place feel strange and scary anymore. It definitely wouldn’t be the same experience without her.
The visuals in this game are going to take your breath away. The town where the action takes place is located by the mountains and surrounded by the body of water. It is a bright and colourful place which leaves an enormous impression. It is an eye candy. This is a place very close to nature creating a very good and mysterious vibe. I also really loved the attention to detail. Everything just looks good. It makes you want to visit or even move to a place like this. A truly unforgettable setting.
The story is interesting and engaging but only in the first part of the game. The deeper we dive into the story, the less interesting it becomes in my opinion. I wasn't a big fan of what was happening later in the story. You will still experience plenty of different emotions while playing the game, however, it still feels like it is only a background to the characters and beautiful scenery of an abandoned town and the mystery surrounding it. You play this game for the experience, not the story.
In summary, the game turned out to be an interesting and enjoyable experience. I completed it in a single session. I honestly expected a bit of a different experience coming into this but I am not disappointed. I feel like my expectations were actually exceeded. I was having such a good time that I overstayed and listened to the sound of paddling and Alice's humming throughout the whole credits after the game. I am unable to say a negative thing about this game. It should speak for itself. It is definitely something I can recommend with a clear conscience.
You can find more detailed reviews on my curator page Malfour's Choice.

Definitely not a game everyone would enjoy. Draugen is a short mystery game that could have been labeled as a 'walking simulator', since that is pretty much all you do, aside from reading notes and talking to your 'companion'.
Like most walking simulators, the game has this empty feeling of loneliness throughout the whole game. It's definitely not a 'happy' game but I would say the story is quite interesting.
You do get to see a glimpse of what Norway could be like, which you do not see that often. The beautiful mountains, the fjord, buildings etc. all look quite amazing.
So overall I liked this game. It's short, interesting story, beautiful surroundings.... I just wouldn't buy it at full price.

The one RTG I missed out on. Finally finished in 2024. Game is a scenic tourism of a village in Norway. Lovely characters on the journey though I feel the mystery is a tad underbaked. Worth a play especially after finishing a long ass rpg.

Draugen is an enjoyable little game that can be completed in a few hours. I think it was well worth the time spent and if you can get it on sale, it is well worth the money spent. There aren't any puzzles in this game, and I'm okay with that. And there are no convoluted expectations. Well, except for one time, early in the game, when you go outside on a dark foggy night. You’re obviously searching for something, but it’s unclear what you’re trying to find or why you’re out there. I almost quit the game during that sequence because if there’s anything I hate in a walking sim, it’s wandering aimlessly in dark and/or foggy conditions where I can barely see where I’m headed and it feels like you’re going in circles. I was afraid this was going to be a regular thing in the game, but fortunately, that wasn’t the case. Eventually, I figured out where I was going and where I was supposed to be. I'm glad I kept going and didn't quit because the rest of the game was much clearer and easier to navigate. To be fair, that seemingly aimless wandering in the dark was the only real annoyance, for me anyway. For most of the game, you know what you have to do and why. The only uncertainty is where the story is going, but that's a good thing. You learn little details along the way and the story progresses to a decent ending.
The game is quite linear, and I like that. I like structure. It was an interesting little adventure with a good story and pretty scenery. It takes place in the early 20th century in a little seaside village in the Nordic countryside. You play as Edward, the main protagonist. However, Edward has a little sidekick named Alice, aka "Lissie." Lissie is a teenage girl, and I'm not sure if the story ever really explains the relationship between Lissie and Edward (she's neither family, nor his lover), but I've seen several reviews from people who found her character very annoying. I read someone describing her as the "worst sidekick in gaming history," lol. I didn't really feel that way. Yes, it’s true, the girl does have a sharp tongue. She's very critical and opinionated, and she can be downright abusive with her mouth, but she provided dialog that helped keep the pace of the story going and at times I even found the dialog amusing. The only thing that seemed a bit out of place for that period (1923 to be exact), however, is the way Lissie speaks and the language she uses. She's supposed to be a young woman (or older teenage girl) living in the early 20th century, but she sounds more like a smart-ass mean girl straight outta the 21st century.

This game is one of my all-time favorite games. Yes, it is short - especially after you've played it 5 times, know how to do everything, and aren't going out of your way to get all the sketches for the achievement - at only 3-4 hours for a full playthrough, but each minute is so carefully crafted. It doesn't overstuff itself; the pacing is absolutely spot-on.
The complaint I see a lot of is that this game "isn't what I expected/wanted." Players wanted a detective story, the answers to their many questions, to find out what happened to the town of Graavik. But that's not the point of this game. Draugen is about mental illness, loneliness, overcoming your trauma, and the age-old question of whether there is purpose, fate, or a God out there. The mystery of Graavik is the disguise, the lie that Edward tells himself. If you finish this game still upset that you never find out what happened to Graavik, you bought into Edward's lie and you really don't understand what this story is meant to be.
This game is peace and thoughtfulness incarnate. 2 years in a row, Simon Poole (the composer) has been my top artist on Spotify and multiple of the songs from this soundtrack have been in my Top 5 Songs of both years. Draugen's soundtrack is my favorite soundtrack ever made; every song is unnerving yet tranquil and embodies the feeling of awakening to truth despite its harshness. The graphics are better than most recent AAA games, even though Draugen came out 5 years ago. I could sit on a bench on Day 2 watching a sketching cutscene for hours. Put on "A Goodbye to All the Things", close your eyes, and bathe in loveliness, infinity, and the warmth emanating from your heart.
Edward and Lissie are wonderfully rich characters. Their dynamic is one of my favorites that I've ever come across. Anxious, intelligent, and thoughtful Edward is a lovely protagonist, and it's enrapturing to watch him break down over the course of this game. You see such a wide range of emotions from him, and his reactions to the events of the game feel very real. Adventurous, sassy, and bitter Lissie is an accurate picture of a 17-year-old ward whose only company is her cautious, middle-aged guardian. She is filled with so much life and curiosity, with a sense of justice and morality that propels the plot of the game.
While this game is a "walking simulator," there are many moments that are genuinely terrifying on a first playthrough! You really have no idea what to expect as the game progresses. Jumpscares? Action scenes? Possible death? The music sets you on edge and the buildup of scenes makes you doubt yourself on your perception of the game. I find this to be a neat parallel to the story, which does the same thing. It twists and turns, sometimes you wonder if the entire game is about to change on you, and when you get to the end you can't help but go, "Wow! That's not what I expected!"
Anyways, if you're considering buying this game, DO IT!! It is so worth it. I will love this game forever and replay it annually. It never fails to hit me in the feels and reconsider everything in my life.

A short experience, Draugen shines in writing, voice acting, setting and atmosphere. I would characterize it as "psychological suspense mystery". It finds very subtle ways to use game play to make psychological points. I never found walking up an incline with a heavy suitcase as compelling as in this game and it's hard to put a finger on it, why exactly it works. The mystery slowly unfolds, containing multiple reveals that are impactful.
Ultimately it is a meditation on grief, death, loneliness, and philosophy of reality. And slots best into a kind of games as literature genre. Many will be turned off by it not being "game enough" but a better way to think about this genre is "did you think and feel enough", and I definitely got that from Draugen.

Awesome game, dont even feel bad I neeeded to do 6 playthroughs to finally get last achievement :P. Im actually glad I did, all pieces of puzzles are at place and got the full story. Hopefully there will be a sequel. Recommended all the way.