Prodigal

The game was already cemented as a favorite gameboy zelda-like by the time I got to the credits for how good exploration felt and how clever the puzzles and items were, but then I find out there's a massive chunk of extra content that feels like I'm fighting for my life!
On top of this, I adore how the devs made this world feel alive despite the limited style they went with. It was always a treat wandering into a building and getting a little cutscene between the protag and the residents. It really shows how much care they had for the idea. Colorgrave quickly became one of my favorite developers, and I'm super excited to play their other games!

The core game is alright, it has a few bugs, some jank and other annoyances that might have gotten in the way if it wasn't so smooth to play with little to no interruptions.
But then you keep playing and there's just, more. More characters, more worldbuilding, more dungeons. They somehow crammed an entire series worth of ideas into an overworld that felt cramped even BEFORE the post-game content.
Highly recommended whether you want a simple Zelda-like or the wild ride that is trying to keep up with how much the writers put into the setting.

This game reminds me of the old gameboy games I used to play as a kid.
The progress feels fluid and also pretty straightforward.
The only qualm I have is the font for dialogue as some letters can be confused for others.
The music also sounds nice as you progress through the game, so would consider purchasing the soundtrack as well.
I would recommend this game to just about anyone. It provides good progression, challenging puzzles that don't seem over complicated, and pretty easy to follow along for ADHD people.
However, I would like to have a directory list of characters I meet so I can recall what they look like and location, along with a quest journal imo.

A review copy was provided by the developer.
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Overall Rating - Average ★★★☆☆
First Impressions
It took me a while to realize the significance of the game's title, Prodigal (PD), as you're the disgraced son who fled the familial home, only to return under less than ideal circumstances. Understanding this gave more meaning to the experience, as I played through an homage to classic Game Boy Color (GBC) games. Although smaller in scope, when you can easily see everything on a large, clear screen, the gameplay isn't as restrained as you might expect.
Gameplay
Despite never playing the handheld Zelda games, I'm familiar enough with their overall mechanics to recognize how they've been applied here. You'll engage in small-scale dungeon exploration, solving puzzles as you acquire tools that sometimes double as weapons, such as the ever-versatile pickax. Many of the puzzles feel pretty similar to one another, as they revolve around either using objects to hold down enough buttons, or pushing them into the right place so you can get to another exit. Along your journey, you'll also wind up helping villagers with simple fetch quests. There's a few ways for you to spend the money you accumulate, but unless you're boosting yourself with various food items, it doesn't have that much utility.
Controls
I was able to play this title just fine on my controller, as there's so many inputs available on modern devices compared to an old school Game Boy. What did confuse me slightly were the displayed inputs on the screen, as they didn't properly correlate to the icons on my controller. However, basic trial and error easily dispels that issue, and I had no problems with how PD handled. You just have to realize that your character's movement is on a grid-like basis, with no ability to move diagonally.
Story
After doing something quite cruel to his parents, Oran ran away from home, doing tremendous harm to his relationship with everyone in his former village. Upon his return, the reception varies, with some wishing to forgive the young man for a foolish mistake, while others don't see a reason to forgive him so easily. It's a more dramatic story than most fantasy titles cover, but unless you find and read many optional sources of lore, you won't have a clue what's really going on. Oran isn't a silent protagonist, as you'll occasionally answer yes or no questions when prompted by the villagers.
Visuals
Having played another game with a similar visual style, this one doesn't constrain itself with a limited color palette. Without looking poorly, it does a good job capturing the style of GBC titles. If it were solely limited to the in-game credits, NPCs wouldn't express any personality in their smaller compositions. However, due to the portraits that show up as you converse with them, it gives off a clear impression of their mood and what kind of person they likely are, although I wouldn't have expected a gorgon to be such a flirt.
Sound Design
When listening to the music of PD, it's obvious that it was intentionally constrained to match the GBC's style. It's not solely comprised of beeps or boops, but many of the noises have somewhat of a “crunch” to them. Despite this limitation, the various songs do a good job at matching the tone of what's taking place, ranging from the excitement of dungeon-crawling, triumphing over a boss, or the sorrow from harming your parents. I think the audio/visual elements were done quite well in this title.
Pros
🌟 The characters were well-written, as I found their range of reactions to Oran believable. Some people would be satisfied merely having him return safe and sound, able to make up for the mistakes of his past, while others would be more jaded and cynical.
🌟 With all the content available, I find the effort from the developers compelling. I just think it's off with the execution.
Cons
❌ Between the nature of the final boss, and an area filled with sentient monsters, it's obvious that there's a lot of lore tucked away in the game. However, the only way to learn about it is by reading every book possible, with many of them hidden in secret areas.
❌ Main events follow a linear path, but as you wander around the village, talking with NPCs at different times of day, it's possible to advance some plot lines in a way where you might not know all the relevant background information.
❌ The frequency of combat is quite feast or famine. You'll either go through areas that are almost entirely devoid of enemies, or have them mob you all at once.
Tips
🔍 In order to get the most out of PD, you'll want to talk with NPCs often as you encounter them. You may have triggered the next progression point with one of them by doing something relevant without knowing it, “By talking with the sheriff here, I unlocked a chat with his deputy at the jail.”
🔍 Don't restrain yourself from using a guide, although talking with the librarian should clear up any confusion. Also, the fountain they refer to is near the sheriff's office. Since there's no water in it, I didn't realize that's what it was.
Final Thoughts
Something I find odd about the game's design is how much of the content is optional, because it only takes a few hours to beat it. However, when you check your inventory, the second page will be entirely blank, and even the first one probably won't have half of the possible items. For me, it feels like I have to jump through all these hoops for content that wasn't really worth hiding to begin with. It isn't that they're not worth obtaining, such as the anchor greaves, which allow you to walk normally on ice instead of sliding uncontrollably. My point is that I wouldn't have gone to such lengths to hide this content, especially when the base game doesn't take much time to finish.
From my perspective, incorporating hidden dungeons like this into the main gameplay loop would make more sense. That way a larger amount of people will see a bigger portion of the game you've designed, instead of only those who want to keep scouring different areas for something they've overlooked. Having beaten the game, it feels like I'm on a scavenger hunt, crossing off items I don't really need, either because I want to fill the blanks, or earn some achievements. Since I didn't find them while looking around myself, I'm just relying on guides so I don't waste my time blindly fumbling around. However, this process feels annoying instead of satisfying. Although I think this was a less than ideal choice, the gameplay was enjoyable. I'd recommend picking this title up on the cheap, if you want a short playthrough, but wouldn't suggest you bother with all the secrets.
PC Specs
Performance
Ryzen 2700
RTX 2070
16GB RAM
ADATA SSD
1920x1080
The game ran without incident on default settings.
💖 - PD is healthy

Fun little Gameboy Color style Zelda-like with lots of colorful (haha colors are a major theme) characters.
Combat isn't anything to write home about but its not overly emphasized and is a nice little break from the well designed puzzle rooms.
Took about 4 hours for my first playthrough but it seems I missed A LOT of optional content that I'm excited to check out on a second playthrough!

Mixed feelings. Similarities with classic titles aside; I came for a predictable puzzle game with heavy focus on story. Prodigal delivered.
I usually don't like how puzzle games take liberties to "make up" new rules that I couldn't have figured out without rejecting the immersion to think "well, what does the game want me to do now?". Prodigal is the complete opposite: push objects, press buttons and don't block your way to access the next room. Simple as it is, it didn't get old during my playthrough. It was fun to solve and the difficulty never went crazy. If anything, it was a bit too easy. As you progress, you unlock new ways to move your character and to interact with objects, which changes drastically the lenses you see each room through. I'm amazed by how this only opens new paths, but doesn't make any of the past puzzles one may have missed obsolete (*).
The worldbuilding is above average. The town felt alive; the dialogues differ depending on which time of the day it is in game. Special mention to the weather changes, the palette choices and the soundtrack. Interesting setting and extensive lore to be uncovered. The main character is not your run of the mill hero. No spoilers: half of the town doesn't like you, and for good reason. What didn't convince me was the "dating sim" aspect of the game. I understand it's got its public, but all the girls in town seemed to be in love with you before you were born, you just have to decide which one to pick, without effort. No trigger for them to start liking you, just don't be a jerk and they'll fall. It felt really out of place given the context, much to the detriment of the setting. The game will sometimes offer you to respond yes/no, or more precisely: be a complete dick/be a redeemable good boy, regarding some serious themes such as death of relatives, and others. No ambiguity or grey area whatsoever. Even for a game, the "wrong" answers felt *really* wrong.
I only encountered one major bug, which made me invulnerable after running out of HP during a boss fight. Luckily, it was during post game and I could die right after defeating the boss. The last update was a year ago, and the devs don't plan on updating the game again, so don't expect the bugs you might find to be fixed.
So - the main story delivered. The post game promises more elaborate puzzles and more depth to the story. I found a few turn-offs but they didn't ruin the experience. I wouldn't recommend it to everybody but the quality and amount of content is there, so if you were already considering it, why not give it a go.
(*) Edit after few hours into post game: well, some puzzles do seem to break depending on what abilities you have. There are ways to solve them that I suspect were not how they were intended to. It's no surprise this could happen. And be ready to have a guide at hand: the game does good setting a direction for how open it becomes. Regardless, I could have spent hours walking in circles without guessing what to do next if I didn't look up some walkthrough. This is not a problem during the main story, since there's a character that gives hints on what to do next, but in post game you're on your own.

A blend of Gameboy Zelda, Stardew Valley's community mechanics, and an isometric puzzler.
Taken in isolation, each of its gameplay axes is not especially deep, but that's almost entirely to its benefit. You get an enjoyable cross-section of gameplay modes that complement each other without getting bogged down in dungeon slogs, complex dialog trees, or puzzle fatigue.
It has a fascinating structure as well, closing out its main storyline in 6-8 hours, but extending for another 12-15 beyond that with additional dungeons, challenges, and character quests that only become available in the post-game. If you've ever played an RPG that you wish just kept going when you rolled credits, Prodigal's worldbuilding continues to unfold for multiple sessions. The post-game doesn't feel like bonus material or sidequests, but like an unmarked third and fourth act you can keep progressing at your leisure. I was surprised how much fun I had with it!