The Longing is a very different type of game, as it takes 400 days from the time you first run the game to actually meet someone inside it.
Alone in a dark and dusty place, you are a servant of the king – the only servant, it seems. The king is asleep for 400 days, so you must wander around looking for something to do or something to see in the meantime. The Longing starts a timer once you open the game, counting down from 400 real-life, Earthly days. If the game is off, the counter will still clock down, so you don’t need to worry about having it running on your PC or if your PC breaks.
Going through the dark tunnels at the demo showcased at Adventure X, I really enjoyed the visuals within the game – the vast emptiness, small caves, and little details in every corner. Unsure what direction to move in, and without any guidance from the King, you can just find whatever you want to find. There are plenty of dead ends, but also strange lakes, rooms that seemed like someone lived in them, and branching tunnels to move through.
The Longing promises multiple endings depending on what you end up exploring and how you spend your time within the cave. I am unsure if many people will end up seeing each ending, which makes for a pretty unique game for whoever plays it, as there are so many days of waiting and just dipping in and out. It’s a really interesting concept and I look forward to seeing how the general public is going to take on such an intense game.
The Longing is projected to release this year, but in the meantime, you can add it to your Steam Wishlist.