Cozy new Metroidvania has Dark Souls design but a heart of gold
The best Metroidvania games have typically focused on combat, but highlights like the masterful Tunic and the recent, excellent Animal Well show how successfully the format can work when it leans more towards puzzle design rather than action. While both of those still involve a fair amount of peril, now, from indie developer Hyper Luminal and publisher Little Nook, comes Pine Hearts, a cozy new story-led adventure game that's just arrived on Steam.