Recolit Touches On A Desperate Longing For The Past
Recolit is a puzzle adventure game where an unnamed protagonist crashes on a mysterious planet. It mixes the mundane with an unusual situation. The sun never rises and players can only interact with things in the light. All culminating in an ending that might leave players conflicted due to its ambiguous nature. Or turn them into a blubbering mess.
A story of loss and regret hides under the cozy, pixelated graphics. If players go too far the screen’s edges dissolve into nothingness. That’s not the only sign of things aren’t quite adding up. After solving puzzles such as helping an elderly lady water a plant, she disappears in a shimmering light. It leads players to an obvious conclusion. Our plucky little astronaut may not have survived their crash. Yet Recolit’s final scenes could lead to some contention as no death, of the player character or NPCs, are depicted.
The puzzles are so normal next to all the strange that it gives a nearly unshakable sense of unease. While most puzzles can be solved fairly easily there are a few that take button mashing to complete. Before frustration can settle in though, the NPC disappears and the dread returns. Which almost makes the ending anticlimactic. After a series of household chores a group of kids perform a play with a suspiciously familiar plot. The scene soon switches and an unkempt, less upbeat version of our protagonist climbs into bed.
Recolit is a straightforward game. While it’s an emotional story that’s relatable despite its surreal presentation, there’s no apparent secrets or multiple endings. It’s a bite-sized journey that leans hard on “remember when” nostalgia. It does what it needs to and leaves, and that’s by no means an insult. Fans of impactful narratives may want to add this to their ever-growing backlog.
