‣ Reviver
From: Cotton Game
Platforms: PC
Release: To be announced
Steam Page • Demo Video • Developer Site
What if a simple hello at a funeral could start a new friendship, but the moment had passed? What if that moment could change? Imagine going back in time to change things, not through bold actions but seemingly inconsequential choices. How can changing little things change our destinies in big ways?
Reviver is a picture-book adventure game that plays with these narrative ideas in interesting ways. You follow the friendship between Carlos and Felicia. Carlos and his parents had recently moved from a farm to a local city, and while attending a funeral, he sees Felicia. Yet he never talks to her, a choice he later regrets.
Only, in Reviver, you can change how things turn out. As the player, you switch between the two characters and their respective scenes (the demo takes place in their rooms), which you explore in almost hidden-object fashion to find puzzles, clues, and objects. While each character only experiences their perspectives, you can take clues and objects across scenes, and solve puzzles in one scene to unlock new options in another.
You also move through time. The game follows the two characters over several years, starting with Carlos' arrival in 1908. You learn about Carlos seeing Felicia at the funeral but not talking to her there. Switch to 1909, and he still regrets the decision. To solve this issue, you must change something in 1908.
📽 Demo Moment: How the time-changing works
Yet, the solution isn't as straightforward as nudging Carlos into saying hello. Instead, you switch to Felicity, where a little investigating and solving casual puzzles help her pack a bag of art supplies. After attending the funeral, she now sits and draws, which is how she and Carlos meet. She gives him a picture, which now appears in Carlos' room.
By helping Felicia pack her art bag, you change the narrative so that the two's paths cross. This is the essence of Reviver's gameplay loop: hop between scenes and moments in time, looking for clues and objects in one that can overcome roadblocks in the other. Along the way, you discover and nurture Carlos and Felicia's friendship through an interesting story that celebrates narrative gameplay without bogging you down with reams of text or tons of conversation.
As you progress, the narrative changes and the game expands. Not long after becoming friends, the duo discover a map that sends them on an adventure. The discovery opens up 1910 in the timeline, where you learn about something terrible that happened to them during that trip. Can you change their fates once again?
📽 Demo Moment: 1910 was a dark year…
The narrative elements shine through how your time-hopping changes the story, represented in character journals that update as you alter events. Yet, most of the gameplay is rooted in adventure game norms, such as pixel-hunting clicks and finding objects which you store in your inventory. Casual puzzles keep you thinking without being too demanding; for example, packing all drawing materials perfectly into a limited space or figuring out the numerical code to open a closet. Reviver's demo had at least one puzzle that stumped me. But after some rest and a refreshed mind, it was suddenly very obvious.
Reviver strikes a good balance between adventure-style scene exploration and light narrative gameplay, grounded by the pleasant graphics and warm soundtrack. The story's willingness to take some slightly darker twists makes things feel more consequential. But Reviver's demo never neglects its warm innocence and storybook charm. Casual players will enjoy the friendly atmosphere and interesting story, and puzzle fans will dig jumping between the evolving scenes to piece together solutions.
Reviver looks like a warm and cosy game with good ideas applied smartly. The whimsical vibes won't be for everyone. But if you like the sound of a lighthearted adventure game with interesting narrative twists and time-hopping ideas, Reviver is a nice addition to your wishlist.
Revival has not announced a release window.
Explore The Game with Youtube Chapters:
📽 00:36 Into town
📽 01:24 Let's get started
📽 02:16 Time travel explained
📽 03:12 Meet your second character
📽 07:02 A musical puzzle
📽 09:34 Pack your art supplies
📽 16:20 Changing the future
📽 18:06 Did you pay attention?
📽 23:04 Something went wrong!
📽 28:18 Let's make fertilizer
📽 29:04 Grow a plant, feed a bird
📽 31:45 Solving the door puzzle
📽 33:53 Avoid the wolves!
📽 36:34 Erasing tragedy
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You had me at hello!
This reminds me (and I'm dating myself lol) of Days of the Tentacle and more recently, Life is Strange. I like these games for the story they tell, but sometimes I do wish they let the story unfold regardless of whether you choose to solve a puzzle or not (i.e., what if they meet but they don't go on the trip together?) sort of thing.