Landlord of the Woods is the first Madison Karrh game I've played.

I stumbled upon it when I bought a large mixed bundle on Itch for a fundraising event, and as I was scrolling through the contents looking for games to add to my account, I saw the thumbnail.

And nothing, that was enough to immediately capture my attention and push me to try it immediately, even though I was convinced that it would turn out to be one of the many "Itch-style" games, that is, nice but not always corresponding to what I imagine (even though Itch is a great portal, which allows everyone to try to sell what they create regardless of their experience or ability).

At the time, Birth was still in development, but its first demo would soon be presented at Steam Next Fest, and I hadn't yet discovered Whimsy.

You’re 25.

You’re feeling stuck in your everyday life.Your working days are all the same.

Your meals are all identical.

You follow the same home - working place - home route every day.

You spend your time at home in the same way, every day. Then you go to bed.
Poi vai a letto.

Rinse and repeat.

Nothing changes, everything is already written and foreseeable.
You wonder if life is all about this.

Then, one night, the universe offers you something new: "Volunteer to become the new Landlord of the Woods."
Is this what you needed to try something different? Is this the beginning of the adventure you seek?

You apply.

Then, a mail.

Congratulations! You are the new Landlord of the Woods!

But...are we really sure that it was a good idea?

Madison Karrh's games, the graphics are all hand-drawn. While her "Procreate/iPad" style and main themes are nothing original since the big explosion of small indie games began, the intertwining of all these things with her personal style and characteristic color palette, become instead a real signature of her work.

(ITA: "Il mio contratto di locazione dice che se i miei organi dovessero mai sparire, l'amministratore è responsabile del loro ritrovamento")

The image used as cover was enough. It caught my attention immediately and I installed it right away.

That specific image gave me three very important feelings:

• the character design tickled my interest in morbid, weird and surreal things and creatures
• the neutral palette and the “iPad vibe” gave me the idea of a peaceful and cozy small game
• for some reasons, it made me think immediately to a point-and-click (despite there were no hints!) and to a slow-paced game in general.

At the time I fell in love the moment I started playing, especially during the avatar creation: are those really faces? Do the skin colors and head features belong to different groups? Do the shapes of the accessories (like "crowns") mean something? And the color of the clothes? Why do "you" and the receptionist look so similar while all the other tenants are so different? I really can't stop being so curious!

And the rest is history~

We could say that Landlord of the Wood appears as a pretty classic point-and-click game but to me it is and isn’t at the same time.

It’s an “unconventional point-and-click”, given that the most part of the time you go around “point-and-clicking” just to collect items to fill the little book the receptionist gives you at the beginning and those items are completely unlinked to the progress of the game.

The moments in which you have items needed to solve the puzzles in your inventory are just a few.

The real game and its challenges, however, consist of a series of puzzles based on physics and logic, which are not too difficult: the former are, as the word suggests, based on the realistic movement of objects when interacting with them; the latter instead ask you to find the connection between different elements.

It is therefore difficult to make a detailed report, given that there are no mechanics common to all gameplay or that are repeated in a more or less regular way. The game is still relatively short and in this having all different puzzles is certainly a boost that keeps away the hypothetical boredom (which despite ADHD, in me, did not even appear!).

And after playing Birth demo, I can say that physics-based puzzles are, in my opinion, Madison Karrh’s personal signature.

The puzzles are not too difficult, nor is finding the clues on where to click or what to look for to progress in the game. All that is needed is, as in any puzzle/point-and-click game, a good level of attention and observation skills.

At the end of the day, this is not (and it doesn’t even want to be) the Cuphead of the puzzle games but rather a game with the apparently impossible ability to be unsettling and relaxing at the same time.

The soundtrack is very simple and for this perfectly-perfect for the game. It cradles you while playing, you listen to it but you don’t really hear it. It’s a delicate background that accompanies you and never drags too much attention away from the game.

Honestly I can’t imagine a different kind of soundtrack.

Anyway, the soundtrack is the major contrast to the themes depicted and narrated in the game. You think of playing this horror-in-a-way small game, with organs and ghosts and weird people and dark happenings..and then you find yourself vibing to this slow, calming track while you enjoy solving puzzles and getting familiar with your tenants.

Landlord of the Woods is an extraordinary game, I dare to say suitable for all ages. The horror themes are just this, themes, without any scary dynamic or scene. No jumpscares, anxiety or too-triggering concepts and monologues/dialogues.

It’s just a beautiful, surreal, little weird story, able to make you stop for a while, relax with very nice puzzles and think about your life but not in a negative way.

It conquered my heart, I hope it will conquer yours too!