It would be best to gather a bunch of friends to play together, so that you can accomplish more of the puzzles within the game. I think the current chances for running into strangers in this large world are pretty slim. I was really excited to use the cute emoticons that can flash in lieu of conversation, which I think is a really cool limited communication idea, like in Journey.

I tried to switch around servers to try my luck and connect with more people. Round up six other strangers or friends to help with this puzzle.ĭuring my whole run, I only encountered another player once, and I think they turned down my request to travel together, ouch. (Note that the developers have since removed permadeath as a non-permanent change, and its inclusion will be determined through further development of the game). It’s pretty easy to die as well, since weapons are costly and you might take a while finding a sword in the overworld, and then training on using said sword. It’s pretty easy to create a new character and a new persona, so it’s not a huge loss, unless you’ve made a lot of progress on your first account. This is also a game that takes Permadeath seriously, turning your character into a literal ghost should you lose your life. One was notably on the very first section of my adventure, and cost me a “Leaf”. I’ve only experienced a couple of combat encounters in the whole game.

I think that this is one strength of the game, and it successfully invites the “survival traveler” mode in players instead of expecting hand-hold-y and boring encounters in the overworld. The game warns you to grab a pen and paper, and you will really need it to get anything done or discovered in the game! Characters will hand you instructions, directions, and other tidbits, and the game won’t log these quests in a journal or provide waypoints. There’s quite a few NPCs with something to say to you, and even hand out items and messages typical of fetch quests in RPGs. Different effects, like being hurt or soaking wet also have their little effects on the game, making players more aware of how their interact with the environment.įavors you run for NPCs scattered across the world also constitute as quests. There’s the skills built into your starting character, and you can purchase and learn more along the way. The skills are quite helpful to the character’s survival and general quality-of-life within the world. This includes your inventory (clothes and weapons you wear) and skills. Pay close attention and whip out your notes.Ī large part of the gameplay is also building your character. There’s always something to see and think about as you progress through the world, with people living their own lives and schedules within it. Still, the experience was unique enough for me to earnestly climb though and discover as much of the world as I can. I’m not the type of person who invests into creating a character and a story for a person, so I knew that this game wasn’t particularly for me. I can imagine those who are inspired by the aesthetics of Book of Travels to be really engrossed at explaining every part of the game and connecting the dots with their fellow players. The lore and worldbuilding surrounding the Braided Shore, and the unexplained nature of a lot of things about the setting, is ripe for theories and side-stories. For those who love the emotional investment of creating a character and a story for long-winded adventure sessions, this game might be a really good fit.

Choose, build, and become your character!īook of Travels has more akin to a tabletop RPG session rather than a first-person action-adventure game.

Book of travels gameplay