Swan Song is a music box-based puzzle game that kindly retells the story of a young woman stricken with grief learning to overcome it.
There was a time I detested getting older. No, it was not the sudden increase in responsibilities. Neither was the sudden anxiety attacks I would suffer. It was that people I loved started dying. Family members, past loves, old friends. What is scarier than the prospect of passing away myself—which still brings me an awful lot of dread—is losing those I have ever loved. When there are times of peace, I breathe easy. If only for a while, because what I have unfortunately realized is that death is always with me. But it does not have to be an existential prospect, as proved in the soothing puzzler Swan Song.
True to its title, there is only one goal within this gentle game: to learn to say goodbye. From the perspective of Edith, the daughter of Tristan and Amber, a picture begins to emerge. Her father, an absent man, is apologetic. He was not there when Edith needed her the most. How could he, though? He was grieving the sudden death of his young wife. But so was her daughter. There is no one to blame when tragedy strikes. There is only embracing the wave of emotions when they pass.
Puzzles As A Way To Process Grief
Swan Song’s 100+ puzzles are presented in the form of a magical music box. Much like reading sheet music, puzzles are based around a 4/4 rhythm. Putting notes to change a platform so a moving swan can reach its destination safely, things start simple. First, you turn on a key to activate the wondrous mechanism. And what an attention to detail is in the sound effects of the machine when doing so.
Taking a page from music notation, using one quaver is where the tutorial takes shape. Soon enough, double quavers that increase the difficulty appear. Little toy soldiers push away the audacious swan if not careful. At some point, you can turn the key several times, making it ever so complex to solve the puzzle. Trying to find the solution is always charming, heightened by its distinct music box soundtrack.
Across its nine chapters, the story of Edith’s life takes shape through artifacts. Cassette tapes from Amber’s legacy as a composer make her memory come alive through narrations. As heartbreaking as it is to slowly lose one’s faculties to a disease, holding on to hope is primordial. A nice detail is that while the game focuses on the music box itself, the surroundings slightly change with each passing chapter. Raindrops falling through a stained glass when remembering the darkest moments juxtapose against the unmistakable joy of Spring.
Conclusion
The conversations found in some recordings are devastatingly real. I never thought I would think about my most recent loss. My aunt Silvia passed away last December. It was all very sudden. I remember when I was a kid she would give me the warmest hugs. Now, all I have is her memory willing me on. Those who are gone would not want us to tremble in fear against the uncertainty of the unknown. Swan Song is a great reminder that taking the time to honor those who shaped us is the best way forward.
Swan Song is out now on Steam.
