i played Season earlier this year and absolutely adored my experience with it. i never saw it pick up much traction, though, and i think the Cohost Community in particular would really love this game (ergo, i am sharing it here)!!
here's the game's premise: the world is about to end.
you play as a young woman tasked with documenting the world before that end happens. you do this by riding your bike through the landscape, taking pictures and audio recordings, and filling out your journal. along the way, you'll piece together information about the world, which has a surprising degree of depth and mystery. best of all, those mysteries feel fresh and real— the writing is excellent, and the game's speculative elements never feel hackneyed but rather deeply intriguing ideas about the world and the way we shape each other, and why.
this is a game that asks you to be highly introspective, and wants you to meditate on some tough questions— questions like, "what does it mean, really, for a world to end?" and "what memories are worth preserving, or is there more beauty in letting things go?" and "what even is the point of art, anyway?" along the way you'll meet a small but vibrant cast of characters where the game shines in offering some of its own thoughts on these questions— but ultimately, you are left to draw your own conclusions. not in a way that feels like the game is abandoning you, but rather that the game trusts you: Season is genuinely interested in what you, the player, have to say. it is listening to you, just as much as you are listening to it.
structurally, expect a roughly 6 to 8-hour experience that can be broken up in two "acts" (though the game itself makes no such distinction). you'll begin on a more linear journey that grounds the game's central premises and themes, then drop into a miniature open world for the second and perhaps slightly meatier act of the game. no matter where you go, you'll be treated to some spectacular environmental storytelling that will make you want to take your time to explore. after all, the world is about to end— no need to rush to get there.
also, this game pulls off some small but marvelous technical achievements. the best is perhaps the in-game camera, a core mechanic. what makes it impressive isn't necessarily the camera itself (simplified, but fun!) or even the pictures you'll be taking (beautiful and haunting in equal measure). rather, it's how the game seems to just know what the subject of a picture is, and have commentary ready for anything. early on i took a picture of a faraway tower that seemed to me like it was just pretty set dressing... but then, i gasped as the protagonist commented on the tower, rewarding me for my visual interest with some thoughts. this then kept happening all throughout my playthrough, in a way that sparked the same kind of "how-did-they-program-that?!" joy that TotK captured so well. also notable is the audio recorder, which takes real recordings of the audio you hear in the game and saves them for playback, encouraging you to explore with your ears just as much as your eyes. it's a super cool system that just works great.
it's worth calling attention to a wonderful soundtrack that perfectly fits the thematic vibe of the game, as well as the VO work which was nuanced and well-delivered across the board. in particular, Maureen Adelson breathes so much life and reflection into the character of the protagonist, enhanced by the quality and craft of the writing, which i have to say again, is very, very good— leagues and leagues above what AAA games are doing these days (low bar) and even many other indies.
if you like themes about relationships and memory and art and religion and changes and endings; if you like investigating stories and worlds by way of cohost-beloved media like Friends at the Table or Shelved by Genre; if you enjoyed the art direction and meaningful emptiness of Breath of the Wild, the exploration and non-linear mystery solving of the Outer Wilds, or literally anything about the game Sable (another underrated indie hit), i think Season is a game you owe it to yourself to play. much like the Outer Wilds, i am still thinking about Season months after completing it, which i think is the greatest compliment i can give to any piece of art. i think it is well worth the $25 price tag on steam— or you can wait until a routine sale, but either way: check it out!