For this installment of Games from the Frog's Box, i'm covering Seedling, one of my favorite Flash games.
This one comes from Connor Ullmann, a flash game developer who was active around the early 2010s. He's made some interesting stuff - the Quietus duology, and the very interesting shoot-em-up Obsolescence. But of all his work, Seedling is my personal favorite. It's got such a specific, unique flavor to it that is hard to find anywhere else.
This is not a long game, but it lasts exactly as long as it needs to deliver a great dose of vibes and mood, and it does so with aplomb.
THE OPENING ACT- WIND CALLS YOU TO LIFE
Seedling has a killer opener, honestly. You start off in the middle of a mostly-empty town, and you're directed to a mysterious stairway underground.
"Wind calls you to life. Go, learn of good and evil."
Such a simple way to open, and yet, so enticing. Especially with the opening track, and that music playing in the background. This game is drenched in a very specific atmosphere, one of melancholy, yet filled with wonder. And the music is a HUGE part of that. I'm going to be shouting out the music a lot throughout this review, but the starting track is one of my favorites.
After a few short rooms, you reach the sword, surrounded by ethereal glowing light. And when you pick it up... the real game begins.
The real important thing, is that treasure chest beyond the sword, with a mysterious golden object inside. There are 16 in total, and you will need ALL of them- for reasons I will only get into in the spoiler section.
But first, you exit the cave, and meet your creator- the Oracle. He doesn't seem too polite- and the menacing tune that plays in his house is not helping in the least. He wants a seed to replace his giant tree- and he doesn't care how you get it. Good, evil... that's up to you.
Of course, this game isn't nearly that advanced- no karma meter to be found here. But the important thing is that it plants that question in your head- IS your quest, born from a selfish man's desire, actually good?
GAMEPLAY
This is very much Zelda through and through. Explore small dungeons, kill enemies, solve puzzles, gather a sizable arsenal, the whole nine yards. The controls are a bit loose, yes, but being able to restart from any room papers over most problems it could have.
The entire experience is pretty short, only a couple hours if you're efficient at these kinds of games- but in this case, brevity is an advantage. It doesn't even come close to outstaying its welcome, and packs a lot into its tiny runtime.
GRAPHICS
That's another great thing about this game, the graphics. The pixel art is adorable, yet ominous when it needs to be. Everything has
a surprising amount of fluidity to it- especially with enemy deaths,
with them dissolving or breaking apart far more graphically than one
would expect.
The usage of lighting is particularly good, with the light ball you find constantly floating behind you, and really making the grimy pixel art pop.
MUSIC:
Everything about this game is dripping with atmosphere, aided by so many little touches. And the MUSIC. I mentioned it earlier, but the entire soundtrack just carries the vibe of 'melancholy' so well. It kind of puts you in a meditative state, and lets you ponder the vague questions the game tosses your way. If I shouted out all the music, I'd just be reviewing the entire soundtrack, so I'll only note a few pieces in particular. Shoutouts to Rekcahdam- their soundtrack elevates this game FAR more than one would expect.
The
overworld theme, "A Warrior's Journey", is excellent. Dark, yet steady, slowly propelling you
forward. Very different vibes from your typical overworld music, but insanely catchy all the same.
Lacste's theme, "Mysterious Magic", is a lovely, moody piece, perfect for the slow-building dread of the dungeon's signature setpiece. (More on that in the spoiler section.
Bosiniad's theme, "Lava is Hot", is great for a penultimate stage, feeling like a delicate waltz. Perhaps unfitting for a volcano, but it fits nearing the end of a journey.
But the best theme in the game is "I Will Reach the Sky... Someday", the theme of Ghethis, the final dungeon. Everything about it screams "final level", and yet it feels sad, as if you're doing something you shouldn't be, and you're about to finish your task. For better or for worse.
NPCS AND THE WORLD
Another fun aspect of this game is the NPCs. there aren't many of them, but
they usually have something ominous, cryptic, or interesting to say.
Usually all three.
Of note is one NPC in a cabin that mentions the eight Creatures of
the Relic- which includes the boss you just killed. Oops. But the
Watcher is particularly interesting... he is "sighted often around
injustice in the world".
Uh-oh.
I'm sure that's nothing to worry about.
BEAUTIFULLY SIMPLISTIC DESIGN
Once you're set off into the world to find that precious Seed, Seedling doesn't take long to settle into a groove. This game is fairly linear for the most part- all the dungeons have to
be done in the same order. But exploring off the beaten path is
necessary to find those shiny gold pieces...
Also, this game does a
really good job of hiding its linearity, with generally sprawling
overworld areas, some of which are blocked off- but it never outyright
tells you where to go. Thankfully, the areas are small enough that
wandering around long enough, you'll stumble on the way forward. Even the few times you have to backtrack are never really an issue thanks to how short this game is, you're never far from your next objective or secret. It's all very briskly paced- just how a game like this should be.
Spoiler Section starts here!
Click to show
I was going to give a play-by-play of the dungeons here, but they're all so short- like, really short. So instead, I'm going to highlight a moment or two from each that I really liked.
I really love how all the level names are anagrams, and come with their own title cards, it makes me want to say them out loud in my best dramatic voice.
THE FIRST BOSS
After only a little bit through the first dungeon, you come upon your first boss- the SHIELDSPIRE.
It's not hard, just stand in front of it and wait for it to drop its guard. Three hits, and it's down- with a gnarly animation of its head falling off and breaking into pieces.
Though, that's a question you ask yourself. This thing was just... sitting there. It's not doing anything unless you attack it. So is it really a danger? Questions for later. Anyway, for your prize... you get the Shield. Exit the dungeon, and-
A giant crystal suddenly drops down from the sky onto the intro cave! Really makes you wonder... what's in there that's so important? Maybe it's that one block you couldn't break? Hmmmmm.
The next boss is The Times, and they're a fair bit more involved than the Shieldspire. Three of them, resembling the spinning sword enemies from earlier in the dungeon, each adding another sword that spins faster. Still not terribly difficult, but a marked step up. Their cryptic-ass dialogue gives you more food to chew on, again... answering precisely nothing, and only bringing up more questions.
The castle level is one of my favorite dungeons, mostly for the concept. All throughout the stage, there's pieces of the Totem of Lacste, and a room in the basement with no music, all but telling you "you're gonna have to come back here later."
The ice level is another favorite in terms of atmosphere. I love the beginning area with the blizzard obscuring everything and putting the graphics in monochrome.
Especially this cave, that's BARELY visible in the snow. Thankfully this level's ice physics aren't too bad. What really comes as a shock is at the end.
The dungeon boss, the TENTACLED BEAST is up ahead! Chop down all the tentacles, and you win. But then you go inside, and are left with... some guy, who claims this is his home- and FRIEND, and you've ruined it.
Oops.
I think this is a good time to point out the difficulty of the bosses, or lack thereof. Now, in most other games I would call the bosses too easy- almost boring. But here? Where the game is slowly setting in the creeping dread that you're essentially murdering a bunch of magical monsters that weren't bothering you at all? The easiness feels very intentional, like you're kicking a puppy and not slaying a monster. It's not SUPPOSED to feel good, and it furthers the game's themes.
Speaking of... the entire time, the Watcher is hovering over you after every boss battle after the second, as if silently judging you the whole way. Gotta love that.
The fifth level, Woshad, is a step up in difficulty, and can I just say I love how these bridges look, with their purple and blue? It's enough to forgive all the times I fell off.
Shoutouts to probably the hardest boss in the game, the Light. It's six little bastards that fly around and spew bullet hell. They only take two hits each, but you only have four hits- so care is necessary. At least this boss has dialogue, a rarity in this game. Not that it answers any more questions...
The sixth dungeon has two new upgrades for you- the Dark Suit and Dark Shield, which really make you look like a demon with the red and black armor. Appropriate given the game's theme, and they look cool as hell.
(I don't have much to say about the King of Fire, he's pretty easy. Almost disappointingly so for both the penultimate boss and a giant fire golem, but he looks cool as hell.)
Especially seeing that pink rock that plopped down at the start of the game, and you jump into it to fight the last boss. Foreshadowing at its finest.
Shame the Owl is pretty easy, but its death sprite is metal as hell.
THE ENDING
At the end, you're left with no final confrontation. Only the Watcher, and you. Finally, he speaks, and calls you out on all the crap you've pulled. He demands that you either kill him to take the Seed you've fought so hard for, or leave and be redeemed.
If you kill him, the Oracle kills you instead. You've fulfilled your purpose, and for what? Nothing.
However. If you've found all 16 gold artifacts, you can open the final door, and get that bloodless seed. Last second choice? Sure. But after being railroaded the entire game, I found it interesting.
Seedling is a great way to spend a half hour. The gameplay is fun enough, but it's HARD carried by its atmosphere and vibes. If the dev ever comes back and makes something with a bit more meat on its bones, it could be something wonderful. Ah, well.
I'm not gonna pretend that there aren't other games that did this kind of morality play better, because there are. But for how short it is, I'm impressed that this game hits as well as it does.
Game Link: https://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/598977 (or you can play it on flashpoint.)
Soundtrack: https://rekcahdam.bandcamp.com/album/seedling-ost