THE LONGING

An unusual mix of adventure and idle game. In utter loneliness deep below the surface, it's your task to wait for the awakening of your king... for 400 days.

Unusual mix of an adventure and an idle-game.


Play as a lonely Shade, the last servant of a king who once ruled an underground kingdom. The king's powers have faded and he falls asleep for 400 days to regain his might. It is your duty to stay in the earthen palace until he awakens.

As soon as you start, the game inevitably counts down the 400 days - even when you stop playing and exit the game.

It is now up to you to decide what to do with your solitary existence beneath the soil. Don't stress yourself, you have plenty of time.

Choose your playing style

Start the game and simply come back after 400 days to see how it ends. You actually don't have to play the game at all. But the Shade will be even more lonely without you.

Or explore the caves and collect items for your comfortable underground living room. Just send the Shade to take a stroll - the walking speed is slow, but luckily there is no need to hurry.

Read tons of classic literature from Nietzsche to Moby Dick right in the game - or at least have the shade read them. After all, time goes by faster if you learn to keep your mind occupied. (The little Shade in the game finds ONLY English books for now.)

Ignore the king's commands and advance to the outer regions the cave. It will be a long and dangerous journey into darkness...

Features

  • Slow exploration of a vast, hand-drawn cave.
  • Atmospheric Dungeon Synth soundtrack.
  • Various endings.
  • Lots of well hidden secrets.
  • Time-based puzzles.
  • A lonely but cute protagonist.
NOTE: The game time keeps counting down even if you quit the game or shut down your computer.

Metacritic

79

Price

Max: 14,99€

~

Min: 11,24€

Reviews

“Every so often a game comes along that is so audacious it reminds me how conventional and pedestrian many of the games that I’ve reviewed — and liked — are by comparison. This level of creativity reinvigorates my expectation of what games can be.”
90/100 – The Washington Post

“Literally sitting and waiting has called my attention to how it feels to wait, to the emotions that arise from being at the mercy of time.”
Kotaku