Review: Everdeep Aurora for Switch

So, a couple of years back, I found myself at PAX West 2023. Randomly stumbled upon this game called Everdeep Aurora. It’s chill—like, seriously laid back. No baddies to smack around, just puzzles and exploring stuff. Kinda curious, I left. So when the chance popped up to dive in for real, I was all, "Yep, let’s do this."

Digging for Mom?

Alright, here’s the deal with Everdeep Aurora. You play as this kitten, Shell, on this quest to find her mom. Why? Because meteors. Yeah, the sky’s falling or something, so everyone’s underground. But how does this little kitten do it? A basic drill. Yep, she just digs deeper, searching for her mom. I still can’t get over the meteor part, honestly.

Now, as you dig down, things aren’t all simple. There’s this whole community down there. You bump into all these characters. Like, there’s a girl who can’t find her dog, a frog with some family drama, and a snake who’s… well, he’s kinda sketchy. And there’s always a pair of otters because why not? Helping them out leads to cool upgrades for your drill and new abilities. And helps Shell with, like, kindness karma? Or something?

The Rollercoaster of Exploration

Everdeep Aurora feels like a treasure hunt, with surprises tucked away everywhere. Shell collects all kinds of stuff. Hats, of all things. Documents that dive into the world’s lore. Gems to keep your drill going and… I lost track, really. The game looks like something from a Game Boy—totally retro. And it throws you into mini-games too. Dice rolling, crane games, and retro-style cutscenes. Oh, and the endings? There are a bunch, depending on where you dig. That was probably my jam, just wandering around, discovering things.

But here’s the kicker: getting lost is so easy—no waypoints in sight. You do get to know the characters, sure, and solving their issues is kinda rewarding. But seriously, a little map revamp wouldn’t hurt. I had to rely on memory, like, "What does this NPC want again?" And finding places was a headache. Once, I spent a good amount of time trying to find this one otter. And on the Switch? The framerate was a bit shaky when moving around, not a game-breaker, but—c’mon.

Is It Worth the Time?

Flipping back and forth here, Everdeep Aurora is a lot of things. Great tunes, stellar visuals, and characters that have layers. All packaged into a non-violent game where exploration is the bread and butter. But yeah, finding your way is like trying to navigate a haystack without a needle. Some guideposts could’ve elevated it. Love or hate it, that’s your call depending on your lost-in-a-maze tolerance.

Everdeep Aurora is chill. Full stop. It’s a vibe game through and through. You dig, you help out quirky folks, and yeah, you get lost sometimes. If you’re cool with wandering, you’ll be fine. If not, well… good luck underground!