Ghost on the Shore

If there's one thing that six seasons of LOST taught me, it's that I love mysterious islands. I'm a big fan of exploring uncharted jungles and revealing the island's many secrets. Toss in a few ghosts and I'll be a lifelong fan. That's why I was so excited to play the new game Ghost on the Shore, by first-time developer Like Charlie. While it may be lacking a smoke monster, this short island-hopping horror game definitely ticks off the rest of the boxes. Come, get lost with me as I explore the Rogue Islands in my review of Ghost on the Shore.

This is the story of Riley, a boater who gets caught up in a major storm and forced to dock on an uninhabited island that is mysterious not on the map. Wait, did I say uninhabited? Well, that's not entirely true. From the moment Riley steps foot onto that island, she hears the voice of a man in her head. She can't see him and has no idea why he's there, but the two of them are able to have full conversations nonetheless. As it turns out, the voice in Riley's head is a ghost named Josh, a man who may or may not have something to do with this haunted island.

Ghost on the Shore plays out like a lot of first-person narrative adventures, where our hero walks through a linear path exploring points of interest and interacting with items laying around the island. You'll occasionally run into spectral events that shed light on the small community that used to live on this island, as well as pick up letters and even audio cassettes that help fill in the rest of the story. It's a tried-and-true way to tell a creepy tale, and it continues to be effective here.

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What sets this game apart from most of the games in this narrative genre is that there's a second person traveling with our protagonist. This allows for the two characters to have long conversations while exploring the island, something that ends up making a big difference. We're constantly given a choice in what Riley says and how she responds, adding a bit more interactivity to the moments when we're just walking from one point to the next. This also helps to make us care about both Riley and Josh. It didn't feel like the story was simply happening around me, but rather that I was directly responsible for solving this mystery.

It helps that the story is genuinely compelling. Instead of getting caught up in cheap twists, the narrative has been kept relatively simple and straight-forward. We're fed tiny bites of clues as we explore the island, which ultimately pays off in some well-earned twists and turns. The also game has a great final act that is both frightening and satisfying. This is a great one-off horror experience that may only be a couple hours long, but will stay with you for a long time to come.

On top of the strong writing and frightening ending, I was also impressed with the Rogue Islands. From the rundown buildings to the marshy forests, this is a great setting to explore with something cool to look at around every corner. It's common for this style of game to set you in a gorgeous forest or some place isolated, but it's rare to hike around a mysterious ghost-filled island. I especially love how Riley and Josh have short conversations about every new part of the island. I cannot stress enough how much better it is with a second person exploring the island with our hero.

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Will the conversation mechanics be enough to win over people who usually scoff at this style of narrative adventure? Possibly. But it's worth pointing out that Ghost on the Shore still suffers from a lot of the complaints people usually have about this genre. For example, there aren't really any puzzles to solve. It's also painfully linear. The island looks big and full of areas to explore, but you're really just following a narrow path from one point of interest to the next. That said, the dialog options make a big difference. And not just when talking to Josh, because Riley will also need to confront other ghosts in order to fill in the full story.

Ghost on the Shore is a great debut game from a promising new developer. It has smart writing that isn't afraid to make jokes and be a bit sentimental at times. The Rogue Islands are also gorgeous and the remanence of the long-dead community is fascinating. Best of all, the conversations between Riley and Josh are believable and well-acted. With all this going for it, I strongly recommend you introduce yourself to the Ghost on the Shore.