🐻😼 Backbone: Prologue | "An introduction to the smoky, rain-swept world of Backbone" 🐻😼 @backbonegame #GameDev #IndieGames

A short introduction to the smoky, rain-swept world of Backbone, this prologue can be completed in under an hour and gives a high quality and a scene-setting look at what we can expect in the full game.

You are Howard Lotor, a second-class citizen of dystopian Vancouver, a city populated by anthropomorphic animals. Squirrels deal drugs on the street, bears act as nightclub bouncers and raccoons are apparently private detectives who drink, smoke and sneak into nightclubs. Good.

The game looks very well-presented with some really tasty, smooth pixel art on display that really captures the gritty streets that you’ll find yourself in. The game is presented in a 2D style which reminded me of the same gameplay mechanics in games such as The Fall and Harvester Games’ The Cat Lady.

The game is rich with dialogue and multiple ways to move conversations forward as well as more cerebral puzzles that focus on working out codes and spotting items in the environment that can be manipulated. I enjoyed how the more adventure-based sections tie in with the narrative and don’t rely on inventory-based puzzles, more on thinking ‘on the fly’ which fits Howard’s character profile really well.

After completing this prologue, I’m definitely on board for the full game as this looks set to be a really tasty and dark mystery that needs to be delved into. 

Backbone is expected to be released in 2021.

If you are a fan of dystopian adventures and can’t wait until the 2021 release date, in the meantime try out some of the titles which have all received the Games Freezer seal of approval!

Unavowed, Shardlight, Dex, The Fall and Gemini Rue