Josh Miller – The Soul-Crushed Father

Spiritfarer (Thunder Lotus Games)

Credit: Thunder Lotus Games

While there are games that can tug at your heart-strings, few games rip them out and set fire to your very soul. Spiritfarer is that type of game. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first started playing it, but it certainly wasn’t a game that would wreck me emotionally. Yet, despite the tears I shed, I can honestly say it was one of my favorite games to have ever experienced.

Spiritfarer is a game that focuses on things that I have had to deal with numerous times over the past 10 years: loss. I’ve lost my uncle. My grandmother. My grandfather. And the one that hurt the most, my dad. The past decade has been full of hurt. So for Spiritfarer to come in and be a game about that very thing and the idea of coming to terms with that loss was extremely impactful for me. It’s never easy to let someone go. You always want more time with them. At some point though, you can’t let that hold you back from continuing your life. Life goes on. It’s not easy and not always the most pleasant thing, but it is what it is. Especially around this time of year.

Not many games put those kind of feelings and experiences into the forefront of its gameplay and story. Spiritfarer does. And it does it beautifully and in the most caring way. It reminds you not to take your moments with someone for granted. They can be fleeting. It can be over in the most unexpected time. And although they are gone, they are still with you. Spiritfarer is truly a remarkable game and I am incredibly thankful that I had a chance to experience it.