Weaving Tides is a game that reminded me of my sewing lessons back in school. I didn’t have much patience for that sort of craft, but I really admired those who turned it into a skill. It boasts a dragon named Kilim, with a ribbon for a tail, and his human rider Tass. What’s more is that Tass has been raised by Kilim all of their life, and has never met his parents.
Having been funded on Kickstarter, Weaving Tides delivers a lush, gorgeous world made from textile and magic. The weaving aspect of the game is the most novel one, and also the most fun. I enjoyed having Kilim stitch the broken patches of fabric whole. The story itself isn’t very deep, but watching Tass and his chosen Weaver move through the environment was a sight in itself.
For the most part, I was diving over and under broken patches of fabric. When it came to the combat aspect of the game, I found myself struggling with having to “wrap” my enemies to defeat them. I am given a brief stun option, but oftentimes the terrain made it difficult to get into place in time.
That aside, I enjoyed Weaving Tides — the lush textile world and its myriad of puzzles were reminiscent of Lines on Sides, another untimed, leisurely puzzle game. As the weaving patterns got more complex, I both marvelled at and enjoyed the pace at which I could do these.
The bosses themselves are also a sight to behold — each with their own quirks and puzzles. My personal favourite was the large Rag Eater — a patterned serpent that spit poison. Dragging around the fabric tile to slow its advance and promptly dragging its hooked tongue with my ribbon dealt the creature damage. Three tries and it was over.
Weaving Tides also comes with a Playground mode, because nothing beats stitching the land back together without any hindrance. Along my journey I had found various cosmetic upgrades (different coloured ribbons) for Playground mode, and I’m looking forward to testing each one out.
The game was one of the more relaxing puzzle games I’d had the fortune to play. As I weave in and out atop my dragon, I am reminded that our bonds as humans are something that can be weaved together — brought closer with the threads of our joy.
Grab Weaving Tides on Steam and Nintendo Switch!
