Built like a classic point and click adventure game, but with a new story, Wildwood Down is a funny, coming of age style story game about a bunch of teenagers on Spring Break! Making their way to Wildwood New Jersey, you play as Daniel, a young man with Down Syndrome, who is determined to enjoy his holiday with his sister.
This entire game is inspired by the real-life person, Daniel, who has done the voice acting for his character and is presenting his story through the video game. You have traveled down to New Jersey with your sister, her boyfriend, and another mutual friend, to have a great time before the end of the year and graduating high school.
Wildwood Down does have more serious tones, as the game itself features a murder, a mystery, and lots of unexpected characters that you need to meet and interact with. When you first start playing Wildwood Down, there are video-style cut scenes where you get to meet Daniel and hear about the story he is going to tell, before the game transitions into the classic pixel-art, point and click adventure style game that it is.
Starting with the classic car ride down to New Jersey, you really get a feel for the characters within the game and the general vibe that it’s going for. If you’ve ever been on Spring Break, you’ll likely relate with the story itself, though it’s interesting to play from the point of view of a person with Down Syndrome.
I got the chance to play a small demo of Wildwood Down at Day of the Devs, where I was captivated by the story and wanted to hear more of what Daniel was up to and how he’d interact with his sister’s stupid boyfriend. If you’re a fan of this style of games, and are looking for a refreshingly new story, keep an eye out for this game!
You can currently wishlist the game on Steam, ahead of its release later this year.
