Spring Thing: Misty Hills

Misty Hills is a choice-based work by Giuliano Roverato Martins Pereira that was entered into Spring Thing 2021.

The player is returning home after completing a quest “off camera,” and a clock on the side of the screen tracks the time while they wait for the next tram.

The author’s note describes it as a chill game that players are meant to enjoy at their own pace, and the implementation supports that experience. (Misty Hills also received an audience award for being the “most relaxing” Spring Thing entry.)

I enjoyed how Misty Hills provided a low-stakes opportunity to explore a fantasy environment that was engaging mix of the familiar and the magical. Although I wanted to catch the next tram, it didn’t feel like a life-or-death challenge that determined the fate of the world.

I also appreciated how there weren’t any unpleasant surprises or unfair traps. These structures have been described as confirmation-required choices — you might end up missing the tram, but it will be the result of deliberate decisions that you made while exploring.

Misty Hills is an inviting, complicated world that holds the potential for (mis-)adventure without antagonism.