You can’t rush perfection. While many games struggle to adapt to evolving technology and design trends during lengthy development cycles, Faraway stands as a rare exception, a triumph born from a 16-year journey. Developed by solo creator Steph Thirion, the acclaimed designer behind the 2009 iOS puzzler Eliss, and published by Annapurna Interactive, Faraway is a deceptively simple arcade game that has matured into an instant classic.
At its core, Faraway is about shooting stars and creating constellations. Players control a star navigating space in a straight line. A single button press allows the star to latch onto nearby celestial bodies, orbiting them and building momentum. This mechanic is fundamental to the game's delightful puzzle conceit: connecting stars to form constellations before time runs out. Rounds take place within circular zones filled with stars, where players must link them together without crossing existing lines to maximize their score. Completing closed loops of stars offers score multipliers, and achieving higher scores extends the game's duration and unlocks larger play areas.
The game is remarkably easy to pick up but offers significant depth for those seeking mastery. Players must learn to precisely launch from orbits to avoid intersecting lines and devise strategies for creating intricate, non-overlapping shapes. The review notes that starting constellations from the center of a zone proved effective for building outward and forming complex loops. While the inability to select specific stars in dense clusters can be initially challenging, Thirion gradually introduces complexity. As players achieve higher scores in the main mode, they unlock puzzle missions that require tracing increasingly intricate constellations. These challenges serve as practice for advanced maneuvers and new formations, presented as the player's skill level increases.
Faraway embodies the kind of minimalist design that is often overshadowed in an industry focused on narrative spectacle. Its expressive gameplay loop and immaculate atmosphere evoke the spirit of artists like Jeff Minter, whose work on games like Tempest 2000 demonstrated the power of focused mechanics and strong vibes. The game possesses a trance-inducing quality, offering a deeply engaging experience that has lingered in thought far longer than many narrative-heavy titles.
Annapurna Interactive, known for publishing narrative-driven experiences, shines with Faraway, a game that aligns with the label's earlier successes like the poetic Gorogoa and the uniquely strange Cocoon. While it may not garner the same awards attention as a game like Mixtape, Faraway's soul-nourishing constellation gameplay earns recognition for its profound expressiveness with minimal dialogue.
Faraway is set to release on November 5th for Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. The review was conducted on Windows PC using a prerelease download code provided by Annapurna Interactive.