Polygon Treehouse announced a “friend -em up” to adventure called Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island last year. Their previous release was Röki, which I reviewed, a charming adventure game revolving around Scandinavian folklore. I loved Röki and gave our highest score of Two thumbs Up.
Whitethorn Games, a publisher of inclusive and accessible games, offered us the chance to play the demo of Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island and I’ve had the pleasure of doing just that.
You can also play the demo when Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island joins this year’s LudoNarraCon digital event from May 4th through May 8th. During the event, you can visit the Mythwrecked Steam page to play the game’s first public demo. Let’s jump and see what the Mythwrecked demo is about.
Shipwrecked on an Island
Mythwrecked has the game’s protagonist, Alex, a rookie backpacker, taking a much-needed break from modern life; unfortunately, she has been washed up on shore after….you guessed it, being shipwrecked. Except Alex isn’t alone on the island. As she explores her surroundings, she discovers that Ambrosia Island is home to Greek Gods.
The game’s demo shows off the first part of the island, following Alex’s quest for food and shelter and finding a way to contact someone to get off the island to go home.
Explore the Island
First, Alex picks up a strange device from the ground, and then she meets the Oracle, who is in a slightly unusual form of a statue. Orla, the Oracle, tells Alex to use the strange device she found, the Ambrosidex, to find other people on the island and make friends.
So off Alex and I went exploring, but since it was night time, I needed to find Alex some shelter in case another storm arrived. Exploring around the island is very relaxing, and it is a beautiful place.
Abandoned Lighthouse
Eventually, I found the local abandoned Lighthouse on an outcrop of rocks for Alex to settle in for a good night’s sleep. Incidentally, you can use the Lighthouse for shelter and to save the game, and in the full version of Mythwrecked, you can also customise your new Lighthouse home.
The next day, Alex found a seaplane at the docks and discovered its owner, Hermes, who was wearing his speedos and flip-flop sandals and not much else. It wasn’t what I expected a God to wear, but I guess Hermes’ was too warm since the island is so sunny.
Make Friends with Greek Gods
Furthermore, it turns out that Hermes has lost his memory; he doesn’t remember how or why he came to be on the island. So Alex decides to help Hermes regain his memory. To do so, she must talk to Hermes using the friends’ menu and ask specific questions about the island, such as the location or any strange events that might be happening and more.
Using Ambrosidex’s radar, Alex completed some quests for Hermes and explored what she could of the island. Along the way, at Hermes’ request, she fed some seagulls that were resting along the shore.
Return Mementoes
In addition, in the full game, Alex will collect lost items and return the mementoes to their correct owner to jog their memories. This will trigger a flashback and reveal the story of the island’s curse. Doing so will also increase your friendship with each god, and Alex will receive valuable items in return.
The game’s art style is charming and whimsical. The art style reminds me of Röki as it’s the same muted colour theme; I love how the game is presented. The is something very calming about the colours used and also about the soundtrack.
Though the playtime of the demo isn’t that long, I really enjoyed the snippet of Ambrosia Island I got to see; while I played detective and helped Hermes regain a tiny bit of his memory. The friends system is well thought out. It will be interesting to see how the full game pans out when all the Gods are available and, of course, a bigger island to explore.
As yet, there isn’t a confirmed release date other than 2023 but don’t forget you can try out the demo and add Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island to your wishlist on Steam.