Once upon a time, a ghost met an angel. The angel was beautiful, the ghost a mystery. The angel tried to take the ghost to Heaven, but something bound the ghost to the ground, and he could not fly with them. Who is the ghost? Why did they die? Can they find their way back to that Heaven they nearly reached and the friend they went with? This is the story of Hauntii, a beautiful new adventure game and the first from developer MoonLoop Games.
At first glance, Hauntii appears to be an artistic game. Simple characters and two-tone colors are paired with detailed line art backgrounds and a dynamic soundtrack. Your first impression will likely be that this is a peaceful game, perhaps a walking simulator. Many games with this much care for the style are less about active gameplay and more about the overall experience. However, Hauntii’s content delves much deeper than the artistic style implies.
Possession and Collection
When Hauntii begins, you drop from the sky onto a dark land, all alone. However, it’s not long before you learn how to shoot. The spectral energy you throw has two purposes. For enemies, it’s to defeat them. For many other things around the world, your spirit energy allows you to possess them, expanding the playing field. There’s very little limitation to what you can possess. Trees hide goodies in their branches. Ladybugs let you climb and fly over gaps. You can even take over some enemies and use their damage-dealing methods for yourself.
To my delight, the primary gameplay is, of all things, a collectathon. In an attempt to regain your memories, you must find stars that symbolize portions of your life and use them to create constellations. Each constellation tells you a bit more about who you were before. You find these stars through solving various puzzles and interacting with the world. That shining tree might shake a star loose. A missing dog’s owner might show gratitude with one. Or maybe you just have to slaughter everything in an arena a few times. There’s plenty of variety in the puzzles. Additionally, completing a constellation gives you an upgrade of your choice between health, speed, or spirit energy.
In addition to the stars, there’s also various types of money that you spend on—what else?—hats. Different shops take different currencies. Some currencies are limited in number while others spawn often and even respawn when you traverse the stages. Just be careful while wandering for wild cash. There are things that lurk just off the road, and you’re only safe for a short time if you leave the light.
Final Thoughts
Unfortunately, due to the fact that I am posting this from an airport, I haven’t had the time to do a full run-through on Hauntii. However, I was able to play enough to get a taste, and suffice it to say, I want more. The visuals are stunning in their simplicity, the characters are cute and quirky, and the gameplay is far more than I imagined. It’s simple enough to pick up quickly, and at the same time, challenging enough to provide some feeling of risk. Exploration in tempting off-road areas tends to yield rewards to the brave and the wise.
I’m still early in it, so many of the puzzles are still simple and the various areas straightforward, but I have high hopes for growing challenges in upcoming areas. I’m also wholly curious about the history of our ghost friend. I’ve unlocked a few childhood constellations showing a sensitive and kind child. Is it something from our past that tethers us to the ground, or is it something we must do in our afterlife? I can’t wait to dive back in and find out.
Special thanks to MoonLoop for providing us with a copy of Hauntii.
Maggie Maxwell spends most of her days buried in her fiction writing, only coming up for air to dive into the escapism of video games, cartoons, or movies. She can usually be found on Twitter as @wanderingquille and @MaxNChachi or streaming on Twitch with her husband, also as MaxNChachi.
