Preview | Beacon Pines

LifeisXbox’s Beacon Pines preview | Today, we are taking a look at the demo of Beacon Pines! Developed and published by Hiding Spot, this game caught my attention as soon as I saw it in the preview list. It looks absolutely stunning. I mean, just look at the screenshots, beautiful, isn’t it? But even better, you can choose your own adventure in this cute and creepy adventure game. Are you ready to meet Luka, the cute-looking main character, and try and survive the summer together with your friends?

Short gameplay

First off, I was amazed by how beautiful this game looks. It reminds me of the children’s books my mom used to read to me, with all the beautiful drawings, and that is definitely meant positive! The colors are so vibrant I absolutely loved it. But now to the gameplay. Beacon Pines’ demo starts off really sad. Luka is talking to a grave, and soon you figure out he’s talking to his dad who passed away 6 years ago. After hitting you right in the feels, your friend comes to the grave and wants to go do stuff together, it is the first day of summer break after all! Then the adventure begins. Although I said the drawing style reminded me of children’s books I have never had such a story before. It grabs you as soon as you enter the demo and doesn’t let go. Even after playing, I wonder what will happen with cute little Luka and his friends. But the best is yet to come!

Changing fate

In Beacon Pines, you can change the story completely! Let me explain: While you are playing, whether it’s just talking to someone in the village or running through flowers, you collect things that are called word charms (see screenshot below). And when you get to a blank space in the book’s story, you can fill it in with one of your word charms. This will give this game a lot of replayability and a real feeling of control over your very own story. You might be wondering why there is “shit” there, but I put it there on purpose, just to show you the humor in this as well. So the story is that the sister of your friend is trying to stop you from going to investigate something together. So you can either act “chill” or act like “shit”. The chill way you try to calm the sister down but your friend ends up not going with you. The shit way you kick the sister and tell your friend to run! In this, you can see that the choice you make can have a big impact on the story, and I love that. Always nice to get the option to behave like a piece of shit, haha.

The end

This game is my favorite preview I have ever done! I can say I am really looking forward to the full release of Beacon Pines and will definitely put it on my wishlist on Steam. I loved all the characters and how they interact/show different emotions, the story is awesome and doesn’t let you go. If what you read and see here interest you, please, try the demo. I tried my best to not spoil anything so you all can enjoy the demo to its fullest. This game deserves all the attention it will get and maybe more! Loved it!