A MONSTER'S EXPEDITION

An open-world puzzler with a journey to savour

Developer Draknek and friends

Publisher Draknek Format PC Origin UK

Release Autumn

Five years ago, Alan Hazelden and a few of his friends taught us that A Good Snowman Is Hard To Build. A good videogame? Well, that’s tougher still. “The process begins with getting a team together to make something with some kind of plan that it’ll take two to 12 months,” Hazelden tells us. “Then it’s obviously always longer than that.” He clearly didn’t expect it to take three years and counting, but A Monster’s Expedition (Through Human Exhibitions), to give it its full title, already looks like it’s been worth the effort. An ‘hour-long’ build turns out to be twice that, and that’s only partly down to our sluggish brains; naturally a game’s designer can get through their puzzles quicker than any player, but the relaxed ambience of the game’s verdant archipelago positively invites you to take your time.