Thea: The Awakening came out of nowhere for PC players a couple years ago. MuHa Games, a Polish developer with former CD Project Red credentials, quietly developed Thea with nary a small bit of hype. However, it quickly became a sleeper hit for MuHa. It far outsold their predicted sales goals because it was pretty damn good. But it wasn’t just good. It was a unique, well-written, and polished game that scratched an itch that many people didn’t realize that they had. How well did Monster Couch do in porting this hidden gem to the Nintendo Switch?

A Port To Live By

I’ll cut right to the chase and say that this is one of the best PC-to-console adaptations of a game I’ve ever seen. Not only does the gameplay translate well to our beloved console, but Monster Couch did a bang-up job of making the controls work well. I rarely felt like the Switch limited my ability to control what I wanted to do. Hell, if anything, I actually enjoy this game better on Switch than I do the PC. That’s coming from a die-hard PC Gamer, too!

So what exactly is Thea: The Awakening? It’s a game that takes place after a long period of darkness and despair. You take the role of a god that sets out to rebuild civilization. You do so by leading a sole village and its people through the dark and perilous world that is Thea. Think of it as a turn-based survival game with 4X elements and you’re in the right ballpark.

You start with that aforementioned village and a group of explorers – an expedition by name – and you set out to discover what’s befallen the land and how to fix it. Be careful, though, as Thea‘s world is full of horrors that will likely want to eat your expedition for lunch. If any of the members of your expedition lose in battle, they’re likely gone for good, too.

So It’s a Rogue-Like Turn-Based Strategy Game?

Yes and no, but sure, if you need to categorize it, let’s call Thea: The Awakening that. Your expedition will set out to find quests, complete them, and all the while, defend itself from many different types of monsters. Sometimes you’ll be out exploring the wilds that are Thea and you’ll stumble across a unique location. You’ll be faced with many different decisions, some of them only available with particular character types present in your party. And yet some of them only present with other prerequisite events or actions having taken place. Some of those decisions will lead to combat, others will lead to a chance to talk your way out of a tough situation, and yet others will rely on your ability to handle something stealthily…or with poison.

It’s All in the Cards

Any of the above actions are determined with a well-explained card-battle system. If you’re fighting enemies, your cards will feature symbols to help you understand how good your character can fight. If you’re attempting to talk your way out of something, those cards represent their ability to smooth talk. Regardless, the tutorial more than adequately explains how the systems work and how best to overcome whatever odds you’re up against. Remember that I used the word rogue-like above, though. Sometimes these battles are far too much for you to overcome and you will lose. Probably more than you’d like to.

However, as you keep playing Thea: The Awakening, your skills will progress and you’ll more easily dispatch the various foes you’ll run across. If you lose everything, don’t fear, as there’s a unique system that allows you to increase your god’s level so that the next attempt at winning the game might be a bit easier.

But What About That City You Spoke Of?

While your expedition is out adventuring, dispatching monsters or smoothing talking criminals, you’ll also be responsible for managing your city and its population. That includes having specialized gatherers out collecting the necessary resources to feed your people and keep them warm. It also includes building new city improvements that help your people thrive and crafting items. You’ll learn how to craft a variety of items through the game’s research tree that looks a little something like this:

You’ll progress through the research tree by accumulating research points via those quests and encounters we spoke of earlier. Each decision you make regarding the next topic you’ll research is especially crucial. It usually depends on the resources you have around you. Maybe your expedition group found a stockpile of monster bones nearby, so you’ll progress through that part of the research tree in hopes of developing new and awesome equipment made of those monster bones. That’s what I’d do, at least. Or maybe they found a few sources of food that will make taking the “baked goods” topic a no-brainer. Each game is different in Thea: The Awakening and that brings with it a variety of circumstances to overcome and make the best of.

That Sounds Like A Lot To Learn…

Worry not, the best part of this port is how fantastic the tutorial is. As someone who had nearly completely forgotten how to play this game since it came out on PC, the tutorial did an amazing job of teaching me the game mechanics without becoming overbearing. It’s a fine line to walk, but Monster Couch did a great job of balancing gameplay information and valuing my time. Well done!

So Tell Us What You Really Think

I think Thea: The Awakening is a game that will surprise anyone who gives it a shot. It may sound a bit overwhelming, but once you get the hang of it – which again, is made significantly easier with that awesome tutorial – you’ll quickly see how amazing and unique the game is. There’s nothing quite like it anywhere else. The port to Switch now allows a whole new audience to experience its distinct and engaging gameplay. I truly hope to see Thea find the audience it deserves!

I loved my time with it and will continue to play it long after this review is posted. Now I’ll be hoping that the sequel, Thea 2: The Shattering, will find its way to the Nintendo Switch, as well!