The Lion’s Song is a point-and-click adventure game that takes place in early 20th century Austria. As a bit of a history buff, I was excited to delve into this story. Initially, I must admit I had some reservations. I was concerned! Would this game be able to capture the intricacies of the time period? Would it remain accessible to the everyone in the end? The Lion’s Song has exceeded expectations in every department, and I am delighted to report this!

Developer: Mi’pu’mi Games

Publisher: Mi’pu’mi Games

4.5 hours // Review Copy Provided //$ 9.99

The Lion’s Song stands out as a masterpiece in the point-and-click genre. This is due to its carefully curated aesthetic, meaningful character arcs, and attention to historical details. You will journey through the narratives of four artists: a composer, a painter, a mathematician, and a journalist. These stories are told through episodic chapters. Each are linked together through common characters, themes, and events. This game will pull you in from the moment you start it up.

Sepia-toned, pixelated graphics are the first thing one notices when booting up The Lion’s Song. The second is slow, ethereal music. All of this gently encourages the player to immerse themselves into the game. These meaningful, stylistic choices lend themselves nicely to the historical-fiction genre. This curated style continues well into the credits, which are stylized like the game. I was struck by the game’s overall beauty.

The game’s beauty is apparent even in its menus

These charming graphics are accompanied by the non-intrusive gameplay typical of a point-and-click. As your character explores areas both new and familiar, the player is able to click on various items. Sometimes these items are crucial for the plot. Other times they exist simply to evoke the world of 20th century Austria.

In addition to world exploration, players are given the chance to control the dialogue of their character. Their choices affect later chapters of the game and, ultimately, the end of the story. At the end of every chapter, players are able to see how many people made the same choices as them. This is a fun opportunity to see how others differ in their exploration of this world.

What I particularly liked about The Lion’s Song’s approach to this mechanic was that it encouraged trying different paths. Instead of making players go through the entirety of the chapter they just played, there is an option to go directly to the dialogue choice and alter it. This makes exploring the game far less daunting of a task than in other point-in-click adventure games.

This is one of many dialogue choices you are given in The Lion’s Song

These simple mechanics also allow players to focus on what is most important: the characters. This game explores themes that are as eternal as man: passion, inspiration, love, and identity. Never does it shy away from challenging or heavy topics. If others are anything like me, they will quickly find themselves captivated by each journey.

My personal favorite was chapter three. This chapter explores the complexity of gender in a male-dominated world. That said, each character’s arc holds universal truths which are bound to pique players’ interests. The first three chapters culminate with the final, fourth chapter. Number four is a chapter which will provide an emotional punch in the gut.

As mentioned, each chapter is connected to one another. The Lion’s Song is created in a manner that encourages players to find these connections. This is made especially easy by the inclusion of a Connections Gallery. If a player has found an item that is connected to a different chapter, it will be placed in the gallery. This is a fun easter egg for players who are dedicated to the story.

A screenshot from my favorite part of the game: Chapter Three

These stories are eloquently told with the backdrop of 20th century Austria. Given the developers are Austrian, it is no surprise that the setting is not taken lightly. History buffs get to speak to figures such as Gustav Klimt and Sigmund Freud. As an added treat they also get to walk around a map that is accurately modelled after the time period. Given my enjoyment of all things early 20th century, I found this indulgently oriented to my personal tastes.

With all that said, it should be clear that I loved this game. I laughed with it and I cried with it. I had an overall fantastic time with it. However, I will be the first to confess that point-and-click games are an acquired taste.

Some gamers will find the limited gameplay mechanics of a point-and-click boring. Another potential grievance of others will be the price point. You will be paying ten dollars for a game that provides around five hours of entertainment. Some may find this a bit steep. However, I am willing to argue that ten dollars is worth owning a game that can be considered art.

If you are unfamiliar but curious about the genre, I believe The Lion’s Song is an exceptional addition to the point-and-click catalog. Everything about the game is carefully curated. I honestly found myself swept away to Austria. I highly recommend this delightful little masterpiece.

If you enjoyed this, consider donating to our Patreon! You can also follow us on Twitter to keep up with all things Nindie. In regards to some more reviews, The Wardrobe is a point and click which recently launched so check our review out! If you want to see what I’ll be reviewing next, check me out @pechorin19.