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"The loneliest bird in the world" has taken up residence on my iPhone, and I honestly couldn't be happier about it. Bird Alone is a game with a simple premise: You become best friends with a lovable, colourful bird. Together, you can write poetry, draw pictures, make music, talk about life, and even tell secrets. From happily flapping its wings in excitement every time I open up the game, to asking me how I'm feeling and wishing away all of my bad days, this delightful indie gem starring a feathery friend is as adorable as it is comforting, and it's just the kind game I need in my life right now.
From the moment I saw my new found pal pop up on my screen for the first time, everything felt just a little brighter, and his presence continues to bring a little light into my every day. After introducing myself, I had to give him a name, and after settling on Clyde, it didn't take long for me to become attached. Part of Bird Alone's appeal is that it isn't very time-intensive, so it happily fits into my daily routine. Since your bird bestie doesn't constantly have something for you to do, you'll get notifications a few times each day to alert you to new bonding moments or activities.
After the initial introductions, for example, I was asked to draw what makes me happy. I'm not the most artistic person in the world, but I just about managed to doodle some legible shapes with my index finger. Clyde didn't care in the slightest that I'd produced a messy little sketch, though; to him, it was a true work of art.
Bonding moments
Clyde doesn't just appreciate my "art", though. The little bird is always happy to see me and gets excited about everything I create. But in another, more meaningful way, Bird Alone does such a great job at cheering me up. I know all too well that living on your own can be tough sometimes. Now more than ever, I'm finding it harder and harder, and with no pets or loved ones close by to give me that feeling of companionship, Bird Alone is filling a small void in my day-to-day life.
Sometimes you wake up and just need someone to ask you how you're doing, and my little virtual bird buddy does just that. You only have two responses you can go for, but every time I say I'm having a bad day, Clyde says something comforting, like "you're going through a rough patch right now, Heather. I want you to know there are good parts too! Joy is coming." Other times the silly bird will say something that even manages to make me laugh when I'm feeling blue, like declaring that they will slap all of my bad days "back to the depths."
Of course, friendship is a two-way street, so there are also times you can offer your support and encouragement right back. One morning, I opened up the game to find Clyde wasn't feeling too chipper, and the little guy even shed some tears. Even birds have bad days, it turns out, but after cheering me up so much, I was all too happy to try and make Clyde feel better. As well as offering kind words by selecting responses, you can also give the bird belly scritches and even feed them the fruit that's hanging off of trees.
Bird is no longer alone
Outside of drawing and cheering each other up, I've also been growing a garden by making music with my bird pal. You have to run your finger over a waterfall and tap on water lilies to produce different sounds. Once I got a good tune going, Clyde bobbed along to the music and started to sing, and together, we created a seed that I could plant in our "garden of hopes and dreams".
Occasionally, I'm tasked with adding a line to a poem to finish it off, and every poem we've put together so far has been put into a poetry book. Clyde also just recently revealed that all of my drawings have been put into an art gallery, so I can look at them any time I want. With every drawing I do, poem I finish, and plant I grow, our friendship continues to flourish, and each thing we create has become a little memento of our bond.
By befriending this lonely bird, I don't feel as alone as I have done these past few months. Just knowing Clyde is just a phone tap away is far more comforting than I could have ever imagined it would be, and I look forward to seeing a notification from that silly avian companion every day. Clyde is no longer the loneliest bird in the world, and I feel less lonely too.
Bird Alone is out now on iOS devices and is available to purchase on the Apple app store.
