Always in Mind is a surreal Psychonauts-esque puzzle platformer that's set to pull on your heartstrings.
This imaginative indie plunges you into the mind of a 12-year-old boy called Teddy, who, after a nasty fall, has wound up in a coma. Roaming around in his own subconscious, he befriends an AI implant known as Proxy. AI has understandably gotten a bad rep lately, but this companion comes in extremely handy as it can help Teddy explore memories of his family, forming bonds he never did in the real world.
Having loved every second of Jusant, Don'tNod's puzzle climbing game, Always in Mind, with its similar setup - a young protagonist on a mysterious and meditative journey - was a game I was particularly keen to try out during Steam Next Fest.
The demo takes place a little ways into the game in Chapter 4, which sees Teddy exploring his grandfather's life. It quickly becomes apparent that Proxy isn't simply a narrative tool but also a means of progressing through environments. It takes the form of a shiny orb, which Teddy can fling and kick to destroy obstacles or 'glitches' scattered around the areas, and only when they've all been smashed to smithereens can you move forward.
Environments - from the lush forest area where the demo begins to the library a little further in - are surprisingly sizable and littered with currency for upgrades as well as some light puzzling elements. It's worth exploring everywhere, too, as many narrative tidbits are squirrelled away in the various nooks and crannies. And it's the narrative that really makes Always in Mind stand out from the crowd.
The more Teddy explores, the more he and I come to learn about his grandfather's life, from the good, like his passion for painting, to the bad, including his tumultuous childhood and the dementia that afflicted him in later life. It's an incredibly moving tale that lingers in the mind after you've put down the controller, and the full release has the potential to tug on the old heartstrings even more.
Always in Mind is the first game from Inevitable Studios, though the developer's founder, Cord Smith, is something of a veteran in the industry, having previously worked at Compulsion Games, Square Enix, Ubisoft, and Sega. Discussing the motivations behind making the game, Smith says it was "born from a desire to fuse the best elements of the action and narrative genres." With no release date yet in sight, we'll have to wait and see whether it succeeds in doing so.
If you fancy trying Always in Mind for yourself, the demo is available right now on Steam as part of Steam Next Fest, which runs until February 12.
Looking for a great narrative adventure? Check out our guide to the best videogame stories ever.
