Selfloss is an evocative and unhurried journey through a world that is as bleak as it is beautiful. An intimate story that deals in themes such as life, death and remorse with a mystical but unflinching manner.

You take on the role of Kazimir, an old human healer who seeks peace at the lowest point in his life, an escape from his pain and past regrets. The game starts with the old man waking in the Leeway, this world’s Limbo. Wielding a magic staff of light, he traverses a maritime dreamscape covered in ruins and populated by flying whales, under the watchful gaze of the Goddess Marena. After learning the Selfloss ritual, used to help those who are dealing with the loss of a loved one, Kazimir returns to the living world of Yord to embark on a journey of self healing.

After this prologue, the rest of the game plays out over 5 chapters that see Kazimir travel across the realm of Yord to the open ocean, where he will find the orca needed for his own Selfloss ritual. Chapters take place in different water-centric environments, from clear streams and estuaries to mist laden marshlands. Each of these unique biomes is dotted with puzzles to solve, combat encounters, and interesting characters to meet along the way. Some of the people the old man meets need similar help to Kazimir, and once he has assisted them with their Selfloss ritual they will help him along his journey in return.

I don’t want to spoil anything regarding the story of Selfloss, but I do want to highlight how powerful Kazimir’s journey is, as well as the stories of the other characters he meets. The game doesn’t shy away from the harshness of reality, shining a light on topics that will hit home for many, myself included. From the moment Kazimir returns to Yord, lying facedown under a tree next to a broken noose, to the shocking conclusion of his journey and the game, Selfloss is full of sorrow and often harrowing. While the themes and tone of the game are clear and constant from the outset, the wetlands and their nature are a mystery that slowly unfolds as the story plays out.

Gameplay is made up of exploration, puzzle solving and combat, with the focus in that order. The world is viewed from an isometric fixed camera angle that moves slowly to follow Kazimir as he walks, climbs and sails in a small rowboat. Everything moves at a measured, more methodical pace which feels correct given the age of the protagonist you control. After running for a short period or performing a dodge roll Kazimir has to recover his energy, beads of sweat falling from his face until he is ready to exert himself again. With simple controls involving no more than holding a thumbstick in a direction and pressing/holding a shoulder button, It is an easy game to understand and play.

Chapters are bookended with short interludes that add a spike of excitement, like navigating fast flowing rapids. Before beginning the next chapter, Kazimir will wander through a frozen monochromatic memory, each one giving more insight into the old man as well as the world of Yord its and history.

Kazimir’s light staff is a versatile tool that he uses in all aspects of the game. It can create a sail made of light when traveling in the boat, use it as a fishing rod, and create a beam or pulse of light to help with puzzles as well as fight enemies. The staff can also be placed and Kazimir can move independently from it, calling it back to himself with a short whistle. This adds an interesting layer to its uses, and helps with puzzle variety and complexity in particular.

The world of Yord is struggling with a malevolent sickness, the Miasma. A purple hued mass that is spreading and infecting all living things, and will try to stop Kazimir on his quest by spawning monsters and generally getting in the way. Using the staff’s light powers are enough to destroy Miasma-made obstacles and weaker enemies, whilst stronger foes will have a light meter to fill in order to freeze them for a short period. Once temporarily calcified, Kazimir can whip out a trusty sickle to shatter them.

There are two ways our aged adventurer can die, by losing all his health or succumbing to the Miasma. Health lost in combat can be healed using certain herbs found throughout each level, while Kazimir can cleanse himself of the Miasma by standing his staff in the ground and basking in its cleansing light.

Combat is about pushing back the Miasma and self preservation, not vanquishing villains and seeking glory. There are a couple of boss fights, but they play much more like intense puzzle sections than an outright brawl. Combat mirrors the game’s themes and Kazimir’s journey; the old man’s own healing reflected in his actions and the world around him.

Puzzles are a particular highlight, and take several different forms, leading to good variety and my constant interest. Regularly needing Kazimir to traverse both land and water, puzzles often involve lighting up symbols in the environment, destroying parts of the Miasma, and interacting with animal spirits. There is just the right amount of difficulty with these elements and I found them very satisfying, enjoying the short personal journey from “how do I do this?” to “Aha, got it!” I was never stumped for more than a minute for two, and often found that if I was missing something it was due to not yet finding a clue or part of the puzzle somewhere in the environment.

As stated earlier, exploration is the focus in Selfloss, and in my opinion where the game shines brightest. Inspired by Icelandic landscapes the art direction and level design is spectacular, creating eerie yet beguiling locales rich with detail and world building. Towering columns of basalt, frost lined fjords, and breath-taking waterfalls are just some of the natural features that distinguish each biome. The world of Yord is one that begs to be explored, seen from every angle, investigated for a clue to a puzzle or hidden collectible. The mood and atmosphere is completed by a soundtrack of soft, chanting vocals accompanied by resonating tones and haunting theremin, while the sharp sound design picks out every footstep, whistle and grunt Kazimir makes amongst an orchestra of aquatic nature.

There are two types of collectibles to find throughout the game, rewards for keen eyed explorers. The first are statues of a fish silhouette engraved with runes, the second (and a personal highlight of the game) are lost pages for a giant’s book. Both of these give you more of the world’s lore and history, but the lost pages come with these gorgeous illustrations that reminded me of tarot cards.

I loved the way the game incentivised me to keep searching, the camera swinging slowly round to follow Kazimir and bringing something in the hazy background into view, coaxing me to lose myself in this marvellous world.

I really struggle to think of any genuine flaws in Selfloss, an achievement unto itself as the first game from three person studio Goodwin Games. Other than the odd time the camera’s positioning or slow speed led to my accidental demise, I had an excellent 8 hours from start to finish.

Selfloss is heart-wrenching and wonderful; a game that won’t spare its players the gory details, that tells a clear story in a world still veiled in mysticism. With its focus on rewarding exploration mixed with very satisfying puzzle-solving and light combat (pun intended), Selfloss is one of the best games I have played in 2024.

Selfloss is available now on: PC (Steam and EGS), PS5, Xbox Series and the Nintendo Switch.

We would like to thank the developer Goodwin Games for the review code.

This game was reviewed on PC (Steam) using a controller.