Even with the growth of Steam and the indie scene, it’s rare that a game feels genuinely unique. When I first caught eye of Swan Song last year, the premise of a puzzle game inside a magical music box drew me in. With a cosy art style, soundtrack and gameplay, alongside a story of family and loss, this is the latest game from indie developer, Business Goose Studios who had created well-received Steam titles, Sizeable and 30 Birds.

Earlier this year I tried the game’s demo after it featured at the Galaxies Spring Showcase and very much enjoyed solving puzzles from the early chapters. So much so, I couldn’t wait to experience the full game. I’m delighted to say, if you too enjoyed the demo, the full game is certainly worth your investment. Our spoiler-lite review of Swan Song.

Thinking Inside the Box

Swan Song’s gameplay is like nothing you’ll have ever played before. The game takes place entirely within a gorgeous and magical old-fashioned music box, with the gameplay requiring you to move the swan to the finish of each puzzle using musical notes on the four musical lines.

The game’s early puzzles which featured in the demo include simplistic puzzle quirks including shifting and twisting panels, but what starts out incredibly simplistic quickly becomes more involved.

Across the nine chapters of Swan Song, the game is constantly introducing new – and genuinely great and fun – mechanics to you. Some of these include music notes that are delayed for their first chime and only kick in on the notes second-coming; whilst another is menacing figures who cast a line at the swan knocking them off the track. One of my most favourite notes was one that caused the swan to stagger and miss a note, which really had me thinking harder to identify the solutions.

By chapter nine, Swan Song will be presenting you with a multitude of musical notes for each puzzle. The satisfaction of working out how to get our bird to the finish in these later stages feels very stimulating. It is very approachable to people who may be intimidated by more complex games in the genre – like myself.

Solving the puzzles is largely a logic-based approach of ‘why does this note need to be on this line at this point’, then working it forward. However, the game is clever in the notes it offers you, often making you think the solution is more black and white than it really is. The difficulty is very fair and you should be able to work your way through all puzzles efficiently, but I’m sure most players will be stumped with a handful, much like I was.

Excellent Composition

I don’t think that Swan Song would have kept me as interested had it not been for the story of the box itself, and its creator. Without getting into spoiler territory that isn’t part of the game’s marketing, this box has been crafted as a family tribute. The narrative explores the effect this seemingly joyous box has had on the Vogelzang’s, intertwined with the devastation of loss and grief.

Throughout the nine chapters we unravel more to what has happened to one of the three via a steady drip feed of new details which deepen this emotive story. With three well voice acted characters, mother Agatha, father Tristan and daughter Edith, Swan Song is told via cassette tape recordings, notes and other items that appear in the music box in between puzzles. The notes are well-written, emotionally impactful and enough to leave a lump in your throat.

There isn’t any big reveal or surprise in Swan Song’s 4-5 hour playthrough but it’s a competent story that I enjoyed despite its sombre tone.

Note-worthy Presentation

Swan Song is a very pretty, very charming and indeed, a very cosy game. Though the game features little more than the music box itself, you will never tire of its beauty. With four core colours for the puzzle pieces and music score – which can be amended for accessibility purposes – alongside our graceful swan and cogs, the aesthetic of the box kept me engrossed for the full runtime.

Each new chapter changes the background to be themed to the tale as it unravels. Additionally, the narrative related items that we discover from the box itself are well designed and a delight to look at.

The titles audio captures the chimes of a music box perfectly. In many ways, each note could sound haunting enough to be from an eerie horror movie, but Swan Song’s soundtrack ensures the mood stays true to the vision of the creators – equal parts oppressive and absorbing.

The Vogelzang’s Swansong

Swan Song is an adorable and worthwhile cosy puzzle title, offering unique gameplay that fans of the genre will enjoy. What on the surface could appear to offer limited tricks succeeds in finding new mechanics that will keep players mentally engaged from start to finish.

Storytelling in puzzle games can often feel hollow and an unnecessary bolt-on, but in Swan Song it feels an essential part of the experience. The Vogelzang’s relationship is complicated, sombre and for parents like myself, thought-invoking. Our time is fragile, time with family is invaluable and what time we have, is limited. If you decide to spend five precious hours with Swan Song, I hope you find it as valuable invested time as I did.

Note to players: If you find themes of death and terminal illness triggering, you may want to consider reading a review with more spoilers than the above.

Swan Song releases on June 4. 2026 on Steam.

This review was played entirely on Steam Deck where the game ran flawlessly with gamepad controls. Thank you to developer and publisher for the code provided for review.