A modern take on the classic point-and-click adventure format, Röki does little to change up the core mechanics. Lovers of old Sierra and LucasArts games will feel right at home chaining together scraps of logic and scouring the stunning environments for clues. Directly controlling Tove, players wander through forests, caves, castles and dreamscapes. You can combine objects in your inventory but the interface is very simple and uncluttered. The puzzles are mostly objective-based and follow a logical narrative thread: find the ingredients for a spell, collect the keys to open a door and repair the ancient machinery. A few unique mechanics are introduced and help to break up the formula here and there, but you’ll mainly be solving puzzles using your wits and your items. My favourite quests involve helping the many characters scattered throughout Röki’s forest, from its massive trolls to the tiny Tomte helper fairies. They’re incredibly endearing and diverse. I particularly enjoyed interacting with a certain spirit who keeps trying to lure Tove into its pond.

Visually, Röki is absolutely gorgeous. The simplistic textures provide a beautiful balance between the cartoonish and the arcane, allowing characters and objects to feel at once perfectly natural and bursting with otherworldly charm. Environments are varied, complex, and memorable. Little Tove stands out against the fantastical backgrounds, reinforcing that she is a tiny stranger in this fantastical world. 

The bulk of Röki’s gameplay takes place in Chapter Two, where Tove must find and awaken the Guardians of the forest to enlist their help in rescuing Lars. The forest is in decay, besieged by raven queen Rörka’s minions for countless years. Petrified trolls lie devastatingly around the landscape. An abandoned church sits amongst a dozen childrens’ graves. Terrible things have happened here, but the darkness of the world is counterbalanced by Tove’s determination and wonder – she chooses to befriend monsters, and she collects cool trinkets to keep in her journal along the way. It’s a neat balance of darkness and whimsy that helps to provide variety in tone and keep you invested in the world.

Themes of loss and acceptance are embedded in Röki’s presentation and explored through its storytelling and worldbuilding. Elements of Scandinavian folklore inform its aesthetics and its narrative. Everyone in this world grieves in some way, and it’s through Tove’s brave actions in confronting her own trauma that the player helps them find peace and move on.

Typical of point-and-click adventure games, there is a certain amount of pixel hunting required to navigate Röki’s puzzles. Thankfully clicking the control stick highlights interactable objects currently onscreen and there is a comprehensive journal system that describes the major puzzles in each location. Seeing as this is an adventure game, you will inevitably get stuck. There is a hint system provided (speaking to the Tree of Many will occasionally trigger some nudging dialogue) but it is incredibly barebones and not helpful to the stumped player. When I was hitting my head against the wall trying to progress, I began to find Tove’s slow movement intensely frustrating as I backtracked over and over again. I only wanted the smallest push in the right direction! However, I don’t claim to be a brainiac, so what seemed irritating for me might be exactly the kind of cognitive exercise another player craves. The levels of “moon logic” are low but present: when there is a guide released for Röki, don’t be ashamed to use it.