I lost my Mum, eight months ago. It weighs on me heavily every day, as I’m sure grief does with a lot of people. I never quite understood the intensity and gravity of that feeling until she passed away. With her hand in mine, taking her last breath, after a short battle with cancer, the loss felt entirely overwhelming. It still does. How do people go on when someone so important to them is gone? That’s a question I’ve regularly caught myself asking, and I certainly don’t have the answer. But the unconditional love of my dogs, Butterscotch and Yakobi, certainly helps. Looking after them, and experiencing the love they’ve shown me through difficult times gave me a reason to keep on trucking.

Farewell North, an adventure game made by solo developer Kyle Banks, explores this concept in a beautifully compelling way, that left me in tears more times than I could count. If you’ve experienced grief, especially recently like I have, I do not doubt that this gorgeous indie about a Border Collie helping their owner deal with her own grief will resonate deeply. It might even make that uncomfortable path you’re travelling feel less cold.

Playing as Chesley the Border Collie, you go on a trip down memory lane with owner Cailey. She is contending with the grief she is feeling after losing her mother, and you as her faithful companion are by her side as you together explore the Scottish Highlands. It’s a journey about bringing colour back to the world, Cailey’s world, while wrestling with the idea of saying farewell to the ones we love.

The world is initially presented in a grey, black and white tone, including even Chesley and Cailey, with colour only restoring once you complete an objective in that area, unlocking a memory and causing the colour to come seeping back in. The contrast is an obvious metaphor, but striking. Our memories are often hazy, especially when it comes to those we’ve lost. I often flash back to key moments with my Mum — a trip to the South Melbourne Market, an intricately put-together cheese board, Xmas celebrations in our home, my dogs by our side scoring table scraps. The images become clearer when I talk about them, and talk about how I felt at the time. They come to life.

In Farewell North, it shows that the little moments are to be cherished as much as the big ones and that little memories are also just as important. After completing a main portion of the story, Cailey routinely asks if you want to press on, or if you’d prefer to stay and explore. I enjoyed lingering on these scenes. Life is busy, and deadlines are always approaching. They don’t stop simply because you’ve lost someone special, like my Mum. But if you don’t slow down and enjoy the little moments, you’ll miss opportunities for jubilation. In this case, Chesley would miss out on the chance to chase some chickens or play fetch with a big ol’ stick. I’d hate to miss those moments with Butterscotch and Yakobi. So I revelled in every moment of Farewell North, occasionally collecting Will-o’-the-Wisps to increase my stamina along the way. In a lovely detail, a stick thrown for me by Cailey leaves a trail through the air and lands in a pool of colour even amongst the grey. That stick makes us happy, a bonding moment, and it’s shown visually as such. Good memories should be made in full colour.

Chesley has a limited amount of things he can do in Farewell North, and puzzles to solve, but none of it is overly taxing or complicated. One button creates a temporary orb of colour around you so you can activate flowers or interact with other animals. Another button is for barking (you’re a dog, after all, what did you expect?). Beyond that, you’ll simply run and jump, although changing perspectives on something like a broken bridge causes all the disparate pieces of it to come back together. Bringing a colourful flower to a dark blocked-off entryway clears it. Other stealthy moments of avoiding ‘monsters’ are a little less successful, but not overly punishing if you’re caught. On the flip side, you’ll help wildlife, like reuniting a mother with her lost ducklings. All Mums are special.

Tasks you’ll encounter to bring colour back to the islands are equally simplistic but always enjoyable. Herding sheep and other animals comes up a bit; Border Collies are working dogs, at the end of the day, and you’ll replay those moments together, magically reproducing them. Rowing a canoe between the islands is one of the more clumsy components of the experience; using a trigger for each oar can take some getting used to, but much like real-life canoeing, you’ll find a rhythm eventually. It makes hopping back and forth to find collectibles take a little bit longer, but allows for moments of reflection, particularly as Cailey remembers a Scottish song that her mother used to sing. You’ll collect verses, one at a time, and they’re delivered with conviction and a truly stunning vocal effort.

The soundtrack of Farewell North is incredibly strong throughout. Bagpipes and strings combine to create a stunning soundscape, adding emotional weight that makes for impactful moments that I felt in my soul. The Scottish setting is treated with love and respect; Gaelic translation of all the dialogue appears underneath whenever Cailey speaks, and her voice is authentic and heartfelt. Combine that with the watercolour visuals where grey and white get smothered in stunning floral colours and you have something really special. The production values of this solo-developed game are impeccable and elevate what would be a thoughtful experience into an utterly compelling one.

The authenticity comes through, even when you’re not focused on bringing colour to the world. At one point, Cailey is struggling with a simple task, and it’s up to you to prompt her to complete it. She’s overwhelmed with the feelings of grief, feelings that can make even the most basic responsibility feel gargantuan. It’s something I feel in my gut. A basic work job, a chore around the house, or even just getting up in the morning feels impossible some days. Chesley, nudging Cailey to move forward and keep going, shows the true power of companionship.

When you have a dog, their unconditional love urges you forward, even in the worst times. And if nothing else, they’re always going to be there for you, for a pat, a game of fetch, or a quiet moment of reflection as they sit beside you. I miss my Mum every day. But life is worth living. Not only for myself but for them. Farewell North doesn’t hammer you over the head with clichés about life and death, which is part of what makes it so effective. It asks you to pace yourself, feel sad if you need to, and enjoy the fleeting moments of happiness. As Cailey challenged me to a race and rode her bike through the lush forest and out to the dock, I was bounding ahead as fast as my four legs would carry me. But even though I didn’t need to, I kept looking back to make sure she wasn’t too far behind.

It’s the little moments, sometimes, that make you smile.