Alba: A Wildlife Adventure

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muy lindo

As posted on my blog: Do you ever go outside and wish you saw more wildlife? If so, Alba: A Wildlife Adventure is a game for you. It’s been out—and I’ve owned it—a few years now, but I only recently got around to playing it, and I’m so happy I did. In the game, you play as Alba, a child visiting her grandparents on a Spanish island. For your week-long vacation, you get to roam this small community. You’re joined by your friend Inés, who you only see once a year, since she lives there. The mayor wants to develop the island’s nature preserve into a resort, but the two of you say no. No, because the birds need that space. No, because the wildlife shares the island with us. Sure, Inés may be more vocal in her objections, but the two of you are a team determined to stop the development. Your grandparents and the community support you, but it takes some ingenuity to stop construction. If that seems like a kid-friendly premise, that’s because it is. Alba: A Wildlife Adventure seems like an exceptionally child-friendly game, an increasingly rare phenomenon, as far as I can tell. As a story-driven, values-focused, feel-good game, this offers young players an experience of a caliber I don’t often see. To encourage your discovery of the natural world, your grandparents provide you with a smartphone with a bird- and animal-identification app. With its camera, it’s great at identifying birds from a distance, and you quickly become familiar with some of the most common species. Even so, the week-long vacation frames the game in a series of days, each with their own missions, new areas of the island that become accessible (a bridge repaired! A farmer befriended!), and new birds that show up. Sure, I was playing and saying to myself, “I could just go outside and have this,” but real-world animals aren’t nearly as easy to spot and identify. Plus, I was playing as the weather got cold, and I’m not great at waking up early. As a character, Alba never speaks, but the game provides a strong sense of autonomy. Not only do you have free reign of the island, you’re able to answer yes-or-no questions by nodding or shaking your head, and those responses do feel meaningful. (I played this around the time I watched a streamer playing a Pokemon game that would offer two answers with no meaningful difference besides tone, so this stood out.) When it comes to gaming, I’m of the “leave no stone unturned” type. That is to say, in gaming lingo, I’m a completionist. Alba: A Wildlife Adventure makes that easy. Your birding guide provides general hints for where to find each bird; your grandparents allow you to determine when you’re done exploring for the day; and the community-oriented missions around the island are approachable, achievable, and engaging. In the end, I did google where to find the final two birds, but the majority of the island’s animal population showed up as I ran around. I almost felt like the bird identification feature improved my real-life knowledge, except I don’t live on a Spanish island, so I’m not sure much of it applies to my day-to-day life. I buy games based on a feeling: I need to like the aesthetic enough to look at it for a few hours, and I need some sense that I’ll enjoy the gameplay. The graphics for Alba are super cute, albeit simplified, given how complex birds can be. From the time I saw the game’s trailer, I knew I would enjoy it. If you have a nature-loving child in your life—or your inner child loves nature—this may be a great game to check out!

really nice little game! cute graphics, lovely setting, i really enjoyed it! took me about 4 hours to beat and 100% the animals (albeit the last three i did use a guide) i was worried at first that i might not be able to 100% the IDs after reaching the ending, but you get to keep playing in free mode once you're there! do not fret 🙏

An adorable game for wildlife lovers!

Short and sweet, but an important message. Also, would have loved to have the kind of summer experience where I was given a phone with a wildlife identification app and just left to my own devices.

A cozy, heartwarming game that feels like stepping onto a little island filled with love, innocence, and childlike wonder.