Tala

A little girl searches for her mentor in the deep, dark woods

- Kimberley Ballard

If you grew up in the countryside, or spent childhood holidays with your head buried in books of fairytales, you’ll understand the enchantment of forests. Flowers curl around your feet, birds peek at you from their nests, and bushes rustle with the sound of small creatures. This affinity with nature spills through Tala, the first release from videogames artist and animator Matthew Petrak.

Set in a tiny world, a girl called Tala ventures into the woods to find her guardian, the Town Warden, meeting characters and solving puzzles along the way. It sounds like a story you’d find in an Enid Blyton novel or on television alongside shows like The Box of Delights.