A Highland Song

Time to set aside all those cliches about tartan, haggis and Irn-Bru: this narrative-focused 2D platformer puts an authentic Scottish spin on survival mechanics and open exploration

- Alan Wen

I don't think I've played a game so intrinsically and faithfully Scottish as A Highland Song. It's absolutely steeped in Gaelic names and traditions, Scottish colloquialisms, and casual profanity. Don't worry if all of that goes over your head, though: instead of bombarding you with text-based choices like most narrative games, here the decisions come from the paths you physically take.

Leaving her mam's house in the middle of nowhere, 15-year-old Moira's journey to her uncle's lighthouse sees her running, jumping and climbing across the Highlands to the seafront in time for Beltane-Gaelic May Day.

There are multiple routes to take, each one an utterly breathtaking hand-painted backdrop, but not all of them lead towards your goal. Sprinting after wild deer triggers fun rhythm-based minigames, where the hills burst alive with glorious Celtic folk music... but getting swept away as Moira skips along to your button prompts could quickly take you off in the wrong direction.