Polygon.com / 20.12.24

Naiad reminds me how magical water is

As a child, the woods I lived by had a pond covered in duckweed, and I would go to it and toss rocks into the water. Each time, the stone made a plopping sound and broke the blanket of thousands of tiny green leaves to reveal darkened water. The effect enthralled me, and now, a new game called Naiad somehow captures that childlike bliss that comes with playing in natures waters.  Developed by HiWarp, a one-person team based in Spain, Naiad is a game in which I get to play as a forest nymph named Naiad. As Naiad, I navigate through crystalline waters using my control stick and a top-down view. Naiads body arches and twirls as I swim through crystalline waters and explore connected streams and ponds. The sound of frogs and splashing water plays, and sticks, logs, flowers, and leaves bobble on top of the water and ornament it with pops of color.  I can interact with my surroundings in the gentlest of ways. A duckling follows me, and I reunite it with its mom. I play hide-and-seek with ...
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