Kids have the most active imaginations. Thinking up monsters under the bed and ludicrous daydreams, being inside a child’s head is probably a terrifying place to be, all things considered. And in Always in Mind, an adventure game set to release on PC at some point this year, that’s exactly where you’ll find yourself.
You see, Always in Mind puts you in control of 12-year-old Teddy. He’s suffered an accident, putting him into a coma. Taking place deep within Teddy’s imagination, this is a colourful, imaginative and creative adventure through whimsical settings, eerie thoughts and nonsensical locations. You’ll be jumping over dominos, navigating your way up floating books, dashing in between trees and plenty more over the course of the game.
Taking control of Teddy is rather pleasing. He’s a mobile young chap, and you’ll be jumping, double-jumping, sliding and gliding your way around this creatively-designed world. The areas we’ve played through have been rather small but finding our way around has been down to us: there isn’t much in the way of directional help. But that’s not a bad thing: there’s little room to get truly lost, and feeling in charge of your adventure is somewhat rewarding.
While there’s no release date for Always in Mind, a demo has just landed on Steam allowing us to get a glimpse of what to expect. The demo throws us into chapter four, and so we’ve missed some of the early set-up of the story. We meet Teddy in the depths of a forest and he’s accompanied by a strange AI voice known as Proxy; something implanted into his head. Along with Proxy, Teddy will discover his deepest, most unconscious thoughts – and those of his extended family. You’ll learn about his mother, his grandfather and more.
‘Proxy’ is an interesting companion. He’ll talk to you sometimes, but he also appears as a ball of light. You can hold onto the ball or throw it, casting light wherever it goes. It’s also useful for breaking through blocked gateways with a powered-up kick. We’re intrigued to see what other functions Proxy may have: we’ve only seen a slither of everything that Always in Mind has to offer us, after all.
What’s perhaps intrigued us most about Always in Mind, though, is its story. We’ve only learned a little about Teddy and his family, but there’s undoubtedly plenty more to come. It seems Teddy doesn’t know much about where he came from, and we’re looking forward to learning what else is to come.
If you’re a fan of narrative-led platforming-adventures, make sure you keep Always in Mind on your radar. And be sure to give the demo a try: it’s available now on Steam, and it’s absolutely free.
