Birds Watching turned birdwatching into a fight for survival

I didn't think birdwatching could become fear-inducing, but Birds Watching proved me very wrong. Instead of the relaxing walking simulator you'd expect from a game about watching birds, it keeps you nervous: the world is engulfed in flames, you escaped to a mountain as the only human left, and you spend your days with binoculars and a little bird who visits your cabin.

After a short introduction you wake in your cabin, pick up the bird guidebook and start tracking species from silhouettes and locations — redstart, swallow and the bird at the feeding table among them. Then your radio buzzes, a suspicious voice asks you to find a food store, and your companion bird even starts talking.

As you explore, shapes move in the distance and an oddly human-shaped mass on cliff edges makes darker areas like the swamp and woods feel unsafe. Walking through the orchard, an unruly, distorted screech behind me sent me running. Limited stamina meant I could only climb so far before stopping, and when I turned I saw a half-bird, half-man creature.

birds watching, birdwatching, walking simulator, survival, cabin, binoculars, companion bird, redstart, swallow, radio