BEST WITH FRIENDS! Experiencing this game for the first time at a LAN with a few close friends was uniquely special. I knew Vofgofm was spending every spare minute in their busy life pouring their soul into this project, but I had no idea it was this polished and included all of our friends before I played it a few days ago. I was blown away with the soulfulness of this game, with its hand drawn animations and a million references to each friend. Passing the controller was a wholesome and connected experience. Happy LANd is what gaming is all about, at least in my book. I loved how each character has their own movement and unique obstacles in the game. I am definitely biased but my favorite part was the alien station with all the little guys from my tiny museum. The alien character's float mechanic was really fun too. I loved the endless references to all our favorite single player games we pass the controller on together.
The theme's image (symbolic of the creation of Adam) spoke to me, and although I did not submit a game, I loved playing each submission I could. So many takes of one image, one feeling. To me, the image is about human connection, reaching out, and how we can sometimes never touch or truly be close. When we all finished Happy LANd together I felt more connected to myself and my friends than ever before. The most beautiful and fitting part is when we all finished our characters part, the final boss came and it was VERY difficult (but there is a full playthrough if you get stuck!). Vofgofm helped us beat that final boss and we watched in awe as the boss just kept coming at us with new stuff! With each players powers combined in an intuitive and seamless way, we all watched the color come back to our life. The two hands reaching out for each other, now connected.
I am immensely proud of the Dev, my dear friend Vofgofm. Thank you for making this game and showing me what true connection is.