As a child, in the forest where I lived, there was a pond covered with duckweed. I would go to him and throw stones into the water. Each time the stone made a splashing sound and broke the layer of thousands of petite green leaves, revealing the obscure water. The effect amazed me, and now there’s a novel game called Naiad it somehow reflects the childlike bliss that accompanies playing in the waters of nature.
Developed by HiWarp, a one-man team from Spain, Naiad is a game in which I play the role of a forest nymph named Naiad. As Naiad, I navigate the crystalline waters using the control stick and a top-down view. The Naiad’s body bends and swirls as I swim through the crystalline waters and explore the interconnecting streams and ponds. The sounds of frogs and splashing water make sounds, and sticks, logs, flowers and leaves float on the surface of the water and decorate it with colorful accents.
I can interact with my surroundings in the most subtle way. The duckling follows me and I reunite it with its mother. I’m playing hide and seek with a little cloud. I sing to the plants and they bloom. Sometimes I dive under enormous logs and sometimes I move one so the duckling can follow me. I will sing to the bird and it will fly overhead as I lead it to the perch. I collect fish that follow me and swim alongside me.
Often, when I manage to reunite the animals, the game thanks me with an on-screen message for taking the time to stop and lend a hand. However, from time to time, some interaction will fill the Naiad with warmth and transform the nymph. For example, at one point the Naiad sings to a mystical deer and the deer drinks from a pool of clear water. Naiad’s hair is then decorated with flowers and she gains the power to swim through obstacles a bit faster. In this way, I watch Naiad slowly grow and connect with the world around her.
Water is life and Naiad there is a story behind this saying. The game emphasizes and evokes overt narrative, showing me all the worlds that water touches. Sometimes these story beats nourish me, like when I see a giant deer drinking water or a man playing an acoustic guitar by a river. But I also see the effects of human intervention. As a Naiad, I fend off the woodcutters who cut down the trees and illuminate the waters blackened by the dynamic mine.
Naiad it was created with a clear respect for water and that is what makes it unique. I see this respect embodied in the little nymph and I enjoy all that the waters of this game have to offer. Sometimes it’s through the joy of splashing around as a wood nymph; other times it is lush images of a fit forest and its flowers. As wonderful as splashing in the water is, so is it Naiad.
Naiad was released on December 10 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Mac, and Xbox Series X. The game was reviewed on PC using a pre-download code provided by HiWarp. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, although Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased through affiliate links. Additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy can be found here.
