FJORDS—a little-known game about the endless exploration of computer code and glistening cataracts with a hook shot—has been out for just over a month. It was a Fantastic Arcade selection and comes highly-recommended by the ambassador of indie games Brandon Boyer. Despite the accolades, Kyle Reimergartin posted on his blog that his game has “sold 249 copies. It has made $2150. That continues to be amazing to me.”
While he seems happy with the numbers, more people should be playing this thing. FJORDS is mysterious, artful, and potentially genius. It could be another Starseed Pilgrim, last year’s low-fidelity game-designer-darling (the critics never really got on board) that came out of nowhere and caused Braid-creator Jonathan Blow to gruffly Tweet at the press that the should be covering it.
If you still need convincing, allow me to paraphrase Reimergartin’s wistful description of his game:
FJORDS is a world that has grown up around all of the impossible doors and endless stairs and irrational foyers of other videogames, places that collapse as soon as they are offscreen, unlivable places.
FJORDS is taking the ferry to work every day for two years. . . in the early early morning, before the sun rises.
FJORDS is walking through Lincoln Park and thinking about. . . every videogame I’ve ever played.