Oxenfree is a supernatural thriller developed and published by Night School Studio in January 2016. Since its initial release date, it has been available on MS Windows, OS X, and Xbox One. Today, it’s also playable via SteamOS, Linux, Ubuntu (though support may be limited), PS4, Linux, Nintendo Switch, Android Play Store, and the iOS App Store. The game blends a creative tale and intelligent dialogue mechanics with superbly creepy music to make a profound and lasting effect on the player.

Friends Getaway on a Supernatural Island 

Oxenfree tells the story of a group of friends who unintentionally create a haunting riff. Your game character is Alex, a vivacious adolescent who has recently invited his new stepbrother Jonas and closest buddy Ren to a catastrophic overnight island party. Immediately after entering the Island, you meet other friends and learn a lot about the place. You learn that it used to be a military base but has since been abandoned. You also learn that there was only one permanent resident on the island, but the man died recently. Finally, you learn that there are so many unexplained supernatural happenings on the island, usually triggered by specific radio frequencies.

Amazing Sound Design that Makes Me Want More 

When it comes to sound design and voice acting, they couldn’t be more polished. The art style is gorgeous and has a subtle comic book charm that makes you want to go back for seconds. The soundtrack is stunning; made up mostly of ambient noises, it helps immerse you so much into what’s happening. It was probably one of my favorite parts of the game. 

Getaway Gone Crazy 

Oxenfree is a supernatural thriller that combines 80s horror and coming-of-age teen drama elements. The narrative follows a group of teenagers who go to an island to hang out and have fun – it’s a typical getaway for high school students. But when they step foot on that island, they discover something strange: a phantom radiofrequency interfering with their communications devices. 

They need to solve that mystery if they want any chance of making it home alive. Oxenfree relies heavily on dialogue choices as you maneuver through sticky situations with friends with gameplay reminiscent of old-school point-and-click adventure games. It’s got a great story and even better soundtrack; you won’t be able to stop playing until you finish it unless you force yourself to turn off your system. The game is pretty short — about 6 hours — but it remains one of the best teen supernatural games I’ve played to date. 

Conflicting, but Great Game Design 

Night School Studio showed off how effective it was in creating an immersive environment in the game. The developers succeeded in creating a horror/thriller game that grabs the attention of players and critics. The game design features elements that I hardly ever see mixed up in a single game. For instance, they created a 3D environment, with 2D characters roaming around. The game settings also feature classic designs with modern views. Overall, the visuals combine analog, creepy, and organic designs with brighter, relaxing, and digital elements. Even the soundtrack is not left out, as you will find a mix of vintage and digital styles. 

Socializing with Other Characters in the Game

Since Oxenfree is a game of choices, you get to choose who to spend more time with and who to avoid when possible. Your choices could either impress or annoy the characters. Sometimes, you must displease one of the characters to impress the others and displease all of them in some cases. These outcomes aren’t so different from what we experience in real-life situations. Although some of the characters’ attitudes may annoy you initially, they will eventually grow on you, causing you to develop a beautiful relationship with every one of them. For instance, I initially hated Ren’s talkative nature at the beginning of the game, but he later became my favorite character.

Tuning in to the Supernatural with the Radio 

You can use the radio to switch in and out of different scenarios. Once you tune the radio, you will hear a creepy sound, and everything around changes automatically. For instance, some characters become possessed by evil spirits, while you may lose sight of other characters or find yourself in an alternate world. There’s also the ‘time loop’ feature that takes you to past events, only, things are different the second time. 

Oxenfree alternate endings

Oxenfree is a highly interactive game that gives players the chance to make many decisions and choices. I made many choices during the game that ultimately affected the outcome of many events and endings. One of the most challenging choices I made was to sacrifice Clarissa. I didn’t want to do it at first, but as I started to walk up to her, Alex disappeared before reaching out for my hand. It made me feel bad, but I couldn’t live with her knowing what had happened. It wasn’t a nice ending but felt like a natural choice that could happen in that situation. I chose to save her the next time I played the game, leaving the consequences to fate. 

Another route would be to choose Alex instead, but both are hard choices. As much as you want to help your friend, you don’t want them hating you because they died or doing something else you can never take back. Your actions would also affect Ren’s and Nona’s relationship or your relationship with Jonas. You could also choose to revive Michael by giving him the right advice. Anything is possible in Oxenfree, and supernatural activities left onshore decades ago from an old radio cause them.

Conclusion 

I loved playing Oxenfree. The gameplay was challenging in that I had to think about each decision I made because each choice affected everyone aboard. The game has incredibly well-written dialogue – realistic situations unfold between Alex and friends as she delves deeper into an island overrun. Explore Edwards Island and discover its dark history as you try to get Jonas back to safety. Outsmart ghosts with your unique brand of communication! If you love supernatural games, you will most likely love this game.