The Forest Quartet (NSP, XCI) ROM + v4.0.1 Update

The Forest Quartet is a 2022 video game created by Danish independent developer Mads Vadsholt under the name Mads and Friends and published by Bedtime Digital Games. The game is a puzzle-based adventure game in which the player is a spirit tasked to reunite the members of her former band by reinvigorating life in the forest they inhabit.

Players float around three stages and interact with items to complete puzzles that inspire the band members to move on, by illuminating the darkness of the forest and putting out fires. Upon release, the game received average reviews, with critics praising the game’s audiovisual design and the relationship between graphics and sound.

For the next, there is a whitelist critiquing the challenge and complexity of its puzzle gameplay. The Forest Quartet was recognized for its audio design by winning the ‘Excellence in Audio award at the 2023 Independent Games Festival.

A 3D narrative puzzler delves into the tale of a departed yet unforgettable lead singer. Assume her spiritual essence and navigate through three distinct acts tied to her bandmates for a poignant farewell concert. Confront their emotions, tackle puzzles, and combat the corruption afflicting their souls.

GAMEPLAY

The game is a puzzle game in which the player navigates three stages to complete puzzles, each based on reuniting one of the three band members. The player can float across stages and use Nina’s voice to manipulate objects, press buttons, and collect items to activate objects.

In the first stage, the player assembles machinery by locating and assembling cables and manipulating valves and dials to power large generators. In the second stage, the player activates light bulbs that illuminate the darkness of the forest. In the final stage, the player transforms into a swarm of butterflies to navigate a series of pipes to direct the flow of water to put out forest fires.

PLOT

The titular Forest Quartet was a jazz band in Denmark led by singer and saxophonist Nina, who has recently passed away after an illness; the remaining trio has announced a final tribute concert to her in the forest where the four musicians moved from the city on Nina’s insistence, but the isolation and grief have gotten the better of the three, and the player must guide Nina’s spirit to help them resolve their mental health issues.

This manifests in various forms in Nina’s spirit world: American pianist Kirk’s depression appears as black blobs enveloping his environment, French bassist Jean-Baptiste (“JB”) suffers from the anxiety that manifests as lumbering – albeit harmless – black creatures and drummer Sebastian has anger issues materializing as a wildfire.

After Nina’s invisible interventions, Kirk and JB eventually call each other and convince each other to do the gig, but Sebastian doesn’t pick up his phone by the time of the concert; the two apologize to the audience and decide to go through the forest to Sebastian’s house to fetch him; on the way, both Kirk and JB have mild panic attacks, to which Nina has to intervene.

When they arrive, Sebastian reluctantly agrees to participate, but on the way back, the three almost change their minds due to their emotional friction, until they stumble upon Nina’s grave. Admitting she held them together, they apologized to each other said a final goodbye to her, and performed the concert, with Nina’s spirit finally able to find peace.

CHARACTERS

• KIRK – Once-vibrant nature, a wellspring of Kirk’s inspiration, succumbs to an encroaching fungus, transforming growth into decay. Wield the power of your voice to rejuvenate the forest.
• JB – A once-lit forest now shrouded in darkness, creatures emerging from the depths. Uncover the lost light to rekindle JB’s musical inspiration.
• SEBASTIAN – A volcanic eruption wreaks havoc, spewing lava into the nearby forest. Restore an underground water system and reconnect lost pipes to halt the destructive eruption.

FEATURES

• SPIRIT POWER – Engage with objects through song, conjure light with your fingertips, and explore band members’ psyches by gliding, floating, and transforming into butterflies.
• LISTEN CLOSELY – Environments and objects contribute unique layers to the soundtrack, from crackling forest fires to chilling winds in deep caverns.
• A STORY OF LIFE – Navigate heartbreak and loss, recovering from grief to reignite the band’s musical flame.
• A RELAXING GAMEPLAY – Experience gradual empowerment for your journey without explicit descriptions or instructions.

Developer’s Note: The Forest Quartet is a personal, family-crafted project featuring an original jazz score composed by Mads’ father, Nina voiced by his sister, and the soundtrack performed by select musicians from The Danish Radio Big Band in Copenhagen, Denmark.