"Humble seed adrift; through ruin and seas of sand; yearning for the wind." –Unfortunate side effect of a pig being enamored with a game

I watched Flow (the Latvian entry for Best International Feature Film for the 97th Academy Awards); and I'm certified on small sailboats — and if I could somehow mash the essence of those two facts into a single coherent idea, I wouldn't have to write the review for Far: Lone Sails: I'd just hand you the tidy packet of thoughts, experiences and emotions and look you in the eye and – just like that – you would understand...

Sadly, as with most beautiful things, the simpler they appear, the more difficult they are to relate and so — here we are: you with the reading and me with trotters a-clacking on the keyboard.

The captivating 2018 adventure by Swiss dev Okomotive AG is like a painted scroll you travel through, controlling a tiny character in charge of a modest little land-ship who is about to undertake an epic journey through a world that has seen better days.

Despite the fact that not a word is uttered throughout the entire game, there is a plot but to describe it would be to cheapen the majesty of the 3-5 hour experience and – believe you me – that's not just me gushing: I could take a screenshot of any frame from within those 3-5 hours and hang it proudly at a gallery exhibit. In terms of artwork, presentation, mood, sound and music, Far offers an immersive experience of the caliber I thought only Delphine Software was capable of (as exemplified by their 1991 masterpiece, Another World).

And underneath that pristine presentation, a simple but compelling set of mechanics and ingenious environmental puzzles round out the experience which is nothing short of enchanting.

I mentioned having some sailing experience and the comparison to handling Far's wee vessel is apt. On a small sailboat, there (seemingly) isn't a whole lot to do. You've got your sail, you've got your rudder and a couple lines to be mindful of. That's it. But it's one thing to trim the sail or tack on a clear, sunny day and a completely different proposition to do so when a force 7 wind has your boat heeled to 30 degrees, you're braced backwards above the water and can see a worrying amount of keel poking up above the waves. There's a world of difference between knowing what to do and being able to do it when it counts.

Likewise, on Far's little land-ship, there aren't that many controls. A matter converter transforms junk into fuel, your engine uses fuel to propel the craft forward and generates steam, which has to be vented lest something catch aflame. There's a hand-brake, a fire hose, a line aft – to pull the craft backwards – and a winch forward to, uh, winch yourself forward.

As you progress through the game, some other additions put in an appearance (like, among other things, a sail), but each one is activated via the same mechanic of pulling a lever, bodily pushing an oversized button or (adorably) bopping it with your character's head as if you were Mario and it owed you a coin.

For the most part, running the little land-ship is easy. But it's when the environment puts in stern words to the effect of "a lightning bolt has set your sail on fire" that – much like in real-life sailing – remembering what you need to do, which button does it and getting to it on time provide a bit of a challenge.

Not that the game is difficult: periodic autosaves near nodes of activity provide a sufficient safety net so that you won't find yourself having to backtrack all that much and, even for a pig as dim as myself, the puzzles posed only a few minutes' consternation. In my first playthrough, I only "died" once — and right toward the end, at that.

I say "first" not because Far: Lone Sails has any replay value – rather because it's so good, I left it installed after finishing and fully intend to retread the journey at some future point.

In our chosen hobby, there are games and there are games — and Far: Lone Sails falls squarely into the latter category of no mere entertainment, but something approaching a true work of art. Through breathtaking visuals and inspired design – and without uttering a word – it tells an epic tale of loss and hope, endurance and tribulation; of stubborn survival in the face of overwhelming odds... Its story is uniquely suited to its chosen medium (though Flow proves a movie could work as well); and it's a story anyone who appreciates games will be glad to experience and anyone who appreciates beauty will cherish.

Pig Recommends:

• -if your hankering for cute, mute storytelling dealing with serious subjects isn't fulfilled by Far: Lone Sails, give Flow a watch; it may balance a cast of adorable critters on a sailboat with uncomfortable scenarios and fairly deep (pun intended) subject matter, but its message is, ultimately, one of hope;

• -checking out the rest of Okomotive AG's catalogue: Far: Changing Tides (2022), which parallels Lone Sails gameplay, except on actual water; and Herdling (coming out in 2025), which puts you in charge of a furry flock during an alpine ascent; as the two games are Steam/Epic-locked, I can't play 'em at the moment, but — nothing's stopping you;