In a seemingly endless sea of emotion-forward, narrative-driven indie titles, Deer & Boy rarely feels interested in breaking new ground with any revolutionary story swings or gameplay mechanics. Rather, developer Lifeline Games has crafted an intimate fable, told through a friendship between a boy and an orphaned fawn, that’s focused on reminding us that we don’t have to face our grief alone.
Scared, but not alone
Deer & Boy opens with a young, unnamed boy escaping from his bedroom window on a rainy night, before stopping at a memorial for someone dear to him. The loss he experienced prior to the game’s opening has given him a reason to run away from home, sending him on a quest through perilous landscapes as he tries to outrun his pain.
After a brief time journeying solo, he stumbles upon a young fawn whose mother has been shot and killed, prompting him to befriend it. Both grappling with overwhelming loss, they rapidly gain each other’s trust and form a unified goal: to avoid capture on their quest for a life of freedom and a renewed sense of purpose.
These two friends soon discover that freedom doesn’t come easy, though. The game’s core gameplay loop involves solving increasingly clever environmental puzzles to survive, requiring both the boy and the deer to engage with the world in unique ways to help one another cross dangerous paths. These commonly involve overly-familiar tropes like moving crates to reach high ledges, but I was impressed by some of the more creative segments, which I won’t spoil here, that forced me to think outside the box.
Well, I guess this is growing up
Puzzles progress in complexity as the adventure continues — but so do our heroes. As time passes, the deer grows both in size and confidence, effectively shifting the dynamic between the two protagonists. Puzzles that may have once required the boy to protect a fragile fawn are replaced with scenarios wherein he’s forced to lean much more heavily on the now maturing buck. This visual and mechanical evolution informs the narrative, which aims to remind us that we shouldn’t have to carry the weight of our burdens alone, and that even protectors may sometimes need protection.
Meanwhile, heartpounding stealth and escape sequences, such as hiding from a giant boar in the forest or narrowly sneaking past some cops inside a factory, serve as cathartic endcaps to certain beats within the tale, showcasing how well the two unlikely pals work together under pressure. Having the deer knock over a bucket to distract a guard while you sneak to a new spot is simple to pull off, but it helps to sell the duo’s deepening bond equally as much as a quiet scene of them cuddling inside a railcar, watching fireflies light up the countryside as it passes them by.
Unfortunately, Deer & Boy’s puzzles and frantic evasion sequences too often devolve into a game of trial-and-error. Objects and climbable spots frequently blend into the background, making for obtuse contextual interactions that can be hard to spot until after you’ve already failed a solution or been caught. This creates some needlessly frustrating breaks in immersion during pivotal moments, consequently robbing them of some of their emotional resonance. You respawn quickly near the same spot you died, letting you spring back into action — but it still sucks to lose momentum without really understanding what you did wrong.
While certain slices of the game are no doubt dampened by this iffy design, I found it difficult to hold a grudge while so entranced by Deer & Boy’s gorgeous environments, crisp animations, and stirring score that settles deep in the chest during the most heartfelt moments. Whether it was a relaxing stroll through the forest or navigating a claustrophobic tunnel system while being chased by deadly monstrosities, it was a pleasure to briefly live in this magical little world and watch the boy and his deer grow up together. It’s an imperfect journey, but it’s one I’m glad I took.
Verdict
Deer & Boy packs plenty of heart and excitement into its brief runtime, aiming right for the feels with a lovely tale about a bond between two creatures who are, at once, nothing alike and exactly the same. Despite its over-reliance on trial-and-error sections, there’s a lot to appreciate about this coming-of-age adventure that helps it stand comfortably alongside many of its contemporaries.
