Annapurna Interactive Appreciation Thread. Come share your experiences with these games!

[CannonFodder52]

In a short couple years Annapurna Interactive has gone from announcing their presence, to being one of, if not the premier publisher for creative and resonate independent games. These were not easy years to stand out in either, 2017-18 were some of the most packed years of this gen. Annapurna managed this through consistent, back to back releases of intensely creative games, ones that told personal stories and made long lasting impacts on their players. I've personally loved all of their output that I've touched and I can't even imagine the gaming space without their presence now.
*(Must be noted that the individual devs on these projects deserve the credit for their art, though this thread is largely focused on Annapurna the publisher)

On the day they revealed their establishment, Annapurna made a huge splash by announcing that they would be publishing, What Remains of Edith Finch, Gorogoa, Wattam and Florence. These would go on to be huge games (outside of Wattam, we're still waiting on that one).
I loved my experience with Edith Finch, some of those vignettes will stay with me forever, especially the fish factory one which was a brilliant combination of gameplay and narrative. Florence became my favorite phone game of all time. I still haven't played Gorogoa, but I saw that made its way high on many people's GOTY lists.

Since then they've continued to pump out absolutely stellar games. Ashen was a lovely combination of Dark Souls and Tarrey Town.
Donut County was a stellar phone game that felt like a creative twist on Katamari and came bundled with a lovely sound track.
In 2019 Annapurna Interactive published the Outer Wilds. For me, this game appealed to Wind Waker's sense of exploration, endless possibilities and discovery, while also engaging with a level of detective work that felt reminiscent of Return of the Obra Dinn. The Outer Wilds caught me off guard and blew me away, it's my current top game of 2019.

Now looking towards the future they've got a tremendous lineup waiting for us. There's Sam Barlow's Telling Lies, the follow up to Her Story. Sayonara Wild Hearts, 12 Minutes, The Artful Escape, Keita Takahashi's Wattam, and more.
I felt a brutal twinge initially upon reading that thread early this week, but I'm just glad to see they seem to be perfectly fine.
When I look at the generations after PS1, a lot of the games that really stand out as cherished games for me are creative titles like, Katamari, Ico, Journey and Her Story. It feels like Annapurna is helping to keep the legacy of these kind of experimental games alive and I'm ecstatic about it.

Now, I'd like to know if you've enjoyed Annapurna's output? If any of these games have impacted you? Or if they've let you down or challenged you in any way?
Or do you have any thoughts on their upcoming titles?

Here's a little reminder of what they've put out and what's to come:

What Remains of Edith Finch - ‎Giant Sparrow (April 25, 2017)

Gorogoa - Jason Roberts (December 14, 2017)

Florence - Mountains (February 14, 2018)

Donut County - Ben Esposito (August 28, 2018)

Ashen - A44 (December 7, 2018)

Outer Wilds - Mobius Digital (May 29, 2019)

Upcoming titles:

Sayonara Wild Hearts - Simogo (TBA 2019)




Telling Lies - Sam Barlow (TBA 2019)




The Pathless - Giant Squid (TBA 2019)




The Artful Escape - Beethoven & Dinosaur (TBA 2019)

Wattam - Keita Takahashi (TBA 20XX)

12 Minutes - Luis Antonio (TBA 2020)

Solar Ash Kingdom - Heart Machine (TBA)




Due Process - Giant Enemy Crab (TBA)

Kentucky Route Zero TV Edition - Cardboard Computer (TBA 2019)

​

Now, I'd like to know if you've enjoyed Annapurna's output? If any of these games have impacted you? Or if they've let you down or challenged you in any way?
Or do you have any thoughts on their upcoming titles?

 

[Gus]

Currently they are my favorite publisher. Edith Finch and Gorogoa were two of the best games of 2017 and Florence is my favorite mobile title ever. Really excited for 12 Minutes, Telling Lies and The Pathless!

 

[iHeartGameDev]

I cannot wait for Solar Ash Kingdom. Annapurna has my support!

 

[Lant_War]

I played Edith Finch expecting something like Firewatch and was bored to tears. Didn't like it at all.

Gorogoa's main mechanic is insanely creative though

 

[Feep]

Annapurna rules. Got to play Sayonara: Wild Hearts this past E3 and it was incredible.

 

[Deleted member 8861]

Oh, wait, wow. I'll need to follow these folks closer in the future. Edith Finch didn't really resonate with me as much as it did with other people, but it's the exact sort of game I yearn to see more of- games that exist for their stories and their experiences.

 

[Miker]

I've played Edith Finch, Gorogoa, Donut County, and Florence. Enjoyed Edith Finch, /loved/ Gorogoa, really liked Donut County, enjoyed Florence. I can't believe Gorogoa almost lost to FE: Heroes in the mobile category for Era's 2017 GOTY awards. What the hell is wrong with people.

 

[Deleted member 8593]

They publish some real cool shit. I think the only game of theirs I didn't enjoy so far was Edith Finch.

 

[Turin Turambar]

I just finished Outer Wilds (literally seeing the credits right now) so yep, they are great ;)

 

[Hey Please]

Outer Wilds did not click with me but I am keenly looking forward to 12 minutes.

And thanks for making this thread as I had no idea that they had already made so many games.

 

[Deleted member 11976]

Of their entire catalogue I've played Ashen, Gorogoa, and Florence. Gorogoa is one of the best games I've played in the last 5 years. If anyone is reading and hasn't played it, go grab it. You can finish it in a few sittings but I guarantee you've never played anything like it. A perfect palate cleanser between bloated, overstuffed AAA games.

 

[KOfLegend]

What Remains of Edith Finch is one of my favorites games this gen, and probably of all time. Just...an absolutely incredible ride all the way through. The amount of love, care and creativity packed into it is absurd. Giant Sparrow are absolute masters of their craft.

You owe it to yourself to experience it.

 

[TheMrPliskin]

Outer Wilds and Florence are the only games of theirs that I've played and neither quite clicked for me, though I still need to finish Outer Wilds. That being said I'm very glad both of those games exist and there's stuff in their back catalogue that is on my list of games to checkout, a lot of stuff in the future that I'm really looking forward to as well.

They've definitely done a good job cultivating a catalogue of interesting and unique titles, even if everything doesn't entirely work for me personally.

 

[bluexy]

I've played every single one of their games and they've all been uniquely special and great. It's an insane track record. By far my current favorite publisher. Can't wait for what comes next.

 

[Hella]

Annapurna has cornered the Looping genre and I couldn't be happier about it. Outer Wilds and 12 Minutes are both games that I can't get outta my head--they're just so fascinating; Outer Wilds is one of my favourite games ever, and I can hardly wait for 12m to come out.


But like, I didn't realise how influential Annapurna was as a publisher until this thread. Seeing it all laid out in the OP like that makes a big impression. Excellent work on the OP, CannonFodder52 !

 

[Deleted member 5322]

They're also doing Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition.
I've played most of their stuff save for Ashen and Outer Wilds. The only thing that really resonated with me was Edith Finch tbh

 

[CannonFodder52]

Annapurna rules. Got to play Sayonara: Wild Hearts this past E3 and it was incredible.

Click to shrink...

Very excited for that one

 

[Mechaplum]

Only played Donut County and it was a pretty fun ride.

 

[Fantastical]

Outer Wilds was amazing. Liked Ashen okay. Can't wait for 12 Minutes.

 

[FelipeMGM]

Don't forget Kentucky Route Zero TV Edition!. We should hear news about that fairly soon

Out of those, I've played Edit Finch, Gorogoa and Ashen. Absolutely loved Edith Finch and Gorogoa, they are among my favorites of recent years, Ashen was good too but I've stopped playing after 10 hours or so.

I have Donut County and Outer Wilds on my backlog, and I'm looking forward to pretty much everything they have announced, especially Wattam, 12 Minutes (a project I have been following since 2015 and was so excited to know they were now supporting the title) and The Pathless. They quickly became one of my favorite publishers.

 

[oracledragon]

The only thing I am unhappy about is what happened to the play anywhere version of Ashen. Aside from that, they have been solid, their style of games they choose definitly agrees with me.

 

[Deleted member 679]

Only played Gorogoa, and didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I expected to, unfortunately.

Still want to play Edith Finch and I'm looking forward to Telling Lies and 12 Minutes since they were announced, and now after playing Abzûfor the first time a couple of weeks ago, I really want The Pathless.

 

[TheMoon]

They finally brought Gone Home to Switch and that's dope af.

 

[Celine]

Really enjoyed Gorogoa, the game mechanics were original and refreshing.

 

[DPB]

I've only played Ashen, it was alright but I liked it less the more I played. For a relatively short Souls game, the lack of combat variety got a bit old.

 

[fanboy]

Edith Finch all the way. Is dev of that still active? Are they working on something?

 

[Big G]

Edith Finch is my favorite narrative adventure/walking sim-type game. Did a number of things that were only possible through the medium of video games.

And Outer Wilds is fantastic and one of the 2 or 3 best games I've played so far in 2019.

 

[FallenGrace]

Only played Edith Finch. 'twas great, loved the voice acting and visual styles of the stories though some worked better than others.

Haven't heard of most the others listed. I only play on PS4 though which might be why.

 

[Saucycarpdog]

I'm in the private beta of Due Process and liking it enough. Definitely rough around the edges and needs some more work but the core concept is sound.

 

[Cdammen]

Oh wow, didn't know they were the pubs of many of my most liked games!

I greatly enjoyed Edith Finch, Kentucky Route Zero (on PC), The Outer Wilds, and Florence. Need to get Donut County on the Switch, looks goofy :)

Also, holy moly The Pathless looks interesting! Loving the scale.

 

[CerealKi11a]

I liked Donut County plenty, but I had never noticed it was published by Annapurna. After Outer Wilds, where I did notice, I'm interested in whatever they have to put out.

 

[ghostcrew]

They're one of my absolute favourite publishers. If they're releasing a new game, I'll play it. A new Annapurna title is basically a seal of quality for me.

Ashen and Outer Wilds are just incredibly my jam. If you haven't played either of them then fix that.

 

[Thorzilla]

Ashen is my gaming surprise of the generation. Went in absolutely blind and loved every single bit. That alone put then in my radar.

 

[Deleted member 11214]

Of what I've played so far: Edith Finch is a masterpiece and probably the best "walking simulator" (though Gone Home is still my favorite). Gorogoa is an all-time contemporary puzzle great for me, up there with The Witness, Stephen's Sausage Roll and Baba Is You.

On the other hand, Donut Country is one of my biggest disappointments of the last few years. Played a lot of early builds and was assuming the final product would be something more and it just never got there. Love the aesthetic, though. Florence is a nice little game. Can't play Ashen or Outer Wilds because I don't have an XBOX and will not spend money on the Epic Games Store.

All of their upcoming slate looks really nice, but we'll see.

 

[A Ream of Paper]

Played some of Ashen when it came to Game Pass last year, but never got around to finishing it. Really enjoyed it's world, style and atmosphere though.

Got around to trying the Outer Wilds a few days ago, but it doesn't seem like my thing sadly.

I've really been wanting to try Donut County. Heard it was a bit too short for the price though (on console at least). Would love if it came to Game Pass in the near future.

 

[newmoneytrash]

easily my favourite publisher

everyone should play florence, it's so good

 

[abellwillring]

Unfortunately Annapurna is nearly bankrupt. Hopefully things work out but it isn't looking good.

I hope if/when they find a buyer that the new owner keeps their commitment to quality in mind because I love their films although I haven't played many of their games.

 

[Treestump]

Only game on that list I've played is What Remains of Edith Finch which was a huge surprise and exactly what I want from a walking simulator game. Making the stories into their own gameplay segments was really cool and helped the story flow. Very enjoyable game.

12 Minutes looks great as well. Have high hopes for that one.

 

[CannonFodder52]

Edith Finch all the way. Is dev of that still active? Are they working on something?

Click to shrink...

https://www.pcgamer.com/what-remain...t-the-enchanting-beauty-of-animal-locomotion/

Sounds pretty promising, assuming this is still the direction they're heading in.

 

[hersheyfan]

Florence is an amazing game! It perfectly captures a specific feeling better than any game I've ever played, mobile game or otherwise. Well worth the couple of bucks itll cost you to buy.

 

[Fevaweva]

Florence was fantastic experience. One of the best things I have played on my phone.

 

[Ronnie Poncho]

Love love love Edith Finch. What a wonderful experience.

But Outer Wilds is my game of 2019 thus far. What a joy that game is.

And Due Process looks really interesting.

Unfortunately Annapurna is nearly bankrupt. Hopefully things work out but it isn't looking good.

I hope if/when they find a buyer that the new owner keeps their commitment to quality in mind because I love their films although I haven't played many of their games.

Click to shrink...

Annapurna Interactive is going to be fine no matter what happens to Annapurna films, apparently.

 

[BobbeMalle]

I cried at some part of Edith Finch and i completed Ashen yesterday, incredibly underrated gem.

 

[Tregard]

Edith Finch and Outer Wilds are two of my favourite gaming experiences of this year, Outer Wilds was breathtakingly expansive but also cosy, where as Edith Finch had a surprisingly warm vibe for such a macabre tale. I've been meaning to get around to Gorogoa, Florence and Donut County, and I'm looking forward to Telling Lies and 12 Minutes.

Ashen was superb right up until the last boss which I couldn't stand, but I still love that game.

 

[Deleted member 10737]

i really love them as an indie publisher.
i've been loving simogo's work for years, since their very first game on iOS back in 2010. i'm really glad they've picked up their first console game (sayonara wild hearts), i'm sure that will give them a lot of exposure that they wouldn't have gotten on their own.

 

[XVerdena]

Outer Wilds >>>>>>

 

[Oreiller]

I've only played Edith Finch, Florence and Gorogoa from them and they're all fantastic experiences. I really want to play Donut County and Outer Wilds too, they look just up my alley.

 

[Menx64]

Annapurna rules. Got to play Sayonara: Wild Hearts this past E3 and it was incredible.

Click to shrink...

no word on release date yet??

 

[m23]

I absolutely loved Ashen and I hope to see more from this IP. I do have What Remains of Edith Finch installed, just need to find time to finally play it.

 

[Stupid Sexy Flanders]

I've only properly played Edith Finch from them but that was fantastic. Google play gave me £2 credit for free so I just bought Florence and it seems lovely from the 10 minutes I've played so far.

I want to give some of their other games a go as well but it's hard to find the time!