Olija

Olija stars Faraday, shipwrecked off the coast of Terraphage, an unfamiliar country whose geography and inhabitants neither welcome him nor let him leave. He recovers a legendary harpoon and uses it for both traversal and combat: throw it into a wall to instantly teleport, hurl it through an enemy from across a room, or swing it as melee in close quarters.

Level design weaves platforming, swashbuckling combat and quiet exploration. The harpoon mechanic compresses what would be separate movement and combat systems into one rhythm, and crafting magic hats grants Faraday additional abilities that shift his loadout between zones. Other shipwrecked castaways need rescue and eventually become NPCs you interact with at a hub village.

The pixel art draws from Asian fantasy and sailors' tales in equal measure, and the soundtrack mixes flamenco, lo-fi and traditional Japanese music. The titular Olija, a mysterious lady Faraday becomes bound to, gives the narrative its melancholic spine. Developed by Skeleton Crew Studio in roughly four-hour campaign length.