Complete Hands-On With Krillbite Studios’ Mini Artistic Game, The Plan

The Plan is a short experimental game created by developers Krillbite Studios. In case you need a little reminder, they’re the guys working on the high-profile indie horror game, Among the Sleep, which is tentatively set to release this year and is the studios’ main focus. The Plan is Krillbite’s in-between game, a small experimental side-project, that focuses on death and meaning, and is another entry in the more artistic collection of indie games. The developer was kind enough to give me early access to a preview-build which was said to be a good representation of the final game that will be released for free on PC, Mac and Linux on February 10, this Sunday. After giving it a complete playthrough, which took just around ten minutes in total, I’m here to talk about my experience with the complete game.

In the game you play as a little fly who starts off on the ground, but wants to ascend into the skies. It won’t be an easy road as harsh wind and large leaves can hinder your progress. There is only one way to go, and that’s straight up. It’s a little bit of a pity that your freedom to fly around is restricted by invisible barriers and limited space, but the playing experience is comfortable and your curiousity will encourage you to keep going up, which itself is enjoyable and relaxing. Well, you might want to be cautious about what I said there because if you have an extreme hatred for flies, the buzzing sound might get to you a little. Otherwise, for me at least, it was a comfortable and relaxing experience.

The first thing to notice, and love, about The Plan is the incredible art style. I definitely feel it’s the absolute best reason to play the game, and will be your biggest incentive to do so. Personally, I’m a sucker for great graphics and gorgeous art direction, and I found The Plan to be quite captivating in this regard. The blue, grey and black with a tinge of green is beautifully done for the environment, and really makes for an excellent visual style. It’s a nice touch as well to see a gentle trail left behind where you’ve flown. In addition to the visuals, the sound work is great, and the music that plays towards the end is fantastic and wonderfully sets a tone that can tug a little at your heartstrings with relative ease. I could be mistaken, but The Plan looks like it was built on the Unity engine, and it’s a certain thing that a great deal of talent went into its audio and visuals, and it really is the best part of the game.

There was almost nothing to dislike about The Plan for me personally. It was very short, and sweet, and perhaps it can be said that it was over a bit too quickly, and I found myself wishing for more freedom to fly and more interaction. That’s the little danger I find in these artistic games, that sometimes there’s a bit too few opportunities to interact with the game. However, The Plan is immersive and if nothing else sheer curiousity will drive you to keep playing, although I’m willing to bet that the amazing art direction and wonderful soundtrack will offer the best incentives. As already mentioned, it will only take about ten or so minutes to get through, but it’s a relaxing and interesting little adventure to have.

In conclusion, The Plan is a short and sweet game from Krillbite Studios that is enjoyable to play and presents you with a relaxing and interesting little adventure. The best reason to play the game is undoubtedly for the incredible art direction and fantastic audio, and it’s there that you will find the most reward. The game will be released for free on February 10, and it’s definitely worth a look.