Station to Station: A Fresh Twist on Point-and-Click Adventures

So, I was just wandering around PAX East 2025, you know, roaming like a lost puppy — when I stumbled upon this booth for “Perfect Tides: Station to Station.” It’s this point-and-click adventure, kind of like stepping into a daydream where conversations are key. Meredith Gran? She’s the brain behind it — had cool ideas simmering for this one.

Picture this: you’re Mara, an 18-year-old diving into adulthood’s chaos. The city’s your playground. No clue how to adult yet? Same. You talk, jot down random tidbits in your phone (people, places — like memorabilia but abstract), and voilà, you level up. RPG meets a city stroll, sort of? Felt a bit like that time I tried to bake a cake without a recipe — all intuition.

The sequel thing? Yeah, first time playing it — didn’t matter. Mara’s world? It kind of dredges up those teenage memories we wish stayed buried. The controls are smooth, none of this “Look At” or “Talk To” nonsense cluttering up the experience. Just talk and navigate, really. I got lost once — was it just me overthinking things? Who knows.

At one point, there’s this party. No host name. Typical, right? Had to sleuth my way in. Felt like those awkward high school moments all over again — not sure if that’s good or bad. The game’s sprinkled with choices impacting Mara’s growth. Endings vary, I guess — a bit like life, but more pixelated.

Despite the craziness of the convention floor (imagine a carnival, and you might get it), “Perfect Tides: Station to Station” pulled me in. I mean, how often does a game manage to tug at your heartstrings amidst that hullabaloo? It’s got a year-long backdrop — 16 hours-ish of gameplay. And yeah, when it drops on Nintendo Switch and PC, it’s definitely on my radar. Trying to relive that wild teenage ride — or avoid it? Not sure, but it’s intriguing.