Okay, picture this: you’re diving into a new game, the kind where you click around and solve puzzles. But how do you make it stand out in the crowded landscape of point-and-click adventures? Well, there’s this developer, Meredith Gran, who seems to have cracked the code. No kidding. I caught a glimpse of her latest creation, “Perfect Tides: Station to Station,” at PAX East 2025, and it was… let’s just say it’s not your typical clicky-clicky game. Imagine using chats and connections with others to level up—more like life than a game.
So, “Station to Station” isn’t just some random sequel. It follows this teen, Mara, who’s navigating big city life. (Ah, 18 and trying to figure out adulthood… been there.) This game chucks in a mix of point-and-click with, get this, RPG stuff. As you chat up folks around the city, you scribble down nuggets of insight on your phone. These tidbits embody people and locations, sorta like collecting items. It’s wild, you use them to keep convos rolling, nudging the tale forward. Unlike anything I’ve seen, seriously.
Now, wandering through the city was mostly a breeze, despite a couple of “Where the heck am I supposed to go?” moments. But look, no shade on the controls—they ditched the old school point-and-click menus. No more of that “Look At” or “Talk To” nonsense. You just chat with people, pick topics, and bam, it feels unbelievably smooth. And hey, choices impact Mara’s journey and the endgame. It’s all about the awkwardness of being young, ya know?
Fast forward to when I managed to stumble into the second part of the game—I’m convinced it’s designed to make you feel those teenage jitters again. Figuring out how to crash a party when you don’t even know the host? Totally relatable, even if it made me feel like an awkward high schooler again.
Anyway, look, I got lost in it even amidst the chaos of a busy convention floor. The story hits hard emotionally, which isn’t a surprise, with Gran putting a piece of her soul into it. So, expect to embark on this year-long adventure—16 hours-ish—on the Nintendo Switch and PC sometime soon. Just maybe keep your tissues handy; it’s bound to pull at those adolescent heartstrings.
