There are a lot of excellent rhythm games you can get for cheap right now as part of the Steam Rhythm Fest. In fact, we’ve already picked out seven titles you should definitely pick up while the event is still running until August 26, right here. But there is one game not in the roundup that is worth singling out: rhythm adventure game A Highland Song.
The 2023 title from developer inkle, the studio behind indie darlings Heaven’s Vault, 80 Days, and Overboard! , transports players to the scenic vistas of the Scottish Highlands. While there is a rhythm element, as you would expect considering its involvement in the Steam Rhythm Fest sale, the majority of A Highland Songis a loose narrative adventure with meaty traversal mechanics that is a love letter to the Highlands themselves. Let me tell you from firsthand experience, having just got back from a trip from Scotland during which I spent a lot of time hiking through the game’s real-world inspirations, the Highlands are special.
The rolling hills, rushing rivers, and enormous mountains are so steeped in history and folklore that in addition to being constantly soaked with rain, it feels like the land has absorbed a living cultural memory, too. That is the sense that A Highland Song seeks to evoke, and it does so excellently. The game sets players out on a long multi-day hike from protagonist Moira McKinnon’s home (that she is running away from) to her uncle’s lighthouse.
Between points A and B are those beautiful yet.