Seina: A Tale of Spirits has gorgeous visuals, Japanese folklore, and an otter-owl turf war

If you're looking for a cozy adventure game that drops you into a magical world of talking critters and Japanese folklore, then you're probably wondering if you're being a little bit too specific with your gaming aspirations. However, let me introduce Seina: A Tale of Spirits, because it might just be the very game you've been waiting for. 

Seina: A Tale of Spirits is the creation of solo dev Argyro Brotsi. It's a fantasy adventure tale that takes you into a world of Japanese spirits and folklore. It is jam-packed with charm, undeniably cozy, and, if there was a scale for how adorable a game could be, Seina would be off the charts.

I've fallen in love with this gorgeous little indie gem, and now I'm here to tell you why you should join me. 

Animals are better than people

In Seina, you play as a young girl named Mika who has fallen into a mystical world in search of her missing cat. Her search takes her through a realm that's populated not only by humans, but also by impossibly cute talking animal spirits who need her help. 

And when I say “impossibly cute,” I truly mean that. You'll meet tiny little mushroom folk who just want shelter from the rain but can't reach the leaves. There's a turf war between the otters and the owls because the owls keep dropping trash in the pond and the otters keep “borrowing” books. You’re there to help creatures great and small, and every task is absolutely joyous.  

Most of the people and creatures you meet on the journey have a quest for you, with many of the rewards proving useful when it comes to completing the next. You can help one creature, unlock a tool, and use it to help another creature, and so on. Each section of the spirit-filled world feels like a chain reaction of good deeds, eventually earning you the right to move on to a new location. 

Lost in a new world

If there was ever a world that I wouldn’t mind being completely lost in, it’s the one we get to explore while playing Seina. Brotsi has created a setting that feels like a warm, cozy blanket on a cool fall day. Wandering around each beautiful location in Seina feels like stepping into a Studio Ghibli movie, and that is the ultimate comfort on offer here. 

Judging by the screenshots on the Steam page, the demo only just scratches the surface of what will be on offer in the full game. I mean, there’s one picture on the Steam page of little yellow ducks in hard hats and neckerchiefs who are apparently organizing deliveries at a train station populated with trains also shaped like ducks.

I don’t think I need to emphasize how impossibly cute that is, but I’ve included that picture above so you can share in the joy I felt when I first saw it.

The amount of effort that Brotsi has put into creating Seina is obvious everywhere you look, from the characters to the scenery. The Steam page does carry an AI disclaimer, stating that certain textures were enhanced with the assistance of AI, but those assets are reviewed by Brotsi and worked on further before being implemented into the game. 

I desperately want more

I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve played the demo three times already, and my daughter is hot on my heels in terms of her own playtime. There’s something so calming and soothing about the world Brotsi has created, and I cannot wait for the full game to be released so I can dive in further and explore more. 

I want to know what those ducks are up to, why there are giant moss-covered rock people in the fields just beyond the reach of the demo, and how Mika’s cat ended up in this strange yet lovable place. I want to interact more with each and every adorable creature that crosses my path, and most importantly, I want to help them with whatever they need.

Seina: A Tale of Spirits does not have a set release date yet, so I’m going to patiently wait for more news on that front. In the meantime, I’ll probably replay the demo a few more times, and I highly recommend that you play it at least once, too.