Some games ask their players to go on grand adventures, to take up arms against some enemy or oppressor. Others ask players to run an empire, grow from nothing into something, fuelled by the desire to be more than they are. Still others hand the player control, telling them to take charge of the world like unto a god.

And some just ask you to make a friend.

These are arguably the scariest games of all.

Birth is a cosy point and click puzzle game. You play as a resident of a crowded city who, when faced with the reality of the world around her, decides the only solution to her loneliness is to make a friend. This is, for most of us, a reasonable response to loneliness. In the case of Birth, however, making a friend is meant literally. Our protagonist is on the hunt for the bones and organs she can use to craft a friend for herself.

Macabre though the premise may be, it is immediately obvious that Birth is not intended as a horror game. Rather, Birth’s idea of cosiness is one drawing heavy inspiration from the Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride, and the general sense that those ordinarily considered monsters can still have rich emotional lives. The protagonist’s city is one filled with skeletal people, happily sharing their lives and thoughts with one another, as well as helping the protagonist find the parts she needs for her friend. The art style and music both craft an image of this city as one filled with people who care deeply about one another while nevertheless maintaining a degree of anonymity that is inherent to living in a city. Places are labelled as a “stranger’s apartment” or “another person’s home,” but don’t feel unfriendly. The entire setting is one that manages to strike a balance between isolation and familiarity. It’s magical.

It even manages to make laundry look cosy, and laundry is the worst.

Part of what makes the setting so successful is how well it pairs with the music. Birth uses piano renditions of classical music as a soft accompaniment to its pastel and rounded art style. While it’s a subtle thing, it serves as a fantastic contrast to the hustle and bustle one would expect from a city. It reiterates that this quest the protagonist is on isn’t something grand and glorious, but personal. While game soundtracks aren’t usually one of the elements that get called out (especially when they’re reusing pre-existing pieces of music), Birth’s soundtrack and how well it complements everything about the story and setting is excellent. At multiple points, I paused just to enjoy the music and the vibes around me, letting it all soak in before going back to the task at hand.

Who wouldn't want to be this cosy?

There is more to Birth than just vibes, however. This is a puzzle game, and our lonely protagonist needs to earn her friend. Birth divides its city up into different buildings, such as apartments, shops, restaurants, and pubs. Each of these buildings provides a different body part for the soon-to-be friend, as long as the protagonist completes all of the puzzles.

The majority of Birth’s puzzles are not particularly difficult. Most involve dragging pieces into place or clicking until something happens or some similar level of engagement. Ordinarily, I’d argue that making the puzzles frictionless detracts from the game as a whole, but in Birth, the variety of puzzles works in the game’s favour. Each puzzle is wholly unique, and none offer any clue as to how to solve them, leaving it up to the player to suss out what is actually expected of them. Some puzzles require elements or hints from other puzzles, while others are genuinely more puzzley in their own right. There are jigsaws, logic puzzles, a math game, and a wealth of different ways to challenge the mind, albeit lightly and while still maintaining a cosy atmosphere. It’s odd to think of puzzle design as somehow complementing the overall vibes of the game, but here, the puzzles succeed in doing exactly that. Each puzzle feels like a satisfying little treat all its own, with the body part being the cherry on top.

I had to brush at dandelions until puzzle pieces appeared. This is wholesome incarnate.

Birth is not a game that overstays its welcome. Indeed, by the end of it, I was a touch disappointed there wasn’t more. Its puzzles offer a cosy catharsis that left me wanting to linger more than the game intended for me to. At the same time, assembling the protagonist’s friend and knowing that what I’d come to do was complete made leaving the game’s little world doable. My protagonist was no longer lonely, and that’s what ultimately mattered.

I could be happy with what I had, and know that my spirit was a bit lighter for having done it.

Developer: Madison Karrh
Genre: Point and click, puzzle
Year: 2023
Country: United States
Language: English
Time to complete: 2 hours
Playthrough: https://youtu.be/r2jIO0BQVDA