A Charming Journey with 'Burly Men at Sea'

The premise of “Burly Men at Sea” is simple. The indie game recounts different adventures by three “burly” men, giving the player a short experience of captivating and well-written storytelling and an incredibly nostalgic feeling at sea. References to well-known stories such as the Biblical Jonah and the whale or the Greek sirens bring about a wistful smile and make for, overall, a charming, homey experience.

The first playthrough of “Burly Men” takes no longer than 40 minutes, but the game features a branching storyline and allows for repetition of the game to explore other aspects and storylines. The emphasis on player exploration is as if you were, in fact, the titular burly men on their own absurd yet endearing adventures. “What sort of tales?” one of the burly men asks a prophetic old man after being promised legendary adventures if he follows a blank map. “That depends on what sort ye choose,” the old man responds, and the game certainly delivers.

By Andrew J. Jiang

The game’s minimalistic art style and playful music are particularly compelling. The art is reduced to simpler, rounded shapes of the objects in question, and yet there is still an incredible attention to detail. While the main narrative dominates the player’s attention, many small background elements are interactive: fire that you can put out, bookshelves that you can rattle, and puffins that you can tickle. These additions supplement the folksy, playful tone of the game.

Storytelling is also a key factor in the game’s success. “Burly Men” manages to strike an excellent balance between humor and levity on the one hand and seriousness, mystery, and intrigue on the other. The writing naturally draws you in and works effectively in tandem with the art to make a fanciful and fun game. The sound effects serve only to add onto the quirky likeability of the game: An upbeat nautical theme and spectacular a cappella voices play in the background. Sometimes the sound effects are used for comic effect, like a blacksmith with a voice explicitly saying “Ching! Ching!” in time with his falling hammer. These additions add a subliminal layer of humor to the surroundings of the characters that you are leading.

By Andrew J. Jiang

The only possible complaint with this game lies in the mechanics. Logistical problems are common to the genre of minimalistic indie games, such as Playdead’s “Limbo” or Starbreeze Studios’s “Brothers.” In “Burly Men,” the game mechanics can be very frustrating at first; during my first playthrough, there was an interaction with a jellyfish that I was completely unsure how to approach. As a result, receiving the “bad outcome” felt undeserved and caused by the game’s lack of instruction. The mechanism for moving between screens is likewise difficult and unintuitive on a computer, though it would be considerably easier on mobile.

This game is filled to the brim with wonderful personality that speaks to adventure and discovery. A masterpiece of minimalistic visuals, lighthearted voices, and jocular writing, “Burly Men at Sea” will appeal to anyone with at least a sliver of childish adventure at heart.

By Andrew J. Jiang