When the Embers Wake is a little different from what I usually review over here at Gaming Respawn. I say that because it’s more of a narrative experience than an actual video game. It’s a short experience – it took me around 40 minutes to complete – but it tells a heartfelt story. Two stories, really, but I’ll get into that shortly.
First, I want to talk about the presentation because I think that’s where When the Embers Wake excels. The art style is simple but has a cutesy and colourful quality to it I really like in this sort of game. Music and ambient sound are used really well too. Between the visuals and audio, the game is very well presented, especially considering it comes from such a small studio.
So, onto the story itself. That’s where things get interesting because there are two stories being told simultaneously.
The first is that of Emmie and her mother. Emmie is recounting the story of her childhood, using the red panda from her dreams as something of a metaphor. It’s the red panda that you play as, though this is more of a walking simulator than a game – something the developers are very upfront about.
There’s not an awful lot to do. You simply guide the red panda through its changing environment as Emmie talks about her relationship with her mother and eventually losing her. Grief is a sensitive topic, one that I’m sure most people are familiar with. It’s handled well, though. Emotive but not overly dramatized.
The path is quite linear, so you can’t explore much, but there are a few instances where the red panda can stop for a drink or a bite to eat, which is pretty damn cute. I do wish there was a little more to it, though. Some platforming or puzzle-solving would have gone a long way towards making the game more engaging.
While Emmie verbally shares her story, the second story is told through the changing environments. What was once a peaceful forest becomes increasingly barren. Trucks and machines start to appear. Animals are killed or kept in cages. The shift is abrupt but impactful: a harrowing depiction of the reality of deforestation.
My only real gripe, aside from it being a very short experience, is the use of AI narration. I’m not sure how heavily it was used – the Steam page just mentions that some of the in-game dialogue is narrated using AI tech – but it felt a little stiff at times, distracting me from what was otherwise a very emotive experience.
Final Thoughts
When the Embers Wake is an ambitious vignette that touches on two powerful themes: grief and deforestation. I think a lot of love went into creating it, and it’s a pretty impressive offering from such a small studio. It’s a unique concept that makes good use of metaphors and encourages the audience to really think. I just wish there was a little more on the gameplay side of things to keep me engaged while I was experiencing the story.
Developer: Llamaplay
Publisher: Llamaplay
Platforms: PC
Release Date: 27th October 2026
Gaming Respawn’s copy of When the Embers Wake was provided by the publisher.
