Waters of Sal Naména is the first and so far only project by Distant Meadows, an idea that has existed since around 2017. It is an explorative open-world puzzle game in the style of traditional Game Boy productions, taking the player into a mysterious desert world full of dangers and secrets.
It combines the knowledge-driven game structure and light survival elements of Outer Wilds with the nonverbal rule communication and puzzle affinity of The Witness to create its own interpretation of the still young Metroidbrainia genre. Achievements within the game are never saved, despite the standard game length of several hours. Progress — in this case, the unlocking of new areas in a large, interconnected game world — is instead the result of continuous knowledge acquisition and is implicitly reconstructed from the player’s memory with each game session.
Development Announcement Teaser Trailer
Features
- “Full-Size” Metroidbrainia Without Save Function
The sophisticated game design maintains a linear narrative structure, a consecutively unlockable game world, and many hours of gameplay — all without relying on a save system. - Unique Genre Mix
The rare combination of an open world, a complex puzzle system, and thrilling survival elements provides a lot of variety in gameplay. - Puzzling As Adventure
Unlike other puzzle games, the puzzles are not selectable from a menu but are part of a story — embedded in a setting and connected by a plot. - Survival In The Desert
The fresh approach of survival in the desert brings a new twist to the survival genre. - The Roguelike Antithesis
The time loop gameplay deliberately avoids a Roguelike approach. Instead, the game and level design are entirely loot-resistant and handcrafted respectively, from start to finish. - Epiphanies
Subtle tutorials and unexpected revelations create ultimate moments of insight in the player’s mind, often recontextualizing everything they thought they knew up to that point.
… and, of course…
- Water Based Gameplay
Water is the best. You can do anything with it.
Development started in January 2024 and just entered the prototype phase.
Idea, game design, story and prototype pixel art by Felix Baumgarten, early concept art by Leyla Schlopsna