If you are looking to escape stressful competitive shooters and dive into a vibrant world, WHALIEN – Unexpected Guests is a fantastic indie gem you should check out. Developed by Forbidden Folds, this colorful 3D puzzle platformer brings a highly refreshing and charming experience to your desktop. It completely drops complicated combat loops for relaxing, physics-based puzzles, making it a spectacular addition to the lineup of modern PC games. If you are reading this article to find your next favorite casual getaway, this short and sweet adventure is an absolute must-play.
Storyline
The narrative drops you into the boots of Ernest Hemingwhale, the very last human living inside a massive mechanical flying whale named Fin. This giant robotic mammal used to be a bustling floating paradise for thousands of people, but everything changed when slimy, pink creatures called Squiddies invaded and caused absolute chaos. With the other residents fleeing the ship in a panic, Fin's sentient AI reaches out to Ernest for desperate help. It is a wonderfully quirky, lighthearted premise that gives your cleaning duties a fun sense of purpose as you chat with the lonely AI and team up with helpful little robots called Springpeople to save your whale-shaped home.
Gaming experience.
When it comes to the actual gameplay, prepare for a deeply satisfying micro-adventure entirely built around intuitive push and pull mechanics. Instead of wielding guns or swords, you use Ernest’s special high-tech gloves to attract or repel objects in front of you, like flying books, furniture, and loose machine parts. You also get to throw special pearls—playfully named Mr. Push and Mrs. Pull—to manipulate environmental objects from a distance or trigger clever reactions. Finding the perfect synergy between your gadgets to bypass tricky obstacles and wipe out pesky Squiddies creates a beautifully relaxed rhythm that keeps you smiling from start to finish.
