Explore without a map in this free game
LanVodis is a free adventure video game that lets you test your navigation and memorization skills. Developed by sraëka-lillian, this 2D pixelated game is an experimental treasure-hunting and overworld navigation game that has you exploring without a map.
Made in RPG Maker 2000, LanVodis is all about exploring and memorizing landmarks as you try to piece the scenery together. However, this is easier said than done as even your playable screen is smaller than the game’s actual window so trying to navigate can be pretty disorienting as you try to map your way around.
Stick to the paths
In LanVodis, you play as a chicken on a quest to find 6 Georbs from the ancient trees of the land. You have no map of the place and can only rely on your sight, memory, and the various information you receive from the towns and cities scattered about. You can get maps from any shrine you come across—however, these aren’t detailed and only point to vague locations.
This is where the game’s difficulty lies. Your sight of the surrounding area is obscured by pixels of darkness inside a grid and this adjusts depending on the terrain you’re currently at. For example, you can’t see anything except yourself when you step inside a cluster of trees. Meanwhile, your vision widens whenever you near the water’s edge. The gameplay is basically just navigating a tight maze.
While it’s challenging, there’s a lot that can dampen your enjoyment of this game. The window sizing, for one, can’t be easily changed. It defaults to full screen, though, since your actual playable screen is smaller than the whole window. Another issue is the lack of a story to guide you or even a journal to help remember the towns and hints you come across.
Has a lot of potential
All in all, LanVodis is an interesting experimental game for RPG fans but it’s not really something for everybody. While the gameplay of mapping out a world with only your mind is a great challenge, the lack of certain features can make it a pretty boring endeavor. Not being able to freely adjust the window size can be disorienting, as well.
