Review: Orten was the Case

In Orten was the Case, players are introduced to Ziggy, who awakens in his apartment with complete amnesia. He soon discovers that he is trapped in a repeating twelve-minute time loop, invariably ending with a devastating explosion. Throughout each cycle, Ziggy must uncover clues, engage with characters, and piece together the underlying truth. The inhabitants of Orten are caught in their own routines, repeating the same actions each loop, but their behavior can be influenced by altering specific conditions. Progressively, Ziggy can assemble a clearer understanding of the situation and ultimately strive to save Orten.

Orten was the Case embodies many aspects that make gaming compelling. Its distinctive hand-drawn aesthetic and status as a passion project, largely developed by a single individual, Oskar Thuresson, are immediately appealing. Oskar managed nearly every facet of the game’s creation, save for the sound design and music. This immediately recalls games like Another World, masterminded entirely by Éric Chahi.

I had the opportunity to pose a few questions to Oscar Thuresson, who provides insights into the development process before my impressions are shared below.

Could you elaborate on the origins of the game? From what I gather, you were the primary developer?
“Yes, with the exception of the sound and music (courtesy of Robin Carlheim & Max Sjunnesson), I handled all aspects of development myself.
It originated from a painting I created in 2015, depicting a layered city filled with intricate details. I titled it Orten Was The Case That They Gave Us (Snoop Dogg reference).
I would often contemplate how engaging it would be if the painting were to come alive. Eventually, I opened Unity and imported the painting as a background. From that point onward, momentum built, and I felt compelled to continue building.”

What aspect of the game are you most proud of?
“Primarily, I’m proud of successfully developing and launching a complete game under my own name across all major platforms. More specifically, I’m particularly pleased with the intricate clockwork mechanism within the game. Everything unfolds in real-time over a 12-minute period and can be influenced in numerous ways. In retrospect, it evolved into a highly complex system, but ultimately, it functioned precisely as intended.”

What were your primary sources of inspiration?
“Regarding the art style, I consistently draw inspiration from Jan Lööf and Sven Nordqvist, figures I’ve admired since childhood. The classic LucasArts adventure games also hold a special place, along with the Amanita Design titles, such as Machinarium and Samorost. The time loop mechanic is largely influenced by Zelda: Majora’s Mask. During development, other similar games emerged, with Outer Wilds resonating most closely with the ideas I aimed to explore.”

How did you achieve the game’s distinctive visual style? It genuinely resembles a hand-painted work.
“All assets were hand-drawn in Photoshop using a selection of four brushes that emulate watercolor effects to a certain degree. The image was then projected onto a 3D model from the camera’s perspective and rendered using unlit shaders. This process preserved 99% of the original hand-drawn aesthetic, despite the final result being fully 3D.”

If you could revisit any aspect of the development, what would you change?
“Developing the level design methodology took some time. This might delve into technical details, but some rooms exhibit a subtle downward slope in depth, which creates the sensation of moving more slowly in certain areas due to the perceived shorter distance. I would have liked to avoid this if I had foreseen the issue. Otherwise, the game closely aligns with my initial vision. I incorporated virtually everything I intended, and at some point, one must finalize the project.”

Thank you, Oscar!

Orten was the Case stands out as a particularly compelling and unique title in recent memory, offering an experience unlike any other. The environments evoke a sense of unsettling familiarity. The twelve-minute real-time loop mechanic is a clever design choice, ensuring that every moment feels consequential, even with the ability to reset the loop at will. The game also smartly avoids repetitive tasks by allowing players to focus on new objectives after solving previous challenges. As mentioned earlier, the other characters maintain their routines, and you’ll need them across multiple loops. All acquired knowledge from each loop is retained, providing an invaluable overview of discoveries, which is essential for managing the game’s complexity.

The feeling that Orten was the Case is a living painting resonated strongly, even before discovering its initial conception. The game supports both keyboard and controller input, with a controller being my preferred method of play.

One drawback of Orten was the Case is that the game mechanics do not quite match the high quality of its other elements. Testing on PC revealed the absence of mouse support, requiring players to use keyboard controls for movement, which can feel cumbersome. This led me to favor the controller. Another challenge encountered was the difficulty in discerning navigable paths and backtracking options. There are limited visual cues, except for obvious windows, doors, or ladders. During my initial loop, I became disoriented and struggled to retrace my steps.

In conclusion, Orten was the Case is a title that warrants a strong recommendation. This is not only due to the impressive accomplishment of solo game development, but also because it delivers one of the most uniquely unsettling and captivating experiences in recent years. Secure your passage to Orten and unravel its secrets before time runs out!

Woodhill Interactive provided a review code for this evaluation. Provision of materials does not influence our editorial assessment.