The player takes control of Elena Elkhorn who wants to rescue her father. With her pendant, she can access her shamanic powers: the ability to leave her physical body and explore the world in spirit form. Using this ability, she can fly through gaps in walls and reach new places. The player can also possess certain objects, such as levers, to manipulate the environment. Throughout the game, the player finds notes from ghosts, which reveal new things. To advance in the game, the player has to find items and use them on certain objects.
Plot
Young Elena Elkhorn embarks on a harrowing journey to find her missing father and discover the secrets of the Willows Mansion. Aiding her journey is a unique amulet she received from her father, which allows her to astrally project her spirit into a ghostly realm and communicate with the dead.
Characters
Elena Elkhorn: The protagonist who wants to rescue her father.
John Elkhorn: Elena's missing father and descendant of the Kwantako tribe.
Wortham Willows: The antagonist. He was the mayor of the city and searched for a way to revive his dead wife.
Flying Hawk: A shaman who wanted to have a peaceful meeting with the white men.
Darby O'Halloran: An old friend of Wortham's. He is haunted by the memories of Sky Flower, a little girl he once killed.
The game was funded via Kickstarter. With 750 backers and $20,747 the game exceeded its initial goal of $15,000. Michael Johnson created a live-action trailer for the game's release. Skyler Davenport recorded voice acting for the role of Elena.
Reception
Whispering Willows received "mixed or average" reviews according to video gamereview aggregatorMetacritic. Critics praised the game's visuals with Shuva Raha from Adventure Gamers saying that the game is "good-looking" and Electronic Gaming Monthly reviewer Mollie Patterson calling the game's graphics "great". However reviewers noted the boring gameplay with Shuva Raha saying that "the simplistic – often to the point of boring – gameplay, along with poor design that attempts to prolong playing time by inserting hours of completely avoidable backtracking, reduces the experience to a grind".
Awards
Whispering Willows has won the following awards:
Casual Connect Indie Prize - Winner 2014 for "Best Story," Finalist for "Best Desktop Game" and "Best Art"
Seattle Indie Gaming Competition - Winner 2014
OUYA CREATE Game Jam - Winner 2013 for "Most Immersive," Finalist for "Grand Prize" and "Best Visuals"
In an interview, Logan said that a sequel might be possible, depending on how the game does on consoles. They already started preplanning for the continuation of the story.
