A delightful, pastoral little adventure about nature conservation.

From the creators of mobile puzzle game Monument Valley (although I didn’t know that until afterwards), Alba is described in its blurb as chill and feel-good. It’s a slow-paced 3D adventure with mechanics I’ve enjoyed elsewhere: doing small tasks to restore natural beauty (Okami), and taking photos of animals to fill out a logbook (Metroid Prime, Endless Ocean etc.).

The setting is a community on a tiny Spanish island in the Mediterranean. Alba visits her grandparents here yearly, and is known to the village. The people are wonderfully diverse and it’s charming to visit them all on each of the in-game days, get to know them and help them. The main thrust though is the imminent development of a massive hotel on the island, which many fear will ruin the peaceful idyll, not to mention the nature preserve which will be bulldozed.

Alba, with the help and encouragement of friends and family, organises a petition to present to the corrupt mayor. The week is spent gathering the support of the cute, low-poly townsfolk and cataloguing the animal species of the island, and in so doing revitalise the community.

It’s just lovely. Everything’s low-pressure, the quests and tasks are clear and well signposted. Seeing animals scurry about and discovering new species is fascinating. Delightful Spanish tunes or the ambience of nature are the aural accompaniment to this little digital holiday. I liked it.