Nophenia header screenshot
Image: lane

It takes either a very brave or particularly sanguine sort to release a game in the middle of a major Steam sale. We're hazarding a guess at the latter in the case of Nophenia, from solo developer lane, which landed softly on Steam just a day after the discount frenzy started.

It's a low-fi 'walking sim'. No horror, no jump-scares, no sharp edges, just a series of interconnected dreamlike virtual spaces to explore, some more abstract or surreal than others. You wander, sit around and possibly take some nice screenshots. Which, given the game's success so far, is sometimes all you need.

Take a peek at the launch trailer below, cutely entitled "I hope my small game can help you feel better"

Launching into the wolves den doesn't seem to have hurt the game's fortunes, and it's well on track to hit an Overwhelmingly Positive user rating. A reminder that a confident enough game that stands out from the crowd can find its audience even in tough circumstances. Or perhaps it's just because the little wolf-girl protagonist feels at home. Awoo.

Either way, Nophenia is out now on Steam for £5/$5, minus a 10% launch discount, along with an optional soundtrack and demo if you want to dip your toes in first.