Naiad is just about as casual a game as you will find. It’s a colorful title where players are able to explore a lazy river as it slowly winds its way to the sea over 16 different episodes. Along the way, players can participate in different kinds of activities, like helping a fish find its way home or inspiring a human songwriter to work on their masterpiece. But nothing is ever forced, and players are able to explore this watery world at their own pace without ever being under any threat or danger.
It all begins when the main character, Naiad, is created by some sort of nature god or goddess. She begins life as a drop of water warmed by the sun, which becomes a water nymph. The creator simply tells Naiad to begin swimming out into the world, and thus begins your exploration of many delightful, colorful waterways. But don’t be in any rush because players can tackle this adventure however they want, enjoying the colorful scenery and meeting quite a few interesting creatures along the way.
Naiad is a creature of the water, and although she has the appearance of a mermaid, I think she is actually a water nymph who is made of liquid. In any case, players are confined to the water for the entire game, although you might be surprised how many hidden areas are connected to the streams, canals, quiet pools and river channels that are able to be explored. Naiad is filled with secrets, most of which are not that difficult to find. A little bit of casual exploration is almost always going to be rewarded while playing. In addition to the direction keys, players can also dive down under the water by holding the dive key. Besides being useful to, say, go under a fallen tree blocking the river, players can also dive down to sometimes find hidden areas.
There is not an overall goal for Naiad, although you eventually make it all the way to the sea. However, there are lots of mini goals within each level. The game is divided up into 16 chapters and during each one of these players can help the various creatures living there do things like find their missing kids or inspire them in some way. This is done mostly by singing. When you sing, this can affect the world by, for example, causing most creatures that live in and around the water to follow you. You also have a few other magic-like powers that are mostly also tied to your singing. Most of the puzzle elements are optional, but you will get rewarded for completing them at the end of each chapter. And you can try again if you miss something.
In terms of gameplay, other than singing and diving to solve the puzzles along the way, Naiad can dash very quickly in one direction and then also wave at other creatures. That is the entire control scheme outside of movement. Playing Naiad is an extremely calming and peaceful experience, although those who require more structure or goals in their gameplay might find it a little bit too dull. I almost consider Naiad like a walking sim in terms of gameplay, but it’s in the water.
Part of the charm of Naiad is how colorful the world is, and how those colors help to influence the story. In a lot of ways, playing Naiad reminded me of the gorgeous, underwater world of Abzu, although Naiad is much more casual. The colors in Naiad are used to great effect when, for example, she swims close to the human world and things turn brown and dirty looking. There is a bit of an underlying theme about the evils of pollution, and the graphics do a great job of supporting that point.
The soundtrack, as one might expect from a gorgeous title like this, sounds really amazing. It’s also made a bit different from other games. According to the composer, the soundtrack is actually a collection of small fragments played in the form of loops that represent each of the chapters. Then as Naiad does things within each zone, more sound is layered on top of those loops dynamically to create a unique soundtrack for every player. In any case, it fits the casual gameplay perfectly and is available as a separate purchase which I would also recommend.
Naiad is available on Steam for just under $20. That’s a good value for those looking for a casual title, maybe to relax at the end of the day or to unwind after a stressful day. Naiad’s not a traditional game by any means, so if you need to keep score, achieve defined goals or save the world, then you probably won’t enjoy Naiad. But as an uber-casual title that encourages and rewards exploration at a player’s own pace, you can’t really find a much more relaxing or colorful title in or out of the water.