Advertisement
The Day I Became A Bird Review—A Heartwarming Storybook Adventure for All Ages
The Day I Became A Bird caught my attention just from its title. I later discovered that it was initially a storybook created by French author Ingrid Chabbert and Spanish illustrator Guridi, and it had already been adapted into an animated short by Passion Animation. Now, Hyper Luminal Games is bringing this storybook to a new entertainment format to share its narrative.
A Boy, A Crush, Birds
In this narrative adventure, you step into the shoes of Frank, a socially awkward young boy, as he navigates the emotions of love for his classmate Sylvia – who, regrettably, is only interested in birds. Join Frank on this adventure filled with fluttering emotions, innocent self-expression, and genuine creativity, as he devises a one-of-a-kind plan to capture Sylvia’s attention.
Love Over Gameplay Complexity
As this is a narrative adventure centred around the experience of falling in love for the first time, the gameplay isn’t intricate. Instead, it resembles a narrative experience rather than a traditional game, emphasising mood, movement, and the emotional clarity that Frank is experiencing – precisely what The Day I Became A Bird needed.
The narrative unfolds over four days, presented in a loop. You will experience parts of the story in a storybook style, followed by a brief interactive game segment, then a jigsaw puzzle, and back to more storybook content. This structure is well-suited to the experience, focusing more on narrative and relaxation rather than a fast-paced, action-driven approach.
The interactive game segments are available in various formats. They feature simple puzzles that are akin to fetch quests set in limited areas like a classroom or a park. For example, in the park section, a child cannot see over a wall to view a football game, so you find a plastic storage container to elevate him, which in turn provides you with the item you need to collect. The team has made a deliberate choice to prominently highlight items you can interact with, making them difficult to overlook.
Another significant activity includes riding your bike or soaring through a dream, where you navigate through a series of golden arches or hoops. Missing one is not a problem, as the game loops until you successfully pass through the required number. Furthermore, there are segments where you can draw, cut out, and craft, with the drawing and cutting tasks involving simple tracing within specified areas.
During the puzzle, biking, and flying scenes, you will encounter several golden feathers to collect (shown in the top right corner of the screen). Some of these feathers can be discovered just by exploring the environments, while others are concealed behind activities such as dancing, hopscotch, or assisting others. Engaging in these activities involves straightforward quick-time events, like rotating the analogue stick, stopping the line in the highlighted area, and holding down a button. Similar to the objective items, these will also be highlighted, indicating that you can interact with them, thus initiating the quick-time event – making it relatively easy to collect all the features if that is your goal.
In the jigsaw puzzles, rather than traditional shapes, the pieces are simply cut into squares. As you advance through the story, the number of pieces will increase, but it will never go beyond 10. However, the images become more complex, adding an extra layer of challenge.
Hand-Drawn Charm Reimagined
This adaptation of The Day I Became A Bird has embraced the aesthetic of the short animation for its visuals, while the original novel was illustrated by hand in greyscale – a choice I believe enhances the narrative experience you engage with. The game’s art style perfectly retains that storybook essence, maintaining a hand-drawn quality that allows the world of The Day I Became A Bird to truly come alive on your screen.
One aspect I particularly appreciated about the visual decisions is the subtle references to the original illustration style; certain objects in the environment are line drawings without colour, such as a lamp in your home, a bag on the park floor, or even the bus stop you pass by while riding your bike. I was surprised by how well these elements harmonize; initially, the combination of these two distinct styles seemed odd, but as I continued playing, it contributed to the charm of the storybook feel, becoming one of my favourite aspects of what the team has accomplished.
In terms of audio, they have effectively created a storybook-style experience, bringing the world to life with ambient sounds that fit the various settings you explore, the noises of the objects you interact with, and some soothing, relaxing music that complements the theme of experiencing love for the first time. While the absence of spoken dialogue in a game that aims to convey a narrative can sometimes detract from the experience, it works well in The Day I Became A Bird since it is based on a storybook. This approach makes it fitting for you to read the narrative segments during the interactive parts, just as you would with the storybook elements.
More Details
Verdict
The Day I Became A Bird is not exactly what I would label a narrative game; rather, it’s more of an interactive narrative experience – and that’s precisely what this delightful journey required. While it incorporates gaming elements woven throughout the tale of experiencing love for the first time, these elements are simple and create a soothing experience, designed to be accessible for younger players while still offering charm for older audiences. You can expect to spend about an hour immersed in this storybook adventure that evokes the nostalgia of your first crush and the essence of childhood, blending these emotions with the joy of being carefree, riding your bike, playing hopscotch, and trying to impress a girl. If you’re in search of a brief, cozy, and carefree experience brimming with charm from its narrative, visuals, and tranquil nature, you won’t go wrong with The Day I Became A Bird – it’s the ideal narrative experience for all ages or the entire family.
Release Date: April 16th 2026
Developer: Hyper Luminal Games
Publisher: Numskull Games
Price: £12.99 / $19.99 USD
Reviewed On: ROG Xbox Ally
* Access Provided For Review *
Advertisment
Advertisment
Advertisment
Advertisment
Advertisment
Copyright / Virtual Grip (formally The VR Realm) / 2016 -
