It was a cold and rainy night and my boyfriend and I were bored. We had been looking for a new game we could play together, something that would challenge us and keep us entertained. He had heard great things about Outward, a co-op, open-world RPG (role-playing game) that promised to be immersive and realistic. We decided to give it a try, and boy were we in for a treat!

He and I started a new game and created our characters, choosing their appearance – grey and blue hair respectively – skills, and background. We were excited to explore the world and see what adventures lay ahead. Little did we know, we were about to embark on a journey that would test our relationship and ourselves in ways we never imagined.

Outward is not your typical RPG. It is a game that forces you to survive in a harsh environment with nothing but your partner by your side. You have to deal with hunger, thirst, fatigue, disease, weather and enemies (human and other varieties). You have to manage your inventory, craft your equipment and plan your travel. The map is a static parchment that doesn’t even tell you where you are – like in the real world, it’s up to you to figure it out.