Drink your noodle juice
Draugen is described as a “fjord noir”, a story-heavy mystery set in an isolated (in fact, abandoned) town in 1920s Norway. It’s also got a character called Alice in it, which is a good sign. She’s the teenage ward of bookish American nerd Edward, and he’s dragged her half way across the world to Graavik to find his missing sister Betty. Things, predictably, aren’t what they seem.
I’ll say up front that there’s a twist (which you may well see coming) to Draugen which is incredibly spoilery, but which might put you off playing the game entirely – and that would be fair. It’s discussed in this article.
If that doesn’t put you off, then know that Draugen is a slow, spooky, sad game where you gradually uncover the eventual fate of Graavik. There are no real puzzles to solve, apart from piecing together what you think happened. Was it supernatural? A curse? Did everyone die? Leave? Vanish? Turn into pebbles, as Alice theorises?
The pair of lonely characters spend several days poking around, getting scared by doors slamming, and feeling like they might be being watched. It’s comparable to a Dear Esther, although far more structured. But perhaps not a cheery one for the season, I admit.