The Indie Informer

Creation is cyclical; creation begets creation.

This is the core thesis and beating heart of The Wide Open Sky is Running out of Catfish — artistic endeavor is worthwhile in and of itself, not as a means to some other end. It’s a supportive and encouraging world with enough space to breathe and examine life. Even, and perhaps more so, when life deals its inevitable blows.

The title hints at tragedy from the onset. In a fantastical world of weather-influencing witches that make their homes atop giant flying catfish, the sadness of their potential loss is grounding. The game reaches into my chest to squeeze my heart when that reality comes to affect me personally.

Spending a brief break away from college down below, I awake one morning to find my mom, the full-fledged witch of the area, gone. She’s left notes telling me not to worry and — for sneaky tutorial purposes — how things around the cozy dwelling work.

My home is snug. Its largest features include a bed, a computer, a fax machine, and a camera charging station, complete with a digital camera. Logging onto the nostalgic PC, I banter lovingly with a friend, which colors in the warm emotional tone of the game, my immediate objective, and additional details of a still foggy story.

It’s time to grab my camera and unleash my creativity. Walking out the door to my front yard for the first time is an experience. The bounds of walkable space are small, and over the side is a seemingly endless fall. We are high above the clouds. The relaxing pool on my left, central altar in the middle, and enigmatic statue on the far side of the yard come to an abrupt end, with a bell overlooking the drop. There is nothing else in the sky, and so, no life to photograph.

Ringing the bell, however, prompts a larger view of my surroundings and a realization: I’m walking on the face of an enormous catfish. Enjoying the sound, it speaks to me in deep, but gentle rumbling tones. My first several tasks come straight from this kindly soul, the most important to the story being how to use my powers.

Music is the key, and playing the right notes on my flute transform my into my own kind of serpent-like sky-swimming entity. This one has the power to create life by flying through clouds. However, clouds are in short demand as they only appear with the “shells” I receive for photographing and cataloging new animals. It’s a great mechanical system that underscores the game’s central theme: creation begets creation.

But things go wrong quickly. The horrendous screeching of the fax machine goes off with unwelcome news, and the day only gets worse from there when my home-bearing buddy explains why my mom might have left our home. I’m ready to be swept up diving further into The Wide Open Sky is Running out of Catfish. It’s out today, so I hope you get to join me.