“Embark on a unique and unforgettable journey and guide Sable through her Gliding; a rite of passage that will take her across vast deserts and mesmerizing landscapes, capped by the remains of spaceships and ancient wonders.”
The Steam game description for Shedworks’s debut title, “Sable” encapsulates the experience of the indie title nicely. “Sable” was initially released on June 14, 2021 and is available for Windows computers, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One. It currently retails for $24.99.
Developed by a team of only two people, “Sable” is quite the impressive feat.
The game follows its namesake, a girl named Sable, in a charming coming-of-age story, as she discovers who she wants to be as she embarks on her Gliding. The Gliding is pictured as a sort of custom in Sable’s clan, the Ibexii.
“Sable” is a relaxing experience, focused on exploration and light puzzle-solving. The game has no combat and you cannot die, making everything feel very low-pressure. It is clear Shedworks simply wants players to explore the gorgeous open-world desert. When looking at “Sable,” its unique low-poly art style will automatically make it stand out.
There is no sense of urgency and players are free to do things at their own pace.
However this type of gameplay definitely won’t be for anyone and is very niche. Players looking for a low-pressure exploration adventure will most likely enjoy “Sable.” The game plays into the narrative of Sable going out on this adventure and discovering who she is by giving the player lots of freedom.
Some reviewers on Steam have noted they felt it was difficult to stay engaged while traveling from place to place. Additionally, the game does still have some technical flaws and weird bugs.
Players have mentioned in reviews the hoverbike you receive is buggy and doesn’t always work as intended. Some players have also experienced a bug where they are unable to accept quests if they are not in the Ibexii clothing.
“Sable” does unfortunately have fairly repetitive quests that can take players out of the experience a bit. The majority of the quests are fetch quests, meaning you just travel to a location, get an item or talk to someone and head back to the person who gave you the quest.
That being said, “Sable” is still an overall nice experience and a refreshing change of pace. While it isn’t perfect, “Sable” is definitely worth picking up and an impressive first game for Shedworks.