Project Shoreline: A Cutesy Adventure With Purpose

In an age where video games seem to be constantly escalating in realism and intensity, games that rely on pure style and fun can be a breath of fresh air. Project Shoreline, developed by Speldosa Interactive, is a relaxing romp that manages to be therapeutic while also promoting the importance of preserving the natural world.

"Step into the tiny metaphorical shoes of a Muri, entrusted with the important task of exploring, cleaning, and restoring a corrupted and decaying beach, one sparkling satisfying patch at a time," says Speldosa. "Imagine a combination of Mario Sunshine, Ghibli, and Powerwash Simulator."

The gameplay loop is simple yet satisfying. As the player you control the furry-yet-gilled Muri and use a water gun to spray objects until they are squeaky clean. There are multiple different areas such as a coral reef and forest, each with different natural features for the player to clean. Spraying all of the black residue off of an object rewards the player with a cute animation and a satisfying sound cue. There are even creatures to clean up such as a spiky species of hedgehog, which follow you in gratitude after being rescued from the black gunk that permeates the world.

In terms of artistic influences, Project Shoreline proudly wears them on its sleeve. "Some of our inspirations when making this game were Powerwash Simulator and a collection of the works of Ghibli, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and Nausicaä," says Speldosa. "We're also heavily inspired by a bigger project we'd like to make called MonsterWash, which adds Shadow of the Colossus to the mix but with a cozy game style like Slime Rancher or Palia."

A dirty shell found covered in gunk, Photo Credit Alex Vassilopoulos and Speldosa Interactive

A dirty shell post-cleaning, Photo Credit Alex Vassilopoulos and Speldosa Interactive

This mash-up of game styles culminates into a relaxing experience that manages to promote a message of the importance of environmental preservation without the need for any dialogue or narrative background, making for a sleek experience that is as powerful as it is charming.

A cute hedgehog-like creature gets cleaned by the player Muri, Photo Credit Alex Vassilopoulos and Speldosa Interactive

"We believe that games can inspire," says Speldosa. "In doing so, they definitely can have the possibility to have a positive impact in spreading awareness or social change."

Project Shoreline is available to play here on itch.io.