‘Adios’ Proves That, in Gaming, the Mundane Is Just as Important as the Bombastic

If you knew that you didn’t have much longer to live, what would you do? Who would you talk to? Would you do something zany and wild, or would you just do… well, what you’d normally do? Make dinner, knock out some chores, maybe even partake in a fulfilling hobby. These questions create the core of Adios, a game I played at the peak of the pandemic thanks to Xbox Live Gold. And it’s a game that’s haunted me since I rolled credits on it.

Adios is a gaming anomaly of sorts. It’s short and sweet, but it’s hard to talk about in the traditional “games journo” way. Because when most people receive game recommendations, they want hype and excitement. In DOOM, you’re eviscerating demons and hellspawn in a high-octane gore-fest. Easiest sell in the world! In Metal Gear, you’re sneaking around, meeting crazy characters, and something about the furtive La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo group — there’s a lot going on in that franchise.

In Adios, you play as a pig farmer. You do farm tasks. Toward the end of the game, you even make yourself a nice meal. Oh, and also, you’re sick of the mafia using your pigs to properly dispose of dead bodies. A hitman, with whom you share an oddly personal bond, tries to convince you to reconsider your choice — that you still have plenty to live for. But you’re steadfast. Determined. It’s over. And none of that is even particularly a “spoiler,” considering that the narrative table is set within the first 10 minutes.

‘adios’ uses tension to replace excitement

Seeing as our noble pig farmer protagonist refuses to budge and his “friend” is practically begging him to keep the sordid arrangement going, you already know how this story ends. You don’t just “quit” the mafia, after all. The genius in Adios, however, isn’t that the story is unpredictable in its conclusion. But rather, you have no idea when the inevitable will happen. Nor how. All you can do is what you’ve been doing for years. Taking care of your animals. Wheeling around fertilizer. Milking goats.

Your friend keeps insisting, though. It’s clear the pig farmer and hitman have been doing this for a long time. You can feel that underlying tension even in the lightest of their interactions. Because all of the philosophical musings in the world won’t save you from what’s coming. So, why wouldn’t you keep fixing up old vending machines as a fun distraction? Maybe it ain’t for much longer, but you have a routine to abide by. It’s all you know.

Adios knows what it’s doing. Because this dark, horrific end is always hovering. It’s the uncertainty that keeps you hooked. The fear of walking around in your home and wondering if you’ll turn a corner and eat a bullet. “Will it be quick? Are they going to use a gun? Or maybe they’ll be cruel enough to bludgeon me to death with a bat or something?!” It has that “finale of The Sopranos” energy to it.

zagging where others zig

Adios could’ve been “loud.” The pig farmer could’ve been a buff, expletive-spewing, no-nonsense farm god who ends the game having a Michael Bay-style shootout with the hitman while using cows and horses for cover. But it’s not. It’s deliberate, reflective, and melancholic. This is a man who’s just tired. He’s gone as far as his conscience will allow. Now, it’s all about tying up loose ends.

As of this writing, Adios has a “Very Positive” Steam score with exactly 1,000 reviews. I cannot recommend this game enough. If you’re remotely intrigued, do yourself a favor and go for the ride. Here’s its Steam link, and it’s also available on the Nintendo Switch and Xbox One/Series consoles.

Which is the perfect pivot point to talk about Doc Burford, one of the creative fiends behind Adios. If it wasn’t for BlueSky apparently knowing me better than it has any right, I would’ve never written this article. BlueSky gave me one of Doc’s marvelous articles about I Was A Teenage Exocolonist, and it’s genuinely one of the most engaging and informative critiques I’ve ever had the privilege of reading.

i can do it better, bubsy: “Is there a doc in the house?”

Doc is an interesting, knowledgeable dude, with the following humble Medium self-description. “I do some freelance work, game design consulting, and I’ve worked on games Hardspace: Shipbreakers and created games like Adios and Paratopic.” Doc is also going through a rather difficult season of his life, and I highly encourage you to support him and his sublime work through Medium, Patreon, or just giving him a good ol’ BlueSky follow and see what he’s up to!

“Why are you boosting this guy?” Because his work is important in a field that desperately needs insights like his. Everyone sounds the “Games Media/Journalism is screwed” alarm and dooms and glooms rather than offering solutions. Doc rests at the perfect intersection of “critic,” “educator,” and “developer.” The fact that someone of his caliber — putting out his quality of work — is having a rough time of it goes to show how broken the system is.

The truth is: this will likely never be a space for “deep, thoughtful games criticism” as badly as I want it to be. The picture is there, but the frame is rigid, you know? So, with such a platform, I can at least direct y’all to individuals and groups that we need. If we don’t rally behind certain folks now, we lose. Completely. So, give Doc a try and tell me he’s not legit! (And again, Adios is amazing and deserves your attention!)