Take a Moonlit Stroll in ‘Rain in the Month of January’

As I write this, it's a rainy, dreary day in January. I'm in Brooklyn, where, traditionally, snow was much more common than rain in the winter months, but here we are. Cold drops pelt at the windows while I settle into Rain in the Month of January, a Global Game Jam title from IndieGage—designer Gage Melton, with music by Matt Slifka.

It's a short, atmospheric mood piece. Despite its focus on inclement weather, and its cool color scheme, all grays and blues, it's a warm, comforting experience. You walk around in the rain, talking to people about the weather. Everyone tells you to stay in the light—under lamplights, by fires, by the warm porchlight of a well-intentioned granny—but you can stray if you like. This is your walk.

There are tiny hints of stories, people and their unrequited loves, their relationships, their love or hatred of storms. Everything is evoked, everything is ethereal. For a short, inviting narrative experience, it's precisely the comfort you might seek out on a cold, rainy night.

Rain in the Month of January is available for free on itch.io, or you may pay what you want on the page.