The Wild at Heart

About The Wild at Heart

The Wild at Heart is a puzzle-strategy adventure from Moonlight Kids, released in May 2021. Set in the Deep Woods, a whimsical yet eerie forest realm, it follows two runaway kids navigating a world of magical creatures and broken ecosystems. Players guide the children while recruiting and commanding a cast of quirky beasts to rebuild habitats, solve environmental puzzles, and fight corrupted enemies. The game blends top-down exploration with creature management, offering a nostalgic, storybook aesthetic. With single-player gameplay and a focus on interconnected world-building, it’s a cozy yet challenging indie title that leans into fantasy and strategy.

Gameplay

The core loop revolves around recruiting creatures, each with unique abilities like clearing debris or luring enemies. You switch between the kids and these creatures to solve puzzles, like using a boar to push logs or a bird to scout paths. Battles are real-time but require strategic positioning, as creatures have distinct strengths and weaknesses. Exploration is key: the world is filled with hidden shrines, environmental puzzles, and fragmented lore. Sessions often involve balancing resource management (like feeding creatures) with combat and puzzle-solving. The interface is simple but occasionally clunky, especially when juggling multiple units. Progression hinges on expanding your creature roster and upgrading their skills to tackle deeper, more complex zones.

What Players Think

Community reception is mixed but leans positive. Metacritic scores 76, IGDB 72 from 17 ratings. 29 achievements exist, with 29.2% average unlock rate. The rarest, “Geography Buff,” is achieved by just 8.8% of players, suggesting tough late-game challenges. Average completion rate sits at 48%, hinting at a decent but not overwhelming playtime. Player moods highlight praise for the art style and creativity of puzzles, but some criticize repetitive creature mechanics and occasional bugs. One user wrote, “The world feels alive, but the UI drags.” Critics note the game’s charm and ambition, though some call it “overly simplistic for strategy fans.” Most agree it’s a solid 15-20 hour experience for fans of puzzle-adventures.

PlayPile's Take

The Wild at Heart is worth playing for fans of cozy strategy and narrative-driven puzzles. Its creature management and environmental storytelling shine, though repetitive systems may test patience. The $20 price tag (if purchased) makes it a low-risk pick, especially for those who enjoy methodical world-building. With 29 achievements and a 48% completion rate, it’s not punishingly hard but rewards persistence. Skip if you crave deep tactical combat, this is more about charm and exploration. It’s a niche gem, best experienced in short, relaxed sessions.

Storyline

Wield an ever-growing herd of quirky creatures to rebuild broken paths, battle perilous beasts, and solve peculiar puzzles in a rich, interconnected world. Join two young runaways as they unravel the mysteries of a lost realm in this nostalgic storybook fantasy!