14 DAY TRIAL // 
Curly is eating apples and drinking water, presumably bored by this rather restrictive diet. The island she’s on has two trees that she’ll shake to get more fruits and a pump that will refill her bottle. There’s also a fire that warmed her up nicely. All conditions are met for a nice, restful sleep before I take the balloon out again.
To get airborne the anchor needs to be up while the burner creates hot air for liftoff. A medium burn rhythm will keep the climb rate relatively stable. It’s now time to go up a long ladder to reach the sail controls and get some extra momentum. The telescope is nearby, the perfect way to take a look around and see if there’s anyone to talk to on nearby floating islands. I also check on my precious orange tree and eat one.
The compass is clear that a big island is straight ahead. I soon spot it and then quickly jump down to get to the hold and drop anchor. I jump over the bow onto solid land and start talking with a nice girl who loves rabbits. Her island is connected to another via funicular, but her source of power is refusing to work. Apparently, the judicious use of dynamite will solve this problem.
Passing By - A Tailwind Journey is developed by Studio Windsocke, with publishing handled by Dear Villagers. I played the PC version on Steam and the game is also offered on the Nintendo Switch. The title combines balloon navigation, platforming, and some puzzle elements.
The premise is simple: Curly is a young woman living on a floating island who gets the chance to explore the world thanks to a random encounter. A veteran mailman lands in a balloon, teaches her the basics of flying, entrusts her with an important letter that simply must reach its destination, and then gives her the freedom to go wherever she wants.
In about ten minutes, players will be moving between the islands that magically float among the clouds. Soon after, a supply drop gives them a special compass that points them toward the bigger ones, which have unique content and characters to talk to. Passing By features colorful characters, some cute small stories, and a generally positive atmosphere. There’s not much writing but the quality is good, with touches of whimsy.
Passing By - A Tailwind Journey’s gameplay is built around a mix of floating and platforming. Curly needs to handle her balloon, controlling how high it goes, how far it flies toward the right side of the screen (the western wind is a constant), and where it will drop anchor. All of this is achieved by constantly moving between control levers on the airship.
It’s a pleasingly physical process. Climb the ladder to get to the sail control, slide down to check the gas canister, and fiddle with altitude controls, then travel even lower into the hull using more steps to drop the anchor or maybe take a nap, which also serves as a save point. It initially seems like it takes too long to travel between action points but dealing with the temperature, the sail, and the anchor soon becomes second nature.
The balloon also features a telescope, placed to the front on the highest deck. Use it to cycle between floating islands, zooming in to see their features, before choosing which to visit. There are many reasons to drop anchor, the most important of which is to gather much-needed supplies. But the islands, especially those with narrative content, also feature secrets and secondary tasks, designed to reward exploration.
Curly needs to eat and drink water to stay healthy and is easily affected by warm or chilly weather. Make sure to pick fruit using the interaction button from all trees you encounter and to always drink before refreshing the bottle at a water source. Our heroine is pretty nimble, with a floating jump and a decent swimming ability, and can drag objects to aid in her island exploration efforts.
Platforming mostly happens on the bigger islands, as Curly gets tasks from other characters. It’s nothing hard, although sometimes it can be a little annoying to move objects from place to place. The game’s smaller islands re-appear after a while, giving players a chance to pick up all important fuel canisters and replenish their stores. I prioritized getting to all places that might have gas early on and soon built up a good reserve, which then gave me extra freedom to explore.
Passing By - A Tailwind Journey’s survival elements aren’t hard to deal with, allowing players to focus on exploration. This is a cozy and wonder-driven game that can be a great first experience for younger gamers. Controlling the balloon can sometimes feel like busywork but careful use of the telescope and anchor makes it easy to spot and reach the bigger islands.
Passing By - A Tailwind Journey is striking without being detailed. Everything is built around basic geometric shapes, from the clouds to the islands to the character models. Despite the limited detail, Curly’s personality shines through in her design and other characters are similarly striking. The Tailwind herself is beautiful in a functional way, although the cosmetic tweaks players can make are minor.
A well-organized inventory makes it easy for players to quickly get nourishment and access items. The game doesn’t feature any voice acting. But the sound design features good effects for the constant western wind and the soundtrack is a good companion for Curly’s adventures.
The Good
- Floating islands universe
- Balloon navigation system
- Unique geometric look
The Bad
- Easy to fall off islands and balloon
- No voice acting
- Limited dialogue for characters
Conclusion
The unique visual style and good soundtrack help immerse players in this world of floating islands. It would have been nice for the characters to have more dialogue, perhaps exploring the challenges of life among the clouds. Passing By - A Tailwind Journey successfully combines two different mechanics with a good central character and a unique world.
Review key provided by the publisher.
