Log Away Review

Gaming is exhausting. It doesn’t feel like it was that long ago when the medium existed so people could unwind after a stressful day in the real world. There have always been titles that raise your blood pressure, of course. But those ones were cathartic, and the more relaxed ones were, well, relaxing. Early Call of Duty games, or Dota, for example, were a great way to let off some steam. Minecraft and Stardew Valley, on the other hand, helped you chill out. Strategy franchises like Civilization drained your brain, and RPGs were for people who wanted to experience a solid narrative. Regardless of your genre of choice, there weren’t a lot of titles that felt like having a second job. The widespread adaptation of live-service models, limited-time content, and microtransactions changed all that for the worse. It seems like the vast majority of games these days are stressful to play. Log Away isn’t, though. It’s an extraordinarily simple title that has enough proverbial meat on its bones to be enjoyable, and it’s one that will help you calm down. 

The premise of Log Away is as straightforward as can be. You need to build a cabin, decorate it however you see fit, and that’s literally it. You don’t have to scavenge materials, deal with enemies, or worry about the weather. There aren’t any time limits to contend with, no challenges to complete, or other players to interact with. You start each play session by choosing which one of a dozen-odd serene vistas you want to construct your new home on. Then you assemble the frame of your shack with a user interface that’s similar to that of The Sims. Once you’re done, you go into first person to place decorations, tools, and pets. Then all you need to do is, as the kids say, vibe. You can walk around your cottage freely, take screenshots, and listen to music. You’re also able to interact with some of the objects you placed, and fiddle around with the environment. And that’s the extent of Log Away’s gameplay.

Technically, there’s a bit more to it than that. You’re encouraged to make your hut as visually cohesive as can be. Doing so rewards you with points that the game tracks through a literal cozy meter. Once you fill up that bar, you’ll be able to place additional items based on which interests you selected when you started your playthrough. If you told the title you’re interested in hiking, for example, you’ll unlock the ability to put a camouflage jacket in your hovel. Writers can decorate with books, fishermen with poles, and so on. The beauty of Log Away is that almost all of its content is entirely optional, though. If you want to build a 1x1 hut and then zone out, the game won’t force you to do otherwise. You can compile a complex cabin designed for utility, or sit down in-game with a painter’s bench and nothing else. It’s entirely up to you, and regardless of how you play, it will help you relax.

That’s especially true because of how lovely Log Away looks. The game’s graphics are great, and virtual photographers will no doubt be able to take amazing screenshots that can be turned into pictures for their desktops. Anyone who isn’t visually inclined can still listen to the title’s spectacular background tracks, and enjoy its well-designed user interface. And everyone can appreciate its total lack of anti-consumer mechanics. Log Away has one cheap DLC that adds Christmas-themed decorations, and nothing else you need to spend money on after you buy the game. There aren’t any seasonal events, or anything else that will make playing the game feel like having a job.

If Log Away launched 20 years ago, it probably wouldn’t have been worth buying. It doesn’t have much depth to its gameplay, and doesn’t have any sort of narrative or a real progression system. All you need to do in the game is place objects, and even that task is entirely optional. That’s exactly why you should buy Log Away, though. It defies almost every convention of modern gaming, and by doing so, is one of the most relaxing titles to release in recent memory. You don’t have to do anything in the game, and even doing that is satisfying. Unwinding in a virtual cabin you create may not sound fun, but when you remember how exhausting it is to boot up almost any other title, you’ll quickly appreciate Log Away’s mild-mannered gameplay loop. The game isn’t perfect by any means, but it embodies everything about the word “cozy”.