Neva (video game)
A wordless journey through four seasons with a wolf companion.
**Neva** is a 2024 puzzle-platform game from Spanish developer Nomada Studio and publisher Devolver Digital. It tells the story of Alba, a young woman who journeys through four seasons alongside her wolf companion, Neva, in a world overtaken by a dark corruption. The game launched in October 2024 for Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
**Gameplay**
Players control Alba in a side-scrolling format, solving environmental puzzles and fighting shadowy creatures. Alba wields a sword with two basic attacks—a horizontal slash and a vertical slash—and can jump, double jump, air dash, and dodge. Chaining attacks slowly regenerates her health, and healing cairns are scattered throughout levels. Alba’s abilities don’t upgrade, but Neva grows from a timid cub into a full-grown adult, gaining new skills that aid in combat and movement. Alba can call Neva’s name to guide it to a desired spot.
**Development**
*Neva* is Nomada Studio’s second game, following 2018’s *Gris*. The team expanded for this project, making the game roughly twice as long as its predecessor. Like *Gris*, it has almost no dialogue—Alba only calls Neva’s name in different tones—leaving the story open to interpretation. The original concept involved two human characters, but the studio scrapped that after being impressed by early drafts of Neva. The visual style drew inspiration from *Princess Mononoke*. Unlike *Gris*, *Neva* includes a combat system, though a story mode was added to keep it accessible.
Founder Adrian Cuevas said the team wanted to explore parent-child relationships and how they shift over time, drawing from their own experiences raising children. The game’s four chapters mirror Neva’s growth: from a cautious cub to a reckless teenager, then to a mature adult. While Neva gains abilities, Alba’s core skills stay fixed. The developers aimed to evoke mixed emotions—fear when Neva is in danger, joy when it succeeds. The enemies represent environmental threats and the fears tied to raising a child. Early parts of the game feel lighter, while later chapters intensify the threat to both characters.
The game was announced in May 2023 and released on October 15, 2024.
- Developer
- Nomada Studio
- Publisher
- Devolver Digital
- Release date
- October 15, 2024
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
- Genre
- Puzzle-platform game
Lore & Background
Neva is Nomada Studio's second game, following Gris (2018). The studio recruited a larger team for the project, and the game's length was about twice as long as Gris. As with Gris, the game had nearly no dialogue, with the exception of Alba calling Neva's name in various intonations. The team felt that the game being wordless left room for players to freely interpret the events. The story originally revolved around two humans, though the team scrapped this plan as they were impressed by early drafts for Neva. Princess Mononoke served as an important inspiration for the game's visual design. Unlike Gris, the game features a combat system, though the team introduced a story mode to ensure approachability for all players.
According to Adrian Cuevas, founder of Nomada Studio, the team wanted to explore the relationship between parents and their children, how these relationships change gradually over time, and how a parent feels when raising a child. The team was inspired by their own experience raising a child. In the game, divided into four chapters, Neva slowly turns from a timid young cub to a teenager eager to jump headfirst into dangers, into a fully-grown adult. While Neva gains new abilities, Alba's core abilities remain unchanged. The enemies were inspired by environmental challenges faced by Earth and embody fears of raising children. The earlier segments have a more delightful tone, while later segments contrast it by having both characters threatened by corruption.
Reader's Guide
Neva received 'generally favorable reviews' according to Metacritic, and 95% of 111 critics recommend the game on OpenCritic. Critics praised its extraordinary visuals, elegant animation, and chest-tighteningly effective music. The distinct seasons each have their own tone and gameplay challenges. The combat encounters were noted for showing the evolution of Alba and Neva's relationship rather than existing purely for challenge. The last segment set in winter received particular acclaim. Some critics noted that while the game kept introducing new gameplay mechanics, some did not last long enough for players to fully appreciate them. Others felt the combat lacked precision. The game was compared to Journey and Studio Ghibli films for its ability to evoke strong emotions during its short runtime. The standalone expansion Prologue, released in February 2026, serves as a prequel designed for players who had finished the main game, featuring more difficult gameplay, three new locations, and additional enemy types and boss encounters.
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