Neva
A wordless journey through four seasons with a wolf companion.
Neva is a 2024 puzzle-platform game from Nomada Studio, the Spanish developer behind *Gris*, and published by Devolver Digital. The story follows a young woman named Alba and her wolf companion, Neva, as they journey through four seasons in a world overtaken by darkness. The game launched in October 2024 on Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. A standalone expansion and a prequel for the game, titled *Neva Prologue*, was released in February 2026. In the side-scrolling game, players control Alba, who must solve environmental puzzles and fight dark creatures. Alba wields a sword with horizontal and vertical slashes, and can jump, double jump, air dash, and dodge. Chaining attacks slowly regenerates her health, and healing cairns are scattered throughout levels. Alba’s skills cannot be upgraded, but Neva grows from a timid cub into a full-grown adult, gaining abilities that help in combat and traversal. Players can call Neva’s name to guide her to a desired spot. Nomada Studio expanded its team for this project, making the game roughly twice as long as *Gris*. Like its predecessor, *Neva* has almost no dialogue—Alba only calls Neva’s name in different tones—leaving events open to interpretation. The story originally involved two humans, but the team scrapped that after being impressed by early drafts of Neva. *Princess Mononoke* heavily influenced the visual design. Unlike *Gris*, *Neva* includes combat, 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 change over time, drawing from their own experiences raising children. The four chapters show Neva evolving from a cautious cub to a reckless teenager and finally a mature adult. While Neva gains new abilities, Alba’s core moves stay the same. The team aimed to evoke mixed emotions—fear when Neva is in danger, joy when she succeeds. Enemies represent environmental challenges and the fears of raising children. Early segments feel lighter, while later chapters turn darker as both characters face the corruption. The game received “generally favorable” reviews on Metacritic, with 95% of 111 critics on OpenCritic recommending it. Critics praised its visuals, animation, and music, with *The Guardian* noting each season has a distinct tone and gameplay.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Neva
- Developer
- Nomada Studio
- Publisher
- Devolver Digital
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows · macOS · Nintendo Switch · PlayStation 4 · PlayStation 5 · Xbox Series X/S
- Director
- Conrad Roset
- Producer
- Roger Mendoza
- Programmer
- Adrian Cuevas
- Designer
- Oscar Crego
- Engine
- Unity
- Composer
- Berlinist
- Released
- October 15, 2024
- Genre
- Puzzle-platformer
Facts from the source article.
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. Like Gris, the game has nearly no dialogue, with the exception of Alba calling Neva's name in various intonations. The team felt that the wordless design left room for players to freely interpret the events. The story originally revolved around two humans, but the team scrapped this plan after being impressed by early drafts for Neva. Princess Mononoke served as an important inspiration for the game's visual design. Unlike Gris, Neva features a combat system, though the team introduced a story mode to ensure approachability for all players. According to founder Adrian Cuevas, the team wanted to explore the relationship between parents and their children, how these relationships change over time, and how a parent feels when raising a child as the child grows and changes. The team was inspired by their own experiences raising children. The game is divided into four chapters, with Neva slowly turning from a timid young cub to a teenager eager to jump into dangers, and finally 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 one may have raising children. Earlier segments have a more delightful tone, while later segments contrast this by threatening both characters with corruption. Neva was announced in May 2023 and released on October 15, 2024. A standalone expansion titled Neva Prologue, serving as a prequel, was released on February 19, 2026. It was designed for players who had finished the main game due to its more difficult gameplay, and introduced three new locations, additional enemy types, and boss encounters.
Reader's Guide
Neva received generally favorable reviews according to Metacritic, with 95% of 111 critics recommending the game on OpenCritic. Critics praised its extraordinary visuals, elegant animation, and chest-tighteningly effective music. The distinct seasons were commended for having their own tone and gameplay challenges. Comparisons were drawn to Journey and Studio Ghibli films, with the game described as highly accessible and deeply affecting. The combat was noted for showing the evolution of Alba and Neva's relationship rather than existing purely as challenge. The winter segment received particular critical acclaim. Some reviewers noted that while the game kept introducing new gameplay mechanics, some did not last long enough for players to fully appreciate them. The combat was described as light and responsive by some, while others felt it lacked precision. The game was called the most heartbreaking game of 2024 by Rolling Stone. Its short runtime was considered suitable for its ethereal and devastatingly beautiful nature.
Did You Know?
- The game has nearly no dialogue except for Alba calling Neva's name in various intonations.
- A standalone expansion and prequel, Neva Prologue, was released in February 2026.
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