The Longing feels like a troll.

The game puts you in the role of a “shade,” a small creature who lives in service to an ancient king.

The Longing is, at its core, a game about killing time.

The game takes place in the crumbling remnants of a long-forgotten underground kingdom.

As you explore, the shade will talk to itself in tweet-worthy missives like “this seems like a great place to be lonely” or “I have never understood life.” If you don’t feel like wandering, you can always just sit down and read Moby Dick or spend time drawing sketches to decorate your home.

In some ways, The Longing almost plays like an idle browser game, something you set in the background and return to when something interesting happens.

Those games are often about watching numbers increase over time, like in a roleplaying game, but in The Longing you simply get a quiet space for contemplation.