When the Embers Wake | PC Review
If there’s an adorable game with a powerful message, I want to get my grubby little hands on it ASAP. So when I had the opportunity to play Llamaplay’s new title When the Embers Wake, I was instantly intrigued. My interest was also piqued by its reportedly short runtime. I can safely say that the time between starting this game and rolling credits is indeed brief. I managed to finish it just shy of thirty minutes. Does the game itself live up to what it’s trying to convey, though?
Aww! Wait…
When the Embers Wake sees a woman named Emmie telling her partner about the dream she had. In the dream, she saw a red panda and her cub traversing a forested area. While she describes what happened, she also delves into her grief surrounding the loss of her mother. As the player, you never see Emmie. You’re squarely playing as the red panda cub. You follow your mother and witness the deteriorating state of the forest you’re in as you encounter each new section. As you uncover more of the forest, Emmie delves deeper into her mental state and her memories of her mom.
Uncovering the Truth
The gameplay of When the Embers Wake is very simple. You walk (crawl?) along forest paths and occasionally stop to eat some bamboo or drink from a stream. You also encounter some rocky outcroppings you need to jump on top of, but that’s the extent of the challenge this title provides. You can’t even explore the environment. When I tried, I would hit invisible walls that would force me back on the main trail.
It’s honestly more of an experience than a game. If you’re not a fan of walking simulators, this won’t appeal to you. If you’re interested in environmental conservation and processing grief, When the Embers Wake will be more your speed. It handles its story very well and conveys its messages powerfully.
Adorable but Flawed
The graphical style isn’t anything special, but it’s cute and pleasing to look at as you progress. The sound effects are solid, but I do have to warn you about the narration. While I thought it was very good, I happened to look at the game’s Steam page. There, they state that at least some of the narration is AI generated. This was a disappointment to me. I know a small team made this game, but I was hoping for genuine voice acting. This may not be an issue for others, but I wanted to bring light to this fact in case it does influence your choice to play. I also had a small issue with the subtitles. In them, they constantly spelled the main character’s name two different ways. Sometimes she was Emmie, other times Emmy. I’m still not sure which spelling is correct. I’m just relying on the Steam page’s information on how to spell her name for this review.
The Final Verdict
When the Embers Wake isn’t going to be for everyone. It’s not fun, per se, but it does have powerful messages about conservation and grief that it addresses in its short runtime. The gameplay is simple and follows the nature of a walking simulator. The graphics and sound design are good, but the inclusion of AI in its narration is a disappointment, at least for me. If this sounds interesting to you, you’ll probably enjoy this short experience. If it seems like it’s not your type of game, then I’d recommend going ahead and skipping this title.
To hear me talk more about When the Embers Meet, be sure to listen to the September 24th episode of The Gaming Outsider Podcast around the 1:17:01 time stamp.
This review is based on a PC copy of When the Embers Wake on PC provided by Llamaplay for coverage purposes. Outside of Mac, it is exclusive to that platform and releases on October 27th, 2026.
When the Embers Meet
$9.99
Pros
- Powerful Messages About Grief and Conservation
- Cute Graphics and Solid Sound Effects
Cons
- Extremely Short
- Use of AI in Narration
- Not a Fun Game; More of an Experience
