Master Lemon: The Quest for Iceland Review

Master Lemon: The Quest for Iceland is one of those games that struck out to me, just by reading the About description on Steam. As Pepita Digital debuted their first game, they described it as follows:

“Master Lemon is a tribute to André Lima, a vibrant adventurer whose passion for languages and cultures knew no bounds. Set against the enchanting backdrop of Iceland, where he lived out his dream, Master Lemon celebrates his legacy and the enduring bond of friendship that transcends time and loss.”

Already, it’s set the scene. While it first looks like a typical charming adventure game where you learn words from other languages to prevent the end of the world, with a cute pixel art style that will make you think the story is simplistic, it’s not. Set in a world where Lemon, our protagonist, is about to go on his dream trip to Iceland, he is summoned to the world of Bashirs, where his knowledge of languages can help restore the memories of these fantastical folks and clear away the darkness that has descended. It’s here that the world tree is dying, and only Lemon can save it.

The controls of this game are simple. You move around with the directional buttons and interact with the different objects around you. Press the left-face button to clear away the darkness, and check your progress by going to the inventory menu, or see the progress for one area with the left bumper. As you interact with your surroundings, you’ll find Relics. In total, there are 144 for you to collect, all through the different islands. You can go to the Islands by pressing the top-face button, where you’ll be provided a selection of words that you can then teleport to.

Of these locations, you’ll find the library, the temple, the desert, and the boreal. The top-face button will also be used if you want to combine two compatible items together. You can use it to unlock a key item, or when the rune in the left-hand corner alights, signifying that you can use a word to help one of the Bashirs. For example, if you need to use the Icelandic word for Strength to move one of the large runic stones into place.

As you explore, you’ll be able to learn all the different words that will help you uncover the puzzles around you. But don’t worry if you can’t unlock certain puzzles at the time of doing them, because you can go back to any and all locations. Once you go to Boreal, there’s a Bashir who can also teleport into Lemon’s key memories at home, the school, and the theatre. You won’t be able to do all the puzzles at once, so going back is essential if you want to go the completionist route. It’s a pretty simple way of doing things.

To progress the story, you’ll need to do the main quests, where you will do certain jobs for each of the five masters. While some of these are more akin to side quests, as you explore, Lemon will interact with his memories, and notably, those with his close friend: Rulio.

Rulio is the alias of Master Lemon’s writer, Julio, who was a close friend of the real Lemon. Throughout this tale, Lemon won’t only learn about himself, but Rulio will interact with him, discussing their dreams for the future and helping Lemon on his journey. For it is on this journey to Iceland that tragically, the real Lemon had passed away in a car accident. As our fictional Lemon tries to save the tree, Rulio even includes a film of himself talking to his friend.

With a combination of beautifully drawn pixel-animated cutscenes, heartwarming dialogue, and an emotionally impactful story, I couldn’t put Master Lemon down. The puzzles weren’t too frustrating, and the gameplay was smooth. I’ve never played a game like this, and by that, I mean, the narrative is first and foremost the important element. The gameplay, while essential, is secondary, and the focus is on learning languages to show the connection between humanity, regardless of where one comes from.

Master Lemon is not just a game; it’s a touching elegy to a lost friend and an important reminder of the power of language to connect others. With that, I recommend Master Lemon to anyone who enjoys cosy puzzlers with a meaningful narrative. It was beautiful, and my playtime came to just under five hours to complete it.