Tall Trails Review

Have you ever wondered how far you can travel using a Rocket Boot stuffed with two roasted marshmallows (that are actively on fire) and a snowball? Of course you have, and the answer is: far, very far. During my humble beginnings through Brady Soglin’s chill exploration game, Tall Trails, even rocks could fuel my ascent up a mountain, where I’d raise a triumphant flag at the top. There’s no dearth of creative items you can put in your Boot to fly, fall, hover, or climb long distances in this weird, wonderful world.

There is one rare thing in Tall Trails, however, and that’s you, a cute little golem named Alp who has no life’s purpose. Other clay golems were created by The Sorcerer and tasked with a unique objective to help further his Big Plan (no one actually knows what it is, but they’re happy to assist), while Alp wakes with no directive at all.

Orp grows mushrooms, Giant contemplates the world through yoga, and Pin counts every rock on the islands. Somehow, those duties, no matter how big, small, or random they may seem, all tie into that Big Plan; maybe Alp is meant to plant grass, stare at the sky, or build tiny golem houses. Who knows? It’s quite the mystery. As such, you need to find your purpose in life by talking with The Sorcerer. It’s a heartwarming, wholesome narrative, and its simplicity is well-balanced with a meaningful message. Every friend you meet along the way is also delightfully funny, quirky, and charming, offering enjoyable new dialogue whenever you run into them during your journey.

Tall Trails’ gameplay is all about freedom and fun, sending you to unique islands where you’ll collect Clay waiting for you at the tops of eye-catching monuments or tall mountains. Alp’s trusty Rocket Boot sits on his back and functions as his main mode of travel, as you can stuff three items in it, then click your mouse to expel them, launching yourself into the air. Everything goes into the Boot; yes, I mean everything: rocks, snail shells, compasses, mushrooms, chilli peppers, magnets, stars, and more.

Some items have different passives when you launch them, such as allowing you to slowly hover during a fall or even letting you live out your Spider-Man dreams! This makes movement across islands extremely enjoyable, and with smooth, responsive controls, the platforming always feels great. One thing I love is that these environments are littered with options to fuel your Rocket Boot; even if you’re mid-climb and used all three items already, there are likely multiple ledges around where you can pick something up.

The platforming reaches a new level once you start finding Badges, which offer neat passives that can be upgraded into more powerful versions, like improving your climbing speed or increasing your stamina. You can earn additional Badge slots and freely swap out what you have equipped, making it easy to experiment. Overall, these bonuses feel significant, especially after being upgraded; it’s quite fun mixing and matching them to reach seemingly impossible heights (like the top of an extremely large toilet statue).

Customising Alp also ensures you match the flair and pizzazz of your gravity-defying movement. There are plenty of creative hats, glazes, and launchers to find alongside all the Clay and items throughout each island. At one point, my golem rocked a glass bottle, sunglasses, and an upside-down saucepan (the perfect outfit for meeting an all-knowing Sorcerer). While the customisation feels varied already, I do think it would be great to see launcher options expand beyond 11, as the glaze and hat categories offer over 20 currently.

Optional objectives and an overall lack of pressure or danger made Tall Trails such a relaxing, wholesome experience. When the description said “chill”, it really meant it. I remember being pleasantly surprised the first time I fell a significant distance and lived to tell the tale; no fall damage is a great touch.

Sometimes you’ll get a sidequest to take a golem’s house to the mountain, engage in a game of “The Floor is Lava”, or find a couple of Clay Blobs, but if you ever become stuck or bored, you can just head to the next (or previous) island without penalty. Additionally, you’ll see how much Clay per island you’ve collected in the top-left corner, but don’t feel the need to 100% each location before moving on. That said, the game is so enjoyable and easy to get lost in that striving for completion isn’t a chore.

I finished the main adventure in four and a half hours, but you can easily get much more out of your Tall Trails experience by making use of the New Game+ feature. You get to replay the story in a randomly generated world with new islands, additional upgrades for your Badges, and more. At £8.50, you definitely get your money’s worth. My only wish is that the visual presentation were more polished, as the text, menus, and HUD all look a bit dated and unfinished.

There’s so much to love about Tall Trails, from the charming golems to its penchant for imaginative movement. It’s a whimsical, chill time that doesn’t hold back on freedom and fun. If you think it can go into the Boot, it probably can, and if you see a spot you think you can reach, let your curiosity lead the way — you won’t be disappointed!