is an open world exploration video game developed by Shedworks and published by Raw Fury. It was released on , for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, and released on PlayStation 5 on .
Players control Sable, a young girl who embarks on a coming-of-age rite of passage: a search for an appropriate mask and return to her nomadic clan. Exploring the ruined desert planet of Midden, Sable encounters several characters who help her find her place in the world, as well as giving her several tasks that often involve solving puzzles and platforming through rock formations or ancient ruins.
Gameplay
is an open world exploration video game, in which the player can roam and adventure in a non-linear way. The game has no combat or set storyline, since the narrative is explored through NPC dialogue and environmental cues, such as remnants of an ancient civilization left to interpretation. It emphasizes simple puzzle-solving and discovery, traversing sand dunes and ruins. Platforming mechanics are put into place through a stamina gauge that allows for running and climbing, as well as the ability to glide in mid-air.
Parts of the game are customizable, such as Sable's hoverbike and clothing, including the story driven masks. Both hoverbike parts and clothing items can be acquired either by simply exploring the game's world, or by completing quests given by an array of characters, which often revolve around collecting small materials such as bugs or fruit. While clothing is purely cosmetic, with the exception of a few masks, different hoverbike parts affect how the player traverses the world of Midden, with different parts offering several degrees of manoeuvrability, acceleration and top speed.
Development
Daniel Fineberg and Gregorios Kythreotis began development on Sable in 2017, working in a shed belonging to the latter's parents. The two-person indie development team is known as Shedworks. Writer Meg Jayanth also contributed to the game, while musician American singer-songwriter, Michelle Zauner using the name of her band Japanese Breakfast provided the game's soundtrack.
The game's concept came from the planet Jakku on Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Its art style was inspired by the sci-fi works of Jean Giraud, aka Mœbius. The game was also inspired by Breath of the Wild, of The Legend of Zelda series. Each of the game's environments are hand-crafted.
The game premiered at the E3 2018 PC Gaming Show, where it was nominated for Best Independent Game. Originally scheduled for 2019, the game was twice delayed for a 2021 release. Its release was supported by Raw Fury and Microsoft. The game was showcased at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival, where it competed for the inaugural Tribeca Games Award.
Reception
Critical reception
Sable received "generally favorable" to "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.
Jonathan Peltz, writing for Wired, praised the game as "[...] gorgeous and endlessly GIF-able". Alice Bell of Rock Paper Shotgun, credited the game for looking "[...] fabulous in the flesh" and managing to meet the aesthetic expectations set by trailers and teased content. However, she faulted the game for a number of small irritations, including clunky driving mechanics and difficult navigation, comparing these to the annoyances caused by grains of sand in reality. Inverse's Tomas Franzese praised the game for its relaxing qualities. The Washington Post liked the game's approach to the post-game, saying that it adopted "one of the most easygoing approaches to an endgame I’ve come across in an open-world game".
PC Gamer's Natalie Clayton enjoyed the various points of interest placed throughout the world, describing it as "enigmatic" and "memorable". GameSpot praised the writing of the title, especially praising how it helped normalize characters, "The writing is a strong point, too, namely because it's relatively understated. These characters are just regular people going about their lives, and this is reflected in their personable dialogue". Game Informer liked the side content of the game, noting how it created "narrative variety" and made use of unexplored parts of the map. The Guardian felt the open-ended nature of Sable's world and narrative helped set it apart from other open world games, saying that, "There are whispered points of interest, but there is no wearying to-do list, and as such your journey and destination are uniquely, wonderfully personal".