Where to get it

2017 · Freebird Games · Adventure · Arcade

Finding Paradise

Timed Nintendo exclusive

A story-driven experience about two doctors traversing through a dying man's memories to artificially fulfill his last wish.

Released: 14 December 2017
Platforms: Android Linux Nintendo Switch PlayStation 5 Windows Xbox Series X/S iOS macOS
Genres: Adventure Arcade Indie Point-and-click adventure Puzzle Role-playing Visual novel
Developers: Freebird Games
Publishers: —
Modes: Single-player
Perspective: Bird view / Isometric
Themes: Science fiction Drama
Engine: RPG Maker, RPG Maker XP
Country: Canada
Age ratings: GRAC ALL PEGI 3 CERO A ESRB E10+
Languages: Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Czech, English, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil) and 7 more
Time to beat: 5hmain story5.5hwith extras5.5hcompletionist
Composers: Kan Gao, Laura Shigihara

About

Finding Paradise is an adventure game developed and published by Freebird Games. Serving as a sequel to To the Moon and A Bird Story, the story continues with doctors Eva Rosalene and Neil Watts as they help to fulfill a wish for Colin Reeds, who is now a bedridden old man. As with To the Moon, it features relatively few gameplay mechanics which center around puzzles, with the player controlling both doctors as they solve them in order to reconstruct the dying man's memories in order to fulfill his dying wish. The game was fully designed, written, and composed for by Canadian independent game designer Kan Gao using the RPG Maker XP game engine.

Development of the game began in 2015, and it was released for Linux, macOS, and Windows on December 14, 2017. It was released for Android, iOS, and Nintendo Switch on November 18, 2022. A sequel to the series, Impostor Factory, was released in 2021.

›Story

Finding Paradise follows the two doctors’ travels as they unravel the perplexing memories of a patient named Colin Reeds, to fulfill a wish that seems rather paradoxical… to change something yet change nothing at all.

And just what exactly is his wish?

Players say

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

The gameplay of Finding Paradise is similar to that of the first game in the series, To the Moon, which was also built on the RPG Maker XP engine. Like the previous game, it functions like a typical RPG, but without an inventory system, party system, or battle system. As the game is mostly story-driven, most gameplay revolves around puzzle solving for Colin's memories. This is done by interpreting information and experiencing his emotions and feelings, as well as finding ways to get deeper into his memories to discover the truth of his wish.

As with To the Moon, the game centers around exploring Colin's memories to find significant objects and collect energy from them to strengthen the memory and connect to a more distant one, from his childhood to modern day. Occasionally, players take a break from the machine and explore his house and the surrounding area for certain clues.

Story

Sigmund Corp. uses a technology that can create artificial memories. Since these artificial memories conflict with the patient's real memories, the procedure is only legal to do on comatose patients without much time left to live. Thus, they offer this as a "wish fulfillment" service to people on their deathbeds.

Sigmund Corp. employees Dr. Eva Rosalene and Dr. Neil Watts are contracted with fulfilling the paradoxical dying wish of Colin Reeds: to change something, yet change nothing at all.

Development

Finding Paradise was developed and published by Freebird Games for Linux, macOS, and Windows by the independent Canadian game designer Kan Gao. Created using the RPG Maker XP engine, the development started in 2015, a year after A Bird Story was released. Originally meant to be released in mid-2017, the game was delayed due to issues in Gao's personal life. The game was released on December 14, 2017.

Reception

Finding Paradise has received generally positive reception, with an 81/100 Metacritic score based on 18 critic reviews. Bob Richardson from RPGFan praised the game for its storytelling, soundtrack, and expressive pixel art.

The game was nominated for the Off Broadway Award for Best Indie Game at the New York Game Awards 2019.

Releases by platformdates and regions as published

Platform	Released	Regions
Linux	14 December 2017	Worldwide
Windows	14 December 2017	Worldwide
macOS	14 December 2017	Worldwide
Nintendo Switch	18 November 2022	Worldwide
iOS	18 November 2022	Worldwide
Android	18 November 2022	Worldwide
PlayStation 5	8 October 2025	Worldwide
Xbox Series X/S	8 October 2025	Worldwide