Where to get it

2023 · Don’t Nod · Action-adventure · Adventure

Jusant

Enjoy meditative vibes in Jusant, an action-puzzle climbing game. Scale an immeasurably tall tower and ascend to new heights alongside your watery companion. Master your climbing tools, find your way up through diverse biomes, and piece together the tower's past.

Released: 31 October 2023
Platforms: PlayStation 5 Windows Xbox Series X/S
Genres: Action-adventure Adventure Platformer Puzzle
Developers: Don’t Nod
Publishers: Don’t Nod
Modes: Single-player
Perspective: Third person
Themes: Action Fantasy
Country: France
Age ratings: GRAC ALL CLASS_IND L USK 0 ESRB E ACB G PEGI 3
Languages: Chinese (Simplified), English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Spanish (Spain)
Time to beat: 4.5hmain story5hwith extras8hcompletionist

About

Jusant is a 2023 puzzle platform game developed and published by Don't Nod. The player controls a lone wanderer as they climb a desolate tower, filled with the artifacts of civilizations long past. The game was released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on 31 October 2023. It received positive reviews from critics, but was a commercial disappointment for Don't Nod.

›Story

A lone wanderer arrives at the foot of a colossal, sun-scorched tower that rises far above the clouds, once ringed by ocean and now abandoned after a devastating drought known as the Jusant drained the world of its water. Accompanied by a small companion made of water called Ballast, the climber ascends the tower level by level, discovering the relics, homes, and letters of the vanished civilization that once thrived along its heights. With no spoken word, the story unfolds through the environment itself, piecing together what became of the people and the sea that sustained them.

Players say

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The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

Jusant tasks the player with climbing to the top of a tower, which is split into different biomes, each with unique traversal mechanics and challenges. As the player ascends the tower, they will find more about the civilization that resided there, and what became of them. The player can place pitons with a button, catching them if they fall or run out of stamina. The triggers are used in order to place a hand while climbing.

By holding down a button, the player character jumps, using up a large amount of stamina in the process. Periodically, the player can let down ropes to areas they have already passed through, making backtracking easier. Throughout the game, the player is accompanied by a companion named Ballast, which is described by the team as "a creature made entirely out of water". Ballast will reveal clues and "wake nature", opening up new paths for players to use and explore. The game has no dialogue, and therefore, relies heavily on environmental storytelling.

Development

Jusant was developed and published by French studio Don't Nod. The game was announced at the Xbox Games Showcase 2023 on 11 June 2023 for release in fall. Don't Nod simultaneously revealed the release platforms, and released a demo on Steam shortly after the announcement. It was released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on 31 October 2023. It also launched on Xbox Game Pass for cloud, console, and PC.

The game was a PlayStation Plus "Monthly" title in July 2025.

Reception

Jusant received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic.

Eurogamer, playing an early preview, enjoyed the climbing system, likening it to Grow Home. "That squeezing of the triggers also makes it densely physical. I feel, in some small way, the exhaustion of the climber, because I am gripping this thing along with them".