Benign Land
A short, dreamlike experience where you drift through haunting scenes set in Ireland, from pagan times to recent historical events, revolving around the Troubles of Northern Ireland.
Simulation
Released
24 Jan 2025
1 year ago
N/A
VGDB Score
Be the first to review
75%
Mostly Positive
Overview
Summary
A short, dreamlike experience where you drift through haunting scenes set in Ireland, from pagan times to recent historical events, revolving around the Troubles of Northern Ireland.
Description
About This Game
Just Updated
Release Date Announced!
We’re incredibly excited to share that Benign Land will officially be released next Friday, January 24!
A project that started as a site-specific art installation in Belfast will now become available for people to experience in their own space & time. An unconventional game that we believe it won’t disappoint in providing a one-of-a-kind journey.
Wishlist now on Steam and mark your calendar for this unforgettable experience!
About the Game
FROM INTERACTIVE ART INSTALLATION TO YOUR SCREEN
ENTER BENIGN LAND & UNCOVER IRELAND'S LAYERED PAST
Benign Land is an otherworldly walking simulator that invites you on a surreal journey through Ireland’s myths, history, and collective memory. Drift through 17 evocative scenes—spanning centuries from ancient pagan sites to the rise of Christianity, and from the Irish Famine to the haunting echoes of the Troubles.
Blending historical, political, and mythical elements through a cryptic, symbolic narrative, Benign Land defies conventional gaming norms. It’s an experience for those who embrace games as profound artistic and narrative experiences.
A SHORT IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE
Designed as a 30-45 minute experience, Benign Land offers a dreamlike, slow-paced & meditative exploration where you can:
Traverse 17 Unique Scenes: Explore landscapes rich in Irish symbolism, from mythological roots to political history (ie. the Maze Prison. aka 'Long Kesh')
Cross Portals to the Next Chapter: Locate and step through 'thresholds' that transport you forward in a looping, cyclical journey.
Decode a Symbolic Narrative: Immerse yourself in an abstract narrative told through metaphors, symbolism, and visual poetry.
Lose Yourself in a Hallucinatory Atmosphere: Feel as if you’re wandering through a dream, vision, or after-death experience.
Enjoy a Haunting Original Soundtrack: Experience music composed by sound artist John D’Arcy, designed to deepen the atmosphere of the journey.
INSPIRED BY MASTERPIECES OF ART & LITERATURE
Inspired by Seamus Heaney's poetry, the layered prose of Finnegans Wake, the Tibetan Book of the Dead, and Gaspar Noé's Enter the Void, Benign Land is an immersive, dreamlike odyssey that unfolds in symbolic, ethereal scenes. Political, spiritual, and poetic, the experience blurs the line between history and hallucination.
NO OBJECTIVES—ONLY VIBES
With no combat or puzzles, Benign Land invites you to absorb its world as an artistic meditation on Ireland's psyche, touching on its spiritual evolution and lingering social scars. Originally crafted as an interactive art installation, it’s an homage to abstract storytelling and visual art, made to evoke rather than explain.
SOUNDTRACK BY JOHN DARCY
Featuring an original soundtrack by Belfast-based sound artist John D'Arcy, the soundscape of Benign Land draws you deeper into this liminal space—with lingering echoes of a sonic past that complement its mist-laden vistas and stark imagery.
ORIGIN STORY
Benign Land was originally commissioned as an immersive art installation for the deconsecrated Carlisle Memorial Church in Belfast, brought to life through support from Household Belfast and the British Council of Northern Ireland. Created by interdisciplinary artist and solo game developer Leandros Ntolas, the project merges art with interactive storytelling to craft a surreal journey into Ireland’s soul.
With a vision to cross-pollinate between the worlds of art and games, Benign Land defies typical gameplay. In this dreamlike experience, scenes blend history, myth, and memory—inviting players to see games not only as entertainment, but also as powerful vehicles for cultural expression.
