Developed by Studio Seufz, “The Longing” is an adventure game that invites players to experience a unique perspective on time, patience, and solitude. The game offers five distinctive endings, each unveiling a different resolution for its protagonist – a solitary creature known as the Shade. Here’s an overview of all the possible endings.
Please note: this article contains significant spoilers.
1. The King’s Awakening
In the first ending, the Shade waits patiently for 400 days for his king to awaken. Once awoken, the king ends all fear and longing by invoking a calamity that destroys all life, causing a massive stone in the cave to fall and obliterate everything in its path. This ending is defined by a profound sense of resolution, yet its fatalism leaves a haunting impression.
2. The Despair
The game offers a darker resolution in the form of an ending where the Shade chooses to leap from a cliff. This is not a choice made lightly or accidentally, and the game requires the player to confirm this decision multiple times. Upon acknowledging the decision, the Shade ends his longing by succumbing to the abyss, resulting in the text: “The Longing has been willfully ended. A soul is lost in the abyss and shall be forever alone.”
3. The Old Man
In this ending, the Shade, while being hoisted from the well to the surface via a bucket, encounters an old man. This ending leaves a lot to interpretation, prompting further speculation about the identity of the old man and the implications of this encounter. It’s a resolution that sparks as many questions as it answers.
4. The Wonder (the secret ending)
One of the secret endings of the game unfolds when the Shade inspects the Wonder, which turns out to be a door. The player can choose whether the Shade should enter the door or continue playing. Upon entering the door, the game transitions to reveal the Shade having a marvelous dream. This ending, shrouded in mystery, underscores the game’s surrealist elements and its narrative emphasis on dreams and introspection.
5. The TrollBoy
The fifth and final ending involves another encounter during the Shade’s ascent from the well. In this ending, the Shade encounters TrollBoy. Like the ending involving the Old Man, this resolution generates intrigue about TrollBoy’s identity and the implications of this encounter for the Shade.
Each ending in “The Longing” presents a different narrative twist, enriching the game’s central themes of loneliness, longing, and the passage of time. Whichever ending players reach, the game rewards patience and curiosity, leaving a lasting impression that resonates far beyond the screen.
