There’s a sort of bitter irony that my most fondly-remembered game from the original Bella Sara website is one of the most lost. There’s very little footage online, and what little there is comes from the twilight years of the site when the game was barely functional and could easily softlock.
I am talking, of course, of Bella Sara Adventures, added to the site in 2009, a top-down point and click game that allowed the player to explore, collect items and furniture, interact with NPCs, cultivate plants and complete quests. My memories of it are vague and dreamlike; I remember when it was initially added to the site; I remember the cute cows at Overgaard Skylands and how you could get chocolate or strawberry milk from them; I remember the mysterious mostly unused cave area with an old witch living inside; I remember how gorgeous the castle was within; I remember Artisan’s Way and the Outskirts; I remember the fairies and tassel mice and I remember spending days just wandering and wandering through every area ‘til North of North felt like a second home.
I also definitely miss Horseland. While many aspects of the site like its minigames have been archived on Flashpoint, the part I miss- wandering around the map and making my own fun while riding my horse- is currently not playable. So there’s a little bit of my memory of that in there too, even if I don’t remember it as vividly as I do Bella Sara Adventures.
Out of everything on the horse games I played, that’s what I wish I could revisit the most, even if only through playthrough videos. But even that is pretty sparse as far as online footage goes, especially for Bella Sara. So, here we are. Previously I wrote about how I use nostalgia for lost things as motivation to create; that is what this has been leading to. My aimless yearning has motivated me to not only create large web projects, but now to finally dip my toe into game development, a hobby that I had previously had no experience with. I also previously expressed my desire to experiment with this; to add more interactivity to this part of my site; to make it more immersive and real. I have finally accomplished this as well.
This isn’t meant to be a recreation of Bella Sara Adventures, just as Clovenglade isn’t meant to be a recreation of Bella Sara- it is form given to memory. So the world I present to you is based on what little I remember and what it made me feel. Now you can spend a few moments within Clovenglade- not just as an interactive essay, but as an interactive game. And I’ll be honest, creating this and seeing it come to life gave me as much joy and delight as playing any browser game from my youth.
There’s no real objective to the game; it is simply a space to explore, wander and experience. This is by design. It’s meant to reflect the idea of a casual ride taken with a beloved horse. However, it might be worth going on adventures with various different horses! Each horse can collect its own unique item as well as cause different reactions from the denizens of Clovenglade, and lead to different observations from the world around you.
So if you’re in the mood for a relaxing ride through the fields of Clovenglade... Why not select a horse and begin?
Don’t forget to head to the stables afterward- even the most loyal and noble of horses needs some rest and relaxation.
I’d also like to give a thanks to the excellent tool Adventure Game Studio, as without it this addition to my site wouldn’t be possible. It was very easy to learn and use, and I would highly reccomend this to anyone seeking to make a point and click game.
CONTROLS
Move/Interact - Click
Top Bar - Mouse over top bar for inventory, etc
Settings - Escape
Signposts - You can move between areas by clicking on signposts.
As an additional note, this tab provides the backing music for the game (which has its own separate set of ambient tracks). If you want to enjoy the ambiance on its own, feel free to mute this tab.
The game(s) may take a little longer to load the first time you open them. Be patient ^_^ And if you notice any bugs or issues please let me know!