Little Triangle
Little Triangle
Game
Game2019
ARIDA: Backland's Awakening
Developer Aoca Game Lab
ARIDA: Backland's Awakening (formerly known as Projeto Sertão) is an adventure and survival video game developed by Aoca Game Lab. The game was released in August 2019, exclusively for Windows, through digital distribution on the Steam platform. The player experiences the journey of Cícera, a young countrywoman who needs to overcome obstacles imposed by hunger and drought in the Brazilian backlands of the 19th… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
194 reactions from 2 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky) · newest Oct 27, 2026 · last updated Oct 28, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
66
Fresh
86 positive · 44 negative
95% range 58–74%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 86 | 44 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 0 | 0 | 64 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mixed
99 of 144 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
69% recommend · 98 yes, 44 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 142 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (696 of 792 positive).
Players praise the game's atmosphere and cultural authenticity. [1][2][3] Many find the game too short and lacking content. [4][5][6] Some reviewers report bugs and technical issues. [7][8][5]
Liked
Representative posts
- [4]
This is a hard one for me. While i enjoyed the game, it is very short. To short in my opinion. For 9 bucks you get 80 minutes of playtime. That's a rotten deal. This is only slightly cheaper than going to see a movie in the theater. If you can get it on sale, it is ok but do not buy for full price. In addition to that, don't expect super graphics. The visuals are relatively crude, but functional. Unfortunately the …
- [5]
I like the concept behind the game, the narrative and I don't mind it being short, but the overall experience was too frustrating for me to be able to recommend it. 1. Too much backtracking. You keep having to run back and forth through the same areas - sometimes to find and pick up stuff that you already interacted with before, but can't pick up until you finally get a quest for them. 2. Various glitches when …
- [1]
Arida is not a full game, it's basically a 1-2 hours prototype/demo made by an indie team in Brazil. And it's not about complex mechanics or elaborate graphics, it's all about atmosphere - about placing you in the shoes of a girl struggling to survive in Brazil's backlands during the 19th century. And it's amazing at that. The art style, the characters, the items, music, presentation... it all exudes a charm that is …
- [2]
[8/10] Review in english first, portuguese below Análise em inglês primeiro, e em português abaixo JOGADO TOTALMENTE NO LINUX - PLAYED COMPLETELY ON LINUX ====================================== Árida is a very regionalist game about the worst period of drought in northeastern Brazil in the region known as "Caatinga" (blacklands). It is a short semi-linear exploration and survival game, with cartoonish aesthetics …
- [3]
What a lovely tribute to the hardy men, women and children that survive in the harsh arid savannas of northeast Brazil. I bought this game to support an indie team of developers from my homeland, but was pleasantly surprised by this touching story of survival and faith. The attention to detail is amazing: every resource you collect and recipe you prepare is a legitimate part of the environment and culture of the …
Summarised from 34 of the 205 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 13, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
69% of the 142 Steam reviewers we collected recommend ARIDA: Backland's Awakening. The complaint that keeps coming up: game is very short, around 1-3 hours. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Critics, per Wikipedia
ARIDA: Backland's Awakening received positive reviews, with an aggregate score of 93/100 on Steam. A significant amount of praise was aimed at the music and art, but the game was criticized for its lack of polish and poor performance on release.
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 194 · most liked first[repost] Arida got a new game! Wanna watch her play? 🐍 @naycelium.bsky.social #art #digitalart #furry
neutral · AI labelView post →Silly Snake Time (sexy???) ⏰🐍🚨 This is not a drill The Tsuchinoko Gamer Girl That Loves To Play Games Together, Eat Takeout and Infodump about Game Lore and Facts, Arida ! 🐍🎮
neutral · AI labelView post →Arida is a 13 years old Girl that lives by her great lovely Grandfather. The Times are hard. Nearly nothing is growing anymore. Water & Food is very rarely. So you need grow fast adult & to do a few Things before you can leave your Home & follow the other Members of the Village. +++ easy 100 % Achievements with Guide +++ 5 Trading Cards + fine short Story about modern Problems of Dryness/ Drought/ Aridity/ Desertification + for Indie Game fine Graphics/ Sounds/ Level Design -- very…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Arida got a new game! wanna watch her play? 🐍🎮
neutral · AI labelView post →Happy belated BirthNay (and belated #DTIYS)! What's Arida playing on her GBA there? #CaliArts #furry #furryart
neutral · AI labelView post →Is it cringe to wanna see my sona hanging out with my other OCs.. what if Arida was playing Bionicle Heroes on the Wii and having fun but not really knowing what it's about and Rangoon was loredumping about how the game isn't canon and how the story actually went..
neutral · AI labelView post →Sweet, Short & Simple indie game It's not a wow and it's not bad at all, it does have a nice little story to it and if you want this indie game get it for the adventure story of a little girl only its a very nice journey (Rating 8/10) It's a very simple enjoyable survival & crafting game very easy to play, I loved the atmosphere of the game (Rating (8/10) The graphics are good (Rating 7/10) The mechanics are very simple not complicated at all (Rating 7/10) Music and sound effects are not…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Next year when im better I want to try more background stuff.. Arida must be seen browsing the Retro Game Store, a Tsuchinokos Natural Habitat
neutral · AI labelView post →Can't believe the Steam Store crashed because so many people want to buy Arida Game
neutral · AI labelView post →Why did they not show off Arida Adventure DX at the Game Awards
neutral · AI labelView post →Arida is like kind of a mother to her video game plushies and collectibles.. what do we think chat
neutral · AI labelView post →this game is sweet. love it love it love it. has a nice story and if you are a fan of exploration and crafting games you should like this. cute graphics/characters and xbox controller works well with it. I only ran into one issue. once in a while I had to restart the game as it would freeze. this has happened twice so far and im a few hours in the game, so no biggie. I buy many Steam games, and most I don't like that much. One thing I like about this game is the simplicity. Too many games…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Wanting to play a new game but defaulting back to the same game over and over is how I am with drawing Arida compared to the rest of my OCs
neutral · AI labelView post →What game would you stay up until 5 am playing on a hot summer night with Arida?
neutral · AI labelView post →[8/10] Review in english first, portuguese below Análise em inglês primeiro, e em português abaixo JOGADO TOTALMENTE NO LINUX - PLAYED COMPLETELY ON LINUX ====================================== Árida is a very regionalist game about the worst period of drought in northeastern Brazil in the region known as "Caatinga" (blacklands). It is a short semi-linear exploration and survival game, with cartoonish aesthetics that resemble drawings from that place and age ("literatura de cordel") in sharp…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Thinking about what an Arida Video Game would look like.. what do you imagine? What genre? Do you play as her or interact with her? My first thought was some kind of minigame collection that are like parodies of real games that she is showing you..
neutral · AI labelView post →I loved this game! It was a little short for my liking BUT for being a first game for a new company I can't complain at all. Controls were easy to learn Has a GREAT story to it teaches a bit of history and survival while still being fun. Looking forward to the sequel.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What cozy game spot would you hang out with Arida at? I think Sirena Beach from Mario Sunshine would be cute.. maybe Clock Town from Majoras Mask playing all the mini games.. day out in Station Square in Sonic Adventure, shopping in Coconut Mall, going for a walk in the Nintendogs neighborhood...
neutral · AI labelView post →So far the consensus is that non-canon pieces would be okay, but would What If type pieces be as interesting as a Canon one? A silly example, a Post-Story Patch repairing old game consoles with Arida or Rangoon Empire free Bixbi unlearning her thief ways, shopping for Jewelry with Lilac
neutral · AI labelView post →Edit 12/10/2023: This review is for the original version, not for the definitive edition that got published a few days ago. ---------- A short small exploration adventure with minimal survival elements that can be completed in one sitting (average time probably would be around 3 hours, though it’s even possible to complete it in 20 minutes). Don’t really expect too much from this game, it’s rather a small project that’s rough around the edges, probably based on former university work. The map…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A question for True Arida Fans: Without looking, what was the first console she was seen playing? Bonus: What game was it? 🐍 🎮
neutral · AI labelView post →This is a hard one for me. While i enjoyed the game, it is very short. To short in my opinion. For 9 bucks you get 80 minutes of playtime. That's a rotten deal. This is only slightly cheaper than going to see a movie in the theater. If you can get it on sale, it is ok but do not buy for full price. In addition to that, don't expect super graphics. The visuals are relatively crude, but functional. Unfortunately the controls are mediocre at best. You cannot remap the keyboard controls, so…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What is your ideal Arida Afternoon, what game you playing and snacks you snackin?
neutral · AI labelView post →Honestly, don't buy this game if you have problems with religion. In the first minutes of the game is so much BS about faith and prayer that I am seriously annoyed. Religion, the blight of modern times and frankly every time so far... On top of that, the controls are horrible and not really responsive.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I was fortunate enough to have a friend recently gift me Arida: Backland’s Awakening for my birthday. It’s a short adventure game, with small survival elements, that has you venturing through the Brazilian backland. It was created by a small indie team and it’s set to be the first of three games telling the story of Cicera’s journey. First of all, the developers recommend playing with a controller, and I would have to agree with that recommendation. Movement feels much smoother with the…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The symbolism of the banners in #ARIDA! ✨🚩 Anyone who beat the 1st game remembers their impact. In ÁRIDA 2, they gain depth: guiding Cícera and unlocking the memories of past travelers on the road to Canudos. 🎮Wishlist on Steam: store.steampowered.com/app/1212030/... #indiegame #gamedev #steam
neutral · AI labelView post →7. Arida likes to go thrifting with friends like Quilt or Rangoon from time to time! She has found all sorts of retro game merch and promotional t-shirts there! She even found a Sonic Adventure Plush of Amy there once! She checks back often like the dog that found fried chicken on the sidewalk
neutral · AI labelView post →7.8/10. Too little water.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I like the concept behind the game, the narrative and I don't mind it being short, but the overall experience was too frustrating for me to be able to recommend it. 1. Too much backtracking. You keep having to run back and forth through the same areas - sometimes to find and pick up stuff that you already interacted with before, but can't pick up until you finally get a quest for them. 2. Various glitches when interacting with items and the craft menu. I ended up wasting whetstones on…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →But anyways its Peam, its Bleam its Cream and I'm Sleam.. it's everything and more.. I hope you also know this means Arida is over the moon too 🐍 she embodies that niche interest nostalgic game aura, so she is Living !!!
neutral · AI labelView post →I expected more from this game. Bugs doesn't let me finish my achievements, boring and pretty pointless surival aspects to the game.. I would rather just had a walking simulator that didn't made me die. Story was okey tho so had potential.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →What a lovely tribute to the hardy men, women and children that survive in the harsh arid savannas of northeast Brazil. I bought this game to support an indie team of developers from my homeland, but was pleasantly surprised by this touching story of survival and faith. The attention to detail is amazing: every resource you collect and recipe you prepare is a legitimate part of the environment and culture of the sertao of Bahia. I genuinely gasped when I realized this game is based on…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →That little girl eats and drinks more in an hour than I do in a week, yet she keeps dying every time she walks 100 metres. I wonder how she survived that many years in a desert without me. Anyway, this is a Chores Simulator, so I ended up having my butler play it for me. Crafting, digging, cooking... all these terribly boring features that make popular 21st century games. They added a thirst gauge, one of the worst game elements ever, a type of timer that forces you to stop and perform…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →very touching game!!!!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It is notorious that the game needs some polishing. But in its essence and also in the experience it provides, it is certainly something formidable !! Please make the sequence happen!!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After 2 hours of playing the game It's pretty mid. The story is nothing that you would drop your jaw from but It isn't bad either. The gameplay is nothing but bunch of fetch quests with survival elements. It doesn't sound like bad idea but here It's executed poorly. There aren't enough resources, once you take all the water in the valley that's the only water you will get for rest of the game or you can milk the cow which for some reason eats just specific kind of cactus that you won't…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I was very happy when I got this game as I like survival games and in screenshots it looks very beautiful game. Yeah graphics are very good but this game is very short and main reason for not recommending this game because of shaky camera. In recent time there is craze of making game more realistic by adding shaky cameras and that make many people suffer from motion sickness if they play it long time. There must be option to disable shaky camera to enjoy this game even if it short that is no…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It seems a bit experimental and is very short. But it is very good anyway. Some frame drops in specific moments. I am now looking for the continuation!! Keep the work and release the steam page for the new one
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Cute story. The mechanics are very cool and the world looks interesting to explore, even with some areas not that polished. Could better in orientation (maybe a map?). Cool for a different experience. Waiting for the continuation!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Dont need awsome graphics, or great mechanics to have a great experience. Good alternative game
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →👎 I want to give this game a thumbs down to help the games ratings because I did not enjoy my experience with it 👎 *sigh* I honestly feel bad giving this game a thumbs down. It started out pretty fun as you explore this village while staving off death from the heat. But the game unravels into a game full of needless busy-work and needle in the haystack questing. I feel pretty irritated about it too, because there was a specific optional quest that I got that I actually did want to…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Pretty charming game!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →31. Arida wishes she could learn how to repair old game systems but her paws might be too big for such intricate little devices..
neutral · AI labelView post →I liked the cultural aspect of this game but otherwise this game just doesn't have much meat on the bones. You have to eat and drink distressingly often, and the rest of the game is just fetch quests. The whole game is just preparing to leave your village. What would be the tutorial area in a normal game is the entire game here unfortunately
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Not a bad game, but but bugs and broken achievements make this a Not Recommended for me. In my first playthrough: - Due to a bug, I never got the pumpkin cooking recipe even though I collected several pumpkins. Pumpkins are a renewable source of food that doesn't take Water to cook. - a chest was bugged/unopenable which prevented the collection achievement (Backlands' Explorer); - Despite meeting the requirements, the fourth most obtained achievement didn't unlock for me (Dig Hunter); -…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game could be interesting, the problem is that it's only 15-20 minutes long. It's as if a tutorial or demo was sold as a full game. My playtime is this long from waiting for card drops.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →not bad but feels unfinished its a bit like a tutorial but the game ends right after it
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Arida is beautiful. Although short, it certainly succeedes in achieving what it set out to do: Illustrate a much relevant part of Brazil's northeastern history in a captivating setting. It's also not too ambicious in it's gameplay, and I think that was the right call. The system works well and offers support to the narrative without getting strenuous. Using poetry in the cutscenes was the cherry on the top.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game made me feel good things. Waiting for the continuation!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very nice game. But bad in optimization. A little short too. But I'm anxious to know what happens to the girl. Please ensure it will be continued!!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →43. Arida likes to visit Easel's Studio to get a little crafty sometimes! She likes to make little clay sculptures of video game characters, Mario and Kirby enemies in particular thanks to their more simple designs
neutral · AI labelView post →Penelope is so cute this is the cutest flamingo design I've ever seen 🥺 love her cute little face and outfit and shape!! Love the colors too wow! My fave OC is Arida! She's a silly gamer Tsuchinoko who loves 90s/2000s games, her fav game of all time is Sonic Adventure! 🐍 bsky.app/profile/nayc...
neutral · AI labelView post →Árida is a briliant small gem made from Brazilian Indie devs! It tells the story of survival of terrible conditions of extreme poverty and extreme drought in northeast Brazil. How a very young girl is forced to survive and leave their home to find a better place. It's a short experience... you can finish in one sitting... but that does not take away from the wonderful feat of these loving devs made... to try to recreate the backlands of Brazil in a videogame and I commend their work! Show…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A thumbs up with some reservations: 1) This is a short game. I got about 2.4 hours out of it. More of a demo or proof of concept for a sequel. 2) I'd categorize this as a historical consciousness raising game for pre-teens. It wears its heart on its sleeve, and its earnestness is its strong point. As an adult, it was a pleasant enough time. But it is a game about farmers in a drought, so do expect more than a little melancholy. 3) I died maybe three times. But I was constantly watching my…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Good: Visually, an interesting if odd design. Characters are all nice enough. The story is good enough, although depressing (but that is fitting with the era and setting). The Bad: It's just walking back and forth along what is essentially one linear path. It's incredibly short. You have a constant need to eat and drink. The resources to collect respawn constantly as you move between areas, so you have a virtually unending supply of materials to turn into food an water. The rate at which…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is such an adorable game. highly recommended
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Awesome game, it was amazing to play ! <3 I got hooked right from the start. Very short, though, but worth every minute and cent spent, I'm really looking forward to the next chapter. And I have to say, this game is very underrated and worth a little bit more money than it actually costs. Great job everyone, you did an amazing job creating this little gem. *thumbs up*
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →9/10 for the "indie survive style". Know what you are buying. It is a surviving game based on the reality of a people that lives in a harsh place, called "cerrado". A type of Brazillian savanna, in the end of 19th century. It is a very beautiful game, showing the hard times of the people. And few things changed from this time to now. It is pretty hard to see this game, because the main character is going to a city founded by separatists from the Brazillian government and few people…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →We want the continuation! =D
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →very fun and cute game! the world looks amazing!! like a fantasy desert!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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